NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 4, 2022

by | Oct 4, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 4, 2022

Recaps of Monday’s noteworthy preseason games, Flames coach praises Jonathan Huberdeau, Senators goalie Cam Talbot sidelined, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

PRESEASON GAMES RECAP

NHL.COM: Roman Josi scored two goals to lead the Nashville Predators to a 4-3 victory over SC Bern in the NHL Global Series Challenge in Switzerland on Monday.

Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi (NHL Images).

Edmonton Oilers rookie Dylan Holloway collected a hat trick to lead his club over the Vancouver Canucks 7-2. Warren Foegele tallied twice and Zach Hyman had a three-point game.

The Carolina Hurricanes thumped the Columbus Blue Jackets 8-1. Martin Necas led the way with two goals and two assists while Derick Brassard and Brent Burns each collected three points. Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce left the game with a lower-body injury.

William Nylander and Alex Kerfoot each scored two goals as the Toronto Maple Leafs romped to a 5-1 win against the Montreal Canadiens.

New Jersey Devils goaltender Vitek Vanecek kicked out 24 shots to shut out the Boston Bruins 1-0. Tomas Tatar tallied the only goal.

The Pittsburgh Penguins nipped the Detroit Red Wings 3-2. Casey DeSmith picked up the win with a 36-save performance.

Colorado Avalanche winger Artturi Lehkonen scored twice in a 3-1 win over the Dallas Stars. Avs goalie Pavel Francouz made 38 stops.

Jacob Markstrom made 21 saves as the Calgary Flames downed the Seattle Kraken 4-1.

HEADLINES

CALGARY SUN: Flames head coach Darryl Sutter had high praise for Jonathan Huberdeau. He called the 29-year-old left winger “probably the best passer that this team has had in maybe ever.” Sutter compared his playmaking to that of Hall-of-Famer Denis Savard. Huberdeau was acquired from the Florida Panthers in July.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That also seemed like a bit of a shot against Johnny Gaudreau, who departed the Flames in July for the Columbus Blue Jackets as a free agent. Gaudreau sits fifth on the Flames’ all-time assist list with 399.

Speaking of the Flames, they claimed forward Radim Zohorna off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators goaltending depth suffered a blow as Cam Talbot will be sidelined five-to-seven weeks with a suspected broken rib. The 35-year-old netminder suffered the injury during a recent practice. Senators general manager Pierre Dorion claimed goalie Magnus Hellberg off waivers from the Seattle Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Talbot was supposed to share the goaltending duties with Anton Forsberg for this season. Hellberg has just five games of NHL experience since 2013-14.

TSN: The Columbus Blue Jackets released winger James Neal from his professional tryout contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 35-year-old Neal has 269 goals and 559 points in 869 career NHL games. However, he saw limited playing time over the past two seasons and missed 15 games in 2021-22 with an upper-body injury. This could be the end of his NHL career if no other club takes an interest in him.

GOPHNX.COM: Nick Schmaltz is among three Arizona Coyotes players listed as day-to-day with lower-body injuries. Speaking of the Coyotes, ARIZONA SPORTS reports they’ve hired Kurtis Foster and Jeff Shantz as player development coaches.

CBS SPORTS: Vegas Golden Knights forward William Carrier remains sidelined with an upper-body injury suffered during Sunday’s preseason game against the Avalanche.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Seattle Kraken signed winger Daniel Sprong to a one-year, two-way contract worth $750K at the NHL level.

ESPN.COM: The NHL is debuting digitally enhance dasherboards (DEDs) this season. It is a digital replacement of camera-visible arena dasherboard ads within local, national and international NHL game broadcasts. It will allow broadcasts to erase ads on all boards visible to TV cameras and replace them with their own advertisements.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This move is part of the NHL’s push to expand its revenue streams. In an interview with Sports Business Journal, league commissioner Gary Bettman said the potential revenue growth from DEDs will be in the tens of millions and could reach hundreds of millions over time.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers are donating all proceeds from ticket sales to their Thursday preseason game against the Tampa Bay Lightning to the ongoing Hurricane Ian relief efforts.

STLTODAY.COM: The St. Louis Blues announced they’re establishing a Hall of Fame to honor and pay tribute to the legends of the franchise. Eight former players – Al MacInnis, Bob Gassoff, Bob Plager, Barclay Plager, Brian Sutter, Brett Hull, Bernie Federko and Chris Pronger – will be automatically inducted.

THE GLOBE & MAIL: Several years after Hockey Canada drew on player registration fees to set up a fund to cover sexual assault claims and other lawsuits, it channeled a significant portion of those fees into a second multi-million dollar fund for similar purposes. Hockey Canada did not disclose this fund during testimony before a Parliamentary committee this summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: How much longer will this Hockey Canada shit show roll on before its’ leadership is finally brought to account? How much more toxic does the culture have to get? How many more people have to be hurt? How much more money must be poured into secret accounts to cover the legal costs of lawsuits? How much more damage must be done to an organization supposedly dedicated to growing the game of hockey in Canada? How much more trust must be eroded? What more does it take?










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 20, 2022

by | Aug 20, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 20, 2022

The breakdown of Nazem Kadri’s new contract, Kyle Turris has retired, recent coaching moves and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

PUCK PEDIA: The breakdown of Nazem Kadri’s seven-year, $49 million contract ($7 million annual average value) is as follows:

First four seasons (2022-23 to 2025-26): $4.5 million base salary, $2.5 million signing bonus, full no-movement clause,

Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri (NHL Images).

Season 5 (2026-27): $6 million base salary, $1 million signing bonus, 13-team no-trade list,

Final two seasons (2027-28 and 2028-29): $7 million base salary, 13-team no-trade list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: For those wondering why the base salary is so high in the final seasons, it will make it easier to buy out those years. As per Cap Friendly, at two-thirds the remaining value over twice the remaining term, it would break down as $2.33 million against the Flames’ cap for four years.

TSN: Kyle Turris is retiring as an NHL player and is joining the Coquitlam Express of the British Columbia Hockey League as a special advisor to the general manager and player development coach. The 34-year-old New Westminster, BC, native spent 14 seasons in the NHL from 2007-08 to 2021-22 with the Arizona Coyotes, Ottawa Senators, Nashville Predators and Edmonton Oilers. In 776 NHL games, Turris scored 168 goals and 257 assists for 425 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A versatile forward who could play center or wing, Turris’ best seasons were with the Senators from 2013-14 to 2016-17, scoring 24-plus goals and 55-or-more points three times. He also had a 51-point campaign split between the Senators and Predators in 2017-18. Injuries, however, contributed to the decline of his play over his final four NHL seasons. Best wishes to Turris in his future endeavors.

NHL.COM: The New Jersey Devils named Sergei Brylin as an assistant coach. He’s spent the past nine seasons as an assistant and associate coach with their AHL affiliates. Before that, he played 13 seasons with the Devils, winning three Stanley Cups before retiring from the NHL in 2008.

The Pittsburgh Penguins promoted Todd Reirden to associate coach and signed him to a two-year contract extension. He oversees the club’s defensive group and power-play unit.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tucker Poolman has been training and skating this offseason working his way back to game shape while hoping to avoid a recurrence of the concussion symptoms that limited him to just 40 games last season.

TORONTO STAR: TSN played a big role in making the World Junior Championship a hot commodity. Thanks to its reporting (primarily by Rick Westhead) into Hockey Canada’s handling of alleged sexual assaults involving players from Canada’s 2003 and 2018 junior teams, the network has also contributed to the poor ratings for this summer’s WJC currently held in Edmonton.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Several other factors have also contributed to the low ratings and poor attendance at this year’s World Juniors. It’s being held in the summer instead of its usual Christmas holiday period after being postponed last December by a COVID-19 outbreak. Ticket prices are reportedly very expensive, and there’s been little promotion of the tournament. However, there’s no question the Hockey Canada scandal has taken a toll on viewership and attendance.

The 2023 World Juniors will be held during its usual Christmas holiday period in Moncton, New Brunswick, and Halifax, Nova Scotia. It’ll be interesting to see if the factors affecting the current tournament in Edmonton will carry over, especially if Hockey Canada leadership continues to drag its feet addressing the fallout from the ongoing investigations into those scandals.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 7, 2022

by | Aug 7, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 7, 2022

Jason Zucker hopes to rebound in 2022-23, the chair of Hockey Canada’s board of directors steps down, Lawson Crouse and the Coyotes make their arbitration filings, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: Jessi Pierce recently reported that Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jason Zucker is feeling better and is optimistic about the coming season. He’s hoping to rebound from an injury-shortened 2021-22 campaign that saw him play in just 41 games.

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jason Zucker (NHL Images).

Zucker, 30, is currently playing in Da Beauty League, a 4-on-4 summer hockey league for professional and college players from Minnesota. He’s also feeling positive about the Penguins’ chance in 2022-23 in part because they kept most of their roster core intact during the offseason. That included re-signing Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A healthy Zucker could help the Penguins’ chances in the coming season. A four-time 20-plus goal scorer earlier in his career with the Minnesota Wild, he’s been plagued by injuries over the past three seasons.

SPORTSNET: Michael Brind’Amour will be stepping down as the chair of Hockey Canada’s Board of Directors. This move comes as the organization has been battered in recent weeks by accusations of sexual assault involving players from the 2003 and 2018 World Junior teams.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Brind’Amour’s resignation may not be the last for the scandal-plagued organization. For those who are wondering, he is not related to Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Arizona Coyotes and Lawson Crouse made their arbitration filings yesterday. Crouse seeks $4 million for 2022-23 while the Coyotes are looking for $2.5 million. The hearing is slated for Monday, Aug. 8.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crouse, 25, earned an annual cap hit of $1.55 million on his previous contract. He’s coming off a career-best 20-goal, 34-point performance.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers signed forward Tyler Benson to a one-year, two-way contract worth $750K at the NHL level.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: The Carolina Hurricanes avoided salary arbitration with defenseman Maxime Lajoie as the two sides agreed to a one-year, two-way deal worth $750K.

MLIVE.COM: The Detroit Red Wings will honor their 1997 and 1998 Stanley Cup championships teams during separate ceremonies early in the coming season. The 1997 team will be recognized in a pregame ceremony on Nov. 3 against the Washington Capitals while the 1998 club will be honored prior to Nov. 5 game against the New York Islanders.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 23, 2022

by | Jul 23, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 23, 2022

The Flames trade Matthew Tkachuk to the Panthers in a blockbuster deal, the Blue Jackets re-sign Patrik Laine and trade Oliver Bjorkstrand to the Kraken and Pierre-Luc Dubois signs a one-year deal with the Jets. Details and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

CALGARY SUN/FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: In a blockbuster overnight trade, the Calgary Flames traded winger Matthew Tkachuk and a conditional 2025 fourth-round pick to the Florida Panthers in exchange for winger Jonathan Huberdeau, defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, forward Cole Schwindt and a conditional first-round pick in 2025.

Calgary Flames trade winger Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers (NHL Images).

The Panthers also signed Tkachuk to an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $9.5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I must confess to being surprised by this move. I didn’t expect the Panthers to give up Huberdeau nor did I believe the Flames would acquire two players slated to become unrestricted free agents next summer.

Nevertheless, I admire the willingness of Panthers general manager Bill Zito and Flames GM Brad Treliving for making what’s become a rarity in today’s salary cap world: a major, honest-to-goodness hockey trade.

Zito is getting an impact player in Tkachuk. The 24-year-old winger is a big, elite, agitating forward entering the prime of his career and is five years younger than Huberdeau. He’s coming off a career-best 42-goal, 104-point performance last season.

The Panthers GM also ensured that he got Tkachuk under contract throughout his playing prime. This deal signals the Panthers’ intention to remain among the league’s best teams for a long time.

Tkachuk’s new contract leaves the Panthers sitting $4 million over the $82.5 million salary cap. Florida Hockey Now’s George Richards indicates they’ll free up $3 million by placing winger Anthony Duclair on long-term injury reserve as he continues to recover from an offseason Achilles tendon injury.

Richards also noted that the Panthers are still sitting over the cap by $1 million. They’ll have to shed another salary to become cap compliant when the 2022-23 season opens in October.

Tkachuk recently informed Treliving that he wasn’t going to sign a long-term deal with Calgary. Having lost Johnny Gaudreau to the Columbus Blue Jackets via free agency last week, he couldn’t repeat that mistake with Tkachuk.

The Flames GM got a terrific return from the Panthers. Huberdeau, 29, is coming off a career-best 115-point campaign, tying Gaudreau for second overall among last season’s leading scorers. He’s a gifted playmaker who’s tallied 61-or-more points in each of the last five seasons.

Weegar, 28, has blossomed over the past two years into a mobile top-four defenseman. He had 36 points in 54 games during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season and 44 points in 80 contests last season.

The 21-year-old Schwindt made his NHL debut last season in three games with the Panthers. A physical, two-way forward who can play center or wing, he had 40 points in 72 games with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers last season. Treliving also gets himself a lottery-protected first-round pick in 2025. Not a bad haul for Tkachuk.

Treliving isn’t out of the woods yet. He must get Huberdeau and Weegar re-signed or risk suffering the same fate next summer as he did this year with Gaudreau. Still, he’s got enough time and cap space to get something done.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The Blue Jackets agreed to a four-year contract with Patrik Laine. The deal is worth an average annual cap hit of $8.7 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Laine is a skilled scoring forward with an impressive shot. However, his production suffered following a career-best 44-goal performance with the Winnipeg Jets in 2017-18.

Laine was limited to second-line duty during his final seasons with the Jets. He struggled to adjust following his trade in 2021 to the Blue Jackets and had to deal with injuries and the death of his father last season.

Nevertheless, Laine was a point-per-game player last season, tallying 56 points in as many games. He could regain his 40-goal form if he meshes well with the recently-acquired Johnny Gaudreau on the Jackets’ top line.

This is an expensive gamble by the Blues Jacket but it could pay off handsomely. Laine and Gaudreau could form a dangerous one-two scoring punch that accelerates the club’s rebuild, putting them squarely among next season’s playoff contenders.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH/THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Blues Jackets traded winger Oliver Bjorkstrand to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for a 2023 third-round pick (via the Flames) and a 2023 fourth-rounder (via the Jets).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a cost-cutting measure by the Blue Jackets. They were above the $82.5 million salary cap by over $6 million after signing Laine.

This move sheds Bjorkstrand’s $5.4 million, leaving the Jackets roughly $900K over the cap. Another move will be necessary before the start of the season to become cap compliant but that could be accomplished by demoting a player to the minors.

This was a savvy move by Kraken GM Ron Francis. He bolstered his club’s scoring punch and all it cost him was a couple of extra mid-level draft picks.

Bjorkstrand should be a fine acquisition for the Kraken. A skillful scoring forward, the 27-year-old winger tallied a career-best 28 goals and 57 points in 80 games with the Blue Jackets last season. He will bring some much-needed depth among their top-six forwards and is under contract through 2025-26.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets signed Pierre-Luc Dubois to a one-year, $6 million contract after he accepted their qualifying offer on Friday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No surprise here given the 24-year-old center’s intention to test the UFA market in 2024. Dubois will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer. He remains a prime trade candidate this summer and has been linked to the Montreal Canadiens.

TSN: The Anaheim Ducks signed three players to contract extensions, including defenseman Urho Vaakanainen. Cap Friendly indicates it’s a two-year deal worth $850K per season.

SPORTSNET: Halifax police are opening an investigation into an alleged group sexual assault said to have taken place in 2003 involving members of Canada’s world junior hockey team.

News of the investigation emerged after Hockey Canada revealed in a statement that it learned of the allegations after being contacted by TSN reporter Rick Westhead. The organization contacted Halifax police and informed Sports Canada.

NHL.COM: The league released a statement saying it is looking into the allegations and will respond accordingly.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Many of the players on that 2003 team went on to NHL careers.

This is the second report of group sexual assault involving members of Canada’s world junior team. The first involved the 2018 squad. The investigation into that has been re-opened after it was revealed Hockey Canada used funding from player registration fees as a slush fund for “uninsured liabilities” such as sexual assault.

The 2018 incident wasn’t a one-off by a bunch of bad apples. This latest report suggests there’s a systemic problem within Hockey Canada that’s gone unchecked for years. Change should and must be made immediately at every level right now to address this cancer within its system.

 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 21, 2022

by | Jul 21, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 21, 2022

Matthew Tkachuk expected to be traded after telling the Flames he won’t sign a long-term extension. Check out the latest plus updates on J.T. Miller, Alex Ovechkin, Carey Price and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

SPORTSNET: The Calgary Flames are expected to trade Matthew Tkachuk “imminently” after he informed management that he doesn’t intend to sign a long-term extension. On Monday, the Flames filed for club-elected salary arbitration to make the 24-year-old winger ineligible to receive an offer sheet from a rival club.

Calgary Flames winger Matthew Tkachuk (NHL Images).

The move buys the Flames some time to work out either a sign-and-trade deal or trading Tkachuk’s rights to another club. Arbitration hearings begin July 27 and run through Aug. 11 but a date for his hearing has not yet been set.

Tkachuk will become the second major star to leave the Flames this summer. Johnny Gaudreau last week stunned the hockey world by signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As a restricted free agent, Tkachuk lacks no-trade protection. However, The Athletic reported he has provided the Flames with a list of preferred trade destinations with whom he would agree to a long-term extension.

A source told The Athletic those teams included the St. Louis Blues, Vegas Golden Knights, Nashville Predators, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers. However, Sportsnet’s Eric Francis reports the “alleged list” is not accurate.

The Calgary Sun’s Wes Gilbertson believes would-be suitors will seek permission from the Flames to speak with Tkachuk’s agent about a new contract before any trade is finalized. I’ll have more on possible trade destinations for Tkachuk in the Rumor Mill.

TSN: The agent for J.T. Miller believes there’s a realistic path toward a contract extension for his client with the Vancouver Canucks. The 29-year-old center earns an average annual value of $5.2 million on his current deal. He’s slated to become a UFA next summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Miller’s free-agent status in 2023 and the Canucks rebuilding process made him the frequent subject of ongoing trade speculation. I daresay that path is a pay raise worth between $8 million and $9 million per season due to his career-best 99-point performance last season. Whether that’s a path the Canucks wish to go down remains to be seen.

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: The Capitals have no concerns about Alex Ovechkin and Dmitry Orlov being allowed to return from Russia to rejoin the club in the coming season. Russian law dictates men between the ages of 18-27 must serve one year in the military. Ovechkin is 37 and Orlov 31.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those concerns arose due to Philadelphia Flyers prospect Ivan Fedotov being detained and deployed to a Russian naval base while Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov faces allegations of draft dodging. However, other Russian players of military age, such as the New York Islanders’ Alexander Romanov and the Vancouver Canucks’ Ilya Mikheyev, are back in North America to begin training for the upcoming season.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Former Canadiens goaltending coach Stephane Waite expects Carey Price will be ready to return to the net for 2022-23. The 34-year-old netminder continues to receive treatment to address complications arising from last summer’s knee surgery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ll believe it when I see Price suited up for the Canadiens’ season-opener on Oct. 12.

SPORTSNET: Hockey Canada said in a statement that its National Equity Fund will “no longer be used to settle sexual assault claims,” effectively immediately. An investigation by The Globe & Mail revealed those funds came from revenue from hockey registration fees.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Well, that’s a relief…yes, I’m being sarcastic. The fact that the people running Hockey Canada thought it was a good idea to settle sexual assault claims by using funds drawn from money that parents paid to put their kids in hockey says all we need to know about their character and competence.

Speaking of Hockey Canada, their executives along with the president of the Canadian Hockey League will be back in Ottawa next week to answer questions from members of parliament over the organization’s handling of a sexual assault allegation involving eight members of Canada’s 2018 world junior team and the out-of-court settlement earlier this year. Public outrage over the investigation and settlement prompted the investigation to be reopened.

TSN: Anaheim Ducks forward Maxime Comtois is the latest member of Canada’s 2018 world junior team to issue a statement denying involvement in that alleged sexual assault of a young woman in 2018.

THE TENNESSEAN: The agent for Nashville Predators defenseman Dante Fabbro said his client was not involved in that incident and knew nothing about it. He added that Fabbro fully complied with the initial investigation and will continue doing so in any forthcoming investigations.

CBC EDMONTON: Oilers owner Daryl Katz has been accused in a civil suit of paying $75,000 to a teenage ballet dancer for her “sexual favors.” The unproven allegations are in response to a sexual abuse lawsuit filed against a dance teacher and his wife.

Katz’s lawyer said his client never engaged in a sexual relationship with the young woman and intends to vigorously defend his reputation against the “baseless and scurrilous” claims in the lawsuit. He said the money Katz arranged to be sent to her was funding for a film project, calling the allegation “a distraction and a shakedown.”

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Former Bruins defenseman John Gruden has been named as their new assistant coach. He spent the past four seasons as an assistant coach with the New York Islanders.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 20, 2022

by | Jul 20, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 20, 2022

More players from Canada’s 2018 world junior team issued statements denying involvement in alleged sexual assault and Johnny Gaudreau was close to signing with the Devils before joining the Blue Jackets. Check out the latest in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

TSN: St. Louis Blues forwards Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou and Chicago Blackhawks forward Taylor Raddysh released statements on Tuesday denying involvement in an alleged sexual assault involving members of Canada’s 2018 world junior team.

The agent for free agent forward Sam Steel also released a statement yesterday on his client’s behalf denying involvement, indicating he had fully cooperated in every investigation into the matter and will continue to do so.

These statements followed a similar one issued earlier Monday by Arizona Coyotes defenseman Conor Timmins as well as those recently released by Colorado Avalanche blueliner Cale Makar and Toronto Maple Leafs rearguard Victor Mete.

Rick Westhead reports lawyers for the eight players allegedly involved in the 2018 sexual assault plan to turn over to the NHL cellphone footage of the incident and 35 text messages between the victim and one of the players.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The league is pursuing its own investigation into the incident while Hockey Canada has reopened its investigation. A number of players on the 2018 WJC team are now NHL players.

SPORTSNET: An affidavit filed in an Ontario court suggests Hockey Canada has maintained a fund to pay for uninsured liabilities, including sexual assault. The organization has had its federal funding cut off while a number of corporations paused their sponsorship over its handling of the case and recent settlement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Globe & Mail reports Hockey Canada used player registration fees to cover the cost of those “uninsured liabilities.” In other words, it appears they used money that parents paid to register their kids in hockey as a slush fund.

The eight players involved in the 2018 incident have not been publicly identified. However, the recently released statements by several former members of that team has fans and pundits musing about their identities on social media. It seems only a matter of time until those players are eventually identified.

Last month, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman promised the league would be transparent in its investigation into this matter. The league intends to interview all members of the 2018 team with the cooperation of the NHLPA.

Whatever the outcome of these investigations, Hockey Canada’s reputation has been severely tarnished. A reckoning is hopefully coming soon that will bring about much-needed changes throughout the organization to address the rot that permeates its culture.

THE SCORE: Johnny Gaudreau said he was close to signing with the New Jersey Devils last week before joining the Columbus Blue Jackets. He wanted to be close enough to his family and friends in New Jersey but maintain enough distance to ensure privacy as he and his wife start their own family. He signed a seven-year, $68.25 million contract with the Blue Jackets a week ago.

NJ.COM: Speaking of the Devils, they signed restricted free agent Vitek Vanecek to a three-year contract worth an average annual value of $3.4 million. The Devils acquired the 26-year-old goaltender from the Washington Capitals earlier this month.

TSN: Dallas Stars owner Tom Gaglardi said he’s looking for more offense from high-paid stars Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin in the coming season. “We have far too many players who are underperforming offensively,” said Gaglardi. “We need something to change.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Age and injuries could be contributing factors behind the declining production of Benn and Seguin. Benn is now 33 and his physical style of play could also be taking its toll on him. The 30-year-old Seguin, meanwhile, played through a hip injury in the 2020 playoffs requiring surgery that sidelined him for most of the following season.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Former Stars captain Derian Hatcher and former coach and general manager Bob Gainey are the inaugural inductees into the club’s new Hall of Fame.

FLAMES NATION: The agent for Calgary Flames winger Andrew Mangiapane said the restricted free agent is willing to discuss a long-term contract with the club.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames may be interested in that but their priority right now is determining the future of RFA winger Matthew Tkachuk. I’ll have more about that in today’s Rumor Mill.

NHL.COM: The Los Angeles Kings named Jim Hiller as an assistant coach.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Former NHL winger Larry Jeffrey passed away on Tuesday at age 81. He netted 181 points in 368 career regular-season games over eight seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers from 1961-62 to 1968-69, winning a Stanley Cup with the Leafs in 1967.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Jeffrey’s family, friends and former teammates.