Jonathan Toews to take some time away from hockey, updates on Panthers defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour, and long-time Sabres broadcaster Rick Jeanneret passes away. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: Jonathan Toews issued a statement yesterday regarding his plans for the future. The former Blackhawks captain indicated that he is not fully retiring but is taking some time away from the game of hockey.
Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews (NHL Images).
Toews cited the health issues he suffered through long-COVID and chronic immune response syndrome that sidelined him in 2020-21 and hampered his performance over the past two seasons.
The 35-year-old center became an unrestricted free agent on July 1, bringing to an end his 15 NHL seasons with the Blackhawks.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: As per Toews’ statement, he intends to spend the coming season “to fully heal and enjoy life to the fullest once again”. However, he also seems to be leaving the door open to a possible NHL comeback.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito provided an update on Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour. Both defensemen are recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.
Zito said both players are healing and on schedule with their respective recoveries. “It’ll be a month or two. Is it four (months)? Probably not Is it one (month)? Probably not. That’s as well as I could get, but every time I check in, I’m told (they’re) on schedule.”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: A month or two would put both players within range of returning during training camp or the start of the regular season.
BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: Long-time Sabres broadcaster Rick Jeanneret passed on Thursday at age 81 from multi-organ failures. The iconic voice of the Sabres began broadcasting their games in 1971 until his retirement at the end of the 2021-22 season.
Jeanneret received the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Foster Hewitt Award in 2012 for broadcasting. He was also a member of the Sabres Hall of Fame.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tributes to Jeanneret are widespread on traditional and social media. He was one of hockey’s greatest broadcasters. His call of Brad May’s series-winning overtime goal against the Boston Bruins in the 1993 playoffs (“May Day!”) ranks among the best in sports history. It still gives me goosebumps whenever I hear it.
DAILY FACEOFF: Mathieu Schneider and the NHL Players Association are parting ways after 12 years. He began working with the PA after his playing career ended, going on to become second-in-command to former executive director Donald Fehr. The move comes several months after Marty Walsh took over from Fehr.
NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Blackhawks top prospect Connor Bedard isn’t the only member of his family to skate for the club. His great-great uncle, James Bedard, played 22 games as a defenseman for the Hawks from 1949 to 1951.
The Oilers match their longest home win streak, the Sabres honor long-time broadcaster Rick Jeanneret, the three stars and top rookie for March are announced and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers tied their franchise-record home win streak at nine games with a 6-5 overtime victory over the St. Louis Blues, who overcame 4-1 and 5-3 deficits to force the extra period. Connor McDavid scored twice, including the game-winner. Zach Hyman also had two goals and Evander Kane had a three-point night for the Oilers (83 points) as they sit one point back of the second-place Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division. Pavel Buchnevich tallied twice for the Blues, who are in third place in the Central Division with 84 points.
Buffalo Sabres honor broadcaster Rick Jeanneret (NHL.com).
The Buffalo Sabres honored long-time broadcaster Rick Jeanneret with a pre-game banner ceremony before going on to defeat the Nashville Predators 4-3. Jeanneret, the voice of the Sabres since 1971, is retiring at the end of this season. Tage Thompson scored twice for the Sabres while Ryan Johansen had two assists for the Predators, who remain in the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 82 points.
Jack Eichel scored two goals to lead the Vegas Golden Knights to a 5-2 win over the Seattle Kraken. Evgenii Dadonov collected two assists as the Golden Knights regained the second Western wild-card spot with 80 points.
The Tampa Bay Lightning got two goals from Ross Colton to down the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2. Colton and Nick Paul each finished the night with three points as the Lightning picked up their fourth straight victory to move into second place in the Atlantic Division with 92 points. During a break in the action, the Lightning honored Blackhawks forward Tyler Johnson with a video tribute. Johnson was a member of the Bolts for nine seasons before being traded last summer to the Blackhawks.
New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov made 27 saves to shut out the New York Rangers 3-0. Casey Cizikas, Matt Martin and Mathew Barzal were the goal scorers. The Rangers (93 points) remain one point ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins in second place in the Metropolitan Division.
The Anaheim Ducks got a 22-save shutout from Anthony Stolarz to blank the Arizona Coyotes 5-0. Trevor Zegras netted his second lacrosse-style goal of the season while Isac Lundestrom tallied twice and picked up an assist as the Ducks snapped their 11-game winless skid.
Ottawa Senators forward Mathieu Joseph scored his first NHL hat trick in a 5-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Mads Sogaard made 27 saves for his first NHL victory. Lucas Raymond netted both Red Wings goals.
HEADLINES
NHL.COM: Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi, Calgary Flames winger Johnny Gaudreau, and Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky are the NHL’s three stars for March 2022. Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield was named rookie of the month.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Josi had 28 points in 14 games through March to overtake the Colorado Avalanche’s Cale Makar as the leading scorer among defensemen with 81 points. The Predators captain is making a strong case for his second Norris Trophy. Caufield, meanwhile, continues to blossom since Martin St. Louis took over as Canadiens coach in February, picking up 15 points in as many games last month.
TWINCITIES.COM: Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov could break the franchise single-season points record in tonight’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. With 83 points, Kaprizov is tied with Marian Gaborik.
THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: An illness could bring Flyers defenseman Keith Yandle’s 989-game Ironman streak to an end if he’s unable to suit up tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Yandle broke the original Ironman record of 964 earlier this season.
Jonathan Huberdeau sets a league record in Jonathan Toews’ 1,000th game, Auston Matthews is the first player this season to score 50 goals, potential investors are circling the Senators in the wake of Eugene Melnyk’s death, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: Jonathan Huberdeau set a single-season assist record for left wingers (71) as his Florida Panthers blanked the Chicago Blackhawks 4-0, spoiling the 1,000th career NHL game of Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews. Sergei Bobrovsky made 37 saves for the shutout while Aleksander Barkov scored twice. With 98 points, the Panthers are tied with the Carolina Hurricanes but sit in first place in the Eastern Conference with a game in hand.
Florida Panthers winger Jonathan Huberdeau (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Huberdeau really doesn’t get the attention he deserves for his playmaking skills. He’s fourth overall in total assists (271) since 2017-18, four behind the Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane and nine behind the New York Rangers’ Artemi Panarin. Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid is the overall leader during that period with 340.
Toews would’ve reached the 1,000 game mark much sooner had he not missed all of last season to illness. It’s been a difficult campaign for the Blackhawks captain, with 29 points in 57 games.
Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews became the first player to reach the 50-goal plateau this season in a 7-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. William Nylander scored twice while Mitch Marner and Ilya Mikheyev each collected three points as the Leafs (91 points) move one point ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning into second place in the Atlantic Division. With 76 points, the Jets are three points behind the Dallas Stars for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews is the fourth player in Leafs history to score 50 goals in a season, joining Rick Vaive, Gary Leeman and Dave Andreychuk. With 15 games remaining in the season, he’s poised to overtake Vaive for the Leafs’ single-season record (54) and has a realistic shot of becoming the first NHL player to reach the 60-goal mark since Lightning captain Steven Stamkos did it in 2011-12.
Third-period goals by Mikko Rantanen and Andre Burakovsky lifted the Colorado Avalanche over the San Jose Sharks 4-2. Nazem Kadri and Erik Johnson each had two assists for Colorado while teammate Nathan MacKinnon returned to the lineup after missing one game with an injured hand. With 102 points, the Avs hold a four-point lead over the Panthers and Hurricanes atop the overall standings.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was originally reported that MacKinnon suffered a fractured bone in his hand following a recent fight with Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba. While he was declared “good to go” by the Avalanche, it’ll be interesting to see if that injury has any effect on his performance.
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen made 32 saves to shut out the Montreal Canadiens 4-0. Andrei Svechnikov tallied twice while Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen each had a goal and an assist. Canadiens netminder Jake Allen stopped 40 shots in a losing cause.
Jamie Benn’s overtime goal gave the Dallas Stars a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks, extending the latter’s winless streak to 11 games. Jake Oettinger kicked out 21 shots for the win as the Stars (79 points) hold a one-point lead over the Vegas Golden Knights for the final Western wild-card spot.
A shootout goal by Lias Andersson lifted the Los Angeles Kings to a 3-2 win over the Calgary Flames. Viktor Arvidsson tied the game with 4:22 remaining in the third period while Cal Petersen picked up the win with a 26-save effort. Jacob Markstrom stopped 30 shots for the Flames, who hold a five-point lead over the Kings for first place in the Pacific Division with 89 points.
Evgeni Malkin’s overtime goal lifted the Pittsburgh Penguins past the Minnesota Wild 4-3, ending the latter’s seven-game winning streak. Rickard Rakell scored two goals for the Penguins (92 points), who sit one point behind the second-place New York Rangers in the Metropolitan Division.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jason Zucker’s return to the Penguins lineup after missing the last 30 games to core-muscle surgery didn’t last long. He was helped from the ice in the second period after suffering what looked like a serious leg injury from crashing awkwardly into the boards. No update was provided on his status.
A six-goal second period powered the Boston Bruins to an 8-1 romp over the New Jersey Devils. Brad Marchand tallied twice while Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak each collected three points as the Bruins (89 points) hold a five-point lead over the Washington Capitals for the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth.
The New York Islanders defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2. Semyon Varlamov made 30 saves while Mathew Barzal had a goal and an assist for the Isles.
HEADLINES
OTTAWA SUN/THE ATHLETIC: Michael Traikos and Ian Mendes report that potential investors are already looking into purchasing the Senators only days after owner Eugene Melnyk passed away on Monday. Ownership of the team is expected to pass to Melnyk’s college-age daughters Anne and Olivia. Mendes confirmed there are “multiple groups” who’ve expressed interest in purchasing the Senators with the plan of keeping them in the Ottawa market.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Melnyk isn’t even in the ground yet and already the vultures are circling hoping to pick up the Senators. One would think they’d at least allow his family time to grieve before making inquiries about buying the franchise. That’s the cold-blooded business world for you.
Nothing will happen until after Melnyk’s estate has been settled, which could take weeks. That’s when we’ll learn if his daughters will retain or sell the franchise. Based on the reports by Traikos and Mendes, they won’t lack potential bidders keen on keeping the club in Ottawa.
AZCENTRAL.COM: Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller’s season is over after undergoing surgery for a broken leg suffered during Wednesday’s 5-2 win over the San Jose Sharks. His recovery period is expected to be between four to six months.
TSN: Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Petr Mrazek will be sidelined for at least six weeks with a groin injury.
Carolina Hurricanes forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi is expected to miss two weeks with a lower-body injury.
THE ATHLETIC: The Buffalo Sabres will honor long-time broadcaster Rick Jeanneret with a banner prior to tonight’s game against the Nashville Predators. The Hall-of-Fame play-by-play man has covered the Sabres since 1971 and will retire at the end of this season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: A well-deserved honor for the long-time voice of the Sabres.
The Hurricanes snuff out the Flames, the Blues defeat the Capitals, plus the latest COVID news and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.
NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes extended their winning streak to five games by dousing the Calgary Flames 6-3. Brady Skjei had a goal and two assists while teammate Andrei Svechnikov scored twice. With 49 points, the Hurricanes vaulted over the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals into first place in the Metropolitan Division. The Flames have lost three straight and sit third in the Pacific Division.
St. Louis Blues winger Pavel Buchnevich (NHL Images).
Pavel Buchnevich scored two goals and set up another as the St. Louis Blues rolled to a 5-1 victory over the Washington Capitals. Goaltender Ville Husso kicked out 26 shots for his first win since Nov. 27. The Blues (45 points) move to within one point of the first-place Nashville Predators in the Central Division. Earlier in the day, the Capitals placed Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie on injured reserve.
SPORTSNET: Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner, Columbus Blue Jackets forward Alexandre Texier and Edmonton Oilers winger Kailer Yamamoto were among the players placed on the COVID protocol list on Friday.
NHL.COM: Two Ottawa Senators games have been postponed. The first is tonight’s match against the Vancouver Canucks and the second is their Jan. 15 contest against the Winnipeg Jets.
WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets have backed off their suggested plan to play some of their home games in Saskatoon where arena capacity restrictions aren’t as strict as in Manitoba. A survey of the idea among their season-ticket holders found 40 percent against the idea with 30 percent neutral and 30 percent in approval.
Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov will miss tonight’s game against the Washington Capitals after suffering an upper-body injury on Thursday against the Boston Bruins. There is no timetable for his return.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kaprizov is enjoying a strong sophomore campaign, sitting among the top-10 scorers with 40 points. A lengthy absence from the lineup could be devastating for the Wild.
WGR 550: The Buffalo Sabres announced they will be raising a banner to long-time broadcaster Rick Jeanneret during “RJ Night” on Apr. 1 honoring his career. Jeanneret is retiring following this season and will call his final Sabres game on Apr. 29.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: A fitting tribute to a fine play-by-play man who’s been part of the Sabres’ history since 1971-72.
Henrik Lundqvist announces his retirement, the Blues to retire Chris Pronger’s number, legendary Sabres broadcaster Rick Jeanneret to call it a career following this season, the viability of moving the Coyotes to Houston, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.
NEW YORK POST: Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist officially announced his retirement yesterday after 15 seasons with the New York Rangers and four with Frolunda in Sweden before that. A heart condition has ended his playing career at age 39.
Former New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has retired (NHL Images).
Lundqvist is the sixth winningest goaltender in NHL history with a record of 459-310-96, a 2.43 goals-against average, a .918 save percentage and 64 shutouts, along with 61 wins and 10 shutouts in the playoffs. The Rangers immediately retired Lundqvist’s No. 30 and will stage a retirement ceremony later this season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lundqvist was one of the great goaltenders of his generation and the best in Rangers history. “King Henrik” is their all-time leader in wins, save percentage, shutouts, and game-played by a goalie (887). He’s a shoo-in for the Hockey Hall of Fame.
A First Team All-Star in 2011-12 and a Second Team All-Star the following season, Lundqvist won the Vezina Trophy in 2012 and was also a four-time Vezina finalist. He backstopped the Rangers to the 2014 Stanley Cup Final and won Olympic gold for his home country of Sweden in 2006.
Best wishes to Lundqvist and his family in their future endeavors.
STLTODAY.COM: The St. Louis Blues announced they will retire Chris Pronger’s No. 44 on Jan. 17 before a game against the Nashville Predators. The former Blues captain is among their franchise leaders in games played (598), assists (272) and points (356).
A four-time All-Star, Pronger’s best season was 1999-2000, becoming just the second defenseman in NHL history to win the Hart Memorial Trophy and the James Norris Memorial Trophy. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015.
WGR 550: Long-time Buffalo Sabres play-by-play man Rick Jeanneret will retire at the end of the 2021-22 season. This will be his 51st season behind the mike for the Sabres.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jeanneret is one of the best in the business. His iconic call of Brad May’s series-winning overtime goal against the Boston Bruins in the 1993 playoffs is among my favorites.
THE ATHLETIC: News of the Arizona Coyotes’ lease agreement with Gila River Arena ending next year prompted some observers to suggest relocating the franchise to Houston. However, Dallas Stars CEO Brad Alberts told Saad Yousef he doesn’t think that’s a possibility, saying there’s been no discussion at the league level about putting a team in that city.
Alberts said he’s heard rumors that Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta wants an NHL franchise in his city but doesn’t know for certain if he does. He acknowledged things can change but doesn’t believe the league intends to abandon Phoenix.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: As I said yesterday, the league will do everything it can to keep the Coyotes in Arizona. If that’s not possible, moving to a new city requires a wealthy owner with a viable NHL arena. Fertitta was keen to do so two years ago but that was before the pandemic disrupted normal life. He might not be so enthusiastic now.
TSN: The Calgary Flames avoided salary arbitration with Nikita Zadorov by signing the 26-year-old defenseman to a one-year, $3.75 million contract. They also signed blueliner Juuso Valimaki to a two-year, $3.1 million deal.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: That leaves Philadelphia Flyers rearguard Travis Sanheim as the only player still scheduled for arbitration. His hearing is slated for Aug. 26 but he’ll probably be signed before then.
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