Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler says player access to their families is a critical issue to navigate if the NHL wants to return this summer. Read More
Family, safety, among hurdles for NHL to clear — Winnipeg Sun
Nick Robertson takes a pass from John Tavares (or Auston Matthews or Alex Kerfoot), darts quickly to his left and lifts the puck over the Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender. Read More
Robertson one of several intriguing possibilities for Leafs’ expanded roster — Toronto Sun
Nick Robertson takes a pass from John Tavares (or Auston Matthews or Alex Kerfoot), darts quickly to his left and lifts the puck over the Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender.
In overtime of Game 5 of the qualifying round, with the goal sending the Maple Leafs into the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs at some point in the next few months.
We’re sure more than a few in Leafs Nation have envisioned such a scenario in the days since Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas confirmed that Robertson, fresh off a 55-goal season with the Peterborough Petes, will be part of training camp, with a shot at cracking the Toronto roster for the qualifying round and the playoffs.
Considering the Leafs’ injury situation — only winger Andreas Johnsson, recovering from knee surgery in February with an original prognosis of a six-month rehabilitation, would likely be out — open spots on the Leafs’ roster will be hard to come by.
We expect that Robertson would have the best chance of any of those on the expanded roster to make an impact, though there is no guarantee that such an opportunity will come Robertson’s way (of course, that could change if the Leafs find themselves down 1-0 to the Blue Jackets and in need of a spark in a short series).
We have full respect for Robertson’s determination and skill. For the 18-year-old (he turns 19 on Sept. 11) to get into the lineup for Game 1, it would have to come at the expense of veteran Frederik Gauthier or perhaps rookie Pierre Engvall, who stepped into the lineup on Nov. 19 in Las Vegas and wasn’t scratched once afterward.
Ilya Mikheyev will be back from a lacerated wrist and should be in the top six. We don’t see how Denis Malgin, who had no points in eight games with the Leafs after being acquired from Florida in February, keeps his place in the top 12.
The Leafs, like the rest of the teams in the National Hockey League, will have the chance to expand to 28 players, with an unlimited number of goalies.
Of the players who are bound to find spots on the expanded roster, including Robertson, forwards Kenny Agostino, Adam Brooks, Nic Petan and Egor Korshkov, and defenceman Timothy Liljegren, none have NHL playoff experience. Brooks and Liljegren have previously confirmed their inclusion in the group of Black Aces.
Another expanded roster spot could boil down to one of defencemen Martin Marincin or Calle Rosen, with the other taking the eighth spot on the main roster, if the Leafs carry eight D-men.
Jake Muzzin will be back from a finger injury, and we figure that at least to begin, Rasmus Sandin would be seventh on the depth chart among blueliners, behind Morgan Rielly, Muzzin, Tyson Barrie, Justin Holl, Travis Dermott and Cody Ceci.
The group of Toronto Marlies should provide some solid depth for the Leafs in the event they need to dip into the group of reserves. The further the Leafs go in the playoffs, the greater the chance the Leafs, we presume, will have to call on any number of players.
Agostino was one of a group of seven free agents signed by the Leafs last July 24, and went on to lead the Marlies in scoring with 49 points (27 goals and 22 assists) in 53 games. Brooks had 20 points in just 29 games on the farm and didn’t look out of place with limited ice time in seven games with the Leafs, while Petan had 31 points in 25 games for the Marlies. Petan played in 16 games with the Leafs last season, but none after Dec. 12, though his 129 NHL games would put him in a high level of comfort. Korshkov had 16 goals in 44 games for the Marlies and in his NHL debut (and only game with the Leafs), scored in Buffalo against the Sabres on Feb. 16.
In goal, considering there is no limit, there would be little reason to not carry both Kasimir Kaskisuo and Joseph Woll behind starter Frederik Andersen and No. 2 Jack Campbell.
What has to be kept in mind, naturally, is that what will drive the Leafs will be the usual stars — Matthews, Mitch Marner and Tavares up front, Rielly on the blue line, Andersen in goal. Zach Hyman and William Nylander will be eager to resume what was an excellent regular season for each.
As for Robertson, what seems clear is that he is not far from getting a legitimate shot. If it doesn’t happen once the NHL hits Phase 4 (if it gets that far in the midst of the COVID-19 global pandemic) and the play-in round, Robertson will have all the more motivation to make the club out of training camp for the 2020-21 season.
tkoshan@postmedia.com
twitter.com/koshtorontosun
In the same week that the Kings learned their season had officially ended, they made their first move of the offseason. They announced on Saturday morning they would not retain their top minor league affiliate’s head coach Mike Stothers had been a head coach with the Kings’ American Hockey League affiliates for the past six…
Kings part ways with Ontario Reign coach Mike Stothers — Press Telegram
Sharks forward Evander Kane on Friday called on high profile athletes, especially white superstars in the NHL and other team sports, to speak out about the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis earlier this week and other racial injustices that have happened in the past. “We need so many more athletes that don’t look like…
Evander Kane calls on more high profile athletes to speak out; Sharks owner shows his support — Times-Standard
On Tuesday, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman explained plans for the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Draft Lottery.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman Breaks Down Plans for Playoffs — Prime Time Sports Talk
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced a plan to resume play with the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Bettman opened his statement by revealing that the 2019-20 season has been deemed complete; the next game played will kick off the playoffs.
The top four teams in each conference will claim automatic berths in the playoffs and will conduct a round-robin to determine seeding. Ties in these games will be broken by regular-season seeding.
Eight more teams from each conference (ranked by regular-season points percentage) will play in series that follow the playoff format. The winners of this round will play the top seeds in Round 1.
These matchups will go down as follows:
Penguins vs. Canadiens
Hurricanes vs. Rangers
Islanders vs. Panthers
Maple Leafs vs. Blue Jackets
Oilers vs. Blackhawks
Predators vs. Coyotes
Canucks vs. Wild
Flames vs. Jets
Bettman added that games will be played in hub cities, with the Western Conference playing in one city and the Eastern Conference playing in another.
The league has yet to determine which cities will be chosen, but Bettman did state that following cities are up for consideration:
Chicago, Ill.
Columbus, Ohio
Dallas, Tex.
Edmonton, Alb.
Las Vegas, Nev.
Los Angeles, Cali.
Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.
Pittsburgh, Penn.
Toronto, Ont.
Vancouver, B.C.
The first two rounds’ formats are up in the air, but the Finals will occur as a best-of-seven series.
Teams can return in early June with small-group gatherings on or off the ice, but full-team training camps won’t return until mid-July.
Finally, Bettman addressed the Draft Lottery, which could occur in two phases. The first phase will occur on June 26 with 15 teams eligible. These 15 teams consist of the seven not resuming play and eight blank slots for teams that are eliminated from the qualifying round. If a blank spot is selected for any one of the top three picks, Phase 1 will be canceled and Phase 2 will occur once the first eight teams are eliminated.
A lot remains to be seen regarding the future of the season, but there is growing optimism that the NHL’s resumption could cause the NBA and MLB to return soon.
The NHL is planning to allow players to return to their home cities to begin small optional group skates and workouts in early June. Read More
NHL releases Phase 2 of return-to-sport plan; expects early June roll out — Winnipeg Sun
NHL releases Phase 2 of return-to-sport plan; expects early June roll out
Paul FriesenMore from Paul Friesen
Published:May 25, 2020
Updated:May 25, 2020 12:41 PM CDT
The NHL is planning to allow players to return to their home cities to begin small optional group skates and workouts in early June.
The plan is outlined in a comprehensive, 21-page document covering Phase 2 of the league’s return-to-play protocol, released on Monday.
It allows for players to travel back to their team cities if they choose to, where extensive testing and prevention guidelines will be in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The document covers everything from the number of players who can skate at one time to how their equipment is handled to where they should eat meals and have showers.
It also includes a warning.
“This Protocol, while very comprehensive, cannot mitigate all risk,” the memo reads. “A range of clinical scenarios exist, from very mild to fatal outcome. COVID-19 generally affects older age groups and those with previously existing medical conditions, moreso than younger, and otherwise healthy, individuals, and we recognize that Players and personnel have family and household members who may fall into these vulnerable categories.”
Players who travel back to their team sites commercially will be forced to self-quarantine for 14 days before taking part. Those travelling privately or by charter flight can avoid the quarantine period if local regulations allow.
NHL and AHL players will be compensated up to $1,500 U.S. for travel, and any who don’t have permanent residences will be put up in hotels, provided the hotels have strict cleaning and virus prevention standards and the amenities players are used to having on road trips.
The memo says all players and team staff will be subject to a COVID-19 test, but only if there is enough local testing capacity “so as to not deprive health care workers, vulnerable populations and symptomatic individuals from necessary diagnostic tests.”
If testing is not available, returning players and staff will have to quarantine for two weeks.
Players and staff will also be subject to daily temperature and symptom checks before being allowed to enter team facilities. Anybody developing symptoms will be tested immediately and, if positive, will be quarantined.
Tampa Bay Lightning player representative Alex Killorn wants to make one thing perfectly clear, “Everyone on our team wants to play,” he said to Joe Smith of theAthletic.com. The Tampa Bay Lightning were one of two teams (Carolina was the other) to say no in a vote the NHLPA had to authorize the continuation of […]
NHL: An explanation of why the Tampa Bay Lightning voted no on NHLPA vote — Empire Sports Media
LOS ANGELES – Hockey players are celebrated for their toughness. It’s common for a player to absorb a booming hit without flinching, or to lose a row of teeth to an errant puck and say he’s sorry he had to… Read More: https://ift.tt/2ys8njf
Helene Elliott: Mental health no longer dirty words in macho world of NHL — Kankakee Connected
https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2020-05-22/mental-health-no-longer-dirty-words-in-macho-world-of-nhl
The last decade-plus or so haven’t been particularly kind to the Toronto Maple Leafs. For one, they’ve made the postseason just four times since reaching the second round in 2004, and all four appearances resulted in first-round exits. Three of said exits have been to the Boston Bruins (2013, 2018 and 2019), with the series…
Maple Leafs Get Roasted Over Potential Matchups In NHL’s 24-Team Proposal — NESN.com
The last decade-plus or so haven’t been particularly kind to the Toronto Maple Leafs. For one, they’ve made the postseason just four times since reaching the second round in 2004, and all four appearances resulted in first-round exits. Three of said exits have been to the Boston Bruins (2013, 2018 and 2019), with the series ending each time in a Game 7 at TD Garden. This Maple Leafs season has been plenty bumpy, but they started to look like they might’ve been getting on track a bit, as they were sitting in third place in the Atlantic Division when the NHL season paused. Had that result held, they would’ve avoided playing the Bruins in the first round of the playoffs for a change. However, the Covid-19 pause on the NHL has forced the league to get creative, and the players on Friday agreed to a 24-team playoff format. Based on what the reported seedings would be, the Leafs would have to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets in the “play-in” round in order to get to the traditional 16-team playoff. If the Leafs did that, do you know who they would face in what technically would be the first round? You guessed it, the Bruins.
Read more at: https://nesn.com/2020/05/maple-leafs-get-roasted-over-potential-matchups-in-nhls-24-team-proposal/
Hockey is not for everyone. Read More
Aliu takes aim at NHL and lack of inclusivity; Duchene puts health, integrity for return above all else — Toronto Sun
Hockey is not for everyone.
That’s the argument being made by Akim Aliu in a story he has written for The Players’ Tribune, published on Tuesday.
It’s also the title of the piece, with Aliu taking to task the National Hockey League’s “Hockey is for Everyone” campaign.
“The purpose of this story is not to drag everyone in hockey, or the sport itself, into the mud,” Aliu wrote. “This is about the biggest problems facing the game I love — and how we can fix them.
“I’m talking about the racism, misogyny, bullying and homophobia that permeates the culture of hockey. These issues have ramifications that most cannot — or will not — see. They are not fun to talk about.”
Aliu recounted some of his experiences that have been documented previously, including hazing incidents in the Ontario Hockey League involving Steve Downie, his Windsor Spitfires teammate at the time, and incidents with Bill Peters, his coach with Rockford of the American Hockey League, during which Peters used the N-word. Peters acknowledged last November using the “offensive language” a decade ago toward Aliu and resigned from his job as coach of the Calgary Flames.
“I speak about the racism in the game because that’s what I endured,” Aliu said. “But there are countless stories of white boys and girls being chewed up and spit out by hockey because of the sexuality or their gender identification — and those issues deserve just as much attention.”
Aliu noted he was “fortunate” to meet with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly at the end of 2019 to discuss some of the issues that he sees in the game, and that those discussions toward greater inclusivity continue.
But much work has to be done, Aliu said. Changes at the grassroots level would be a start, and the NHL could be more open to interviewing minorities for coaching positions.
“We should be showing off the diversity our game is capable of having,” Aliu said. “I know there are kids like me out there who have a hard time seeing themselves in the NHL.”
To finish the piece, Aliu said: “Hockey is not for everyone. Not yet.
But it damn sure should be.”
An attempt by Postmedia to reach Downie was not successful.
VITAL ISSUES
For Matt Duchene, the return of the NHL to play at some point in the wake of the COVID-19 global pandemic, if that happens, must have two vital elements: Health and safety for all involved, and integrity of the game.
“For the players, for the coaches, the training staff, everything — it needs to be safe,” the Nashville Predators forward said during an interview Sportsnet 590 The Fan on Tuesday.
“We can’t have any risk of anybody getting this thing and I think that’s going to be our ultimate, biggest hurdle for every sport coming back. Guys have families, guys have young children, I think it’s just (important) that we can’t put sports and the business of sports and the revenue and all that above that.”
The NHL seriously is considering a 24-team playoff format once play resumes, with the majority of logistics to be ironed out. It’s not yet clear how the announcement on Tuesday by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that the Canada-U.S. border will be closed to all non-essential travel for another month will impact the NHL’s plans, but the league is hopeful that any affect would be minimal.
“The integrity of our game has to be maintained,” Duchene said, “with what the Stanley Cup means with the guys’ names on the Cup, what they went through, 82 games, and then 20-plus games to win the Stanley Cup.
“I would like to see as traditional a format as possible. There is no fair way to say who should be in and who should be out because of not playing the full season.
“For lack of a better word, somebody is going to get screwed. Let’s keep it as traditional as possible. I would love to see us jump to a 16-team playoff, normal playoff, four out of seven, maybe you are playing a little more frequently because guys are going to be fresh and you can play a game at 3 o’clock on Friday and play at 7 on Saturday and there is no travel.
“You don’t want to have a COVID Cup. I’m worried that if we come back and force this thing and it’s gimmicky or if it’s not quite right, whoever wins the Cup is going to have people trying to take it away from them their whole lives. They don’t deserve that, the guys who come back and ultimately win it.
“Our game is one of the games that has the most integrity in the world and I know guys are going to want this to mean something if we do come back.”
ICE CHIPS
CCM Hockey announced that the first 100,000 surgical masks it is donating to protect front-line medical workers in the battle against COVID-19 have arrived. The Montreal-based company, with help from Air Canada, has arranged for delivery of the masks and has coordinated with health authorities across Canada to distribute the masks immediately … The National Women’s Hockey League announced that the Toronto entry to begin play in the 2020-21 season will be called the Toronto Six … Your 2019-20 American Hockey League all-rookie team: Goaltender Cayden Primeau (Laval/Montreal); defencemen Joey Keane (Hartford/Charlotte/Carolina) and Brogan Rafferty (Utica/Vancouver); and forwards Alex Formenton (Belleville/Ottawa), Josh Norris (Belleville/Ottawa) and Jack Studnicka (Providence/Boston).0
Comfort and confidence have Timothy Liljegren in an optimistic frame of mind as the defenceman looks ahead to the 2020-21 hockey season. Read More
Liljegren shooting for top-six role on Leafs blue line, whenever that might be — Toronto Sun
Comfort and confidence have Timothy Liljegren in an optimistic frame of mind as the defenceman looks ahead to the 2020-21 hockey season.
The X factor, of course, is not knowing when he will take his next on-ice stride in the Maple Leafs organization.
“It’s going pretty good, just trying to stay in shape as much as I can,” Liljegren said on Saturday from his off-season home in Sweden. “But it’s weird. Usually there are different steps in the summer workout, but now you don’t really know when things are going to start up again.”
All the while, Liljegren, who said he has been on the ice “a couple of times” as Sweden didn’t impose a similar kind of restrictive lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic that we’ve experienced in North America, has a fairly simple goal.
During a conference call last week with reporters, Leafs assistant general manager Laurence Gilman, who also serves as the Toronto Marlies general manager, said he would “be surprised” if Liljegren doesn’t play in top seven or eight defencemen with the Leafs next season.
Liljegren has a desire to go one better.
“For sure, my goal is to get into the top six,” Liljegren said. “I played three years in the AHL and I had 11 games (with the Leafs) this year, so I think the next step would be to try to crack the roster full-time.”
After making his NHL debut on Jan. 18 against the Chicago Blackhawks — and becoming the answer to a trivia question as he became the 1,000th player in Leafs franchise history — Liljegren participated in the 2020 AHL all-star classic before getting recalled by the Leafs, playing in eight games in February and two more in March.
In those 11 games with the Leafs, there were some bumps, which was to be expected. Liljegren was on the ice for eight goals against during five-on-five play and three for, while averaging 10 minutes 18 seconds of ice a game, and in possession, he had a mark of 43.7%.
But the man behind the Leafs bench, Sheldon Keefe, was instrumental in Liljegren’s growth with the Marlies. From Keefe’s guidance with the farm club, as well as that of the assistant coaches, came discipline in Liljegren’s game.
“He has taught me to play through structure, but still be creative within that structure,” Liljegren said. “I’ve learned when to calculate the risks of being creative and choosing the right time to do certain things.
“Just the fact he has seen me play for three years is good for him and me. He knows what I can develop, and I know what I can do when he is coaching.
“He helped me a lot with the transition to the NHL.”
Liljegren indicated he would be part of the Leafs’ group of Black Aces when, or if, the 2019-20 regular season or playoffs are resumed.
In the event there is no conclusion of 2019-20 and we don’t see NHL hockey again until the start of the 2020-21 season, whenever that might be, Liljegren would be just one of two right-shooting defencemen (as of today) in the Leafs mix, along with Justin Holl. Neither Tyson Barrie nor Cody Ceci, both righties, are expected to re-sign with Toronto in free agency.
Recently signed Mikko Lehtonen, who shoots left, said he would be comfortable on the right side.
Liljegren doesn’t necessarily see a lack of right-handed shots on the Leafs blue line as an advantage in his favour.
“I think every team wants a right-hand defenceman on the right side, but if there is a player who is better than you, you’re not going to play,” Liljegren said. “It matters a bit, but you still have to be better than the next guy.”
If Liljegren, who turned 21 on April 30, does become a Leafs regular in ’20-’21, he would join six other recent Toronto first-round picks in the lineup, including Morgan Rielly, Frederik Gauthier (assuming he still is with the Leafs), William Nylander, Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews and Rasmus Sandin.
“I gained confidence from playing at that stage, and the feeling that I can play at that level,” Liljegren said. “Gaining that experience is going to help me a lot in the future.”
tkoshan@postmedia.com
twitter.com/koshtorontosun
As the COVID-19 global pandemic continues to make an impact around the world, Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner has concerns about the National Hockey League’s possible return to the ice. Read More
Marner ponders impact of coronavirus on NHL, Leafs re-sign Brooks to two-year pact — Toronto Sun
As the COVID-19 global pandemic continues to make an impact around the world, Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner has concerns about the National Hockey League’s possible return to the ice.
While playing an online video game with a group of players, the subject of the NHL resuming action was raised.
“What my thought on this is, OK, I’m all down for starting everything back up, let’s rock. But what if someone gets sick and dies?” Marner said on the video, which was posted to Twitter on Wednesday. “What happens? It’s awful to think about, but still.”
While that could be a question on the minds of some, the NHL, if it does wind up resuming the 2019-20 season, or starting the playoffs some time in the coming months, would have every possibility in regard to the coronavirus explored and answered, to the best of its ability.
“Interesting to see what will happen,” Marner said on the video of returning to play hockey in general. “It’s the same with the NBA. If one league plays, then all leagues have to play. If we don’t play, the amount of money we’re going to lose is going to be …”
Marner also raised the issue of players such as the Montreal Canadiens’ Max Domi, who has Type 1 diabetes. Domi was a teammate of Marner with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League.
“If he gets it (the coronavirus), he is in one (situation), like bad,” Marner said.
more…….
Marner ponders impact of coronavirus on NHL, Leafs re-sign Brooks to two-year pact — Toronto Sun
The view from left field 