While the rest of the world took serious steps to curb the spread of the coronavirus, Sweden stood firm. The Scandinavian country has broken the trend of nearly every other European and North American country by allowing schools, restaurants, bars and other businesses to stay open despite the pandemic. The results are still open to debate, but, at […]
Swedish NHL players raise concerns by reportedly skating during quarantine — Newslanes
His broken hand is healed, his infant daughter now knows his face and it has been two months since Jake Muzzin has fired a puck or popped an opponent. So if the NHL moves to a few hub cities to finish the regular season, an idea that might see players on the road and isolated […]
Maple Leafs’ Muzzin buzzin’ for return — Toronto Sun
Flyers assistant GM Brett Flahr said that Lindblom “looks terrific” and “as he gets his last treatments, the worst is over for him.”
Flyers’ Lindblom making progress as he nears end of cancer treatments — ProHockeyTalk | NBC Sports
Oskar Lindblom is coming to the end of his treatments for Ewing’s sarcoma, though it’s still unknown if he’ll be able to play for the Flyers next season.
Flyers assistant GM Brett Flahr told The Philadelphia Inquirer this week that the forward, who was diagnosed with the form of bone cancer in December, “looks terrific” and “as he gets his last treatments, the worst is over for him.”
“Oskar’s going through his last treatments coming up here, but everything I’ve been told from [team trainer] Jimmy [McCrossin] has been very positive,” Flahr told Sam Carchidi. “He feels great, considering the condition he’s in. He’s such a great kid and he’s determined. His focus is to play as soon as possible.”
While many players have returned home since the NHL suspended the season on March 12, Lindblom, who hails from Gavle, Sweden, stayed in Philadelphia to undergo treatments at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Since his diagnosis, he’s visited his teammates a few times, and even dropped by during team photo day.wayne fish@waynefish1
https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/status/1253045291873382400 Read More
Maple Leafs’ Andersen eager to play in any NHL restart plan — Toronto Sun
After a month in quarantine at Auston Matthews’ home in Arizona, Frederik Andersen isn’t going to quibble where, when or how the NHL re-starts its season.
Not that the Maple Leafs goaltender is complaining about his teammate’s extended hospitality, but he’d like to get back on ice instead of solely facing Matthews in the small condominium sports court.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has said one of the ideas being discussed after more than six weeks on hold from COVID-19 concerns is wrapping up regular season play with a concentration of games in designated league cities, perhaps one in each division.
“I’ve heard a lot of different ideas and scenarios, but I’m pretty much open to anything that can be done to salvage the season,” Andersen told the Toronto media on a Thursday afternoon conference call.
Even if it means a couple of weeks in strict isolation-type conditions again in one place and possibly without spectators for the games?
“I’m not against that. Everyone wants sports back on. I think if there’s a chance we can go back to play, we owe it to ourselves to play the game we’re so passionate about and owe it to the fans who’ve been waiting. It will give them something to watch. Fans are starving for something other than a re-run of old shows. It will be a big part of returning to normal.”
Andersen would like to see those missing March and April regular season games completed as a prelude to normal playoffs at some point in the summer.
“There are 31 teams who’ve put a lot of time and effort in. I’d definitely like to see something done to finalize the season, move on and not lose out on all the hard work.”
Andersen chose not to return to his native Denmark when the NHL shuttered on March 12, with that country ahead of North America in closing its borders. But rather than stay in Toronto, he elected to hang out with fellow bachelor Matthews in Scottsdale. He brought his gear with him and when there’s space open on then court, there’s 1-on-1 shooting.Toronto Maple Leafs✔@MapleLeafs
A memory of Jason Spezza stands out — one of many, we can assure you — from his formative days in the Ontario Hockey League. Read More
KOSHAN: Passion, optimism drive Leafs’ Spezza during pause brought on by COVID-19 — Toronto Sun
A memory of Jason Spezza stands out — one of many, we can assure you — from his formative days in the Ontario Hockey League.
We once tracked down Spezza, who would have been 16, in the Mississauga IceDogs’ workout room after practice, riding a stationary bike when the majority of his teammates had left the rink for the day.
That kind of desire never waned in the 20 years since, and it’s part of what’s keeping Spezza encouraged for the return of his beloved sport as the global COVID-19 pandemic continues.
“I’m not sure when it’s going to be, but I’m optimistic that we’re going to get a chance to finish the season,” the Maple Leafs forward said during a conference call with media on Tuesday. “I’m an eternal optimist, so I’m hoping there is going to be a chance to play.”
Yes, Spezza would like to play with the Leafs beyond the National Hockey League’s 2019-20 season, but knows there is no guarantee considering he will be heading for unrestricted free agency.
“It’s not the focus right now by any means, but definitely I feel like I have game left and there is nowhere else I would rather be than to play another year here in Toronto,” Spezza said. “I feel like we are building things with this club and I want to be a part of it.”
Spezza, who will be 37 in June, found a niche under coach Sheldon Keefe long before the NHL paused on March 12. Scratched 10 times with Mike Babcock in charge — including the unnecessary move on the part of Babcock to put Spezza in the press box for the season opener — Spezza was scratched twice in 47 games on Keefe’s watch following the firing of Babcock in November. Spezza became a resourceful bottom-six forward, working his way on to the power play every so often and becoming a veteran that others in the room sought out for advice.
“I just tried to have the mentality that I was going to stay in the fight,” Spezza said. “I didn’t give myself much of an option. I didn’t want to feel sorry for myself.”
From a team standpoint, there were inconsistencies, but the Leafs under Keefe had improved and were sitting in third place in the Atlantic Division with a playoff spot in hand when play halted.
“You don’t want to cruise through the regular season because you need that experience to get you into the playoffs, and we certainly didn’t cruise,” Spezza said. “I think it’s to the benefit of our group. We have a much more mature locker room than we did at the start of the season. There was a lot more ownership. Our young stars are able to have conversations with each other, with other guys on the team that maybe they weren’t comfortable with having early on in the season.
“Now, to have a chance to have a break and look back on things, it will only help us pinpoint what we can do differently and move forward.”
With four young daughters, Spezza and his wife Jennifer have been busy during self-isolation, concentrating on home-schooling during the morning before giving way to family activities later in the day. A lifelong fan of Michael Jordan — Spezza said there are “hundreds” of photos from his youth of him in a Chicago Bulls Jordan jersey, bought during a family trip to Florida — Spezza has been enthralled with The Last Dance, the documentary focusing on the 1997-98 Bulls.
Staying fit also is part of the daily regimen. When hockey resumes, and if it includes Spezza on the ice for the Leafs, you can bet the passion will be a driving force.
“My love for the game has probably allowed me to play as long as I have,” Spezza said. “Hockey is not work to me. As you go through different phases of your career, there are different challenges.
“I love the day-to-day grind and I love the coming to the rink and figuring out what to do that day. The chance to win a Stanley Cup … I’m in it for as long as I can be.
“It’s something I dreamed of as a kid and I would love nothing more than to do it here in Toronto.”
SPEZZA KEEPING EYE TO THE GROUND
Considering that Jason Spezza is regarded by his National Hockey League peers as one of the most dedicated students of the game, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the Maple Leafs forward is consuming as much as he can in regard to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I have kept a pretty close tab on things,” Spezza said. “It’s the nature of how I operate. I like to have a full understanding of what’s going on and I have spent a few hours a day doing some reading and listening to what other leagues are thinking of doing.”
At best, the thinking is sports leagues will return eventually with no fans in the stands, at least to start.
“It also keeps you sharp and hungry,” Spezza said of his interest. “We all know there are bigger things at play right now and the health of everybody is first and foremost, but at some point we will get a chance to play and when we do, it will be exciting. It is important to be aware of some of the things that are being talked about.”
In Yann Martel’s philosophical novel, Life of Pi, the main character finds himself stranded at sea for almost a year with a 450-pound tiger that may or may not be an actual tiger. It’s terrifying, at first. The tiger is hungry. It wants to eat. It’s always threatening to attack. But in the end, they…
Fehr and Bettman riding out NHL storm together — Toronto Sun
The rhythm was often off-beat. Read More
An enigma to the end, Byfuglien will always be loved in Winnipeg — Winnipeg Sun
The rhythm was often off-beat.
The marching was far from an organized stride.
Dustin Byfuglien did his own thing.
Always.
It was his beat. His march. It only needed to make sense to him.
And just as his career began in an eccentric way — getting a phone call about rookie camp in Chicago and then going AWOL until someone from the Blackhawks organization tracked him down to get him there — it ended on a similar note.
You’d be hard-pressed to find someone willing to walk away from $14 million. Even professional athletes, who’ve amassed vast amounts of wealth over their respective careers, often want to maximize those earnings before their body won’t allow them to any longer.
But one of hockey’s most entertaining and enigmatic figures seemingly didn’t care about all of that in the end.
Money, reputation, legacy — these things simply failed to compute in a logical way for a player shrouded in as much curiosity as Byfuglien is (or was, at this point).
Byfuglien did Byfuglien. 24/7. 365 days a year, and he didn’t let his guard down on a leap year, either.
That mystique is a big reason fans embraced him so dearly, and why we media types were always searching for more.
Surely, he knew that.
Fans learned much about the man in the way he carried himself on the ice. That’s how he communicated with them. He was merciless to his opponents — just ask Mark Stone or Roberto Luongo — and fiercely competitive.
But he was also a consummate teammate — just ask anyone not named Evander Kane. And it’s not just his most recent teammates that speak his praises, but also his former colleagues in Chicago.
The story about Byfuglien’s first rookie camp came from long-time Blackhawks defenceman Duncan Keith a few months ago. Keith’s memories of Byfuglien as a teammate were glowing.
On the homefront, he took Josh Morrissey under his wing.
Byfuglien was the family protector, a job he did admirably, and a job his teammates admired.
Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff spoke Friday of an emotional ending that began back in early September on the eve of training camp. The months-long saga came to an end 219 days later as the NHL, the NHLPA and the Jets announced the termination of Byfuglien’s contract.
That Byfuglien was emotional back then is certainly believable, and one wonders if the finality of today wouldn’t have elicited similar sentiments.
While there are parts of the game — the media, particularly — that Byfuglien never seemed to enjoy, he most certainly relished playing the game, playing in big games, and being a part of the team. And those around him enjoyed it, too. He had that infectious trait about him.
That seeped into the fan base here in Winnipeg. Supporters would have loved for Byfuglien to play forever. That just comes with the territory when you have a player as popular, and as effective, as the 35-year-old was for the Jets.
If Byfuglien’s career is truly over, he leaves the game having hoisted the game’s holy grail. He completed the goal most prominent among every player that’s stepped onto the ice in the National Hockey League.
He also wasn’t a flash in the pan. He played nearly 900 games. He played on the biggest stages the game can offer. He thrived in those moments, too, much to the chagrin of Vancouver Canucks fans, and others throughout his career.
Perhaps most importantly, he did so in front of a legion of fans he earned through playing the game the way he wanted to play.
And if there’s a lesson to take for any player, young, old, and in between, it’s just that: you can be yourself, and true to yourself, while at the same time being good at whatever it is you do in life.
Byfuglien went out on his own terms, and not everyone gets to say that.
And judging by the reaction to the comments from Cheveldayoff on Friday, it sounds like many, if not all, fans accept Byfuglien’s terms.
We don’t have the full story. We may never hear Byfuglien’s side in this whole ordeal.
But unless Cheveldayoff was fibbing, Byfuglien remained loyal to the Jets until his final day as a member of the organization. He didn’t want to be traded, even when asked multiple times. It appeared that it was Winnipeg or bust.
In the end, Byfuglien chose both.
While pain once again ripples through the city, this is the Byfuglien the fans know and love.
And love, they always will.
Whether the NHL returns this year is still very much up in the air, and it seems almost certain it won’t happen in Boston. However, pro hockey in New England, it seems, is still on the table. The NHL season has been paused for more than a month due to the coronavirus outbreak, and it’s…
Governor Confirms New Hampshire’s Talks With NHL Regarding Coronavirus Return — NESN.com
Live from North Dakota, in an arena devoid of fans, it’s the Stanley Cup final featuring the 23rd- and 24th-place teams in the NHL. Read More
Wild and wacky ideas to get NHL going again — Toronto Sun
Amid the ubiquitous uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ducks players and their significant others sought to ease the burden on medical professionals as they pledged 200 meals a day for staff at UCI Medical Center. Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli had recently become the first North American pro sports ownership group to pledge…
Ducks players, families, pledge meals for staff at UCI Medical Center — Press Telegram
NHL official says number of cities offer to host neutral-site playoff games: report The NHL will have no shortage of possible venues if the season resumes as several cities across North America have reportedly volunteered as hosts for neutral-site playoff games, according to a report. via FOX NEWS https://ift.tt/34v1nh4
FOX NEWS: NHL official says number of cities offer to host neutral-site playoff games: report — Auto World
The NHL will have no shortage of possible venues if the season resumes as several cities across North America have reportedly volunteered as hosts for neutral-site playoff games, according to a report.
NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said during an interview with ESPN Friday that the league has been contacted by a number of cities offering to host 2019-2020 playoff games if the season resumes.
EDMONTON OILERS’ COLBY CAVE DEAD AT 25, FAMILY ANNOUNCES
“We do have people putting together the comprehensive laundry list of what we would need from facilities and evaluating some facilities on some level,” Daly said. “But I can’t tell you we’ve even finished creating a list [of potential sites], much less narrowed it down.”
According to the report, the locations include arenas in Grand Forks, N.D.; Manchester, N.H., and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
The season was suspended March 12 with 189 regular-season games remaining. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said Tuesday that finishing those games would be the “best” solution but given the current circumstances surrounding the coronavirus pandemic that “may not be possible.”
Daly told ESPN there’s no table as to when the league will decide if it’s going to play out the rest of the season or move forward with the playoffs.
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“We’re just starting to get our minds around that,” he said. “It’s kind of a combination of things, like when we can start a regular season [in 2020-2021] and how much time we need for an offseason, and then what does the playoff format look like, in terms of knowing what you need to have a regular season.”
He added: “It may not be on the calendar a real long way away, but it is on a decision tree, a real long way away.”
Auston Matthews can’t say why reality dating shows appeal to him, finds it “cool and humbling” to be in the same conversation with superstar Alex Ovechkin, and isn’t surprised that Sheldon Keefe doesn’t have a Netflix account. Read More
Leafs’ Matthews misses game, but it’s ‘irrelevant when we’re talking about human lives’ — Toronto Sun
Auston Matthews can’t say why reality dating shows appeal to him, finds it “cool and humbling” to be in the same conversation with superstar Alex Ovechkin, and isn’t surprised that Sheldon Keefe doesn’t have a Netflix account.
Matthews, who was on track for a 50-goal season with the Maple Leafs when the COVID-19 pandemic caused the National Hockey League to go on pause on March 12, joined the media on a conference call on Thursday from his home in Arizona and touched on a variety of issues.
While the conversation was light-hearted at times, the 22-year-old Matthews didn’t waver from the fact that what he is paid millions of dollars to do — put the puck in the net and help lead the Leafs to wins — diminishes greatly in the wake of what’s happening on a global scale.
“Anybody would love to be playing hockey and be able to live a normal life, but this thing is bigger than sports, bigger than a lot of things,” Matthews said. “The most important thing is being safe and trying to stay as healthy as possible.
“It’s frustrating and disappointing to have this season go on pause, but when you think about being really close to scoring 50 goals, it all becomes irrelevant when we’re talking about human lives and what kinds of things are going on around the world.”
Matthews had 47 goals, one less than NHL leaders Ovechkin and David Pastrnak, when the NHL put a halt on the 2020-21 schedule. The Leafs were in third place in the Atlantic Division with 81 points, three up on the Florida Panthers, and had 12 games remaining.
Among the topics Matthews — who has Leafs teammate Frederik Andersen as a house guest during the pause — discussed with reporters on Thursday (some questions and answers have been edited for length):
♦ Keefe was saying recently he wants his players to come back as better versions of themselves. How do you address that and what facilities do you have at home for keeping in shape?
MATTHEWS: It’s tough to have all the resources you would have if we were all training in the summer. I’ve been watching some video, watching clips, trying to stay as active as possible while respecting social distancing. I’ve been shooting pucks and stick-handling. I have free weights and I have a sport court being built. I have rollerblades. I’m trying to do everything I can to stay in shape and try to not lose that focus.
♦ Assuming the NHL finishes the regular season, how much would it mean to you to (possibly) score more goals than Ovechkin?
MATTHEWS: It’s pretty cool and humbling to be in the same conversation as a guy like him. He has been a generational player and has made a big impact beyond the game and led the way for lots of players. Hopefully, we get back to playing hockey and can compete again. There is unfinished business considering we have 12 games left to play and there is close races for spots in the playoffs. But like I said, this is bigger than sport.
♦ If the season doesn’t resume, how will you wrap this season up if we go right to 2020-21?
MATTHEWS: That’s a scenario that we would all not like to see happen. If that’s the case, there were lots of ups and downs, lots of growth and room for growth. We had our fair share of adversity. That kind of stuff builds character and leadership and all that, but hopefully, hypothetically speaking, (going right into next season) doesn’t happen.
♦ Brendan Shanahan was saying recently that on the upside you guys responded from having your backs up against the wall quite regularly, including your last game where you beat the Lightning. On the downside, he was wondering why this team had a tendency to put its back against the wall so often. Thoughts on that?
MATTHEWS: I don’t really know how to answer that. For a big part of the season, starts for us were a bit of an issue … trying to have more of a killer mentality and a killer instinct to start games no matter who we’re playing, making sure we’re all ready. That should be taken upon the leaders to set that example. I think all of that showed a bit of an immature side of us, but I think that’s all stuff that can be fixed. It’s more of a mentality than anything.
♦ It’s looking like the NHL draft will have to be done either online or remotely or at a hotel if distancing rules get relaxed. As a No. 1 pick (in 2016), do you feel for guys like Alexis Lafreniere or Quinton Byfield who won’t get to hear their names called the way that you did?
MATTHEWS: Hearing your name called and going up there, getting your jersey, it’s all extremely surreal. It’s an experience that you dream of as a kid and if that’s not the case, it’s going to be tough. In the long run, they’re going to be great players in this league, and hopefully they’ll have more memories and experiences to cherish.
♦ Have you envisioned what it might be like playing in an empty rink, because there’s a high probability of that happening if we are to squeeze in the playoffs?
MATTHEWS: It would feel kind of weird. Fans are such a huge part of the game and not only inside the arena, but when we’ve got the playoffs going on and we’ve got Maple Leaf Square and everybody out there, the atmosphere shifts to another level. It would definitely be pretty strange to be playing in an empty arena with no crowds and no noise or atmosphere.
♦ Keefe said he is binging on the Leafs and that he doesn’t have a Netflix account. Does it surprise you that he hasn’t shut his brain off? And what — other than an apparently relentless work ethic — stood out to you about his first few months on the job?
MATTHEWS: No, that’s not really too surprising. Since he has taken over, his work ethic and his commitment to the players and the team — not just on a hockey level but on a personal level — has been amazing. I think he has been great. Everybody has been really receptive to him and I think he has been extremely receptive to us. That’s all you can really ask for. The fact that he has continued to watch film and find different ways for the team to be better, areas of weaknesses and strengths, that’s just a commitment to be the best coach he can be.
♦ Has your mind wandered to idea that the end of the pause might not happen in (or before) September and we’re looking at a lot longer than the next several months?
MATTHEWS: You never know what the case is or what’s going to happen. It’s just important that everybody is really practising social distancing and staying healthy. When the time comes, we can get back on the ice again and health officials and everybody declares it’s a go. There are a lot of hypotheticals, so it’s tough to really pinpoint what the situation is going to be.
♦ On a lighter note, it has been noted that you are a great devotee to various dating shows on TV — Love is Blind, Love Island. Have you been able to turn Freddie on to those and what is the appeal of watching these shows?
MATTHEWS: The first one I watched was Love is Blind. It was just on Netflix and it was just right there so I clicked it and started watching it. I just binge-watched it. I don’t really know what the appeal is. Freddie will only watch a couple of episodes (of Love Island) before he leaves the room and goes somewhere else. It’s pretty awful but I’m in deep now so I can’t really turn back.
♦ I’m wondering if you caught any of the old NHL games that have been broadcast (during the pause), and what you thought about the goaltending equipment of the 1970s and 1980s, and the hooking and holding of the 1990s?
MATTHEWS: With all of the speed and skill and the talent, the young talent that’s in the league now, I feel like this is the most exciting hockey that has been played, but it’s pretty cool to watch old games. I’m a big equipment guy so to see the guys using their wooden sticks and the goaltending gear … Even the way they goaltended back then compared to now, it’s pretty cool to see how far it’s all come together. Where the game is at, it’s extremely exciting to be a part of and playing right now.
♦ You said you’ve been working on your shot. Is Freddie in net for those practice sessions and is there a bit of a competitive rivalry going on?
MATTHEWS: No, he’s not going in the net. I wouldn’t do that to him. He’s not a street hockey goalie. He likes to play out.
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The view from left field 