NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 3, 2021

by | Sep 3, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 3, 2021

The league introduces new COVID-19 protocols for the coming season, the Coyotes submit a bid to build a new arena & the Flyers inking Joel Farabee to a long-term deal headline several of Thursday’s contract signings. Details & more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reported last night the NHL and NHL Players Association finalized COVID-19 protocols for the coming 2021-22 season. Topping the list is a mechanism allowing teams to suspend unvaccinated players unable to participate in club activities, including when a player cannot travel due to local/state/provincial/federal regulations “upon return.” The player will forfeit the equivalent of one day’s pay for each day they’re unable to participate.

Exceptions include medical reasons, religious beliefs or quarantine due to being a high-risk close contact. If a full vaccinated player is confirmed with a positive test his condition will be treated as a hockey-related injury. Unvaccinated players will also face strict rules limiting social contact while on the road.

Players wishing to opt-out of this season can do so by Oct. 1. Their teams will have 30 days to determine if their contract will be rolled over to next season or this season removed from their agreement. They won’t be allowed to play in another league or the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is a brief version of Friedman’s report. I recommend following the link for the full story. Needless to say, these rules will be used to strongly encourage unvaccinated players to get their necessary COVID shots if they want to play in the NHL this season. Recent reports indicate 85 percent of NHL players are vaccinated. In other COVID-19 news…

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins defenseman Connor Clifton confirmed on social media he contracted the coronavirus while on his honeymoon. It’s unknown if he was vaccinated at the time. If this had happened a month from now when the new protocols are in place he likely would’ve been suspended.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE: Blackhawks fans will require proof of vaccination to attend games this season at the United Center.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: The Vegas Golden Knights announced their fans won’t need to provide proof of vaccination to attend games at T-Mobile Arena this season. They intend to maintain compliance with state and local health regulations, as well as those of the NHL and the CDC.

ARIZONA SPORTS: The Coyotes submitted a bid to build a new arena in Tempe, located in metropolitan Phoenix. The city indicated the evaluation process would take months before there will be a vote to approve or reject the project.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Coyotes could still be seeking a temporary home if the city of Glendale maintains its decision to end its lease agreement with the club by the end of this season. If the Tempa arena deal is approved, it could take another two or three years before the building is ready for use.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: The Flyers signed Joel Farabee to a six-year, $30 million contract extension. The 21-year-old winger lead the club with 20 goals last season and finished with 38 points in 55 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Farabee’s new annual average value is $5 million. That’s a significant raise over the $925K of his current deal, which expires at the end of this season. It’s also a big vote of confidence in the young winger, who managed eight goals and 21 points during his NHL debut in 2019-20. It could prove worthwhile if he builds on the promise of his sophomore campaign.

WGR 550: The Buffalo Sabres inked defenseman Henri Jokiharju and forward Casey Mittelstadt to three-year, $7.5 million contracts. Each will earn an annual cap hit of $2.5 million.

THE DETROIT NEWS: The Red Wings signed former Anaheim Ducks forward Carter Rowney to a one-year contract.

TRIBLIVE.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins signed goaltender Louis Domingue to a one-year, two-way contract.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: The Carolina Hurricanes hired former defenseman Tim Gleason as an assistant coach.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) suspended Canadiens prospect Logan Mailloux indefinitely after he secretly photographed an 18-year-old woman engaged in a sexual act with him while playing in Sweden last year and shared the photo and her identity with his SK Lejon teammates. Swedish police charged him with defamation and offensive photography and fined him $1, 650 USD.

Mailloux will have an opportunity to apply for reinstatement on Jan. 1, 2022.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 10, 2019

by | Jul 10, 2019

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 10, 2019

The salary arbitration hearing dates are released, the Sabres trade Alexander Nylander to the Blackhawks, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHLPA: The 2019 salary-arbitration schedule was released yesterday. 

St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington’s salary-arbitration hearing is set for July 20 (Photo via NHL Images).

July 20

Joel Armia

Jordan Binnington

Jason Dickinson

Alex Iafallo

Brock McGinn

Malcolm Subban *

July 21

Andrew Copp

July 22

Zach Aston-Reese

Christian Djoos

Ville Husso

MacKenzie Weegar

July 23

Evan Rodrigues 

July 24

Neal Pionk

Oskar Sundqvist

July 25

Connor Carrick

Jacob Trouba

July 26

Colton Sissons 

July 27

Sam Bennett

Chase DeLeo

July 28

Mirco Mueller

July 29

Pavel Buchnevich

David Rittich

July 30

Scott Laughton 

July 31

J.T. Compher

August 1

Remi Elie

Ryan Lomberg

Chandler Stephenson

August 2

Will Butcher

Charles Hudon

Linus Ullmark

August 3

Danton Heinen

Artturi Lehkonen 

August 4

Sheldon Dries

Joel Edmundson

Anton Forsberg

Rocco Grimaldi

Jake McCabe

Rinat Valiev 

NOTE: * indicates a settlement

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Scratch Boston Bruins winger Danton Heinen and Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Malcolm Subban from this list. Heinen signed a two-year deal with the Bruins worth an annual average value of $2.8 million. The Golden Knights signed Subban to a one-year, $850K contract. 

WGR 550/CHICAGO TRIBUNE: The Buffalo Sabres yesterday traded forward Alexander Nylander to the Chicago Blackhawks for defenseman Henri Jokiharju.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nylander, the eighth overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, had a disappointing tenure with the Sabres, netting just six points in 19 games. Perhaps a fresh start with the Blackhawks can get his once-promising career on track.

Jokiharju, selected 29th overall in the 2017 draft, had a promising start with the Blackhawks but was returned to the minors midway through last season. His addition to an increasingly crowded Sabres blueline will stoke speculation that they’re planning to move another defenseman for a forward. 

THE DENVER POST: The Colorado Avalanche signed head coach Jared Bednar to a two-year contract extension. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No surprise here. Bednar’s done a fine job helping turn the Avalanche from a bottom-feeder into a rising power in the Western Conference.

SPORTSDAY: The Dallas Stars re-signed defensemen Gavin Bayreuther and Dillon Heatherington to one-year, two-way contracts.

SPORTSNET: Former Edmonton Oilers forward Ty Rattie has signed a one-year contract with KHL team Lokomotiv. 

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The NHL could shorten the free-agent interview period and move the start date for free agency up from July 1. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That will require approval by the league and the NHL Players Association. The two sides are believed engaged in discussions regarding a new collective bargaining agreement. Perhaps shortening the interview period and tying the free-agency start date to the draft, as suggested in the article, will be part of the next CBA. 

THE TENNESSEAN: Former Nashville Predators captain Greg Johnson died Monday in his Michigan home. He was 48. An original member of the Predators, he played seven seasons in Nashville and was their captain from 2002-03 to 2005-06. Johnson also played with the Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Chicago Blackhawks, amassing 145 goals and 369 points in 785 career regular-season games. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Johnson’s family, friends, and former teammates. No cause of death was given. Johnson’s career ended in 2006 after an irregular heartbeat was detected during a physical examination. 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 19, 2018

by | Dec 19, 2018

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 19, 2018

Game recaps, injury updates, Senators owner sued, and more in your NHL morning coffee headlines.

NOTE: The NHL holiday “trade freeze” period begins at 11:59 PM ET on Dec. 19 and expires at 11:59 PM ET on Dec. 27.

NHL.COM: Philadelphia Flyers rookie goaltender Carter Hart got the win in his first career NHL game and was named the game star as he backstopped his club to a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. The Wings played without starting goalie Jimmy Howard as he hurt his back during the pre-game warm-up. No word as to how long he could be sidelined.

Philadelphia Flyers rookie goaltender Carter Hart got his first NHL win in a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings (Photo via NHL Images)

Meanwhile, Flyers center Jori Lehtera will reportedly face criminal prosecution in his native Finland regarding his alleged connection to a cocaine ring. Lehtera’s summer cottage was raided during the summer while he was away and seven people arrested. He has denied any involvement with the ring and isn’t considered among the main suspects in the case.

Center Nazem Kadri collected three assists while teammates Auston Matthews and John Tavares each had a goal and an assist as the Toronto Maple Leafs crushed the New Jersey Devils 7-2. Tyler Ennis also tallied twice for the Leafs.

The Tampa Bay Lightning extended their points streak to 10 games with a 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy turned aside 36 shots. The Canucks also announced prospect defenseman Olli Juolevi will miss the remainder of the season following knee surgery.

The Chicago Blackhawks picked up their second win in 12 games by edging the Nashville Predators 2-1. Gustav Forsling and Erik Gustafsson scored while goaltender Cam Ward made 30 saves. Blackhawks center Marcus Kruger suffered a concussion following an inadvertent elbow to the head from Predators forward Ryan Hartman and is expected to miss their next two games. The Hawks also loaned defenseman Henri Jokiharju to Finland for the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championships.

The Florida Panthers scored four unanswered third-period goals to defeat the Buffalo Sabres 5-2. Panthers winger Evgenii Dadonov scored twice and set up another.

Three unanswered third-period goals powered the New York Rangers to a 3-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Kevin Hayes picked up the game-winner with a shorthanded breakaway.

Goaltender Martin Jones made 26 saves as the San Jose Sharks blanked the Minnesota Wild 4-0. Logan Couture scored twice as the Sharks picked up their fifth consecutive victory.

Dallas Stars netminders Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin combined for a 24-save 2-0 shutout over the Calgary Flames. Bishop briefly left the game in the second period following a collision with Flames forward Garnet Hathaway but returned for the third period. Flames winger James Neal missed the game with an upper-body injury.

Jaden Schwartz scored and set up another as the St. Louis Blues tallied three unanswered third-period goals to down the Edmonton Oilers 4-1. Oilers captain Connor McDavid had his points streak end at nine games. Oilers forward Jujhar Khaira received a match penalty for hitting Blues defenseman Vince Dunn in the head midway through the third period.

New York Islanders goalie Thomas Greiss kicked out 36 shots in a 3-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes. Isles winger Joshua Ho-Sang netted his first goal of the season.

The Los Angeles Kings snapped a four-game losing skid by beating the Winnipeg Jets 4-1, ending the latter’s five-game win streak. Austin Wagner scored twice for the Kings.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators owner Eugene Melnyk has been hit with a $1 billion countersuit from business partner John Ruddy regarding a failed bid to construct a new downtown arena. Melnyk has already filed a $700 million suit against Ruddy.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As Melnyk fiddles, the Senators burn. Attendance is reportedly down by 1,000 fans compared to this time a year ago, averaging 14, 335 fans through 18 home games this season.