NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 11, 2024

by | Mar 11, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 11, 2024

The Islanders move back into a playoff berth, the Oilers’ Connor McDavid continues to gain ground in the scoring race, and Flyers coach John Tortorella was fined and suspended. Check out the details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: For the first time since Jan. 13, the New York Islanders hold a playoff berth following a 6-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Kyle Palmieri tallied his 20th goal of the season while Bo Horvat and Brock Nelson each had a goal and an assist for the 29-20-14 Islanders, who picked up their sixth straight win and hold the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth with 72 points. Alex Killorn scored for the 23-38-3 Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That six-game streak enabled the Islanders to overtake the slumping Detroit Red Wings, who’ve dropped five straight games. Both clubs have the same points but the Isles hold that wildcard spot with one game in hand.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists as his club blanked the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-0. Calvin Pickard turned in a 41-save shutout and Darnell Nurse tallied twice for the Oilers (39-21-3) as they hold second place in the Pacific Division with 81 points. Tristan Jarry stopped 38 shots for the fading Penguins (28-27-8) as they’ve lost three games in a row and six of their last seven.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid is gaining ground in the race for the Art Ross Trophy. With 103 points, he’s just four behind Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov and eight back of the current leader, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon.

An overtime goal by Matt Boldy lifted the Minnesota Wild to a 4-3 win over the Nashville Predators. Boldy also collected two assists while Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and an assist for the 31-27-7 Wild, who sit six points out of the final Western Conference wildcard spot. Ryan O’Reilly tallied his 24th goal of the season for the 37-25-4 Predators as they hold the first wildcard berth with 78 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild head coach John Hynes made a bold move in overtime by pulling goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to create a 4-on-3 advantage, setting the stage for Boldy’s game-winner. Had the move backfired and the Predators scored into the empty net, the Wild would’ve forfeited the extra point received after regulation.

The Carolina Hurricanes gained ground on the Metropolitan Division-leading New York Rangers by crushing the Calgary Flames 7-2. Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov and Teuvo Teravainen each had a goal and two assists for the 39-19-6 Hurricanes (84 points) as they moved within two points of the Rangers. Yegor Sharangovich scored his 27th goal of the season for the 31-28-5 Flames.

Chicago Blackhawks forward Colin Blackwell tallied a hat trick in a 7-4 romp over the Arizona Coyotes. Rookie star Connor Bedard scored twice and collected an assist while Seth Jones had four assists for the 17-43-5 Blackhawks. Clayton Keller netted two goals and Nick Schmaltz had a goal and two assists for the 26-34-5 Coyotes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bedard leads all rookie scorers with 19 goals and 46 points. He’s also the Blackhawks leading scorer despite missing 14 games with a fractured jaw. With 17 games remaining in the Blackhawks’ season, he’s within range of 25 goals and 55 points.

HEADLINES

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The NHL fined Flyers head coach John Tortorella $50K and suspended him for two games for unprofessional conduct toward officials after refusing to leave the bench after being assessed a game misconduct. The incident occurred on Saturday during the first period of the Flyers’ 7-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tortorella won’t have to worry about the fine. Flyers CEO Dan Hilferty said he would cover that hit to his coach’s wallet.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche winger Logan O’Connor’s season is over. He’ll be undergoing hip surgery and won’t return regardless of how far the Avalanche advance in the playoffs.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: An update regarding the status of Red Wings forward Michael Rasmussen could be made on Monday. He left Saturday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights with an undisclosed injury.

TSN: The New York Rangers signed goaltender Louis Domingue to a one-year contract extension. Cap Friendly indicates the salary cap hit is $775K.

ARIZONA SPORTS: Coyotes forward Dylan Guenther and his roommate and teammate Jack McBain recently had their water shut off when they failed to pay their utility bill.

Guenther explained they thought the water and electric bills were a “two-in-one” when they were separate. “I think we’re kind of the laughingstock of the team as far as our living situation goes,” joked Guenther. He said they’ve paid what they owed and the water was turned back on.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 8, 2024

by | Mar 8, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 8, 2024

The Penguins trade Jake Guentzel to Carolina on the eve of the trade deadline, another scoring milestone for Connor McDavid, a hat trick for the Predators’ Filip Forsberg and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

PENGUINS TRADE GUENTZEL TO THE HURRICANES

NHL.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins traded winger Jake Guentzel and defenseman Ty Smith to the Carolina Hurricanes for winger Michael Bunting, prospects Vasili Ponomarev, Cruz Lucius and Ville Koivunen, a conditional 2024 second-round pick that becomes a first-rounder if the Hurricanes win the 2024 Stanley Cup, and a conditional 2024 fifth-round pick if the Hurricanes win the Cup. The Penguins also retained $1.5 million of Guentzel’s $6 million cap hit.

Pittsburgh Penguins trade winger Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes. (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes are bucking their recent tradition of avoiding big-ticket rental players at the trade deadline. This is a clear indication that they’re going for it this season. A lack of scoring depth has been an ongoing issue for the Hurricanes. Adding a proven scorer and playoff performer like Guentzel should boost their pursuit of the Cup this season.

Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas reportedly wanted prospects and younger players over draft picks for Guentzel. Bunting played for Dubas when the two were with the Toronto Maple Leafs and is an energetic two-way winger. Ponomarev, Koivunen and Lucius were considered mid-range prospects in The Athletic’s recent ranking of the Hurricanes’ top-15 prospects.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg tallied a hat trick in a 4-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Gustav Nyquist collected three assists as the Predators pushed their points streak to 10 games (9-0-1) as they hold the first Western Conference wildcard berth with 75 points (36-25-3). Bowen Byram had a goal and an assist in his debut with the 29-30-5 Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres played without center Tage Thompson. He’s listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid collected an assist to extend his assists and points streak to 13 games in a 4-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. He also became the third player this season to reach 100 points. Daniil Tarasov kicked out 29 shots while Dmitri Voronkov scored what proved to be the winning goal for the 22-31-10 Blue Jackets. The Oilers (38-21-2) sit second in the Pacific Division with 78 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid became the sixth player in NHL history with at least seven seasons of 100-plus points.

New Jersey Devils forward Timo Meier netted a hat trick and collected an assist to lead his club over the St. Louis Blues 4-1. The Devils (31-28-4) are six points out of the final Eastern Conference wildcard spot with 66 points. Brandon Saad scored for the slumping Blues (32-28-3) as they won just three of their last 10 games and sit six points out of the final Western wildcard berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Blues announced they signed forward Oskar Sundqvist to a two-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $1.5 million. Meanwhile, Sundqvist was also fined $2,000.00 by the NHL department of player safety for embellishment during a Feb. 28 game against the Oilers.

The Vancouver Canucks picked up their third straight win by defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 3-1. Thatcher Demko stopped 27 shots while Phillip Di Guiseppe scored the game-winner for the 41-17-7 Canucks as they sit in second place in the overall standings with 89 points. The Golden Knights (33-23-7) now hold the final Western Conference wildcard spot and are 2-8-1 in their last 10 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights recently placed defenseman Alec Martinez on injured reserve with a lower-body injury.

Philadelphia Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway snapped a 1-1 tie in a 2-1 upset of the Florida Panthers. Samuel Ersson made 29 saves for the Flyers (33-23-8) as they hold third place in the Metropolitan Division with 74 points. The 43-17-4 Panthers remain on top of the overall standings with 90 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Panthers announced they signed defenseman Gustav Forsling to an eight-year contract extension with an average annual value of $5.75 million. Forsling is often overshadowed by fellow blueliners Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour but he’s become an invaluable (and underrated) part of their defense corps.

Speaking of the Panthers, forward Nick Cousins was fined $2,000.00 by the NHL department of player safety for embellishment during a Feb. 27 game against the Buffalo Sabres.

The Boston Bruins beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1. Jeremy Swayman turned aside 28 shots, David Pastrnak netted his 39th goal of the season while Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk each collected two assists for the 37-13-15 Bruins (89 points) as they sit third in the overall standings. Mitch Marner replied for the Leafs (36-19-8) as they hold third place in the Atlantic Division with 80 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies left this game in the first period with a suspected knee injury. There was no update on his condition following the game.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen stopped 24 shots in a 4-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens. It was Andersen’s first game since being sidelined by a blood-clotting issue on Nov. 2. Brady Skjei tallied two goals for the Hurricanes (37-19-6), who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 80 points. Sam Montembeault made 35 saves for the 24-29-10 Canadiens.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin netted his 840th career NHL goal in a 6-0 thumping of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Charlie Lindgren turned in a 39-save shutout for the 29-23-9 Capitals (67 points) as they sit five points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth. The Penguins dropped to 28-25-8 and are eight points behind Tampa Bay.

Speaking of the Lightning, they dropped a 6-3 decision to the Calgary Flames. Yegor Sharangovich got a career-high four points (two goals, two assists) for the 31-26-5 Flames (67 points) as they sit six points behind the Golden Knights for the final Western wildcard spot. Nick Paul had two assists for the 33-25-6 Lightning (72 points) as they’re 1-4-1 in their last six home games.

The surging New York Islanders picked up their fifth straight win by crushing the San Jose Sharks 7-2. Bo Horvat had a goal and two assists for the 28-20-14 Islanders (70 points) as they’re just two points behind the Lightning. Mike Hoffman netted his 10th goal of the season for the 15-40-7 Sharks.

An overtime goal by Kevin Fiala gave the Los Angeles Kings a 4-3 win over the Ottawa Senators. Anze Kopitar collected two assists for the Kings (32-19-11) as they sit in third place in the Pacific Division with 75 points. Drake Batherson had a goal and an assist for the 25-32-4 Senators.

The Minnesota Wild scored four unanswered third-period goals to drop the Arizona Coyotes 5-2. Mats Zuccarello collected three assists while Kirill Kaprizov tallied his 30th goal for the 30-27-6 Wild. Clayton Keller scored his 23rd goal of the season for the 25-33-5 Coyotes.










Notable NHL Trades – March 7, 2024

by | Mar 7, 2024

Notable NHL Trades – March 7, 2024

The Pittsburgh Penguins are reportedly close to sending winger Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes. Forward Michael Bunting is believed to be part of the trade package going to Pittsburgh as he’s a healthy scratch tonight for “trade-related reasons.”  The Penguins and Hurricanes are still sorting out the details. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’m not sitting up all night waiting for this deal to be consummated. If it happens later tonight, check out the details at the NHL Trade Tracker. 

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jake Guentzel (NHL Images)

San Jose Sharks trade winger Anthony Duclair to the Tampa Bay Lightning for defenseman Jack Thompson and a 2024 third-round pick.

Toronto Maple Leafs acquired defenseman Joel Edmundson from the Washington Capitals in exchange for a 2024 third-round pick and a 2025 fifth-rounder.

Chicago Blackhawks traded winger Anthony Beauvillier to the Nashville Predators for a 2024 fifth-round pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the second time Beauvillier has been traded during this season. He was acquired by the Blackhawks from the Vancouver Canucks in November.

Colorado Avalanche acquired winger Brandon Duhaime from the Minnesota Wild for a 2026 third-round pick.

Arizona Coyotes trade defenseman Troy Stecher and a 2024 seventh-round pick to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a 2027 fourth-rounder.

Nashville Predators acquired defenseman Jeremy Hanzel and a 2025 third-round pick from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for forward Yakov Trenin and defenseman Graham Sward.










NHL Rumor Mill (Part Two) – March 7, 2024

by | Mar 7, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill (Part Two) – March 7, 2024

With the trade deadline only a day away, check out the latest on the Panthers, Senators, Oilers, Rangers, Islanders, and more in Part Two of today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: George Richards reports Panthers general manager Bill Zito might not be done dealing after acquiring Vladimir Tarasenko yesterday from the Ottawa Senators. The Panthers have around $3 million in cap space available and could look to add a defenseman. Richards suggested options such as the Arizona Coyotes’ Matt Dumba or the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Andrew Peeke.

Ottawa Senators defenseman Jakob Chychrun (NHL Images).

 OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports the Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning are believed to have “kicked tires” on Jakob Chychrun. However, that doesn’t mean the Senators are hurrying to trade him. General manager Steve Staios said they’re not actively shopping Chychrun. They want to move winger Dominik Kubulik, defenseman Erik Brannstrom and center Mark Kastelic.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Jim Matheson reports the Oilers still have about $1.88 million remaining in cap space to add a depth defenseman if the other team retains half of his contract. He suggested Washington’s Joel Edmundson as one option.

THE ATHLETIC: Arthur Staple wondered what’s next for the New York Rangers after acquiring Alex Wennberg yesterday from the Seattle Kraken. He pointed out that general manager Chris Drury still seeks a winger to slot alongside Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. Trade targets could include Anaheim’s Frank Vatrano, Pittsburgh’s Jake Guentzel and St. Louis’ Pavel Buchnevich.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The New York Post’s Larry Brooks doesn’t want to see the Rangers trade away a promising young player such as Kaapo Kakko, Will Cuylle, Gabe Perreault or Brennan Othmann. That’s what it might take, however, to land that elusive second-line right winger.

Staple also noted the New York Islanders have $3.5 million in salary-cap flexibility with Scott Mayfield on long-term injury reserve. He wondered if they might consider adding a forward such as Anaheim’s Frank Vatrano or San Jose’s Alexander Barabanov.

As for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Aaron Portzline believes it will be a quiet deadline. Pending unrestricted free-agent forward Jack Roslovic seems the most likely trade candidate. Defenseman Ivan Provorov isn’t off-limits but the Jackets aren’t shopping him. Any bold moves might have to wait until the offseason.

Michael Russo and Joe Smith report Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin is working the phones as the trade deadline approaches. Brandon Duhaime, Connor Dewar and sidelined forward Pat Maroon are garnering some attention in the trade market.

Turning to the Chicago Blackhawks, Scott Powers noted that forward Colin Blackwell could be the only player they’re likely to move on deadline day. They’re also open to the idea of being a third-party broker

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Geoff Baker looked at other pending UFAs the Kraken could move by the trade deadline after shipping Alex Wennberg to the Rangers on Wednesday. Winger Tomas Tatar and defenseman Justin Schultz might garner some interest in the trade market.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 4, 2024

by | Mar 4, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 4, 2024

Recaps of Sunday’s games, Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov is sent to their AHL affiliate, the Rangers sign Jonathan Quick to a contract extension, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid extended his points streak to 11 games in a 6-1 thrashing of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Zach Hyman tallied twice and Leon Draisaitl collected three assists for the Oilers (37-20-2) as they sit second in the Pacific Division with 76 points. Evgeni Malkin replied for the 27-24-8 Penguins (62 points). They have lost three straight games and are 10 points out of the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth.

Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hyman has 42 goals this season and is on pace to crack the vaunted 50-goal plateau for the first time in his career. He’s also tied with Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart for second place in the goal-scoring race. Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews leads the league with 53 goals.

Speaking of McDavid, he now has 97 points and sits four back of Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon in the points race. Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov is the league leader with 105 points.

As for the Penguins, they have no choice but to become sellers leading up to Friday’s trade deadline. Their hopes of a bounce-back performance after missing the playoff last season are all but dashed now.

The Vancouver Canucks moved within one point of the league-leading Florida Panthers by nipping the Anaheim Ducks 2-1. Conor Garland’s tie-breaker in the second period was the game-winner for the 39-17-7 Canucks, who sit second in the overall standings with 85 points. Alex Killorn scored and Lukas Dostal stopped 29 shots for the 22-36-3 Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks played without defenseman Tyler Myers. He’s listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Four unanswered third-period goals lifted the Winnipeg Jets to a 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Josh Morrissey, Morgan Barron, Vladislav Namestnikov and Sean Monahan were the goal scorers as the Jets improved to 39-16-5 and took over first place in the Central Division with 83 points. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 30 saves for the 29-29-4 Sabres.

Los Angeles Kings center Phillip Danault netted a hat trick as his club defeated the New Jersey Devils 5-1. Kevin Fiala had a goal and two assists while Cam Talbot turned aside 30 shots for the Kings (31-19-10) as they hold the first Western Conference wildcard spot with 72 points. Timo Meier scored for the 30-27-4 Devils (64 points), who sit eight points out of the final Eastern wildcard spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of Eastern clubs with fading playoff hopes, the Devils will need an immediate boost by Friday’s trade deadline or they can forget about qualifying for the 2024 postseason. Some observers suggest replacing Lindy Ruff as head coach but a new bench boss won’t improve their goaltending and blueline depth.

The Minnesota Wild got a hat trick from Kirill Kaprizov in a 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks. Matt Boldy collected two assists for the 29-27-6 Wild (64 points), who sit eight points out of the final Western wild-card berth. Kaapo Kahkonen stopped 28 shots for the 15-39-6 Sharks.

Arizona Coyotes forward Dylan Guenther had a goal and two assists as his club downed the Washington Capitals 5-2. Nick Schmaltz had a goal and an assist for the 25-31-5 Coyotes. Anthony Mantha tallied his 20th goal of the season for the 28-23-9 Capitals, who sit seven points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot with 65 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Capitals announced they were sending center Evgeny Kuznetsov to their AHL affiliate in Hershey after he cleared waivers yesterday. Kuznetsov was recently cleared to resume practicing with the Capitals by the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. It’s unclear if he’ll report to or play for Hershey.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers signed goaltender Jonathan Quick to a one-year, $1.275 million contract extension. Quick, 38, has rebounded from an eventful 2022-23 season to become Igor Shesterkin’s backup with a record of 13-5-2 with a 2.45 goals-against average and .916 save percentage.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery to repair a torn left labrum.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Former NHL winger Tim Ecclestone, 76, passed away on March 2. He played 11 seasons with the St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Atlanta Flames from 1967-68 to 1977-78, scoring 126 goals and 233 assists for 359 points in 692 regular-season games and 17 points in 48 playoff contests. He remained in Atlanta following his playing career and became a restaurateur.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Ecclestone’s family, friends and former teammates.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 24, 2024

by | Feb 24, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 24, 2024

Recaps of Friday’s game, concern over the declining attendance at Jets games, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Kyle Connor gave the Winnipeg Jets a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. The Jets took the lead on two goals by Nikolaj Ehlers but the Blackhawks forced the extra frame on goals by Colin Blackwell and Tyler Johnson. Josh Morrissey collected three assists while Connor Hellebucyk made 33 saves for the 35-15-5 Jets, who sit second in the Central Division with 75 points. Petr Mrazek stopped 28 shots for the 15-39-4 Blackhawks.

Winnipeg Jets winger Kyle Connor (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Winnipeg and the Colorado Avalanche have the same amount of points but the Jets have three games in hand.

The Minnesota Wild doubled up the Edmonton Oilers 4-2. Matt Boldy scored twice while Filip Gustavsson kicked out 41 shots (including 23 in the third period) as the Wild improved to 27-24-6 (60 points) to sit two points behind the St. Louis Blues for the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Oilers captain Connor McDavid picked up two assists to extend his home points streak to 21 games. With a record of 33-19-2, the Oilers sit third in the Pacific Division with 68 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild played without defenseman Zach Bogosian as he’s out for at least a week with an upper-body injury.

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Connor Clifton’s first goal of the season was the game-winner in a 2-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Zemgus Girgensons also scored while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 25 shots for the 26-27-4 Sabres. Daniil Tarasov made 35 saves while Dmitri Voronkov tallied for the 18-28-10 Blue Jackets.

HEADLINES

THE ATHLETIC: Winnipeg Jets owner Mark Chipman sounded the alarm over his club’s declining attendance, pointing out their season-ticket base is under 9,500 after being at 13,000 three years ago.

Chipman stressed the urgency of returning to 13,000. “This place we find ourselves in right now, it’s not going to work over the long haul. It just isn’t.”

The club’s average attendance this season is 13,306. That’s 87.4 percent capacity of the 15,225-season Canada Life Centre. That’s the third-lowest in the league this season, with just four sellouts thus far.

Chipman said the Jets are trying to win back its fans. He admitted that their “Forever Winnipeg” market campaign last year upset people by raising concerns over the club’s future. “Because of the history, it’s a bit of a tinderbox,” he said, referring to the relocation of the original Jets to Arizona in 1996.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The situation has become so serious that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is traveling to Winnipeg next week to stump for more corporate support for the Jets.

Chipman’s remarks have some observers concerned for the Jets’ future in Winnipeg while others remain steadfast that this city won’t lose its club a second time. Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Murat Ates believes the franchise not only needs to do a better job attracting corporate support but also that of individual fans who’ve felt the club has taken their goodwill for granted.

I raised concerns about these issues and more facing the Jets back when they relocated to Winnipeg from Atlanta in 2011. I’ve reposted that article in the Soapbox section as I believe most of the points I brought up remain valid today.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Speaking of the original Jets, the president and CEO of the Arizona Coyotes insists the team will not be sold. As the club continues to seek a new location in the Phoenix area for a new arena, Xavier Gutierrez said team owner Alex Meruelo has no plans to sell the team.

“We are committed to being here, and every action we have taken has shown that”, said Gutierrez.

ARIZONA SPORTS: While on the topic of the Coyotes, they placed forward Adam Ruzicka on unconditional waivers on Friday for the purpose of terminating his contract. This move arose after Ruzicka posted a video to Instagram showing a white substance that appeared to be cocaine on a plate beside a credit card. He also showed off a vial of the substance.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Here’s hoping Ruzicka makes use of the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program to get the help that he needs.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: On Thursday, the Blue Jackets traded Emil Bemstrom to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for minor-league forward Alex Nylander and a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Washington Capitals placed center Nic Dowd on injured reserve and called up forward Hendrix Lapierre.

Meanwhile, the New Jersey Devils placed forward Nathan Bastian on injured reserve.

CBS SPORTS: Vegas Golden Knights center Brett Howden (upper body) is also on IR.

TSN: Former NHL defenseman Jean-Guy Talbot passed away at age 91. He spent 17 seasons in the league with the Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues, Minnesota North Stars and Buffalo Sabres from 1954-55 to 1970-71.

Talbot spent 13 seasons with the Canadiens, winning seven Stanley Cups, including five in a row from 1955-56 to 1959-60. He had 43 goals and 285 points in 1,056 career regular-season games and 30 points in 150 playoff contests.

Talbot also served as a head coach with the Blues from 1972 to 1974 and with the New York Rangers in 1977-78.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Talbot’s family, friends and former teammates.