NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 31, 2023

by | Aug 31, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 31, 2023

The 2023-24 US national TV broadcast schedule is released, the Maple Leafs extend coach Sheldon Keefe’s contract, an update on Capitals winger Max Pacioretty, Carl Hagelin retires and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The US national television for 2023-24 was released yesterday. It begins with an Oct. 10 tripleheader on ESPN featuring the Chicago Blackhawks and 2023 first-overall pick Connor Bedard facing off against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights will host the Seattle Kraken while the Nashville Predators visit the Tampa Bay Lightning.

TNT has a doubleheader on Oct 11 with Bedard and the Blackhawks journeying to Boston to face the Bruins while the Los Angeles Kings and Pierre-Luc Dubois host the Colorado Avalanche.

Other games on note on the schedule see the Golden Knights visiting the Seattle Kraken for the 2024 Winter Classic on New Year’s Day at T-Mobile Stadium, the 2024 All-Star Game in Toronto on Feb. 3 and the two-day Stadium Series at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. In that series, the New Jersey Devils take on the Philadelphia Flyers on Feb. 17 followed by the New York Rangers and New York Islanders on Feb. 18.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow the link above for a complete listing of notable games and the full TV broadcast schedule.

TSN: The Toronto Maple Leafs extended the contract of head coach Sheldon Keefe by two years to 2025. Since taking over the role in November 2019, he has a regular-season record of 166 wins, 71 losses and 30 overtime losses. They’ve qualified for the playoffs in each season but have won just one series, defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the 2023 playoffs in six games.

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is a big vote of confidence in Keefe by Brad Treliving, who replaced Kyle Dubas as general manager on May 31. He said that Keefe was “really transparent and honest and accountable for what’s going on here,” praising his coach’s self-critique.

Keefe’s postseason woes are in part due to the way the Leafs were constructed under Treliving’s predecessor. Nevertheless, he’s faced criticism by some fans and pundits for being out-coached at times during previous postseason series. His extended contract won’t provide much protection from his detractors if the Leafs come up short in the playoffs again.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Max Pacioretty officially joined the Washington Capitals on Wednesday as he watched from the stands at the club’s practice facility while his children got in some practice. The 34-year-old winger signed a one-year contract with the Capitals in July.

Pacioretty is still rehabbing from surgery to repair a torn Achilles last season. He expects to be ready to play with the Capitals soon after the regular season begins in October. Pacioretty also said he knows why he suffered the same injury twice in one year but he’s not yet comfortable sharing the details.

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Capitals, winger Carl Hagelin has announced his retirement citing an eye injury suffered during practice in March 2022 that sidelined him for the entire 2022-23 season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hagelin spent 11 seasons in the NHL with the New York Rangers, Anaheim Ducks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings and the Capitals. He won two Stanley Cups with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017. In 713 regular-season games, Hagelin scored 110 goals and 186 assists for 296 points. He also tallied 22 goals and 28 assists for 50 points in 141 playoff contests.

CBS SPORTS: NHL defenseman Jason Demers recently informed San Jose Hockey Now’s Sheng Peng that he is unlikely to continue his playing career as he pursues a media role with the San Jose Sharks. The 35-year-old defenseman has played 700 regular-season NHL games with the Sharks, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, Arizona Coyotes and Edmonton Oilers.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins signed winger Austin Wagner to a professional tryout offer (PTO) yesterday.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Speaking of PTO contracts, the Hurricanes are bringing in forward Nick Shore, who last played in the NHL in 2019-20 with the Winnipeg Jets.

THE SCORE: The WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes have hired former Calgary Flames coach Bill Peters as their new bench boss. Peters re-signed as Flames head coach in November 2019 after it was revealed he used racial slurs toward former NHL player Akim Aliu during their time with the AHL’s Rockford Icehogs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Peters apologized to Aliu during his press conference announcing his hiring with the Hurricanes. The club indicated that he had undergone anti-racism counseling and a coaching certification program. However, Aliu said that Peters has never spoken to him personally, adding that his former coach recently tried to get a third coach involved to speak with Aliu on his behalf to facilitate a conversation.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 16, 2021

by | Jun 16, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 16, 2021

The Lightning tie their semifinal series with the Islanders, Oskar Lindblom win the Masterton Trophy, plus the latest on Jeff Petry, Taylor Hall and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: Nikita Kucherov collected three assists as the Tampa Bay Lightning doubled up the New York Islanders 4-2 to tie their semifinal series at a game apiece. Brayden Point tallied his playoff-leading 10th goal and Victor Hedman had a goal and an assist.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (NHL Images).

Mathew Barzal and Brock Nelson replied for the Islanders. Semyon Varlamov was briefly replaced by Ilya Sorokin in the Isles net after being shaken up in a collision with Point but returned to finish the final two periods.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a rough game culminating in a scrum at the end of the third period that saw Anthony Cirelli head directly to the Lightning bench following an altercation with Isles forward Travis Zajac. Bolts coach Jon Cooper said Cirelli should be okay.

The officiating was terrible in this contest. The Isles scored a power-play goal in the first period after Brayden Point was tagged for goaltender interference after being pushed into Varlamov by Isles blueliner Adam Pelech. The Lightning scored their second goal with seven men on the ice that somehow went unnoticed by the officials.

Philadelphia Flyers forward Oskar Lindblom is this year’s winner of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for perseverance. He overcame a rare form of bone cancer last year to play 50 games this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to Lindblom, who was declared cancer-free during a scan in March. Here’s hoping he has a long, productive and happy life on and off the ice.

TSN: Montreal Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry will be a game-day decision for Game 2 tonight against the Vegas Golden Knights. Petry is recovering from a hand injury suffered in the previous series against the Winnipeg Jets. Center Jake Evans (concussion) and defenseman Jon Merrill (undisclosed) are also game-day decisions for the Habs.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: The province of Quebec will allow up to 3,500 fans at the Bell Centre for the Canadiens upcoming home games against the Golden Knights. The same ruling also applied to venues hosting shows and other sporting events as pandemic restrictions continue to ease in the province.

THE SCORE: Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney indicated there is mutual interest with Taylor Hall regarding a new contract. The 29-year-old winger is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 28.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hall proved to be a good fit with the Bruins following his acquisition from the Buffalo Sabres at the trade deadline. It’s believed the winger is interested in term over dollars.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars defenseman Joel Hanley underwent core-muscle surgery on Tuesday. He’s expected to be fully recovered in time for the 2021-22 season.

TSN: Forward Linus Wallmark has signed with the KHL’s CSKA Moscow. Wallmark split this season between the Chicago Blackhawks and Florida Panthers.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: The Anaheim Ducks added former Calgary Flames bench boss Geoff Ward to their coaching staff.

CBS SPORTS: Drew Shore announced his retirement yesterday. The center played 98 NHL games with the Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks and Carolina Hurricanes from 2012-13 to 2020-21.

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

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets arena is changing its name from Bell MTS Place to the Canada Life Centre.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 11, 2021

by | Jun 11, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 11, 2021

The Golden Knights advance to the semifinals, the Hart Trophy finalists are revealed, the Blue Jackets hire a new head coach and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: The Vegas Golden Knights are heading to the semifinals of the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs after eliminating the Colorado Avalanche with a 6-3 victory in Game 6 of their second-round series. Alex Pietrangelo snapped a 3-3 tie late in the second period with what proved to be the winning goal, with William Carrier and Max Pacioretty putting the game away in the third period. Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar missed practice due to an irregularity in his COVID-19 test result but was cleared to be behind the bench for Game 6.

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex PIetrangelo (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights’ depth made the difference as they overcame a 2-0 series deficit with four straight victories. They were built for the heavy going of playoff action and it showed as this series progressed. The speedy Avs were outstanding during the regular season and made short work of the struggling St. Louis Blues but they couldn’t match the Golden Knights’ grinding physical style.

The Stanley Cup Semifinals schedule indicates the Golden Knights will face the Montreal Canadiens beginning Monday, June 14 in Las Vegas. The Tampa Bay Lightning will square off against the New York Islanders on Sunday, June 13 in Tampa Bay.

Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, and Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid are this year’s finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy.

THE ATHLETIC: Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Dougie Hamilton had some choice words for the Tampa Bay Lightning in his end-of-season press conference on Thursday. “We lost to a team that was $18 million over the cap or whatever they are,” he said. Hamilton’s Hurricanes were eliminated by the Lightning from the second round in five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hamilton wasn’t far off in that assessment as Cap Friendly shows the Lightning used $17.3 million in long-term injury reserve this season, in part because top-line right winger Nikita Kucherov ($9.5 million) missed the entire regular season recovering from hip surgery. That gave Bolts management sufficient cap relief to maintain their roster, including the addition of defenseman David Savard at the trade deadline.

Critics accused the Lightning of gaming the system but what they did is allowable under the collective bargaining agreement. As long as a team can prove to the league that a player cannot play during the regular season for medical reasons, they’re allowed to keep them on LTIR until the playoffs, when the cap no longer applies. That rule is applicable for all NHL teams.

TSN: The Columbus Blue Jackets announced Brad Larsen has been named their new head coach. He spent the past seven years with the club as an assistant coach.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Interesting move by the Jackets in promoting from within rather than looking outside their organization for a new bench boss. His familiarity with the players and the team could make for a smooth transition as the Jackets prepare for what could be a roster rebuild after several notable players departed via trades and free agency in recent years.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames hired Kirk Muller as an associate coach. Muller held the same title with the Montreal Canadiens until relieved of his duties in February.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Casey DeSmith underwent core-muscle surgery on Thursday. His recovery time is expected to be six to eight weeks

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks winger Jake Virtanen has denied allegations he sexually assaulted a woman in 2017.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers signed forward Devin Shore to a two-year contract extension on Wednesday worth $1.7 million. The annual average value is $850K. On Thursday, forward Gaetan Haas signed a five-year deal with EHC Biel in Switzerland. He spent the past two seasons with the Oilers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 30, 2020

by | Dec 30, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 30, 2020

​Jonathan Toews sidelined by a mysterious illness, P.K. Subban and Lindsey Vonn end their relationship, Nico Hischier sidelined, Jack Roslovic asks for a trade, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Jonathan Toews has been sidelined by a mysterious illness that’s left him “drained and lethargic,” according to a statement released yesterday by the Blackhawks captain. There’s no timetable for his return.

Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews sidelined indefinitely (NHL Images).

Toews indicated he’ll be working with doctors to better understand his condition. He said he won’t join his teammates until his health and fitness levels return to where he feels he can play at an elite level.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Here’s hoping Toews can make a complete recovery and return to action soon.

This is terrible news for a Blackhawks club already reeling from the recent loss of promising center Kirby Dach (fractured wrist) and Alex Nylander (knee surgery) for the next four-to-six months.

Toews’ absence is a major setback for the Blackhawks entering this season. Instead of challenging for a playoff berth, they could become a lottery team in the 2021 draft. I’ll have more about the Blackhawks in the rumors section.

ESPN.COM: One of pro sports’ notable power couples is no more. New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban and former Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn ended their relationship after three years together.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Subban won’t be looking back on 2020 with any fondness. In addition to splitting up with Vonn, his declining performance dropped him out of the ranks of the NHL’s all-star players.

SPORTSNET: Speaking of the Devils, center Nico Hischier will miss the upcoming start of training camp with an injured leg. Fortunately, the issue isn’t expected to be long term.

TSN: Jack Roslovic has asked the Winnipeg Jets for a trade. The restricted free agent forward is reportedly home in Columbus and won’t be joining his teammates in training camp when it opens on Sunday. If he returns to the Jets, he’ll have to undergo a seven-day quarantine and have four negative COVID-19 tests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Roslovic frequently surfaced in trade speculation during this offseason. I’ll have more about his status in the Rumors sections.

LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS: The Kings officially announced they’ve signed forward Andreas Athanasiou to a one-year, $1.2 million contract.

The Buffalo Sabres are bringing veteran center Riley Sheahan to training camp on a PTO.

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers signed forward Devin Shore and defenseman Ryan Stanton to professional tryout offers.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers signed goaltender Scott Darling to a professional tryout offer (PTO).

TSN: Speaking of the Panthers, they’ve informed their season-ticket holders that they are allowing 25 percent capacity at the BB&T Center when the season begins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Insert tired joke about the Panthers’ usually woeful attendance here.

THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators are working on a plan to allow a limited number of fans at Bridgestone Arena after receiving approval from Nashville’s Board of Health.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 22, 2020

by | Oct 22, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 22, 2020

An update on the Blackhawks, the latest notable contract signings, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Ben Pope reports Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman spoke with his veteran core of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook to ease their concerns about the club’s rebuild.

Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman (NHL.com).

Bowman said the direction won’t be that much different from the past two years, where they’re investing in younger players such as Alex DeBrincat, Kirby Dach and Adam Boqvist to a larger degree than in the past. He also took the blame for the club’s lack of transparency over their intentions following the departures of Corey Crawford and Brandon Saad.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those departures reportedly upset the veteran core, forcing Bowman to speak to them directly in a group call to clear the air and clarify the club’s position. Promoting younger talent instead of making quick-fix moves will take time but the Blackhawks have little choice. Salary-cap constraints mean they can’t spend their way out of their current situation.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers signed Kris Russell to a one-year contract extension worth $1.25 million. The 33-year-old defenseman is entering the final season of his current deal worth an annual average value of $4 million but with an actual salary of $2.5 million. Signing Russell will also fulfill the requirement for the Oilers to leave at least one defenseman unprotected in next summer’s NHL expansion draft.

NBC SPORTS WASHINGTON: The Capitals re-signed defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler to a one-year, $800K contract.

NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes signed center Drew Shore to a one-year, two-way contract.

Former NHL forward Gary Roberts has been hired as the Seattle Kraken’s sports science and performance consultant.

TORONTO SUN: Former Leafs captain Wendel Clark’s luxury Toronto condo is on the market for $6.8 million.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Quebec MNA and former NHL enforcer Enrico Ciccone has tabled a bill in the Quebec National Assembly that would prohibit fighting in sports for athletes under the age of 18.

“Of course some people will say “look at this guy, he’s a hypocrite. He made a bunch of money and now he wants to change things.’ Of course, I do. And I’m probably the best guy to do it,” said Ciccone. “I want to make sure, here in Quebec, we protect our kids.”

SI.COM/THE HOCKEY NEWS: Matt Larkin examines how NHL players’ training was affected before, during and after participating in the 2020 playoffs under quarantine conditions.










Ottawa Senators Player Was First NHL Victim of 1918-19 Pandemic

by | Mar 30, 2020

Ottawa Senators Player Was First NHL Victim of 1918-19 Pandemic