NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 24, 2025

by | May 24, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 24, 2025

The Oilers defeat the Stars in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final, the GM of the Year finalists are revealed, Alex Ovechkin wins the Messier Leadership Award, the Islanders name Mathieu Darche as GM, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

OILERS DEFEAT STARS IN GAME 2 OF WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner made 25 saves for his third shutout of this postseason to blank the Dallas Stars 3-0 in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final.

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (NHL Images).

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored the winning goal and collected an assist while Brett Kulak and Connor Brown also scored for the Oilers, who tied this series at a game apiece. Jake Oettinger turned aside 22 shots for the Stars.

The series shifts to Edmonton for the next two games, with Game 3 on Sunday, May 25, at 3 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a better team effort by the Oilers, holding the lead in this game after blowing a 3-1 lead in the third period of Game 1. Skinner rose to the occasion again, bouncing back from a shaky performance in his previous start to tie Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky for the most shutouts in this postseason.

Oilers captain Connor McDavid collected an assist, becoming the fourth player in NHL history to record four straight 20-plus point postseasons.

The Stars were furious over a slash by Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse on Dallas center Roope Hintz early in the third period. Hintz left the game and didn’t return but Nurse only received a minor penalty. There was no postgame update on his status.

“We didn’t like it. If that was McDavid walking down the tunnel, I would like to see the result of that,” said Dallas captain Jamie Benn. Head coach Pete DeBoer echoed that sentiment, while Stars winger Mason Marchment said he and his teammates won’t forget Nurse’s actions.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Kevin Cheveldayoff of the Winnipeg Jets, Jim Nill of the Dallas Stars, and Bill Zito of the Florida Panthers are the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award finalists for 2024-25.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nill won it in 2023 and 2024. This is the second time Cheveldayoff has been a finalist and the third straight season for Zito.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin won the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award.

The New York Islanders named Mathieu Darche their new general manager. He had been the assistant GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning for the past three years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Isles also named Darche as their executive vice president, indicating in their statement that he will “manage all aspects of the team’s hockey operations.”

The Islanders were permitted to speak with former Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan before they hired Darche. Their statement suggests they won’t be hiring a team president.

Ethan Sears of the New York Post believes Darche’s first order of business should be addressing their head coach position. Patrick Roy currently holds that role on a multi-year contract. If Darche fires Roy, Sears listed Greg Cronin, Peter Laviolette, Mitch Love, Jay Leach, Jay Woodcroft and Kirk Muller as potential candidates.

TSN: Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment president Keith Pelley said he wasn’t looking to replace Shanahan as the Leafs’ team president. He indicated he intends to work closely with GM Brad Treliving and head coach Craig Berube.

MAYOR’S MANOR: Marc Bergevin is staying on as an advisor to Los Angeles Kings GM Ken Holland.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bergevin was among the finalists for the Isles GM job.

RG.ORG: The New York Rangers could add Russian goaltending coach Rashit Davydov to their coaching staff. He’s closely connected to Rangers netminder Igor Shesterkin and has also worked with goalies like Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers, and Ilya Sorokin of the Islanders.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The International Ice Hockey Federation has reportedly banned Russian teams from competing in the men’s and women’s ice hockey tournaments in the 2026 Winter Olympics.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That will affect NHL stars such as Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy and Nikita Kucherov, the Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin and Artemi Panarin, the Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky, Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 11, 2024

by | Jun 11, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 11, 2024

The Panthers take a 2-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final, the Stars’ Jim Nill is GM of the Year, the Hurricanes are poised to name their new general manager, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAP

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers took a 2-0 lead in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final with a 4-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 2. Evan Rodrigues scored twice as the Panthers tallied three unanswered third-period goals and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 18 shots for the win.

Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm opened the scoring in the first period with his club’s first goal of the series. Connor McDavid collected an assist for his first Stanley Cup Final point. However, the Panthers tied it in the second on a goal by Niko Mikkola, setting the stage for Rodrigues’ third-period output. Aaron Ekblad tallied into an empty net late in the third to put it out of reach.

Florida Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues (NHL Images).

The series shifts to Edmonton for the next two games with Game 3 on Thursday, June 13, at 8 pm EDT.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Edmonton outplayed Florida in Game 1 and deserved to win but were shut out by Bobrovsky. They deserved to lose Game 2 as the Panthers’ stingy defense and physical play limited the Oilers to seven shots on goal through the first two periods and no high-danger scoring chances throughout the game. Florida’s penalty-killing snuffed out Edmonton’s vaunted power play in both contests.

The Oilers’ top scorers have yet to find the back of the net in this series. Their frustration was evident in the third period when Leon Draisaitl left his feet to nail Aleksander Barkov with a high hit that forced the Panthers captain from the game and into concussion protocol. Draisaitl received a minor penalty on the play. Panthers head coach Paul Maurice had no update on Barkov’s condition following the game.

Edmonton winger Warren Foegele received a major penalty and a game misconduct midway through the first period for kneeing Eetu Luostarinen. The Panthers forward was helped from the ice but later returned to the game. Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse suffered an undisclosed injury and was limited to three shifts over the final two periods. The Oilers also scratched defenseman Cody Ceci, replacing him with Vincent Desharnais.

Some Edmonton observers took issue with some questionable officiating in this game. Nevertheless, the Panthers were the better team in Game 2. Their victory was well-deserved, leaving the Oilers looking for answers as they wing their way home to Edmonton.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: Jim Nill of the Dallas Stars won the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award. It’s the second straight year that Nill has won this award. Under his management, the Stars finished first in the Western Conference with 113 points, one point behind the Presidents’ Trophy-winning New York Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nill and New York Islanders’ Lou Lamoriello are the only two-time winners of this award. Lamoriello also won it in consecutive years (2020 and 2021).

SPORTSNET: The Carolina Hurricanes will name Eric Tulsky as their new general manager. Tulsky was made interim GM after Don Waddell stepped down on May 24. He’d served as assistant GM since 2020.

TSN: Matt Duchene remains keen to return to Dallas next season. The 33-year-old forward is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 after completing a one-year, $3-million contract. As the free-agent market approaches, Duchene said money was not a motivating factor for him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Duchene will continue to receive $1.55 million annually through 2028-29 from the Nashville Predators after buying out his contract last summer. Nevertheless, he genuinely enjoyed his time in Dallas. The Stars have just over $16 million in cap space for next season but Duchene could accept another cost-effective contract to return next season.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks have added Jason Krog as a skills and skating coach. He’ll work with the big club and their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford.

CBC.CA: Team Canada star and Olympic gold medalist Sarah Fillier was chosen first overall by New York in the 2024 PWHL Draft. Edmonton’s Danielle Serdachny was taken second overall by Ottawa.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow this link for the complete list of picks in the 2024 PWHL Draft.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 24, 2024

by | May 24, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 24, 2024

The Oilers win Game 1 of the Western Conference Final in double overtime, the GM of the Year finalists are announced, the Hurricanes allow GM Don Waddell to speak to other teams, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAP

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid scored in double overtime to lift his club to a 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final.

The Oilers jumped to a 2-0 lead on goals by Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman, but Dallas winger Tyler Seguin scored twice to tie the game and send it into overtime. The Stars had a golden opportunity to win it early in the first overtime when McDavid was assessed a double-minor for high-sticking Matt Duchene but his teammates successfully killed it.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner got the win with 31 saves. Stars netminder Jake Oettinger turned aside 33 shots, including an impressive stick save on McDavid and a strong pad save on a Dylan Holloway breakaway.

McDavid and Draisaitl each finished the game with two points, with Draisaitl extending his playoff points streak to 13 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dallas keeps having difficulty winning the opening game of a postseason series. Their previous one was in 2020 and their last series-opening home win was in 2016.

The Stars were supposed to have the depth advantage over Edmonton but it wasn’t apparent in this game. They couldn’t keep most of the Oilers’ top scorers (McDavid, Draisaitl, Hyman and defenseman Evan Bouchard) off the score sheet in Game 1. The Stars managed to contain the Oilers’ lethal power play but struggled against their penalty killers. Edmonton has the best penalty-killing percentage (92.5) in this postseason thus far.

Dallas center Roope Hintz remains sidelined with an upper-body injury. Oilers forward Adam Henrique remains out with a nagging ankle injury.

Game 2 of this series is in Dallas on Saturday, May 25, at 9 pm EDT.

PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK

NEW YORK POST: Adam Fox’s health remains a concern for the Rangers heading into Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final on Friday against the Florida Panthers. The former Norris Trophy-winning defenseman has struggled since a knee-on-knee collision with Washington’s Nick Jensen in the first round. Fox has been held pointless in his last five games.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Matthew Tkachuk continues to come up big for the Panthers in postseason play. He scored the winning goal in his club’s 3-0 series-opening win against the Rangers. Tkachuk has scored goals in each Game 1 of his club’s previous two series and is the first player in NHL history with four game-winning goals in his first five conference final games.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Patrik Allvin of the Vancouver Canucks, Jim Nill of the Dallas Stars, and Bill Zito of the Florida Panthers are the finalists for the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award.

This is the fourth time Nill has been a finalist for the award, winning it last season. It’s Zito’s third time as a finalist and Allvin’s first.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the three finalists for their fine work with their respective teams this season.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Carolina Hurricanes president and general manager Don Waddell’s contract will soon expire. Reports from TSN’s Pierre LeBrun and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman indicate Waddell has been granted permission to speak to other teams. He was interviewed on Thursday for the open GM position with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Waddell has been in his current position since 2018. He played a big role in turning the Hurricanes into a perennial playoff contender and one of the top teams in the NHL. Waddell was a finalist for the GM of the Year award in 2018-19.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This comes at an awkward time for the Hurricanes. Nine of their players are eligible to become unrestricted free agents on July 1, including Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teravainen, Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce.

LeBrun reported the Hurricanes are serious about signing Guentzel but Waddell’s interviewing with other clubs could affect those negotiations. His potential departure could leave them scrambling to find a replacement but they could swiftly address that by promoting assistant GM Eric Tulsky.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog said he has no plans to retire and hopes to return to action next season. Knee surgeries have sidelined him for the past two years. Landeskog didn’t indicate when he expects to be back. “Mid-September and star of April, I feel pretty good about,” he joked.

THE DENVER POST: Landeskog and Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland expressed their support for Valeri Nichushkin. He is serving a six-month suspension after being forced back into the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program for the third time in 13 months. However, they both stated that it’s up to Nichushkin regarding his future with the Avalanche once his treatment is completed.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson revealed he played with a nagging knee injury since January. “The longer it went, the more pain I felt,” he said. Pettersson indicated that it won’t require surgery but needs time to heal. Head coach Rick Tocchet said Pettersson was dealing with “tendonitis”, adding the Canucks brass and medical staff felt “it was fine to keep going…We didn’t feel we had to shut him down.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The decline in Pettersson’s play was obvious as the second half of the season unfolded, especially in the playoffs when he managed six points in 13 games.

The Canucks frequently denied Pettersson was playing hurt, with Tocchet suggesting more than once that he had to play harder. It did Pettersson no favors, creating the perception that he wasn’t elevating his game in the playoffs, making him the subject of some unwarranted criticism.

Meanwhile, Canucks winger Brock Boeser was crushed that a blood-clotting issue sidelined him from Game 7 of their second-round series with the Oilers. “I asked if I could play and tried to push them, but the risks were too big. I had to protect my future,” said Boeser.

The non-life-threatening blood clot was the result of a bruised leg suffered in Game 1 of that second-round series. Boeser is on blood thinners and will be able to train during the offseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks medical staff made the right decision here. Boeser’s desire to return to action is admirable but it could’ve put him at risk of serious medical consequences.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 25, 2023

by | May 25, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 25, 2023

The Panthers advance to the Stanley Cup Final, Stars captain Jamie Benn is suspended for two games, the finalists for general manager of the year are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers are going to the Stanley Cup Final after defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. Matthew Tkachuk scored twice, including the winning goal with 4.3 seconds remaining in regulation. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 36 shots as the Panthers win the Prince of Wales Trophy for the first time since 1996.

Florida Panthers pose with Prince of Wales Trophy (NHL.com).

Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin left the game early in the first period with an apparent concussion after a hard hit by Panthers forward Sam Bennett behind the Hurricanes net. He was sidelined for the remainder of the game with a suspected concussion. Following the game, Slavin said the hit was clean.

Slavin’s teammate Stefan Noesen suffered an upper-body injury in the first period. He returned in the second period but was not on the bench for the third.

The Panthers await the winner of the Western Conference Final. The Vegas Golden Knights hold a 3-0 series lead over the Dallas Stars and can close out the series with a win tonight in Game 4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A well-earned win by the Panthers in both this game and in a series where each game was closely contested and decided by one goal. Bobrovsky and Tkachuk were their dominant players but this sweep of such a strong opponent was definitely a team effort. Captain Aleksander Barkov tied with Tkachuk for the club lead in points (five) in this series while forwards Anthony Duclair, Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Reinhart and Bennett each had three points.

This was the third time dating back to 2009 that the Hurricanes were swept in the Conference Final. However, this one probably hurts the most. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour believes they deserved better and he has a point. The Hurricanes controlled the play but were stymied offensively by Bobrovsky’s goaltending. Losing Slavin in Game 4 was a big blow to their blueline.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars captain Jamie Benn received a two-game suspension for cross-checking Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone in Game 3 of their Western Conference Final series.

Benn’s teammate Max Domi was fined $5,000.00 for slashing Stone in the third period of that game.

Evgeni Dadonov is doubtful for Game 4. The Stars winger suffered a lower-body injury in Game 3 and didn’t return.

SPORTSNET: Stars president and CEO Brad Alberts issued an apology to the Golden Knights after fans littered the ice with debris late in the second period of Game 3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The fallout from the Stars’ horrible performance in Game 3 will have consequences for tonight’s game against the Golden Knights. They must now try to avoid elimination without their captain, whose undisciplined antics have taken him out of this series at a crucial time when they need his leadership and experience the most.

NHL.COM: Jim Nill of the Stars, Don Sweeney of the Boston Bruins and Bill Zito of the Florida Panthers are this season’s finalists for the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This award, like all NHL individual awards except for the Conn Smythe Trophy, is based on regular-season performance. Thus, I think Sweeney will win it because of his club’s record-setting performance with 65 wins and 135 points.

WGR 550: The Buffalo Sabres announced that Kyle Okposo has agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million contract. Okposo, 34, served as the Sabres captain last season. In 75 games, he had 11 goals and 27 points.

Okposo also earned the Rick Martin Memorial Award, “presented to the player who fans believe best embodies what it means to be a Sabre through on-ice excellence, resilience, and dedication to the community.”

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Playing for Sweden at the IIHF World Championship, Sandin was injured following a knee-on-knee hit by Team USA’s Michael Eyssimont, who was ejected from the game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals are probably breathing a sigh of relief that it was much worse. Sandin is expected to play a big role among their top-four defensemen next season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 8, 2022

by | Jul 8, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 8, 2022

The aftermath of a chaotic first round of the 2022 Draft, Joe Sakic was named GM of the Year, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: The Montreal Canadiens surprised the hockey world and made history by selecting winger Juraj Slavkovsky with the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, making him the first player from Slovakia to go first overall. The Canadiens bypassed center Shane Wright of the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs, who had been ranked as the top prospect by NHL Central Scouting.

Further history was made when the New Jersey Devils chose defenseman Simon Nemec with the second-overall selection. Slavkovsky and Nemec are the first Slovakians to become the top-two players selected in an NHL draft.

Center Logan Cooley of the U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP) was selected by the Arizona Coyotes with the third-overall pick. Wright was chosen fourth overall by the Seattle Kraken.

The Canadiens also chose Slovakian winger Filip Mesar with the No. 26 pick. Meanwhile, the Coyotes selected center Conor Geekie (11th overall) from the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice and Maveric Lamoureux from the QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltigeurs at No. 29.

After starting Thursday with no picks in the first round, the Chicago Blackhawks wound up with three after shipping winger Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators, center Kirby Dach to the Canadiens and acquiring goalie Petr Mrazek as part of a return from the Toronto Maple Leafs. They chose defenseman Kevin Korchinski from the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds at No. 7, center Frank Nazar from the USNTDP at No. 13 and defenseman Sam Rinzel from Chaska High School at No. 25.

With two picks in the first round, the Columbus Blue Jackets selected Czechia defenseman David Jiricek sixth overall and blueliner Denton Mateychuk from the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors with the No. 12 pick.

The Buffalo Sabres had three selections in the first round, choosing Winnipeg Ice center Matthew Savoie ninth overall, Swedish center Noah Ostlund with the No. 16 selection and Czechia center Jiri Kulich at No. 28.

With two first-rounders, the Anaheim Ducks selected Pavel Mintyukov of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit at No. 10 and center Nathan Gaucher of the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts at No. 22. The Minnesota Wild used their two first-round picks to choose Swedish winger Liam Ohgren at No. 19 and Russian winger Danila Yurov at No. 24.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: You can see the full results from the first round by following the link above.

That was one of the wilder drafts regarding surprising selections and player movement via trades. You can read my take on those moves involving NHL players here.

Slafkovsky was as surprised as most in the Bell Centre by his selection as the first-overall pick. The big winger has the potential to become a scoring star in the NHL. He was named tournament MVP in the 2022 Beijing Olympics helping Slovakia win its first-ever medal (bronze) in men’s hockey with a tournament-leading seven goals.

Wright, meanwhile, admitted he’ll have a chip on his shoulder from this outcome which he intends to use as motivation in the future. His style of play drew comparisons to Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron. The Kraken will have a future Selke Trophy center on their hands if he plays up to projections.

Rounds 2 through 7 will be held today at the Bell Centre in Montreal at 11 am ET.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Center Jagger Firkus of the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors, defenseman Ryan Chesley of the USNTDP and blueliner Calle Odelius of Djurgardens in the Swedish Hockey League are among Tony Ferrari’s top-five prospects remaining after the first round. Center Jack Hughes of Northeastern University in the NCAA and winger Julian Lutz of EHC Munchen in Germany round out his list.

Joe Sakic of the Colorado Avalanche is the 2021-22 winner of the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A well-deserved honor for Sakic who did a fine job building the Avalanche into the 2022 Stanley Cup champions.

TSN: Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland said he’s given defenseman Duncan Keith until Saturday whether he intends to play next season or retire. Keith, 38, has one year remaining on his contract. His retirement would free up $5.54 million in salary-cap space.

TSN: The Los Angeles Kings hired former goaltender Manon Rheaume as a hockey operations advisor focusing on prospect development. She’s among several women hired to prominent positions among NHL teams in recent weeks.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 23, 2021

by | Jun 23, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 23, 2021

The Canadiens take a 3-2 series lead over the Golden Knights, Lou Lamoriello is the GM of the Year, Mathew Barzal fined, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines

NHL.COM: The Montreal Canadiens are one win away from advancing to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final after beating the Vegas Golden Knights 4-1 in Game 5 of their semifinal series. Nick Suzuki had a goal and two assists, Tyler Toffoli collected two helpers and Carey Price turned aside 26 shots for the win. Max Pacioretty tallied Vegas’ only goal. The Canadiens lead the series three games to two and can put it away Thursday in Game 6 on home ice.

Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some fans on social media took to blaming Vegas goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury for this loss. They also questioned head coach Peter DeBoer going with Fleury after Robin Lehner played well in Game 4. The problem, however, doesn’t lie with Fleury but with their offense.

Once again, the Canadiens did a fine job shutting down Vegas’ leading scorers. Pacioretty is the only member of the Golden Knights’ top-six forwards to score a goal against the Habs, while team captain Mark Stone is facing some criticism in the local media for failing to step up in this series.

The Golden Knights may be down but they proved in Game 4 they can battle back. However, they no longer have any margin of error. The Canadiens are playing like a team that believes it can win. Price’s goaltending and their defensive play have made the difference so far. If the Golden Knights don’t figure out a way to beat the Habs’ system on Thursday, they’ll be heading to the golf course by this weekend.

For the second straight year, New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello is the winner of the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award.

NEWSDAY: Islanders center Mathew Barzal received a $5,000 fine by the NHL department of player safety for his cross-check of Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Jan Rutta in Game 5 of their semifinal series.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning may have routed the Islanders in Game 5 to take a 3-2 series lead but they aren’t taking their opponent for granted heading into Game 6 tonight on Long Island.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Isles caught a big break when Barzal didn’t receive a suspension for that cross-check on Rutta. It would’ve been a blow to their chances of winning Game 6 to lose their top center.

VANCOUVER SUN: Henrik and Daniel Sedin are returning to the Canucks, this time as special advisors to general manager Jim Benning.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We’ll have to wait and see if the Sedins will have significant input into management decisions or if this is just window-dressing.

SPORTSNET: Referee Wes McCauley is not expected to work any remaining games in the semifinal. His last assignment was as a standby referee in Game 1 of the Lightning-Islanders series. He’s not believed to be injured and there is a possibility he’ll work a Stanley Cup Final game. Considered the consensus “best referee in the NHL,” his absence comes as the league faces growing criticism over the quality of officiating in this postseason, particularly in several semifinal games.

STLTODAY.COM: The St. Louis medical examiner determined that Blues alumni Bob Plager died of a cardiac event prior to his SUV crashed in March. Plager spent 11 seasons with the Blues as a player and spent years with the organization following his playing career. He was 78 years old.

WGR 550: Former Buffalo Sabres star Rene Robert passed away yesterday after suffering a heart attack last week in Florida. He was 72 years old.

Robert spent 12 seasons with the Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Rockies from 1970-71 to 1981-82. His best seasons were with the Sabres (’71-’72 to ’78-’79) with Gilbert Perreault and Richard Martin on the fabled French Connection Line. He tallied 284 goals and 702 points in 744 career games, as well as 41 points in 50 playoff contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Robert’s family, friends, former teammates and the Sabres organization.