Around the rinks: Another summit series?
The KHL, which is celebrating the 100th birthday of Anatoly Tarasov, widely known as the father of Russian hockey, wants some kind of summit series with the NHL. IIHF president Rene Fasel is expected to raise the idea of a challenge game between the leagues’ top clubs with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman when they meet Thursday in Helsinki. “We have long been keen to do this, both us in the KHL and also the NHL,” KHL president Dmitry Chernyshenko told Russia media. “The problem is getting it to fit into the calendar. I’m sure there would be huge interest around any such games, and they could go down in history.” CAP’N CLARK: Leafs legend Wendel Clark is a proud father these days with his son, Kody, having signed a three-year entry deal with the Washington Capitals worth $870,000 U.S. a year. “Maybe he can buy his own sticks now,” said the exLeaf. “He’s earned three more years of trying to get to the next level.” Kody Clark, a winger with the Ottawa 67’s, was taken in the second round of the 2018 draft. He’s a late bloomer, having grown from five-foot-seven to six-foot-two in about a year. Kody weighs 179 pounds. “He’s got to put the weight on. I told him there’s no skinny guys in the Clark family. The weight will come.” TIME TRAVELLERS: The Calgary Flames are in the midst of a weird travel schedule with two games in the east, then two in Calgary, then two again in the east, then two in Calgary, followed by three in California. “If everyone got their ideal travel schedule, it would never work,” said Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk. “Travel, it wears on you, but with the way we travel it should never be an excuse.”