Maple Leafs – Page 33 – The view from left field

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. 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

Early traction on part of Andersen could give Leafs a leg up in series versus Columbus — Toronto Sun

Fast out of the gate never has been a consistent hallmark of Frederik Andersen. Read More
Early traction on part of Andersen could give Leafs a leg up in series versus Columbus — Toronto Sun

Fast out of the gate never has been a consistent hallmark of Frederik Andersen.

If the National Hockey League’s return to play plans fall into place in the midst of the COVID-19 global pandemic and the Maple Leafs clash with the Columbus Blue Jackets in the qualifying round, one of the more crucial factors involving the Leafs will be whether Andersen can buck a career trend.

The 30-year-old Andersen usually has required some time to find his stride from the beginning of the season, with the month of October serving as a period to get the kinks out.

Andersen’s combined numbers in October through the first seven seasons of his NHL career — the past four with Toronto after three with the Anaheim Ducks — add up to a record of 30-19-7 in 57 games with a .911 save percentage and a 2.69 goals-against average. Last October, Andersen was 6-2-2, but had a save percentage of .901 and a 3.03 goals-against average. That’s well below Andersen’s career save percentage of .917.

Has Andersen traditionally been terrible in the opening month? We wouldn’t go that far, but he has not been spectacular either. In a best-of-five series against Columbus, there won’t be a choice for Andersen: He’s going to have to be at his best, even taking into account the Blue Jackets don’t score a lot of goals (they were tied for third-fewest in the NHL with 180 during the 2019-20 regular season), from the opening faceoff.

There won’t be the luxury of time for Andersen to find a groove, which he usually does in the regular season, as his career .928 save percentage in November is his personal best in any month.

Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno summed up in general terms last week the importance of being locked in from the moment the puck is dropped to begin Game 1.

“The advantage is going to be huge if you can get out on top early,” Foligno said. “I think that’s going to be a mindset of ours.”

One factor that could work in the Leafs’ favour is the presence of Jack Campbell behind Andersen. We would figure coach Sheldon Keefe wouldn’t hesitate to go to Campbell if Andersen falters, a legitimate option the Leafs have not had at No. 2 since Curtis McElhinney was lost on waivers in October 2018.

Campbell played in just six games with the Leafs after being acquired from Los Angeles on Feb. 5, but quickly became popular with his new teammates with his enthusiastic approach and ability to stop the puck. Something to keep in mind, perhaps — Campbell has never played in an NHL playoff game.

While we would argue that in the bigger picture Andersen’s overall experience should give the Leafs an advantage in goal, Columbus wouldn’t be entering the series with concerns in net. Despite losing Sergei Bobrovsky to the Florida Panthers in free agency last summer, the Jackets didn’t suffer in the crease, as Joonas Korpisalo and rookie Elvis Merzlikins shone.

Korpisalo made the Metropolitan Division team for the 2020 NHL all-star game but could not take part because of a knee injury. Merzlikins stepped in and was excellent, recording five shutouts in eight starts between Jan. 11 and Feb. 7. Merzlikins’ .923 save percentage in 33 games was best among NHL rookies who played in at least 20 games.

After he signed a two-year contract in April, Korpisalo indicated the competition to be the Jackets’ No. 1 goalie going forward would be intense.

“I’ve been fighting for my spot for a while in my career, so it’s nothing new,” Korpisalo said at the time. “It has been a lot of fun with Elvis. It doesn’t matter who plays, we support each other.”

Merzlikins and Korpisalo backed a stifling defence in Columbus in 70 games during the abbreviated regular season, one that limited the opposition to 187 goals, tied for third-fewest in the NHL. Neither has played in an NHL playoff game. Andersen has 48 on his resume.

What will be similar for any of the goaltenders potentially involved in the series will be the preparation time. Too many months will have elapsed since the end of the regular season for anything to carry forward (positive or negative), and it’s going to be a fresh slate for all of them once Phase 3 starts with full training camp (which the NHL said this week will not be before July 10).

Andersen told reporters earlier during the pause that part of his daily ritual during the downtime was keeping himself “mentally in the game.”

Once the series begins (we’re all hopeful that it will), Andersen is going to have to be at the top of his game mentally and physically — and without having had to worry about load management, that should not be a challenge.

There won’t be time for Andersen to get into a rhythm.

tkoshan@postmedia.com

twitter.com/koshtorontosun1

Kings part ways with Ontario Reign coach Mike Stothers — Press Telegram

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

Evander Kane calls on more high profile athletes to speak out; Sharks owner shows his support — Times-Standard

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

With season officially done, Leafs can look ahead to possible return, Columbus series — Toronto Sun

Rick Vaive’s Maple Leafs record is safe. Read More
With season officially done, Leafs can look ahead to possible return, Columbus series — Toronto Sun
By Terry Koshan

Rick Vaive’s Maple Leafs record is safe.

For now.

With the news — which was expected — on Tuesday afternoon that the 2019-20 National Hockey League regular season is over, Auston Matthews’ charge for the Leafs’ franchise goal-scoring mark will have to wait until the 2020-21 season.
Vaive’s 54 goals in 1981-82 will remain the most in team history.

When the NHL went on pause on March 12, Matthews had 47 goals in 70 games, with 50 a true probability and a shot at Vaive’s record perhaps a little more difficult.

Matthews will score 50 at some point, and we would bet he eventually breaks Vaive’s record. And not that Matthews would require it, but he can take solace in the fact he led the Leafs in scoring with 80 points, the first time since he was an NHL rookie in 2016-17 that he finished a season as the Leafs’ scoring champ. In the two seasons in between, Mitch Marner led the Leafs in scoring. Count on one of the two finishing atop the Leafs for the foreseeable future.

Anyway, the confirmation of the conclusion of the regular season was one of several highlights in NHL commissioner Gary Bettman’s return-to-play announcements from the comfort of his own home on Tuesday. In a following interview on the Tim & Sid Show on Sportsnet, Bettman said there’s “light at the end of the tunnel” for the NHL as it puts plans in place to return in the midst of the COVID-19 global pandemic.

It’s expected the NHL will begin Phase 2 of the return to play in early June, with players moving back to their home facilities for voluntary, small-group, on- and off-ice training.

Phase 3, if the green light is given by medical and civil authorities, would include formal training camps, but not earlier than the first half of July.

Phase 4 would include what players and fans have been pining for since the NHL went on pause on March 12: The competition for the Stanley Cup with 12 teams in two hub cities, of which Toronto remains one of 10 in contention.

Bettman stressed the health and safety of players and club personnel was paramount, and the timing for the start of Phase 4 is to be determined.

Of course, the plans to return to play are at the whim of the coronavirus. It could be that we don’t see the NHL again until the start of the 2020-21 season, and there’s no certainty as to when that would be.

Let’s assume the NHL’s plans fall into place as the league hopes, even if there are moving dates on the calendar.

Toronto ended the season with a record of 36-25-9 for 81 points, including going 27-15-5 under Sheldon Keefe after the firing of Mike Babcock last November.

The Leafs, seeded eighth in the Eastern Conference based on points percentage, indeed, would play the ninth-seed Columbus Blue Jackets in the play-in qualifying round, with the best-of-five representing the first post-season matchup of the teams.

To put it simply, the series would pit the Leafs’ high-octane offence (their 3.39 goals a game was third in the NHL) against the Blue Jackets’ stifling, nose-to-the-grindstone defence (their 2.61 goals-against a game tied for third-fewest in the NHL).

We wouldn’t want to take anything away from Keefe, but the Jackets would have an edge behind the bench in coach John Tortorella, considering his NHL experience compared to Keefe (1,327), but we would take Frederik Andersen over Elvis Merzlikins or Joonas Korpisalo in goal.

Both teams would be close to full health, and for Toronto, getting defenceman Jake Muzzin and forward Ilya Mikheyev, who were injured when the season was paused, back for the penalty-kill would be crucial.

The Leafs and Jackets were to play each other on March 21 for the third and final time of the season. They met twice, with each team winning once, but not since Oct. 21.

Individually, the Leafs had some good things going for them when play was halted. Matthews was Matthews; Marner wound up with 67 points in 59 games, and captain John Tavares finished with 60 points in 63 games, giving him 148 in 145 in his first two seasons with Toronto. William Nylander and Zach Hyman shone, and Rasmus Sandin was taking steps on the blue line.

The final dozen games, record-wise, summed up the Leafs’ season to a degree. There were inconsistencies as they went 6-5-1, winning their final game against Tampa Bay after going 0-2-1 on a three-game trip through California that produced only three goals.

We buy into what many players have said during the past two months — that teams that are the youngest and most-skilled would have the best shot out of the gate. The Leafs would glide effortlessly into that category.

Now let’s keep our fingers crossed that the NHL positives revealed on Tuesday become reality in the coming months.

tkoshan@postmedia.com

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman Breaks Down Plans for Playoffs — Prime Time Sports Talk

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.

NHL releases Phase 2 of return-to-sport plan; expects early June roll out — Winnipeg Sun

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.

NHL: An explanation of why the Tampa Bay Lightning voted no on NHLPA vote — Empire Sports Media

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

Helene Elliott: Mental health no longer dirty words in macho world of NHL — Kankakee Connected

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

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…
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.

Marner laughs at list now, figures Selke would look good in his trophy case one day — Toronto Sun

Mitch Marner chuckles about it now, the infamous list of lazy Maple Leafs teammates that Mike Babcock had him put together during Marner’s NHL rookie season in 2016-17. Read More
Marner laughs at list now, figures Selke would look good in his trophy case one day — Toronto Sun

Mitch Marner chuckles about it now, the infamous list of lazy Maple Leafs teammates that Mike Babcock had him put together during Marner’s NHL rookie season in 2016-17.

Marner appeared on former teammate Connor Carrick’s podcast this week and Carrick asked: What has been among Marner’s greatest learning opportunities as a Leaf?

“I think one is to never grade your teammates on their work ethic in practice,” Marner said with a laugh. “That one is definitely the top. I was really young, I was really nervous, I didn’t know what to do, so I did it. Next thing I knew, it got reported to the team (by Babcock).”

The Toronto Sun was the first to report the incident last November, not long after Babcock was fired. At the bottom of Marner’s list were veterans James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak and Nazem Kadri.

“Bozie, JVR and Naz have been great throughout my career,” Marner said. “At first, they were jiving me about it, because I didn’t know it was going to get shown to them. I think (Babcock’s) lesson was trying to show the older guys that I’m a young guy and I’m looking up to those three. It didn’t come out that way, but that’s what the goal was.”

During the podcast, Marner also revealed the NHL trophy he would be keen to win.

“The award that would be really cool to be acknowledged for is the Selke (as the best defensive forward),” Marner said. “The names on the Selke are the guys everyone is scared of on the ice.”

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. 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