NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 2, 2023

by | Feb 2, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 2, 2023

The Bruins and Hurricanes head into the All-Star break on a winning note, the three stars and the top rookie for January are revealed, Golden Knights captain Mark Stone undergoes a second back surgery, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Boston Bruins ended a three-game winless skid by dropping the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2. Pavel Zacha scored twice and Linus Ullmark made 33 saves for the Bruins (39-7-5) as they sit atop the overall standings with 83 points. Mitch Marner and Calle Jarnkrok replied for the 31-13-8 Leafs as they sat third overall with 70 points.

Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho scored for the sixth straight game in a 5-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Brent Burns also scored to extend his points streak to seven games as the Hurricanes (34-9-8) picked up their seven straight win to sit second overall with 76 points. The Sabres slipped to 26-20-4 and remain one point back of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 56 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres scoring leader Tage Thompson left this game in the second period with an upper-body injury. He’s slated to play in Saturday’s All-Star Game so it’ll be interesting to see if he still attends or ends up replaced. These were the final games before the All-Star break which begins today

HEADLINES

New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes (NHL Images)

 NHL.COM: New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes, Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak and Seattle Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn are the league’s three stars for the month of January 2023. Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was named the rookie of the month for January.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Golden Knights captain Mark Stone is sidelined indefinitely after undergoing successful back surgery on Tuesday. It’s the second time in nine months that the 30-year-old right winger has had back surgery, having missed 45 games last season. He didn’t miss a game this season until getting injured on Jan. 12 against the Florida Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights have gone 1-5-2 since Stone was sidelined. His ongoing absence could send management into the trade market in search of help. I’ll have more about that in today’s Rumor Mill update.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets winger Gustav Nyquist has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a left shoulder injury. It’s the same shoulder he has surgically repaired in November 2020 but he won’t have to go under the knife this time.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline reports Nyquist is hoping to return before the end of this season. While the current injury hurts the winger’s trade value, Portzline suggests that it doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t be moved before the March 3 trade deadline. He points out the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired a sidelined Riley Nash two years ago, who ultimately played in two playoff games for the Leafs.

THE SCORE: New Jersey Devils associate coach Andrew Brunette was arrested early Wednesday morning in South Florida while driving home from a bar in his golf cart. He was charged with driving under the influence and two counts of disobeying a stop or yield sign. Brunette was released on $500.00 bond. In a statement, the Devils indicated that they’re aware of the situation and were gathering additional information.

OTTAWA SUN’s Bruce Garrioch reports the expectation for Cam Talbot is the sidelined Senators goaltender will resume skating next week when the club reconvenes following the All-Star break.

SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL: NHL viewership on ESPN and TNT is down 22 percent heading into the All-Star break compared to the same time last year.

The main reason is both networks doubled the number of games they carried compared to last season. Bigger schedules tend to hurt average viewership.

TNT is also affected by local blackouts affecting big markets in Boston, Pittsburgh and New York whereas last season they had no blackouts. ESPN’s numbers were hurt by scheduling six games on Sunday up against the NFL whereas the network had no Sunday games at this point last season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Critics seized on that ratings drop as an opportunity to rail against the issues they believe are hurting the game’s popularity. The Athletic’s Sean Gentille acknowledged that those issues are real and long-standing but aren’t applicable to the real reasons (noted above) behind those ratings decline. Gentille pointed out that those numbers could improve once ABC’s 20-game coverage during the remainder of the regular season is included in the final equation.

ESPN: Emily Kaplan reports the NHL Players Association’s executive board will meet this week in Florida to discuss the possible appointment of US Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh as its new executive director. Walsh has emerged as the leading candidate to replace current PA director Donald Fehr, who is stepping down after 12 years.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 1, 2023

by | Feb 1, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 1, 2023

The Hurricanes stage a three-goal rally to defeat the Kings, the Capitals and Senators earn one-goal victories, plus the latest on Carey Price, Rasmus Dahlen and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Sebastian Aho lifted the Carolina Hurricanes over the Los Angeles Kings 5-4. The Hurricanes scored three unanswered third-period goals to set the stage for Aho’s game-winner. Andrei Svechnikov and Brent Burns each had two points for the Hurricanes (33-9-8), who sit seven points behind the first-overall Boston Bruins with 74 points. Adrian Kempe scored twice and Anze Kopitar had three points for the 28-18-7 Kings, who are tied with the first-place Seattle Kraken in the Pacific Division with 63 points.

Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kraken holds first in the Pacific with four games in hand. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes are riding a six-game win streak as they face off against the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night.

The Washington Capitals nipped the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 on an overtime goal by Evgeny Kuznetsov. Trevor van Riemsdyk tallied twice as the 27-20-6 Capitals enter the All-Star break holding the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 60 points. Johnny Gaudreau scored to send the game into overtime for the Blue Jackets, who remain mired at the bottom of the overall standings with a record of 15-32-4.

Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk scored in the dying minutes of the third period to down the Montreal Canadiens 5-4. Tim Stuzle scored twice and collected two assists while Thomas Chabot had three assists for the Senators (24-23-3) as they moved within six points of the final Eastern wild-card spot with 51 points. Rafael Harvey-Pinard scored twice for the Canadiens as they slide to 20-27-4.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Speaking of the Canadiens, Carey Price and his family have put their Montreal-area home up for sale and are returning to his native British Columbia, where they live during the offseason. It’s being seen as another indication that the 35-year-old goaltender’s playing career is over. He remains sidelined by an ongoing knee injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Price isn’t expected to retire as he has three more years remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $10.5 million. If this is the end of his playing days, he’ll spend the remainder of his contract on long-term injury reserve, allowing the Canadiens to exceed the cap if necessary to re-sign or add players.

WGR 550: Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin sent an open letter to the club’s fans expressing his excitement whenever their home arena (KeyBank Center) is full this season as they inch toward playoff contention.

“It’s like we are 19,090 strong – 20 of us in uniform, the rest of us in the stand. Together we are going to break the other team mentally. That’s what it feels like,” wrote Dahlin.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres fans are sharing Dahlin’s excitement. The energy in their building comes through even on television. This is a promising, exciting young team that is pushing hard to end the club’s 12-year postseason drought and their fans are buying into it.

THE ATHLETIC: Brian Burke, president of hockey operations for the Pittsburgh Penguins, expressed his disappointment over the Philadelphia Flyers’ Ivan Provorov’s refusal to wear a Pride-themed jersey for a recent pregame warmup followed by a similar move by the New York Rangers.

“For someone to say, ‘Well, I’m Orthodox Christian, I’m not wearing a Pride sweater’. Well, I don’t see how one has anything to do with the other,” said Burke. “We want to say, ‘Everyone is welcome here.’And that’s the risk here: The fragmentation, the distraction, losing sight of the message.”

Burke became a leading advocate for LGBTQ+ awareness in hockey after his son Brendan came out during an interview with TSN in 2009. Brendan was killed in a car accident in 2010 at age 21. The Burke family subsequently launched the advocacy group You Can Play.

Despite the recent incidents, Burke still believes things are going in the right direction in the NHL for LGBTQ+ awareness. He said league commissioner Gary Bettman told him he still solidly supports Pride.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 31, 2023

by | Jan 31, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 31, 2023

The Jets down the Blues, reaction to the Bo Horvat trade, the three stars of the week are announced, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey (NHL Images).

  NHL.COM: The Winnipeg Jets overcame a 2-0 deficit with four unanswered third-period goals to double up the St. Louis Blues 4-2, snapping a three-game losing skid. Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey each scored twice as the Jets improved to 32-19-1, moving to within one point of the Western Conference-leading Dallas Stars with 65 points. Jack Neighbours had a goal and an assist as the Blues slipped to 23-25-3, sitting eight points out of the final Western wild-card berth with 49 points.

THE PROVINCE: Bo Horvat said he thought he would be a Canuck for life as he reacted to Vancouver trading him yesterday to the New York Islanders. In return, the Canucks received winger Anthony Beauvillier, prospect center Aatu Raty, and a top-12 protected first-rounder in 2023.

Horvat confessed it’s been a difficult season dealing with the uncertainty regarding his contract negotiations with the Canucks. While the news of his trade hasn’t sunk in yet, he’s looking forward to joining the Islanders. He also thanked Canucks fans and the province of British Columbia for their support during his nine seasons in Vancouver. “It’s a tough goodbye,” he said.

Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin admitted it was difficult to trade Horvat. However, he said the club is excited to add “a high-quality 25-year-old right winger in Beauvillier, a young center in Raty, and a protected first-round draft pick.” The Canucks also retained 25 percent of Horvat’s $5.5 million cap hit for this season.

Allvin brush off concerns that the Canucks might’ve gotten a better return had they waited until the March 3 trade deadline to move Horvat. “The timing was right. It was a good trade for both teams.”

NYI HOCKEY NOW: Horvat said he’s familiar with several players on the Islanders. He’s played with Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Mathew Barzal and Josh Bailey at the World Championships.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The New York Post’s Larry Brooks believes Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello’s willingness to acquire Horvat stems from his confidence that he can re-sign the 27-year-old center. Those talks have not yet started but Lamoriello stressed this deal wasn’t just about this season. “It’s our intention to retain him certainly for more than this year,” he said.

NHL.COM: Ottawa Senators winger Claude Giroux, Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander and Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy are the league’s three stars for the week ending Jan. 29, 2023.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Injured Kraken center Matty Beniers will miss the upcoming 2023 NHL All-Star Game and was replaced by Vegas Golden Knights forward Chandler Stephenson. There won’t be anyone representing the Kraken at the game because most of their players made advance vacation plans and left immediately following Saturday’s game again the Columbus Blue Jackets.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the 2023 All-Star Game, George Richards published a complete guide to all the events taking place in Sunrise, Florida.

NHL.COM: League commissioner Gary Bettman was named the 2023 recipient of Sports Business Journal’s lifetime achievement award. He will receive the honor on May 24 in New York City.










Canucks Trade Bo Horvat to the Islanders

by | Jan 30, 2023

Canucks Trade Bo Horvat to the Islanders

The Vancouver Canucks traded center Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders in exchange for Anthony Beauvillier, prospect Aatu Raty, and a protected first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.

Cap Friendly indicates the pick is top-12 protected.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: And just like that, the player atop everyone’s trade rumor boards has been moved over a month before the March 3 trade deadline.

Vancouver Canucks trade Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders (NHL Images).

Horvat was the hot topic of media trade chatter since rejecting a contract offer from the Canucks around late November. Earlier this month, Canucks president of hockey ops Jim Rutherford said the club’s offer was based on his performance up to this season but Horvat’s camp sought more based on his play this season.

It’s believed the Canucks refused to spend more than $56 million on Horvat, which is what they spent on re-signing J.T. Miller last September. The club’s re-signing of Andrei Kuzmenko last week to a two-year deal worth $5.5 million annually set the stage for Horvat’s departure as they couldn’t afford to re-sign both players.

Horvat, 27, is in the midst of a career-best performance with 31 goals and 54 points in 49 games this season. He’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and carries an average annual value of $5.5 million. There is no indication from the Canucks’ press release that they retained any salary in this deal.

Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello has been seeking a scoring forward since last summer. He attempted to sign Johnny Gaudreau and Nazem Kadri and reportedly made a failed attempt at last year’s draft to acquire Miller from the Canucks.

In the short term, Horvat should provide a much-needed boost to the Islanders’ anemic scoring punch. He’ll likely skate on the first line with Mathew Barzal shifting to the wing. It will also be interesting to see if he re-signs with the Isles or test this summer’s free-agent market.

Moving Beauvillier ($4.15 million through 2023-24) helped make the dollars work here for the Islanders. The 25-year-old winger had struggled to regain the 20-goal form from earlier in his career. Perhaps a change of scenery by moving to Vancouver will help him recover his scoring touch.

Raty, 20, was projected to become a top-10 pick at one point leading up to the 2021 NHL Draft but tumbled into the second round where the Isles chose him 52nd overall. He has the potential to become a productive NHL center. Raty’s in the first season of his three-year entry-level contract with two points in 12 games this season with the Isles.

The Canucks now have potentially two first-round picks in what’s considered a deep draft this year. Their own will likely become a lottery pick while the one from the Isles could end up in the latter half of the first round.










Bobby Hull 1939-2023

by | Jan 30, 2023

Bobby Hull 1939-2023

Hall of Famer Bobby Hull passed away on Jan. 30, 2023. He was 84.

Hull spent 15 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks from 1957-58 to 1971-72, becoming one of the greatest scorers in NHL history.

Ruggedly handsome with a megawatt smile and a muscular physique from years of farm labor while growing up near Belleville, Ontario, Hull was nicknamed “The Golden Jet” for his blonde hair, blazing speed and booming shot. He was the NHL’s biggest star through most of the 1960s until Bobby Orr’s ascension to superstardom toward the end of that decade.

Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Hull (NHL.com).

His breakout season was in 1959-60 when he won his first Art Ross Trophy with 39 goals and 81 points in 70 games and was named to the First All-Star Team. The following season, he helped the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup. He would also lead them to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1962, 1965 and 1971.

From 1961-62 to 1971-72, Hull took home the Art Ross twice more (1961-62, 1965-66), was a two-time winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy (1964-65, 1965-66), and was the winner of the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 1964-65.

During that period, he led the league in goals six times, including four years in a row from 1965-66 to 1968-69. He was also named to the First All-Star Team nine times and the Second Team twice.

Hull had his first 50-goal season in 1961-62. He became the first player to score over 50 goals in 1965-66 with 54. He reached 52 the following season and broke his own record with 58 in 1968-69, which stood until Phil Esposito’s 76-goal performance in 1970-71.

In 1972, Hull made history by leaving the Blackhawks following a contract dispute to sign a $1 million deal with the Winnipeg Jets of the upstart World Hockey Association. A number of NHL stars quickly followed Hull to the rival league, which led to a significant, long-overdue increase in player salaries.

Hull’s presence gave the WHA respectability and helped ensure its survival until it was taken over by the NHL at the end of the 1978-79 season. He paid a price for jumping to the rival league as he was barred by the NHL from playing for Canada in the 1972 Summit Series with the Soviet Union. He would play for a team of WHA stars in an eight-game series with the Soviets in 1974 and was the only WHA player on Team Canada in the 1976 Canada Cup.

During his tenure with the WHA, Hull was named to the First All-Star Team three times and the Second Team twice. He was the league’s MVP in 1972-73 and 1974-75, scoring a league-leading 77 goals in ’74-’75.

After retiring in 1979, Hull returned to the NHL with the Jets in 1979-80, playing 18 games until traded to the Hartford Whalers where he skated for nine more before retiring again. He attempted a comeback with the New York Rangers in 1981 for five exhibition games before hanging up his skates for good.

Hull finished his NHL career with 604 goals and 1,153 points in 1,036 games. He also tallied 303 goals and 638 points in 411 WHA games. He and his son, Hall-of-Famer Brett Hull, are the only father and son in NHL history to each score 600 or more career NHL goals.

Hull had a reputation during his playing days for being kind and generous to his fans, often keeping the team bus waiting while he patiently signed autographs. However, there was a dark side to his private life that has cast a dark shadow over his career.

In the book “The Devil and Bobby Hull”, sportswriter Gare Joyce chronicled not only Hull’s hockey accomplishments but also his alcohol abuse and the physical and mental abuse of two of his three wives. His daughter, Michelle, works with battered women as a result of witnessing her father abusing her mother. He also made racist remarks during an interview with a Russian news outlet in 1998 that he subsequently denied.

Hull leaves behind a mixed legacy. On the ice, he was a great player who still holds the Blackhawks’ single-season goal record (58) and the all-time goals record (604). However, his behavior off the ice and unrepentant attitude over his transgressions tarnished his once golden reputation.

My condolences to his family, friends and former teammates.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 30, 2023

by | Jan 30, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 30, 2023

Leafs captain John Tavares and Hurricanes defenseman Brent Burns pick up wins in their respective milestone games during a quiet Sunday for NHL action. Check out the details in the Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares collected two assists in his 1,000th career NHL game in a 5-1 victory over the Washington Capitals. The Leafs blew the game open in the second period with four goals.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares (NHL Images).

Morgan Rielly’s first goal of the season proved to be the game-winner as the Leafs improved to 31-12-8 to sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 70 points. Nicklas Backstrom tallied his first of the season for the Capitals (26-20-6) as they hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 58 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs defenseman TJ Brodie (rib) was activated off injured reserve for this game. He’d been sidelined since Jan. 9.

Meanwhile, Leafs goaltender Matt Murray missed this game with an ankle injury. He will be sidelined until after the upcoming All-Star break.

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brent Burns picked up an assist in his 1,300th career NHL game as his club beat the Boston Bruins 4-1, handing the latter their third straight loss. Sebastian Aho tallied his 21st goal of the season as the Hurricanes (32-9-8) sit atop the Metropolitan Division and second in the overall standings with 72 points. The 38-7-5 Bruins hold a nine-point lead in first overall with 81 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins had never lost consecutive games this season prior to the start of this losing skid on Jan. 26 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. They did pick up a point in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Florida Panthers on Saturday.

NOTE: With the All-Star Break approaching on Feb. 2-5, we can expect a light schedule of games up to Wednesday. There’s only one game on Monday, Jan. 30 as the St. Louis Blues visit the Winnipeg Jets.

Three games are slated for Tuesday, Jan. 31 as the Los Angeles Kings visit the Carolina Hurricanes, the Ottawa Senators journey to Montreal to face the Canadiens, and the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Washington Capitals.

On Wednesday, Feb. 1, the Hurricanes head to Buffalo to meet the Sabres while the Boston Bruins will face off against the Maple Leafs in Toronto.