NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 13, 2021

by | Jul 13, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 13, 2021

Highlights from the recent general managers meeting, the Stanley Cup gets damaged during the Lightning’s boat parade, the latest on a possible buyout for Tony DeAngelo and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: Tom Gulitti reports league commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly briefed the general managers yesterday on the guidelines for 2021-22 and other issues. Among the highlights:

The league is hoping for an 82-game regular-season schedule in 2021-22 beginning in October and ending in April with fully vaccinated players returning to pre-COVID conditions. It’s also hoped the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs will begin next April and conclude in June.

The league is working on two schedule formats, one of them including possible Olympic participation in 2022, pending the result of ongoing discussions between the NHLPA and the International Olympic Committee.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports resolution on Olympic participation next season must be reached by July 23.

Teams will return to the previous divisional format with each club playing all the others at least twice.

The Arizona Coyotes will move to the Central Division to make room in the Pacific Division for the expansion Seattle Kraken.

The general managers focussed on the officiating standard for the cross-checking penalty. It’s expected to continue during a meeting of the league’s competition committee today. So far, no rule change is planned.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Here’s hoping things can return to normal for next season.

ESPN.COM: The Stanley Cup is heading to Montreal for repairs after the bowl was dented during the Tampa Bay Lightning’s boat parade yesterday celebrating their second straight championship.

New York Rangers defenseman Tony DeAngelo (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some folks on social media are chastising the Lightning for damaging the Cup. However, this sort of thing isn’t new. The Cup has a long history of getting banged up during exuberant celebrations by previous winners. The damage could have been accidental.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers aren’t expected to buy out exiled defenseman Tony DeAngelo until after the July 21 expansion draft.

Speaking of the Rangers, they’ve promoted Gord Murphy as an assistant coach and added Mike Kelly as an assistant. Murphy and Gallant have worked with new Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant in the past.

SPORTSNET: The police investigation into the death of Matiss Kivlenieks death has been submitted to a county prosecutor for review. The 24-year-old Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender died of chest trauma from an errant fireworks blast on July 4. The incident is still being treated as an accident and the police have not requested charges be laid.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: An attorney representing a former Blackhawks player who alleges he was sexually assaulted by the club’s former video coach in 2010 is open to the possibility of participating in the club’s review of the accusations. However, it would have to be under the right conditions. They want to know more about the parameters of the investigation and want the opportunity to conduct their own interview of key former and current team executives.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs hired former Carolina Hurricanes assistant coach Dean Chynoweth as an assistant coach.

TRIBLIVE.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins hired four new scouts and a coach for their minor league affiliate. Brett Hextall, son of Penguins GM Ron Hextall, will work as an integrated development coach. He’ll work with prospects at the AHL level.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames hired Mitch Love as head coach of their AHL affiliate in Stockton. Love spent the past three seasons as the bench boss of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Former Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov’s KHL coaching career has been put on hold after he didn’t submit to doping tests. Markov failed to notify the Russian Anti-Doping Agency of his retirement as a player, meaning he’s still considered an active player. He’d joined HC Vityaz as an assistant coach. Because he didn’t get tested, however, he’s been suspended for a year and a half. “I didn’t know, nobody told me,” said Markov.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 1, 2020

by | Sep 1, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 1, 2020

​The Lightning eliminate the Bruins, the Avalanche stay alive against the Stars, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: For the fourth time in six years, the Tampa Bay Lightning are going to the Eastern Conference Final. Victor Hedman scored in double overtime as the Lightning edged the Boston Bruins 3-2 to win their second-round series four games to one.

Tampa Bay LIghtning defenseman Victor Hedman (NHL Images)

Hedman had a goal and an assist while teammates Brayden Point and Kevin Shattenkirk each had two assists. Ondrej Palat and Anthony Cirelli scored in regulation for the Bolts, who played without winger Nikita Kucherov as he left the game before the third period after being high-sticked by Zdeno Chara in the first period. David Pastrnak and David Krejci scored for the Bruins.

 

 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning did a good job keeping Boston’s top line under wraps as this series went on. The Bruins’ lack of secondary scoring and the absence of starting goalie Tuukka Rask were contributing factors to their early demise.

After reaching the Stanley Cup Final last season and winning the Presidents’ Trophy this season, questions are being asked if the Bruins’ championship window is closing. Asked about his future plans, the 43-year-old Chara said he hadn’t reached a decision, intending to be open-minded.

No word yet as to how long Kucherov might be sidelined. Bolts blueliner Ryan McDonagh returned to the lineup since being sidelined in the first game of this series.

The Colorado Avalanche avoided elimination by riding a five-goal first period to a 6-3 victory over the Dallas Stars in Game 5 of their second-round series. Avs third-string goalie Michael Hutchinson made 31 saves in his first-ever playoff start while the Stars’ Ben Bishop was pulled after giving up four goals on 19 shots. Nathan MacKinnon scored a goal and collected an assist, giving him a playoff-leading 23 points. Andre Burakovsky scored twice and added an assist. The Stars still lead the series 3 games to 2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bishop was shaky in his first start since Aug. 13 but he had little help from his teammates. The Stars were flat-footed and unprepared in the first period, outshot 23-5 in the first period.

SPORTSNET: The New York Rangers hired Jacques Martin as their new assistant coach.

THE ATHLETIC (subscription required): Jeremy Rutherford cites sources claiming St. Louis Blues assistant general manager Bill Armstrong is believed to be a finalist for the vacant Florida Panthers GM position.

TSN: Thirteen NHL clubs will carry salary cap overages into next season. The Stars lead the list with over $2.9 million, followed by the Bruins ($1.928 million), Vancouver Canucks ($1.7 million), Carolina Hurricanes ($1.367 million), and Buffalo Sabres ($1.275 million). Because of the unusual circumstances emerging from this season, those teams have the option of dividing that amount equally over the next two seasons.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Edmonton Oilers re-signed forward Patrick Russell to a one-year, $700K contract extension.

TVA SPORTS: Montreal Canadiens owner Geoff Molson said the club intends to honor defenseman Andrei Markov, who spent his entire 16-season NHL career with the Habs.    

 

 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 17, 2020

by | Apr 17, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 17, 2020

Potential revenue streams for playing in empty arenas, plus the latest on Alex Ovechkin, Wayne Gretzky, Connor Hellebuyck and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the NHL could make between $400 million and $500 million USD through various media deals and sponsorships if the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs were staged in empty arenas.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: And that, folks, is why the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association are examining every option to safely resume this season during the summer. Last month, the league reportedly informed the PA of potential losses up to $1.1 billion if the entire season was scrapped. If it’s at all possible to cut those losses in half, they’ll look into it.

ESPN.COM: Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said the three Avs players who tested positive for COVID-19 are feeling better. The trio adhered to the guidelines and self-isolated.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (Photo via NHL Images).

SPORTSNET: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin will face off against Wayne Gretzky in an NHL 20 game broadcast live on the Capitals’ Twitch channel on April 22, with the proceeds going toward COVID-19 relief benefits.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Speaking of virtual hockey, Golden Knights winger Alex Tuch is among several NHL players to team up with professional esports gamers to hold a 14-day live streaming virtual hockey marathon called Hockey2Help to benefit the coronavirus relief efforts. Chicago’s Alex DeBrincat, Toronto’s Mitch Marner, Columbus’ Zach Werenski and the New York Rangers’ Mika Zibanejad are among the participants.

WINNIPEG SUN: Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is considered the front-runner to win the 2020 Vezina Trophy, but he’d rather have a chance to win the Stanley Cup. “It would be a great milestone and it would definitely be one of my goals achieved but at the end of the day, what I truthfully want is the Stanley Cup and a chance to win it,” he said.

STLTODAY.COM: The Blues re-signed defenseman Marco Scandella to a four-year, $13.1-million contract extension. Scandella, 30, appeared in just 11 games with the Blues after being acquired in February from the Montreal Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Despite Scandella’s small body of work with the Blues, general manager Doug Armstrong was impressed enough to pay the veteran blueliner $3.275 million annually over the next four seasons. The 30-year-old rearguard took a pay cut from his current $4 million AAV but he obviously felt it was worthwhile sticking with the defending Stanley Cup champion. Given the uncertainty over the effect of the pandemic upon league revenue and this summer’s free-agent market, it was probably a wise decision.

The problem, however, is the Blues now have over $78.5 million invested in 19 players for 2020-21, with captain Alex Pietrangelo slated to become an unrestricted free agent in the off-season. Either Armstrong intends to let Pietrangelo depart, or he’ll have to make a cost-cutting trade and/or buyout to free up sufficient cap payroll to keep his captain in the fold.

TVA SPORTS: Former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov has announced his retirement as a professional player. He spent his entire 16-year NHL career with the Canadiens, tallying 119 goals and 453 assists for 572 points, as well as 32 points in 89 playoff contests. He spent the past three seasons in the KHL. Markov sits sixth among the Canadiens’ all-time leaders in games played. He’s also tied with Guy Lapointe for second in all-time points among Habs defensemen and sits second among their blueliners in all-time assists.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Markov in his future endeavors.