NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 3, 2024

by | Sep 3, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 3, 2024

Brad Marchand’s future with the Bruins, early contenders for the Calder Trophy, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Ken Campbell points out Brad Marchand’s future with the Boston Bruins has been overshadowed by the recent speculation about teammate Jeremy Swayman’s contract negotiations.

Marchand is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July. He’ll be 37 by then but could still have value if he scores 30 goals and maintains his effective, pesky style of play.

Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand (NHL Images).

Once the Swayman saga is resolved, Campbell expects Bruins management to shift their focus to Marchand.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marchand earns an average annual value of $6.125 million on a contract he signed in Sept. 2016 following his then-career-best performance of 37 goals and 61 points.

The Bruins got great value from this deal as Marchand exceeded 30 goals four times and 80-plus points five times, including a career-high 100 points in 2018-19. He became an invaluable core player and became the team captain last fall following Patrice Bergeron’s retirement.

Marchand’s production declined over the past two seasons with back-to-back 67-point performances, though he narrowly missed the 30-goal plateau last season, finishing with 29. Still, he should remain a high-value target in next summer’s free-agent market if he and the Bruins fail to agree to an extension.

There will undoubtedly be mutual interest between the two sides in getting a contract extension done before next July. It’s unlikely Marchand will hit the open market but we can’t dismiss the possibility.

DAILY FACEOFF: San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini tops Steven Ellis’ list of this season’s top five early Calder Memorial Trophy candidates.

Celebrini’s teammate Will Smith is also on Ellis’ list, followed by Anaheim Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier, Philadelphia Flyers winger Matvei Michkov, and Dallas Stars winger Logan Stankoven.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This season’s race for Rookie of the Year honors could be intriguing.

A gifted young forward, Celebrini is the early favorite because he was chosen first overall in this year’s draft. Smith isn’t as well known as the others on this list but Ellis points out that he’s a proven winner, especially at the international level.

Gauthier garnered headlines last season when his refusal to play for the Philadelphia Flyers led to his midseason trade to the Ducks. Michkov is a much-hyped Russian prospect. Stankoven has a leg up on the others given his 24 regular-season games and 19 postseason contests in 2023-24.

SPORTSNET: Meredith Gaudreau, the wife of Johnny Gaudreau, thanked the city of Calgary and the Flames for the memorial outside the Saddledome honoring her late husband.

“Thank you, Calgary,” Gaudreau wrote on his Instagram page. “This is amazing. But I’m not surprised. The best people ever.”

Johnny Gaudreau played most of his career with the Flames before signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022. He and his brother Matthew were killed by a drunk driver last Thursday.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Jaromir Jagr left a heartfelt message for Gaudreau on his Instagram account. The two were teammates in Calgary for 22 games in 2017-18, with Gaudreau assisting on what proved to be Jagr’s only goal with the Flames and his final NHL goal.

DETROIT HOCKEY NEWS: Former Red Wings winger Filip Zadina signed a two-year contract with HC Davos in Switzerland. The 24-year-old was chosen sixth overall by the Red Wings in the 2018 draft but struggled to establish himself as a scoring forward with the Wings and San Jose Sharks.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: A recent report out of Russia claimed a KHL team looked into signing former Flyers goaltender Carter Hart before deciding to stick with their current goalies.

Hart is among five players awaiting trial on sexual assault charges stemming from his alleged involvement in the 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault case. He has not played since January and became an unrestricted free agent after the Flyers declined to qualify his rights.

Hart’s co-defendants Michael McLeod and Dillon Dube signed one-year contracts with KHL teams this summer.

THE ATHLETIC: Former Minnesota Wild forward Stephane Veilleux, 42, is on the road to recovery following a life-threatening car crash on June 19.

Veilleux’s vehicle was struck by a teenager driving a Toyota Highland that ran a stop sign and T-boned his Nissan Rogue. He’s been in a halo vest to immobilize his neck to allow his C1 vertebrae to heal.

The former Wild forward is grateful to the team, his former teammates, his best friend, his community, and his ex-wife for their assistance during his recovery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Veilleux for a complete recovery.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 26, 2024

by | Aug 26, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 26, 2024

More details on why the Flyers terminated Ryan Johansen’s contract, Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki on how the addition of Patrik Laine should help his club, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

SPORTSNET: In his latest “32 Thoughts” column, Elliotte Friedman shed more light on why the Philadelphia Flyers terminated Ryan Johansen’s contract last week citing a material breach.

Philadelphia Flyers forward Ryan Johansen (NHL Images).

“I don’t like to question injuries, especially since anyone who’s played 905 games (like Johansen) is guaranteed to have legitimate ones. I’m told the key will be everyone navigating how he went from not missing games and practices in Colorado to how he was unable to play for either Philadelphia or AHL Lehigh Valley. The timing is a little weird, which probably has something to do with video of Johansen dancing at his wedding. Again, I wouldn’t try to handicap this, except for saying the NHL and NHLPA hate risking precedent from an arbitrator, so a settlement is always the preference without an air-tight case.”

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Jonathan Bailey noted Johansen played in 63 games with the Colorado Avalanche last season before getting traded to the Flyers on March 6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers reportedly attempted to send Johansen to their AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley following the trade. He informed them of his injury which prevented that move and kept him sidelined for the rest of the season.

Johansen’s agent vowed to fight his client’s contract termination. He claims the 32-year-old forward has a “severe hockey injury” scheduled for surgery, adding his client worked “in good faith” with the Flyers, its medical staff, and authorized third-party physicians.

THE ATHLETIC: Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki believes adding Patrik Laine will improve his team’s roster this season. The Canadiens acquired the 26-year-old winger last week from the Columbus Blue Jackets.

“I think we can beat anybody,” said Suzuki last Thursday. “I thought last year we competed against really good teams all the time.” The 25-year-old Canadiens captain believes adding Laine and a healthy Kirby Dach makes their forward unit “look pretty scary.”

Suzuki contacted Laine following the trade, telling the winger he’d be a “great addition.” He added that Laine is excited about joining the Canadiens and ready to go.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A motivated Laine and the return of Dach should bolster the Canadiens offense which relied heavily on the top line of Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky for the bulk of its production last season. If both players stay healthy they’ll provide the Habs with much-needed scoring depth.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Canadiens, a local restaurant chain created a burger honoring Arber Xhekaj called “The Sheriff”, taken from the defenseman’s nickname. Xhekaj appeared in the promotion holding the burger, but the restaurant had to edit the picture to make the blueliner’s huge hands appear smaller so as not to dwarf the product.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: A torn hamstring will sidelined Jaromir Jagr for six weeks, forcing him to miss the start of Rytiri Kladno’s season in the Czech Extraliga. The 52-year-old former NHL star and future Hall-of-Famer owns the club and had hoped to play in every game for them this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jagr’s spent the past seven seasons playing for Kladno since ending his 24-year NHL career midway through the 2017-18 season.

TSN: The American Hockey League last week announced it has mandated cut-resistant gear for all its players and on-ice officials.

The decision was made after former AHL and NHL player Adam Johnson died when his throat was cut by a skate during a game in England’s Elite Ice Hockey League.

The Canadian Hockey League instituted a similar policy last November. USA Hockey implemented a policy that dictates all players 18 years and younger to wear neck protection in all games and practices.

The NHL does not yet have a similar policy but numerous players started wearing neck guards following the incident.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 23, 2024

by | May 23, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 23, 2024

The Panthers take Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final, the latest on the Stars and Oilers ahead of the Western Conference Final, the Devils and Kings hire new head coaches, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAP

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers blanked the New York Rangers 3-0 to take Game 1 of the 2024 NHL Eastern Conference Final. Sergei Bobrovsky turned in a 23-save shutout and Matthew Tkachuk opened the scoring with what proved to be the game-winning goal.

Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe each finished with a goal and an assist, with Verhaeghe’s goal the result of an accidental deflection by New York winger Alexis Lafreniere into his own net. Igor Shesterkin made 25 saves for the Rangers.

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (NHL Images).

Game 2 is in New York on Friday, May 24 at 8 pm EDT.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers’ strong defensive play made the difference in this contest. They kept the Rangers from registering shots on goal for long stretches, especially in the second period.

The Blueshirts didn’t look sharp in this game but we can expect a more determined effort from them on Friday. That could include boosting their physical play by inserting hulking forward Matt Rempe into the lineup.

PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Adam Henrique could return to the Oilers lineup for Game 1 or 2 of the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars. Henrique missed all but one game of their second-round series with the Vancouver Canucks dealing with a suspected ankle injury. He’ll bring invaluable secondary scoring and depth to their special teams.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger left practice on Wednesday with an illness. However, head coach Pete DeBoer is confident Oettinger will be good to go for the first game of the Western Conference Final tonight in Dallas at 8:30 pm EDT. Sidelined Stars Roope Hintz (upper body) and Jani Hakanpaa (lower body) remain day-to-day.

HEADLINES

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Various reports indicate the Devils have hired Sheldon Keefe as their new head coach. It’s believed he’s signed a four-year contract.

Keefe was the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs for five seasons until fired earlier this month. He guided them to a regular-season record of 212-97-40 but won only one playoff series.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: So much for the rumors of Keefe being hired by his old buddy, Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas, to replace Mike Sullivan, enabling Sullivan to be hired by his old friend, Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald.

Keefe has a proven record of working well with a team carrying plenty of offensive talent. However, his efforts were hampered by the Leafs lack of reliable goaltending and blueline depth. He faces the same issues in New Jersey but Devils management will attempt to address those problems.

LOS ANGELES TIMES: The Kings removed the interim tag from Jim Hiller’s job title, making him their full-time head coach. He took over on Feb. 2 after Todd McLellan was hired with the Kings in danger of falling out of playoff contention. Hiller righted the ship as the club went 21-12-1 in 34 games, clinching a playoff berth but getting eliminated from the opening round in five games by the Edmonton Oilers.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames and assistant coach Marc Savard mutually agreed to part ways after one season. His responsibilities included running the power-play, which finished as the league’s seventh-worst.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hockey News’ David Alter cited rumors linking Savard to the Maple Leafs as a possible assistant coach to their new bench boss, Craig Berube.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Kings have granted the Sharks permission to speak with Marco Sturm as part of their search for a new head coach. Sturm coached the Kings AHL affiliate and began his NHL playing career with the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Eishockey News recently indicated Sturm was interested in the Sharks coaching job.

THE ATHLETIC: The Penguins are looking into having Jaromir Jagr return to the club in an official capacity. Jagr spent his first 11 NHL seasons with the Penguins, winning five Art Ross Trophies and helping them win two Stanley Cups.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 28, 2024

by | Apr 28, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 28, 2024

The Islanders and Lightning stave off elimination, the Bruins push the Leafs to the brink, and the Stars cut their series deficit in half against the Golden Knights. Check out the latest in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The New York Islanders staved off elimination with a 3-2 victory in Game 4 over the Carolina Hurricanes on a double-overtime goal by Mathew Barzal, who finished the game with two goals. Semyon Varlamov kicked out 42 shots for the Islanders while Seth Jarvis and Stefan Noesen scored for the Hurricanes, who hold a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven opening-round series. Game 5 is Tuesday, Apr. 30 in Carolina starting at 7:30 pm EDT.

New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders played desperation hockey to keep their season alive. It was Barzal’s best game of the series while Varlamov was outstanding between the pipes. The Hurricanes still dominated the play for long stretches in this game. They’ll be determined to finish this series in front of their fans in Raleigh.

Steven Stamkos scored twice and Nikita Kucherov collected three assists for the Tampa Bay Lightning to avoid being swept from the first round by dropping the Florida Panthers 6-3. Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel and Victor Hedman each had three points for the Lightning. Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Reinhart and Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored for the Panthers to cut the Lightning’s lead to 4-3 before Stamkos and Nick Paul put the game out of reach. The Panthers hold a 3-1 lead in this series, which returns to Sunrise, Florida for Game 5 on Monday, Apr. 29 at 7 pm EDT.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning got a big lift with the surprising return of defenseman Mikhail Sergachev for his first game since breaking his left leg in February. He collected an assist on Hagel’s second goal of the game. The Bolts’ power play was a big factor, going two-for-five with the man advantage.

The Boston Bruins are a win away from eliminating the Toronto Maple Leafs following their 3-1 victory in Game 4. Brad Marchand had a goal and an assist and Jeremy Swayman stopped 24 shots for the Bruins, who hold a 3-1 series lead and can wrap things up on Tuesday in Boston starting at 7 pm EDT. Mitch Marner scored his first of the series for the Leafs while an illness forced Auston Matthews from the game after the second period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins did a masterful job shutting down the Leafs offense. They also went one-for-three on the power play and killed off three penalties. Ilya Samsonov gave up three goals on 17 shots and was replaced by Joseph Woll for the third period.

The Leafs’ frustration was evident as the game progressed, culminating in TV cameras catching Matthews, Marner and William Nylander in animated conversation on the bench. After the game, the players denied any tension between them but it’s apparent they’re struggling to find a way to beat the Bruins.

Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston scored twice, including the winner in overtime, in a 3-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights, reducing their deficit in this series to two games to one. Miro Heiskanen scored to give the Stars a 2-0 lead before Brayden McNabb and Jack Eichel tied the game to force the extra frame. Jake Oettinger made 32 saves for the Stars while Logan Thompson stopped 42 for the Golden Knights. Game 4 goes on Monday in Las Vegas with a 9:30 pm EDT start.

PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK

WINNIPEG SUN: Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon is listed as day-to-day and received no structural damage to his left hand after being cut by a skate blade during a scuffle at the end of Game 3 of their first-round series with the Colorado Avalanche.

THE TENNESSEAN: Nashville Predators defenseman Spencer Stastney is week-to-week with an upper-body injury after being hit by Vancouver Canucks forward Dakota Joshua during Game 3 of their first-round series on Friday.

Predators forward Michael McCarron was fined $2,000.00 for goaltender interference after knocking down Canucks goaltender Casey DeSmith behind his net during Friday’s game between the two clubs.

IN OTHER NEWS…

DAILY FACEOFF: Jaromir Jagr intends to play for his hometown team Rytiri Kladno in 2024-25 but indicated it will be his last professional season. The 52-year-old played just 15 regular-season games for Kladno this season, spending two months in the United States as the Pittsburgh Penguins retired his No. 68. He also became the oldest player to score a goal in professional hockey, surpassing the legendary Gordie Howe.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 20, 2024

by | Apr 20, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 20, 2024

The opening round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs begins today, the latest on the Coyotes’ move to Utah, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

PLAYOFF NOTES

NHL.COM: The 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin today with the New York Islanders facing off against the Carolina Hurricanes (5 pm ET) in Game 1 of their best-of-seven series. At 8 pm ET, the Toronto Maple Leafs meet the Boston Bruins to start their series.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson returns to action after missing the final three games of the regular season with an upper-body injury. However, forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

TSN: Maple Leafs forwards William Nylander and Bobby McMann were absent from Friday’s practice. Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said Nylander (undisclosed) and McMann (lower-body injury) are “possibilities” for Game 1 against the Bruins.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Keefe also said Leafs general manager Brad Treliving told him there will be no daily injury updates during the playoffs.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad will return to action in Game 1 of his club’s first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He missed the last six games of the Panthers’ regular-season schedule. The two clubs face off on Sunday at 12:30 PM ET.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche backup goaltender Pavel Francouz officially announced his retirement on Friday. The 33-year-old missed the entire season following surgery on his adductors last summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Francouz was with the Avalanche for six seasons but injuries limited him to just four seasons on the ice. He played 73 regular-season games with 64 games saved, finishing with a record of 44-21-6, a 2.49 goals-against average, .919 save percentage and four shutouts. He saw action in 13 playoff games with a record of 8-4 with a 3.01 GAA, .899 SP and two shutouts. Francouz helped the Avalanche win the 2022 Stanley Cup.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: Utah franchise owner Ryan Smith announced about 22,700 deposits have been made for season tickets during Friday’s press conference at Delta Center in Salt Lake City announcing the relocation of the Arizona Coyotes. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the league was thrilled with the demand for season tickets for the Utah franchise.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Bettman also had to sit through what Remy Mastey described as a bizarre press conference with Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo, who attempted to explain his plans to bring an NHL expansion team back to Arizona within the next five years.

Meruelo appeared nervous and unprepared for the press conference. At one point, he said he didn’t like the media as an explanation for why he hasn’t spoken publicly about the Coyotes over the past year. Bettman sometimes clarified Meruelo’s remarks, jumping in occasionally to answer questions directed at the Coyotes owner.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Meruelo has five years to construct a state-of-the-art NHL arena to receive an expansion franchise. He must win an auction on June 27 (which he mistakenly said was June 29 during the press conference) for a parcel of land near Scottsdale where he intends to build this arena.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas revealed defenseman Kris Letang was dealing with multiple injuries, one of which could be serious enough to require surgery. Forward Matt Nieto and defenseman John Ludvig also suffered injuries that could require surgery in the offseason.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale could also go under the knife after saying he played injured through most of this season.

DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of the Flyers, Ryan Johansen’s playing career could be over. The 31-year-old center played 63 games this season with the Colorado Avalanche until traded to the Flyers on March 6. He’s been sidelined with an undisclosed ailment. Flyers GM Daniel Briere doesn’t expect him to be back, saying Johansen doesn’t think he can play hockey.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Johansen’s situation has been shrouded in mystery. That’s prompted speculation that he doesn’t want to play under Flyers head coach John Tortorella due to their contentious relationship during their days with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Johansen hasn’t spoken publicly about the situation. It was obvious that his play had declined this season. Neither he nor the Avalanche mentioned an injury before the trade. It appears the Avs weren’t aware of his condition.

Johansen has one year left on his contract. If medically unfit to play, the Flyers could place him on long-term injury reserve at the start of next season.

STARTRIBUNE: Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber said he played the final two months of the regular season with fractured ribs. The 21-year-old blueliner is considered a candidate to win the Calder Memorial Trophy as Rookie of the Year.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Faber finished the season sitting sixth among all NHL skaters in ice time per game (24:58), blocked the second-most shots among the Wild (150), quarterbacked their power play and finished tied for second among rookie scorers with 47 points.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman said he’d like to sign Shayne Gostisbehere to a new contract. The 31-year-old puckmoving defenseman had 56 points with the Wings this season. Yzerman called him “a valuable player for how we’re set up on the back end.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings are Gostisbehere’s fourth NHL team since 2020-21. It appears “The Ghost Bear” might be settling down for a spell in Motown.

TSN: Interim Ottawa Senators head coach Jacques Martin is moving to an advisor role with the club.

SPORTSNET: Speaking of the Senators, general manager Steve Staios said he doesn’t expect to buy out any of his players this summer.

SPORTSNET: Former NHL star Jaromir Jagr became the oldest professional hockey player on Thursday when he skated for his club Kladno at age 52 years and 63 days. Gordie Howe was the previous record holder when he finished his NHL career in 1980 with the Hartford Whalers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 26, 2024

by | Mar 26, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 26, 2024

Kings captain Anze Kopitar reaches an assist milestone, the three stars of the week are announced, Martin St. Louis returns to the Canadiens’ bench, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist as his club held off the Vancouver Canucks 3-2. Kopitar reached the 40-assist mark for the 14th time, tying Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby for the most among active players. Sam Lafferty and Brock Boeser replied for the Canucks, who slipped to 45-19-8 and dropped to second overall with 98 points. The Kings (38-22-11) sit in third place in the Pacific Division with 87 points, one behind the second-place Edmonton Oilers.

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks missed an opportunity to become the first team to reach 100 points and clinch a playoff berth this season. Canucks center Elias Lindholm missed this game for what is believed to be a hand or wrist injury. He’s listed as day-to-day.

An overtime goal by Jonathan Marchessault lifted the Vegas Golden Knights to a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Logan Thompson stopped 32 shots for the Golden Knights (39-25-7), who hold a five-point lead over the Blues for the final Western Conference wildcard berth with 85 points. Brandon Saad scored and Jordan Binnington made 32 saves for the 38-30-4 Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist left this game in the second period favoring his right leg following a hit by Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, and Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid are the league’s three stars for the week ending March 24, 2024.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis has returned to the club following a two-week leave of absence to take care of a family-related matter. His son, Mason, suffered complications from an injury sustained while playing hockey in Connecticut requiring hospitalization. His condition has stabilized and he’s now recovering at home.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Anthony Duclair has been on fire since joining the Tampa Bay Lightning in a trade from the San Jose Sharks earlier this month. He has points in all seven of his games with the Lightning.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Sharks, winger Mike Hoffman has been sidelined since March 9 recovering from a concussion following a hit from Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk. Meanwhile, rookie defenseman Ty Emberson’s season may be over due to a lower-body laceration suffered on Feb. 29.

ARIZONA SPORTS: The Coyotes recalled forward Josh Doan from their AHL affiliate. The 22-year-old is the son of former Coyotes star Shane Doan.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Jaromir Jagr bobblehead dolls stolen on their way to Pittsburgh have been recovered. The 18,000 dolls were to be handed out during a game on March 14 at PPG Paints Arena. Fans who received vouchers for the dolls can redeem them during a drive-through event at the arena on Apr. 6.