NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 9, 2020

by | Nov 9, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 9, 2020

The latest on Alex Ovechkin, last season’s non-playoff clubs still waiting to find out when they’ll start training camps, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NBC SPORTS: Adam Gretz examined what Alex Ovechkin’s next contract with the Washington Capitals could look like. The 35-year-old winger is entering the final season of his 13-year, $124 million deal. He’s indicated he wants to finish his NHL career with the Capitals and they want to keep him. Gretz speculates a five-year, $50 million contract should be doable even under a flattened cap for the foreseeable future as it won’t dramatically alter the club’s salary-cap structure.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I can see Ovechkin signing for around the same annual average value ($9.538 million) as his current deal on a three-year deal if he’s keen to return to the KHL’s Dynamo Moscow to finish his playing career. I’ll be shocked if he and the Capitals failed to reach an agreement on an extension.

MLIVE.COM: The seven clubs that failed to make the playoffs last season, such as the Detroit Red Wings, could start training camp sooner than the other teams. However, it remains to be seen when that will take place. Many of the Wings have been working out and skating together, but they could go more than 10 months between games if the 2020-21 season begins in January.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wings and the rest of last season’s non-playoff teams (Anaheim, Buffalo, Los Angeles, New Jersey, Ottawa and San Jose) could be facing a long wait before they play their first meaningful games again. The NHL-NHLPA return-to-play committee has yet to meet, and there’s speculation the league’s tentative Jan.1 start date could be pushed into February or March.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly acknowledged those non-playoff clubs will get a longer training camp period. The dates, however, won’t be announced until the league finally reveals the start date for the season.

THE SCORE: Seven Quebec Major Junior Hockey League teams located in COVID-19 red zones in Quebec will be playing games in Quebec City from Nov. 17 – 27. Each team will play six games there. The QMJHL is the only CHL branch to begin its 2020-21 season. The Western Hockey League (WHL) is set to begin on Jan. 8 while the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) has targeted Feb. 4 for its return.

NHL.COM: Former Toronto Maple Leaf and colorful hockey analyst Howie Meeker passed away on Sunday at age 97. Meeker spent his entire eight-year NHL career (1946-47 to 1953-54) with the Leafs, winning the Calder Memorial Trophy and four Stanley Cups. He was also the Leafs head coach for one season (1956-57) and briefly served as general manager.

Meeker went on to a 30-year career as a hockey analyst with CBC and TSN. He was honored by the Hockey Hall of Fame with the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award in 1998 and inducted into the Order of Canada and the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Meeker was a Second World War veteran who overcame injuries from a grenade to reach the NHL. He was also a Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament for two years while playing with the Leafs. Meeker ran the popular series “Howie Meeker’s Hockey School” on CBC during the 1970s and wrote two books, including his autobiography in 1997. My condolences to his family, friends and former teammates.

NHL.COM: The NHL mourned the passing of Jeopardy host Alex Trebek, who died yesterday of pancreatic cancer. League commissioner Gary Bettman, Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk, Senators’ first-round pick Tim Stuetzle, New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban and the Montreal Canadiens organization were among those expressing condolences yesterday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Trebek frequently appeared in NHL functions such as the league’s award show. His last appearance for the league came during the 2020 NHL Draft last month when he announced the Senators’ selection of Stuetzle with their first-round pick. My condolences to his family, friends and many fans.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 1, 2020

by | Oct 1, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 1, 2020

Ratings were down for the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Lightning celebrated their championship in Tampa Bay plus the latest on Corey Crawford, Oscar Klefbom, Jesse Puljujarvi and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

OTTAWA SUN: Michael Traikos reports ratings were down in Canada and the United States for the 2020 Stanley Cup Final.

Rogers Sportsnet report 1.081 million Canadian tuned in for Game 1 between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars, dropping to just 841K for Game 2. Traikos cites sources indicated Sportsnet drew 1.3 million viewers for Game 6 and never came close to eclipsing an average of 2 million viewers in the entire playoffs. The most-watched series was the qualifying round between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets, averaging 1.8 million viewers.

The timing of the playoffs (summer), an absence of fans in the arenas, the elimination of Canadian teams and of big-market clubs, the absence of well-known players such as Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, and competition from the NBA’s Toronto Raptors and Toronto Blue Jays (whose ratings rose compared to last year) account for the low ratings.

The ratings in the United States weren’t any better. Only eight percent of the Tampa Bay market followed the first three games of the Stanley Cup Final with the Stars as their opponent compared to 15 percent in 2015 when they played the Chicago Blackhawks.

Overall ratings for this year’s Stanley Cup Final dropped 61 percent compared to last year’s Final between the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues. Competition from the NBA, MLB and NFL, as well as the absence of big market clubs and household name players contributed to the overall US ratings decline. It was the least-watched Final since the Anaheim Ducks-Ottawa Senators Final in 2007 and only the second time in 13 years viewership dropped below 3 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Given those factors, it’s not surprising the ratings were down. There just wasn’t that much buzz for a Stanley Cup Final between two Sun Belt teams. The ratings in Canada would’ve been much higher had a Canadian team reached the Final, and higher in the States had one of the big-market clubs got that far.

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford (NHL Images).

  TAMPA BAY TIMES: Speaking of the Lightning, they celebrated their championship with their fans with a flotilla parade up the Hillborough River through downtown Tampa and concluding with a celebration at Raymond James Stadium.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Ben Pope reports Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman remains optimistic about re-signing Corey Crawford. The 35-year-old goaltender is due to become an unrestricted free agent on Oct. 9. All accounts suggest the two sides remain significantly divided on salary. The Blackhawks prefer something between $3.5 million to $4 million, while the Crawford camp prefers something between $4.5 million to $5.5 million. He made an annual cap hit of $6 million on his previous deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s speculation the Blackhawks could be forced to make a cost-cutting move or two to re-sign Crawford. Maybe the two sides can come down to $4.25 million. Failing that, Bowman will have to go shopping for a goaltender via trade or free agency.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers defenseman Oscar Klefbom is reportedly considering surgery to address nagging injuries that could sideline him for months.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That might explain recent rumors linking the Oilers to Arizona Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, though that would be a very expensive long-term move to address Klefbom’s absence. The Journal’s Jim Matheson suggests Oilers GM Ken Holland could be in the market for a one-year replacement for a cap hit comparable to Klefbom’s $4.167 million.

Speaking of the Oilers, TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports of possible progress in contract talks with winger Jesse Puljujarvi. He speculates it could be a one-year deal within a $1.25 million to $1.5 million range.

RDS.CA: Former NHL player Simon Gagne will appear in a Quebec City courthouse today facing impaired driving charges.

SI.COM/THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League has agreed to stiffer penalties for fighting in exchange for $20 million in pandemic relief from the Quebec government.

Players who fight will receive a 10-minute misconduct along with a five-minute major, while the instigator will also be slapped with an additional two-minute penalty. Players who accumulate three fights will receive a one-game suspension, with an additional game for each fight thereafter.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 18, 2020

by | Mar 18, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 18, 2020

A Senators player tests positive for COVID-19, NHL players propose a summer postseason schedule, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

SENATORS PLAYER TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19, SEVERAL TEAMMATES BEING TESTED

NHL.COM: The Ottawa Senators released a statement indicating one of their players tested positive for COVID-19. The unnamed player has mild symptoms and is in isolation. The club also indicated they’re in the process of notifying anyone who had known close contact with the player and is working closely with team doctors and public health officials.

THE ATHLETIC: Other Senators players are believed to be ill and they’re awaiting test results. It’s thought the infection occurred when the Senators played the Los Angeles Kings on March 11 at Staples Center, the day after the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets (who have four players who tested positive for COVID-19) played the Lakers at the same arena. The Sens also played games against the Ducks in Anaheim and the Sharks in San Jose and could’ve picked up the virus in one of those locations.

An Ottawa Senators player has tested positive for COVID-19.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was inevitable an NHL player would test positive for COVID-19. Here’s hoping whoever it makes a full recovery, while the others receive negative results from their tests.

NHL.COM: A relative of a Buffalo Sabres employee tested positive for COVID-19 outside of New York state. They are receiving care and are in isolation outside the state.

MORE PROPOSALS FOR SAVING THE 2019-20 NHL SEASON

TSN: Frank Seravalli reports some NHL players have proposed resuming the season in July and August after recent reports from health experts suggest resuming the season in May or June seem overly optimistic. They’d rather not jump straight into the postseason, preferring a shortened regular-season schedule (following a brief training camp) that ends in late-July, followed by a two-month playoff run finishing in late-September.

After that, the proposal suggested a three-to-four week transition in October to allow for the draft, free agency and training camps. The 2020-21 season would follow with a condensed, 82-game regular-season schedule. The proposal is making its way to the NHL Players Association and potentially to the league,

The NHL is willing to consider all options to salvage this season. Seravalli pointed out the players’ proposal is similar to one recently pitched by a league governor. The biggest concerns, however, is broadcast availability (NBC Sports is covering the 2020 Summer Olympics from July 24 to Aug. 6) and arena availability.

SPORTSNET: Chris Johnston examined how a 24-team Stanley Cup playoffs could look following a halted season. Based on the seedings, the first-round matchups would look like this:

Pittsburgh vs. Montreal

Toronto vs. N.Y. Rangers

Carolina vs. Florida

N.Y. Islanders vs. Columbus

Dallas vs. Chicago

Vancouver vs. Arizona

Nashville vs. Minnesota

Calgary vs. Winnipeg

OTTAWA CITIZEN: Michael Traikos examined the NHL’s options when the season resumes. Among them could be a wild card play-in, or a round-robin, or a shortened playoff featuring the top-eight teams, a rematch of last year’s Stanley Cup Final, or an inverted playoff pyramid with the first round a best-of-seven series, the second round a best-of-five, the Conference Finals a best-of-three, followed by a single-game winner-take-all Stanley Cup Final.

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly reiterated the league’s intent to finish the 2019-20 regular season and the playoffs, but it won’t happen until approval is received from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Other factors must also be taken into consideration, such as broadcasting and arena availability. Daly also said every scenario is being considered.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The players and the league appears to be on the same page with saving this season. One reason is the desire to crown a Stanley Cup champion, but trying to salvage as much remaining revenue as possible is another motivating factor. Another issue will also be ice conditions in each arena during the summer. At this point, I think the league will face canceling the season outright if they can’t at least resume action by mid-May.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: With quarterback Tom Brady’s long tenure with the NFL’s New England Patriots having ended, Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron becomes the longest-tenured active pro athlete in Boston.

KHL.RU: The Kontinental Hockey League has suspended its playoffs until April 10 in hopes of slowing the spread of COVID-19.

THE SCORE: The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) has canceled its regular season, with the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and Western Hockey League (WHL) are expected to follow suit.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens prospect Cole Caufield will spend another season in the NCAA.