NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 3, 2024

by | Oct 3, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 3, 2024

Recapping Wednesday’s preseason action, injury updates, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S NHL PRESEASON GAMES

NHL.COM: Four first-period goals powered the Nashville Predators to a 6-4 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center in Raleigh. Jonathan Marchessault tallied twice for the Predators while rookie forward Felix Unger Sorum had a goal and two assists for the Hurricanes.

Nashville Predators winger Jonathan Marchessault (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes raised nearly $300K from ticket revenue, donations, and a silent auction from the sellout crowd which will be used for Hurricane Helene relief efforts.

The Florida Panthers nipped the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on an overtime goal by Sandis Vilmanis. Spencer Knight made 26 saves for the Panthers. Nikita Kucherov scored for the Lightning.

Winnipeg Jets winger Nino Niederreiter scored two goals and Gabriel Vilardi collected three assists in a 5-2 win over the Calgary Flames. Niederreiter snapped a 2-2 tie with 6:38 remaining in the third period. Dustin Wolf stopped 22 shots for the Flames.

The Seattle Kraken thumped the Edmonton Oilers 6-2. Shane Wright scored twice and Philipp Grubauer made 28 saves for the Kraken. Leon Draisaitl scored and picked up an assist and Darnell Nurse logged 22:17 of ice time in his preseason debut. Nurse has been dealing with an undisclosed injury since the Stanley Cup Final in June.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken winger Jared McCann was a late scratch with a lower-body injury. Head coach Dan Bylsma listed him as day-to-day.

Anaheim Ducks forward Leo Carlsson had a goal and two assists in a 5-2 victory over the Utah Hockey Club. Lukas Dostal kicked out 35 shots for the Ducks. Utah goalie Karel Vejmelka stopped 32 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah defenseman John Marino will miss the club’s season opener with an upper-body injury. He’s missed all of training camp and preseason dealing with this ailment.

HEADLINES

OTTAWA SUN: Senators forwards Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle and defenseman Thomas Chabot are all okay after leaving Tuesday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens with injuries. Meanwhile, Carter Yakemchuk is making the case to start this season with the Senators. The 19-year-old defenseman is their leading scorer in this preseason with five points, including two goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators can keep Yakemchuk in their lineup for up to 10 regular-season games without using up the first year of his entry-level contract. He was chosen seventh overall in this year’s NHL draft.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks and their fans are breathing a sigh of relief after Macklin Celebrini was listed as day-to-day after crashing hard into the boards during Tuesday’s game against Utah. The 18-year-old center was chosen first overall in this year’s draft.

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE/CBS SPORTS: Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Winger Blake Lizotte is out indefinitely with a concussion after being struck by a puck during last Sunday’s preseason game against Ottawa.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: St. Louis Blues defenseman Justin Faulk looks forward to a healthy season after nursing ankle and shoulder injuries that limited him to 60 games in 2023-24.

SPORTSNET/THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks forward Pius Suter is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. They also lost goaltender Jiri Patera off waivers yesterday to the Boston Bruins.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Washington Capitals could keep promising prospect Andrew Cristall on their roster for the opening games of this season. The 19-year-old had a strong training camp and performed well in preseason action.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings released forward Alex Chiasson from his professional tryout offer.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury didn’t play in his club’s preseason home game on Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks. Nevertheless, he still found a way to get on the ice, pranking his teammates by disguising himself as an ice crew member and chirping the Wild bench during a TV timeout.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Admit it, folks, we’ll miss Fleury when he retires at the end of this season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 2, 2024

by | Oct 2, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 2, 2024

Recapping Tuesday’s preseason action, the Canadiens get some good news on Patrik Laine’s condition. notable news from the latest Board of Governors meeting, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S NHL PRESEASON GAMES

NHL.COM: The San Jose Sharks lost to the Utah Hockey Club 3-1 and lost promising center Macklin Celebrini to a lower-body injury. Celebrini, 18, crashed hard into the end boards during the second period. He played one more shift before leaving the game. Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky had no update on the youngster’s condition following the game.

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (NHL Images)

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin left in the first period with a lower-body injury during his club’s 5-4 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Kevin Labanc had two goals and an assist for the Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said Panarin was still be evaluated following the game. It’s the second time in this preseason that a lower-body injury has sidelined the high-scoring winger.

Ottawa Senators forwards Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk suffered injuries during their 5-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens. During the second period, Stutzle was on the receiving end of a late blindside hit by Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj. Tkachuk was hurt during the subsequent tussle with Xhekaj, who received a match penalty for the second straight preseason game. Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot left in the third period for precautionary reasons.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stutzle, Tkachuk, and Chabot will all be re-evaluated on Wednesday. The injury news overshadowed the return of defenseman Artem Zub and oft-injured forward Josh Norris to the Senators’ lineup for this game.

Xhekaj was fined for his actions against Toronto Maple Leafs forward Cedric Pare following his knee-on-knee hit on Canadiens winger Patrik Laine. He could be suspended for his dangerous hit on Stutzle.

Speaking of the Canadiens, they got some good news on Laine as what appeared to be a season-ending knee injury was a sprain that will sidelined him for two-to-three months. Considering the circumstances, Laine was lucky to avoid a more serious injury.

Canadiens prospect defenseman David Reinbacher also suffered a knee injury during that Leafs game. He didn’t get off as lucky, facing a five-to-six-month recovery following knee surgery.

The Boston Bruins got a tie-breaking goal from Tyler Johnson in the third period to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1. Bruins captain Brad Marchand played over four minutes in his preseason debut before leaving the game with an illness.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and three assists as his club rolled to a 7-2 drubbing of the Chicago Blackhawks. Jared Spurgeon tallied twice and Mats Zuccarello collected three assists for the Wild. Connor Bedard scored the Blackhawks’ second goal.

Detroit Red Wings prospect Nate Danielson tallied the go-ahead goal late in the third period to lift his club to a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Goaltender Ville Husso kicked out 43 shots for the Red Wings.

The Columbus Blue Jackets got two assists from Adam Fantilli to down the St. Louis Blues 3-1. Blues goalie Joel Hofer stopped 32 shots.

Zach Aston-Reese scored twice for the Vegas Golden Knights as they thumped the Colorado Avalanche 6-1.

HEADLINES

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun provided highlights from the latest NHL Board of Governors meeting.

League commissioner Gary Bettman said he’d be happy if negotiations for an extension to the collective bargaining agreement were completed by the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. However, he said there’s been no discussion with the NHLPA regarding a timetable for those talks.

LeBrun indicated that Bettman recently said CBA talks could start as early as November, though he noted both sides still had homework to do. The commissioner also believes the relationship with the PA is “in a good place.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The current CBA expires in September 2026. There’s plenty of time to negotiate an extension and little apparent rancor between the two sides. Fingers crossed it stays that way once they start getting down to serious discussions.

Bettman also made an early projection on next season’s salary cap, suggesting it could come in at $92.5 million. This season’s cap is $88 million.

The commissioner also said the topic of expansion never came up during this meeting, saying it is not a front-burner issue.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: LeBrun believes expansion is eventually coming down the road “to Atlanta and maybe Houston.” He also didn’t rule out a return to Arizona. “But not quite yet.”

SPORTSNET: The NHL and NHLPA have agreed that the Columbus Blue Jackets will not need to reach this season’s $65 million salary cap minimum by the roster deadline of Oct. 7. This exemption comes with the expectation that the Blue Jackets will rise about the cap floor “in a reasonable time.”

The death of winger Johnny Gaudreau removed his $9.75 million annual average value through 2028-29 from their payroll. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline reports the Jackets are expected to be under the cap minimum by $1.4 million when the season begins.

RG.ORG: Jimmy Murphy reports Anaheim Ducks head coach Greg Cronin expects more of a competitive effort from Trevor Zegras this season. The 23-year-old forward struggled through an injury-shortened 2023-24 campaign. Cronin acknowledged Zegras’ offensive skills but wants to see a better effort from him battling for pucks along the boards and in front of the net.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zegras’ willingness to “get his nose dirty” was questioned before last season. His performance this season could determine whether he still fits within the Ducks’ long-range plans.

CBS SPORTS: Speaking of the Ducks, winger Troy Terry missed practice yesterday with a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day.

THE SCORE: Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella didn’t mince words when asked about the state of his goaltending. “It scares the crap out of me,” said the outspoken Flyers bench boss.

Tortorella praised Samuel Ersson but pointed out that this is his first full season as their starter. Backup Ivan Fedotov is also beginning his first full NHL season. There’s also uncertainty as to where Aleksei Kolosov fits into the equation.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 22, 2024

by | Sep 22, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 22, 2024

The preseason begins, Jonathan Marchessault’s junior team retires his number, Robin Lehner explains his absence from Golden Knights’ training camp, the Canucks sign Kevin Lankinen, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

PRESEASON SCORES

NHL.COM: Preseason play began with three games on Sept. 21.

Buffalo Sabres center JJ Peterka (NHL Images).

The Buffalo Sabres thumped the Pittsburgh Penguins 7-3. JJ Peterka led the Sabres with a hat trick while Jesse Puljujarvi tallied all three goals for the Penguins.

Minnesota Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt kicked out 35 shots in a 5-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Kaapo Kahkonen stopped 23 shots for the Jets.

The Dallas Stars nipped the St. Louis Blues 2-1. Casey DeSmith stopped all 14 shots he faced through two periods while Kyle Capobianco and Colin Blackwell scored for the Stars. Kasperi Kapanen replied for the Blues as Jordan Binnington saved all 10 shots he faced in the first period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Preseason play runs through Oct. 5. Ten games are on tap for Sunday including the Ottawa Senators meeting the Toronto Maple Leafs, the New York Rangers facing off against the Boston Bruins, and split-squad games between the Nashville Predators and the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.

RDS.CA: The QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts retired Jonathan Marchessault’s No. 18 jersey at the Videotron Centre. The Nashville Predators winger played for the Remparts from 2007-08 to 2010-11.

It was an emotional ceremony for Marchessault. During his remarks, he revealed that his mother had recently passed away.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Marchessault for his loss.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner released a statement explaining why he didn’t report for his training camp medical. He’s been sidelined since April 2022 after undergoing shoulder in May 2022 and hip surgery in August and has been on long-term injury reserve ever since.

“All I can say at this time is everyone knows why I couldn’t be there. I was waiting calmly for things to be sorted out.”

All players, including those on LTIR, are supposed to undergo a physical before the start of each season. The Golden Knights are in contact with the league and the NHL Players’ Association about the matter.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lehner has a year remaining on his contract with an annual cap hit of $5 million. However, it could be terminated if the league and PA agree that he violated the terms of the CBA.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks signed goaltender Kevin Lankinen to a one-year, $875K contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks had been in talks with Lankinen for several weeks as starter Thatcher Demko continues to rehab a nagging lower-body injury. He’s taking a significant pay cut to join the Canucks after earning $2 million with the Nashville Predators last season.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators center Josh Norris and goaltender Linus Ullmark didn’t participate in the club’s intra-squad game on Saturday. Head coach Travis Green said they’re keeping Norris out of scrimmages over the last two days for precautionary reasons while Ullmark was having a maintenance day.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Norris’ three shoulder surgeries have Senators fans understandably on edge whenever he’s absent from practice.

MAYOR’S MANOR: Los Angeles Kings forward Arthur Kaliyev is expected to miss an extended period after suffering an injury during a scrimmage on Friday.

THE TENNESSEAN: Nashville Predators defenseman Spencer Stastney will be absent from training camp for personal reasons.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers promoted Warren Rychel to pro scouting director and added former Oilers winger Zack Kassian to their pro scouting staff.

THE ATHLETIC: A recent poll of NHL players revealed 62.5 percent don’t want the league to address the advantage teams have in “no-tax” states.

Two players said there are various reasons why their peers might choose to play with a specific team. One player noted there was a time when players wanted to go to cities like Chicago and Pittsburgh with higher taxes. Another observed that teams in higher tax states like Chicago, Pittsburgh and Detroit were destination cities when they were winning Stanley Cups.

Meanwhile, 71.8 percent of the players believe the league should address LTIR and tweak the rule, perhaps by implementing a playoff salary cap.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly seemed unenthused about the league implementing a cap on teams in no-tax states when the subject was raised to him earlier this month. However, he also admitted that most general managers prefer some sort of adjustment to the LTIR rule.

Based on these results, The Athletic’s Michael Russo predicted the LTIR rule will be adjusted in the next round of collective bargaining.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 21, 2024

by | Sep 21, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 21, 2024

Jake Guentzel’s role with the Lightning, new contracts for Utah’s Dylan Guenther and the Devils’ Dawson Mercer, injury updates, and more today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE SCORE: Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper shuts down the notion that offseason acquisition is replacing former Lightning captain Steven Stamkos.

“Nobody is replacing Stammer,” said Cooper. “He has created a legacy here, and I think that is unfair to say. Jake is coming in here to create his own legacy.”

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Jake Guentzel (NHL Images).

Stamkos signed a four-year contract with the Nashville Predators on July 1. A day earlier, the Lightning acquired Guentzel’s rights from the Carolina Hurricanes and signed him to a seven-year deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cooper is trying to take pressure off Guentzel and quell any unrealistic expectations among some Lightning followers. Nevertheless, there’s no question he was brought in to fill the offensive void on left wing created by Stamkos’ departure.

The Lightning coach is right that Guentzel isn’t replacing Stamkos’ role as captain and long-time franchise star. He’s there to fill the role of trigger man on their top forward line, especially on the power play.

NHL.COM: The Utah Hockey Club signed winger Dylan Guenther to an eight-year contract extension. Financial terms weren’t disclosed.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Puckpedia indicates the average annual value is $7.142 million with a modified no-trade clause starting on July 1, 2030. The 21-year-old Guenther earned this deal by scoring 18 goals and 17 assists for 35 points in 45 games last season, spending time on Utah’s top power-play unit.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils signed forward Dawson Mercer to a three-year contract with a $4 million AAV. The 22-year-old reached the 20-goal plateau last season for the second straight year. He reached 42 points as a rookie in 2021-22 and netted a career-best 27 goals and 56 points as a sophomore.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mercer’s production dropped last season to 33 points but that was because the versatile forward was used in several different roles as injuries depleted the Devils. He remains an invaluable member of their roster.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Seattle Kraken winger Andre Burakovsky looks forward to reuniting with Chandler Stephenson, who joined the Kraken this summer as a free agent. The two were teammates with the Washington Capitals for five seasons, winning the Stanley Cup in 2018.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Burakovsky has been hampered by injuries that limited him to 49 games in each of the last two seasons. A healthier season for him will be crucial to the Kraken’s hope of rebounding from last season’s disappointing performance.

SPORTSNET: Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe confirmed he’s in contract extension talks with management. He’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July.

“Yeah, we’ve talked a couple times,” said McCabe. “I love it here, and think they enjoy my game too.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McCabe, 30, is earning an AAV of $4 million on his current contract.

WINNIPEG SUN: Jets defenseman Ville Heinola is out indefinitely following an infection in his surgically repaired ankle. He missed all of last season after breaking the ankle in training camp.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Poor Heinola, if it weren’t for bad luck, he’d have no luck at all.

DAILY FACEOFF: Chicago Blackhawks rookie Artyom Levshunov is expected to be sidelined for four more weeks as he recovers from an injury to his right foot suffered in offseason training. The 18-year-old defenseman was chosen second overall by the Blackhawks in this year’s draft.

NHL.COM: The Columbus Blue Jackets named Rick Nash as director of hockey operations.

Nash, 40, is the Blue Jackets’ franchise leader in goals (289), assists (258) and points (547) and served as team captain from 2008 until traded to the New York Rangers in 2012. He returned to the club as special assistant to the general manager in 2019 and was promoted to the position of director of player development in 2021.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators reached a sale agreement in principle with the National Capital Commission to purchase 10 acres of land at LeBreton Flats, about 10 minutes west of Parliament Hill. The Senators intend to construct a new arena at that location.

It’s hoped that the sale will be completed next year. Senators president Cyril Leeder said there’s no expectation that the city will have to pay for the arena.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s no timetable yet for construction, but this is the first real positive step toward the Senators’ dream of a downtown arena.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 20, 2024

by | Sep 20, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 20, 2024

The Red Wings re-sign Moritz Seider, Thatcher Demko talks about his nagging injury, Kyle Okposo calls it a career, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings signed defenseman Moritz Seider to a seven-year contract with an average annual value of $8.55 million. Seider, 23, was a restricted free agent coming off his entry-level contract.

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The AAV was no surprise as Wings general manager Steve Yzerman didn’t want Seider or recently-signed winger Lucas Raymond to exceed captain Dylan Larkin’s team-leading $8.75 million.

This deal will likely turn into a long-term bargain for the Wings. Seider is their established top defenseman and has yet to reach the prime years of his career. Winner of the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2021-22, he had 42 points in 82 games last season. Like Raymond, he’s a foundational part of the Wings’ rebuild.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko explained Thursday that he’s been dealing with a rare lower-body muscle injury. While the 28-year-old netminder didn’t have a timetable for his return to the lineup, he said he has growing confidence in his rehab process.

Demko suffered the injury during Game 1 of the Canucks’ opening-round series against the Nashville Predators, sidelining him for the remainder of the playoffs. He also explained that he “hit a bit of a wall” with his recovery this summer but has experienced “a lot of progress” over the last couple of weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report indicates Demko’s condition is “exceptionally unique.” His medical team spent weeks scouring the world for other hockey players who’ve suffered the same injury but couldn’t find any, though they discovered five soccer players with a similar ailment.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: Former Sabres captain Kyle Okposo announced his retirement on Thursday. Okposo, 36, spent 17 seasons with the New York Islanders, Sabres, and Florida Panthers from 2006-07 to 2023-24, winning a Stanley Cup with the Panthers in June.

Okposo scored 242 goals and 372 assists for 614 points in 1,051 career regular-season games and 17 points in 41 playoff games. He battled through several concussion issues since 2017 to continue his playing career.

RG.ORG: Jimmy Murphy reports Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin understands that Kirill Kaprizov will be in line for a mega-contract when his current deal expires in 2026. Nevertheless, he expects more from his franchise player this season.

Kaprizov, 27, exceeded the 40-goal plateau for the third straight season in 2023-24 with 46 goals and 96 points in 75 games. He can ensure a substantial raise if he exceeds 100 points this season.

Guerin acknowledged the cost of re-signing star players is rising but isn’t panicking when it comes to Kaprizov, saying his club will have to be ready for it when the time comes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kaprizov is earning an AAV of $9 million on his current deal. Another big season from him could put him within the $12 million to $13 million range on his next contract.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: James Nichols reports Devils defenseman Brett Pesce remains week-to-week following offseason to repair a fractured fibula suffered during the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Devils were aware of Pesce’s situation before signing him as a free agent on July 1.

The Devils received good news about Simon Nemec. The 20-year-old blueliner suffered no lingering ill effects from a shoulder injury suffered when playing in Slovakia’s Olympic qualifier last month and was on the ice with his teammates for the opening day of training camp.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle will miss the opening week of training camp following an appendectomy on Wednesday. Guhle, 22, will be re-evaluated in seven days.

DAILY FACEOFF: San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture, defensemen Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Shakir Mukhamadullin and goaltender Yaroslav Askarov missed the opening day of training camp. Askarov, Couture and Mukhamadullin are nursing lower-body injuries while Vlasic has an upper-body injury. No details were revealed regarding the severity of their injuries.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Couture continues to deal with a nagging lower-body injury that sidelined for all but six games last season. He’s expected to be placed on injured reserve.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: The Anaheim Ducks named Radko Gudas as their ninth captain in franchise history.

SPORTSNET: The Ottawa Senators invited goaltender Dustin Tokarski to training camp on a professional tryout offer. His last appearance in the NHL was a four-game stint with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2022-23.

THE SCORE: Jaromir Jagr intends to retire from professional hockey at the end of this season. The 52-year-old forward has spent the past eight seasons with Czech club Kladno Knights. He’s also their owner and team president.

Jagr spent 24 seasons in the NHL from 1990-91 to 2017-18, sitting fourth all-time with 766 goals, fifth with 1,155 assists, and second with 1,921 points.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 5, 2024

by | Sep 5, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 5, 2024

The Blue Jackets and Flames honor the Gaudreau brothers with candlelight vigils, Torey Krug talks about his upcoming ankle surgery, the latest on the Senators, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The Blue Jackets held a candlelight vigil outside Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Wednesday to remember Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, who were killed by a drunk driver last Thursday in New Jersey.

Johnny, 31, joined the Blue Jackets as a free agent in 2022.

Over 1,000 fans gathered to pay their respects. They heard emotional words and memories from Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell, captain Boone Jenner, alternate captain Erik Gudbranson and center Cole Sillinger.

CALGARY SUN: Thousands of fans gather outside Calgary’s Saddledome on Wednesday to honor the Gaudreau brothers. Johnny began his NHL career with the Flames and spent nearly nine seasons with them. Flames GM Craig Conroy, captain Mikael Backlund, and team legend Lanny McDonald shared their memories of Gaudreau with the crowd.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The vigils cap an emotional week in both cities. Fans outside both arenas set up makeshift memorials over the past week. They will remain in place for the time being. At some point, both clubs will likely implement some form of permanent tribute to the brothers.

STLTODAY.COM: Blues defenseman Torey Krug met with the local media yesterday regarding his season-ending ankle surgery and its effect on his playing career.

St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug (NHL Images).

Krug was diagnosed earlier this summer with pre-arthritic changes in his left ankle related to an injury suffered during the 2018 playoffs. He later experienced arthritis but was able to treat the issue with non-surgical means until this year when the pain persisted.

The 33-year-old defenseman hopes the surgery will allow him to lead a normal life. However, he became emotional when discussing the possibility it could end his playing career, forcing him to pause at one point for several seconds to compose himself.

The surgery will fuse the subtalar joint that involves side-to-side movement of the foot, limiting Krug’s range of motion in that area. He could also experience pain in the nearby ankle or midfoot joints following surgery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Here’s hoping Krug makes a full recovery from this surgery.

SPORTSNET: Ottawa Senators GM Steve Staios is not pushing Linus Ullmark to sign a new contract.

The Senators acquired Ullmark from the Boston Bruins in June. Staios said the club wants the 30-year-old goaltender to settle in and get comfortable in the community before opening contract talks.

Ullmark carries a $5 million cap hit this season. The 2023 Vezina Trophy winner is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: How well Ullmark’s new team performs this season will also factor in his negotiations. Senators fans have been waiting for this rebuilding club’s emergence as a playoff contender since 2021-22.

Poor goaltending factored into their inability to achieve that goal which was why they acquired Ullmark. A strong performance by him and his new teammates could finally lead to that much-anticipated breakout performance. That could entice Ullmark to stick around beyond this season.

Staios also said oft-injured forward Josh Norris is trending toward being a full participant in training camp. The 24-year-old Norris underwent his third surgery on his left shoulder after reinjuring it in March. Staios indicated Norris is ahead of where he was in his recovery compared to this time last year.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A healthy and productive Norris will also be a key factor for the Senators this season.

OTTAWA SUN: Talks are heating up again between the Senators and the National Capital Commission regarding the potential construction of a new arena at LeBreton Flats in downtown Ottawa.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: These negotiations have been going on for several years. So far, there’s no indication a deal is coming anytime soon.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings and Lucas Raymond are no closer to agreement on a new contract. Raymond’s agent indicated the two sides have yet to reach common ground for the framework of a new deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings’ training camp opens in two weeks. Both sides will want to avoid this carrying over into training camp.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sharks top prospect Macklin Celebrini will be living with former Sharks great Joe Thornton for the coming season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Celebrini was the first-overall pick in this year’s draft. He’ll learn a lot from Thornton, who was chosen first overall by the Boston Bruins in 1997 and understands the expectations that come with that honor.

THE SCORE: Former Senator and Chicago Blackhawks forward Dominik Kubalik is returning to Swiss club HC Ambri Piotta. The 29-year-old forward spent the past five seasons with the Blackhawks and Senators, tallying 93 goals and 176 points in 357 career games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kubalik had a promising debut in 2019-20 with 30 goals and 46 points in 68 games but was never able to replicate that performance over the remainder of his NHL career.

SPORTSNET: Former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mattias Norlinder could return to Swedish club MoDo if the fans want him to. The club lacks funds to offer Norlinder a contract and has created a crowdfunding campaign to address the issue.