NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 21, 2023

by | Nov 21, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 21, 2023

Recaps of Monday’s action featured a milestone for the Canucks’ Quinn Hughes, plus the three stars of the week, a proposal for a four-nation tournament in 2025 instead of a World Cup of Hockey, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes had a goal and an assist in a 3-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Hughes became the first player to reach 30 points this season and only the third to do so in less than 20 games, joining Hall-of-Famers Bobby Orr and Al MacInnis. The Canucks improved to 13-5-1 (27 points) to sit one point behind the first-place Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference standings. Tomas Hertl replied for the Sharks as they remain at the bottom of the overall standings with a record of 3-14-1.

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks forward Nils Hoglander received a match penalty for slew-footing Sharks forward Kevin Labanc during the second period.

The Florida Panthers overcame 2-0 and 3-2 deficits to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 5-3. Kevin Stenlund scored the winning goal and collected two assists while Niko Mikkola tallied twice for the Panthers as they improved to 12-5-1 on the season. Connor McDavid scored twice for the struggling Oilers as they fell to 5-11-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers started call-up goaltender Calvin Pickard for this game but he didn’t fare any better than Stuart Skinner or the demoted Jack Campbell. To be fair, however, he was let down by the porous defense in front of him. I’ll have more regarding the Oilers’ search for a goaltending upgrade in today’s Rumors update.

An overtime goal by Bradon Hagel lifted the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 5-4 victory over the Boston Bruins. Hagel finished the night with two points as did Steven Stamkos, who netted the tying goal with five seconds left in regulation to force the extra period for the 9-6-4 Lightning. Jeremy Swayman stopped 41 shots while David Pastrnak had a goal and an assist for the Bruins (13-1-3), who remain in first place in the overall standings with 29 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game was a prime example of why the Bruins won’t split up their goalie tandem of Swayman and Linus Ullmark. They’ve helped their club pick up points despite their teammates’ sometimes shaky defensive play in recent weeks.

The Dallas Stars overcame a 2-0 deficit with six straight goals to down the New York Rangers 6-3, ending the latter’s 11-game points streak and Artemi Panarin’s 15-game points streak. Roope Hintz had a goal and two assists for the Stars (12-4-1) as they hold a three-point lead over the Colorado Avalanche atop the Central Division with 25 points. Jacob Trouba collected two assists for the 12-3-1 Rangers (25 points), who hold a four-point lead over the Philadelphia Flyers for first place in the Metropolitan Division.

Goals by Filip Forsberg and Yakov Trenin late in the third period carried the Nashville Predators to a 4-3 upset of the Colorado Avalanche. Forsberg finished the night with two goals for the 7-10-0 Predators. Cale Makar had three assists for the 11-6-0 Avalanche.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Predators center Cody Glass left this game in the third period with an apparent upper-body injury. There was no postgame update regarding his status.

Meanwhile, the Dallas Stars announced they will honor Hall-of-Famer and former captain Mike Modano with a statue outside American Airlines Center to be unveiled on March 16. He spent 16 seasons with the Stars and helped them win their only Stanley Cup in 1999.

The Los Angeles Kings extended their season-opening road win streak to eight games by dropping the Arizona Coyotes 4-1. Trevor Moore tallied twice while Pheonix Copley made 30 saves for the 11-3-3 Kings. Lawson Crouse netted his eighth of the season for the 8-8-2 Coyotes.

An overtime goal by Rasmus Andersson gave the Calgary Flames a 4-3 win over the Seattle Kraken. Andersson finished with three points while Jonathan Huberdeau had a goal and an assist for the Flames (7-8-3), who’ve won three of their last four games. Vince Dunn had a goal and an assist for the 7-8-5 Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flames captain Mikael Backlund collected an assist to reach his 500th career NHL regular-season point. Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer left this game in the first period after giving up two goals on seven shots. It’s uncertain if he was nursing an injury.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander and Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby are the three stars for the week ending Nov. 19.

ESPN.COM: The NHL and the NHL Players Association intend to stage a scaled-down international tournament in February 2025 before the Winter Olympics in 2026. It will feature just four teams representing Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States and will not be called the World Cup of Hockey.

The league has struggled with how to incorporate Russian-born players into an international tournament given the hockey world’s backlash to their country’s invasion of Ukraine. The next attempt at staging the World Cup of Hockey is expected to be in 2028.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I can understand the difficulties regarding Russian players as the league has ended all business ties with that country. They’re also banned from international competition by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). The report indicated the league looked at having Russian players take part in a World Cup tournament under a neutral name and flag but other participating countries were against it.

However, it makes no sense whatsoever for stars from other countries (such as Germany’s Leon Draisaitl, Switzerland’s Roman Josi and the Czech Republic’s David Pastrnak) not to be allowed to participate in this tournament.

In 2016, there was a “Team Europe” comprised of the best European stars who didn’t have a national team in the tournament along with “Team North America” comprised of the best under-23 North American players. Unless the players are against it, I see no reason why they shouldn’t use that format again.

Otherwise, they should just scrap this event for 2025 and focus on the Olympics the following year. That’s the only international tournament that truly matters to the players.

THE ATHLETIC: Aaron Portzline reports Columbus Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson said no rash moves are coming for his struggling club. He remains supportive of general manager Jarmo Kekalainen and head coach Pascal Vincent. Despite the club’s difficulties, he believes they must “retain their senses and not at all panic.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets are past the point of panic. They face very long odds attempting to overcome their horrific start. If things don’t improve soon there will be big changes which could start with Davidson and Kekalainen. They’ve built this club and installed the coaching staff. The buck stops with them.

CAROLINA HOCKEY NOW: The Hurricanes released goaltender Jaroslav Halak from his professional tryout offer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maybe he’ll get a call from the beleaguered Oilers. They can’t seem to find a suitable option to improve their goaltending in the trade market. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

SPORTSNET: The Montreal Canadiens placed forward Rafael Harvey-Pinard (lower body) on injured reserve.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 19, 2023

by | Nov 19, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 19, 2023

Recaps of Saturday’s 13 games include a milestone for the Avalanche’s Cale Makar and the Rangers’ Artemi Panarin extending his season-opening points streak. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Ottawa Senators nipped the Minnesota Wild 2-1 on a shootout goal by Josh Norris during the NHL’s Global Series in Stockholm, Sweden. Anton Forsberg made 24 saves in regulation and overtime for the win while Erik Brannstrom scored the game-tying goal as the Senators improved to 8-7-0. Marco Rossi scored for the Wild (5-8-3), who’ve won just twice in their last 10 games.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (NHL Images).

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar collected three assists in his club’s 6-3 win over the Dallas Stars, making him the fastest blueliner in NHL history to reach 200 career assists. Mikko Rantanen, Valeri Nichushkin and Ross Colton each had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche, who’ve won six straight as they improved their record to 11-5-0. Tyler Seguin tallied twice for the 11-4-1 Stars.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin scored twice to extend his season-opening points streak to 15 games as his club down the New Jersey Devils 5-3. Jimmy Vesey also scored two goals while Vincent Trocheck had three assists for the 12-2-1 Rangers, who sit second overall in the Eastern Conference with 25 points. Jack Hughes had a goal and an assist in his return from a five-game absence due to injury as his Devils dropped to 8-7-1.

The Boston Bruins (13-1-2) maintained their hold on first place in the overall standings (28 points) with a 5-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Trent Frederic tallied twice while David Pastrnak collected three assists to move into fourth in the NHL scoring race with 27 points.

Juraj Slafkovsky had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens (7-9-2) as they’ve dropped four straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Bruins announced that winger Milan Lucic was taking an indefinite leave of absence following his arrest early Saturday morning in Boston on an alleged incident of domestic abuse. Lucic’s wife reportedly called the police claiming that he had attacked and choked her. He also appeared to be drunk at the time of his arrest.

An overtime goal by Sean Couturier lifted the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-3 upset of the Vegas Golden Knights. Couturier and Owen Tippett each had a goal and an assist for the 9-7-1 Flyers, who’ve won four straight games. Jonathan Marchessault scored two goals and collected an assist for the 13-3-2 Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vegas center Chandler Stephenson received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for a cross-check to the chin of Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway.

The Winnipeg Jets beat the Arizona Coyotes 5-2. Mark Scheifele led the way with a goal and two assists while Kyle Connor scored his league-leading 14th goal of the season as the Jets raised their record to 10-5-2. Matias Maccelli and Matt Dumba replied for the Coyotes as they dropped to 8-7-2.

Seattle Kraken winger Jordan Eberle had a goal and two assists while Matty Beniers scored the winning goal as their club held off the Vancouver Canucks 4-3. Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller each picked up a point as the Canucks stars remain tied atop the NHL scoring race with 28 points. The Kraken improved to 7-8-4 while the Canucks (12-5-1) have lost two straight games.

The Nashville Predators snapped a four-game losing skid with a 4-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Craig Smith scored two goals while Kevin Lankinen stopped 29 shots for the 6-10-0 Predators while Chicago dropped to 5-10-0. Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (14 points) picked up an assist to hold a two-point lead over Arizona’s Logan Cooley in the rookie scoring race.

A four-goal third period carried the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Edmonton Oilers 6-4. Nikita Kucherov scored twice and added an assist while Luke Glendening netted the game-winner for the Lightning as they moved to 8-6-4 on the season. Derek Ryan scored twice and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had two assists for the Oilers (5-10-1) as their three-game win streak came to an end.

Two third-period goals by Seth Jarvis carried the Carolina Hurricanes to a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jarvis finished the night with three points while Sebastian Aho and Brent Burns each had a goal and an assist for the 10-7-0 Hurricanes. Sidney Crosby scored both goals for the Penguins as they slipped to 8-8-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins forward Jeff Carter missed this game with a lower-body injury, marking the fourth straight contest he’s been out of the lineup. His teammate Pierre-Olivier Joseph (lower body) was placed on injured reserve.

The New York Islanders ended a seven-game losing skid by nipping the Calgary Flames 5-4 on a shootout goal by Oliver Wahlstrom. Ilya Sorokin made 35 saves while Brock Nelson had a goal and an assist for the Islanders as they improved to 6-6-5. Nazem Kadri and Connor Zary each collected two assists for the 6-8-3 Flames.

Washington Capitals rookie forwards Hendrix Lapierre and Aliaksei Protas each had a goal and two assists as their club defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3. Alex Ovechkin also scored as the Capitals (9-4-2) have won four straight games. Johnny Gaudreau scored one of the Blue Jackets goals as they dropped their eighth straight and slipped to 4-10-4 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals defenseman Joel Edmundson made his season debut after being sidelined since preseason with an injured hand.

A four-goal first period carried the Los Angeles Kings to a 5-1 win over the St. Louis Blues. Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist to take over his club’s scoring lead with 18 points while Cam Talbot kicked out 29 shots for the Kings (10-3-3). Jake Neighbours replied for the Blues as they fell to 8-7-1.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 1, 2023

by | Nov 1, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 1, 2023

Recaps of Tuesday’s games, the NHL and NHLPA discuss neck guards for its players, Paul Stastny retires, the Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy is suspended, and more in today’s Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson tallied a hat trick and defenseman Quinn Hughes had three assists in a 5-2 victory over the Nashville Predators. Colton Sissons and Dante Fabbro replied for the Predators. The Canucks end the month of October with a record of 6-2-1 while the Predators slipped to 4-5-0.

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A much better start for the Canucks compared to last season (2-5-2), 2021-22 (3-5-1) and 2020-21 (4-5-0). A healthy roster, strong performances from Pettersson and Hughes and the players’ adjustment to head coach Rick Tocchet’s system are among the contributing factors. Pettersson sits second among NHL scorers with 16 points and Quinn (11 points) is tied for the scoring lead among NHL defensemen.

The Los Angeles Kings downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1. Cam Talbot made 29 saves, Phillip Danault scored what proved to be the game-winner and Quinton Byfield collected two assists for the 5-2-2 Kings. John Tavares scored and William Nylander collected an assist to extend his season-opening points streak to a team record nine games for the 5-3-1 Maple Leafs.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said the league has initiated discussions with the NHL Players Association to increase neck protections among its players. The move comes following the death of former NHL player Adam Johnson on Saturday after his neck was accidentally sliced by a skate blade during an EIHL game in England.

TSN: Chris Johnston reports there’s a huge level of concern around the NHL about this issue with teams calling league headquarters for direction. Three teams (Pittsburgh, Washington and Carolina) have started the process of optional neckguards for their players while the Penguins are making them mandatory for their AHL and ECHL affiliates.

Pierre LeBrun, meanwhile, indicated that cut-resistant gear has been a topic of discussion for the past half-dozen NHL general managers meetings dating back to Evander Kane’s wrist injury last season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL cannot implement changes to player equipment without the consent of the NHLPA. However, it sounds like the PA could be receptive to this issue. Teams are already taking action to allow their players the option of wearing cut-resistant gear. This could be something that gets put into practice more quickly than previous changes to equipment policies.

NHL.COM: Paul Stastny has retired after 17 NHL seasons. He had 293 goals and 822 career regular-season points in 1,145 games with the Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets, Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes. He also had 73 points in 118 playoff games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stastny’s best seasons were with the Avalanche, including a career-high 79 points in 2009-10. He reportedly sought the guidance of his father, Hall-of-Famer Peter Stastny, before reaching this decision. Stastny told The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun that he’s interested in returning to hockey one day in a management role.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy received a four-game suspension from the NHL department of player safety for an illegal hit to the head of Florida Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson on Monday.

The Bruins also announced that blueliner Matt Grzelcyk will miss “a couple of weeks” with an upper-body injury.

DAILY FACEOFF: Bruins center Matthew Poitras and Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Kevin Korchinski won’t be returned to their respective junior teams. Both will remain with their NHL clubs following their nine-game trials with their respective teams.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That means their entry-level contracts now go into effect and will count against their respective teams’ salary-cap payrolls for this season.

CBS SPORTS: San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture suffered a minor setback in his recovery from a lower-body injury that will keep him off the ice for a little while. Meanwhile. Sharks forward Alexander Barabanov will miss four to six weeks due to a broken finger.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The hits just keep on coming for the struggling Sharks. The absence of Couture has hurt their offense and Barabanov’s absence won’t help.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens center Kirby Dach underwent successful knee surgery in New York on Tuesday. He’s expected to make a full recovery and be ready to return to action next season.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche blueliners Cale Makar and Bowen Byram missed practice on Tuesday and are questionable for Wednesday’s game against the St. Louis Blues.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Chicago Blackhawks center Conor Bedard is off to a promising start with six points in nine games. However, Ottawa Senators center Ridly Greig was the rookie points leader for October with seven points in eight contests.

THE SCORE: Buffalo Sabres rookie Zach Benson is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Edmonton Oilers signed center Sam Gagner to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775K at the NHL level and placed forward Adam Erne on waivers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 19, 2023

by | Oct 19, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 19, 2023

Josh Norris makes an impressive season debut with the Senators, the Red Wings down the Penguins and Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar recently set a league record. Details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Ottawa Senators center Josh Norris scored twice in his season debut as his club trounced the Washington Capitals 6-1. Tim Stutzle had three assists and Drake Batherson had two helpers. John Carlsson scored Washington’s only goal while Alex Ovechkin has just one assist in his first three games and was held without a shot in consecutive games for the first time in his career.

Ottawa Senators center Josh Norris (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Norris had been sidelined since Jan. 21 by a shoulder injury. His return provides a big boost to their offense as well as bolster their depth at center. Meanwhile, Senators defenseman Artem Zub left the game in the third period after taking a puck to the side of his face. No word yet as to his condition but for now he could be considered day-to-day. Capitals forward Nic Dowd missed this game with an upper-body injury.

The Detroit Red Wings got two goals each from Alex DeBrincat and Andrew Copp in a 6-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Dylan Larkin had three assists and a fighting major as the Wings have won three straight games. Erik Karlsson had a goal and two assists for the Penguins.

IN OTHER NEWS…

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar set an NHL record for defensemen during their 4-1 win over the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday. With an assist on Logan O’Connor’s goal, he became the fastest blueliner to reach 250 career points. He did so in 241 games, beating out Hall-of-Famer Bobby Orr by six games.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets saw a significant drop in attendance in their first two home games of this season. There were roughly 2,000 empty seats for their season opener and over 4,000 for Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings.

Average attendance at the 15,325-seat Canada Life Centre dropped to 14,025 last season. Their season-ticket base of 13,000 has dropped to less than 10,000.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to see if that trend continues over the course of this season.

The growing cost of attending NHL games in the league’s smallest market at a time when inflation has driven up the cost of living is one factor. The novelty of the NHL’s return could be finally wearing off for some of their fans. The Jets decline since reaching the 2018 Western Conference Finals could also be turning off some of their followers.

TSN: Speaking of the Jets, winger Gabriel Vilardi will miss the next four to six weeks with a sprained MCL.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There was speculation that the Jets might pursue a winger such as Vancouver’s Conor Garland if Vilardi’s injury was as serious as that of Montreal’s Kirby Dach, who’s out of the season with a knee injury.

The Jets currently have around $2.4 million in cap space. They have no reason to place Vilardi on long-term injury reserve until they’re acquiring someone with a higher cap hit than his $3.43 million. They could instead opt to make do with a call-up from their farm team until he returns.

THE TENNESSEAN: Nashville Predators defenseman Luke Schenn will be sidelined for four to six weeks with a lower-body injury.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Minnesota Wild recalled forward Sammy Walker and placed defenseman Alex Goligoski (lower body) on long-term injury reserve.

CAROLINA HOCKEY NOW: The Hurricanes called up goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov. The move comes after Frederik Andersen left Tuesday’s game against San Jose after taking a puck to the mask.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 30, 2023

by | Sep 30, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 30, 2023

The Wild re-sign Mats Zuccarello and Marcus Foligno, updates on Cale Makar and Jake Guentzel, recaps of preseason play and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

HEADLINES

STARTRIBUNE.COM: The Minnesota Wild signed forwards Mats Zuccarello and Marcus Foligno to contract extensions on Friday. Zucarrello, 36, agreed to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $4.125 million while the 32-year-old Foligno inked a four-year deal with an AAV of $4 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Both players were slated to become unrestricted free agents next July. Zuccarello accepted a pay cut from his current AAV of $6 million while Foligno got a raise from his current $3.1 million AAV.

Minnesota Wild winger Mats Zuccarello (NHL Images).

The Wild didn’t overpay to keep these two in the fold. Zuccarello remains productive with 67 points last season but there is a risk that his performance will decline given his age. It can also be argued that Foligno’s play will deteriorate given his physical game. Nevertheless, Wild management evidently believes they need their leadership and experience beyond this season.

THE ATHLETIC: Joe Smith reports Wild general manager Bill Guerin indicated forward Ryan Hartman will be next to have his contract extended. The two sides are in talks and Guerin claimed things are “heading that way.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hartman, 29, is eligible for UFA status next July. His current AAV is $1.7 million.

THE DENVER POST: Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar practiced for the first time since training camp opened last week. He’s been dealing with a lower-body issue but remains confident he’ll be ready for the start of the season next month. Makar is hoping to play in one of the Avs’ three remaining preseason games.

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE: Penguins winger Jake Guentzel has returned to practice in a non-contact capacity. He is rehabbing from his Aug. 2 ankle surgery. He’s not expected to return to action until Oct. 24.

THE PROVINCE: The Columbus Blue Jackets claimed goaltender Spencer Martin off waivers from the Vancouver Canucks.

NEW YORK POST: Friday’s preseason game between the Rangers and Islanders at UBS Arena was postponed due to heavy rains causing flooding with a state of emergency declared in New York. The game will take place on Saturday at 7 pm.

RECAP OF FRIDAY’S PRESEASON ACTION

NHL.COM: Vladimir Tarasenko scored his first goal with the Ottawa Senators in a 3-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of the Senators, they named Steve Staios as their new president of hockey operations on Friday. Staios has a long history with Senators owner Michael Andlauer as he served under Andlauer as president and general manager of the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs from 2016 to 2022.

The Philadelphia Flyers got shootout goals by Bobby Brink and Morgan Frost to nip the Boston Bruins 4-3. Brink had a goal and an assist in regulation while David Pastrnak scored twice for the Bruins.

Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson left in the second period with an upper-body injury and didn’t return as his club dropped a 4-3 decision to the Los Angeles Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No word if Gibson was held out for precautionary reasons or if the injury was serious. The Ducks could release an update today.

The Toronto Maple Leafs got goals from Matthew Knies and Mikko Kokkonen as they held off the Montreal Canadiens 2-1. Josh Anderson replied for the Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs played without John Klingberg as the defenseman is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Three unanswered goals by Nicolas Hague, Brendan Bisson and William Karlsson rallied the Vegas Golden Knights to a 3-1 victory over the Arizona Coyotes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy ruled out defenseman Zach Whitecloud with an undisclosed injury. No decision has been made as to whether he’ll be in their season opener next month.

An overtime goal by Brad Malone gave the Edmonton Oilers a 2-1 win against the Calgary Flames. Jack Campbell got the win with a 34-save performance.

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Jonas Johansson kicked out 42 shots in a 4-0 shutout of the split-squad Carolina Hurricanes. Anthony Cirelli tallied twice for the Lightning.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It seems like Johansson is trying to send a message to management that he can fill the void while starter Andrei Vasilevskiy spends the next eight to ten weeks recovering from back surgery.

The Lightning also played without center Logan Brown and defenseman Roman Schmidt as both are sidelined indefinitely by injuries.

The other Hurricanes squad didn’t fare any better as they dropped a 4-2 decision to the Florida Panthers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 15, 2023

by | Aug 15, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 15, 2023

Bruins center David Krejci retires, Leafs prospect Rodion Amirov has died and Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar makes the cover of NHL 24. Details on these and other stories in today’s Morning Coffee Headlines.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: David Krejci announced his retirement after 16 NHL seasons, all of them spent with the Bruins. The 37-year-old center tallied 231 goals and 555 assists for 786 points in 1,032 regular-season games along with 43 goals and 85 assists for 120 points in 160 playoff games.

Boston Bruins center David Krejci announced his retirement (NHL Images).

Krejci helped the Bruins win the Stanley Cup in 2011 and reach the Cup Final in 2013 and 2019. Last season, he played a key role in the Bruins setting the NHL’s single-season records for wins with 65 and points with 135.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A talented and sometimes underrated two-way center, Krejci sits fifth among the Bruins’ all-time leaders for games played and assists and is ninth in total points.

Krejci’s retirement was expected, following the lead of teammate Patrice Bergeron who called it a career last month. His departure has heightened speculation over how the Bruins will address their lack of top-six forward depth that started when Bergeron retired. I’ll have more about that in today’s Rumor Mill.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs prospect Rodion Amirov passed away yesterday in Munich, Germany. He was 21.

A promising young Russian winger, Amirov was chosen 15th overall by the Leafs in the 2020 NHL Draft. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor soon afterward and was receiving treatment in Munich.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A promising life and hockey career cut short far too soon. My condolences to Amirov’s family, friends, former teammates and the Leafs organization.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: EA Sports named Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar as the cover athlete for its NHL 24 videogame. He’s the third Avalanche player to grace the cover, joining Peter Forsberg (NHL 98) and Joe Sakic (NHL 2004).

OTTAWA SUN: The sale of the Senators to billionaire Michael Andlauer is nearly completion. He could take over control of the franchise by September.

A co-owner of the Montreal Canadiens, Andlauer is expected to have sold his 10 percent share of that franchise before he officially takes over the Senators. If not, that stake will be placed in trust until he has completed its sale.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has ruled in favor of the Flyers and the NHL regarding a 2022 contract agreement with Russian goaltender Ivan Fedotov.

Fedotov signed with the Flyers last year but was conscripted into the Russian military soon afterward. The Flyers tolled his contract forward to this season but the goalie recently signed a two-year deal with CSKA Moscow following the completion of his military service.

Per the IIHF ruling, Fedotov violated its transfer regulations and faces a four-month suspension from international games. CSKA Moscow faces an immediate one-year ban on international transfers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As per the report, it’s unlikely Fedotov will be joining the Flyers for the coming season. CSKA Moscow stated on its website that it expects the 26-year-old netminder to play for them this fall.

The Fedotov situation seems fishy given his stated intention to play for the Flyers last year following the completion of his contract with CSKA Moscow. It’s suspected that the club’s ownership pulled strings with the Russian government to prevent his move to the NHL.

DAILY FACEOFF: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid topped Matt Larkin’s fantasy hockey top 300 rankings for 2023-24. McDavid’s teammate Leon Draisaitl, Avalanche forwards Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen and New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes round out his top five.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow the link to see the complete list.