​The league is exploring selling ads on players’ helmets, the Red Wings trade Dmytro Timashov to the Islanders, a Wayne Gretzky rookie card made history and an update on Guy Lapointe’s health in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman recently reported the NHL is looking into selling ads on players’ helmets. The idea was brought up during Wednesday’s Board of Governors’ meeting.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Traditionalists will howl in protest but ads on jerseys and helmets was an inevitability. COVID-19 just hastened the process. The NHL is a business and always on the lookout for revenue opportunities. The hit to hockey-related revenue brought about by the pandemic necessitates exploring this option.

Detroit Red Wings trade Dmytro Timashov to the New York Islanders (NHL Images)

NHL fans have long accepted ads on rink boards and on the ice. As long as it doesn’t turn the players into gaudy skating billboards like some European leagues it shouldn’t be an issue.

MLIVE.COM/NEWSDAY: The Detroit Red Wings yesterday traded winger Dmytro Timashov to the New York Islanders for future considerations. Timashov, 24, is a restricted free agent who played five games with the Wings last season after they claimed him off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the first trade of an NHL player since Oct. 12, when the Vegas Golden Knights shipped defenseman Nate Schmidt to the Vancouver Canucks. 

Keep an eye on the Wings in the coming weeks once the start date for this season is officially announced. MLive.com’s Ansar Khan suggests this move leaves the Wings with sufficient salary-cap space to take on an expensive expiring contract from a cap-strapped club if that team includes a high draft pick. GM Steve Yzerman has indicated he could acquire another player before the season begins.

It’s an interesting move by the Islanders, who are pressed for cap space with Mathew Barzal to re-sign. Newsday’s Andrew Gross points out Isles GM Lou Lamoriello knows Timashov from their days with the Leafs. Perhaps Lamoriello will sign the winger to a cost-effective contract that can be buried in the minors if necessary without denting the Isles’ limited cap space for the upcoming season.

THE SCORE: A 1979 mint O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky rookie card set a record by becoming the first hockey card to surpass $1 million in an auction. The card was sold on Thursday for $1.29 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As the report indicates, The Great One is still setting records over 20 years after his retirement.

NHL.COM: Hall-of-Fame defenseman Guy Lapointe has been declared cancer-free following aggressive treatment for oral cancer earlier this year. Lapointe spent 13 of his 16 NHL seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, winning six Stanley Cups.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to “Pointu” in his ongoing recovery.