IT’S A HOLE NEW BALL GAME
Matthews loses handle in relay
Auston Matthews, the Maple Leafs’ representative for NHL all-star weekend in Tampa, struggled with the new-look skills competition on Saturday night — in particular the quirky puck control relay: “It wasn’t easy. Putting the puck through those circles threw everyone a little bit of a curveball.” Kevin McGran breaks down all the winners in the skills showcase, and reports on the league’s response to the recent spate of controversial goalie interference calls on
TAMPA, FLA.— The league hastily convened a group of coaches, general managers and on-ice officials Saturday to go over the video review process on goaltender interference after a handful of puzzling calls recently, including a couple involving goals for and against the Maple Leafs this past week.
The matter came up at the board of governors meeting. It seems the league wants the call on the ice to stand more often than it has been, discouraging the on-ice officials from looking too deeply or too long at the video replay for a reason to call back a goal.
“When you say a bit of confusion, that’s right,” said commissioner Gary Bettman. “Overall, the system works, but I think we’ve gotten to the point where everybody is overthinking the review. The intention is, ‘Did you miss something?’ not, ‘Can you search for something that might overturn the call?’ ”
The league said it would send a memo to officials reminding them to have a quick look “but don’t search it to death,” said Bettman. “You shouldn’t have to search for a good reason.”
PUPPY LOVE: Auston Matthews called it “cute,” but he might also have called it a crappy start to his second all-star weekend.
The league set up the Maple Leafs centre with a bunch of puppies for a photo shoot Friday night. As puppies do, though, one did his business in the middle of the proceedings and all the others walked in it.
“One pooped right by me,” Matthews said, laughing about it Saturday. “I was checking my clothes to make sure I didn’t get peed on or pooped on. They were cute though.”
AYE, BRENT: San Jose defenceman Brent Burns — he of the long beard and the toothless grin — was simply a skull cap and an eye patch away from fitting in with all the other would-be pirates in and around downtown Tampa at the city’s annual Gasparilla Pirate Festival — celebrating the city’s pirate history.
“I was kind of excited. I wanted to to do it,” said Burns. “I wouldn’t even have to dress up. I look the part already. It’s pretty crazy. That’s up my alley.”
There was a flotilla of boats as well as a city parade, with anyone in attendance encouraged to dress the part. This year the Stanley Cup on the flotilla, held “hostage” by pirates during the flotilla.
SEATTLE SLEW: Bettman confirmed interest in Seattle becoming the NHL’s 32nd team as early as the 2021-22 season.
“Vancouver says they’re very excited about the possibility of having a geographic rival,” the commissioner said. “The people in Seattle . . . have told us they are working on the expansion application and will file it in the not-too-distant future.”
Bettman suggested Quebec City was out of luck because of geography. Another team in the Western Conference would balance the league at 16 aside with eight in each division.
“I don’t want to make any promises or definitive conclusions, but at the current time we’re not focused on a team in Quebec City,” said Bettman. “I don’t want to say that will never be our focus, but I don’t want to make promises that can be misconstrued.”
TAMPA FIRST: Capitals centre Alex Ovechkin saw his first NHL game in Tampa in 2004, during the Stanley Cup playoffs in his draft year. “I was very excited,” said Ovechkin. “I got a chance to go down to the locker rooms. The atmosphere in the stands was unbelievable. You have a dream to be in the NHL, be in this atmosphere. It was pretty amazing.”
HOCKEYTOWN: Steve Stamkos said he hopes the all-star game will show his fellow players and fans around the league that Tampa is a hockey town. “That was the thing I was most excited about, to show off our city,” said Stamkos. “To see the transformation that has taken place in the last eight years . . . This is a hockey town. The crowds and lines of people to meet the players, it’s been pretty amazing.”