Kirill Kaprizov scored the shootout winner as the Minnesota Wild defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 on Tuesday night.
Kaprizov was Minnesota’s second shooter and beat Spencer Knight with a wrist shot. Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt stopped all three shootout attempts as the Wild came back from a 3-0 deficit to beat Chicago for the 17th time in 18 games.
Yakov Trenin, Joel Eriksson Ek and Jared Spurgeon scored for Minnesota. Wallstedt stopped 29 of 32 shots.
Teuvo Teravainen, Ryan Donato and Ilya Mikheyev scored for Chicago. Knight made 20 saves.
The Blackhawks took a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Teravainen and Donato.
Mikheyev made it 3-0 nearly six minutes into the second period, when he beat Wallstedt with a wrist shot.
Trenin began the Minnesota comeback when he broke in alone and beat Knight with a wrist shot at 12:33 of the second.
Minnesota cut the Chicago lead to 3-2 early in the third when Quinn Hughes fired a shot that hit Marcus Johansson’s skate and deflected to Erikson Ek, who got his stick down in time to tap it into the net.
Spurgeon knocked in a rebound of an Eriksson Ek shot to tie it with 2:01 to play in the third. The goal came after Minnesota had killed its fourth Chicago power play of the game. The Wild also killed a power play in overtime.
Glenn Hall, who backstopped the Chicago Blackhawks to the 1961 Stanley Cup and was one of the most dominant — and innovative — goaltenders in NHL history, has died. He was 94.
A league historian in touch with Hall’s son, Pat, said Hall died at a hospital Wednesday in Stony Plain, Alberta.
Born in Humboldt, Saskatchewan, on Oct. 3, 1931, Hall captured just about every award a player can achieve during a Hall of Fame career that ran from 1952-1971. He holds the record for consecutive games started in goal at 502 — all without wearing a mask.
Counting the postseason, Hall started 552 games in a row.
“Glenn Hall was the very definition of what all hockey goaltenders aspire to be,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “Glenn was sturdy, dependable, and a spectacular talent in net. That record, set from 1955-56 to 1962-63, still stands, probably always will, and is almost unfathomable.”
Named in 2017 to the league’s 100 Greatest NHL Players list, Hall was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975 after an 18-season career for the Detroit Red Wings (1952-57), Blackhawks (1957-67) and St. Louis Blues (1967-71).
Hawks Chairman and CEO Danny Wirtz called Hall “one of the greatest and most influential goaltenders in our sport and a cornerstone of our franchise.”
“Glenn’s legacy is monumental,” Wirtz said in a statement. “His recognitions are befitting of a career defined by excellence and invention. But it was his consistency and leadership for which he was most revered.
“Glenn’s No. 1 jersey hangs proudly in the United Center rafters, a permanent tribute to this enduring impact on the Blackhawks and the game.”
A jersey worn by goaltender Glenn Hall in the late 1950s sits on display at the Blackhawks Convention on July 16, 2016 at the Hilton Chicago. (Michael Tercha/Chicago Tribune)
The Hawks retired Hall’s number in November 1988 in a pregame ceremony at Chicago Stadium.
The Hawks paid tribute to Hall and former coach and general manager Bob Pulford with a moment of silence before Wednesday night’s game against the Blues at the United Center. Pulford died Monday.
A Hall highlight video was shown on the center-ice videoboard. The lights were turned off for the moment of silence, except for a spotlight on the No. 1 banner for Hall in the rafters.
Hall captured the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie in 1956, was an 11-time All-Star and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the 1968 postseason despite being on a Blues team that lost to the Montreal Canadiens in the finals.
He also is regarded as one of the inventors of the butterfly style of goaltending, later adopted by some of the greatest ever to play the position.
It is for those reasons that Hall was often called “Mr. Goalie,” a moniker he embraced.
“It’s very complimentary,” Hall told the Tribune in 2016. “I do like it.”
Of his legendary work ethic, Hall said: “I worked hard to play well — playing well is not an accident. You have to prepare, you have to be ready, you have to know the opposition and you have to know how your own people are going to play.”
Throughout his career, it was rumored that Hall threw up from nerves before each game, a fact late Hawks Chairman Rocky Wirtz supported, having witnessed it while attending games during his youth at Chicago Stadium.
“At the time, our seats were right behind the bench and there was no glass, it was just a railing,” Rocky Wirtz once told the Tribune. “You’d see him come over and the trainer would bring over an aluminum pail and Hall would come over and lean over and get sick and then go back to the net. He’d do that every game.”
Goaltender Glenn Hall, top left, protects the net against the Red Wings during the Stanley Cup Final on April 16, 1961, in Detroit. (Chicago Tribune)
Successful at each stop of his career, Hall was on top of his game with the Hawks after arriving via a trade with the Red Wings following the 1956-57 season. Hall was voted a first-team All-Star five times and a second-team All-Star three times during his decade with the organization. He posted a 276-229-107 record and 2.60 goals-against average in 618 regular-season games with the Hawks.
“Glenn Hall was one of the greatest goalies in the history of the game and played a major role in our winning the Stanley Cup (in ’61),” former Hawks President John McDonough said in 2017. “He is a world-class gentleman, very respectful of the game and really isn’t much for accolades whatsoever. But he is a big, big part of this franchise. A great Hall of Famer.”
Despite winning the Vezina Trophy, which at the time was awarded to the goalies on the team that allowed the fewest goals, for the third time in 1966-67, the Hawks left Hall unprotected in the NHL expansion draft, and the Blues pounced.
“He put us on the map there,” Scotty Bowman, Hall’s coach with the Blues, told NHL.com in 2017. “Glenn was a breed apart. Not only for what he did on the ice, but for how he was in the locker room and with fans. In a class by himself.”
Hall was in net when Boston’s Bobby Orr scored in overtime to win the Cup for the Bruins in 1970, a goal that’s among the most famous in hockey history because of the flying through the air celebration that followed.
Hall finished with a 407-326-164 record and 2.50 goals-against average in 906 career games.
Fellow Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur, the league’s all-time leader in wins with 691 and games played with 1,266, posted a photo of the last time he saw Hall along with a remembrance of him.
“Glenn Hall was a legend, and I was a big fan of his,” Brodeur wrote on X. “He set the standard for every goaltender who followed. His toughness and consistency defined what it meant to play.”
Chris Kuc is a former Chicago Tribune sports reporter. Associated Press contributed.
We’re just over a month into the NHL regular season, and for some teams, the high hopes and optimism of the preseason have faded away for one reason or another.
The Athletic asked its NHL staff this week for each team’s biggest concern at this point. The responses covered the full spectrum, from goaltending and lack of offense to bad defense, injuries and more. Here’s what they said.
Their offense is still bottom tier: The Ducks have scored only one or two goals in six of their 10 games. They’ve avoided being shut out but their 2.2 goals per game ranks 31st, putting them above only the equally punchless New York Islanders. Several of their top offensive players are struggling. Mason McTavish and Cutter Gauthier have yet to score. Frank Vatrano and Trevor Zegras each have one empty net goal. It hasn’t helped that their power play is just 4-for-31, but they’re also being decisively outshot by an average of nine. The offense would really be inept if Troy Terry, Leo Carlsson and Ryan Strome didn’t have 12 of their 22 goals. Lukas Dostal’s tremendous goaltending is keeping them afloat. — Eric Stephens
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Five-on-five offense: Through 11 games, the Bruins have scored only 16 five-on-five goals. David Pastrnak has just one. Brad Marchand, Charlie Coyle, Pavel Zacha and Morgan Geekie, all of whom started the season in the top six, have zero. It would be one thing if the Bruins had high-end goaltending like they did for the past three seasons. Jeremy Swayman, without Linus Ullmark, is still finding his game. — Fluto Shinzawa
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Secondary scoring: Heading into Friday night, the Sabres had only two power-play goals this season and had only one goal total from second-liners Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn. Of Buffalo’s 24 five-on-five goals, 11 have come with Tage Thompson on the ice. Lindy Ruff tried mixing up the second and third lines this week in an effort to get more from players like Cozens and Quinn. The second line and power play are the key to getting more consistent offense. — Matthew Fairburn
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Are young players still progressing? This should be the No. 1 priority for the Flames. Connor Zary is near the top of the Flames’ leaderboard in points. That’s good. Dustin Wolf has lost his last two starts after winning his first three. That’s less good. The shine of Martin Pospisil as a center has already worn off. That’s also less good, but at least he’s playing with Zary again. Matthew Coronato doesn’t have a regular spot in the lineup. The Flames crashing down to Earth after a hot start was expected. It’s all about the youth continuing to push themselves forward. — Julian McKenzie
Goaltending: The Hurricanes’ goaltending has been good — entering Friday’s games, Carolina had allowed the second-fewest goals in the league at 2.33 per game — but that doesn’t mean there isn’t cause for concern. Frederik Andersen missed Monday’s game in Vancouver, leading to Spencer Martin being recalled. Andersen was later announced to be out week to week with a lower-body injury. Andersen (3-1-0, .941 save percentage, 1.48 goals-against average) had a better GAA and save percentage than Pyotr Kochetkov (4-1-0, .891, 2.61) in October, and the Hurricanes are thin after Martin should another injury occur. The position is surely on the minds of the coaching staff and front office. — Cory Lavalette
Goal scoring: There’s no doubt the Blackhawks are a better team than a season ago, but the offense remains an area of concern. They just don’t have a ton of depth scoring. They could especially use more five-on-five scoring from Tyler Bertuzzi, Taylor Hall, Philipp Kurashev, Ilya Mikheyev and Teuvo Teräväinen. Those five players combined for four goals in five-on-five play through the first 11 games. — Scott Powers
Goaltending: Colorado’s .858 save percentage ranks last in the NHL, and it’s without a doubt the biggest contributor to the disappointing start to the season. The Avalanche haven’t been bad defensively by most metrics, allowing the 10th-fewest expected goals per 60 minutes, but all three goalies have struggled. Alexandar Georgiev’s minus-9.42 GSAx ranks 71st out of the 71 goalies to play this season, more than three goals worse than the next goalie. He should progress back to being near the league average, but it needs to happen quickly before the Avalanche lose too much ground in an incredibly competitive Central Division. — Jesse Granger
Paper-thin depth: The Blue Jackets’ 5-4-1 start is solid enough just at face value. But considering the players they’ve lost to injuries — captain Boone Jenner, Kent Johnson, Dmitri Voronkov and defenseman Erik Gudbranson — they’ve patched lines together and continued to play well. However, they can’t possibly suffer that many injuries and expect to compete. Right? Right? — Aaron Portzline
Wyatt Johnston has one goal and four assists in nine games this season. (Jerome Miron / Imagn Images)
Wyatt Johnston’s lack of scoring: It’s all relative, right? The Stars don’t have a whole lot to be concerned about. They’re 7-3-0, Jake Oettinger is in top form, Matt Duchene is having a turn-back-the-clock season. But this was supposed to be the year Johnston took that final step into superstardom. Instead, he has one goal and four assists in 10 games, he has some of the worst possession numbers on the team and is on the third line while Logan Stankoven takes over on the top line. The Stars were still outscoring opponents 6-3 at five-on-five (heading into Friday) with Johnston on the ice; it’s hardly a crisis. But if the Stars are going to make another Stanley Cup run this season, Johnston has to be a big part of it. — Mark Lazerus
A lack of offensive zone time: There are a lot of concerns accompanying Detroit’s 4-5-1 start, but this is the one that sums them all up best. Detroit just hasn’t spent enough time in its opponent’s end. According to data from NHL EDGE, the Red Wings have played just 37.3 percent of the time in the offensive zone, the lowest percentage in the league. That stat is likely a symptom of multiple issues, including getting hemmed into their own zone too often and flaws with the team’s forecheck, but it sums up Detroit’s offensive woes accurately. The Red Wings knew they lost a lot of offense this summer and that it would be hard to replace, but they’re not even really giving themselves a chance to do so. — Max Bultman
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Connor McDavid’s injury: The Oilers got off to a good start in their first full game without McDavid, who’s expected out of the lineup for two to three weeks with a lower-body injury. They recorded a season-high five goals in a victory over the Nashville Predators on Thursday. But that’s just one game and it was against Nashville. They always beat Nashville. The Oilers won just once in five tries last season with McDavid sidelined due to injury, and they’ll be in tough until he returns. Even with the Music City result, the Oilers still have just five wins in their first 11 games. A slide this month could cost them the Pacific Division crown they’re coveting. — Daniel Nugent-Bowman
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The third pair: Everything is going about as well as could be expected for the defending champs, starting with Aleksander Barkov’s return to the lineup, but they’re going to need to figure out how to proceed with their bottom defensive pairing. There are three possible combinations of Adam Boqvist, Nate Schmidt and Uvis Balinskis, and none have been good — Florida has been outscored 10-1 with them on the ice. — Sean Gentille
Quinton Byfield is without a goal over the first 11 contests. (Jason Parkhurst / Imagn Images)
Quinton Byfield’s slow start: Byfield is without a goal over the first 11 contests. He’s chipped in five assists, but it’s not the kind of beginning he or the Kings imagined after the sides agreed on a five-year extension worth $31.25 million. His advanced metrics aren’t bad, and the Kings haven’t done him any favors by committing to return him to his natural position at center and abandoning that just five games in. It’s possible that he bounces between the middle and the wing, which may not be great for maintaining consistency or chemistry with his linemates. The worry with him offensively is that he’s had a tendency to fall into lengthy scoring droughts. Even in his breakout last season, the 22-year-old went 19 games without a goal before he scored his 20th in the regular-season finale. — Eric Stephens
Jared Spurgeon’s health: One big reason the Wild were confident this season would be better than last was the return of the captain after he was limited to 16 games last season due to shoulder, hip and back injuries. But after season-ending hip and back surgeries, Spurgeon was sidelined after his second game and missed six in a row before returning Tuesday in Pittsburgh. The team has said the discomfort is “part of the healing process.” Spurgeon said they took “different routes” medically to get him back in the lineup, but he couldn’t say he was confident this would not be a season-long issue. The good news is the Wild went 4-1-1 without him. — Michael Russo
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A lack of maturity: When you are the second-youngest team in the NHL, with the youngest blue line, a lack of maturity probably should not be a concern. It should be expected. But despite their youth, the Canadiens have elevated internal expectations, and that means recognizing game situations and just how badly things can go wrong when your reads are off. Basic notions like playing a deep game, defensive coverage on faceoffs or defensive zone play in general have been problems at various points already this season. Perhaps it’s a sign this team is not yet mature enough to execute relatively simple concepts, but if the Canadiens hope to be mildly competitive this season, they will need to mature in a hurry. — Arpon Basu
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Nashville Predators
No. 2 center: Defensive zone coverage deserves a nod, as well. Though the Preds have rebounded well from losing their first five games, they are still forcing Juuse Saros to deal with too many Grade-A chances. But just as Saros, the power play and other aspects of the Preds’ game are progressing, that will, too. There’s no clear answer on No. 2 center, which is part of why Andrew Brunette has done so much shuffling with his top two lines. The answer is likely on another roster right now. — Joe Rexrode
Ondřej Palát’s struggles: The Devils are off to a solid start, and their forward group has been good. Palát, however, is off to a slow start. Entering Friday, he had the worst expected-goals-for percentage among Devils forwards, according to Natural Stat Trick, and was averaging his lowest ice time per game since his rookie season. — Peter Baugh
New York Islanders
Goals: When you get shut out four times in your first 10 games, there can be no other concern that tops this one. The Islanders haven’t been a goal-scoring juggernaut for a long time, but this season’s futility is a new low — and they’ve been shut out by very mediocre teams (Red Wings, Ducks, Blue Jackets) to make it even worse. — Arthur Staple
The Rangers could use a Mika Zibanejad resurgence. (Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
Mika Zibanejad’s struggles: Zibanejad had seven points in nine games through Thursday, which on the surface is a respectable total. But he was also a minus-3, and coach Peter Laviolette lowered his ice time from past seasons. His underlying numbers have suffered, too. The Rangers had only 41 percent of the expected goals share with him on the ice at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick, and were getting out-chanced with him on the ice. Center play is vital for playoff teams, and the Rangers could use a Zibanejad resurgence. — Peter Baugh
The defense: The Sens defense has had good moments like an 8-1 domination over the St. Louis Blues. But they’ve still allowed three goals or more in the majority of games. The Senators have also adjusted to life without Artem Zub, who normally plays alongside Jake Sanderson, and are making the most of their Jacob Bernard-Docker—Tyler Kleven pair. But if the Sens want to compete, they will still need an extra defender. — Julian McKenzie
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Five-on-five scoring: Through their first 11 games, the Flyers have managed only 16 goals at five-on-five — and five of those came in a single game, a win over Minnesota on Oct. 26. Part of that is because they have looked much too disjointed all over the ice at times and have too often been hemmed in their own zone. But players like Morgan Frost (zero five-on-five goals), Matvei Michkov (zero), Travis Konecny (zero), Owen Tippett (1), Tyson Foerster (1) and Joel Farabee (1) have still had plenty of opportunities to do more damage and haven’t. — Kevin Kurz
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Erik Karlsson’s offensive production: Never an own-zone marvel, Karlsson has consistently created chances at a historic rate for defensemen. That is not the case this season, as his paltry point total reflects an ineffectiveness offensively that is very outside the norm. Karlsson is in Pittsburgh to be a prolific offensive force. But he had only one goal and seven points through 12 games, and he hasn’t driven play the way he has in previous seasons. Perhaps an upper-body injury that kept him from participating in training camp remains an issue, or at least it didn’t afford him the time he needed to get game-ready. Whatever the cause, Karlsson’s poor offensive start is one of the big reasons the Penguins began 3-7-1 and look nowhere close to competing for the playoffs. — Rob Rossi
Will Smith’s early struggles: Eight games. No points. It was weighing on the 19-year-old rookie, who also was scratched from three other contests as part of the team’s load management plan for him over the first half of the season. It looked like the former Boston College star was having trouble with the speed and size of the NHL game as he had minimal impact. Thursday night saw the pressure valve pop. Smith scored his first goal (and his first point) when he beat Chicago goalie Petr Mrázek in the first period and then added another successful wrist shot in the second that would be the winning goal in a 3-2 victory. The big night should be a confidence jolt for the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft, who is expected to be a big part of San Jose’s future. — Eric Stephens
Backup goaltending: The Kraken have played well in the first month, but despite some promising signs, they are still chugging along at roughly a .500 point percentage. They’re one of only two Pacific Division teams in the black by goal differential and their underlying profile looks consistent with that of a playoff team, but they’ve been held back by porous depth goaltending performances in October. Philipp Grubauer is sporting an .881 save percentage across his four starts, and the Kraken have won just one of those four games. It’s early yet and the samples are small, but for a team like Seattle, you need to be at least at a .500 point percentage in games your backup goaltender plays if you’re going to be a playoff team. In the first month of the season, Seattle’s depth goaltending prevented it from consolidating a more auspicious start. — Thomas Drance
St. Louis Blues
Robert Thomas’ injury: Thomas suffered a fractured ankle Oct. 22 and will be re-evaluated in late November. Any club that loses its No. 1 center will miss him, but the Blues were already thin at the position. They’ve forced winger Pavel Buchnevich into the role, which hasn’t worked as they hoped. The offense (2.7 goals per game, tied for 24th in the league) and power play (16.7 percent, 21st) are struggling. As a result, the team has played a lot of catch-up hockey, trailing by two goals or more in seven of its 11 games. Thomas can’t get back soon enough. — Jeremy Rutherford
Depth support: Depth was always going to be a weakness in Tampa Bay. Cap casualties have depleted the bottom six and third pair, and management hasn’t found cost-effective options to adequately replace what the Lightning lost. Outside of Nick Paul, the bottom six is pretty much a black hole for offense. While the team’s strategy is built around its elite core, and with Ryan McDonagh back, plus Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli clicking, the supporting cast got a major boost. But the bottom of the lineup seriously lacks. — Shayna Goldman
The power play: On one hand, this is surprising. On the other, it’s not surprising at all. The surprising aspect: The Leafs have had one of the league’s top regular-season power plays for years and still boast all the same familiar parts of it. Strong starts have been the norm for the five-pack of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, John Tavares and Morgan Rielly. That same unit, of course, struggled mightily in second halves year after year and, more damagingly, in the postseason. The Leafs, with first-year coach Craig Berube, opted to keep that top group intact to start the season. That’s changed recently, with Berube pivoting to two balanced units. Whether that makes a difference in the long run (if the Leafs even stick with it) is very much TBD. — Jonas Siegel
Where did the offense go? After a terrific 3-0 start where the team piled up goals and brought the Salt Lake City crowd to its feet, it has been a tough go for the Utahns. They have only two wins in their last eight games, a stretch during which they’re 29th in the NHL in goals scored. Even with their two big losses on defense — Sean Durzi and John Marino are both out with long-term injuries — they’ve managed to play OK in their own end, but the power play has been misfiring and top prospect Josh Doan was sent down to Tucson. Utah especially needs more from Logan Cooley, Barrett Hayton and Lawson Crouse, who have combined for just six points during this funk. — James Mirtle
The power play: Vancouver’s core group has high-end skill and it’s consistently combined on the power play to manufacture goals at about a 22 percent clip over the past several seasons — which is very good, but not elite. For whatever reason through the first month of the season, however, the power play is struggling enormously to get set up and generate shot attempts. Though the conversion rate is just below average — buoyed by a two-goal outburst against the Blackhawks in mid-October — Vancouver’s power play isn’t passing the eye test and its underlying footprint is league-worst. The Canucks, for example, are the only team in the NHL generating shot attempts at a rate south of 80 attempts per hour. And they’re in the mid-70s. They’re also generating shots at a league-worst rate. If that continues, the club will need to get lucky or shoot at an incredibly efficient clip to produce at even an average rate with the man advantage. Even if the Canucks have the skill level to pull that off, it’s a very tough way to live. — Thomas Drance
Performance on the road: The difference between how the Golden Knights have performed inside the friendly confines of T-Mobile Arena compared to on the road has been stark. Vegas is a perfect 7-0-0 at home but has yet to win in four contests as the visitor. Part of that could be competition, as all four opponents on the road were playoff teams a year ago. It could also be a result of the lineup not being quite as deep as it once was. Vegas’ top line of Jack Eichel, Mark Stone and Ivan Barbashev has dominated, but on the road, it’s tougher for coach Bruce Cassidy to get favorable matchups. — Jesse Granger
The power play: It feels like picking nits given how good the Caps look overall, but there’s some work to be done with the man advantage. They’re 30th in percentage, which is rough, but it might be as simple as getting a bounce or two because they’re generating chances. As a team, they’re at 9.35 expected goals per 60, ninth in the league. In other words, the process isn’t broken. — Sean Gentille
The Jets are special teams merchants: Last year’s Jets would have loved a power play this good: an NHL-best 45.2 percent behemoth that has looked dangerous from every position on the ice. Kyle Connor is on fire, tied for the power-play goals lead with four, and Cole Perfetti has three from the second unit. The problem is that this year’s Jets are not as good at even strength as last year’s team. The 10-1-0 record deserves plaudits, but Winnipeg has outscored its opponents only 27-20 at five-on-five. Those numbers are top-10 as opposed to best in the league like the Jets were last season. Keep working on that through a grueling November schedule and this team will be a contender. — Murat Ates
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(Top photo of Connor McDavid and Erik Karlsson: Curtis Comeau / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Feb 19, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Jesperi Kotkaniemi (82) celebrates his goal against the Chicago Blackhawks during the second period at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
James Guillory
James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
Raleigh
After a morning skate at PNC Arena, Chicago Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson was asked about the Carolina Hurricanes and what impressed him most about their style of play.
“They are fast,” he said. “Not every single one of them is lightning-speed fast, but the way they play together is really fast,” he added. “They don’t give you a lot of room to breathe. They’re intense.”
The Hurricanes, playing their third game in four days, were fast and intense enough later in taking a 6-3 victory over the Blackhawks at PNC Arena.
Martin Necas and Sebastian Aho each had a goal and assist as the Canes (33-17-5) returned to their home rink after a pair of road wins against Arizona and Vegas. Goalie Spencer Martin, making a second straight start, earned his third win.
The Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard, playing his third game since returning from a broken jaw, had a power-play goal and added two assists, showing off the skills that made him the No. 1 pick of the 2023 NHL draft. Bedard fueled a push by Chicago (15-38-7), which trailed 5-1 before making the Canes squirm a little in the third.
Martin was the winner Saturday against the Golden Knights and was the starter again Monday as Pyotr Kochetkov was feeling ill and missed the morning skate.
Chicago had a familiar face in net: former Canes goalie Petr Mrazek. But Necas, one of his good friends in the league, had a big hand in beating the fellow Czech.
Necas set up Michael Bunting for a goal in the first period, then used some nifty puck-handling to slip in and snipe one past Mrazek for a 2-0 lead.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored his first goal in 23 games, and Aho got his 20th of the season as the Canes added three goals in the second. Defenseman Brent Burns added a power-play goal in the third and Jordan Martinook an empty-netter.
Chicago’s Nick Foligno got the Hawks on the board in the second with a backhander. Tyler Johnson scored a power-play goal in the third as the Blackhawks struck twice against a team that was third in the NHL in penalty killing.
Claimed on waivers Jan. 19 from the Columbus Blue Jackets, unsure of how long he might be needed or with the Canes, Martin won his first start for Carolina at Boston and then against the Golden Knights.
Martin went 24 days between his first two starts. But with Kochetkov “under the weather” Monday, according to Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour, Martin was given the net for a second straight game, allowing him to make his first start at PNC Arena.
Feb 19, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Chicago Blackhawks right wing Taylor Raddysh (11) misses his tip attempt against Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Spencer Martin (41) during the second period at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports James Guillory James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
Andersen causes doubletakes
The Canes had an interesting morning skate Monday, turning heads.
Kochetkov was not on the ice but Frederik Andersen was — in the starter’s crease.
But the word quickly was passed that Andersen, who now has missed the past 43 games, was just getting in more practice time and taking shots. He would not play or serve as a backup Monday.
Brind’Amour said having Andersen participate in another practice was “encouraging.”
“I think it’s good for him just to get back into some sort of normal flow,” Brind’Amour said. “Obviously, he’s not ready to go yet, but every day that he practices is hopefully a step closer to getting him in there.”
First look at Bedard
When the Blackhawks’ Bedard suffered a broken jaw on Jan. 5, taking an open-ice hit from the Devils’ Brendan Smith, it seemed unlikely he would be back in time for the game at PNC Arena.
But Bedard, called a generational talent by many NHL observers. had a quicker-than-expected return and was playing his third game in his first PNC Arena appearance. He had a goal and two assists, and had another goal overturned by an offside call.
“Special player,” Brind’Amour said after Monday’s morning skate. “When you watch him play, he’s dynamic and exciting. He’s one of those rare talents that comes along that when they get the puck on their stick, there’s always something happening.”
Bedard, who has been playing with a full shield, said his first year in the league has been a “lot of fun” other than the injury and losing more games than he or the Hawks have wanted.
Bedard leads NHL rookies in goals (16) and points (36) despite missing 14 games, and was named to the 2024 NHL All-Star Game.
In more than 40 years at The N&O, Chip Alexander has covered the N.C. State, UNC, Duke and East Carolina beats, and now is in his 15th season on the Carolina Hurricanes beat. Alexander, who has won numerous writing awards at the state and national level, covered the Hurricanes’ move to North Carolina in 1997 and was a part of The N&O’s coverage of the Canes’ 2006 Stanley Cup run.
SCOOP CITY! In a report from the Chicago Sun-Times, the Chicago Blackhawks have been tabbed to participate in the 2025 Winter Classic. Their opponent? Rival St. Louis Blues. The annual New Year’s Day hockey face-off will take place at Wrigley Field and will be the Blackhawks’ fifth time participating in the Winter Classic. It’s the second time Wrigley Field will play host, and it’s the second time the Blackhawks and Blues will face each other.
Unfortunately, for the Blackhawks, the Winter Classic has not been kind to the five-time Stanley Cup champions. They are 0-4 in their four appearances.
2009 | Wrigley Field | Chicago, IL | Detroit Red Wings (6) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (4)
2015 | Nationals Park | Washington D.C. | Chicago Blackhawks (2) vs. Washington Capitals (3)
2017 | Busch Stadium | St. Louis, MO | Chicago Blackhawks (1) vs. St. Louis Blues (4)
2019 | Notre Dame Stadium | Notre Dame, IN | Boston Bruins (4) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (2)
Yeah, not great. A couple of takeaways from the report:
The official announcement for the 2025 Winter Classic will come during the Wednesday night NHL broadcast on TNT.
The Blackhawks and Blues played in the 2017 Winter Classic at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. The Blues won 4-1.
This will be the second time Wrigley Field is hosting the Winter Classic. They hosted the Detroit Red Wings in 2009. Fenway Park is the only other venue to host multiple classics.
The Blackhawks are not great. In fact, they are the worst team in all of hockey with only 30 points and a league-worst 105 goals scored. The future is bright(er), though, with teenage phenom Connor Bedard. And, given the Blackhawks futility this season, stands to reason that they would in line to add another young superstar going into the 2025 season, too.
It’s that buzz that landed the Hawks another Winter Classic game, and it makes sense that they’ll play host to the 2025 edition at the Friendly Confines. Let’s all just hope that next year’s iteration of the outdoor spectacle turns out a bit more fortuitous for the hometown Hawks.
“Sid is still doing Sid things,” another player told The Athletic. “There’s a lot of players where I go like, ‘Wow.’”
It’s always fun to hear NHL players’ astonishment at the game’s top players, and there was plenty of it in The Athletic’s player poll this season. Our NHL staff spent the first half of the season asking nearly 200 players:
Who’s the best player?
Who’s the best goalie?
Who are the most underrated and overrated players?
Who’s the player you’d most like to punch?
Best and worst refs?
Favorite jerseys?
Favorite and least favorite road cities?
We also asked about more nuanced topics like neck guards and gambling. Those results will be coming in stories over the next week.
For now, let’s jump in on the NHL’s great debates.
A bit closer than you’d expect? Probably. But for most, it’s still McDavid.
“There’s just nobody like him,” one player said of the Edmonton Oilers captain. “Nobody does what he does.”
“I don’t think there’s going to be a discussion about that for many years,” another said.
“It’s just everything,” another said. “He can do everything.”
So where does the debate creep in? For many players, the league’s best player in the pre-McDavid era may not be getting his due.
“If there was one game and everything was on the line? I’m going with Sid every time,” one player said of the Pittsburgh Penguins great.
“With Crosby … you’re almost concerned about everyone else because he’s going to find everyone else,” another said. “With McDavid, you’re just trying to catch up to him, and that’s the hardest thing to do. But they’re both great.”
And the MacKinnon-McDavid debate has taken a big step as MacKinnon got his ring and as he plows the Colorado Avalanche toward the playoffs:
“I’ll go with McDavid still, but MacKinnon’s definitely pushing him,” one player said.
“McDavid is the answer, but MacKinnon is right there,” another echoed. “Nobody else jumps onto the ice with a burst of speed like him.”
Among those who picked MacKinnon, competitiveness, explosiveness and winning were the keywords.
“He just brings all his teammates into the fight every night,” one player said. “To me, the most competitive star. And, obviously, he’s a winner.”
“He’s just so explosive,” another said. “Whenever he’s on the ice, something is going to happen.”
“He’s just a horse,” another added. “There’s not much you can do when he’s got the puck.”
And what of the league’s scoring leader, Kucherov, a two-time champion himself with the Tampa Bay Lightning?
“So good at so many things,” said one player who voted for him. “The kind of 200-foot player that doesn’t get enough credit.”
“He just doesn’t get a lot of hype being in Tampa, right?” another added. “He’s a quiet superstar, man. He’s spectacular.”
Justifications for other picks?
On Makar, MacKinnon’s defensive counterpart in Colorado: “As a defenseman, he’s on the ice more and has got the ability to control the game a little bit more.”
On Barkov, the captain of the reigning East champion Florida Panthers: “A true leader on the ice, and you can really look up to him.”
Some will say Vasilevskiy, who enters the All-Star break with a sub-.900 save percentage, hasn’t been the same after all the long Lightning playoff runs and his subsequent back surgery.
NHL players, though, still view him as the Mount Rushmore goalie they don’t want to see in the other net.
“He’s proven it over and over again,” one player said.
“Just a big-game guy,” another said.
“I have never seen a guy that big be that athletic and that competitive,” added another.
Hellebuyck, The Athletic’s prohibitive staff favorite to win the Vezina Trophy this season at the break, was another popular pick.
One Russian forward, who voted for Sorokin, first made sure that his name was being left off this story. “Don’t tell Shesterkin I said that,” he said.
Fleury, who this season played his 1,000th game and passed Patrick Roy for No. 2 all-time in wins, might have been the biggest surprise, receiving five votes. The beloved icon might be getting credit more for his career achievements and infectious smile than his play in net for the Minnesota Wild, as one player admitted.
“I know he’s not the best, but I like him the best,” he said. “He robbed me stacking the pads earlier in the year. He’s been so good for so long. I’m sticking with Flower.”
“He’s starting to get some credit now,” one player said. “But I think he still deserves more.”
There was debate as to whether a player of Barkov’s esteem can still be called underrated among some other players, though.
“(Barkov) is not underrated,” said one player, who voted for Rantanen. “He’s a marked man every night.”
“Everyone’s been saying Barkov for so long, but (he’s) not underrated,” another player agreed.
That player voted for Barkov’s teammate, Reinhart, who has 37 goals, second only to Matthews’ 40 in the NHL, and was another popular pick.
“He’s obviously scoring a lot this year, but he’s always kind of done all those things,” one player said.
Point, similarly playing alongside superstars in a nontraditional market (Tampa Bay), received the third-most votes.
“He doesn’t get a lot of attention, but he does everything, man,” one player said.
“He scored 50-something last year (51), and I don’t remember anyone talking about it,” another said. “He’s so fast, and he’s just the engine of that team.”
Keeping with the good-player, small-market theme, seven players pointed to the Winnipeg Jets’ Connor, quietly a point-per-game player each of the past two seasons.
“He’s so good at creating time and space,” one said. “Nobody really talks about him.”
“He doesn’t get much love,” another added. “He just scores every year.”
Other picks?
On Kaprizov, the Minnesota Wild’s star and engine: “He’s a superstar in my opinion, but no one really talks about him in that category of the top guys. He’s a beast.”
On classic underrated pick Slavin from the Carolina Hurricanes: “It’s kind of getting to the point where everyone’s talking about him and people are kind of noticing, but he’s so good. I’ll say him again, but it’s probably the last year. I still think he doesn’t get as much credit as he should.”
And on Charlie Coyle, a veteran stepping into big shoes in the Boston Bruins’ lineup and helping lead them to the East’s best record: “He replaced (Patrice) Bergeron really well. He wins faceoffs and does a lot of things for them.”
He’s the lacrosse-style goal king, was on the cover of EA Sports’ NHL 2023 and is popular with the kids, but can he lead a team to the playoffs?
NHLers still have some doubts about Zegras.
“A lot of hype around him, in terms of some of the cool goals and plays that he’s made,” one said. “I feel like that doesn’t translate to an everyday type of (player). He was on the cover of the NHL (game). There was a lot of hype, I’d say.
“Nothing against the guy. I just think that got hyped a lot instead of the play, consistently, night-in, night-out on the ice.”
Nurse, the second-leading vote-getter, meanwhile, was singled out more for his contract ($9.25 million average annual value) than for his on-ice value or hype.
“He’s a hell of a player,” one player said. “I just think he makes the same as Makar, and that’s kind of crazy.”
Matthew Tkachuk and the Dallas Stars’ Robertson, both coming off 109-point seasons and playing for top teams, register as a bit of a surprise, tying for the third-most votes. The justification? Great players, but not ones who belong in the true top-top tier of NHLers.
On Tkachuk, one player said, “He got overrated in the playoffs last year. Everyone was talking about him being one of the best players in the world. I don’t see it. He’s a great player, but people talk about him like he’s top 10 in the world.”
And another on Robertson: “Sometimes you don’t really see him during the game and he finishes with three points. He still produces, but for me, he’s not like MacKinnon. He’s a game-changer, but not like these guys.”
“I’m sure everybody has said Marchand, right?” one player said. Actually, no! The Panthers’ Cousins seems to have stolen the “most-hated opponent” crown from the Bruins’ captain.
“Played against him a long time,” one player said of Cousins. “Always hated the guy.”
“He’s gonna get a lot of answers on this one,” another rightly predicted.
“I’m buddies with him and I’d still say him,” said a third.
Not that Marchand doesn’t still get some, um, love here, too.
“I love the guy, but it’s probably Marchand for sure,” one player said.
“I mean, Marchand’s always a good (player) you want to punch,” another said.
Other favorite least-favorites?
On the Stars’ Marchment: “I think he dives a little bit.”
On Washington Capitals’ big man Wilson: “He’s not a rat. I respect that. But I’d still like to punch him.”
And on the Buffalo Sabres’ Skinner: “He’s just annoying to play against.”
McCauley and Sutherland are icons of the reffing profession, and as is probably expected, they come in as the top two picks here.
For NHL players, the refs’ approachability and communication are key.
“He’ll talk to you if you get a penalty,” one player said of McCauley, an NHL ref since 2003. “He’ll tell you what you did wrong. He’s not one of those selfish guys who will try to take over a game. He’s one of the honest guys.”
“You can talk to him,” another agreed. “He’ll tell you what he saw on a call you didn’t like — reason with you. There’s more of a human element.”
McCauley’s on-ice flair also got compliments, with one player saying he’s “kinda funny,” another saying “he seems to have fun” and a third saying “I like the theatrics.”
On Sutherland, an NHL ref since 2000, players made a point of how proactive he’ll be in letting them know where the line is.
“He might even come up to me and say, ‘Hey, listen, you were borderline there. If you do that again, I might call you,’” one player said. “He’ll kind of give you a warning if it’s something he thinks is a little ticky-tacky.”
“He communicates the best,” another said. “I remember a few years back, he made a bad call. … We had him the next night, and he waited by our bus, so when (the player) came off the bus, he could tell him he screwed up that call and say he was sorry. Just the best communicator, and guys have a lot of respect for that.”
Other refs got similar kudos for communication, but the most common answer was summed up by one player who voted for McCauley: “He’s the only ref whose name I know.”
In the mid-1990s, refs stopped wearing names on their jerseys, and as a result, “I don’t know any of them,” one player said.
“God, I wish I knew their names,” another added.
“I don’t know enough of them (to answer),” another said. “I’d know them by face.”
The Athletic supports referees and didn’t want to give players this space to take individual potshots, so we’ll leave it at the numbers here, beyond pointing to a few interesting results/trends:
• St Pierre was the top choice despite having a long-term injury and now being out of the league.
• If McCauley and Sutherland got praised for their communication, the opposite was true for votes on worst ref, where commentary focused mainly on not giving players respect, being arrogant and being closed off to conversation.
• And, of course, the votes go with the calls. One player who voted for McCauley as the worst ref said it was nothing personal or about communication. It was just that “when I know he’s the ref, I (get called for a penalty) all the time.”
The Original Six may not have produced a Stanley Cup champion since 2015, but their jerseys still reign supreme, taking all of the top spots here.
“You’ve got to go Original Six,” one player said.
“To me, it was always between the Red Wings and the Blackhawks,” said another. “I think Chicago’s got the best.”
“I like Detroit’s,” another said. “All the Original Sixes are good, but that’s my favorite. It’s such a great logo.”
And on the New York Rangers, the third-place finisher, one player said: “Their home jersey is just so clean.”
If players weren’t going for the NHL’s original teams, it seems, they were going for the most recent ones.
Of the Seattle Kraken (first season 2021-22), one player said, “Those are pretty cool, man. The color scheme is something you’ve never seen before.”
And the previous expansion team, the Golden Knights (2017-18): “It’s different and unique.”
The vote focused on teams’ main home and away jerseys, but quite a few players also singled out teams’ alternate jerseys, none more than the Ducks’, which got six shout-outs.
One of four players who mentioned the Flames’ “Blasty” jerseys said, “I remember Iginla in the horse head.”
And speaking of recent jerseys, of the Seattle Kraken outdoor jersey, one player said, “I think that was the best jersey we’ve seen” and another simply, “Sick.”
Then, of course, there’s the Jersey jersey: “I love those. They’re just so funny and clean-looking.”
Of course. This one had to come down to Sin City and the City That Never Sleeps.
It’s not just the dining options and nightlife. It’s the arena experience, players said.
“Just the atmosphere,” one said of Vegas. “As soon as you get out for warmups, it’s a nightclub vibe. Everyone is just buzzing.”
“The energy in that building is crazy,” another said.
“The atmosphere is sick, the rink’s sick, the hotels are sick,” another added. “The whole trip to Vegas is unreal.”
On the other hand, as one player said, “You can never go wrong with New York.”
“Most places to walk around, most great restaurants you can find,” another said. “And obviously playing in Madison Square Garden is something special every time.”
“I love MSG,” a third agreed.
Other contenders?
On Chicago: “I love the anthem, and I think the city’s great. Good atmosphere. Not as big as New York, so I don’t feel like the walls are closing in on me if I’m there for a few days. I mean, I love New York, but it gets busy in a hurry. Chicago, I think it’s got everything: the arts, the sports, good restaurants. But it’s not as crowded as New York.”
On Sunrise/Ft. Lauderdale: “I love the weather and beaches.”
On Nashville: “I’m a big country music guy.”
On Dallas: “Great weather. Such a nice place to spend a day.”
And Tampa: “The fans are great” and, “It’s just loud, rowdy.”
Cold weather and not much to do around the arena …
It’s not just Winnipeg. That’s the theme with all of the top picks.
“It’s pathetic,” said a third. “It’s not The Show. Can’t take it seriously.”
Complaints elsewhere were a bit more specific, from the sad fan base in San Jose to the size of the dressing-room stalls in Washington to the “hotel we stay in” in Minneapolis/St. Paul. And of course, on Columbus:
“The cannon.”
(Top graphic by John Bradford / The Athletic, with photos from Mike Ehrmann, Jonathan Kozub and Michael Martin / Getty Images)
Gino Cavallini knows precisely what would have happened if Connor Bedard or Trevor Zegras pulled off or even attempted a lacrosse-style shot in his day.
“They would have started a line brawl,” said Cavallini, who played in the NHL in the 1980s and 1990s.
Cavallini isn’t one of those old-school people shaking his fist at Bedard and Zegras. Cavallini has come around with the times. Now the club director of the Chicago Mission, a top AAA junior hockey program, he’s learned to embrace the evolution and creativity of today’s players. After Bedard and Zegras each recently executed the “Michigan” goal on the same night, Cavallini had players lining up to attempt the same in practice the next day.
“It’s pretty cool,” Cavallini said. “They get it. It’s part of the game. You have to be prepared for it. It’s almost like when (Wayne) Gretzky would bank one from below the goal line off the back of the goalie’s pad or something like that. All of a sudden it’s like, holy s—, nobody thought about that.
“This is the new era. Those finer skills that maybe a handful of players could do 30 years ago, that’s common practice now. Think about a player like Bedard. If he breaks into the league and he can’t do that, you’re wondering why can’t he do it? … That’s how I look at it. The guys coming out of the generation I played in, we laugh at it; somebody would have smacked you back then. Now, if you can’t do it, you’re behind.”
There are some who still deem the lacrosse-style shot as a trick shot or even disrespectful. But for many, including Bedard and Zegras, they’re on a different plane of thought. They’re not even trying to showboat. They’re simply looking to score a goal.
“I think just you’re seeing it more and more, too,” Bedard said after a Chicago Blackhawks’ practice Thursday. “That’s the thing, there’s a lot of plays coming around the net whether it’s low to high or whatever, and I think if there’s room, it’s just a scoring chance. Something you’re trying to do to score a goal, not trying to be extra fancy or anything. It obviously looks different. It’s a different type of play, but in the end, you’re just trying to score a goal.
Skills coach Darryl Belfry calls it a problem-solving play. When he works with his NHL clients, they’re constantly searching for different ways to beat goalies, and that approach has evolved over the years as the players have evolved.
“I think that kids are trying to find different solutions and ways to use their puck skills in different ways,” Belfry said. “Where before, it was almost downplayed. Now it’s like, maybe there’s another way to do things. They do practice puck skills differently. Like, they’re looking to try to get the puck on their stick and do different things with it.
“I think it’s the beginning. I think even the way the ‘Michigan’ goal where it started to where it is now to see how fast a player can move and pick the puck up like seemingly out of nowhere and all of a sudden (they score). That Zegras goal is crazy. To do it at that speed. That’s just crazy. I think it’s just the beginning. It’s only a matter of time before they try to find other ways to utilize it. Maybe it’s not behind the net, maybe someone’s going to do it in front of the net. They’re just going to pick it up on the rush or something. I think we’re not long before we start seeing those things, both in youth hockey, but I think also in the NHL.”
Bedard was the first to pull off his “Michigan” on the night of Dec. 23. It was the opening period in St. Louis, and Bedard happened to find himself and the puck all alone behind the Blues’ net. The Blues’ two defenders were content on defending the front of the net and giving Bedard the back of it. They obviously didn’t see Bedard’s wheels spinning.
Bedard saw his opportunity and went for it.
“I think just getting it up quick (is the key),” Bedard said. “The hardest part is just having the space to do it. It’s pretty rare.”
It all came together for Bedard. He picked the puck on his stick, turned the corner and stuffed the puck over Blues goalie Jordan Binnington’s left shoulder into the net.
Social media lost it. The first video posted of the goal has nearly three million views. Gretzky happened to be in the building and was raving about Bedard and his goal later on TV.
Bedard, as usual, was pretty chill about the whole thing. He said he received “a couple texts” when he checked his phone after the game. He did geek out a bit about Gretzky.
“It’s cool,” Bedard said. “Obviously probably one, if not the best player, to ever play the game. The fact that he knows who I am is pretty cool. To hear him talk about me and have him say some kind words is special.”
GO DEEPER
Connor Bedard’s lacrosse-style goal leaves Blackhawks, Blues and Wayne Gretzky in awe
While that was all going on, the player who has seemingly mastered the “Michigan” was playing for the Anaheim Ducks at home against the Seattle Kraken. With a crowd at Honda Center watching in the third period, Zegras seized on his opportunity to add to his growing collection.
The Ducks were facing a 3-1 deficit when Zegras took a drop pass off the sideboard from rookie defenseman Pavel Mintyukov in the offensive zone. Kraken forward Alexander Wennberg saw Zegras carry the puck but opted to head in front of the net instead of chase after the center behind it. Like Bedard, Zegras had that rare space he needed. Before any other Kraken player could come close to reacting, Zegras had the puck on the toe of his stick blade and whipped it around the far post over goalie Joey Daccord’s right shoulder. All done without a hint of hesitation in his movements.
YOUR @NHL ALL-TIME LEADER IN LACROSSE-STYLE GOALS:
Zegras, whose alley-oop pass to Sonny Milano in a game two years ago drew massive attention to his inventive playmaking, has tried the “Michigan” seven times and been successful on three attempts. The latest one closely resembled the one he scored in Montreal on Jan. 27, 2022.
Bedard favored Zegras’ over his own.
“He picked it up kind of with his toe there, so I think that’s a little harder,” Bedard said.
It is the ease with which Zegras goes from handling the puck on the ice to lifting it and scoring without fumbling it away that may be the most impressive part of that skill.
“You see his hands,” Ducks goalie John Gibson said. “You see what he can do with the puck. For me, I’m not surprised. I think he can do it whenever he wants. He’s that skilled and talented with the puck.”
As Belfry suggested, Zegras has learned to execute it at a higher level over the years.
“The thing that I think I’ve gotten really good at with the move is doing it at full speed,” Zegras said after the Ducks’ practice Friday. “So, it’s like the same as a wraparound. Whereas I feel like the first one that was ever done (by Mike Legg) at Michigan where he kind of stopped and scooped it. But if you can do it full speed, it’s like ‘Why not?’ The goalie’s not going to get there before me.
“In the last one versus Seattle, the way that my body was and the angle I was behind the net, I couldn’t scoop it with the heel. That’s why I went to the toe, because on the toe, you can keep your body more square. Whereas I feel like when I pick it up on the heel, I have to kind of turn my hips a little bit to get some momentum or leverage.
“Going that fast, it’s tough. But it makes the puck easier to pick up on your stick almost. When you just pop it up on the toe and you feel it’s stuck, it’s really not that hard. The finish is pretty easy.”
When Zegras learned later that night that Bedard had pulled off the same goal, he reached out to Bedard with a text.
“Sent him a laughing face emoji,” Zegras said.
Bedard said, “He texted me. It was kind of funny. It’s rare for them to go in. For a couple to happen on the same night, it’s a funny coincidence.”
Zegras has attracted plenty of fans with his successful scores, but he’s also aware of the contingent that scoffs at the play, questions its legality and even considers him a trick-shot artist and little more.
Zegras’ viewpoint is similar to Bedard’s. On that specific play, Zegras was trying to provide an offensive spark and the Ducks not only had numerous other strong scoring chances snuffed out by Daccord but were running out of time to mount a comeback.
“It’s not like it’s an ‘Oh, my god, look at this,’” Zegras said. “But when you score, obviously it’s nice. No complaints.”
Perhaps it’s time for the lacrosse goal to be viewed as just as much a scoring chance generated as a snapshot off the rush or a one-timer inside the faceoff circle. Or as Zegras touched on, a wraparound that’s elevated to take advantage of a goalie focused on locking down the post.
Mikael Granlund knows how that move can take a team by surprise. In 2011, Granlund authored his own lacrosse goal when scored for Finland against Russia at that year’s IIHF world championships.
“I’ve always said it doesn’t matter what way you score,” said Granlund, a 12-year NHL veteran now with the San Jose Sharks. “You only get one goal out of that. Whatever it takes? It’s the same thing as if a puck gets tipped or someone does that. You get one goal and that’s it.
“It’s hockey and you try to find new ways to score. It’s something that’s obviously (great) for the fans. It’s a ‘wow’ thing. But at the same time, you just get one goal out of it. I guess it’s the evolution of the game. You’re trying to find ways to score, and you try to help your team as best as you can.”
With that in mind, what is the best way to stop the play? When it comes to Bedard or Zegras, simply watching either go behind the net without challenging the shot isn’t the answer.
“A lot of people ask the goalies, but I think a lot of it’s more about the (defense),” Gibson said. “Obviously, it’s our job to save it. More times than not, I feel like the goalie’s not going to save it. It’s going to be the defense trying to hit the stick of the forwards to mess it up. Because the way we are, we’re in our crease and we’re just going post to post. Probably (easier) if you’re going to your glove side than your blocker side to get your glove up.
“You see some of them that are tried — and I know ‘Z’ had one or two — where the (defender) just kind of slashed the stick to get the puck off. I think that’s kind of the best way you can defend it. Obviously, there’s luck on both sides of it to be able to get the puck up and everything has to go well to get it in the net. And then there’s luck on the other side if you make the save or if the guy makes a good stick (play). So, I think it’s a two-way street.”
But there is a generation of hockey players around the world who see what Bedard and Zegras can pull off and they’re inspired by them. They’re practicing it and trying it more often than you’d think in competitive action.
“We got an 11-year-old who tries it in games all the time,” Cavallini said. “They mimic what they see, and when they see it and it’s cool, they’re doing it. This is the new wave. This generation of hockey players is technically so much better.”
Perhaps goalies aren’t preoccupied with the idea of someone trying the “Michigan” against them. The thought of players incorporating that into their offensive arsenal and the threat of them scoring could change their thinking.
“Honestly, when I’m out there, I don’t think it’s going through my head,” Gibson said. “I’m just playing the game. Trying to make my reads. Obviously, if a guy has a lot of time behind the net or something like that, then maybe it’s crossing your mind to be aware of it. But I think when I go off to start the game, I’m not worried if somebody’s going to do the ‘Michigan’ or stuff like that.
“It’s a great play and sometimes you got to tip your cap. Hopefully we’re on the right side of it more times than not.”
(Top photos: Jae C. Hong / Associated Press and Alexis R. Knight / Getty Images)
As the veteran forward made clear in a statement released after the Chicago Blackhawks terminated his contract for a material breach, Perry is prioritizing his family and his health in this period in which he’s not employed by a team during the NHL season for the first time since 2004.
“I have started working with experts in the mental health and substance abuse fields to discuss my struggles with alcohol and I will take whatever steps necessary to ensure this never happens again,” Perry wrote in a statement released Thursday. “I hope to regain the trust and respect of everyone who has believed in me.”
The specific details of what caused Chicago to cut ties with its alternate captain remain unknown. Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson called it a “workplace matter” and indicated that it didn’t involve criminal activity.
His organization is understandably sensitive to any incident involving employee misconduct after it failed to act in 2010 when former player Kyle Beach alleged he had been sexually assaulted by video coach Brad Aldridge. The Blackhawks paid a $2 million fine to the NHL for “inadequate internal procedures and insufficient and untimely response” when details of that situation emerged in 2021 and also reached a confidential settlement with Beach.
Still, a contract termination like the one they initiated with Perry is rare in the NHL — particularly since it involves a former Hart Trophy winner who has a borderline case for eventual induction to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
In recent years, NHL clubs have typically executed contract terminations in cases involving criminal charges (Slava Voynov, Mike Richards) or for lesser transgressions involving bottom-of-the-roster players (Brendan Leipsic, Jake Dotchin).
Perry’s case appears to land somewhere in the middle of those two poles, at least based on how Davidson loosely framed what went on during an emotional media availability in Chicago on Tuesday night.
Even at age 38, Perry was an important player for the Blackhawks. He was wearing a letter, being paid $4 million to serve as a mentor in a young dressing room and sat as the team’s third-leading point producer when information reached management last week that prompted his removal from the lineup while an investigation was launched.
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By Tuesday, Perry had been placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of contract termination. It was a stunning turn of events with potential repercussions extending far beyond the situation at hand.
Precedent
With no disrespect intended toward anyone affected by Perry’s actions and no judgment passed on the circumstances that led him here since they remain largely unknown, it’s worth stepping back to understand what represents reasonable grounds to terminate an NHL contract.
The standard is exceptionally high.
All deals are intended to be fully guaranteed.
And yet the terms of a standard player contract don’t offer complete clarity on what constitutes a material breach because while section 2(e) calls for a player “to conduct himself on and off the rink according to the highest standards of honesty, morality, fair play and sportsmanship, and to refrain from conduct detrimental to the best interest of the Club, the League or professional hockey generally,” Paragraph 4 in the SPC provides that a team may “establish reasonable rules governing the conduct and conditioning of the Player.” But in the event the player violates those rules, the punishment is limited to a “reasonable fine” or suspension from the team.
The standard for a breach worthy of contract termination isn’t expressly spelled out.
We can only lean on history as a guide, and the examples are varied: Everything from the Tampa Bay Lightning moving to terminate Dotchin’s contract because he showed up to training camp out of shape in 2019, to Leipsic’s deal being terminated by the Washington Capitals in 2020 after private conversations became public where he discussed drugs, women and fellow NHL players and their significant others, to the San Jose Sharks terminating Evander Kane’s contract in 2022 after after he presented a forged vaccination card and failed to report.
The Kings terminated Richards’ contract in 2015 after he was charged with trying to cross the border in possession of controlled substances — although they eventually agreed to pay the player a portion of his remaining salary and got hit with a negotiated cap charge through 2032 as part of a settlement stemming from a grievance.
And Los Angeles terminated Voynov’s contract two years later after he was charged with domestic assault.
In Perry’s case, the Blackhawks said in a statement this week that he “engaged in conduct that is unacceptable, and in violation of both the terms of his Standard Player’s Contract and the Blackhawks’ internal policies intended to promote professional and safe work environments.”
Where exactly the line should be drawn isn’t entirely clear.
For example, when video surfaced of Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov in 2019 with what appeared to be cocaine on a table in front of him, he was suspended three games by the team for inappropriate conduct.
Judge the individual acts laid out here as you may. The point is that an NHL player found to have conducted himself in an unprofessional manner doesn’t always find himself with a terminated contract.
Potential grievance
Perry has 60 days to decide if he wants to file a grievance via the NHL Players’ Association. The matter remains under review, according to a union spokesman.
Should he elect to go that route, it would be an exercise in preserving his earning power.
Perry is entitled to keep approximately $1 million of his $4 million salary after spending roughly 25 percent of the season on the Blackhawks roster prior to having his contract terminated, which means he technically owes money back to the organization because he received a $2 million signing bonus over the summer.
However, he does have the right to take his case to an independent arbitrator, pursuant to Article 17 of the NHL’s CBA.
In the event it happens, Perry would be fighting to receive the entire amount of remaining salary owed on his contract in 2023-24. There’s no circumstance where he could be reinstated to the Blackhawks roster and resume playing there in the short term.
Filing a grievance would also open up the possibility of reaching a negotiated settlement the way Dotchin and Richards did. Kane also received money from the Sharks to help make up the difference between what he was originally owed by them and what he received on the contract he signed as a free agent in Edmonton.
The future
Perry is already an unrestricted free agent and possesses all of the rights afforded to any player in that situation.
He’s eligible to enter into a contract with another NHL team right now. And he would need to sign somewhere by the March 8 trade deadline in order to be able to dress in the upcoming playoffs.
There’s not yet any indication that a return is even remotely a priority for Perry. His statement focused entirely on addressing the remorse he felt for harm caused by his actions and disclosing his need to start treatment for struggles with alcohol.
“I would like to sincerely apologize to the entire Chicago Blackhawks organization, including ownership, management, coaches, trainers, employees, and my teammates,” Perry wrote. “I would also like to apologize to my fans, and my family. I am embarrassed and I have let you all down.”
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Rival teams currently with no more knowledge about what led to Perry’s contract termination than the general public are expected to keep tabs on his situation. They’d like to gain a better understanding of the circumstances surrounding his exit from Chicago to gauge if he may ever be in a position to resume his hockey career, and will eventually need to see where he’s at personally after being given time off to seek treatment.
There may yet be a path back to the NHL for Perry.
What is it, really, about Connor Bedard’s shot — a shot that, though he’s just 18 years old, has for years been talked about as if he has patented it — that makes it so dangerous and unique?
What’s the nerdy science of it, from his feet up to his knees, hips, hands and head? How does he prep, shape and let it go? What does it look like to goalies, and to professional shooting coaches, those who’ve taught him — or, more accurately, watched him after he taught himself — and had to stop him? The Athletic spoke with five NHL shooting and skills coaches, his teammates, past opponents and him to try to take apart, piece by piece, “The Bedard.”
Their intel and stories help frame the NHL’s brightest young star’s signature skill.
If there’s one thing Tim Turk knows, it’s shooting. A self-described “shooting and scoring coach,” Turk has more than two decades of experience working with NHL stars, national federations and half a dozen NHL teams.
Turk had no idea who Bedard was when he fielded a call from agent Greg Landry of Newport Sports asking him what he was doing tomorrow.
“Tomorrow?” he said. “I’m booked up a year in advance.”
“We have these two players coming in from out west and we want you to see them,” Landry said.
“Listen, I’m booked up,” Turk said again.
“You have to see them,” Landry insisted.
After moving around his schedule, Turk found himself at Gary Roberts’ personal rink in Uxbridge, Ontario.
“Hey guys, I’m Tim Turk,” he said as he stepped into the small locker room.
“My name’s Nate,” said the redhead, extending a hand.
“My name’s Connor,” said the other, standing shorter and extending his.
“All right, well we’re just going to go out and I’m going to do an evaluation on you and do some shooting and have some fun, and I’ll make suggestions but I’m not here to change anything,” Turk said, giving the two boys his usual spiel and thinking nothing of it.
That evaluation is what he calls an “NHL protocol observation assessment,” which runs new clients through specific drills that allow him to visualize their shooting actions from a technical standpoint (he calls each player’s shot “like a fingerprint”).
That starts with Turk throwing some pucks down in the slot and simply asking them to shoot them stationary so he can watch their body formation, hip and shoulder positions, spine angles and puck preparation and positioning, paying particular attention to where the puck starts in their stance versus where it finishes.
On that day, Nate (Danielson, the Red Wings’ 2023 No. 9 pick) went first, and Turk could tell he was a talented and hard-working player with a good shot and real promise.
Then, on Connor’s turn, Turk placed him in a position and watched how he got the puck ready to shoot. Only Connor didn’t stickhandle and prepare for the shot, he just took the puck and shot it right away.
After watching him run through the same number of shots as Nate did, Turk spoke for the first time.
“Timeout one second, just give me a second here, I’m just trying to see what you’re doing so I’m going to have you take an extra few shots so that I can analyze where the puck’s starting and where it’s finishing,” he said.
Another round later, he knew that this Connor kid, whose last name he still didn’t know and who was then 16, was very different from even his high-end peers simply by his proficiency in shooting from a “frontal position.”
While almost all players point their toes at the net, set the puck at a right angle, load their shot and “drag it in and then snap it off,” Turk says, on a line of 40 to 50 degrees behind their body or at least level with their heels, Bedard brought the puck in “completely lateral.”
Instead of drawing the puck in at a 45-degree angle, he drew it at 180 degrees “right across to the plane of his spine.” Sometimes it even came in at a negative angle. It also happened in a smaller space than it does for other shooters. That lateral inward pull was “condensed — it’s compacted.”
Turk says that Vladimir Tarasenko, whom Turk calls one of the NHL’s quickest shooters, takes 18 inches to pull the puck in. Bedard did it all in 12 square inches — a one-foot box.
Turk’s reaction?
“I was like holy f—,” he said, spelling out the whole profanity, “because the only other person that I know who does it quite like that is No. 34 in Toronto (Auston Matthews), and he still doesn’t bring it in as lateral as Bedzy does.”
After the stationary shooting, they got into some motion drills.
Every time Turk introduced a new formation and shot type for Bedard, his application was “simplistic, and he made it look easy.”
When it was over, both kids said, “This was fun, thanks coach Turky,” and Turk got in his car and drove home.
The next day, he got another call from Landry asking him what he was doing Thursday because the two boys had asked if they could have him back for another session.
“Well who the f— are these guys?” Turk finally asked him.
“Turky, it’s Connor Bedard,” Landry said.
“Who’s Connor Bedard?” Turk asked.
After the second session that same week, Turk didn’t work with Bedard again until a stick manufacturer tried to pitch Bedard, who asked if Turk could be there when he test-drove the sticks.
By then, Turk knew the Bedard name and came away from another session with another takeaway, picking up on Bedard’s eye contact and ability to change his mind mid-shot.
“What makes him unique is that he can be selective with it,” Turk said.
When he looks back on that first blind introduction, Turk laughs.
“You know, most, when you’re in a non-pressure, non-stressful situation, you’ll play around with the puck a lot and then you’ll take your shot because I’m telling them to take their time,” he said. “To me, when he takes a shot, it looks like he just bends down, picks it up with his hand and places it where he wants to.
“He believes that ‘Hey, f— it, the puck is only two and a half inches wide, I can put it wherever I want.’”
Today, Turk would take Bedard’s shot against anyone’s.
“On a shot release basis only, if I had to bet on who could get the puck off the quickest, with the most deception, with optimal speed, power and accuracy based on a starting point to a finishing point, I’m picking Connor Bedard over Auston Matthews,” Turk said. “And I’m not taking anything away from Auston. It’s just a little bit different because one’s a righty, one’s a lefty and one’s got a little bit of a higher-angle pull-in change.”
If there’s one thing Nick Quinn wants people to know about “The Bedard,” it’s that it isn’t just some natural gift.
“I can tell you firsthand it didn’t happen by accident. Connor’s worked on this since he was little,” said Quinn, an NHL skills coach who has worked with Bedard each summer for several years.
If there’s another, it’s how hard Bedard’s shot is to defend because he doesn’t show you he’s preparing for it.
“As replicated in so many other areas of Connor’s game, it’s the deception and elite multi-tasking that catches opponents off guard,” Quinn said. “Connor’s ability to create deception and change the shot angle at top speed is like very few I’ve ever seen. The multi-tasking involved with attempting these shots at top speed is far beyond most player’s capabilities.”
Another shooting coach, who requested anonymity for this story because he works for another NHL club, pointed to Bedard’s hands and legs.
“What’s really interesting is how high and left he can get his top hand,” the coach said. “So many players pull the puck in but can’t get the puck to release from under their body. His footwork is so underrated in that aspect. If you watch his front leg, at times it’s literally in the air at release — most have their back leg in the air at release. When he transfers his weight, he actually clears space for his hands to get tighter because he’s not afraid to actually lunge into the shot.”
A fourth shooting coach, who hasn’t worked with Bedard and also requested anonymity because he works for another NHL club, expressed a little more hesitancy.
“I’m in the minority I’m sure, but I am very curious to see how well his trademark shooting style works at this level,” the coach said. “He really likes to pull pucks right into his feet. I really like his mechanics with his hands off his body and whippy stick — but I feel this habit makes it easier for elite level ‘D’ to get stick on puck or in the lanes to block shots. Finding space and time to let that shot go and get clean looks, I think, will be an adjustment.”
For goalies, it’s the angle change that gets them.
Moose Jaw Warriors goalie Jackson Unger, whom Bedard scored on last year, said the toe-drag release, in particular, is a challenge.
“He changes the angle so quickly that, as a goalie, you have to adjust to it, but when he does it so fast, it’s easier said than done,” Unger said. “It’s a lot of different angles he can give you.”
Sabres first-round pick Zach Benson, who has played on teams with and against Bedard and skates with him in the summers, says it’s Bedard’s ability to set up the shot with his agility pre-shot that stands out to him.
“He can move left to right like no one I’ve seen before,” Benson said.
“It’s just trying to get out, face him, and hope it hits ya,” said Scott Ratzlaff, Seattle Thunderbirds goalie and Buffalo Sabres prospect, with a smile. “He can shoot from anywhere and he’s lethal from anywhere. You’ve just always got to be ready just in case he shoots it. And then he’s got a really good toe drag release, so it’s watching for that and making sure you’re lined up.”
A number of Chicago Blackhawks over the last few decades liked to put in extra time shooting. Patrick Kane would stay out with the young guys, including Alex DeBrincat, well after practice to play shooting games. But even they had a limit.
Bedard doesn’t have much of a limit. It’s common for him to be on the ice an hour after practice taking shots from all over the ice. He even got a few other rookies, especially defenseman Kevin Korchinski, to join him on a regular basis. As the media waits for Bedard at his dressing room stall for interviews, he shoots and shoots and shoots.
Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson has been around long enough to see that in a few other special players.
“I know Jaromir Jagr did this for a long time,” Richardson said. “Even at the end of his career — and he skated around and he had the weights around the bottom of his ankles, practiced full practices like that. It’s happened. That’s their life. They love it so much and they have to be out there. That’s where they feel comfortable and don’t get tired. Hopefully, they go home and have a nap in the afternoon and not watch ‘Young and the Restless.’ Take it easy and get ready for the next day. It does add up when you put the hours of the week in.”
Bedard has downplayed his lengthy post-practice sessions. To him, it’s not like he has weights on his ankles. He’s just shooting, nothing too strenuous.
For someone who shoots as much as Bedard does, you’d think he would gladly accept being called a shooter. He doesn’t.
“I say it a lot: I don’t feel like I’m a shooter,” he said. “I’m just trying to make the right play. If the shot’s there, I’ll take it. Obviously, the goalies are good, you got to hit your spot.”
Blackhawks goalie Arvid Söderblom would certainly call Bedard a shooter. Söderblom and Petr Mrazek have faced more shots from Bedard than any NHL goalies this season. The challenge for them is that Bedard doesn’t just shoot one way. He’s unpredictable.
“When you have that type of shot, quick release, moves his body and shifts angles on the puck, it makes it harder on the goalies,” Söderblom said. “You just saw the two goals (on Sunday against the Florida Panthers), both were quick releases. He finds that open net. He’s a pure goal scorer. It’s fun to have on the team and face him every day and see him take steps, too.”
While goalies are trying to figure out Bedard, he’s been putting in the time to do the same with them. For one, he learned to utilize his teammates more. He accumulated plenty of shots on net early in the season, but they were often from distance and more individualistic chances. Then, he scored his first NHL goal on a wraparound and his next three goals off passes from teammates.
“Look, I’m sure he’ll figure out the one-on-one and how to score that way or create chances that way,” Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said. “There is also an element of working off your teammates. You are in the NHL, so everyone is a pretty good player and you’re able to create using more than just yourself. I think he’s figured that out.”
Bedard found more success on the Blackhawks’ last road trip. He left Chicago with five goals in 11 games and returned from Florida with nine goals in 13 games, scoring twice against the Tampa Bay Lightning and again against the Panthers.
Bedard wasn’t so reliant on teammates on those goals, either. They were more about the work he’s putting in on the other side of the puck.
“Even in practice, we’ve talked to him about maybe tracking harder and attacking pucks on the forecheck and showing him a couple clips,” Richardson said. “Ten, 12 games in, he’s really figuring things out and realizes — why sit back and let things come to him? Go get it.”
None of this is surprising to anyone involved. Bedard doesn’t show it if he impresses himself. And as grateful as the Blackhawks are to have drafted Bedard, this is what they expected. This is why teams lined up to take losses last season.
“It’s not the NHL that he was playing in the last few years,” Davidson said, “but the level of performance and how he could control a game and dominate a game in junior — it indicated he was going to be able to do that at some point in the NHL. You just never how quickly.
“It’s a big adjustment, especially when you’re playing against men and being focused on by the other team every single night. I’m excited for him, but I don’t necessarily feel like it’s a huge surprise how quickly he’s started to really find his groove at the NHL level. But it’s exciting to watch.”
A little more than a year ago, T.J. Oshie read a story about a young boy who was cut in the neck by a skate blade during a youth hockey game. Almost instinctively, Oshie reached for his phone and contacted his partners at Warroad, the hockey apparel company he helped found six years ago. What started as a way to create undershirts that weren’t itchy and irritating had developed into a safety-conscious business that helped develop new, cut-resistant fabrics to protect players’ wrists and Achilles tendons.
Now, Oshie wanted turtlenecks to protect the most dangerously exposed part of a hockey player’s body — their neck, and the carotid artery within. Sure enough, Warroad came up with a sleek turtleneck with its “tilo” design, which includes cut-resistant panels built into the fabric.
It worked.
And Oshie still didn’t wear them.
In fact, he doesn’t believe a single player in the NHL wears anything of the sort. None of the bulky neck guards that are mandatory in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and Ontario Hockey League (but not the Western Hockey League). None of the Kevlar-style fabric turtlenecks that are becoming more readily available all the time, from companies such as Warroad, AYCANE, and Cut-Tex Pro.
Players have their reasons. Oshie said NHL rinks are “hotter” than ever, with guys sweating through several undershirts a game, and the thought of wearing a turtleneck in such a warm environment is unappealing. Players are superstitious, wearing the same shoulder pads they used in juniors, using the same brand of skate they’ve worn since they were kids, using the same tape job and knob style they’ve used forever. And, well, turtlenecks and neck guards don’t look cool. Heck, only Wayne Gretzky and Tomas Plekanec ever really pulled off the look.
“It’s not a cool look having neck guards on,” Oshie said. “For whatever reason, it’s just not something that’s sleek and looks great.”
But then Oshie learned about Adam Johnson’s death on Saturday night. Johnson, a former player for the Pittsburgh Penguins, was cut in the neck by a skate blade during a game in England and died, shaking the hockey community to its core. Players and coaches from around the league expressed their heartbreak over the tragedy. But Oshie did more than that.
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He ordered five Tilo turtlenecks from his company. One for him and four for some of his teammates to try. They’ll arrive on Monday. And he’s going to try playing in them. Because Johnson’s death did more than devastate the hockey world. It opened the hockey world’s eyes to an inherent — and possibly preventable — life-threatening risk that comes with playing the game.
At any level.
“I just wish these things never had to be made, and injuries like this would never happen, because it’s so sad,” Oshie said on his way to the Capitals’ game against the Sharks on Sunday evening. “It hits me pretty hard, just thinking about my kids. I could take one to the neck tonight. And for them to not have a father — it’s just so sad and it makes me think twice about protecting myself and my neck out there. Whether it looks cool or not.”
Jason Dickinson didn’t know what had happened to Boston’s Jakub Lauko last Tuesday at the United Center, he only knew that it looked gruesome. One of Dickinson’s Chicago teammates asked him what had happened and Dickinson speculated that Lauko had hit his head on the boards and “split open.”
After the game, Lauko’s bloodied face was still a topic of conversation in the Blackhawks dressing room. Dickinson heard someone say that it was a skate blade that caught Lauko in the area of his left eye.
“A skate?” Dickinson said. “How did that happen?”
“It was your skate!” a teammate told him.
“Are you kidding me?” Dickinson responded. “When?”
It had happened when Dickinson was falling into the boards after a push from Boston’s John Beecher. Lauko was already down on all fours, and Dickinson’s skate caught him in the face. As mangled as his face was in the aftermath, Lauko was extraordinarily lucky the skate missed his eye. Dickinson never even felt the contact.
modeling career defo in jeopardy😮💨but let’s just say I was very very lucky🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/MRgJJtPjAd
Dickinson, after learning it was his skate, immediately checked in with the team’s medical staff to find out if Lauko was OK, and was indescribably relieved to find out he was. Dickinson’s heart went out to Johnson’s family on Sunday, but he also spared a thought for the player whose skate caught Johnson in the neck.
“I feel for (him) as well,” Dickinson said. “He’s on the other end of that and he’s going to have some stuff to work through, because that’s heavy stuff. I guarantee he feels guilty right now, even though it’s a freak accident.”
But is it? After all, this is a game played by people moving at exceptional speeds with exceptional force wearing exceptionally dangerous weapons on their feet. If anything, it’s shocking that skate cuts don’t happen more often.
Hayley Wickenheiser, a Team Canada legend, assistant general manager for the Toronto Maple Leafs and emergency physician, bristled at the depiction of such incidents as “freak” occurrences.
“I don’t think this is a freak thing, I think it happens quite a lot,” she said. “It’s just the injuries are superficial, or the players are lucky. This isn’t something that doesn’t happen; it happens a lot in hockey. Sticks come up, skates come up, and the neck is very susceptible. So whatever we can do to make (neck protection) more mainstream and just part of the equipment, the better for the future of the game. It just makes sense to me.”
Indeed, while terrifying incidents like the cuts suffered by Johnson and former Sabres goaltender Clint Malarchuk are thankfully very rare, it seems like every player has a story to tell of a close call, a near miss, a Lauko-style bit of “luck.” Dickinson took a skate on the collarbone during a game against Vegas last season and “immediately panicked,” wondering if a major artery was nicked.
“I remember the ref looked at me right away and said, ‘That was real close, Dickie,’” Dickinson said. “I’m like,’ Yeah, you’re telling me. I can f—ing feel it.”
Oshie was volunteering at a camp at his alma mater, North Dakota, some years ago, when he was rough-housing with the kids. They were dog-piling him on the ice, falling all over each other, laughing hysterically.
“Then one kid came in full speed and slid into the pile feet-first, and he actually hit me square in the face with his skate blade,” Oshie said. “So I had to get stitches above and below my eye. I still have a scar in my eyebrow that goes into my forehead. Luckily, it was flush with my face so it didn’t cut my eye.”
They can’t all be “freak” incidents, right?
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“It’s unfortunate,” Blackhawks coach and 21-year NHL veteran Luke Richardson said. “It’s one of the fastest games on Earth, with razor blades on the bottom of your feet. It’s very scary and things happen quick. … I don’t know if there’s any way to guarantee that there’s going to be protection. Even if you do wear something. You can’t be in a tin can top to bottom out there for protection. It’s the risk that the pro players take.”
Richardson cited Oshie’s company as a valuable resource for players, and suggested that with time, neck protection will become normalized in the NHL. When he entered the league in 1987, there were still players playing without helmets. It took years after that for visors to become the norm to protect players’ eyes. Richardson hoped that with neck protection becoming more and more common — and mandatory — in lower leagues, it’s only a matter of time before it “graduates up” to the NHL.
Arizona center Nick Bjugstad, who played with Johnson in Pittsburgh and called him “just a kind human,” said he couldn’t bring himself to watch the video, so he doesn’t know exactly how the cut happened. But he thinks the answer is pretty obvious.
“There are times that your feet go out from under you and you don’t have control,” Bjugstad said. “As far as the precaution going forward, I’m sure it’ll be discussed in the league. It’s even more important on the youth side of things, with the lack of athletic trainers and whatnot. I hope we can figure something out as a hockey community that protects us from something so tragic happening.”
Scott Sandelin, who coached Johnson at Minnesota-Duluth, said making neck protection and Kevlar-style undergear mandatory has come up in conversations around the NCAA championship committee, with longtime Mercyhurst coach Rick Gotkin leading the charge.
Johnson’s tragic death surely opened some eyes around the hockey world to the risk of skate cuts to the neck. (Joe Sargent / NHLI via Getty Images)
“He was like, ‘Why do we wait?’” Sandelin recalled. “Why do we wait for something like this to happen before you mandate something?”
Dickinson said the NHL provided a video at the beginning of the season highlighting the benefits of cut-resistant sleeves to protect the wrists and Achilles tendons, and those have become quite popular around the league. But neck protection remains ignored by everyone other than goaltenders.
Johnson’s death surely opened some eyes around the hockey world to the risk of skate cuts to the neck, and it appeared that several Providence Bruins, in the AHL, wore neck guards on Sunday. That’s a start.
But why does it have to be a years-long process? Why can’t it happen sooner? Why do players have to be grandfathered in to avoid any mandates whenever a new equipment mandate is instituted?
“Because they’re stubborn,” said one NHL equipment manager, who was granted anonymity so he could speak freely. “It’s a monkey-see, monkey-do league. All it would take is one guy to wear it. Then two days to get used to it.”
Wickenheiser has a similarly simple solution to getting players past all their superstitions and habits, to get them to embrace what seems like such an obvious solution to a terrifying problem.
“You just put one on,” she said. “I wore one for 20 years with the national team, it didn’t interfere with anything I did. … It’s just like anything else, when one player does it, everyone sees it and it becomes normal. I can’t even remember hockey without visors now, and I grew up watching the world of hockey without visors. I can’t even imagine not playing with a visor with how fast the game is.”
As an emergency physician and all-time hockey great, Wickenheiser is perhaps uniquely qualified to weigh in on the subject. She knows how well-stocked NHL arenas are in terms of medical care. She also knows it’s not nearly enough if, God forbid, a situation similar to what happened to Johnson happens in an NHL game. The thought has frequently crossed her mind that if there were an incident at a practice, she might be the most qualified person in the rink that day. She runs the scenarios in her mind constantly, and “it truly horrifies me.”
“You know how little time and resources you have to save a life in that moment,” she said. “The deck is entirely stacked against you as a physician. In the NHL buildings, there would be qualified physicians, there’s (emergency medical services) in the building. You have every resource at your fingertips. But what you don’t have is time. You need a surgeon and you need blood and you need time, and there’s none of those things in that moment. It’s just such a devastating injury. It freaks me out, for sure.”
It’s something players rarely think about. Can’t think about, really. Richardson said it was similar to a football player coming back from a knee injury — if you’re constantly wondering if the surgically repaired knee will hold up, you’ll never be playing at full strength and full speed. Hockey players have to feel invincible out there in order to take the risks they take on seemingly every shift.
But Oshie said there’s an instinctive, almost unthinking awareness of what your skates are doing at all times. Because the danger is always in the back of your mind, if not the front.
“I think you’re always very conscious of where your skates are when you’re playing,” he said. “I know I am. If someone’s on the ground in front of you, even if you get pushed from behind, you always get your feet out of the way, if that makes sense. It might look terrible if someone is about to fall on someone and goes knees-first, but that’s what you do instead of trying to land on your feet. I just assume that everyone else has that same mentality. But those very freak things happen. You get pushed from behind and you stay on one foot and the other foot comes up. I took a skate blade to my visor in our last preseason game, just this year. So I was a couple inches away from being cut somewhere.”
The game only gets more dangerous with each passing year. Players get bigger, stronger, faster. Skate blades are removable now, and they stay razor-sharp throughout the game, rather than dulling with each shift. Ignoring the risks won’t make them go away.
The introduction of the slap shot led to the goalie mask. Whippier sticks and more dangerous shooters made visors inevitable. Ten or 20 years from now, it’s easy to envision players regularly wearing full face shields. The Karlsson and Kane incidents, among others, helped spur the creation and popularization of wrist and ankle sleeves.
Neck protection will undoubtedly follow. It’s just a matter of when.
On Monday, the Oxford City Stars, a lower-division hockey club in the UK, announced the introduction of mandatory neck guards for players and coaches.
If Johnson’s tragic and shocking death doesn’t prove to be enough to open eyes and open minds, then what will?
“There are options out there, and it’s not a bad idea at all,” Dickinson said. “It’s about awareness. And events like (Saturday) night, events like Kane’s, like Karlsson’s — those really make guys think and get them worried. It’s definitely something I’d consider now. I mean, who cares what it looks like? Looking lame and living is a lot better than the opposite.”
The Athletic’s Michael Russo contributed to this report.
There they were, all 32 NHL coaches, sitting at tables in a ballroom at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago, a slap shot away from O’Hare International Airport. General managers meet a few times a year to discuss the state of the game and possible rule changes, but this one-day gathering in September also included the league’s head coaches, a rarity.
The vibe was casual. Most of the coaches were dressed in polo shirts, cups of coffee in their hands. Toward the end of the meeting, as some GMs and coaches began to check on early afternoon flight times, Stephen Walkom, the NHL’s senior vice president and director of officiating, began an overview.
He took the coaches and GMs through the origin and execution of the coach’s challenge, the types of penalties that were up and down last season and the genesis of 45-plus rule or standard changes instituted since the 2004-05 lockout. After all, many of the coaches in the room weren’t behind the bench when the changes took place.
Still, many figured there was another reason they were summoned to Illinois on the cusp of training camps, and they were right.
At the end of his presentation, Walkom cued up a video montage, broadcast on TVs around the room, showing roughly 20 clips of the biggest names in the coaching ranks going off on officials. Fists shaken. Fiery red faces. F-bombs flying.
“It was like getting called into the principal’s office and you’re not sure what it’s about until they hit play,” said Dallas Stars coach Pete DeBoer, grinning.
For the coaches, it felt like they were back in their playing days, the hair on the back of their necks standing up as they prayed they wouldn’t be shown blowing up after a bad turnover or missed coverage.
Minnesota Wild coach Dean Evason, for one, kept thinking: I hope they don’t show me motherf—ing the referees. I hope I don’t come up, I hope I don’t come up.
“And,” Evason said with a sheepish laugh, “there I am.”
Paul Maurice, the Florida Panthers coach, “stole the show,” according to DeBoer, using profanity with “world-class” skill.
“I thought his performance was by far the best,” DeBoer said, smiling.
“Actually, they left out a bunch, which I was pleased with,” Maurice said. “They didn’t get some of my finer moments.”
Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar “got lucky” and didn’t appear in the montage but said they could have unearthed some gems. DeBoer also “somehow” escaped scrutiny, but so many others were shown.
The final clip, or mic drop, was of Rick Bowness — he of more than 2,000 games behind an NHL bench — slamming a stick in an outburst two years ago when he was coaching the Stars. As the video wrapped, Bowness, now 68 and with the Winnipeg Jets, commented that in his younger days, he would have been able to snap that stick.
The presentation brought laughter. The GMs loved it. And the league intended the video less as a tongue-lashing and more tongue-in-cheek. But the message was clear, and commissioner Gary Bettman drove the point home, addressing the group after the montage ended. The cameras are always on you as a coach, he emphasized, so tone it down with the officials. Communicate, don’t cuss them out. Having clips of coaches lose their minds all over social media and on TV isn’t what anybody wants.
“When we’re all telling the refs to f— off, it’s not a good visual for the league,” Evason said. “When the camera’s on us and kids and people are watching us and we’re telling people to f— off, screaming, it’s not right. The league’s message was, ‘Sometimes it gets heated, but let’s tone it down.’”
Added DeBoer: “I likened it to being at a family wedding in the summer and overindulging and making a fool of yourself on the dance floor and you convince yourself it wasn’t that bad. Your kids tell you how bad you looked, and you convince yourself it wasn’t that bad — until you actually see it in video.
“The point was taken well by all of us, that we’ve got to control ourselves.”
Colorful exchanges between coaches and officials aren’t a recent phenomenon. There are just so many more cameras capturing them now, and it is so easy to post tirades on social media. But it wasn’t that long ago that refs simply stayed away from coaches who were losing their cool.
“When I started, there were conversations that you absolutely would not want to be caught on a hot mic or camera, for a lip reader,” said retired NHL referee Kerry Fraser, whose career started in the early 1980s and spanned 37 seasons. “Some of it was Triple-X rated. But what we were told back then, and I’m talking in the late ’70s, early ’80s, is that we were to stay away from it, completely. Stay away from the bench.”
Eventually, that changed.
Fraser recalled a crystalizing moment for him in an on-ice interaction with the late Bryan Murray in the 1980s. Murray, then the Washington Capitals coach, was always an emotional coach and later GM.
During one game, when Murray made a scene at the old Cap Centre following a Fraser call, the referee decided to “take a leap of faith.” He skated to the bench, his palms facing out as a sign of peace, then told Murray, “I’d love to have a conversation with you, but to do so, I need you to calm down and get off the boards.”
Fraser explained to Murray why he called the penalty and told him he understood if he didn’t agree.
“Kerry, you’re right about one thing,” Fraser recalled Murray saying. “‘I don’t agree with what you said. But thanks for coming over and talking with me.”
In Murray’s postgame press conference, Fraser said Murray brought up that it was the first time a referee had come over to speak with him.
Those coach-referee interactions became more of a two-way street over time, boosted once players from that era became coaches. Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour and Chicago Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson, both captains in their playing days, said their experiences talking with referees when they were on the ice helped them better manage the dynamic when they moved to the bench.
Rod Brind’Amour discusses a call with referee Bill McCreary during the 2006 Stanley Cup Final. (Elsa / Getty Images)
“Sometimes, it’s a heated conversation,” Brind’Amour, known as one of the more fiery coaches, said. “They let you blow off some steam and told you when to stop. And if you don’t, you get the extra penalty. It’s not an issue. They know it’s an emotional game. We put a lot into each game, the players and coaches.
“The good officials, which are all of them, they know how to handle it. They let you blow off steam. They come over and say, ‘Have you had enough?’ And if you don’t, they’ll kick you out.”
Richardson is in his second season as an NHL coach after 21 as a player.
“I’ve had tiffs when I was a player,” Richardson said. “You’d go up to them and see them in warmups. You talk and laugh and say, ‘Water under the bridge.’ Sometimes they’ll come up — and Kelly Sutherland is one of the best — he’ll come up to you and say, ‘Hey I missed that. I’ll keep my eyes open. I’m sorry.’”
Motivations for barking at the refs vary. Richardson said he’ll do it to get the officials’ attention and keep his players’ focus on the ice.
“I always remind the players to let us deal with that,” he said. “You stick to the game and play. And referees are probably appreciative that there’s not 20 guys on the bench yelling.”
Brind’Amour said when he gets into it with a referee, it’s because “99 percent of the time I’m right.”
“There’s a reason coaches get upset,” Brind’Amour said. “The broadcasts don’t bring it up. They show a guy losing his mind, but there’s a reason.”
Rod Brind’Amour has continued his conversations as the Hurricanes’ coach. (Grant Halverson / Getty Images)
Bowness agreed: “They’re showing us react. But they’re not showing what made us react.”
Fraser said part of the officials’ responsibility is managing the emotions in the game, which can come through calling a game tight if it’s getting out of hand. Or it can be using that relationship with the coach to keep tempers from rising.
During Marc Crawford’s first season with the Quebec Nordiques in 1995, Fraser drew the ire of the rookie coach after making a call on star Peter Forsberg during a game in Florida. Crawford reacted by not putting his team back on the ice for the ensuing penalty kill. When Fraser approached the bench, Crawford unleashed “the most awful, profane dialogue that I’ve ever heard as a referee in the NHL,” Fraser said.
After the game, while a still-fuming Fraser was having beers with his peers in the officials’ dressing room, Crawford popped in and apologized. Fraser gave him a “lifetime warning,” promising to call a bench minor the next time the coach let curses fly. They even shook on it.
The next year, when Crawford was with the Avalanche and was irate after Fraser called a penalty on Adam Foote, an immediate bench minor was added. When Colorado’s Claude Lemieux complained, Fraser gave him one message for Crawford: “Just tell (Crawford), ‘Florida.’ He’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.
“And that was the last issue we ever had.”
There is a sense that the collegial coach-referee relationship has hardened somewhat. The expansion of the referee pool when the league began using two on-ice referees in the late 1990s (which became the full-time system in 2000) might be part of the reason. Also part of it could be that the pool of officials has turned over significantly in the past decade, the old guard giving way to younger, faster referees.
“When I played, I’ve talked to a lot of former referees, and the relationship between the player and the referee and the coach and the referee just felt better,” Wild GM Bill Guerin said. “I think it needs to improve. Everybody’s out there just doing their best.
“Those guys had thick skin back then. You could say something, then patch things up, and you treated each other with respect.”
Maurice said he was so young when he started coaching in the NHL, he didn’t say a word to the refs because he felt he didn’t have a long leash. Now, he’s built the equity “to lose it once in a while.”
“But it felt like you had better relationships, probably because there weren’t as many guys,” Maurice said. “When you had a run-in with a ref, it was almost like you got to know them better. And they would also tell you where to go. Paul Stewart would have no qualms coming over to your bench and telling you exactly what he thought of you yelling at him.
“The very best referees in our game understand the pressures that the coaches are under. They monitor how teams are coming in. They’ve lost two or three in a row, how it’s affecting their playoff positioning. They understand it.
“And in my opinion, there’s not nearly as much yelling as there used to be.”
Evason, a fiery, hard-nosed player in his day, believes teams take on the personality of their coach. If the coach is snapping all the time on the refs, players feel they have license to do the same thing. Coincidentally, while Evason has clearly tried to “communicate” rather than “scream and yell” the first two games of this season, veteran defenseman Alex Goligoski got a third-period unsportsmanlike conduct penalty Saturday in Toronto for telling referee Dan O’Rourke to “make an effing call.”
Evason felt the penalty halted momentum in an eventual loss and criticized Goligoski for the “really stupid” penalty after the game.
Coincidence or not, the Wild were one of the most penalized teams in the league last season and it continued into the playoffs. Marcus Foligno was called for three questionable penalties in Games 4 and 5, getting kicked out of Game 5 almost immediately for a dubious kneeing major.
“Deano doesn’t necessarily get pissed off unless he feels like one of us is getting treated unfairly,” Foligno said. “But at the same time, we all need to settle down with the eff-you matches against the refs. I mean, it just doesn’t help you.
“Deano is emotionally involved in the game and it almost brings us emotionally involved in the game. But you’ve got to use it toward the other team. You can’t be yelling at (referee) Tom Chmielewski.
“We addressed it (in a team meeting). We’ve just got to shut up this year with the refs.”
One veteran referee recently skated up to the Wild bench and told Evason he heard about the meeting and not to worry about it — “to just keep communicating.”
Wild coach Dean Evason talks to referee Greg Kimmerly during a game last season. (Isaiah J. Downing / USA Today)
“And that’s what I’m going to try to do,” Evason said. “I’m going to try to communicate with the referees without yelling at them.
This is not the first time many of these coaches have heard that message. Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper told The Athletic last year that when he was coaching in the minors, current Los Angeles Kings coach Todd McLellan told him, “Have your video guy film you during a period — just film you.”
“And it was crazy. You look at your body language and things you’re doing on the bench, like, ‘Oh my gosh. I don’t want that to be seen,’” Cooper said. “And that was when I learned, you can’t do that in the NHL, because there’s always a camera on you.”
Relayed that anecdote, Evason smiled.
“Well, Coop made the video.”
Maurice, the apparent star of the video in that hotel ballroom, joked that we’ll see a kinder, gentler Panthers coach this season. On opening night in Minnesota earlier this month, Maurice bit his tongue a couple of times when he normally would have let the expletives fly.
“Here’s my great plan: I’m not going to yell at the referees,” Maurice said. “That’s my plan for the year. But you can monitor and see how long I can go.”
GO DEEPER
Re-drafting the NHL class of 2020: Stützle goes No. 1, Nikishin rises dramatically
(Graphic: John Bradford / The Athletic, with photos from Len Redkoles, Josh Lavallee, Bruce Kluckhohn, Jeff Vinnick and Rich Graessle / Getty Images)
The Athletic’s first NHL Power Rankings for the 2023-24 season are now live.
Brian Bellows has a philosophy that has served him well over the years. It’s about handling the pressures and demands of a life in hockey, about knowing yourself and your limitations.
“You’ve got to understand what league you’re in,” said Bellows, a veteran of 1,188 NHL games. “You’ve got to know whether you’re in the rookie league, the JV league or the varsity.”
He’s talking about drinking.
And he’s talking about being 18 years old in the NHL.
“I came up in the ’80s,” Bellows said with a laugh. “It’s not like they checked a lot of IDs back then. Everyone went out together, and made sure they hung out.”
Bellows wasn’t just an 18-year-old in the NHL, he was a very young 18-year-old. His first NHL game came in Winnipeg when he was just 18 years, 36 days old — an adult, but barely. Just like Connor Bedard is now, having turned 18 a couple of weeks after the Chicago Blackhawks made him the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft. Bedard himself says it all the time: “I’m just an 18-year-old kid.”
A kid.
But he’s playing in a professional sports league. With and against men, some of whom are old enough to be his father (looking at you, Corey Perry). Making as much as $4.45 million this season.
GO DEEPER
Lazerus: Connor Bedard does the unthinkable and lives up to the hype in his NHL debut
Only 61 players in the history of the NHL have played at least 60 games in their 18-year-old season. Only 28 of them were so young that they didn’t even turn 19 by the end of the season. Only 13 were younger than Bedard, whose birthday is July 17. And there’s a big difference between being an almost-19-year-old and a just-turned-18-year-old in terms of emotional and physical maturity.
How does someone so young hang with grown men? Not on the ice; it’s pretty clear that Bedard has an NHL-ready shot, NHL-ready vision and an NHL-ready body. He’s not some hopeless, spindly, scrawny little kid out there. One preseason and two games into his NHL career, he already has one of the best shots in the league, has made jaw-dropping passes and toe-drags, and has held up fine physically.
But how will he hang off the ice? With the rigors of an NHL schedule, with living semi-independently, with the social life of a professional athlete? Will he be able to hold his own over dinner conversation with grown adults? Will he have to stay back in the hotel when the boys want to grab a beer or three? And what is he going to do with an off night in Las Vegas this month? Go to the M&M’S store?
It’s something Bedard will have to figure out. Because hockey’s a social sport, and hockey players are almost aggressively social animals.
“Hanging out together was mandatory,” said Eddie Olczyk, who debuted with his hometown Blackhawks just 55 days after turning 18 in 1984. “I loved that, learning that and being able to pass that on — the importance of camaraderie. You land in a city at 5 o’clock and it’s, ‘OK, we’re all meeting at 6 to go out.’ The world is much different now; we understand that. But getting to know your teammates is huge, regardless of if they have one bean bag and a PlayStation in their apartment or if you’re going to somebody’s house that has three kids and new furniture and you’re eating at the dining-room table. You’ve got to be able to want to be a part of every demographic.”
The good news for Bedard is that it’s not the 1980s anymore. The ubiquity of social media and camera phones has changed everything. Heck, even just 10 or 15 years ago, the Blackhawks would roll into Nashville and pour into Tootsie’s or Legends Corner by the dozen, drinking and carousing and singing along to country songs before sweating out the beer and bourbon at the morning skate the next day.
But the 1980s were something else. These days, teams leave a road rink and head straight for the airport for a chartered late-night flight home. Back in the ’80s, teams left a road rink and headed straight for the bar.
“In the ’80s and ’90s, we stayed overnight almost 99 percent of the time,” Bellows said. “Can you imagine that? Then you wake up the next day at 6 to catch an 8 o’clock commercial flight through Chicago. (North Stars general manager) Lou Nanne set up a deal where, every time we went east, it was on American Airlines and we had to go through O’Hare. So not only were you flying commercial, you were connecting.”
So instead of sweating out the booze on the ice, the North Stars were doing it on the plane. On a commercial flight, no less. Even short flights felt like long ones after the kind of nights these guys were having. Partying wasn’t only encouraged, it was mandated.
“(North Stars coach) Glen Sonmor used to say, ‘If we win a game in Chicago, I don’t want to see anyone come in before me, or you’re fined,’” Bellows said. “And if you know the story of Glen Sonmor, you know that was pretty late. I’m a kid. I’m like, ‘What’s going on?’ Because you kind of think it’s going to be more — I don’t know if ‘professional’ is the word, but more like it is now. More disciplined. It was not. That’s why I said, you’ve got to know where your level is and stick to it. Pick your group, and choose wisely.”
For the record, Bellows said he started out in the rookie league and never graduated past JV.
Eddie Olczyk watches the puck go into the net as an 18-year-old at the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo. (AP Photo)
For Olczyk, it was a double-whammy. Not only was he too young to drink, he didn’t drink. Still doesn’t. So as a freshly turned 18-year-old, he’d find his way into the Snuggery in Chicago’s Gold Coast and start nursing a Diet Pepsi. Those visits to the bar could get rather uncomfortable. Even diabolical.
“I was pressured, and I was roughed up because I didn’t drink, and I had my drinks spiked a couple of times, which wasn’t very cool,” said Olczyk, who still lived at home during his first two seasons. “But I was able to deal with it. My rookie year, the Cubs were in the playoffs and the Bears were on the come-up, about to do the ‘Super Bowl Shuffle.’ Running with that crowd when I was 18, I was one lucky you-know-what. It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot. But I had some great mentors, none better than the great Troy Murray, who I love more than anybody. Troy took me under his wing and showed me a rope or a hundred.”
Indeed, every great young star needs a savvy veteran (or several savvy veterans) to guide him, mentor him and, yes, protect him. Patrick Marleau was the second-youngest player in modern NHL history when he made his San Jose Sharks debut just 16 days after he turned 18 on Sept. 15, 1997. Marleau lived with veteran goaltender Kelly Hrudey and his family, which greatly eased his transition into adulthood. Marleau rattled off a laundry list of additional mentors, including Murray Craven (33 years old), Doug Bodger (31), Todd Gill (31), Mike Vernon (34) and Marty McSorley (34).
“I had all the support in the world with the veteran guys,” Marleau said. “After games, we’d talk about the game, we’d go over plays, and they were very supportive — ‘You’ve gotta do this, you’ve gotta do that.’ I got a sense that there was a protection aspect. I don’t know if it was a father-son thing, but they were like, ‘We need to look after this young guy.’”
The current Blackhawks are much younger than those Sharks, with Kevin Korchinski (19), Lukas Reichel (21), Wyatt Kaiser (21) and Alex Vlasic (22) from Bedard’s generation. But there’s a reason 35-year-old Nick Foligno is on this team. Foligno, who broke into the league as a 19-year-old himself, is everybody’s big brother, but he knows he’s here to help bring Bedard along. Olczyk went so far as to call Foligno the best free-agent signing in the league this past summer, just because of the impact he’s sure to have on Bedard’s career.
Talk to Foligno for even 30 seconds, and you’ll quickly see why.
“You’ve got to let him be 18,” Foligno said. “You can’t try to make him grow up so fast. I think this league already does that. It’s understanding that, all right, this kid can’t do stuff. So there’s a sacrifice you make as a teammate, right? ‘All right, I’m going to stay behind and enjoy a nice dinner with him and not go out after that.’ Honestly, the league has changed a lot, where that’s just the norm now. It’s important that he understands that, too, that it’s OK to just be yourself. I want him to feel comfortable. Same for a lot of the young guys. The best rooms are the ones you can just be yourself in. I’m looking forward to hopefully doing that with a lot of other guys in the room, too — making sure guys feel comfortable about being themselves.”
Foligno then paused, and smiled.
“He’s an 18-year-old kid, but he’s pretty educated,” he said. “He doesn’t play video games. It’s kind of nice that I don’t have to listen to that video-game talk. I am tired of that ‘Fortnite’ stuff.”
Being a professional hockey player is more than just drinking, of course. Especially in 2023. Players treat their bodies like temples. They order bottled water with their chicken, sweet potatoes and vegetables, and make sure to get nine hours of sleep the night before a game. And when they do drink, they do it in back rooms with muscle in the doorways to keep them off social media. Bedard will be fine in that regard. He won’t be pressured or pushed into anything he doesn’t want to do. Foligno and Perry will make sure of it.
But there’s an emotional maturity that’s a prerequisite for success in the NHL, one that few teenagers possess. Of course, few teenagers make it to the NHL at all. The ones who do are well-acquainted with the spotlight. Olczyk — who had the added pressure of being the hometown hero — spent the season before his rookie year playing against men with the U.S. Olympic team in the Central Professional Hockey League and in the 1984 Winter Olympics. Marleau had left home two years earlier to play junior hockey. Bellows said he felt more like a “young man” than a kid. “An older teen, at least.”
So facing a phalanx of reporters from Chicago, Pittsburgh and all over the country before his NHL debut Tuesday at PPG Paints Arena, Bedard shrugged it all off. After all, he’s been doing daily press scrums since he was 14 and did his first interview at 12. After just three weeks of training camp, he already seems looser, more comfortable, chattier.
“I find it pretty simple, to be honest,” he said.
But how will Bedard handle the ups and downs he’ll surely face in the NHL? The Blackhawks likely will be in the mix for another top-five pick next summer. How will he cope with the losing streaks? How will he be affected the first time he goes three straight games without a point? He’s used to complete domination. He had 81 goals and 82 assists in just 64 games for the WHL’s Regina Pats last season, including the playoffs.
It won’t be nearly as easy in the NHL. In four preseason games, he had four assists but just one goal — an empty-netter that seemed to make him somehow angrier because it wasn’t a spectacular highlight.
“Once you have some success individually and the team is winning, things just seem to fall into place,” Olczyk said. “But it takes time. It’s no different than any young player coming in. At every other level, it was pretty much domination, scoring and feeling good. So when you go three or four games and the puck isn’t going into the back of the net and your team’s not winning, it’s tough. The psychological part of it was probably the most challenging for me. I wanted to do so well because I was playing for the Hawks, my hometown team. It was just added pressure. You’ve got to learn how to deal with that.”
Then there are new and more convoluted systems to grasp, new terminology to master, 31 teams of new opponents to learn, 31 arenas worth of rink quirks to figure out. It can be overwhelming for an 18-year-old.
“Growing up, you don’t play too much defense,” Marleau said. “It takes a while to grasp it all and to understand why you’re doing certain plays, why you’re playing a certain way. All those little details that go into winning a game. For me, it was important to have the mentality that I was just hungry to learn. ‘What else can I do? What else can I apply to my game?’ Looking back, you don’t realize how raw and young you were and all the things you didn’t know.”
Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson, who entered the league at 18 years old himself, gets that and is making a concerted effort to keep his youngest player from getting too far inside his own head. Yes, fans love the videos of Bedard working on his shot an hour after practice ended, the rink rat toiling away. But even as young as he is, Bedard needs to have some perspective, too.
So after that empty-netter in the preseason, which Bedard greeted with a grimace, Richardson used it as a teaching opportunity.
“He’s kind of a humble guy, he doesn’t want to celebrate that (goal),” Richardson said. “He wants to score a nice goal and I don’t know if he even counts those. But I count them. There are no pictures in the goal column, it’s just the number. … I think he’s hard on himself, so we’re going to have to lighten him up and make sure he enjoys these times. Because wins in the NHL are hard to come by, and once it starts for real, they’re really hard to come by. We have to make sure we enjoy the night and have a little fun when you win a game. A couple of those hiccups when we missed an open net or fell down on a 2-on-0, we have to make some humor out of that and make it fun to come to the rink the next day — not tense and grinding the stick. There’s enough of that. We don’t need to put more of that on ourselves.”
Connor Bedard steps off the bus Tuesday at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh ahead of his first NHL game. (Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
Bedard is one of the youngest players in NHL history, a boy among men. “Just a kid,” in his own words. Not too long ago, he’d be dragged to bars whether he wanted to be or not. He’d be told not to speak unless he was spoken to, whether in the locker room or at a team dinner. He’d be targeted almost every night by opponents’ goons for having the unmitigated gall to think he belonged in the NHL at such a young age.
But it’s different now. The league is a little softer, a lot healthier and a bit more enlightened. Bedard already commands respect from his older teammates in the room, and it seems inevitable he’ll have a letter on his jersey before long. He has big brothers all over the locker room, none more gregarious and protective than Foligno. He has that preternatural confidence that allows him to handle the pressure, the expectations, the spotlight. And he knows himself, knows what he’s capable of, what his limits — if he has any — are.
He’s not in the rookie league. He’s not on the JV. He’s varsity, and he knows it. Because age is nothing but a number.
“At that age, you don’t think you know as little as you do,” Bellows said with a chuckle. “But you can’t teach what he has. I’m excited to see him play. He’s really going to be something.”
(Top photo of Connor Bedard and Nick Foligno: Justin Berl / Getty Images)
The NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks are opting not to wear specialized Pride warmup jerseys on Sunday when the team holds its Pride night, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
According to the report, the team is not wearing the jerseys because of security concerns involving Russian players, citing unnamed sources close to the team. The Sun-Times also reports, according to sources, that the decision was made by the front office and not the players.
CNN has reached out to the NHL for comment. “The Chicago Blackhawks organization is proud to continue its annual Pride Night celebration, an evening – alongside year-round efforts – fueled by partnership and LGBTQIA+ community engagement,” the team told CNN in a statement on Thursday.
“Together, our activities will focus on fostering conversation and more equitable spaces in our pursuit to make hockey more inclusive. We do not condone anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric, and we stand firmly with the community.
“While we know game-day celebrations like these are an important way we can use our platform to bring visibility, it is the work we do together 365 days a year that can create true impact in ensuring all of our colleagues, fans and communities feel welcomed and safe within our sport.”
On the Blackhawks’ website, advertising for the Pride night promotion for the team’s Sunday game against the Vancouver Canucks, says: “Pride Night brings the entire Blackhawks organization together to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community and stand together for inclusion. A special pregame event in the United Center Atrium will kick off the evening featuring special performances, photo opportunities and more.”
The Blackhawks currently have one Russian-born player on their roster, defenseman Nikita Zaitsev, who is from Moscow, and there are also other players on the team who have ties to Russia.
CHICAGO — Tampa Bay forward Brandon Hagel has a lot of fond memories of his time in Chicago.
A few more after Tuesday night.
Hagel had a goal and an assist in his return to Chicago, and the Lightning beat the lowly Blackhawks 4-1 for their fourth straight victory.
The 24-year-old Hagel made his NHL debut with the Blackhawks in 2020. He was in the middle of a breakout season when he was traded to the Lightning in March.
He faced his old team last year, but Tuesday night was his first game at the United Center since the multiplayer deal.
“It was obviously a little bit emotional,” Hagel said. “This is where my career started. This is the organization that gave me the opportunity to live my dream.”
Alex Killorn snapped a tie in the third period as Tampa Bay won for the 11th time in 14 games overall. Pat Maroon and Nicholas Paul also scored in the opener of a three-game trip, and Brian Elliott made 25 saves.
Killorn was stopped by Alex Stalock on his first try, but he slammed home the rebound as he was knocked down by Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy. Killorn’s 12th goal of the season made it 2-1 at 7:11.
“It was just sitting there,” Killorn said. “You typically don’t get those rebounds right on your stick, so just fortunate it came right to me.”
Hagel helped set up Killorn’s move, and then scored his 15th goal when he converted a power-play opportunity with 9:46 remaining.
“He wasn’t here super long, but I thought he had an impact,” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said of Hagel. “He’s having that same impact for us, and he’s such a great kid. It’s great for him. Big thrill.”
Chicago dropped its fifth straight game, managing five goals during the slide. It is 2-20-1 in its last 23 games overall.
Seth Jones scored for Chicago, and Stalock finished with 25 stops.
The Blackhawks dressed seven defensemen after they scratched forward Tyler Johnson against his former team because of an illness. Then Patrick Kane departed with a lower-body injury.
Defenseman Caleb Jones, Seth’s younger brother, got some ice time as a forward with Johnson out.
Chicago coach Luke Richardson said Kane got hit during Sunday’s 5-2 loss to San Jose. It wasn’t a major issue, Richardson said, but Kane felt it a bit and then it came on more against Tampa Bay.
“He’s getting checked out tonight, so we really don’t know much ‘til tomorrow, probably,” Richardson said. “He’ll see the doctors here tonight and tomorrow and get an update on that.”
Chicago jumped in front when Jones scored his second of the season, knocking Taylor Raddysh’s pass into the net 4:50 into the first period.
It was the first power-play goal by a Blackhawks defenseman since Murphy got one on May 1, 2021, against Florida, according to Sportradar.
Tampa Bay then tied it at 1 when Maroon tipped home Victor Hedman’s shot with 8:36 left in the first. It was Maroon’s second of the season.
The Lightning controlled much of the action in the second, but they were shut out by Stalock and the cage. Hagel, Mikhail Sergachev and Nikita Kucherov each had a shot go off a post or the crossbar.
GOING AROUND
Richardson skipped the morning skate because he wasn’t feeling well. Coupled with Johnson’s illness, the coach said he planned to be careful with the players.
“If anybody feels like that, we’re going to try to keep them away from the team if we can,” Richardson said.
UP NEXT
Lightning: At the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday night.
Blackhawks: At home against the Arizona Coyotes on Friday night.
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Follow Jay Cohen at https://twitter.com/jcohenap
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports
ST. LOUIS — St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner on Friday accused Missouri’s attorney general of seeking sanctions against her “because he has no case” in his effort to keep Lamar Johnson in prison for a murder that Johnson has long contended he had nothing to do with.
Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt asked a St. Louis judge on Thursday to sanction Gardner, a Democrat, accusing her of concealing evidence as she seeks to vacate Johnson’s conviction. Johnson was convicted of killing 25-year-old Marcus Boyd in 1994 in an alleged drug dispute.
At issue in the sanction request is forensic testing on a jacket seized from Johnson’s trunk after his arrest. The crime lab in Kansas City, Missouri, recently determined the jacket contained gunshot residue. Schmitt accused Gardner of concealing that evidence, which Schmitt, in a court filing, called material “because it tends to prove that Johnson is guilty.”
In a response motion on Friday, Gardner said the failure to disclose the gunshot residue testing was a simple oversight — and irrelevant since the jacket in question wasn’t used in the crime. Gardner said her office wasn’t even aware of the gunshot residue report until rechecking emails on Thursday, after Schmitt filed the sanction motion.
“It concerns gunshot residue testing conducted on a red-and-black Chicago Blackhawks jacket that was not even used in the crime,” Gardner’s court filing states. “In 28 years, no eyewitness has ever mentioned a red Blackhawks jacket. Considering that Boyd was shot at close range, one would also expect the jacket to be covered in blood spatter. It’s not.”
Her filing called Schmitt’s motion “a weak attempt to change the narrative because the Attorney General has no case.”
Johnson was convicted of killing Boyd over a $40 drug debt and received a life sentence while another suspect, Phil Campbell, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge in exchange for a seven-year prison term.
Johnson claimed he was with his girlfriend miles away when Boyd was killed. Meanwhile, years after the killing, the state’s only witness recanted his identification of Johnson and Campbell as the shooters. Two other men have confessed to Boyd’s killing and said Johnson was not involved.
Gardner launched an investigation in collaboration with lawyers at the Midwest Innocence Project. She said the investigation found misconduct by a prosecutor, secret payments made to the witness, police reports that were falsified and perjured testimony.
The former prosecutor and the detective who investigated the case rejected Gardner’s allegations.
Schmitt’s sanctions filing states that in April, Gardner sent the jacket to the Kansas City lab. The lab report said it found no DNA on the jacket. But last month, another test determined it did contain gunshot residue. Gardner said the “unexpected and nondescript email” that provided the gunshot residue report had gone unnoticed.
In a response filing, Schmitt’s office reiterated that sanctions should stand.
“If an attorney is using her email for the exchange of reports and other evidence, it strains credulity to suggest that emails simply languish unread indefinitely, and it falls short of the care that should be employed when dealing with matters related to discovery in ongoing cases,” the court filing stated.
Gardner was disciplined earlier this year amid allegations of concealing evidence in another high-profile case.
In April, she reached an agreement with the Missouri Office of Disciplinary Counsel in which she acknowledged mistakes in her handling of the prosecution of former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens. She received a written reprimand.
In that case, Gardner conceded she failed to produce documents and mistakenly maintained that all documents had been provided to Greitens’ lawyers in the 2018 criminal case that accused him of taking a compromising photo of a woman and threatening to use it if she spoke of their extramarital relationship.
The charge was eventually dropped, but Greitens resigned in June 2018.
Johnson’s claims of innocence were compelling enough to spur a state law adopted in 2021 that makes it easier for prosecutors to get new hearings in cases where there is new evidence of a wrongful conviction. The new law freed another longtime inmate last year.
Kevin Strickland was released from prison at age 62 in November 2021 after serving more than 40 years for a triple murder in Kansas City. He maintained that he wasn’t at the crime scene, and Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said her review convinced her that Strickland was telling the truth. A judge ordered Strickland freed.
The NHL’s Reverse Retro jerseys were a sensation two years ago, creating significant sales and conversation among hockey fans. Adidas felt the pressure of creating a sequel to that blockbuster with its 2022-23 season retro sweaters.
“How many amazing remix combinations are out there?” said Dan Near, senior director at Adidas hockey. “We spent a lot of time debating about whether the franchise should evolve into something else or is this a sequel. We went with the latter.”
As with any sequel, there are a few differences from the original. The 32 new Reverse Retro jerseys feature more white sweaters than the 2020 collection. Please recall that because of the COVID pandemic, the 2020-21 season was played without interdivisional games. Now, Adidas hopes to see more retro vs. retro games, such as the Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Buffalo Sabres game on Nov. 2.
This line also features more embroidered and raised elements on the team logos, which is something that arrived when Adidas started making jerseys with 50% recycled materials.
Another big difference was the level of anticipation. Near said that Adidas is aware of all the speculation, mock-ups and social media scuttlebutt about this collection of jerseys.
“We’re excited about the speculation. I think if you look back at the first time we launched in 2020, it came out of nowhere. Nobody knew what it was,” Near said. “We didn’t announce it was coming back this time, but people seemed to know it was coming. The rampant speculation and energy is making this unique and exciting. We track it. We see what people are saying. Sometimes they’re right on the mark. Other times they’re on a completely different planet. Nothing is official until it’s official.”
But it wasn’t just the fans anticipating the next wave of Reverse Retro jerseys. The NHL teams were as well.
“There was plenty of meat on the bone to do this again,” Near said. “What made it unique the second time around is that you have the teams thinking ‘I want to win Reverse Retro.’”
Which ones were victorious? Here is our ranking of the 32 NHL Reverse Retro jerseys for the 2022-23 season. Keep in mind that we based this just on the jerseys themselves — some really cool elements will be revealed with the full uniform kits, but they didn’t factor in here.
What a concept: It’s only taken nearly 30 years, but a team that plays in South Florida finally has a jersey that’s evocative of South Florida.
This is a mix of the team’s stick-and-palm secondary logo that’s been with it since the 1990s and the light blue from the third jerseys it rocked in 2009. The rays of the sun are slightly raised to give the crest a 3D quality. The colors on the stripes pay homage to the Panthers’ current primary colors. The rest feels like you’re staring at a frozen blue Hawaiian through a pair of expensive sunglasses.
Sure, seeing the alternate logo makes one realize how close that hockey stick looks to a golf putter … but that’s also kind of thematic to the franchise, if we’re being honest.
It was inevitable that the Sharks eventually would honor their Bay Area ancestors with a Reverse Retro jersey. The California Golden Seals’ greatest legacy might be their aesthetics, including a turn to teal 17 years before the Sharks swam into the NHL.
These are essentially the Seals’ 1974 home jerseys with “Sharks” written on them instead, and they’re sublime: a little California love, a little Jackie Moon. That Seals team won 19 games. Given what we’ve seen from San Jose this season, perhaps it’s just dressing the part.
The Youppi! of Reverse Retro jerseys.
Montreal claims this is meant to honor its 1979 look, when it won its fourth Stanley Cup in a row. Adidas claims the light blue is “inspired by the city of Montreal colors.” But for the love of Tim Raines and Larry Walker, we know what’s up with these sweaters: It’s the Habs as the Montreal Expos, and we salute them like Andrés Galarraga admiring a home run.
The most remarkable thing about this Reverse Retro Kings jersey, which honors the 40th anniversary of the “Miracle on Manchester,” is that one swears that it has previously existed. But the crown logo in the 1980s was on either a gold or “Forum Blue” jersey.
This is the first time the iconic sweater has been executed in white, and it looks awesome. Bonus points for creating raised gems on the crown for a 3D look.
The Avalanche topped the 2020 rankings with their ode to the Quebec Nordiques. This year’s model could be seen as an homage to the NHL’s Colorado Rockies, but their logo inspiration was the same as this Retro jersey: the Colorado state flag.
Nothing is going to top the remixed Nords sweater. But this looks clean and sharp, and like other Avalanche alternate logos is an improvement over their primary one.
The Golden Knights had a Reverse Retro jersey last year inspired by the now-defunct Wranglers minor league franchise. This time, they’re inspired by a team that doesn’t exist.
This sweater “imagines what a Golden Knights third jersey might have looked like in 1995.” The font and numbering are inspired by vintage hotel signage on the Strip. Oh, and just to make sure you get the full Vegas ostentatiousness: There are hidden glow-in-the-dark stars incorporated in the crest that can be seen in the dark and under a black light.
“When you think about the glitz and glamour of Vegas, it requires a little ingenuity,” Near said.
The Blues chose poorly last season, resurrecting a nauseating jersey design and inexplicably making red the primary color. This time, they understood the assignment.
The Blues’ Reverse Retro is based on a 1966 prototype worn by the team’s ownership a year before the expansion franchise actually hit the ice, which is like giving an Oscar to a teaser trailer. Despite being their second most prominent color, this is the first primarily gold jersey the Blues have worn. It incorporates the light blue seen on their Winter Classic jerseys.
Sound the trumpets: These rule.
This is the most “meta” Reverse Retro jersey in the collection.
In 2020, the Coyotes honored their much-maligned 1998 thirds, which magnified the head of the “kachina jersey” logo, made green the primary color and ceded the waistline to “a painfully obvious desert landscape complete with cacti,” as the Five For Howling blog noted. Their first Reverse Retro jersey swapped the green for purple from the team’s crescent moon alternate logo, and it was one of the best of the lot.
Now they’ve gone Reverse Retro on their Reverse Retro, swapping out the green for sienna, marking “the first time this trending earth tone color has been worn by any NHL team,” according to Adidas. The million dollar question: Are these supposed to abstractly evoke Arizona State athletics colors or is this simply coincidental?
The Pooh bear has returned!
The Bruins wore this logo from 1995-2006 on a third sweater. The blog Stanley Cup of Chowder called it “the greatest jersey in Bruins history.” The Pooh bear was originally featured on a gold jersey. This time it’s a white background, all the better to see the kind eyes, parted hair and Marchand-esque smirk on the bear’s fuzzy mug. Put one on and snuggle up with a pot of honey.
“What’s the design I could do that could pay homage to the Oilers but also just be cool to look at?” he pondered. “Selling it to someone in Edmonton is preaching to the choir. How do I sell it to someone in Miami?”
We’re not sure how it played in Florida, but its initial run in Edmonton wasn’t unanimously beloved. But this version might be an improvement.
His “dynamic gear surrounding an oil drop” logo has been enhanced by being raised in some areas and with that splash of orange in the middle. Each spoke represents a different Oilers Stanley Cup championship, and sadly that hasn’t needed to be edited since it debuted in 2001.
The Islanders have slowly reclaimed the ill-fated legacy of the “Fishsticks” logo that reigned from 1995-97, selling gear with that logo and color scheme in their official store in recent years.
For the team’s 50th anniversary, Adidas has added “the most requested uniform” for its Reverse Retro series.
Here’s the thing: The slight modifications they’ve made to the logo — like the TRON-esque orange highlights and the current color scheme — tone down the kitsch and the charm. One could argue the original Fishsticks jersey’s Aquafresh palette and queasy waves are more in keeping with the Reverse Retro aesthetic.
There’s an interesting separation between Canucks fans and outsiders when it comes to this Reverse Retro jersey. It’s inspired by their Western Hockey League look that featured Johnny Canuck, only this one has raised embroidered gloves and suspenders.
But the Canucks Army blog notes that Vancouver fans (a) feel this look to too close to that of the Abbotsford Canucks, who also use Johnny Canuck, and (b) were hoping for a less predictable experiment like “a green and blue edition of the Flying Vee or Flying Skate jerseys.”
In 1995, the Capitals went from red, white and blue to blue, black and bronze. They had a black third jersey for 10 years during that fad, with the capitol dome logo seen on the shoulders of this Reverse Retro jersey.
Now they’ve turned the “Screaming Eagle” into another black alternate sweater, with some really nice tweaks to the formula. This jersey features metallic copper and “Capital Blue,” giving the whole thing a sleeker look.
You can’t improve on perfection, which is why the Red Wings’ first Reverse Retro attempt looked like a practice version of their iconic sweater. But give the Red Wings credit for taking a swing with version 2.0.
An homage to their 1991 NHL 75th anniversary jerseys, which were red and white, this bold red and black look is accented by a DETROIT wordmark inspired by the 1920s Detroit Cougars. For a young team developing its swagger, we’ll allow it.
This Ducks jersey is cool. It’s clean looking. It’s got the proper logo on the front. They’re going to slap “ZEGRAS” on the back of these and move racks of them.
But after much debate inside the ESPN fashion offices, we came to a consensus: If Anaheim is dipping back to the inaugural Mighty Ducks season and their Reverse Retro doesn’t have even a hint of jade or eggplant, then what are they even doing this for?
The Rangers finished No. 2 on the 2020 rankings by simply bringing back to the Liberty Head logo for the first time since around 2007. They went back to that well for this Reverse Retro jersey, slapping it on a royal blue jersey with red sleeves.
The whole thing honestly feels like one of those sweatshirts that costs $50 more than it should, and hangs untouched with its friends in some distant corner of the NHL Store.
ROBO PENGUIN! Memories of Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and Petr Nedved come rushing back as we celebrate the majesty of this flightless fowl.
But we had to award some demerits for what could have been: This is the Penguins’ 1992-93 jersey flipped from white to black, leaving out some of the more audacious Robo Penguin gradient designs from the latter part of the decade. It’s a jersey that thinks the 1990s stopped with grunge, when “Bills, Bills, Bills” actually dropped in 1999.
The most interesting aspect of this Stars jersey, which is a homage to their inaugural season look back in 1993-94, is the dimensional embroidery on the crest to give the star a 3D quality.
Otherwise, the current “victory green” color integrated with this classic design makes for a fine looking sweater. But we’re now two Reverse Retro jerseys deep and the “Mooterus” has yet to return, so we really can’t go any higher than this for Dallas.
The Jets’ first Reverse Retro jersey was one of our favorites, but this one isn’t nearly as bold.
Winnipeg remixed the Jets 1.0 jersey from 1990 with the team’s current color palette, minus the red. A great sweater for Teemu Selanne completists but one that doesn’t come close to the streetwear grandeur of the previous Retro hit.
More debate inside the ESPN fashion offices on this one.
The Devils pay tribute to the Colorado Rockies 40 years after the team relocated from Denver to East Rutherford. It’s certainly a fun look, with the Rockies’ gold, red and navy accenting the jersey. But we’re a little disappointed that the color scheme only carries through to the logo via a blue circle around the “NJ,” when this could have been a fun opportunity to play around with that logo.
As it stands, this sorta looks like when a pro shop irons the right crest on the wrong jersey.
“Say kids, did you like the Minnesota North Stars-influenced Reverse Retro jersey? What if we told you that it’s now available in … green?”
Seriously, no points for creativity, but these remain pretty dope.
Inspired by Chicago’s 1938 uniforms and their 2019 Winter Classic gear, this Blackhawks jersey had the unfortunate timing of being immediately market-corrected by a similar — but much better executed — Red Wings Reverse Retro.
Sorry, but this just doesn’t work. The “goat head” logo loses its magic when stripped away from the red, black and silver color scheme that evoked images of Dominik Hasek saves and Miroslav Satan goals.
Outside of the nostalgic kick of having this logo back on a Buffalo sweater, applying the traditional Sabres colors to it feels slightly blasphemous.
What’s a nostalgic Kraken jersey? A Mark Giordano sweater?
Obviously lacking history, Seattle just decided to make a sea green jersey that makes it look like they’re wearing a cummerbund under their own logo. It’s not a bad looking sweater. It’s just not as audacious one might expect from a team nicknamed after a mythical sea creature. It’s a Reverse Retro with real “why don’t we make our mascot a troll doll?” energy.
Missed opportunity here. There was speculation that the Predators were going to put their 2001 third jersey logo on a navy jersey, which would have properly remixed their mustard stain sweater with a currently used color.
Alas, they went with gold, making this jersey practically redundant with their current ones.
It’s their current away jersey remixed into a red sweater, with two sets of hurricane warning flags on the shoulders.
Your mileage here is entirely dependent one how you feel about nicknames on jerseys instead of full nicknames.
Adidas says this is a remix of the jersey the Senators wore during their 2006-07 Stanley Cup Final run with “the current Ottawa color scheme and breakouts.”
Sure. It’s very much an Ottawa Senators jersey. But we’ll wait and see the full kit, as Adidas notes these Ottawa jerseys will be “presented in a powerful black head-to-toe visual including the helmet, pant and sock complimented by a thick super-sized player name and number system.”
The Blue Jackets got a little funky last time with a primary red jersey that sported their original logo. This is the first black jersey the Jackets will have worn, with blue sleeve accents that evoke their current third sweaters.
These FrankenJerseys are on the borderline of looking like a stitching accident, but in the end we like our jerseys like we like our steaks: black and blue. But maybe not as cold.
Toronto is honoring its 1962 Stanley Cup championship, remixing a primary white jersey into a primary blue jersey with white shoulder pads.
Have you ever seen a movie where one bad performance ruins the whole thing? The Flames have a cool black jersey, with an iconic logo and an eye-catching color scheme.
They also decided to bring back to truly bizarre “diagonal pedestal hem stripe” from their mid-1990s sweaters.
It just ruins the whole thing and makes it look like the Flames are wearing an achievement belt from a strip mall taekwondo academy.
“I don’t want my guys looking like a [expletive] crayon box. I don’t want them wearing a bunch of whozies and whats-its. Just make a Flyers jersey. Who cares?” — John Tortorella, maybe.
Nostalgia can be comforting. Nostalgia can be inspiring. But nostalgia can also cloud one’s judgement on what should or should not be mined from the past for the benefit of the present.
To that end: These Lightning jerseys should have remained buried under whatever landfill in which they were decomposing. Tampa Bay wore these jerseys from 1996-99, during a time when the NHL had its share of ghastly third jerseys. They had storm waves across the waist; lightning bolts on the sleeves, and in perhaps the single worst aesthetic touch for an NHL jersey in the last 30 years, “bold rain” flecked across the front of the sweater that looked like it was taken straight from an 8-bit video game.
Whatever Lightning player feigns excitement the most for these monstrosities should win the Lady Byng, full stop.
Dan Near of Adidas offers a brief rebuttal about this jersey: “There were some jerseys from that era that we presented and the teams weren’t excited about. There were others that the teams embraced right away. This isn’t a permanent choice. This is a celebration of a moment in time and the nostalgia about a team. Maybe we don’t have to take ourselves so seriously and bring something back that might have been polarizing but that in today’s day and age is very trend-right. I give a lot of acclaim to the Lightning for making a risk well worth taking.”
We mentioned the Flames, but every team made changes this offseason. We’re here to help get you up to speed with intel on all 32 teams, including the key players who were added or subtracted, best- and worst-case scenarios, X factors and fantasy tips, plus bold predictions.
Our season preview is also the first edition of our ESPN power rankings for 2022-23, which provide the order in which these teams are presented. The rankings were formulated through votes from ESPN hockey broadcasters, analysts and reporters, and will appear weekly on ESPN.com.
Note: Thanks as always to CapFriendly for salary and contract data. Advanced stats are from Hockey Reference, Natural Stat Trick and Evolving Hockey. Kristen Shilton profiled the teams in the Eastern Conference, while Ryan S. Clark handled the Western Conference clubs. Fantasy outlook for each team is courtesy of Victoria Matiash and Sean Allen. Stanley Cup odds are courtesy Caesars Sportsbook.
Most fascinating player:Alex Newhook. Finding a new second-line center is arguably the most notable question facing the defending Stanley Cup champions. The belief is Newhook could be the person who replaces Kadri. Newhook has more than just replacing Kadri to contend with if he does get the second-line center role. He must also play a key role in finding continuity with a second line that returns Valeri Nichushkin as its senior member with Burakovsky and Kadri playing elsewhere.
Best case: Winning a second straight Stanley Cup. It’s no secret the Avs are in win-now mode and have many of the needed pieces to capture what would be the fourth Stanley Cup in franchise history.
Worst case: They cannot fill one of their roster needs internally and have to mortgage future assets to do so. They have around $2.6 million in available cap space. They have four picks in the 2023 draft, and another four in the 2024 draft. Yes, the Avs have their first-round picks for 2023, 2024 and 2025. So they could use those as capital. But there will come a point when they need their prospects to start filling those gaps that cannot always be outsourced.
X factor: What could the Avs look like with a fully healthy Bowen Byram? The playoffs offered a glimpse of that, with Byram registering nine points in 20 games while averaging a little less than 20 minutes per contest. A healthy Byram alongside Samuel Girard, Cale Makar and Devon Toews could give the Avs one of the most treacherous top-four defensive groups.
Fantasy outlook: On the blue line, Makar is any fantasy team’s choice No. 1 defenseman, particularly in leagues that reward power-play points at a premium. Second only to Roman Josi in points accrued with the extra skater (34) in 2021-22, and average fantasy points/game in standard leagues (2.9), Makar stands nearly alone in a class of three blueliners as an indisputably legitimate first-round draft pick. His oft-underrated and overshadowed partner, Toews, holds sneaky appeal as a fantasy No. 3 or 4 defender.
Most fascinating player:Dylan Coghlan. Las Vegas traded Coghlan — a 24-year-old right-shot defenseman — to Carolina along with Max Pacioretty over the summer for basically nothing in return (except salary-cap space). Bold move. Now Coghlan has a chance to break through on the Hurricanes’ back end. Coghlan has yet to play a full 82-game schedule in his career, capping out at 59 (and 13 points) a season ago. But he has turned heads already in the preseason and has seen some power-play time. Could it be a perfect match between player and team? Given Coghlan’s age and the coveted role he fills, this blueliner might blossom into a real difference-maker for Carolina.
Best case: The Hurricanes harness all the young talent they’ve been growing for years and take the league by storm. Carolina’s core — led by Sebastian Aho — crackles with offensive chemistry, while free agent additions Paul Stastny and Ondrej Kase help stabilize the bottom six. Brent Burns proves there’s plenty left in his tank to anchor a blue line bursting with players in their prime, and Jake Gardiner — now cleared to return — is a viable option once more. Frederik Andersen stays healthy, and Carolina steamrollers its way up the standings to win the division and set up a successful postseason.
Worst case: Carolina is loaded down by expectations entering the season and stumbles at the start. Coach Rod Brind’Amour struggles to find the right forward combinations, and that slows the team’s offense. Andersen’s past injury issues return, and the Hurricanes’ goaltending goes back into flux. Integrating too many new pieces on the back end takes time, and the absence of DeAngelo is felt even with Burns in place. That all puts the Hurricanes on their heels and in a season-long battle to recover just to stay in the playoff picture.
X factor: Reaching Carolina’s ultimate goal requires the best out of all its players. Is this finally the time for Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Martin Necas to reveal theirs? Kotkaniemi has been unpredictable in the past, and now he’s starting on an eight-year contract worth almost $5 million per season. He’ll have a chance to be Carolina’s second-line center, too; can the Hurricanes rely on him to perform there? And what of Necas, a player with great potential who has been up and down in Carolina for too long? Now on a two-year bridge deal, will Necas prove his doubters wrong with a breakout season?
Fantasy outlook: The Hurricanes have taken a good thing and sprinkled in some veteran spice. Aho and Andrei Svechnikov — even on separate lines — will give you 2.0 fantasy points per game or better, with Teuvo Teravainen not far behind. Pacioretty will be there, too, once he’s healthy for the final push.
Bold prediction: The Hurricanes will make the Stanley Cup Final.
Last season: 49-27-6 (104 points), lost in Western Conference finals
Most fascinating player:Jack Campbell. Relying on the ability to simply outscore teams can go only so far. That strategy took the Oilers to the Western Conference finals last season, but consistent goal-suppression was an issue. This is why the Oilers signed Campbell to a five-year contract worth $5 million annually. The front office believes this could be the move that sees the Oilers go from conference finalists to potentially something more.
Best case: At least returning to the Western Conference finals. Winning the West would further heighten what is demanded while also showing what the Oilers are doing could be sustainable over the long haul. Is it possible this could be the year Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid get the Oilers to the Cup final for the first time since the 2005-06 season?
Worst case: Their defensive structure and goaltending struggle to connect, and the Oilers are eliminated within the first two rounds. Last year saw the Oilers make a significant jump from a team that was eliminated in the opening round in their previous two postseason campaigns to reaching the conference finals. They return several players and have added Campbell with the hope he can take them further. But there are no guarantees.
X factor: This will be an important season for Evan Bouchard. His 12 goals and 43 points in 81 games was a sign the Oilers have a young blueliner who can be trusted to play a big role. The fact that he continued that into the postseason by scoring nine points in 16 games while averaging a little more than 18 minutes per game was also another sign of progress. Another strong campaign could see Bouchard, who is an RFA at season’s end, get rewarded going forward.
Fantasy outlook: If Jack Campbell could survive the blistering spotlight in Toronto’s suffocating hockey market and manage to not only survive but thrive, he can make it anywhere. Last year’s healthy version of the 30-year-old did just that. Some argue Campbell is no Mike Smith. Agreed. He isn’t. The Leafs’ former No. 1 is a top-10 fantasy netminder.
Bold prediction: The Oilers will make the Stanley Cup Final.
Last season: 58-18-6 (122 points), lost in second round
Most fascinating player:Spencer Knight. The Panthers have high hopes for the goaltender they drafted 13th overall in 2019. Knight’s recent three-year, $13.5 million extension makes him one half of the NHL’s highest-paid goalie tandem (alongside Sergei Bobrovsky), a pair that eats up $14.5 million of Florida’s salary cap. Can Knight live up to that investment? After a sterling debut stretch for the Panthers in 2020-21 following the close of his sophomore season at Boston College, Knight struggled enough last season to be demoted to the AHL before rebounding with a resurgent finish with the big club (10-3-1, .921 SV%). Which Knight shows up to start this season? And can the Panthers rely on him to perform all the way through?
Best case: Florida is fueled by last season’s playoff disappointment to become an even better version than the team that won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2022. Matthew Tkachuk injects the Panthers’ offense with a perfect complement of grit and skill, there is defensive buy-in across the board and Bobrovsky and Knight settle into a successful rhythm between the pipes. The Panthers emerge more balanced than last season’s offense-fueled squad, and when the playoffs arrive, they are well positioned to tackle challenges on both sides of the puck (not to mention special teams).
Worst case: It was too big a risk for GM Billy Zito to trade his team’s leading scorer, Jonathan Huberdeau, to Calgary for Tkachuk. Huberdeau’s absence is felt immediately and proves difficult to overcome as Florida redefines its offense under new coach Paul Maurice. The Panthers encounter more injury issues with top stars, including Aleksander Barkov and Aaron Ekblad, which slows down their progress. The Atlantic ramps up faster than expected and Florida has a hard time keeping pace into the spring.
X factor: The Panthers lost top-pairing defenseman Mackenzie Weegar in the Huberdeau/Tkachuk trade. What does that mean for his former partner, Ekblad, and Florida’s top-four alignment? Will Ekblad find quick chemistry on a new pairing, or will that take time to develop? The Panthers scored their way through issues in the 2021-22 regular season, but that came back to bite them in the playoffs. Establishing a strong defense that supports Bobrovsky and Knight will be key for Florida to reach its ceiling.
Fantasy outlook: There are countless combinations you can pencil in for the Panthers — a product of having two superstar players who are good enough to carry a line single-handedly (Barkov and Tkachuk) and a sophomore on a path to be able to do the same one day (Anton Lundell).
Bold prediction: The Panthers will drop at least 20 points in the standings.
play
4:22
Matthew Tkachuk chats with Emily Kaplan about being traded to the Florida Panthers and now becoming a division rival of his brother Brady and the Ottawa Senators.
Last season: 52-24-6 (110 points), lost in Eastern Conference finals
Most fascinating player:Kaapo Kakko. It was the healthy scratch heard round the hockey world when Rangers coach Gerard Gallant tapped Dryden Hunt over Kakko in a do-or-die Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals against Tampa Bay last spring. New York lost that game, and Kakko’s RFA status muddied the waters on his future. He has since signed a two-year deal, and New York has high hopes Kakko develops quickly into a top-six stalwart. Is that in his sights this season? The 21-year-old is undeniably talented; with added consistency, Kakko could fly high — and fast — in New York.
Best case: New York proves its run to the conference finals last spring was no fluke with a hot start to 2022-23. The Rangers’ key offseason signee, Trocheck, locks into a center spot beside Artemi Panarin, who gets on pace for another career season. The team’s young risers — including Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere — show added growth, and Igor Shesterkin is better than ever. New York dominates its way to the top of the standings and another long playoff run.
Worst case: The Rangers have a youthful blue line, and that inexperience bleeds through early on. Gallant cycles through different combinations up front to maximize his emerging stars, and the chemistry doesn’t come. New York’s frustrations mount, and even stellar play from Shesterkin can’t get them through. The Rangers make the playoffs but are ousted in the first round.
X factor: How will New York handle its imbalance of left and right wingers? Copp and Vatrano leaving in free agency left the Rangers with few options on the right compared to left. Kakko is a true righty, and Lafreniere could conceivably swap to his off side. Is that too much to ask of him? Can Vitali Kravtsov take advantage of New York’s need and push his way into the top-nine group? The preseason should give Gallant time to tinker positionally. What he finds in the process will be key for New York’s offense.
Fantasy outlook: The big fantasy question surrounds some youngsters with very high upside who just haven’t clicked in the NHL yet. It’s doubtful there is enough ice time for all three of Lafreniere, Kakko and Kravtsov to take a leap forward, but there is room for one of them on the top line with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad.
Most fascinating player:Matt Murray. GM Kyle Dubas let Jack Campbell walk in free agency to sign Murray, who underperformed for two years in Ottawa. Murray is a Stanley Cup champion, though, and was better in the second half last season with the Senators. What sort of performance can he offer a Leafs team desperate to take the next step? Murray will be under intense pressure out of the gate. How the veteran handles the heat, and gets Toronto off on the right foot, will prove whether Dubas was right — in his own contract year — to rely on Murray.
Best case: The Leafs ignite early on the offensive firepower of Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. Murray stays healthy and racks up a strong record alongside Ilya Samsonov, who enjoys a resurgent season of his own. Toronto remains healthy into the postseason, where it finally gets over the hump with a first-round victory.
Worst case: Preseason injuries to John Tavares and others along the blue line (Jake Muzzin, Timothy Liljegren) spell trouble for Toronto. Matthews gets off to a slow start, and the Leafs’ offense struggles accordingly, putting a dent in the team’s confidence. Murray is solid but can’t make up for the Leafs’ mounting deficiencies in front of him, and Detroit and Ottawa continue to rise around Toronto. They reach the playoffs as a wild-card team and lose again in the first round.
X factor: How will the Leafs’ top six shakeout? Matthews, Marner and Michael Bunting appear to be coach Sheldon Keefe’s choice as the club’s first line. Before Tavares’ training camp injury, he was anchoring the team’s second line with William Nylander and a rotating crop of wingers. Does Denis Malgin win that job? Will Alex Kerfoot end up on the wing again instead of center? What are newcomer Jarnkrok’s prospects there? Building chemistry will be key to Toronto’s long-term success offensively, and there still seems to be some moving parts Keefe and company will have to sift through.
Fantasy outlook: This season, Tavares and Nylander will be seeking a winger to complete their line. Candidates include Adam Gaudette, Jarnkrok, Malgin and Nicholas Robertson. In the end, expect one to emerge for your lineup.
Most fascinating player:Brandon Hagel. The Lightning didn’t get as much out of Hagel post-trade deadline last season as they might have expected (seven points in 22 games). Tampa needs that to change now that Anthony Cirelli is sidelined until December and Ondrej Palat is playing in New Jersey. Hagel can slot in at right or left wing and has the potential to be a 20-goal scorer. Where does that versatility take Tampa? Does it push Hagel to the Lightning top line and perhaps allow Steven Stamkos a return to center? If Hagel finds his footing, all of Tampa’s top six will benefit.
Best case: The Lightning push on from June’s Stanley Cup Final loss with an early-season surge. In the early absence of Cirelli, both Hagel and Nick Paul establish themselves in Tampa’s top-six rotation and coach Jon Cooper rolls his lines with ease. Mikhail Sergachev capably shoulders more blue-line responsibility to better complement Victor Hedman, and Andrei Vasilevskiy remains Vezina Trophy-worthy in net. Tampa high steps its way through the division to be playoff powerhouses again.
Worst case: GM Julien BriseBois didn’t make any major offseason additions to Tampa’s roster. Going without Cirelli early proves to be harder than anticipated, and all the hockey the Lightning have played the past three years starts catching up to them earlier in the regular season. Atlantic rivals in Florida, Detroit, Ottawa and even Toronto are bolstered by fresh faces (not to mention fresher legs). Tampa hits some injury setbacks to slip further behind the pack and can’t regain traction before the final playoff push.
X factor: How much will Tampa miss Palat and McDonagh? Both players were vital to the Lightning’s success. While Tampa has overcome the loss of other skaters in its past, has their luck run out in that respect? There is no clear-cut replacement for either player — it’ll either be by committee or require someone new to step up. It would be foolish to doubt Tampa’s ability to overcome those loses, but McDonagh and Palat were quite a presence on and off the ice for a long time.
Fantasy outlook: Victor Hedman can still push to be the top defenseman in the league, but Mikhail Sergachev is also primed to take a step forward. And, of course, Andrei Vasilevskiy is the ever-present linchpin that makes the whole machine function.
Bold prediction: Andrei Vasilevskiy, motivated by his countryman’s exploits with the Rangers, puts together another Vezina-winning season.
Last season: 50-21-11 (111 points), lost in second round
Stanley Cup odds: +1,800
Key players added: F Jonathan Huberdeau, F Nazem Kadri, F Sonny Milano, F Kevin Rooney, D MacKenzie Weegar
Most fascinating player:Nazem Kadri. Operating as a top-six center who can be trusted on a first-team power-play unit is exactly how the Avs used Kadri in recent seasons, and it’s likely how he will be used with the Flames. The intrigue is in how he will produce. Kadri reached the 50-point mark three times in Toronto, while averaging 0.64 points in his first two seasons in Denver. Last season, he set a new career high with 87 points, which shattered his previous high by 26 points. Could he do the same with the Flames?
Best case: The Flames find cohesion with their new additions and get beyond the second round. It starts with Kadri and Huberdeau filling the void left by Gaudreau and Tkachuk. The goal for the Flames is that Huberdeau, Kadri and Weegar can be players who create chances for themselves and others. Having that all work out could potentially result in a longer playoff run than last season.
Worst case: The Flames don’t receive the same level of goal-scoring as 2021-22 and are battling for a playoff spot to the end of the regular season. The Flames were sixth in goals last season, with five of the NHL’s seven most prolific teams in the West. If their scoring diminishes, they could be overtaken by one of the conference’s risers.
X factor: Getting Weegar gave the Flames a few options. He offers them another puck-moving defenseman who could potentially run their first-team power-play unit. Weegar’s arrival also means the Flames might be able to tap into their blue line again for secondary scoring. The Flames had five defenseman who finished with more than 25 points last season. Weegar, who scored a career-high 44 points in 2021-22, hypothetically makes that group more formidable.
Fantasy outlook:Jacob Markstrom is a top-five fantasy goaltender, however you slice it. In 2021-22, he started 63 games, won 37 of them (lost only 15) and pitched a .922 SV% and 2.22 GAA. Only one person wrapped last season with more total fantasy points than Calgary’s No. 1, and that guy won the Vezina Trophy.
Bold prediction: Huberdeau will outscore Gaudreau and Tkachuk.
Last season: 53-22-7 (113 points), lost in first round
Most fascinating player:Marco Rossi. Kirill Kaprizov might be the easy answer here. But a debate could also be had as to whether it is Matt Dumba, Marc-Andre Fleury or Ryan Hartman, among others. Our pick is Rossi. He was drafted ninth overall in 2020 with the expectation he could someday give the Wild another homegrown top-six forward. Could this be the season Rossi starts tapping into that promise?
Best case: Hartman improves on his breakout 2021-22, and the Wild don’t have to trade for more scoring help. He was part of the Wild’s contingent of players who did more than set new career highs. They shattered their previous accomplishments, and Hartman was one of the strongest examples. Having another 30-goal and 60-plus-point season — or better — while earning $1.7 million this season with one more year left on his contract would prove massive for Wild GM Bill Guerin when it comes to cap management.
Worst case: The Wild can’t score enough after trading Kevin Fiala. If the group featuring Joel Eriksson Ek, Frederick Gaudreau, Marcus Foligno, Mats Zuccarello and Hartman cannot match what they did last season — and the rise of Kaprizov, Rossi and Matt Boldy doesn’t make up for it — they might face an early playoff exit again.
X factor: Fleury combined for 56 starts between the Blackhawks and Wild last season. He could be asked to do that again this season. But no matter Fleury’s workload, the Wild will need to see what they have in 24-year-old Filip Gustavsson. Several teams rely on tandems, and the Wild are no different. The contrast is that Fleury played in more games last season than Gustavsson has in his NHL career (27 appearances).
Fantasy outlook: Superstar Kaprizov earned his fresh $9 million annual salary in scoring 47 goals on 289 shots, while pitching in another 61 assists. Entering the second season of his five-year deal should produce similar results. Kaprizov’s a standout and should be drafted in the first round.
Bold prediction: The Wild will add an impact forward early in the season.
Last season: 49-22-11 (109 points), lost in second round
Most fascinating player:Jordan Binnington. Husso is gone, and the belief is Greiss can play a role within the Blues’ tandem. Those factors, among the fact the Blues are Cup contenders, is what makes this such an alluring campaign for Binnington. He’s coming off back-to-back 18-win seasons, but the 2021-22 campaign saw him post a career-low 3.13 GAA and a .901 save percentage. Then, Binnington went 4-1 with a 1.72 GAA and a .949 save percentage in the postseason. Tapping into the consistency he showed in the playoffs could potentially be key toward him turning in the sort of performances that made him a 30-game winner a few years ago.
Best case: Binnington is sharp in the regular and postseason, and the Blues are a top contender. Winning the Cup amid the potential roster uncertainty could potentially soften the blow depending on what happens next summer. Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko are both UFAs at the end of the season. The Blues are projected to have a little less than $16 million in available cap space next offseason. Granted, the Blues have already won a Cup with O’Reilly and Tarasenko. But those circumstances hypothetically heighten what is expected to be an important year for the franchise.
Worst case: The Blues have a quick playoff exit, then their big stars exit in the summer. It is possible this could be the last season O’Reilly and/or Tarasenko spend in St. Louis. Each stand to be among the most sought-after free agents should they hit the market. Plus, the Blues’ cap problems could become even more complicated if Ivan Barbashev, who will also be a UFA, has another strong season before needing a new deal.
X factor: Barbashev represents the chaos potentially facing Blues GM Doug Armstrong this season. O’Reilly and Tarasenko are legitimate top-six presences. O’Reilly is the two-way forward who can anchor a line, while a fully healthy Tarasenko is looking like one of the most dynamic wingers in the game again. Coming up with deals for them is one thing. Doing that for Barbashev is a harder one to predict. He had previously been a double-digit goal-scorer but burst through to score a career-high 26 goals and 60 points in 81 games in 2021-22. Another step up could lead to him requesting more than the $2.25 million he has made the past two seasons.
Fantasy outlook: Blossoming point-per-gamer Jordan Kyrou, who finished second only to Tarasenko in power-play production for St. Louis, is another forward to target before most fantasy drafts are through. On defense, Torey Krug brings it on the power play, Colton Parayko pitches in with the tougher heavy lifting (blocked shots), while Justin Faulk is appreciated as the full package.
Bold prediction: This is O’Reilly’s last season in St. Louis.
Last season: 46-25-11 (103 points), lost in first round
Most fascinating player:Rickard Rakell. The 29-year-old winger is an interesting study. Rakell was a rising star in Anaheim, posting back-to-back 30-goal seasons, until that production began to stall and the Ducks traded him to Pittsburgh last season. The Penguins signed Rakell to a six-year, $30 million extension. Now they need the veteran to be that offense-driving playmaker of his past. Coach Mike Sullivan can — and has — offered Rakell an opportunity to skate with Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel. The organization clearly believes Rakell has more to offer. Can he now deliver them another 30-goal campaign?
Best case: Pittsburgh got the band back together with new deals for Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, and any notion of an impending rebuild is swiftly silenced. The Penguins’ concerns up front are unfounded, as Rakell, Jeff Carter, Kasperi Kapanen and Bryan Rust all show promising signs early. Pittsburgh’s core carries the team to another successful regular season and, with some health luck, the Penguins win their first playoff round in four years.
Worst case: Injury problems that Pittsburgh deals with in the preseason leak into October and affect the Penguins’ overall team building. The decision to rely on an aging nucleus turns questionable over concerns that the group has lost a step. Chemistry is slow to come on the wings and as Pittsburgh’s offense sputters so, too, does its confidence. The Penguins head to another first-round playoff loss and pensive offseason about the club’s future direction.
X factor: Pittsburgh has dealt with an inconsistent power play since losing special teams staples Patric Hornqvist and Phil Kessel. Last season, the Penguins finished 19th overall (20.2%) with the extra man, a low landing spot given the talent Pittsburgh has to deploy. The man advantage didn’t look improved early in preseason either, when the Penguins went 0-for-9 against Detroit and Sullivan admitted the team hadn’t really worked on it much at practice. Will special teams struggles come back to haunt Pittsburgh in the regular season, too? And how might it affect their long-term prospects in a tightly contested division?
Fantasy outlook: The Penguins enter what is essentially their 15th season with the same C1, C2 and D1 core. In 2008-09, Crosby, Malkin and Letang shared the power-play minutes with the likes of Petr Sykora and Miroslav Satan. Now, in 2022-23, they’ll be out there with Guentzel and Rust — which also feels like old hat.
Most fascinating player:Roope Hintz. A 25-year-old, 6-foot-3 winger who can score, create for himself and others. He can operate on the power play while also proving he can be trusted on the penalty kill. Breaking through to score 37 goals and 72 points last season only adds to the intrigue of what the Stars have with Hintz. It also happens to work out that Hintz is a pending RFA who could make the case for a significant pay bump from the $3.15 million he annually earns.
Best case: Peter DeBoer’s system results in more scoring and a postseason run. DeBoer has had lengthy playoff runs in his first season in charge at previous stops. Another trait those teams had was they could score. The Devils were 11th in goals, while the Golden Knights and Sharks finished in the top four. Creating and scoring goals is key for any team, but the Stars struggled with that last season. They finished the regular season with the fewest goals of any team that made the postseason.
Worst case: A lack of scoring prevents a return to the playoffs. Just look at what the teams that finished above the Stars in the Central had last season. The Avs had seven 20-goal scorers and 11 who finished in double figures. The Blues had nine 20-goal scorers and 10 who had more than 10 goals, while the Wild had six 20-goal scorers but 10 players who amassed more than 10 goals. The Stars had only four 20-goal scorers and seven players who reached the 10-goal mark.
X factor: Marchment’s production will be critical. He scored a career-high 18 goals and 47 points in 54 games while playing in a Panthers setup that saw multiple players set new personal bests. Marchment has the potential to give the Stars another scoring layer.
Fantasy outlook: Top heavy in the fantasy department, only the club’s leading trio neared and/or cleared the 2.0 fantasy-point mark in ESPN standard leagues. With Jason Robertson and his 41 goals leading the way, Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski duly served as precious assets in contributing regularly at even strength and with the man advantage.
Bold prediction: The DeBoer Effect will carry the Stars to the playoffs.
Last season: 44-26-12 (100 points), lost in first round
Most fascinating player:Dylan Strome. The Capitals are without Nicklas Backstrom following his offseason hip surgery. In the meantime, newcomer Strome is expected to fill Backstrom’s role as Washington’s second-line center. It’s a high-profile spot for Strome, who made headlines in the summer as an RFA whom Chicago failed to qualify after a 22-goal season. Once the third overall pick by Arizona in 2015, Strome has struggled to reach the loftier expectations of his draft positioning. Now on a one-year, show-me deal with the Capitals, Strome has a chance to prove that, at 25 years old, his best years are still ahead.
Best case: Washington is in win-now mode, and it’s clear why when it bursts into an early-season point streak. Kuemper displays championship form in net that breeds confidence throughout the lineup, and the Capitals barely miss a beat without Backstrom and Tom Wilson. Alex Ovechkin stays on pace for another record-breaking scoring season, and Washington’s defensive depth stands tall as the club is once again playoff bound.
Worst case: The Capitals’ core shows its age with a slow start. Washington is too reliant on its top six to produce and doesn’t get similar contributions from lower down, making the team too one-dimensional to beat the better clubs around it. Kuemper is inconsistent playing behind an unfamiliar defense, and Washington starts missing the physical punch Wilson packed. The Capitals are a quick playoff out as their window for a Cup closes further.
X factor: Is Washington running out of championship opportunities? The Capitals are an older team in the Eastern Conference, stacked with players on expiring deals. There’s a now-or-never feel that creeps in. How will Washington handle that pressure to seize the moment when two of its most important players (for different reasons) are unavailable to start the year? Can Conor Sheary and Garnet Hathaway step up to fill the void? Will the Capitals get enough from their defense to make up for potentially less scoring up front? Washington is no stranger to high expectations; how it manages those in the face of adversity is the question mark.
Fantasy outlook: With no Backstrom and Wilson for quite some time, there are gaps open for Anthony Mantha and Strome to establish themselves as key parts of the offense with Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov.
Most fascinating player:David Pastrnak. The scoring winger enters an all-important contract season right as Boston faces several key early-season injuries — Brad Marchand, Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk will all miss at least a month following offseason surgeries. How well the Bruins weather their storm will depend in large part on Pastrnak. He was the club’s second-leading scorer last season (40 goals, 77 points), and while discussions are underway on a new deal, nothing has been signed yet. Can Pastrnak punch up his asking price with a savior-like season?
Best case: Boston reaches Thanksgiving in playoff position, and holds on to it from there as reinforcements return to the lineup. The Atlantic will be more competitive than ever with the potential emergence of Detroit, Ottawa and even Buffalo. Surviving the season’s first six weeks with a solid position in the standings will set Boston up for a smoother road to the postseason. Where, as we know, anything is possible.
Worst case: The Bruins struggle without their top scorer (Marchand) and defenseman (McAvoy) while getting acclimated to a new system under fresh bench boss Jim Montgomery. Aging stars Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci have less in the tank than expected and Boston’s offense dwindles. By the time the Bruins get healthy and up to speed, they’ve lost crucial ground in the division, can’t catch up and fail to clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2015-16.
X factor: How quickly will the Bruins take to Montgomery? He previously turned Dallas into more of a defense-first team, and Boston already has that framework after allowing the fewest even-strength shots against last season. Can Montgomery use that to Boston’s advantage if offense is harder to generate in October and November? How well the veteran coach can gain his team’s trust and find the right mix of personnel to cover for its deficiencies out of the gate will be critical.
Fantasy outlook: David Krejci returns from a season in Europe to center what will be a new top line featuring David Pastrnak and Taylor Hall, while Patrice Bergeron bides his time waiting for Brad Marchand to return to health. It means reduced expectations for Bergeron to start, but maybe we’ll get the best we’ve seen of Hall for some time.
Bold prediction: Jim Montgomery will be a Jack Adams finalist.
Key players lost: D Dylan Coghlan, F Evgenii Dadonov, F Mattias Janmark, F Max Pacioretty
Most fascinating player:Jack Eichel. Bruce Cassidy has maintained he will make adjustments during training camp. So far, he has kept Eichel on a line with Phil Kessel and Reilly Smith to create a combination that can score. Eichel is fully healthy. It also appears he could be playing with veteran wingers to form a trio that could be a constant threat.
Best case: The proposed approach of using Laurent Brossoit, Hill and Logan Thompson is one the Knights use en route to returning to the playoffs. Robin Lehner missing the 2022-23 season creates questions about whether the Golden Knights have enough in net. But those queries can eventually be quelled should Brossoit, Hill and Thompson provide the sort of performances that get the Knights back to the postseason.
Worst case: Not capitalizing on everything they have could result in another disappointing spring for the Golden Knights. They traded for Eichel last season to solidify their top six. They sneakily signed Kessel in free agency to add one more forward to a team that can already score in bunches. They hired a coach in Cassidy who knows how to get teams into the postseason. This is a team that carries expectations of not just making the playoffs, but going on the longest run possible.
X factor:Chandler Stephenson‘s production continues to rise with each season. Last year, it led to him having one of the more notable breakout campaigns of any player in the league. He went from 14 goals and 35 points over 51 games in 2020-21 to scoring 21 goals and 64 points in 79 games in 2022-23. That version of Stephenson is why Cassidy has him in a second-line role while pushing William Karlsson to the third line.
Fantasy outlook: As for that particular fresh fantasy forward pairing, prescient managers everywhere could be in for a real treat. Jack Eichel and Phil Kessel could combine for some jaw-dropping digits. While the former Sabres captain isn’t likely to survive many draft rounds unclaimed, his new ironman winger well might, in turn serving as one of this season’s more valuable sleepers.
Bold prediction: The goaltending is fine, and the Golden Knights return to the playoffs.
Last season: 45-30-7 (97 points), lost in first round
Most fascinating player:Matt Duchene. Never mind scoring a career high in goals and points that appeared to seemingly come out of nowhere given his prior seasons. Duchene scored more points last season (86) than he had in the previous three seasons combined (67). Another campaign like that, coupled with Ryan Johansen building on one of the strongest offensive seasons of his career, could make the Preds one of the NHL’s most intriguing teams.
Best case: Both Duchene and Johansen are able to build upon or maintain what they did in 2021-22. Having two top-six centers who can drive play would have big results for the Predators. The first being it gets them into the playoffs for an eighth straight season, with another being it advances them beyond the first round.
Worst case: A fifth straight opening-round playoff exit. The first round and the Predators are not exactly what one would consider “a good place.” They have won only five playoff games in the past four seasons and were swept in four by the eventual Cup-champion Avalanche last spring. Yet this is where it could all be philosophical: What is worse? Getting to the playoffs and losing in the first round or not making the postseason at all?
X factor: The Predators’ entire defensive setup. McDonagh’s arrival adds to a unit that already had Alexandre Carrier, Mattias Ekholm, Dante Fabbro and former Norris Trophy winner Roman Josi. It gives the Predators five defensemen who could be used interchangeably while providing another option who can offer assistance to Juuse Saros.
Fantasy outlook: Matt Duchene isn’t going to score 43 goals again this season. Not because last season’s shooting percentage of 18.9% will be too difficult to copycat (although it will be), or that there isn’t much to appreciate about a veteran finally finding his scoring groove in shrugging off the suffocating pall of unachievable expectation (because for sure there is), but because he has never even neared that mark before.
Most fascinating player:Noah Dobson. The Islanders’ got a breakout 51-point season from the right-handed defenseman in 2021-22. It earned the 22-year-old a three-year, $12 million contract with the club. At the same time, GM Lou Lamoriello publicly stated, “We have to see more with Noah,” and repeated the expectation for Dobson to show even more growth. What will that look like? Dobson’s trajectory could be toward superstardom on New York’s back end. But did Lamoriello’s hesitancy at going longer on a new deal hint that the organization has doubts about that happening? Watching how Dobson handles things from here will be fascinating.
Best case: The Islanders made almost zero changes to their roster from a season ago, and the familiarity pays off. New York has no building-related drama to halt its strong start, one that includes cementing a permanent top-line combination highlighted by Mathew Barzal. Dobson and Romanov prove to be a reliable second pairing to make life easier on Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov in net. Newbie coach Lane Lambert has no trouble transitioning to a head role, and the Islanders cruise into a postseason slot.
Worst case: New York comes out clumsy under Lambert’s eye. That lack of personnel turnover makes the Islanders’ attack predictable and stale. The club’s defensive buy-in is there, but without the offensive output to match, the Islanders can’t rack up enough wins to be a true contender through the season’s first half. New York doesn’t keep pace with other top teams in the Metro and eventually is too far behind to regain lost ground.
X factor: Lamoriello unseated a proven head coach in Barry Trotz to insert assistant Lambert behind the bench. It was a surprising move to say the least; how does it pay off for New York? Lambert has been in the organization and knows its players, yet the pressure will be on to pull the Islanders back into the postseason fight quickly. That will start with redefining — or reidentifying — who and what this team is at its core, and how the Islanders can wield that to success. It’s a tall task for any coach, especially one new to the role. How well Lambert does will in part dictate how far the Islanders can go.
Fantasy outlook: With Ryan Pulock established and Dobson emerging last season, it’s Romanov’s turn to translate his physical presence into fantasy points on this stalwart blue line. Meanwhile, Adam Pelech and Scott Mayfield do enough defensively to have low-end value in deeper leagues.
Most fascinating player:Kevin Fiala. Kings GM Rob Blake and the front office have used the build-from-within approach. They went into the free agent market in 2021 for Phillip Danault, and made a trade a year later to land Fiala. Danault’s first season saw him score 27 goals, which was more than what he had in the previous two seasons combined before coming to L.A. The belief with the Kings is that Fiala can follow suit by having the same sort of immediate impact Danault enjoyed in Year 1.
Best case:Drew Doughty continues what he was doing before getting injured last season, and the Kings take another step forward in the playoffs. Doughty had seven goals and 31 points over 39 games while logging more than 25 minutes per game. He was averaging 0.79 points and would have been on pace for a career-high 65 if he played a full 82-game schedule. A healthy Doughty adds another dimension to a rising franchise.
Worst case: The Kings don’t get what they need from their young players, and miss the playoffs. Being able to trust their young players was such a critical component of how the Kings returned to the postseason after a three-year hiatus. Mikey Anderson reached the 50-game mark for the second consecutive season. Tobias Bjornfot went from 33 games to 70, while Sean Durzi had 27 points in 64 games. Plus, Arthur Kaliyev had 14 goals and 27 points in 80 games for the club. The progression of those four along with Quinton Byfield and others could prove massive for the Kings’ short- and long-term plans.
X factor:Adrian Kempe went from a consistent double-digit scorer to suddenly scoring a career-high 35 goals and 54 points. Sure, the goals are what many will point toward when it comes to evaluating his importance. Don’t forget. Kempe logged another career high 115:06 in short-handed ice time last season. He offers the sort of versatility that gives the team a two-way winger who could be used in several scenarios.
Fantasy outlook: Fantasy fanatics are ready to fall for Fiala in L.A. After busting out for a career-high 33 goals and 52 assists this past campaign in Minnesota, Fiala is taking his speedy services to the West Coast. Alongside star center Anze Kopitar, the 26-year-old is capable of nearing, if not quite equaling, last season’s haul.
Most fascinating player:Jake Sanderson. Ottawa drafted the University of North Dakota product No. 5 overall in 2020, and Sanderson is finally graduating from the NCAA to NHL level. That could spell big things for a Senators blue line in desperate need of reinforcements. Sanderson had a great final season at North Dakota, scoring 26 points in 23 games, and has looked excellent in the NHL preseason. How soon will Sanderson be a top-four staple in Ottawa’s defense and start providing that group with some real stability?
Best case: Senators general manager Pierre Dorion added exciting talents in DeBrincat and Giroux to the roster this offseason. They immediately make Ottawa a higher-octane team that can challenge Atlantic Division rivals Toronto and Tampa Bay on the offensive end. Sanderson transitions successfully onto an improved backend anchored by Thomas Chabot. Talbot recovers fully from a rib injury in minimal time, and Anton Forsberg proves more than capable of carrying the load in his absence. If a few of those things go their way, the franchise could skate to its first playoff berth since 2016-17.
Worst case: Ottawa’s roster turnover proves complicated as new linemates aren’t clicking and coach D.J. Smith has to make heavy adjustments. Talbot’s absence looms large as Forsberg struggles to take command of the crease. That results in a slow start the Senators can’t find their way out of in the ultra-competitive Atlantic.
X factor: Ottawa didn’t get the goaltending it needed last season from Matt Murray — hence, the switch to Talbot. Only now, Talbot will miss up to seven weeks because of a fractured rib. Enter Forsberg. The 29-year-old outdueled Murray for Ottawa’s starter’s job last season, and earned a three-year, $8.25 million contract extension on the strength of his 22-17-4 record and .917 SV% in 2021-22. Can Forsberg keep Ottawa’s goaltending on the rails until Talbot returns? Or will it be the waiver claim Magnus Hellberg on whom the Sens are forced to rely?
Fantasy outlook: The Sens brought in sniper DeBrincat from the tanking Blackhawks and lured veteran captain Giroux from free agency to add to another rising star in Tim Stutzle for one helluva top six.
Check out the five best goals from last year as we prepare for the upcoming season.
Last season: 40-30-12 (92 points), missed playoffs
Stanley Cup odds: +5,000
Key players added: F Andrei Kuzmenko, F Curtis Lazar, F Ilya Mikheyev
Key players lost: F Alex Chiasson, G Jaroslav Halak, D Brad Hunt, F Nicolas Petan, F Brandon Sutter
Most fascinating player:Bo Horvat. Nearly everyone else considered to be a long-term piece within the Canucks’ core has an extension. The 31 goals he scored last season were a personal best, while the 52 points were tied for the third most of his career. The Canucks are going to have $14.6 million in cap space but must also make decisions on other players in need of a deal.
Best case: Hiring Bruce Boudreau led to a turnaround. The Canucks had the NHL’s sixth-best record while Boudreau was on the bench. They allowed the third-fewest goals in the NHL while having an attack that was above league average at 12th. To continue what Boudreau has established could result in the Canucks being in the discussion for at least a wild-card berth with the aim of returning to the postseason after missing the past two editions.
Worst case: Supplemental scoring is key, and not receiving that could significantly alter the Canucks’ postseason aspirations. They are hoping Mikheyev can either match or surpass the 21-goal season he had with the Leafs in 2021-22. Conor Garland broke through to have the best season of his career in the first year of his new contract. Tanner Pearson is another player who can score at least 15 goals a season. There is also the expectation that Nils Hoglander, Kuzmenko and Vasily Podkolzin must also be contributors.
X factor: Kuzmenko comes to the NHL after scoring 20 goals and 53 points in 45 games with SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL last season. He’s on a one-year deal before becoming a UFA at the end of the season. Kuzmenko appears to give the Canucks another top-nine forward, with the realization a strong campaign could give the front office another item to think about in addition to the Horvat contract.
Fantasy outlook: Center Elias Pettersson and winger Brock Boeser (out until late October) merit targeting in middle (Pettersson) to later (Boeser) rounds in most fantasy drafts. Bo Horvat provides extra fantasy pop in leagues that reward faceoff success. KHL export Kuzmenko — projected to compete in Vancouver’s top six — has wild-card appeal after potting 20 goals and 33 assists in 45 games with St. Petersburg last season.
Most fascinating player:Dominik Kubalik. The former 30-goal scorer coming off a down season (32 points in 78 games) wasn’t extended a qualifying offer from the rebuilding Blackhawks. But at 27, Kubalik could easily just be entering the prime of his career. Detroit will offer Kubalik more top-end linemate options to play with, and the impact he might have on the Red Wings’ offense could far exceed expectations — and make GM Steve Yzerman’s two-year, $5 million investment in Kubalik a real steal.
Best case: Yzerman made some noise in the offseason, acquiring the likes of Husso, Perron, Copp and Chiarot. Put them all together with Dylan Larkin, Tyler Bertuzzi, Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider, and the Red Wings are able to build on last season’s promise without slowing down in the second half. Instead, Detroit gets stronger down the stretch and pushes its way back into the playoff picture after a six-year absence and starts writing a new chapter of its storied history.
Worst case: Detroit’s many summertime changes included swapping longtime bench boss Jeff Blashill for first-time head coach Derek Lalonde. Managing all the Red Wings’ new faces would be tough for an incumbent who knows the team already; Lalonde has to get to know an entire team while implementing his inaugural NHL system. Chemistry takes time to build as the players figure out the new landscape, and Detroit stumbles hard early, hurting the team’s confidence in its ability to turn the corner.
X factor: The Red Wings’ defensive play ultimately failed them last season (even with the Calder Trophy-winning performance from Seider), and Detroit was last in the NHL in goals against (4.33) from late February onward. How much this group improves in that area, especially with a veteran addition like Chiarot around, will be a massive part of the Wings’ story this season. Assuming Seider avoids a sophomore slump, he’ll be the blue line’s top performer as Chiarot, Filip Hronek and Maatta provide stability. Oh, and those forwards will be challenged to step up their 200-foot games.
Fantasy outlook: Up front, Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi are locks, but it’s not a sure thing that Lucas Raymond can take a step forward in his sophomore season and join them at the elite threshold of 2.0 fantasy points per game.
Bold prediction: Moritz Seider will be a Norris Trophy finalist.
Last season: 39-32-11 (89 points), missed playoffs
Key players lost: G Eric Comrie, F Zach Sanford, F Paul Stastny
Most fascinating player:Blake Wheeler. Rick Bowness’ decision to remove the captaincy from Wheeler has created a number of questions about what happens next. Namely, what does the leadership structure look like going forward? And is there a way for Wheeler to be involved even though it appears he might not wear a letter?
Best case: A somewhat chaotic preseason jolts the team back on track and into the playoff picture. All the talk about Wheeler, the team’s leadership dynamic, Pierre-Luc Dubois being a pending RFA and a new coach is a lot to start the season. But Bowness was hired to return the Jets to the postseason after they missed the playoffs for the first time in four years. A playoff berth would offer more confidence in the team’s vision going forward.
Worst case: None of what the front office has planned works. The Jets miss the playoffs for a second straight season. It could then lead to a discussion about where the franchise goes next, and whether there could be changes. A slew of players — including Connor Hellebuyck, Mark Scheifele and Wheeler — could hit the open market after the 2023-24 season
X factor:Cole Perfetti had his first foray into the NHL cut short after sustaining a back injury that led to him missing the Jets’ final 34 games. Yet he still had two goals and seven points in 18 games. The 20-year-old has stood out on the international stage representing Canada while also making an impact in the AHL. Is it possible that a fully healthy Perfetti does the same in 2022-23 over a full, 82-game season?
Fantasy outlook: Top-15 fantasy forward Kyle Connor is a scoring machine and should be drafted as such in all goal-friendly leagues. Irrespective of linemates, the former Michigan Wolverine could tally 50 this season, plus 40 or so assists. As for who might line up next to Connor, rookie Cole Perfetti intrigues as a sleepy fantasy rookie with surging upside. The dynasty league gem will fall into a point-per-game pace at some point in his career, it’s only a matter of when.
Bold prediction: Rick Bowness vs. the Jets’ core is this season’s best drama.
Most fascinating player:Johnny Gaudreau. It was the free agent signing no one saw coming. Now all anyone wants to see is what Gaudreau can bring to Columbus. It’s easy to critique Gaudreau’s choice of landing spot given how many teams were (reportedly) interested in his services. And Gaudreau has said all the right things about why the Blue Jackets were ultimately the best fit for him off and on the ice. But the real talking gets done between the whistles, and Columbus adding a skater like Gaudreau should make them an immediate playoff contender. There’s a compelling first season (of a seven-year commitment) ahead here.
Best case: It’s a seamless transition for Gaudreau into Columbus, where he and Patrik Laine are perfectly paired on the team’s top line. Gudbranson brings punch the Blue Jackets have lacked in the past, and helps guide rookies like Nick Blankenberg to eventually do the same. A resurgent Elvis Merzlikins provides consistently strong netminding behind a team that’s dialed in on its defensive habits. The Blue Jackets ride the excitement of their turnaround back to the postseason.
Worst case: All the hype of Columbus’ offseason moves unexpectedly weighs on the team. Early bumps in the road lead to craters as Gaudreau and Laine struggle to find the right center on their line. Veterans Jakub Voracek and Gustav Nyquist have lost a step, and the Blue Jackets’ offense stalls. Columbus runs into injury issues on its blue line and in net to send GM Jarmo Kekäläinen reeling for replacements. Slowly, the regular season slips through the Blue Jackets’ fingers leading to another playoff absence.
X factor: Columbus was derailed in part last season by its defensive deficiencies. The Blue Jackets gave up the second-most shots against (35.2 per game) and allowed the fifth-most goals (3.62), which was hardly a winning combination. Kekäläinen has talked about being tougher — hence adding Gudbranson — but it’s also a mentality everyone must embrace. There was deserved excitement around Gaudreau making the team’s offense better. That won’t be the key to Columbus’ ultimate success, though, unless it’s coupled with improved play away from the puck, too.
Fantasy outlook: Who ends up securing the gig between Gaudreau and Laine? While it probably won’t impact either of them from a fantasy perspective, as they are good enough to be immune to the third member of the top line, this is a spot that could pay huge dividends for the pivot who plays there over the long term. Is it gritty Boone Jenner? Jack Roslovic, who has been play-tested but has underwhelmed so far? What about the youngsters Cole Sillinger or Kent Johnson?
Key players lost: C Pavel Zacha, D Ty Smith, D P.K. Subban
Most fascinating player:Nico Hischier. The Devils’ captain — and 2019 first overall pick — has been on a bewitching NHL journey. The 23-year-old has struggled to find his footing, has dealt with injury issues and then last season burst through with a career-high 21 goals and 60 points in 70 games. It should have set Hischier up for a great start to this regular season — until he was sidelined by an undisclosed ailment in training camp. Will that hurt his progress? Or just be a blip on the radar in what turns out to be an even better campaign than his last one? Hischier needs to be an integral part of any success New Jersey has. What can he do for an encore in these coming months?
Best case: The Devils have been patiently building a foundation of young talent, and it’s ready to challenge the league. Led by the dazzling Jack Hughes, a healthy Hischier and the veteran skill of Palat, New Jersey’s offense ignites and pairs with a rejuvenated blue line anchored by a returning Dougie Hamilton. Mackenzie Blackwood meshes perfectly with new partner Vitek Vanecek, and the Devils challenge for a wild-card spot.
Worst case: New Jersey brims with youthful energy but can’t turn that into wins in the early season. Those continued growing pains last into the winter, and the Devils get left behind by their Metropolitan competition. Past injury problems return, and the team’s confidence wanes. New Jersey falls out of the playoff race by the trade deadline and faces another offseason of questions.
X factor: Goaltending has been a major issue for New Jersey. Blackwood has been inconsistent — and often injured — in recent years, and the Devils finished 31st in save percentage a year ago while cycling through six different starters. Vanecek was brought in to remedy that, but he was also let go for nothing by Washington in the offseason after posting a .908 SV% last season. Is this the fresh start Vanecek and Blackwood need? New Jersey’s potential for success hinges largely on getting goaltending it has been lacking for lately.
Fantasy outlook: All the pieces are beginning to fall into place, and there might be enough here now to see some of the long-building stars truly shine. Jack Hughes is primed to put himself into the conversation as one of the league’s elite, with Hischier only a small step behind. Jesper Bratt‘s breakout will be allowed to continue with big minutes and key power-play time, while Palat is the veteran presence who can bring the whole offensive stew to a simmer.
Bold prediction: Hughes will play 80 games, eclipse 100 points
Last season: 31-37-14 (76 points), missed playoffs
Stanley Cup odds: +7,500
Key players added: D John Klingberg, D Dmitry Kulikov, F Ryan Strome, F Frank Vatrano
Most fascinating player:John Klingberg. A number of hypotheticals are in play when it comes to Klingberg. He’s on a one-year deal, and that creates options. If he and the Ducks are aligned on their collective future, then maybe there is a conversation about a contract extension. If that is not the case and the Ducks are out of contention by the All-Star break, there is a chance there is a Cup hopeful willing to give up a first-rounder in trade to get Klingberg. That would give the Ducks another asset they can add to a future led by Jamie Drysdale, Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras.
Best case: The Ducks can stay above .500 and potentially give the front office something to think about when it comes to their chances to claim a wild-card berth. Adam Henrique averaged a career high 0.72 points per game last season. They added a 20-goal scorer in Strome, along with a winger who can score 20 in Vatrano. Klingberg gives them a legitimate top-four puck-mover, in addition to what they already have on the blue line with Cam Fowler and Kevin Shattenkirk. And there are the potential gains Drysdale, Terry and Zegras could make in 2022-23 as well.
Worst case: Potentially losing Klingberg for nothing is one scenario. Another is they struggle to show progress beyond what they did last season. The Ducks entered February with a 23-16-9 record. It was the sixth-strongest mark in the Western Conference and created questions about whether the postseason was possible. Then, they lost five of their seven February games before losing 11 in a row in March. Figuring out how to avoid a similar fate could be one of the most notable challenges facing the Ducks this season.
X factor: The Ducks have something a lot of teams in the NHL covet — other than Drysdale, Terry and Zegras being on team-friendly contracts. The Ducks have a little more than $15.7 million in cap space. It’s the type of money that allows them to hold leverage in deals or offer cap-strapped teams some relief (with a pick or young player included for their trouble). But, this is also the kind of space they must use responsibly considering Drysdale, Terry and Zegras are all going to need new contracts next offseason. That said, the Ducks are projected to have a little more than $43 million in cap space next summer.
Fantasy outlook: Fantasy managers should be excited about what Trevor Zegras has in store for an encore. After potting 23 goals and 38 assists in his 75-game rookie campaign, and following the retirement of Ducks star Getzlaf, Zegras launches 2022-23 as the club’s top-line and power-play center. Competing consistently alongside last season’s points leader, Troy Terry, will translate in another jump in production.
Most fascinating player:Casey Mittelstadt. Healthy again after an injury-plagued 2021-22 season, where will he fit in Buffalo’s lineup? The versatile forward can play on the wing or at center, and coach Don Granato used training camp and preseason games to figure out where Mittelstadt will be at his best. The Sabres haven’t yet seen all that their former first-round pick (eighth overall in 2017) can offer. Or have they?
Best case: Buffalo explodes out of the gate with a consistent offense led by Jeff Skinner (coming off a 50-point season), Tage Thompson (fresh from a 38-goal campaign) and Alex Tuch (who had 30 goals last season). Comrie is the perfect complement in net to veteran Anderson, and the continued growth of Rasmus Dahlin stabilizes — and elevates — Buffalo’s blue line. The Sabres take advantage of their talent and end their pesky 11-year playoff drought.
Worst case: Buffalo general manager Kevyn Adams didn’t take any big swings in the offseason in order to prioritize getting prospects, such as JJ Peterka and Jack Quinn, playing time. The lack of turnover and new additions slows the Sabres down early as they try to establish an identity. The ultracompetitive Atlantic heats up without them and, despite past evidence of successful late-season pushes, the Sabres see their postseason drought hit Year 12.
X factor: Where would Buffalo have landed last season with better goaltending? As it was, the Sabres averaged the eighth-most goals against with 3.50. Anderson was hurt through much of the first half, and the Sabres cycled through a half dozen other netminders looking for a reliable replacement. Buffalo has (on paper) an improved tandem with Anderson and Comrie. If the Sabres get in a rhythm and avoid injuries, that should have a significant impact on Buffalo’s chances — not to mention the team’s overall confidence.
Fantasy outlook: From a team full of lottery tickets, it’s probably worth purchasing a couple for your fantasy portfolio. Tage Thompson’s breakout campaign was legit, Jeff Skinner still has more in the tank and Alex Tuch will play a heavy role in the offense.
Most fascinating player:Timo Meier. It has been reported the Sharks and Meier will talk about a new contract after the season. Meier is a pending RFA coming off a four-year deal that saw him earn $6 million annually. His 35 goals and 76 points last season were career highs, and it created the expectation he could have another big season.
Best case:Kevin Labanc is fully healthy, and returns to being the player who can reach double figures in goals. Rookies Thomas Bordeleau and William Eklund are able to make an impact at some point in the season. Meanwhile, free agent signings Kunin and Lindblom can help with the secondary scoring load. All of it adds up to the Sharks either staying in the wild-card race later than some might expect or improving upon what they did last season.
Worst case: Last season, they were 23 points out of the final playoff spot while having enough points to finish with a 3% chance at the first pick in the NHL draft only to have the 11th pick, which they later traded. It appears the Sharks could potentially be stuck again in that bizarre space between not being a playoff team while not being close to one that tries to rebuild with a top-three draft pick.
X factor: Say Erik Karlsson had played a full, 82-game schedule last season. He was averaging 0.70 points per game, which would have put him on pace for 57. That would have been the most points he has scored since joining the Sharks. Karlsson’s 10 goals last season were the most he scored since the 2016-17 season. His health and production will be a critical factor.
Fantasy outlook: Forwards Meier, Tomas Hertl, and Logan Couture round out an otherwise limited corps of Sharks with fantasy panache — led by Meier, who finished third behind only Auston Matthews and Alex Ovechkin in shots with 326 this past campaign.
Bold prediction: Karlsson will have his best season as a Shark.
Most fascinating player:Matty Beniers. Leaving the University of Michigan to score nine points in 10 games is how Beniers announced himself to the NHL’s newest market. Now? It is about seeing what the former No. 2 pick can do in an 82-game season. Beniers projects as a two-way, top-six center who could anchor a line. It appears the expectation in Seattle is he could be asked to operate in that role for a franchise that is seeking to rebound from what was a challenging inaugural campaign.
Best case: Everything new Kraken goaltending coach Steve Briere does with Philipp Grubauer and Martin Jones has results. The Kraken’s defensive structure is one that limits shots and forces teams to take those shots from distance. Yet, there was a disconnect with their goaltending. It led to the front office making a change and hiring Briere as the new goalie coach. Finding a way to get improvement from Grubauer, refine Jones and eventually reintroduce an injured Chris Driedger back into the fold is what lies ahead.
Worst case: None of the issues that plagued Grubauer last season get fixed. If that happens, it then raises more questions about the fact that the Kraken will have him under contract for four more years at $5.9 million per campaign. But the goaltending conversation goes beyond how Grubauer, Jones and eventually Driedger perform. The Kraken have committed $11.4 million toward goaltending, which accounts for nearly 14% of their cap.
X factor: Here is why signing Burakovsky and trading for Bjorkstrand were viewed as such critical moves. For one, the Kraken wanted to reinforce their top-six scoring options — and give themselves more choices. The Kraken finished last season with the fourth fewest goals in the league. They had five players who accounted for 45% of the goals. Getting Burakovsky and Bjorkstrand suddenly gives the Kraken two top-six wingers capable of scoring 20 goals, which in theory will lessen the scoring burden on the returning group.
Fantasy outlook: This time last year, there was concern about where the goals would come from in Seattle. In Year 2, that worry continues to linger. But there’s scoring hope on the approaching horizon, in the form of rookie center Beniers. In last spring’s brief taste of NHL competition, Beniers collected nine points in 10 games.
Most fascinating player:Juraj Slafkovsky. Montreal made the 6-foot-4 winger a surprising No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft. But will he also make the team’s roster out of training camp? There will be swirling curiosity around Slafkovsky’s transition to the NHL level on a Canadiens team deep with young forward talent desperate for growth opportunities. Montreal is still in rebuilding mode, so a nine-game stint to start the season isn’t out of the question for Slafkovsky.
Best case: The Canadiens use a strong camp and preseason to establish a top-nine mix of veteran performers and rising stars. New additions Dach and Dadonov add punch up front, top defenseman Joel Edmundson returns fully recovered from a lower-back injury to anchor the back end and Jake Allen improves on a 9-20-4 campaign. Martin St. Louis pushes the right buttons to help guide his club to a better-than-expected finish in the Eastern Conference.
Worst case: Montreal has had its share of injury troubles (with Edmundson and Nick Suzuki already) and if health continues to be an issue in 2022-23, that could snowball into some other issues. Working multiple 20-somethings into major lineup rolls is always difficult and if the team’s play suffers accordingly, a slow start could put the Canadiens on a bumpy path. If Montreal finds it’s lacking in veteran leadership and has trouble establishing an identity, a slide down the standings to another bottom-feeder finish could set their rebuild back.
X factor:Carey Price will start the season on long-term injured reserve and might not be able to dress at all in 2022-23. However, the veteran netminder is expected to stick around the dressing room as a sounding board for new captain Suzuki and the Canadiens’ other less-experienced players. How much of an impact can Price have as a purely off-ice presence? The Canadiens aren’t going to be contenders, but these years are crucial for laying the framework for what’s to come.
Fantasy outlook: The defense is so devoid of obvious offensive talent that youngsters like Justin Barron or Jordan Harris could find themselves quarterbacking a power play. But I don’t mind betting on David Savard either, as he’s a minute-munching veteran who has plugged power-play holes in the past.
Bold prediction: GM Kent Hughes will win the trade deadline.
Last season: 25-46-11 (61 points), missed playoffs
Most fascinating player:Tony DeAngelo. Philadelphia traded for DeAngelo from Carolina in July, immediately signed him to a two-year deal and has since popped him next to Ivan Provorov on the team’s top pairing. It’s a critical role for DeAngelo to fill on a Flyers’ team that projects to struggle for offense this season. Winning those lower-scoring affairs will require reliable performances from the blue line. Can DeAngelo deliver on that? The Hurricanes opted not to keep the 26-year-old right-shot defender, despite their own needs on the back end. Will DeAngelo prove Philadelphia was correct to give him a lucrative new deal and a new heft of responsibility?
Best case: Incoming coach John Tortorella pulls off a 180-degree turn with the Flyers’ culture. His hard-nosed approach translates into Philadelphia’s play, and it’s competitive out of the gate. Cam Atkinson and Kevin Hayes provide some offensive prowess, and the Flyers actually have some fun. Philadelphia narrowly misses the playoffs but lays a foundation of confidence and internal respect to build off.
Worst case: The Flyers’ missing pieces — namely Ryan Ellis and Sean Couturier — leave them vulnerable once more and unable to keep pace most nights through three periods. Tortorella’s bruising nature eventually grates on players who tune out his message. GM Chuck Fletcher has no choice but to trade any remaining assets at the deadline, and Philadelphia free falls to another bottom-place finish in the Metro.
X factor: Can Philadelphia actually get by on brotherly love? That sentiment has been a theme in the preseason, starting with Tortorella’s overhaul and translating into the “power of friendship” assistant coach Brad Shaw cited as a Flyers strength for the season. It’s hard to fathom Philadelphia being markedly better on the ice than last season, but what impact could enjoying the process of playing have on this group’s psyche?
Fantasy outlook: The defense is a bright spot, with Ivan Provorov able to achieve fantasy points through his defense and newcomer Tony DeAngelo expected to do the same through offense.
Most fascinating player:Jakob Chychrun. Building toward what they believe can be a better future is the current plan for the Coyotes. An argument could be made that Chychrun is part of that plan, but one could also argue it makes more sense to trade him. He has three years left on his deal carrying a $4.6 million AAV and is a top-four defenseman who can operate in several roles. It’s the type of cap figure the Coyotes can appreciate, because it gives them a productive player on a team-friendly cap hit. But his contract is also a major reason contending teams (who are tight against the cap) are so intrigued.
Best case: Finishing 32nd and having the strongest odds to win the lottery. The Coyotes have never won the draft lottery. In fact, the closest they have come is by getting the No. 3 pick, which happened last season en route to them selecting Logan Cooley. Executives throughout the league have pointed toward teams like the Avalanche, Lightning and Rangers, among others, as those who built through the draft. Getting the chance to draft the presumed No. 1 in Connor Bedard could play a significant role in their future plans.
Worst case: The Yotes play better than expected, and land outside of the top five in the draft order. Believe it or not, the Coyotes have had only five top-five picks since relocating from Winnipeg in 1996. The franchise has attempted to use mid-round picks to take the next step. As of now, the Coyotes appear to have a plan for long-term success, and getting more high-end talent in the 2023 draft is the next step. The alternative would be a step back.
X factor: Mullett Arena and what it offers as a new venue could ultimately be the answer. There is also a case to be made for Lawson Crouse. He went from a forward who could score between 10 and 15 goals per season to having a 20-goal season and 34 points in 65 games in 2021-22. It led to Crouse, who went 11th in the 2015 draft, signing a five-year extension worth $4.3 million annually. How he continues to build upon last season could give the Coyotes more optimism about their future.
Fantasy outlook: At the ripe old age of 24, forward Clayton Keller could finally hit the 30-goal mark this season while racking up another 40 or so assists. Linemate Nick Schmaltz has a supporting fantasy role to fill in most scoring leagues. The same goes for offensive defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who amassed 51 points this past campaign, including 19 on the power play.
Bold prediction: The ASU experience turns the Coyotes into “faces.”
Last season: 28-42-12 (68 points), missed playoffs
Key players lost: F Alex Debrincat, F Kirby Dach, D Calvin De Haan, D Erik Gustafsson, F Dominik Kubalik, G Kevin Lankinen, F Dylan Strome
Most fascinating player:Patrick Kane. A number of scenarios could play out throughout this season when it comes to Kane and the Blackhawks. They are an organization going through a rebuild, and he’s a top-six forward who had one of the best individual campaigns of his career in 2021-22, with 96 points. Kane is also a 33-year-old who is in the final year of a $10.5 million AAV deal and will be a free agent next summer. Both Kane and Jonathan Toews are members of a pending UFA class who could either remain in Chicago or be moved in the event the front office wants to gain more assets for the future.
Best case: The Blackhawks maximize their resources to build toward their aforementioned future. They have nine picks in the 2023 draft. Two of them are first-round picks, while six are in the first three rounds. It is possible that moving on from some combination of Athanasiou, Domi, Kane and Toews could see them add to their haul for 2023 and/or future drafts. It is also possible at least one of those players re-signs with the team to give them one more player on the active roster who can aid in turning things around. And another best-case scenario is they win the 2023 draft lottery and the chance to select Connor Bedard.
Worst case: If they let any one of those pending UFAs leave without the Blackhawks getting assets back in a trade. So far, Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson has worked to get the type of pieces he feels can aid the organization in the future. Can he continue that trend throughout the 2022-23 season? And of course, another worst-case scenario is the Blackhawks finish at the bottom of the standings but don’t draw the No. 1 pick in the lottery.
X factor: What is this first season going to be like for Luke Richardson? He is a former assistant who is making the adjustment to head coach for the first time in his career. So, there’s that. He is also going to be coaching a team with a roster that appears to be in a state of flux given the Blackhawks are not expected to compete for a playoff spot. Furthermore, two of the best players in franchise history in Kane and Toews might or might not leave at some point in the regular season.
Fantasy outlook: Let’s look at Chicago’s blue line and Seth Jones, who averaged 2.2 fantasy points per game in ESPN’s standard scoring this past season. Then there’s the Hawks’ shot-blocking duo of Connor Murphy and Jake McCabe to consider in deeper leagues.
Bold prediction: The Blackhawks will win the NHL draft lottery.
![Action from the 1961 Stanley Cup Finals game on April 16, 1961. Allan Johnson [17] of the Detroit Red Wings controls the puck in the first period of Saturday's Stanley Cup game in Detroit. Chicago defenseman Elmer Vasko [4] and goalie Glenn Hall move to block the goal, while Reg Fleming [6] of Chicago moves in behind Johnson. The Blackhawks defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4 games to 2. Chicago Tribune photo. B58450219Z.1 (hockey pro) HIST, BLACK HAWKS](https://i0.wp.com/www.chicagotribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/CTC-PG1-AJ-WINGS-HAWKS-1961-051_189111383.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1)
