NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 17, 2023

by | Sep 17, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 17, 2023

The Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard and the Blue Jackets’Adam Fantilli shine in their rookie tournament performances, Panthers goalie Spencer Knight talks about enrolling in the player assistance program last season, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

DAILY FACEOFF: Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard and Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli made impressive debuts with their clubs during the NHL rookie tournaments.

Chicago Blackhawks prospect Connor Bedard (NHL.com).

The first-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, Bedard scored a hat trick in a 5-0 win over the Minnesota Wild at the Tom Kurvers Prospects Showcase on Saturday. Fantilli, chosen third overall in the draft, also netted a hat trick and collected two assists as the Blue Jackets rookies overcame a 4-1 deficit to down the Detroit Red Wings 10-7.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A splendid effort by Bedard and Fantilli suiting up for the first time with their respective NHL clubs. However, they’ll soon face stiffer competition in preseason play later this month.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Florida Panthers goaltender Spencer Knight talked to Ken Campbell about why he enrolled in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program in February. An ongoing case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) made it impossible for him to continue playing.

Knight revealed that his condition began during his freshman year at Boston College in 2019 with excessive hand washing. However, it worsened after giving up three goals in a December game against the Winnipeg Jets. He was plagued by thoughts of contracting diseases, reaching the point where he had trouble sleeping and couldn’t function.

The 22-year-old goaltender has been working directly with an OCD expert and talking to others who are dealing with the condition on a daily basis. As Knight rejoins his teammates for training camp, he’s focused on regaining his form and getting his NHL career back on track.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rumors were rampant that Knight was dealing with a drug or alcohol problem when he went into the player assistance program. This goes to show that we shouldn’t make assumptions about the reasons behind a player seeking help from the league and the PA.

It’s good to see that this program helps those with mental health issues get the treatment and support that they need. Best wishes to Knight as he goes forward with his life and his playing career.

THE ATHLETIC: Tony DeAngelo shouldered the blame for his disappointing one-season tenure with the Philadelphia Flyers. The 27-year-old defenseman acknowledged the club started last season behind the eight-ball losing Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson sidelined by injuries. However, he said that his inconsistent performance was his own fault.

“So that was on me, that wasn’t on them,” said DeAngelo. “But it was something I’ll never trade in.” He felt that playing for the Flyers was a childhood dream come true. “It’s something I can’t say I regret.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers acquired DeAngelo from the Carolina Hurricanes last summer. After efforts to trade him back to Carolina fell through, they bought out the final season of his contract. The Hurricanes subsequently signed him to a one-year, $1.675 million contract.

MAYOR’S MANOR: Promising defenseman Brandt Clarke will not be traveling with the Los Angeles Kings to Australia as the club begins training camp and plays a series of preseason games with the Arizona Coyotes.

Clarke, 20, suffered an injury that isn’t considered serious. However, he requires seven-to-10 days without on-ice contact. It was determined it would be best if he remained in Los Angeles and received treatment.

THE ATHLETIC’s Michael Russo cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reporting that the Minnesota Wild could be working on something for free-agent center Jujhar Khaira. Russo speculates it could be a professional tryout offer or a contract.

ROTO BALLER: Josh Leivo has signed with KHL club Salavat Yulaev Ufa. The 30-year-old winger played 51 games last season with the St. Louis Blues. He’s totaled 265 games over 10 NHL seasons since 2013-14 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes and the Blues, scoring a total of 42 goals and 93 points.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins confirmed and revealed their Centennial jerseys for this season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 24, 2021

by | Apr 24, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 24, 2021

​Recaps of Friday’s action, Dylan Larkin and Jakob Silfverberg are done for the season, P.K. Subban confirms COVID-19 diagnosis, Joe Thornton fined, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Calgary Flames kept their fading playoff hopes alive by doubling up the Montreal Canadiens 4-2. Sean Monahan scored the winning goal and collected two assists as the Flames (43 points) sit six points behind the fourth-place Canadiens in the Scotia North Division. Flames winger Josh Leivo missed the game after landing on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list while Canadiens forward Jonathan Drouin was sidelined by an illness unrelated to COVID-19.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It remains to be seen if Leivo has the coronavirus or if this was a false positive. The rest of the Flames and their staff tested negative. They must sweep the next two games against Montreal to have a realistic chance of staying in the postseason chase.

Buffalo Sabres winger Sam Reinhart (NHL Images).

Sam Reinhart tallied a hat trick and goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 36 saves in his NHL debut as the Buffalo Sabres upset the Boston Bruins 6-4. Boston captain Patrice Bergeron missed the game with a suspected lower-body injury. The Bruins hold fourth place in the MassMutual East Division with 60 points.

The New York Rangers gained some ground on Boston with a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Pavel Buchnevich and Alexis Lafreniere each had a goal and an assist to give the Rangers 54 points, putting them six back of the Bruins.

A two-goal performance by rookie Kirill Kaprizov carried the Minnesota Wild to a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Cam Talbot kicked out 40 shots for the win as the Wild (63 points) move within three points of the second-place Colorado Avalanche in the Honda West Division. The Kings (40 points) remain five points behind the fourth-place Arizona Coyotes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kaprizov leads all NHL rookies with 21 goals and 40 points. He’s played a key role in the Wild’s solid performance and is the favorite to win the Calder Memorial Trophy this season.

Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros made 29 saves backstopping his club over the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1. The Predators sit in fourth place in the Discover Central Division with 54 points, sitting four up on the Dallas Stars and five ahead of the Blackhawks.

HEADLINES

THE DETROIT NEWS: Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin will miss the remainder of the regular season with an upper-body injury. He’s currently their leading scorer with 23 points in 44 games.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: Anaheim Ducks winger Jakob Silfverberg underwent season-ending hip surgery and is expected to be sidelined for four-to-six months. He could miss the start of training camp in September.

TSN: New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban took to social media Friday to confirm he’s dealing with COVID-19. He said the coronavirus “hit me pretty hard” but expects to be “back in the mix soon.” He thanked his supporters for their well-wishes, telling them to take care of themselves.

THE WASHINGTON POST: Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. He could miss today’s game against the New York Islanders.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars head coach Rick Bowness is hopeful Tyler Seguin will make a return to play next week after being sidelined since the fall by hip surgery. However, he maintained he won’t rush the center’s decision to return.

SPORTSNET: Toronto Maple Leafs forward Joe Thornton was fined $3,017.24 by the NHL department of player safety for interfering with Winnipeg Jets forward Mathieu Perreault on Thursday.

TSN: Leafs defenseman Zach Bogosian is out for four weeks with an injured shoulder.

YAHOO! SPORTS: WWE executive Nick Khan said it’s his company’s belief that the partnership between NBC and the NHL could end following this season. The remarks came in response to a question over whether the shuttering of NBCSN might create scheduling conflicts between WWE and the NHL on USA Network.

The NHL’s contract with NBC expires at the end of this season. ESPN has a new deal in place with the league for most of its US broadcast coverage. There’s speculation Disney, ESPN’s parent company, is in the process of working out a deal for the entire NHL slate.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There was talk of the NHL making a deal with NBC or another media company like Fox Sports or Turner Sports to split its coverage with ESPN. That could no longer be the case if Khan’s remarks are anything to go by.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 25, 2020

by | Oct 25, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 25, 2020

More details on what next season might look like, update salary-arbitration schedule, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks provides more tidbitS on what next season might look like following the NHL’s meeting with general managers on Friday.

When will the NHL return with full arenas? (NHL.com)

The objective remains to start on Jan. 1 and playing a full 82-game schedule with full arenas but the league knows that’s unlikely. It will continue monitoring the course of COVID-19, travel restrictions between Canada and the United States, and regulations regarding large indoor gatherings to determine which teams could allow fans in arenas and how many.

A shorter schedule and playing in several hub cities require authorization from the league and the NHL Players’ Association. Players and staff wouldn’t be segregated from the general public but could be expected to follow protocols similar to those of Major League Baseball during their 2020 season.

Groups of teams could shuttle into designated hub cities for two-three weeks, then return to their home cities for a week of practice before heading to the next hub. There could be a geographical realignment of divisions, including an all-Canadian division.

Training camps would be 14 days and limited to 35 players. The seven clubs that didn’t qualify for the 2020 return-to-play would have an additional seven-to-10 days. Each team would play three to four exhibition games.

Brooks also reported team facilities are currently allowed to be open under Phase 2 restrictions for up to 12 players on the ice at the same time. Players would be tested twice weekly and are asked not to skate in other arenas once they’re “in-market”. Most players have yet to be “in-market” because they’re training at home awaiting definitive word on the training camp schedule.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nothing has been decided yet for training camp or next season’s schedule. That’s to be determined by a return-to-play committee involving the league and the PA which is expected to begin meeting soon. Brooks’ report, and those from TSN, Sportsnet and The Athletic since Friday give us at least some idea of what’s under consideration.

NHLPA: Twelve of the 26 players who filed for salary arbitration have avoided hearings by reaching agreement on new contracts with their respective teams. Those still scheduled for hearings include Detroit’s Tyler Bertuzzi (today), Buffalo’s Linus Ullmark, Sam Reinhart and Victor Olofsson, Colorado’s Devon Toews, the New York Rangers’ Ryan Strome and the New York Islanders’ Ryan Pulock. The final date of hearings is Nov. 8.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman yesterday reported Ullmark seeks $4.1 million while the Sabres countered with $1.8 million. Big gap to close there.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames signed free-agent winger Josh Leivo to a one-year, $875K contract. He joins former Vancouver Canucks teammates Jacob Markstrom, Chris Tanev and Louis Domingue who signed with the Flames this month.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ladies and gentlemen, your Calgary Canucks, er, Flames!










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 9, 2020

by | Jun 9, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 9, 2020

​Several teams begin Phase 2 training, current and former players of color form Hockey Diversity Alliance, and much more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL BEGINS PHASE TWO TRAINING PERIOD

NHL.COM: Several NHL clubs began limited voluntary small-group workouts on Monday at their team facilities as part of Phase 2 of the league’s return-to-play plan. The Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Vegas Golden Knights opened their facilities yesterday.

A handful of Oilers take part in small-group training on Monday (Photo via Edmonton Oilers).

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning are expected to have players on the ice today, while the Arizona Coyotes will open their training facilities on Thursday.

TSN: 16 teams are hoping to open their facilities this week for small-group training. The Montreal Canadiens are expected to open their doors on Thursday. The Vancouver Canucks, however, have no plans to reopen their facility for the foreseeable future. With only three Canucks in Vancouver with their own access to ice, it’s easier for them to continue working out on their own.

THE DENVER POST: The Avalanche won’t open their facilities until Wednesday or Thursday.

WINNIPEG FREE PRESS: Bell MTS Place will remain closed for the time being as almost all of the Jets are currently at their off-season homes throughout North America and Europe.

SPORTSNET: The Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets are among the clubs expected to open later this week. The Carolina Hurricanes, Minnesota Wild, and St. Louis Blues are among those that will wait.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Because the small-group training is voluntary, the teams aren’t obligated to reopen their training facilities unless requested by the players. With many players at their off-season homes and the ongoing travel restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic, their preference is to continue working out at their current locations.

SEVEN CURRENT AND FORMER NHL PLAYERS FORM HOCKEY DIVERSITY ALLIANCE

THE SCORE: Seven current and former black NHL players formed the Hockey Diversity Alliance. San Jose Sharks winger Evander Kane and former player Akim Aliu will co-head the group. The executive committee includes Detroit Red Wings defenseman Trevor Daley, Minnesota Wild blueliner Matt Dumba, Buffalo Sabres winger Wayne Simmonds, former NHLer and current AHL player Chris Stewart, and former player Joel Ward.

The alliance will be an independent group seeking to eliminate racism and intolerance in hockey. It hopes to work closely with the NHL to bring about change.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TSN: NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said dialogue continues with the league and the Canadian government regarding the latter’s border quarantine issue. Daly said Edmonton, Toronto, and Vancouver remain among the league’s 10 options for two host cities for this summer’s 24-team return-to-play tournament.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Over the weekend, the Toronto Sun’s Steve Simmons reported it appeared those three cities were out as potential hubs. He claimed Las Vegas is almost certainly to be named as one of the host cities, with Los Angeles or Chicago as the other. 

Pierre LeBrun reports the league and the NHL Players’ Association are hoping to open training camps in mid-July as part of Phase 3.

Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby and his wife Brandi have launched an auction to benefit Black Lives Matter DC and The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.

THE SCORE: Buffalo Sabres’ goaltender Carter Hutton revealed an ongoing vision issue plagued him during 2019-20. However, he doesn’t blame it for his poor performance at times.

TSN: Vancouver Canucks winger Micheal Ferland (concussion) has been cleared to resume skating. Teammate Josh Leivo (fractured knee cap) is unlikely to be ready in time for training camp in July.

ARIZONA SPORTS: The Coyotes named Xavier A. Gutierrez as their new team president, CEO and alternate governor. He’s the first Latino president and CEO in NHL history.

AZCENTRAL.COM: Kent Somers reports Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo hinted he could have a new arena deal in place by the end of this year. Somers, however, remains skeptical.

If Meruelo has received a couple of “extremely attractive” offers from the East Valley, why hasn’t he taken them? What’s he waiting for? And what city or tribe is in position to make such an offer? Much less in the most difficult year (we hope) that most of us will experience?

NORTHJERSEY.COM: Josh Harris and David Blitzer, owners of the New Jersey Devils and the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, may be interested in purchasing MLB’s New York Mets.