NHL Rumor Mill – June 3, 2024

by | Jun 3, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – June 3, 2024

What could the offseason hold for the Stars? What’s the latest Rangers speculation? Could the Panthers move a key defenseman to free up cap room this summer? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WHAT NEXT FOR THE STARS?

ESPN.COM: Ryan S. Clark looked at what the offseason might hold for the Dallas Stars following their elimination from the Western Conference Final.

Matt Duchene and Joe Pavelski are unrestricted free agents on July 1. They were part of the Stars forward depth that enabled the club to challenge other top contenders. Clark believes they should be back if there’s cap space to make it work.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars have a projected $15.9 million of cap space for 2024-25 with 13 active roster players under contract. While their core players are all under contract, squeezing Duchene and Pavelski within that limited space won’t be easy unless they accept pay cuts or management makes a cost-cutting trade.

Pavelski’s struggles during this postseason prompted retirement speculation. If he hangs up his skates, it could make it easier to retain Duchene.

THE LATEST ON THE RANGERS

THE ATHLETIC: Peter Baugh wondered if New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury might consider any moves that shake up the core and free up some salary-cap space.

New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba (NHL Images).

Baugh noted that Rangers captain Jacob Trouba’s performance this season did not play up to his $8 million cap hit. The 30-year-old defenseman’s no-movement clause becomes a 15-team no-trade list on July 1 for the final two years of his contract. There’s speculation that Trouba could draw some interest in the trade market, especially if the Rangers retain part of his cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Baugh believes that’s something Drury should consider but it’s probably not an option the Rangers GM will take seriously. They’re all-in for the Stanley Cup and Trouba is a key part. A more likely cost-cutting trade candidate is forward Barclay Goodrow. He’s under contract through 2026-27 with a $3.64 million annual average value and a 15-team no-trade clause.

NEW YORK POST: Ethan Sears believes the Rangers have big decisions to make regarding restricted free agents Ryan Lindgren, Braden Schneider, and Kaapo Kakko.

Lindgren is a linchpin player in line for a significant raise over his current $3 million AAV. Drury might have to shed some salary to free up room to keep him.

Schneider is coming off his entry-level contract with little leverage. He could get a three-year bridge deal for around $3 million annually.

Meanwhile, questions remain about Kakko’s future with the Rangers after struggling through this season and the playoffs. The 23-year-old still has the potential to become a top-six winger but whether he’ll do so on Broadway is another matter. Sears expects the Rangers will likely reshape their roster this summer while trying to save money. Shopping Kakko’s rights is an obvious move.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Athletic’s Peter Baugh believes there will be interest in Kakko if the Rangers decide to trade him this summer. He suggests it might be the best move for the player and the team, speculating he could fetch a second or third-round pick.

Mollie Walker believes Igor Shesterkin could aim for a historic contract after his dominant postseason performance. The 28-year-old goaltender will become a UFA next summer but the Rangers can sign him to an extension on July 1. Walker speculates his camp could aim for a long-term deal for as high as $12 million annually, which would be a salary-cap record for an NHL goalie.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Shesterkin is also a former Vezina Trophy winner (2022). The Rangers have no choice but to lock him up to a long-term deal that could reach $12 million per season.

COULD THE PANTHERS TRADE AARON EKBLAD THIS SUMMER?

TORONTO SUN: Steve Simmons noted that the Florida Panthers want to re-sign winger Sam Reinhart and defenseman Brandon Montour.

“The thinking is, the Panthers will look to trade Aaron Ekblad at the end of the season and use his money to keep Montour,” writes Simmons. He also believes Reinhart will sign a “tax-friendly deal brought to you by the state of Florida,” meaning he could accept less than market value because Florida doesn’t have a state tax.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers carry a projected $20.8 million of cap space next season with 13 active roster players under contract. New deals for Reinhart and Montour will take up most of it so a cost-cutting trade is necessary.

Moving Ekblad and his $7.75 million AAV for next season would be bold given his role as one of their top two defensemen and team leaders. He’s also a year away from UFA eligibility. However, that seems like a “last resort” option for Panthers GM Bill Zito.

Ekblad has a 12-team no-trade list which would complicate things. His cap hit won’t be easy for teams to absorb even with the salary cap rising by $4 million next season.

More likely cost-cutting candidates include Evan Rodrigues ($3 million annually through 2026-27), Niko Mikkola ($2.5 million through 2025-26), or even Sam Bennett ($4.425 million). All of them lack no-trade protection. Like Ekblad, Bennett is a year away from UFA eligibility.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 3, 2024

by | Jun 3, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 3, 2024

The Oilers eliminate the Stars and advance to the Stanley Cup Final. Check out the recap and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAP

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers are going to the Stanley Cup Final after holding off the Dallas Stars 2-1 in Game 6 of the Western Conference Final, taking the series four games to two.

Edmonton captain Connor McDavid opened the scoring on the power play in the first period with a brilliant display of stickhandling. Zach Hyman made it 2-0 for the Oilers on another power-play goal. Mason Marchment got Dallas on the board in the third period but the Oilers withstood a furious push by the Stars for the win. McDavid finished with two points and Evan Bouchard collected two assists. 

2023-24 Western Conference Champion Edmonton Oilers (NHL.com).

The Oilers will face the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final on Saturday, June 8 at 7:30 pm EDT.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars dominated the play in this game except on the score sheet. They outshot the Oilers 35-10, outhit them 31-18, and had three power-play opportunities to the Oilers’ two.

The difference was Edmonton cashed in on the man advantage and stymied the Stars at 5-on-5. Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner played his best game of the postseason, kicking out 34 shots. They got the win with winger Evander Kane sidelined for the third period after he was injured in the opening frame throwing a hit on Dallas’ Alex Petrovic. Head coach Kris Knoblauch is optimistic that the six-day break before the Cup Final will do Kane some good.

Oilers winger Corey Perry became the first player in NHL history to play for five teams in the Stanley Cup Final. He won the Cup in 2007 with the Anaheim Ducks and would play for the Stars (2020), Montreal Canadiens (2021) and Tampa Bay Lightning (2022) before joining the Oilers as a free agent in January.

The Stars were understandably overcome with emotion following the loss, but the thought of teammate Joe Pavelski’s possible retirement had several of them on the verge of tears. He turns 40 next month and his contract expires on July 1. Pavelski had 27 goals and 67 points in the regular season but his performance noticeably declined during this postseason with four points in 19 games.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NEW YORK POST: Rangers long-time goaltending guru, Benoit Allaire, will scale back his workload. He will continue serving as their director of goaltending but will no longer serve as their goalie coach on a day-to-day basis. Allaire completed his 20th season with the Rangers, playing a key role in the careers of netminders Henrik Lundqvist and Igor Shesterkin.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Saginaw Spirit got a late goal from Vancouver Canucks prospect Josh Bloom to defeat the London Knights 4-3, winning the Memorial Cup for the first time in franchise history.

Montreal Canadiens prospect Owen Beck won the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as tournament MVP. He scored twice in the championship game and registered four goals and an assist in the tournament.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the Spirit on winning their first-ever Memorial Cup championship.

Seattle Kraken prospect Jagger Firkus won the David Branch Player of the Year as the top player in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The Moose Jaw Warriors winger is the first player in his club’s history to win this award, leading the CHL with 61 goals and 65 assists for 126 points in 63 regular-season games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Firkus was mentioned as a potential trade candidate for the Kraken to add more immediate help to their roster. Given his performance this season, they might want to rethink that option.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – June 2, 2024

by | Jun 2, 2024

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – June 2, 2024

What could the offseason hold for the Rangers? Could the Hurricanes buy out Jesperi Kotkaniemi? Will the Utah franchise become big spenders in this offseason? Find out in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

WHAT NEXT FOR THE RANGERS?

ESPN.COM: Kristen Shilton believes signing Igor Shesterkin to a contract extension should be the New York Rangers’ priority this summer. He’s a year away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility. His career numbers combined with his stellar play in this postseason leave no doubt about what he deserves in his next contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Shesterkin will become one of the NHL’s highest-paid goaltenders. The 28-year-old’s current annual cap hit is $5.666 million. He’ll likely get between $9.5 million and $10.5 million annually on his new deal.

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (NHL Images).

Shilton also believes the Rangers must dissect why they can’t get over the postseason hump after falling short in the Eastern Conference Final twice in three years. They changed coaches, acquired high-end players, and were patient with youngsters like Alexis Lafreniere.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Florida Panthers play a more physical style than the Rangers. Management could consider bringing more two-way grit into their lineup.

NEW YORK POST: Ethan Sears observed that Lafreniere is also eligible for a contract extension on July 1. Meanwhile, Ryan Lindgren, Kaapo Kakko, and Braden Schneider are slated to become restricted free agents while Jack Roslovic, Alex Wennberg, Blake Wheeler, and Erik Gustafsson will be UFAs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers have a projected cap space of $12.1 million for next season with 16 active roster players under contract. Re-signing Lindgren, Kakko, and Schneider will take up most of it, leaving little to retain those UFAs or bring in replacements.

Kakko’s contract situation will be interesting to monitor. The 23-year-old right wing was hampered by an injury this season and held to just two points in 15 playoff games, including a healthy scratch from Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final. Speculation arose about his future soon followed.

THE ATHLETIC: Peter Baugh observed the Rangers still have that persistent hole on the right wing of their first line.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That hole will remain unless general manager Chris Drury can find sufficient cap space and the right player to address that need. He could be forced to stick with Kakko and hope that he will have a breakout performance like Lafreniere did this season.

COULD THE HURRICANES BUY OUT JESPERI KOTKANIEMI?

SPORTSNET: Rory Boylen recently mused about whether the Carolina Hurricanes would consider buying out the remaining six years of Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s contract. The 23-year-old center is signed through 2029-30 with an average annual value of $4.82 million.

Kotkaniemi struggled this season, dropping from a promising career-high of 43 points in 2022-23 to 27 points in 79 games in 2023-24. Buying him out now would be at one-third the remaining value over twice the remaining tenure, rather than at two-thirds if he was 26 or older.

The Hurricanes would carry that buyout for the next 12 seasons but the cap hit would be $835,500 per season, except for three years when it drops to $455K.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I had mistakenly typed 47 games instead of 79 games for Kotkaniemi this season. My apologies for the error and my thanks to those of you who pointed it out. 

The Hurricanes could consider this if they needed to free up additional cap space this season. However, they’re under no pressure to buy him out and could afford to wait another couple of seasons before going down that road if necessary. Given his youth and potential, they could also attempt to trade him, though they wouldn’t get much of a return.

WILL THE UTAH FRANCHISE BE BIG SPENDERS THIS OFFSEASON?

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun recently interviewed Utah general manager Bill Armstrong over his offseason plans following his club’s move from Arizona. They now have deep-pocketed ownership willing to invest in the roster and over $40 million in cap space for next season.

Armstrong doesn’t intend to go on a spending spree. He stressed the importance of making good, healthy decisions that will allow his club to grow without sacrificing the future.

LeBrun believes Armstrong intends to sign unrestricted free agents to one or two-year deals, overpaying a little in salary to get it done. That way, it doesn’t tie up payroll three or four years from now when their younger core players are ready for new contracts. The Utah GM could also use his cap space in the trade market to target cap-strapped clubs looking to shed some salary.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We probably won’t see Armstrong make a big splash by pursuing a big-ticket free agent or trade candidate. However, it appears he wants to bring in players who can play strong supporting roles for his young talent.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 2, 2024

by | Jun 2, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 2, 2024

The Panthers advance to the Stanley Cup Final, the latest on the Stars and Oilers, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers have advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight year, holding off the New York Rangers 2-1 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final to win the series four games to two.

Sam Bennett opened the scoring in the first period, Vladimir Tarasenko added the insurance goal in the third period, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves for the win. Artemi Panarin scored for the Rangers to make it interesting late in the third period while Igor Shesterkin stopped 32 shots.

The Florida Panthers are the 2024 Eastern Conference champions (NHL.com).

The Panthers posed with the Prince of Wales Trophy when awarded to them at the end of the game but didn’t touch it like they did last year. “We touched it last year and it didn’t work for us,” said Sam Bennett, referring to their five-game defeat at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. “So, we thought we’d try something different this year.”

Bennett and his teammates will get a six-day break as they await the winner of the Western Conference Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars. The Oilers hold a 3-2 series lead and can wrap things up with a win on Sunday night in Edmonton.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers might be hoping to change their luck in this year’s Stanley Cup Final but they didn’t need luck to defeat the Rangers. Their experience, disciplined defensive game, and physical style made the difference in Game 6 just as it had in each of their three previous victories in this series.

The Rangers played better in the last two games but couldn’t mount sustained offensive pressure against Florida. The Panthers snuffed out their power play and neutralized scoring forwards like Panarin, Chris Kreider, and Mika Zibanejad. They also prevented the Rangers from generating offense from the blueline, though the Blueshirts were hampered in that department with defenseman Adam Fox hobbled by a knee injury.

Shesterkin was outstanding for the Rangers, giving his teammates a chance to win throughout this series whenever they fell behind. However, his teammates couldn’t match the Panthers’ heavy game.

PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers are on the cusp of advancing to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006.

Their offense has dominated this postseason. Connor McDavid (29 points), Leon Draisaitl (27), and Evan Bouchard (25) hold the top three positions among this year’s playoff points leaders, with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tied for fourth with New York’s Vincent Trocheck. Meanwhile, Zach Hyman leads all goal scorers with 13, followed by Draisaitl with 10 goals.

Their defense has a league-leading 46 points in this postseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers sit second in goals-per-game average (3.59) and power-play percentage (34.7) only because the Colorado Avalanche ran up big numbers during their five-game opening-round elimination of the Winnipeg Jets. It’s also worth noting that their penalty-killing percentage (93.5) is first overall.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars hope their strong road record will help them in Game 6 as they try to force a seventh and deciding game against the Oilers. They tied with Florida for the most road wins during the regular season (26) and have six road wins in this postseason. They also need scoring from a power play that has gone 0-for-11 in this series.

Stars coach Pete DeBoer said Chris Tanev was sore following Friday’s game against the Oilers but he’s confident the 34-year-old defenseman will be ready to go for Game 6. Meanwhile, Stars blueliner Jani Hakanpaa didn’t make the trip to Edmonton as he recovers from a lower-body injury.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE DENVER POST: Corey Masisak points out Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen is poised for a big pay raise. He’s eligible next July to become an unrestricted free agent but the Avs can sign him to an extension this July 1. He will enter the final season of his six-year, $55.5 million contract with an annual average value of $9.25 million.

A comparable is Boston Bruins’ right wing David Pastrnak, who’s in the second season of an eight-year deal with an AAV of $11.25 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Masisak noted that paying Rantanen $11.75 million on his next contract would be a raise of only $2.5 million annually from his current salary.

The Avs’ offer to Rantanen won’t exceed Nathan MacKinnon’s team-leading $12.6 million. As one of the NHL’s top right wings, he will likely get between $11.5 million and $12 million on his next contract.

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports Daniel Alfredsson is leaning toward returning to the Senators’ coaching staff next season.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Steve Warne cited The Athletic’s Mike Russo reporting that the Senators didn’t renew assistant coach Jack Capuano’s contract, which expires on July 1. Russo indicated that Capuano could be a contender to join the Minnesota Wild’s coaching staff.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Perhaps ensuring that Alfredsson will be back with the Senators next season.










NHL Rumor Mill – June 1, 2024

by | Jun 1, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – June 1, 2024

The potential cost of Travis Konecny’s next contract, the recent trade rumors about Tanner Jeannot, and the Avalanche’s need to go bargain-hunting in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST THE FLYERS TO SIGN TRAVIS KONECNY?

THE ATHLETIC’s Kevin Kurz took to social media on May 26 to speculate over Travis Konecny’s next contract. The 27-year-old Philadelphia Flyers winger has a year left on his current deal with a cap hit of $5.5 million.

Kurz believes the “obvious comparable” is the eight-year, $70.4 million contract Timo Meier signed last year with the New Jersey Devils. “Similar ages, almost identical PPG”, wrote Kurz, adding we can’t ignore how much the Flyers view Konecny as part of their leadership group.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Jonathan Bailey cited Kurz’s comparable but expressed concerns about Konecny’s age, pointing out he’ll be 29 when the first season of that extension is complete. He noted that the Flyers would carry that $8.8 million AAV on their books until the winger is through his age 36 season.

Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny (NHL Images)

“Combine that with the rumored $10 million AAV asking price, and the Flyers could find themselves in serious trouble down the line,” wrote Bailey. He also cited the 5’10’, 175-pound Bailey’s size and physical style of play as areas of concern that could adversely affect his performance over time.

Bailey suggests the Flyers signed Konecny to a five or six-year contract. That would enable him to seek one more big payday if he remains healthy and productive.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to see how Flyers management handles Konecny’s contract situation.

If they were a perennial playoff team or a Cup contender, they’d likely sign him to an eight-year extension without any qualms. However, they’re in the middle of a roster retooling as they transition toward younger players.

As Bailey suggests, Konecny might not fit into their long-range plans. If they ink him to a contract comparable to Meier’s, it could become an expensive millstone in the latter half of the deal even with the salary cap projected to be much higher by that point.

WILL THE LIGHTNING MOVE TANNER JEANNOT IN A COST-CUTTING DEAL?

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Eduardo A. Encina recently took note of the trade rumors swirling around Lightning winger Tanner Jeannot. Some observers suggest the 27-year-old winger could be moved to free up salary cap space to re-sign captain Steven Stamkos.

According to Encina,  no concrete reports indicate the Lightning will trade Jeannot. However, he acknowledged that the winger still needs to provide the complementary scoring management was hoping for when they gave up five draft picks and defenseman Cal Foote to the Nashville Predators last season to get him.

Injuries hampered Jeannot’s performance this season. However, his $2.665 million cap hit for next season could make him a player they move to clear cap space for Stamkos.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Depending on how much it costs the Lightning to re-sign Stamkos, Jeannot could be the most likely cost-cutting trade candidate. Anthony Cirelli, Mikhail Sergachev, and Erik Cernak were also mentioned but they’re too invaluable to move. 

AVALANCHE COULD GO BARGAIN-HUNTING AGAIN

THE DENVER POST: Corey Masisak pointed out the Colorado Avalanche could be forced to go bargain-hunting again. They lack salary-cap space and face uncertainty over the futures of Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin.

The Avalance successfully signed Zach Parise and Jonathan Drouin to cost-effective one-year contracts. Both players performed well and gave glowing reviews of their tenure this season in Colorado.

Masisak wondered if New York Rangers forwards Jack Roslovic and Alex Wennberg would be good fits with the Avalanche. San Jose Sharks winger Alexander Barabanov could be another.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 1, 2024

by | Jun 1, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 1, 2024

The Oilers push the Stars to the brink of elimination in the Western Conference Final, the latest on the Panthers and Rangers on the eve of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAP

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers are a win away from reaching the Stanley Cup Final after beating the Dallas Stars 3-1 in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final, taking a 3-2 series lead.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored two power-play goals, Philip Broberg tallied his first career NHL playoff goal, and Evan Bouchard collected two assists for the Oilers. Wyatt Johnston replied for the Stars in the third period.

Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (NHL Images).

The series returns to Edmonton for Game 6 on Sunday, June 2 at 8 pm EDT.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the most complete game by the Oilers in this series. They broke through on the power play after going scoreless with the man advantage in the previous four games, stifled the Stars’ offense, and maintained their poise and discipline throughout this contest.

Meanwhile, the Stars continue to have difficulty at home in this postseason. Their best scorers struggled against the Oilers’ defense and they’re still looking for their first power-play goal in this series. This was the first time in this postseason that Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger failed to bounce back with a win following a loss in his previous game.

Dallas defenseman Chris Tanev returned for this game after leaving Game 4 with an injured foot. However, he appeared to be laboring throughout this contest.

Following this game, Stars head coach Pete DeBoer took exception to a reporter’s question about his club’s “lifeless” performance during the second period.

“Listen, there are always things you can do better,” said DeBoer. “You’re going to sit here and question our character if you want, you haven’t been here all year. I’m not going to do it. You go ahead and write whatever the f**k you want.”

PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers are a win away from advancing to the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight year. However, the players’ focus is on defeating the New York Rangers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final.

“I don’t think we’ve thought about it at all,” said forward Sam Bennett. “We’ve got business to take care of still. We’ve got Game 6 and our entire focus is on that.”

Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and team captain Aleksander Barkov share Bennett’s view. “We don’t think that far,” said Bobrovsky. “Right now, we just need to recover and think about that,” Barkov said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers have been in this situation before. That experience should work to their advantage as they prepare to face the Rangers on Saturday evening.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin has been the best goaltender of this postseason, but he needs more support from his teammates to stave off elimination in Game 6, especially from his scorers. They’ve spent too much time in the defensive zone in this series with the Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers have dominated the last two games of this series. If the Rangers can’t find a way to break through in Game 6, they’ll be cleaning out their lockers on Monday.

IN OTHER NEWS…

STARTRIBUNE.COM: The Minnesota Wild dismissed long-time assistant coach Darby Hendrickson on Friday. An original member of the Wild as a player, he spent the past 14 seasons as an assistant to six different Wild head coaches.

THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators parted ways with assistant coach Dan Hinote. He was with the club for the past four seasons and was primarily responsible for their penalty kill.

PUCKPEDIA: This year’s restricted free agent offer sheet compensation list was released on Friday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow the link for the full breakdown. The top compensation is four first-round picks for an offer sheet of over $11.45 million.

DAILY FACEOFF: Scott Burnside is the 2024 winner of the Elmer Ferguson Award for excellence in hockey journalism. Pierre Houde is this year’s recipient of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for outstanding contributions as a hockey broadcaster.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to Burnside and Houde for the well-deserved recognition of their work.