PREPARING FOR PUCK DROP
Running down some intriguing storylines entering the new NHL season, from A to Z
Basketball, not hockey, captured Canada’s attention in the spring, with echoes all summer.
But it’s back to work for the seven northern franchises and the rest of the NHL. What’s happened since the St. Louis Blues skated off with the Stanley Cup?
Let us spell it out for you:
A— is for Auston. For those grumbling it’s a Leafs universe and you don’t like living in it, prepare for another saga of Matthews, Babcock, Tavares, Marner, Nylander, a sea of Toronto sweaters at every rink and more Cup talk. As far as No. 34 is concerned, more top shelf than bottom drawer notoriety, please.
B— is for bench bosses. Some old faces in new places; Dave Tippett (Edmonton) Joel Quenneville (Florida), Todd Mclellan (Los Angeles) Alain Vigneault (Philadelphia), Dallas Eakins (Anaheim) and Ralph Krueger (Buffalo). Chirpy D.J. Smith joins the fraternity, getting the Senators gig.
C— is for coach’s challenge and CTE. While the scope of on-ice plays that can be reviewed has expanded, a failed challenge on goaltender interference now triggers a minor penalty. That has enraged some coaches who think that rule defeats the idea of protecting goalies, especially if they’re too reluctant to ask officials for a second look and risk throwing their goalies under the bus.
Off ice, in medical labs, studies of chronic traumatic encephalopathy continue to seek links to health issues of retired players. Concerned voices are getting louder.
D— is for dogs. The service dogs are being adopted by more and more NHL teams. They get the run of the dressing room for their training as support animals. The Sens had a black lab named Rookie, in partnership with the CNIB, while Ranger helped a
New York teen with autism. And not only was Barclay with the Blues, he gained a second nickname as the Stanley Pup.
E— is for escrow. Hardly a sexy subject, but you just need to know that the players don’t want a higher portion of their pay held back any longer and talks to that effect between their union and the owners helped keep the collective bargaining agreement in place to ensure labour peace until 2024-25.
F— is for Ron Francis. The Seattle expansion franchise is taking shape for 2021-22 and the GM won’t be idle this season, already hiring Ulf Samuelsson, Stu Barnes and Cammi Granato as pro scouts. Granato is the first woman to get such a job.
G— is for Gloria. They’re still playing Laura Branigan’s ear worm up and down the central Mississippi. But will the champion Blues be a one-hit wonder?
H— is for Jack Hughes. The No. 1 overall pick is already reviving the New Jersey Devils while showing jaw-dropping moves. We’ll hold off on the Calder Trophy predictions as there are too many variables in an 82-game season, but this kid has moxie.
I— is for injuries. Defenceman Dan Girardi just hung up the blades to preserve his puck-marked body. Ryan Callahan (back) and Ryan Kesler (hip) are likely out all season. Brandon Dubinsky (Columbus), Zach Bogosian (Buffalo), and Zach Hyman and Travis Dermott (Toronto) are among those on the shelf to start.
J— is for Julien Brisebois, GM of Tampa and Joel Quenneville, coach of the Panthers. They’ll be prominent in the renewed Sunshine State rivalry, starting in goal with Andrei Vasilevskiy for the Bolts and Sergei Bobrovsky, now with the Panthers.
K— is for Kaapo Kakko. A Rangers-devils ruckus with Kakko just across the Hudson River from Hughes would be ideal for the league. As much as Hughes is comfortable being raised in an NHL family, Kakko is quickly acclimatizing to Manhattan, a smaller rink and physical challenges.
L— is for load management. You’d never tell workhorses such as Martin Brodeur or Henrik Lundqvist to take it easy in net, but today’s goalies might get turned on by more time off. Frederik Andersen in Toronto is considering it and why shouldn’t defencemen and forwards — in certain schedule situations — give it some thought?
M— is for movies. In the hockey genre, recent titles include Willie (about Willie O’ree), Red Penguins (how Pittsburgh got involved with saving the famous Soviet Army team), Russian Five, The Terry Sawchuk Story and many other documentaries and made-for-tv features.
N— is for Nova Scotian Nhlers. Who hasn’t seen the Tim Hortons commercials with Sidney Crosby and Nathan Mackinnon piloting a Zamboni around the streets as the new Canadian faces of the NHL? And Brad Marchand is a 100-point pest, too.
O— is for O Canada. Still no Cups since 1993 and not even a finalist in almost a decade? All those bold predictions of Calgary, Winnipeg and Toronto fizzled last spring. Perhaps a second team in the GTA wasn’t a bad idea after all.
P— is for pucks going in. Scoring reached a 13-year high last season of 2.81 goals per game. And all those free agent snipers who looked like they might miss time in contract disputes have come back.
Q— is for Quinton Byfield. The Sudbury Wolves star is ranked second to Rimouski’s magical Alexis Lafreniere in most of the early mock drafts set for Montreal next June, but it’s Byfield’s Lindros-like size that excites. After “Fail for Nail” and “Lose for Hughes,” could “Quit for Quinton” be the first tank talk slogan?
R— is for Ralph Krueger. Gotta like a new coach who goes incognito into a couple of Buffalo’s lively sports bars, says “How about those Sabres?” and gets interesting intel from fans on what they expect from the team.
S— is for Sportsnet. Here’s a hearty farewell to quality people and reporters who’ve been dumped because the network overpaid for its NHL package: Nick Kypreos, John Shannon, Doug Maclean, Scott Morrison and a few hard working hockey people behind the cameras you didn’t hear about.
T— is for time’s up. Sadly, Roberto Luongo has retired and joining the talented twine twitterer on the home front are Dan Girardi, Cam Ward and likely Justin Williams and Patrick Marleau. Thanks for the memories, guys.
U— is for the under-20 tournament. This year’s world juniors are in the Czech Republic (Ostrava and Trinec). Canada, which failed to medal as host nation last year, won it the last time it was in the good old CZE.
V— is for Vegas. After five playoff series in the first two years of its existence, is this the season the house doesn’t win and the shine comes off the Golden Knights? Beware, they retain their best scorers, Marc-andre Fleury is still a star and they have their first draft class coming of age.
W— is for the war room. The NHL’S game-night nerve centre in Toronto is coming up on its 20th anniversary and more rule nuances will keep the boys on Bay Street busy into the wee hours.
X— is for excruciating exhibition games. Right up to this weekend, teams were putting B-listers in the lineup and charging fans. After one mind-numbing encounter that seemed to be Ahlers grinding against ECHLERS, a colleague muttered to me “fire the pre-season schedule into the sun.”
Y— is for Yzerman. After success in Tampa Bay and with Team Canada, Motown is Stevie Y’s ideal landing spot, bringing him full circle to reshape the Red Wings from the general manager’s box. Other repositioned GMS: Ken Holland in Edmonton and Kelly Mccrimmon in Vegas, with George Mcphee promoted.
Z— is for Zubov. Sergei’s going into the Hockey Hall of Fame next month in a decidedly light year for the temple, which is rewarding some muckers and checkers. Also to be inducted are three-time Cup winner Guy Carbonneau, international and NHL star Vaclav Nedomansky, Canadian Olympian Hayley Wickenheiser, with builders Jim Rutherford and Boston College coaching legend Jerry York.