carolina hurricanesdownloads.hurricanes.nhl.com/clips/clips010317.pdfcarolina hurricanes news...

CAROLINA HURRICANES NEWS CLIPPINGS • January 3, 2017

Hurricanes’ Jorge Alves realizes life-long dream of playing in NHL

By Chip Alexander

Jorge Alves was back in net Monday when the Carolina Hurricanes held their first practice of 2017.

When it ended, the goalie was the one surrounded by media in the Canes’ locker room at PNC Arena, with some playful chirping from teammates in the background.

Alves has been the talk of the NHL for the past few days after the Canes’ equipment manager served as the backup goalie Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, playing the final 7.6 seconds of regulation. At 37, he became a goaltender of record in the National Hockey League.

Canes goalie Cam Ward said Alves had the players chanting “Rudy, Rudy” at the game in Tampa, Fla,, saying the 5-foot-9 Alves reminds them of Rudy Ruettiger, the diminutive Notre Dame football player who realized his dream by getting in a game for the Irish years ago.

“He’s exactly that kind of character, a guy who’s on the smaller side but works his butt off and has a really big heart,” Ward said of Alves, a former Marine. “It was a neat moment. We were literally watching his dream come true before our eyes.”

Carolina Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward says the players were calling Jorge Alves "Rudy" on Saturday when he served as Ward's backup in the Tampa Bay Lightning game in Tampa, Fla.

When backup goalie Eddie Lack fell ill Saturday afternoon, the Canes needed a replacement. Alves, who played club hockey at N.C. State and in the minor leagues, was signed to a professional tryout contract and dressed for the game.

For Alves, wearing the Hurricanes jersey was special. Having fellow equipment manager Bob Gorman, his boss, sew “Alves” on the back of No. 40 meant a lot.

“I’m going to cherish that jersey. I’ll have it up in my house,” Alves said Monday, smiling. “I’m truly humbled.”

Alves led the team onto the ice at Amalie Arena for pregame warmups, usually the place of the starting goalie but something Ward and the team insisted on Alves doing.

“I said to him right before the game, they don’t ask how or why, but you made it to the NHL,” Ward said. “It’s a memory he’ll cherish for the rest of his life. It turned out to be a great story, too, for a great guy.”

Tripp Tracy, the Canes’ TV analyst, dressed for one NHL game with the Hurricanes, although he did not play. Tracy

said hearing that Alves told his teammates “You’ve got a job to do” before Saturday’s game was fitting.

“His focus was not on absorbing the amazing moment, rather to channel an amazing personal moment to energize his team and win a big hockey game,” Tracy said.

During the game, Alves tended to his equipment manager duties. He was sharpening skates and taped up a stick for center Victor Rask, saying Monday, “That’s my job. Why wouldn’t I do that?”

With the Canes trailing 3-1 and play stopped for an icing call, Canes coach Bill Peters said, “Jorge, get your stuff on.” Just like that, Alves was in the game.

“Surreal,” Alves said. "This is the brightest stage in our sport. To have the honor to do this, everybody dreams about it.

“I really would have liked to have shared the moment with everybody I’ve played with …”

Canes forward Jeff Skinner scooped up the puck at game’s end, making sure Alves had it as a memento.

“It’s pretty cool,” Skinner said. “For us, we see him every day, all the work he does. And then on top of all the work he does he gets in there without complaining.”

In net, that is. Alves often fills in as an extra goalie during practices, taking shots, staying late. “A pretty selfless thing for him to do,” Skinner said.

Alves said he received “a lot of love from the goalie union” and there were 100 texts on his phone after the game. On Sunday, an off day for the Canes, there were another 200 and it had to be a big day in the Alves house with his wife, Amanda, and their two kids, Madison and Jaxon.

With Lack still out Monday, Alves and Ward were the two goalies at practice. Peters was not sure if Lack would be available Tuesday for the New Jersey Devils game at PNC Arena, saying the Canes would recall a goalie from the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL if Lack is unable to go. No second game for Alves.

As Alves was leaving the ice Saturday, longtime equipment manager Skip Cunningham was there to congratulate him and tell him, “Good job.”

As Cunningham said Monday, “He’s an NHL’er forever.”


Gameday: Devils vs. Hurricanes

by Michael Smith @MSmithCanes / CarolinaHurricanes.com

2017! We've reached the "Parks and Recreation" future.

This is the gameday hub, where you can find all the latest news and information related to tonight's Metropolitan Division showdown between the New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes in one handy location. Make this a regular stop throughout the day, as we update it with notes, videos, photos and more as puck drop draws near.

As always, we'll be rinkside at PNC Arena for the Hurricanes 10:30 a.m. morning skate, when we'll be able to pass along any pertinent lineup information, quotes from inside the room and much more.

Last updated: 6:00 a.m.

CANES OPEN NEW YEAR AGAINST DEVILS 6:00 a.m.

As the calendar turns to 2017, the Carolina Hurricanes are in the midst of one of the franchise's best stretches at home.

The Hurricanes have earned points in 11 straight home games, ranking tied for third in franchise history behind the team's franchise record 12-game home winning streak in 2008-09 and the 15-game home point streak in 2005-06.

This 11-game streak dates back to Nov. 12, a 5-1 win over the Washington Capitals. Two home games prior, the Canes dropped a 4-1 decision to tonight's opponent, the New Jersey Devils.

Points are crucial each and every night, especially at home against a divisional opponent.

And tonight, the Hurricanes catch the Devils on the tail end of a back-to-back set. Cory Schneider stopped all 22 shots he saw in a 3-0 shutout victory over the Bruins on Monday night in New Jersey, but the Devils have won just one of their last seven road games.

The Hurricanes were in the same situation as the Devils over the weekend - a team playing at home and then immediately traveling for a game the next night. In Tampa Bay on New

Year's Eve, the Hurricanes fell in a 2-0 first-period hole after uncharacteristically surrendering two power-play goals, the first time that's happened in a game this season. Though Sebastian Aho's breakaway goal got the Canes on the board, they were unable to dig out of a 3-0 hole and fell 3-1.

"We'll learn from it. There are a couple things we could have done differently or better," head coach Bill Peters said after practice on Monday. "After one, I thought we played and competed better and got our legs under us. In a back-to-back scenario, you've got to build a game, and that's what it looked like. They were better early, and then we got going."

Justin Faulk (lower body) practiced with the Hurricanes on Monday in a no-contact sweater, but will be unavailable for tonight's contest. Elias Lindholm (upper body) is also doubtful, though Peters hopes he'll be able to skate with the team on Tuesday morning.

Teuvo Teravainen was also missing from practice on Monday, and his status for tonight's game remains up in the air.

"Sick. Contagious possibly," Peters said. "We got him out of here so no one else gets it."

Eddie Lack, who fell under the weather in Tampa Bay and was replaced on the roster by Canes equipment manager Jorge Alves in the feel-good story of the season, also remained out of practice on Monday.

"He's going to get looked at this afternoon, some further testing done. Then we'll know more hopefully tonight, but if not tonight then in the morning," Peters said. "We'll get somebody in if we have to."

Cam Ward looks to make his 13th straight start in net. During the Canes' 11-game home point streak, Ward has posted an 8-0-1 record, a 1.50 goals-against average, a .945 save percentage and two shutouts.

CANESPR NOTES: Jaccob Slavin will skate in his 100th NHL game tonight. … Finnish linemates Teuvo Teravainen and Sebastian Aho each bring point streaks into tonight's game. Teravainen has points in four straight games (1g, 3a), and Aho has registered points in three straight (1g, 2a).

His apprenticeship on such a career path, and Alves’ passion to keep playing the game, eventually would earn him the opportunity many only dream of.

Suiting up and playing continued to be a passion and practice he maintained while working for the Hurricanes, and eventually led to his historic and memorable moment when head coach Bill Peters directed him to take to the ice for the final 7.6 seconds against the Lightning.

Prior to that, aside from facing shots from NHLers in Carolina, Alves answered the call of various East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) and Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) teams like the Fayetteville FireAntz to fill in whenever possible.

“Skating with these guys (Hurricanes), I was always prepared in some cases more so than some other guys who were goin’ to minor league teams because I was skatin’ with NHL guys, whereas some of those guys weren’t.”


While Alves’ primary responsibility has been and is to lead the equipment managing staff of four which he does with pride, he still gets that sparkle in his eye and a smile on his face when he gets to answer the call to help his team out by stopping pucks for them.

Who knew that after years of facing shots in practice for the Hurricanes, Alves would get the news that he did to make the end of 2016 a New Year’s Eve to remember for him, his family, friends, and Hurricanes players and fans alike.

“It’s a special night – a night he’ll never forget,” Peters said after the Hurricanes fell 3-1 to the Lightning.

“It’s the perfect storm of opportunity for him, and it couldn’t happen to a better guy…If he would have had to, he would have made a save. The opportunity arose to get him in, and I think it was the right thing to do.”

Alves, Teammates Reflect on His NHL Debut

Hear from Alves, Ward, Skinner and Ryan as Canes return to Raleigh

by Michael Smith @MSmithCanes / CarolinaHurricanes.com

The Carolina Hurricanes were back on the ice in Raleigh for the first time in the New Year on Monday morning, and joining them again was one of this weekend's most talked-about people in hockey: Jorge Alves.

Alves, as you've probably heard by now, unexpectedly made his NHL debut with the Hurricanes on New Year's Eve in Tampa Bay. The Canes' longtime equipment man and frequent practice goaltender signed a professional tryout contract on the evening of Dec. 31 after Eddie Lack fell ill. Alves backed up starting goaltender Cam Ward, and then with 7.6 seconds remaining in regulation, Alves was summoned by head coach Bill Peters to take the crease and finish out the game.

I attempted to capture just what that night was like for Alves, and you can read that here.

After a day off - a day for Alves to soak in what actually happened and respond to the hundreds of messages he received - the Canes returned to practice. Lack (illness) did not participate, so Alves manned the crease opposite Ward.

After practice, Alves, as you can imagine, was the most popular guy in the room.

He spoke with the media for nearly 10 minutes this afternoon, and I suggest you watch the entirety of that video below.

Before Alves came off the ice following practice, the media spoke with Ward about his friend and goalie partner. Ward said he told Alves before the game, "They don't ask how or why, but you made it to the NHL."

Jeff Skinner on Alves: "Him along with Bobby, Skippy and Davey, the whole equipment staff, they put in a long hours and a lot of work that sort of goes unnoticed, not by guys in the room but by other people. For him to do that and put on the pads, for what seems like every day now, is huge."

Derek Ryan on Alves: "It touches your heart. You're excited for the guy, even more so because he's such a great guy, such a caring, honest, hard-working guy. It's nice to see someone like that rewarded."

The Hurricanes open the New Year by hosting the New Jersey Devils at PNC Arena on Tuesday.

Carolina's equipment man savors chance to skate in a game

By JOEDY McCREARY, AP Sports Writer

Posted 2:28 a.m. today Updated 2:30 a.m. today

RALEIGH, N.C. — Jorge Alves usually sharpens the Carolina Hurricanes' skates. Lately, the team's equipment manager has been lacing up his own.

It's been a wild past few days for Alves. The 37-year-old former Marine, ex-minor leaguer and veteran of the team's equipment staff suddenly found himself in uniform for an NHL game — and even, for 7.6 unforgettable seconds, on the ice — as the Hurricanes' emergency goalie while regular backup Eddie Lack was too sick to play.

And when the Hurricanes returned to practice Monday, he was back on the ice again — he regularly suits up during morning skates when one of the goalies on the roster is unavailable — and trying to get comfortable with the attention his unusual story has generated.

"This is the brightest stage in our sport, and it's just, to have the honor to do this, everybody dreams about it," Alves said. "Just working out and running and stuff, I'm always thinking about it — what if it ever happened? What would I do? How would I react? And then, when it actually did happen, I kind of went blank. You can't prepare for that. It was unexpected and it was just quite a memory."


It's not like Alves doesn't know his way around a rink: After serving four years in the Marines, he played club hockey at North Carolina State from 2002-04 and skated in the ECHL and the low-level Southern Professional Hockey League. He first worked with Carolina's equipment staff during the 2003-04 season and became a full-time equipment manager in 2012-13.

The Hurricanes found themselves in a pinch when Lack fell ill before Saturday night's game at Tampa Bay. Roughly two hours before the puck drop, they announced the signing of Alves to a professional tryout contract and issued him jersey No. 40. His mask — which he painted himself, based on drawings by a local illustrator — features caricatures of the team's other equipment men.

"I think we were literally watching that guy's dream come true right before our eyes," starter Cam Ward said. "Seeing how emotional he got before that game made everybody emotional. And I said to him right before the game, 'They don't ask how or why, but you made it to the NHL.'"

Ward bucked the tradition of having the starting goalie lead the team onto the ice for pregame warmups, letting Alves

have the spotlight for himself. And with 7.6 seconds left and the outcome all but decided — the Lightning led 3-1 — coach Bill Peters sent Alves onto the ice to replace Ward. He didn't have to face a shot but was handed the puck by teammate Jeff Skinner.

"Every time I see it, I kind of get choked up," Alves said. "Seven-point-six seconds is going to be near and dear to me."

A repeat doesn't seem likely Tuesday night when New Jersey visits: Peters says if Lack is too sick to skate against the Devils, the team will recall someone from its AHL affiliate in Charlotte.

That seems fine with Alves, who joked with alternate captain Jordan Staal that the Hurricanes' shooters weren't about to take it easy on him during his first practice since his big debut.

"I told Jordan, 'It was only 7.6 seconds, guys,'" Alves said. "I'm not an NHLer."

Introducing Hurricanes Goalie Jorge Alves

Brandon Share-Cohen

Every once in a while, the entire hockey world can look at something and appreciate it. Such a moment came Saturday in Tampa Bay when the Carolina Hurricanes were preparing to take on the Lightning to close out 2016. With goaltender Eddie Lack feeling under the weather, the Hurricanes were in need of a backup.

The issue, however, was that the team was on the road and options were very clearly limited. While the team didn’t have another goalie on the roster, they did have equipment manager Jorge Alves. The 37-year-old Alves played very limited minutes in the SPHL and ECHL in his career, logging a total of 107 minutes in nine games from 2004 to 2007.

The Hurricanes were in a bind, and Alves was more than capable of stepping up and acting as the backup for Ward. Carolina signed Alves to a professional tryout offer (PTO) and officially named him as the backup for the game – Alves’ first opportunity in the NHL.

‘It’s a surprise. It’s unbelievable. I was actually heading back down into the tunnel when I heard my name. I looked back and I was like, ‘What?’ And coach said, ‘Get your stuff on,” Alves said when talking with reporters after the game. ‘It was … amazing. I couldn’t believe it.’

It isn’t unheard of for coaching staff, equipment managers or the like, to get called in due to emergency circumstances. While they sit on the bench in full equipment and are ready

to play in the event that the starting goalie is hurt, typically, those team staff members don’t ever see ice time. For Alves, however, the situation was a little bit different.

An Opportunity of a Lifetime

With 7.6 seconds remaining in the game, the Hurricanes trailed the Lightning by a score of 3-1. With that in mind, head coach Bill Peters took Ward out of the game and put Alves in to close out the game. While Alves didn’t see any shots, he did become an official on-record NHL goalie as a result — a feel-good story for an equipment manager that stepped up when his team needed it.

“I just remembered looking down the ice and seeing the puck in the corner and saying “Stay in that corner.” Alves said. “It was amazing. It’s still pretty emotional for me.”

Despite being an NHL goalie, Alves never lost touch with what his official role on the team was, and continues to be. The Hurricanes posted pictures of Alves sharpening skates as he normally would on game-day — though his attire looked slightly different than it normally would.

Alves also worked on the Hurricanes’ sticks while on the bench. An equipment manager’s job is never done. Alves showed that he takes pride in his work regardless of the situation he’s in.


“Can’t shake the habit,” Alves joked following the game when talking about fulfilling his equipment manager duties. “No, I have a duty with the team and I wasn’t going to break that.”

Earning the Respect of His Teammates

Following the game, Hurricanes’ forward Jeff Skinner gave Alves a token to remember the moment. Prior to leaving the ice, Skinner skated over to Alves and dropped something into the goaltenders’ glove. That something, of course, was the game puck.

Showing his appreciation to his equipment manager and teammate, Ward also let Alves know he was appreciated. With the rest of the team exiting to the visitors’ locker room, the Hurricanes’ netminder waited for Alves on the bench in a heartwarming sign of respect.

‘I’ve been skating with the guys for years now, and it’s always been kind of a joke around the locker room, “Oh, you might go in today, you might go in today.” For it to actually happen, it was a pinch-myself moment. It was an amazing experience.’

– Jorge Alves

“I think it was a special night. It was a night he’ll never forget,” head coach Bill Peters said. “It was the perfect storm of opportunity for him, and it couldn’t happen to a better guy.”

When Alves joined the Hurricanes, he probably didn’t anticipate the opportunity he would one day be given. Though 7.6 seconds may not seem like much, it was enough to make what could have been a normal day at the office a night to remember forever for Alves.

U.S. survives Switzerland in WJC quarterfinal

by Mike G. Morreale @mikemorrealeNHL / NHL.com Staff Writer

TORONTO -- Left wing Jordan Greenway scored a power-play goal 6:18 into the third period and the United States held on for a 3-2 win against Switzerland in the quarterfinals of the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship at Air Canada Centre on Monday.

Jeremy Bracco (Toronto Maple Leafs) and Luke Kunin (Minnesota Wild) also scored and Tyler Parsons (Calgary Flames) made 19 saves for the U.S., which will play Russia in the semifinal at Bell Centre in Montreal on Wednesday.

Nico Hischier (2017 draft eligible) scored two goals and Joren van Pottelberghe (Detroit Red Wings) made 14 saves for Switzerland. Hischier almost had a third goal with four minutes remaining but Parsons made a glove save to deny the 17-year-old center.

Greenway (Minnesota Wild) picked up a loose puck in the slot and scored his third of the tournament following a shot from the point by defenseman Charlie McAvoy (Boston Bruins) to make it 3-2.

The U.S. has never lost to Switzerland in 23 WJC games, which includes two ties.

Hischier, an A-rated skater on NHL Central Scouting's players to watch list for 2017, scored his second of the game on the power play off a wraparound inside the left post 6:00 into the third to tie it 2-2. He scored his first 10:47 into the second to pull Switzerland within 2-1. Hischier leads Switzerland with four goals and seven points.

Bracco and Kunin scored in a span of 2:10 in the first period to give the United States a 2-0 lead. Bracco scored a power-play goal at 8:32 and Kunin scored his first of the tournament at 10:42.

Quarterfinal results

Russia 4, Denmark 0

Sweden 8, Slovakia 3

United States 3, Switzerland 2

Canada 5, Czech Republic 3

Jan. 3: Bobby Hull born in Ontario

Plus: Wayne Gretzky scores 700th goal; Jaromir Jagr, 42, oldest player to have hat trick

by John Kreiser @jkreiser7713 / NHL.com Managing Editor

THIS DATE IN HISTORY: Jan. 3

1939: Bobby Hull, one of the greatest goal-scorers in NHL history, is born in Point Anne, Ontario.

Hull joins the Chicago Blackhawks for the 1957-58 season at age 18. Two seasons later, his 39 goals and 81 points lead the NHL. He helps the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup in


1961, scores 50 goals in 1961-62, and becomes the first NHL player to score more than 50 goals in a season when he gets 54 in 1965-66.

By now, he's known as the "Golden Jet," a tribute to his speed (he's clocked at nearly 30 mph) and his booming shot (one of his slap shots is measured at 118 mph).

Hull bumps up his single-season record by scoring 58 goals in 1968-69, leading the NHL for the fourth consecutive season. He scores 50 goals and has 93 points in 1971-72,

then becomes the first NHL star to sign with the World Hockey Association.

Hull returns to the NHL in 1979 when the Winnipeg Jets are one of four teams to join the League. He retires after the 1979-80 season with 610 NHL goals (604 with the Blackhawks) and is inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983.

1929: Defenseman Eddie Shore of the Boston Bruins drives through a blizzard to get from Boston to Montreal. He arrives in time for the game and scores the only goal in a 1-0 victory against the Maroons at the Forum. Rookie Tiny Thompson gets his fifth NHL shutout.

1943: The Chicago Blackhawks get an all-Bentley goal during their 3-3 tie with the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Reg Bentley opens the scoring at 5:44 of the first period, with Doug Bentley and Max Bentley getting the assists. It's the first goal in NHL history on which brothers get all three points.

1970: Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings and George Armstrong of the Toronto Maple Leafs become the first players to appear in the NHL in four decades when each plays in his first game of the new year. The Red Wings defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 6-1, and the Maple Leafs win 6-2 against the Chicago Blackhawks.

1990: Guy Lafleur, playing for the Quebec Nordiques, scores his 545th goal to move past Maurice Richard into eighth place on the NHL all-time goal-scoring list. Despite Lafleur's milestone goal, the visiting Nordiques lose 5-4 to the Maple Leafs.

1991: Wayne Gretzky of the Los Angeles Kings becomes the fourth player in NHL history to score 700 goals, then gets two more for his 47th NHL hat trick. He reaches the milestone in a 6-3 victory against the New York Islanders at Nassau Coliseum.

2015: Jaromir Jagr of the New Jersey Devils becomes the oldest player in NHL history to have a hat trick when he scores three goals in a 5-2 win against the Philadelphia Flyers. At 42 years, 322 days old, Jagr is more than a year older than Howe was at the time of his last NHL hat trick (41 years, 216 days on Nov. 2, 1969), when he set the mark. Jagr's hat trick comes 23 years, 11 months and 1 day after his first three-goal game, which came for the Pittsburgh Penguins against the Bruins on Feb. 2, 1991. Jagr also shatters another NHL record held by Howe -- the longest gap between a player's first and last hat tricks. Howe's last NHL hat trick comes 19 years, 264 days after his first one, on Feb. 11, 1950.

Devils looking to heat up heading into tilt vs. Hurricanes

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The New Jersey Devils are feeling relatively good about how they're playing, while the Carolina Hurricanes are dealing with the afterglow of a feel-good story.

By Stats LLC

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The New Jersey Devils are feeling relatively good about how they're playing, while the Carolina Hurricanes are dealing with the afterglow of a feel-good story.

The Metropolitan Division rivals meet Tuesday night at PNC Arena.

The Devils bring a stretch of two victories in three games into the tilt after defeating the visiting Boston Bruins 3-0 on Monday night. The team is still trying to make up from a miserable stretch earlier in the season.

"We have to not dwell on the past. We can't control that any more," goaltender Cory Schneider said. "It would be one thing if we didn't have the talent or the team here to get it done. But we've seen what we can do."

The Hurricanes are coming off Saturday night's game at Tampa Bay when equipment manager Jorge Alves, 37, was pressed into duty as the backup goaltender. He saw action in the waning seconds of the team's 3-1 loss.

It created a huge amount of buzz for the Hurricanes, given the unusual nature of the situation after goalie Eddie Lack


became ill earlier in the day. The team had few options because of the late notice.

Alves' moment came in the last 7.6 seconds when he replaced Cam Ward.

"It was a perfect storm situation the way it unfolded," Carolina coach Bill Peters said. "It seemed to be the right thing to do. ... He has his heart in the right place and he wants to do what he can do to help us."

This became a far bigger situation for Alves than when he played in some low minor leagues years ago. Even now, he sometimes fills in at practice if the Hurricanes are down a goalie.

Yet it's extremely unlikely that Alves will be used again when New Jersey visits.

The setback at Tampa Bay can't be dismissed.

"We'll learn from it," Peters said.

The Hurricanes look to increase an 11-game home point streak (10-0-1). At least one point Tuesday night would match the second-best home point streak in franchise history.

New Jersey's Taylor Hall is back after a two-game absence to address an injury. It's his hope to ignite a lagging power play.

"I think we have to reset and come out with a new mindset," he said of the special teams.

When the Devils have had some success, such as Monday night, there's an element of optimism that's easy to identify.

"When everyone plays well, it's easy to find a rhythm," defenseman Steven Santini said.

New Jersey won the first two meetings with the Hurricanes this season, claiming decisions by 4-1 and 3-2 in a shootout.

Lack's status remained uncertain Monday, but it figures that the Hurricanes would call up Michael Leighton from Charlotte of the American Hockey League. Leighton had some outings in Lack's absence several weeks ago when he was out with a concussion.

So this means that the Hurricanes will almost assuredly stick with Ward in goal

Carolina defenseman Jaccob Slavin will play in his 100th career game. He leads the team in ice time by averaging more than 23 minutes per game this season.

Hurricanes forward Lee Stempniak played part of last season with the Devils.

The trip to Raleigh will be the only road outing for the Devils during a six-game stretch.

TODAY’S LINKS

http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/canes-now/article124177384.html https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/news/gameday-preview-new-jersey-devils-vs-carolina-hurricanes/c-285276738

https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/news/jorge-alves-and-hurricanes-teammates-reflect-on-his-nhl-debut/c-285264848 http://www.wralsportsfan.com/carolina-s-equipment-man-savors-chance-to-skate-in-a-game/16393945/

http://thehockeywriters.com/introducing-carolina-hurricanes-goalie-jorge-alves/ https://www.nhl.com/news/us-defeats-switzerland-in-wjc-quarterfinal/c-285273044

https://www.nhl.com/news/this-date-in-nhl-history-january-3/c-285128356 http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/teams/page/CAR/carolina-hurricanes

1041180 Carolina Hurricanes

For Canes’ Alves, an uncommon opportunity

By Chip Alexander

Jorge Alves, dressed in his goalie gear and on the ice for the Carolina Hurricanes, is not an uncommon sight.

If the Canes are down a goalie at practice, Alves is ready.

When the players arrive in early September for voluntary workouts at Raleigh Center Ice, Alves often is in net.

Alves in an NHL game is something altogether different. When Canes coach Bill Peters sent him into the game Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, he became a goaltender of record in a National Hockey League game at age 37.

Even in a rough-and-tumble sport like hockey, it was the kind of moment that had lumps in throats on the Carolina bench. Just 7.6 seconds on the ice for Alves, but long enough to provide a memory of a lifetime.

Alves is one of the Canes’ equipment managers, working alongside Bob Gorman and Skip Cunningham. Photos of him in his goalie gear Saturday, still sharpening skates and taping sticks during the game while serving as the backup to Ward, quickly went viral on social media.


But here are some things about Alves you might not know:

▪ That he entered the Marine Corps after graduating from high school in Stoughton, Mass., going to boot camp at Parris Island and undergoing jungle training in Japan.

▪ That his active enlistment ended two months before Sept. 11, 2001, and he considered re-enlisting with so many of his buddies headed to Iraq.

▪ That he first played for the N.C. State club hockey team, and later with so many minor-league hockey teams that he was nicknamed “The Suitcase.”

▪ That he received a 2006 Stanley Cup ring from the Hurricanes after their run to the Cup.

Alves once said the ring proved to be a quick talking point when he joined a team — say the Fayetteville FireAntz or Asheville Aces or Twin City Cyclones.

As he put it, “Players would ask, ‘What is that?’ I’ll say, ‘Oh, just my Stanley Cup ring.’ ”

Alves kept his dream of playing professional hockey alive for many years. Ward once noted that whenever he saw Alves, “I’m reminded of the movie ‘Rudy.’ He’s very determined.”

But with a family to support, Alves eventually settled for the security of working full-time with the Canes in 2012 and helping out in practice when he could.

He met his wife, Amanda, on his 20th birthday at an old Raleigh nightspot called The Club Zone, which later became the RecZone ice rink and now is Raleigh Center Ice. The couple has two children, Madison and Jaxon.

So much has changed for Alves since that memorable 20th birthday. One thing that hasn’t changed is that he’s one of the hardest-working people in the Canes organization, doing whatever is needed, the ultimate handyman.

After a practice at RCI a few years ago, with Alves again in net helping out, Ward noted, “You see him out there competing and he looks like an NHL goalie on the other side.”

On Saturday afternoon, when backup goalie Eddie Lack fell ill, the Canes needed an NHL goalie. Alves signed a professional tryout contract. Peters called it the “perfect storm of opportunity” and come game time at the Lightning’s Amalie Arena, he had on the white Carolina jersey and was on the bench..

The Canes lost the game 3-1 and no one was happy with the outcome. But there were a lot of happy people in the Canes locker room.

As Peters said, “It couldn’t happen to a better guy.”

News Observer LOADED: 01.03.2017

1041181 Carolina Hurricanes

Hurricanes’ Jorge Alves realizes life-long dream of playing in NHL

By Chip Alexander

Jorge Alves was back in net Monday when the Carolina Hurricanes held their first practice of 2017.

When it ended, the goalie was the one surrounded by media in the Canes’ locker room at PNC Arena, with some playful chirping from teammates in the background.

Alves has been the talk of the NHL for the past few days after the Canes’ equipment manager served as the backup goalie Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, playing the final 7.6 seconds of regulation. At 37, he became a goaltender of record in the National Hockey League.

Canes goalie Cam Ward said Alves had the players chanting “Rudy, Rudy” at the game in Tampa, Fla,, saying the 5-foot-9 Alves reminds

them of Rudy Ruettiger, the diminutive Notre Dame football player who realized his dream by getting in a game for the Irish years ago.

“He’s exactly that kind of character, a guy who’s on the smaller side but works his butt off and has a really big heart,” Ward said of Alves, a former Marine. “It was a neat moment. We were literally watching his dream come true before our eyes.”

Canes' Ward on Alves: "Great story for a great guy"

Carolina Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward says the players were calling Jorge Alves "Rudy" on Saturday when he served as Ward's backup in the Tampa Bay Lightning game in Tampa, Fla.

When backup goalie Eddie Lack fell ill Saturday afternoon, the Canes needed a replacement. Alves, who played club hockey at N.C. State and in the minor leagues, was signed to a professional tryout contract and dressed for the game.

For Alves, wearing the Hurricanes jersey was special. Having fellow equipment manager Bob Gorman, his boss, sew “Alves” on the back of No. 40 meant a lot.

“I’m going to cherish that jersey. I’ll have it up in my house,” Alves said Monday, smiling. “I’m truly humbled.”

Alves led the team onto the ice at Amalie Arena for pregame warmups, usually the place of the starting goalie but something Ward and the team insisted on Alves doing.

“I said to him right before the game, they don’t ask how or why, but you made it to the NHL,” Ward said. “It’s a memory he’ll cherish for the rest of his life. It turned out to be a great story, too, for a great guy.”

Tripp Tracy, the Canes’ TV analyst, dressed for one NHL game with the Hurricanes, although he did not play. Tracy said hearing that Alves told his teammates “You’ve got a job to do” before Saturday’s game was fitting.

He’s an NHL’er forever.

Skip Cunningham

“His focus was not on absorbing the amazing moment, rather to channel an amazing personal moment to energize his team and win a big hockey game,” Tracy said.

During the game, Alves tended to his equipment manager duties. He was sharpening skates and taped up a stick for center Victor Rask, saying Monday, “That’s my job. Why wouldn’t I do that?”

With the Canes trailing 3-1 and play stopped for an icing call, Canes coach Bill Peters said, “Jorge, get your stuff on.” Just like that, Alves was in the game.

“Surreal,” Alves said. "This is the brightest stage in our sport. To have the honor to do this, everybody dreams about it.

“I really would have liked to have shared the moment with everybody I’ve played with …”

Canes forward Jeff Skinner scooped up the puck at game’s end, making sure Alves had it as a memento.

“It’s pretty cool,” Skinner said. “For us, we see him every day, all the work he does. And then on top of all the work he does he gets in there without complaining.”

In net, that is. Alves often fills in as an extra goalie during practices, taking shots, staying late. “A pretty selfless thing for him to do,” Skinner said.

Alves said he received “a lot of love from the goalie union” and there were 100 texts on his phone after the game. On Sunday, an off day for the Canes, there were another 200 and it had to be a big day in the Alves house with his wife, Amanda, and their two kids, Madison and Jaxon.

With Lack still out Monday, Alves and Ward were the two goalies at practice. Peters was not sure if Lack would be available Tuesday for the New Jersey Devils game at PNC Arena, saying the Canes would recall a goalie from the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL if Lack is unable to go. No second game for Alves.

As Alves was leaving the ice Saturday, longtime equipment manager Skip Cunningham was there to congratulate him and tell him, “Good job.”


As Cunningham said Monday, “He’s an NHL’er forever.”

News Observer LOADED: 01.03.2017

1041234 New Jersey Devils

Cory Schneider bails out Devils with save to keep game on track vs. Bruins

Chris Ryan

NEWARK -- Cory Schneider's second shutout of the season was less than an inch away from ending.

The clean slate was nearly wiped away early, when in the closing seconds of the first period, Devils forward P.A. Parenteau turned the puck over in front of the Devils' net. The Boston Bruins got two close shots on target, but Schneider dove for a stick save on the second to barely keep the puck on the goal line before covering it.

Late goals have burned the Devils throughout the season, and Schneider's crucial stop helped squash a potential momentum swing.

"That was a big mistake by me there," said Parenteau, whose goal gave the Devils a lead earlier in the period. "(Patrice) Bergeron had a good stick, it obviously wasn't the play, and Schneids had my back there. It's what a team does. And I might buy him dinner tomorrow night."

Schneider didn't let anything get any closer, stopping 22 shots for a 3-0 shutout, his second in four games. The usual starter sat the past two games while Keith Kinkaid manned the net, and Schneider was anxious to put together a good performance to build off Kinkaid's play.

"That's kind of the tricky thing about goal tending," Schneider said. "You want to go out there and beat the world, make 40 saves and sometimes the game only gives you 20 saves. You've go to make sure you're there for those 20, and you can't make saves that don't come at you.

"Sometimes you get wound up or a little too excited, so I was trying to stay in the game. They didn't get many shots after the first period, but again those are a little trickier."

Devils blank Bruins

While there have been some struggles in front of Schneider on defense, he saw a composed group that executed, limiting the Bruins to 10 shots over the final two period after 12 in the first.

The performance was the complete opposite of some of the games where the Devils have allowed five goals, but Schneider said the only difference he saw in front of him was the execution.

"We had the same exact systems, more or less," Schneider said. "So that just goes to show that when we're playing our systems, that determined, we're a pretty tough team to play against. One game does not turn everything, but it's a good start, missing some guys."

Star Ledger LOADED: 01.03.2017


Cory Schneider, Devils blank Bruins 3-0 | Rapid reaction

Chris Ryan

NEWARK -- The start of 2017 looked drastically different from the end of 2016 for the Devils.

Goalie Cory Schneider stopped all 22 shots he faced, backing up goals from P.A. Parenteau, Sergey Kalinin and Taylor Hall en route to a 3-0 win over the Boston Bruins on Monday at the Prudential Center.

Schneider's shutout was the 23rd of his career and second of the season, with both coming in his past four starts. He also blanked the Flyers, 4-0, on Dec. 22.

The Devils jumped on top early when they created multiple chances in one possession before punching a rebound into net.

Despite being 5-5-3 when leading after on period this season, the Devils found a way to make the early lead stand up. Defenseman Steven Santini sent a shot that bounced out to Hall. Hall's shot hit the post, but forward Parenteau got two shots off, with the second sliding past Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask.

The Bruins nearly tied the game with 4.9 seconds left in the first, but following a turnover in the defensive zone, Schneider made a diving save with his blocker, barely keeping the puck from crossing the goal line before he covered it with his glove. Officials reviewed the play before confirming the call.

Schneider also withstood a barrage of shots in the second period, where the Devils burned their timeout with 2:28 left to give the team a breather as they struggled to clear the zone.

The Devils doubled their lead when forward Miles Wood raced down the ice toward goal before dropping a pass to center Kalinin in front of the crease. He tapped it in for a 2-0 lead and his second goal of the season at 1:44 in the third.

Hall added an empty netter with 1:58 to play.

Santini's first point: Santini made his season debut and appeared in his second career game for the Devils. He was quickly rewarded with his first career point on Parenteau's opening goal. Santini recorded the secondary assist.

Boucher back: Nearly a month to the day that the Devils lost forward Reid Boucher through waivers to the Nashville Predators, the Devils got him back. The Devils claimed Boucher off waivers Monday, bringing him back to New Jersey.

Boucher was added to the active roster, and the Devils optioned defenseman Yohann Auvitu to Albany (AHL) to open a spot. Boucher was not active for Monday's game.

Injuries: Defenseman John Moore has been around the team after sustaining a concussion in Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Washington Capitals. Coach John Hynes said it was too early to put a timetable on his return.

Hall returned to the lineup after two games out with a lower body injury. Forwards Travis Zajac and Jacob Josefson both missed Monday's game due to illness.

Next up: The Devils will jet down to Raleigh for the second leg of a back-to-back. They will play the Carolina Hurricanes at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at PNC Arena.

The Devils follow that will two off days before playing back-to-back home games on Friday and Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers.



Devils surprised by lack of review on John Moore hit

Chris Ryan

NEWARK -- Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson gave Devils defenseman John Moore a concussion and forced him to be stretchered off from a hit into the boards on Saturday, and that was the end of the matter.

While the NHL reviews plays like that, the Devils were surprised it ended there, with no disciple or hearings for Wilson.


"During the game, the referees felt it was not a dirty, malicious hit. They felt his back was turned, but it wasn't a hit to the head or anything in that situation," Devils coach John Hynes said. "It's difficult. His back was turned, clearly. He got hit pretty hard into the boards. The league makes those decisions, but unfortunately for us and Johnny, it didn't work out for us in any way."

Moore's numbers on his back were fully exposed when Wilson delivered the hit, but the referees explained to Hynes during the game that it was not penalized since Moore was not launched into the boards.

Moore stood within inches of the glass when he took the hit, and he smashed his head violently as he took the shot from behind. While Wilson may have entered with not intent of hurting Moore, it was tough for the Devils to swallow.

"The NHL not doing anything says that it's a clean hit, and I'm not sure that I agree with it," Devils forward Taylor Hall said. "But hockey's a fast game, and I don't think guys mean to do that on purpose. So that's a hit you don't like seeing."

The Devils have had two potential reviews -- or lack of reviews -- go against them this season. Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price did not face discipline for punching Devils forward Kyle Palmieri after the two collided and Palmieri was down on the ice.

In the case of Moore's hit, Hynes said it could be another case of the rules not being entirely clear.

"Even with the hit that happened to John the other night, there is some controversy in what is legal, what's not legal, what's getting suspended and what's not," Hynes said. "For us as coaches and players, you just try to do the best job and get educated by the league."



Taylor Hall returning to lineup for ailing Devils

Chris Ryan

NEWARK -- A low check late in the first period of the Devils' Dec. 27 game against the Pittsburgh Penguins forced Taylor Hall to miss the team's next two games.

Hall will return to the Devils' lineup when they host the Bruins on Monday.

He said he played the rest of that Penguins game and didn't feel quite right. Hall indicated it was the right leg, opposite from the meniscus tear he suffered in his left knee in November.

"I didn't know how long I'd be out for. It was one of those things where you wake up the next day and it feels really swollen and not very good at all," Hall said. "But a couple days later, I started skating and I feel fine now. Even just doing a little bit of contact and some battling there, I don't feel it at all."

Devils lines vs. Bruins

Hall will rejoin a lineup that could look different on Monday due to some other health problems for the Devils. Forward Jacob Josefson will be out due to illness, while fellow forward Travis Zajac will be a game-time decision due to an unrelated illness.

While Hall missed eight games earlier this season due to a torn meniscus, he said the Devils have been relatively healthy this season, and it can't be an excuse for their play.

"No matter who's in or out of lineup, we have to play to our identity and come together as a group," Hall said. "We'd love to have those guys playing, they both play key roles, but as a group, collectively, we've slipped a bit from our identity and how we want to play."

Hall's return could also aide the ailing power play, which is coming off an 0-for-9 performance in Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Washington Capitals.

"The best power plays in the league are the ones that are relatively simple," Hall said. "They're not that complicated. They get pucks to the net, they win battles to get the puck back, and we have to do more of that."



Devils lines vs. Bruins (1/2/17): Taylor Hall back on ice

Chris Ryan

NEWARK -- Taylor Hall returned to ice with the Devils for Monday's morning skate prior to their 7 p.m. game against the Boston Bruins.

Hall missed the team's previous two games due to a lower body injury.

7 New Year's resolutions for Devils

However, forwards Travis Zajac and Jacob Josefson were both absent from morning skate due to illness. Josefson was ruled out, while Zajac will be a game-time decision.

Goalie Cory Schneider warmed up in the starter's net, so it appears he will return to action after backup Keith Kinkaid started the past two games.

Here are the Devils' lines and defensive pairings from morning skate:

FORWARDS

Michael Cammalleri-Adam Henrique-Kyle Palmieri

Taylor Hall-Sergey Kalinin-P.A. Parenteau

Miles Wood-Pavel Zacha-Nick Lappin

Beau Bennett-Devante Smith-Pelly-Luke Gazdic

DEFENSEMEN

Andy Greene-Ben Lovejoy

Damon Severson-Kyle Quincey

Jon Merrill-Steven Santini

Yohann Auvitu

GOALIES

Starter: Cory Schneider

Backup: Keith Kinkaid



Rookie D Santini looks like he belongs in season debut

Andrew Gross

It’s just one game, but Steven Santini sure did look like he belonged among the Devils top six defensemen in Monday’s 3-0 win over the Bruins at Prudential Center.

In fact, all six defensemen played as cohesive a game as they have as a unit all season.

To review, captain Andy Greene was paired with defensive-minded veteran Ben Lovejoy. Greene’s usual partner, the right-handed Damon Severson, was paired with veteran Kyle Quincey, a left-shooting


defenseman who has played on the right side almost all of this season. And Jon Merrill was paired with the right-shooting Santini, who had a secondary assist on P.A. Parenteau’s goal at 4:12 of the first period after getting his shot blocked.

“It was pretty cool,” Santini said of his first NHL point. “I don’t really know how to explain other than it was pretty cool. It was pretty awesome.”

Santini logged 11:53 with two shots and two hits and was a plus-2. He admitted to some pre-game nerves that settled down as he settled into the game.

And he said playing with Merrill made it easy on him.

“It was good,” Santini said. “I thought we played well together. He made it easy for him. He supported the puck and was tight defensively.”

Merrill was a plus-3 in 13:38 as the Devils won for just the second time in 15 times that Merrill has been in the lineup this season. Of course, both of those wins have been shutouts, this game and a 4-0 win over the Flyers on Dec. 22.

Devils coach John Hynes was happy with both of their play.

“I thought Steven came in and played a very good game,” Hynes said. “I thought he was poised, defensively sound. He made some good decisions with the puck. He brings an energy and a character to your team. That’s the type of person he is.”

As for Merrill, Hynes said, “I thought Jon played well tonight. He was moving his feet more than he has in the past, particularly in breakout situations or neutral zone transitions. He wasn’t just sitting and looking to make a read. He was skating. He had some good escape moves. Steven is positionally sound, always in the right spot. He communicates and talks out there. Steven is a guy you want to play with as a defensive partner. But also give Jon some credit. He played one of his better games.”

Quincey, too, seemed noticeably stouter in front of the Devils’ crease.

Hynes lamented after Saturday’s 6-2 loss to the visiting Capitals that the Devils’ defenders were too often getting their sticks in between the opposition’s legs rather than being stronger on box outs.

There was nothing weak about the Devils’ box outs on Monday. Again, particularly Quincey, who was very active in trying to keep Cory Schneider’s crease clear.

“It did look good,” Hynes said when asked about moving Quincey to his natural side. “I thought Kyle played well. Sometimes it’s easier to play the natural side. His attention to detail was better. How he boxed out was better. It was nice to see him play that way.”

Quincey was a plus-1 in 21:46.

Greene logged a team-high 24:13 with three shots and Lovejoy blocked three shots in 20:05. Severson logged 19:21 as the Devils played their first game since John Moore suffered a concussion when the Capitals’ Tom Wilson checked him hard into the glass and boards.

Hynes said C Travis Zajac, who missed Monday’s game because of illness, would travel with the team to Carolina, though it’s not definite he will be able to play on Tuesday night against the Hurricanes.

However, C Jacob Josefson, who missed Monday’s game because of illness, too, remained behind in New Jersey and definitely will miss a second straight game.

Hynes did not name a starting goalie for Tuesday night’s game, saying he wanted to see how Schneider felt after the plane trip and then Tuesday morning. But Hynes acknowledged that, yeah, if Schneider is feeling OK, it would be hard not to start him off a 22-save shutout.

RW P.A. Parenteau may have had the game’s biggest turnover, nearly leading to a Brad Marchand goal with 4.9 seconds left in the first period, which would have tied the game at 1.

But Parenteau said the difference between this Devils’ win and many of their losses this season was cutting down on turnovers.

The Devils were credited with four giveaways. They were credited with nine in Saturday’s 6-2 loss to the Capitals.

“I thought we kept it simple,” Parenteau said. “We didn’t do anything to hurt ourselves. When we’ve lost and lost big this year, it was details but mostly turnovers.”

It was not clear after Monday’s game when and where LW Reid Boucher would re-join the Devils after being claimed off waivers from the Predators on Monday. The Predators claimed Boucher off waivers from the Devils on Dec. 3.

It had not been decided whether Boucher would head to Carolina or just meet the Devils when they returned to New Jersey after the one night trip.

Either way, Hynes said he was happy to have Boucher back in the organization.

“Yeah, it’s nice,” Hynes said. “You never want to see a player like Reid leave the organization but we had to make a decision. We were excited for him to be able to get another opportunity. Unfortunately it didn’t work out for him. It’s good to have another player we feel is a guy that can help our team or is a guy that can help Albany (AHL). The original reason why we made the decision (to put him on waivers) was to get him some more playing time (at Albany). It’s good to have him back.”

W Taylor Hall took over the Devils points lead with a goal and an assist. He now has nine goals and 16 assists for 25 points, one more than the idle Zajac (eight goals, 16 assists).

The Devils play the Hurricanes on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. I’m flying down in the morning but will not be in Carolina in time if the Devils do have a morning skate.

Bergen Record LOADED: 01.03.2017


Schneider, Hall, Wood pace Devils past Bruins, 3-0

Andrew Gross , January 2, 2017

NEWARK – It’s not a complicated recipe, matching strong goaltending and a solid defensive effort with team speed, just one the Devils haven’t put together nearly enough this season.

But, maybe, 2017 will be different from the disappointing first portion of this season.

Maybe, Cory Schneider’s diving glove save in the waning seconds of the first period on Brad Marchand to bail out teammate P.A. Parenteau and prevent the Devils from allowing a goal in the final minute of a regulation period for the sixth time augurs better fortunes in the new year.

“An inch over the line, that’s a goal,” Schneider said. “An inch the other way made the difference.”

Schneider, back in net after watching Keith Kinkaid the last two games, was a difference maker. And so was the speed element brought by rookie left wing Miles Wood. It jelled into a 3-0 win on Monday night at Prudential Center.

“It was great execution by the boys tonight,” said Schneider, who made 22 saves for his second shutout of the season and the 23rd of his career in his 200th appearance with the Devils. “We didn’t do anything different Xs and Os from the game against Washington [Saturday’s 6-2 loss]. When we’re detailed and playing our systems and that determined, we’re a pretty tough team to play against.

“One game does not turn everything around,” Schneider added. “It’s a good start and, hopefully, it’s a good sign for 2017.”

The Devils (15-16-7), who had top-line left wing Taylor Hall back after he missed two games with a lower-body injury as he had an empty-net goal and an assist but were missing centers Travis Zajac and Jacob Josefson because of illness and defenseman John Moore with a concussion, have won two of three of three of their last season.

Rookie defenseman Steven Santini, 21, of Mahopac, N.Y., made his season’s debut with an assist, his first NHL point.


“I thought we were tight in the neutral zone and especially our defensive zone coverage,” Santini said. “They had some good offensive zone possession at times. I thought we kept it tight and, obviously, Schneids played very well and good goaltending wins hockey games.”

That was never truer than with 4.9 seconds left in the first period.

Parenteau, who had given the Devils a 1-0 lead at 4:12 of the first period with his team-leading 11th goal on a play set up by Hall’s skating and playmaking ability, turned the puck over to Patrice Bergeron deep in the Devils’ zone. Schneider made the initial save but Marchand was parked at the crease for a rebound try.

Schneider, diving to his right, got his glove over the puck after seven-eighths of it rolled over the goal line. But enough of the puck was still touching the line for it to be ruled no goal, a call which was upheld via a video review.

“It’s a big mistake by me,” Parenteau said. “I don’t know what happened. Bergeron has a good stick. Obviously, that wasn’t the play but Schneids had my back there. That’s what a team does.”

“That was huge,” Devils coach John Hynes added. “It was a big point in the game that needed to go in our favor.”

Wood, who had his second career fight when he battled Colin Miller at 8:45 of the first period, blazed up the right wing on a two-on-one and backhanded a cross-ice feed to Sergey Kalinin at the crease for a 2-0 lead at 1:44 of the third period.

“I think he’s learning how to use [his speed],” Schneider said. “You can’t just skate around a million miles an hour all the time. You’ve got to pick and choose your spots.”

Tuukka Rask made 23 saves for the Bruins (20-16-4).



Fire and Live Blog: Devils blank Bruins, 3-0

Andrew Gross

So, Travis Zajac, after missing the morning skate because of illness, will not be able to play tonight as the Devils face the Bruins at Prudential Center. It will be the second game this season the durable veteran will miss.

Both he and center Jacob Josefson are down with ailments – coach John Hynes said different kinds of illnesses – so there has to be some line tinkering tonight.

First, rookie Pavel Zacha, a healthy scratch the previous two games, gets a chance to skate in the top six as he’ll start off in between Taylor Hall, returning after missing the last two games with a lower-body injury, and P.A. Parenteau.

Sergey Kalinin will center rookie wings Miles Wood and Nick Lappin and Devante Smith-Pelly, normally a right wing, will center the fourth line with Luke Gazdic and Beau Bennett on the right wing.

“I played center a little bit in Anaheim,” Smith-Pelly said. “I played a lot of games in the minors at center. My whole life and I played center my first year in the OHL, obviously at the lower levels. I’ve done it in the NHL, too, for spots if guys get hurt or somebody needs to fill in. Obviously I’m not as comfortable as playing the wing. I still feel fine getting the puck in the middle and doing stuff that centers need to do.”

Smith-Pelly said the biggest adjustment is in the defensive zone since wings play higher up in the zone.

“The side to side stuff, things like that, I’m still trying to get a hold of,” said Smith-Pelly, adding he’s always enjoyed taking faceoffs.

Also, defensively, Kyle Quincey will move to the left side, his natural side, for the first time this season as he’ll be paired with right-handed Damon Severson.

The game is being televised on MSG Plus and the radio broadcast can be heard over the air on WFAN and digitally on the One Jersey Network.

The Devils lost 2-1 at Boston on Oct. 20 as Patrice Bergeron scored the winner at 18:45 of the third period as the Devils could not hold a 1-0 lead after Kyle Palmieri scored on the power play at 4:14 of the third period.

G Cory Schneider will start and making his 200th appearance with the Devils after Keith Kinkaid started both games of the home-and-home series with the Capitals.

LW Brad Marchand (10 goals, 21 assists) leads the Bruins, who are coming off a home-and-home sweep of the Sabres. David Backes will miss his second game because of a concussion so the Bruins are missing a key veteran.

Yet between the likes of Marchand, Bergeron, captain Zdeno Chara and goalie Tuukka Rask, the Bruins are not lacking for veteran leadership.

“I think they’re top-end guys know how to win,” defenseman Jon Merrill said. “They’re smart players and proven players in this league for a long time. They drive the bus for them.”

Also for the Bruins, LW Ryan Spooner has a five=-game point streak, with three goals and four assists in that span.

Devils (14-16-7)

Taylor Hall-Travis Zajac-P.A. Parenteau





Kyle Quincey-Damon Severson


Cory Schneider (10-12-5, 2.90 goals-against average, .904 save percentage)

Bruins (20-15-4)

Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-David Pastrnak

Ryan Spooner-David Krejci-Frank Vatrano

Tim Schaller-Austin Czarnik-Riley Nash

Anton Blidh-Dominic Moore-Noel Acciari

Zdeno Chara-Brandon Carlo

Torey Krug-Adam McQuaid

Kevan Miller-Colin Miller

Tuukka Rask (19-7-3, 1.92, .929)

Devils starters: Schneider, Greene-Lovejoy, Cammalleri-Henrique-Palmieri

Devils scratches: Reid Boucher, Jacob Josefson (illness), Travis Zajac (illness)

Bruins starters: Rask, Krug-McQuaid, Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak

Bruins scratches: Joe Morrow, Jimmy Hayes, David Backes

First period: Rask gobbles up a hard slap shot from Palmieri off the rush from the right circle at 3:09, Devils up on shots 2-1. Four minutes in, Hall shows he’s lost nothing off his skating as he’s back in the lineup after missing two games with a lower-body injury suspected to be a swollen right knee. Hall enters the zone on the right, stickhandles through the defense and launches a hard wrist shot from the slot that Rask waves his glove at and stops. But the Devils retain possession – something they all too often do not – and Hall, from a sharp angle on the left, hits the post. Parenteau gets in position, can’t convert on his first swipe with Rask down but knocks in his second attempt for a 1-0 lead at 4:12. Santini, with the secondary assist, gets his first NHL point. Devils nearly get a second as Severson’s slap from the right point is deflected off the near post by Zacha. The puck comes back to Rask, who swats it away from danger. As the teams head back up ice, Colin Miller checks Wood and Wood reacts by dropping the gloves for his second career fight. Colin


Miller winds up on top at 8:45 but a pumped-up Wood gets to his skates and raises his arms get the crowd into it. Colin Miller gets an extra two for roughing so the Devils will go on the power play. That becomes a five-on-three for 1:09 as McQuaid earns a double-minor for high sticking Henrique at 9:36. Shots are now 13-5 but the Bruins kill off the five on three and the remaining 2:51 of McQuaid’s double minor as the Devils cannot convert on a huge opportunity. Bruins get their first power play at 17:03 as Bennett carelessly trips Krug as he carries the puck over the Devils’ blue line. Devils kill it off but nearly get bitten by their last-minute woes. Parenteau, in the left circle of his defensive zone, chooses not to give the puck back to the safety valve of Greene behind the crease, instead sends the puck into the slot for a brutal turnover. Bergeron gets off a shot that Schneider stops but Marchand pounces on the rebound and nearly slides it over the line past a diving Schneider. But Schneider gets his glove on it with just a fraction of the puck still touching the red goal line. Call on the ice with 4.9 seconds remaining is no goal and that is confirmed through a lengthy video review. Shots are 13-12 for the Devils so the Bruins took the period’s final seven shots.

Second period: Close call for the Devils as Krug swipes the puck off the goal line after Lovejoy’s shot gets through. Another power play for the Devils as Vatrano trips Henrique behind the Devils’ crease at 3:36. No much going on on that power play either. Devils now 0 for 4, almost halfway to their 0 for 9 in Saturday’s 6-2 loss to the Capitals. Bergeron in some pain on the bench at 7:30 after he’s hit by Carlo’s slap shot from the right point in the upper chest region. Bergeron was facing the shot in the right circle. Nice glove save through traffic by Schneider on Krug at 9:23. At 13:25, shots are even at 16, which means the Devils are being outshot 4-3. At 15:50, Lappin stickhandles up ice, dishes to Wood on the left and Rask turns aside his shot from high in the left circle. But there’s no follow-up, no bodies to the crease. The Devils just aren’t making it tough on the Bruins right now. Ex-Ranger (heck, pretty much ex-every team in the NHL) Moore with a really good shift that ends at 17:32. Moore, on the rush to the crease, got it to Blidh but the shot went wide. Moore continued to forecheck and wound up with another good chance at the crease that Schneider stopped. Hynes uses his timeout at 17:32 after the Devils ice it as they are having a hard time escaping their zone. At 18:10, Palmieri hits the post with a close-in backhander. Rask now with a nice pad save on Santini from the right point with 50 seconds remaining. Shots are 20-17 for the Devils through two. Palmieri has five shots. Pretty sure that’s 25 percent of the Devils’ shots.

Third period: Wood again making a positive impact, leading a two on one rush up the right and backhanding a feed to the crease to Kalinin, who gets it past Rask for a 2-0 lead at 1:44. That’s Kalinin’s second goal of the season and Wood’s first assist in the NHL. Merrill gets his second assist of the season with the secondary assist. Schaller with a shot from the slot at 5:56 but Schneider with another good glove save. Devils get another power play opportunity at 8:52 as Chara trips Palmieri. Devils keep pressure on and keep the puck in the zone (though not with enough shots to please the crowd at The Rock) but they are now 0 for 5 on the power play. They’ll get another chance at 12:34 as Marchand slashes the stick out of Quincey’s hands. Marchand looks to goad the Devils into a penalty to negate his and cross checks Quincey. Quincey does take a roughing penalty against Marchand but Marchand gets two for slashing and two for cross checking so the Devils head to their sixth power play. Rask pulled for an extra skater with 2:15 left in regulation and Hall clinches it with an empty netter at 18:02. Devils outshoot the Bruins 26-22.



Notes: Wood gets crowd, Devils going with fight

Andrew Gross , January 2, 2017

NEWARK – Miles Wood, after being pulled apart from Bruins defenseman Colin Miller at 8:45 of the first period on Monday night, was still pumped up after his second career fight.

So he threw both arms up, signaling the Prudential Center crowd to make some noise.

“It just kind of happened,” the 21-year-old Devils rookie left wing said. “I’m from Massachusetts and I watched the Bruins all the time. [Milan] Lucic did that sometimes to get the crowd going.”

Because of the physical nature of his speedy game, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Wood will likely have to drop the gloves from time to time.

“American muscle,” Russian-born center Sergey Kalinin called him.

Boucher claimed

The Devils claimed LW Reid Boucher off waivers from the Predators on Monday.

The Predators had claimed Boucher off waivers from the Devils on Dec. 3 – while the Devils were in Nashville – after the Devils tried to sneak him through and re-assign him to Albany (AHL) when Taylor Hall was activated off injured reserve following his left knee surgery. Boucher, 23, a fourth-round pick of the Devils in 2011, had one goal in three games for the Predators and four goals and an assist during a five-game conditioning stint with Milwaukee (AHL). Boucher had two assists as he played in just nine of the Devils’ first 22 games.

To make room for Boucher on the roster, the Devils re-assigned rookie D Yohann Auvitu, 27, to Albany after he was recalled six days earlier.

Briefs

The Devils could not manage a shot on a five-on-three power play that lasted for one minute, nine seconds after D Adam McQuaid was called for a four-minute high-sticking penalty against Adam Henrique at 9:36 of the first period with Miller already in the penalty box. The Devils are now 0 for 5 with a two-man advantage this season. …The Devils were 0 for 6 with six shots on the power play and are in a 0-for-25 drought. …RW P.A. Parenteau has five goals in eight games since returning from a two-game stretch as a healthy scratch. Seven of his team-leading 11 goals have been the first goal of a game.



MacLean remembers generosity of 'humble' McMullen

Andrew Gross January 2, 2017

All these years later, the generous way the late Dr. John J. McMullen treated his Devils’ players, the egg tosses in his front yard and the performers on his tennis courts as entertainment as he hosted the team at his home, remains fresh to John MacLean.

“You don’t grow up being around millionaires and guys that own teams but he was such a personable, regular person that this is what you got,” said MacLean, who played for the Devils from 1983-97, coached them in 2010 and now serves as part of the team’s MSG broadcast crew.

So kudos to the Devils for fittingly making McMullen, the longtime Montclair resident who purchased the Colorado Rockies in 1982 and moved them to the Meadowlands, making sure they were identified as New Jersey’s team, the first inductee into the team’s new Ring of Honor.

A pre-game ceremony will be held prior to Friday’s game against the Maple Leafs at Prudential Center.

Paying respect to a team’s history, tying the present – and the future – to the past is crucial for any organization and the Devils started with McMullen. Sure, he was not the first with the idea of bringing an NHL team, specifically the Rockies, to New Jersey. But McMullen got the deal done.

And he hired Lou Lamoriello. And the franchise won two of its three Stanley Cups under his watch.

“He was a very straight forward, very intelligent man, just humble,” MacLean said of McMullen, who sold the Devils in 2000 and passed away at age 87 in 2005. “Every year he had us over to his home at the start of the year. He just put on a nice day for us as a family atmosphere,


bring your wife. He knew everybody and he welcomed everybody, which was tremendous.”

MacLean described McMullen as an owner who “loved being around the team.”

“When we were practicing at South Mountain, I vividly remember walking in and Dr. McMullen is working out, Yogi Berra is working out,” MacLean said. “They just liked hanging out in the locker room and being part of it. They’d go upstairs and have their bagels but they just liked talking to the guys and being part of it. It was true family, passionate ownership.

“He did whatever it took to put out a winning product and he brought in the people he needed to and he did what was right,” MacLean added. “He was very honest and generous with a lot of us.”

One day, MacLean will be in the Ring of Honor. Martin Brodeur, fittingly honored with a statue outside Prudential Center, will be inducted as well. Lamoriello, Ken Daneyko, Scott Niedermayer, Scott Stevens, Patrik Elias, there are plenty of Ring of Honor candidates.

But without McMullen, maybe none of this happens. So he goes in first.

Rightfully so.



Devils' reaction to NHL not penalizing Caps' Wilson

Andrew Gross ,January 2, 2017

As reported on Sunday, the Capitals’ Tom Wilson faced no NHL supplementary discipline for his hard check that left Devils defenseman John Moore knocked out on the ice at 3:10 of the first period of Saturday’s 6-2 loss to Washington, a check that was not penalized at the time.

Moore suffered a concussion and is on injured reserve after being taken off the ice on a stretcher, initially being motionless on the ice before testing all four limbs.

Moore was turned with his numbers to Wilson so the Devils felt Wilson should not have followed through on the check, which whiplashed Moore’s head violently into the glass. Wilson said after the game he held up.

The Devils obviously thought otherwise and Luke Gazdic, who fought Wilson late in the second period on the first shift the two shared on the ice, said he “didn’t like” Wilson’s hit.

Taylor Hall acknowledged he was a little surprised the NHL did not take any action after reviewing the play.

“A little bit,” Hall said. “The NHL, by not doing anything, says that’s a clean hit and I’m not sure I agree with it. Hockey’s a fast game. I don’t think guys mean to do that on purpose. Certainly, that’s a hit you don’t like to see.”

Devils coach John Hynes said there might be some uncertainty around the league in terms of what is considered a clean hit and what is not.

“The more and more it’s gone on, like the hit with John the other night, there is some controversy in what is legal and what is not legal, what gets suspended,” Hynes said. “As coaches and players, we just have to try to do the best job to get educated by the league on what’s legal and what’s not.

“During the game, the referee said it was not a dirty, malicious hit,” Hynes added. “His back was turned but it wasn’t a hit to the head. It’s difficult. His back was turned fully. He got hit pretty hard into the boards. The league makes those decisions. Unfortunately for us and Johnny, it didn’t work out in our favor.”

Moore was reported to be feeling better and around the Devils’ facility as he begins his recuperation. Obviously, with a concussion, there is no timetable that can be set.

For the most part, though, the Devils’ concern was not over whether Wilson would face league discipline, but Moore’s health.

“I actually haven’t had the opportunity to watch the hit too many more times on video so I can’t really comment on what really happened in the game,” defenseman Jon Merrill said. “It’s one of those things where our biggest concern is Moorsey’s healthy. We got word after the game that Moorsey was doing all right and I think that’s most important. Whatever the league tries to do after that is in their hands and we just want our guy to be all right.”



Devils Up Next: At Carolina on Tuesday

Andrew Gross

UP NEXT

Devils at Hurricanes

Tuesday, 7 p.m.

TV: MSG Plus

Radio: WFAN-FM 101.9/AM 660, One Jersey Network (NewJerseyDevils.com or app, NHL.com or app or iHeartRadio app)

Story line: The Devils have won the first two games this season from the Hurricanes, including a 4-1 victory at Carolina on Nov. 6 that stands as their lone road regulation win so far. The Devils are 3-2-2 in the second game of back-to-back sets. Ex-Devil RW Lee Stempniak has eight goals and 10 assists for the Hurricanes (16-13-7), who are 11-3-1 at home but without top D Justin Faulk (lower body).



Boucher returns, Auvitu sent down, Hall to play

Andrew Gross

So, to recap a busy morning so far for the Devils:

* Forward Reid Boucher has been claimed off waivers from the Predators, making the former ex-Devil now a current ex-Predator and, once again a member of the Devils’ organization. He has not been re-assigned to Albany (AHL). Instead, the Devils re-assigned defenseman Yohann Auvitu to Albany.

* Taylor Hall is back in the lineup tonight against the Bruins at Prudential Center after missing two games with a lower-body injury that sounds like a swollen right knee the result of a check late in the first period of Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to the visiting Penguins.

* Jacob Josefson (illness) will miss tonight’s game

* Travis Zajac (different kind of illness) is a game-time decision.

* Devils coach John Hynes said Pavel Zacha will be back in the lineup after being a healthy scratch the previous two games. No word on who comes out if Zajac can play.

* Rookie Steven Santini, recalled from Albany on Sunday, will make his season’s debut for the Devils after being a healthy scratch the first six games of the NHL season, then being re-assigned to Albany, where he played 15 games despite two separate upper-body injuries.

* Defenseman Yohann Auvitu remains out of the lineup.


* The Devils are playing back to back games – they are at Carolina on Tuesday night – and Cory Schneider is starting tonight against the Bruins after Keith Kinkaid played both ends of the home-and-home with the Capitals. Hynes said he has not decided yet which goalie plays against the Hurricanes.

So, where to start?

Well, first of all, there always seems to be a lot of curiosity as to why Auvitu is not getting more playing time while Jon Merrill remains in the lineup. Here was Hynes’ response when asked about Auvitu’s game.

“Well, Yohann is a good skating defenseman who can move the puck,” Hynes said. “We’ve had him for those situations, his offensive play, on the power play. We gave him some opportunities, the same thing in Albany. Some other parts of his game need to be better. If you’re an offensive defenseman that is not getting points or producing, there has to be other parts of the game that are going to help contribute to either your development or the team’s development. There are just certain parts we feel need to be better. He’s still finding his way in North American. He’s played well at times. But with what his strengths are as a player, there needs to be more production to offset some of the things he’s trying to work on.”

Auvitu, 27, who played the last eight seasons in Finland, has two goals and two assists in 24 NHL games and spent 15 games with Albany.

Next, here’s Hall on his return: “It sucks missing games, you want to get back as soon as possible. Hopefully I can come back and add a spark. I played the rest of the game (on Tuesday) but it didn’t feel quite right. I didn’t know how long I’d be out for. You wake up the next day and it feels really swollen and not very good at all. But a couple of days after I started skating again and I feel fine now.”

Hall has eight goals and 15 assists in 27 games and this injury was not related to the arthroscopic surgery he had to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, which kept him out for eight games from Nov. 15-29.

And here’s Santini on getting back into the Devils’ lineup. The 21-year-old from Mahopac, N.Y. made his NHL debut in the regular-season finale last season, then was a healthy scratch for the first six games this season before being re-assigned to Albany.

“It’s been kind of a weird couple of months there, with being here then going down and I battled two separate upper-body injuries, which was a little frustrating,” Santini said. “I played the last 10 to 15 games, which helped me find my stride and get used to the pro game. I think it’s been a really good experience for me, especially as a defenseman going down there and playing against grown men. There’s a lot of good forwards in that league, guys that will play here or have played in this league.”

Lastly, on Boucher, he had one goal in three games for the Predators, who claimed him off waivers from the Devils on Dec. 3. He also had four goals and an assist in five games with Milwaukee (AHL) during a conditioning stint. He played nine games earlier for the Devils this season and had two assists in nine games. Last season, Boucher had eight goals and 11 assists in 39 games for the Devils.



Fire and Ice: Ill Zajac, Josefson miss morning skate

Andrew Gross

The Devils’ lineup for tonight’s game against the Bruins at Prudential Center is definitely in flux.

Both Travis Zajac and Jacob Josefson are missing the morning skate, the full team morning skate, because of illness. However, the Devils say neither center has been ruled out yet for tonight’s game.

Meanwhile, left wing Taylor Hall, who has missed the last two games because of a lower-body injury, is participating fully in the morning skate. He also skated with a small group on Sunday and on his own on Saturday.

Without the centers, here’s how the lines looked this morning. (Again, this is only a working template, things could be very different tonight. Or not).


Taylor Hall-Sergey Kalinin-P.A. Parenteau

(Kalinin would seem to be a placeholder for Zajac, if Zajac is able to play).


(Again, Zacha, a healthy scratch the last two games, could be a placeholder for Josefson.)


As for defense pairs, looks like:



Kyle Quincey-Damon Severson

However, it also looks like Yohann Auvitu, a healthy scratch for Saturday’s 6-2 loss to the visiting Capitals, is working on one of the two power play units. So that, too, is in the wait-and-see category.

Coach John Hynes will address the media after the morning skate.


1041271 St Louis Blues

Hochman: St. Louis shines in special day at Busch

By Benjamin Hochman St. Louis Post-Dispatch 4 hrs ago

It was as if the Arch did it on purpose, hiding behind the fog for much of Monday’s Winter Classic, acknowledging that for a day, it wasn’t the symbol of St. Louis.

Down below, there was a hockey rink on top of a guitar on top of a baseball field, and it was awesome. The Winter Classic took us someplace we’d never been before — Busch Stadium for a Blues game — and then being there, well, it took us someplace we’d seldom been before. The elation, the palpitation, the celebration, the inebriation.

“It was probably the coolest thing I’ve ever been a part of,” Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo said.

It was 46 and gross, overcast and foggy, as if to say, it was perfect outside. Rain or snow or even blinding sun can ruin an outdoor hockey game. And only after Monday’s final foghorn — Blues 4, Blackhawks 1 — did it really start to pour, as if it was being held back all afternoon.

Of late, our city has underperformed or underwhelmed in the sports realm. Cardinals missed the playoffs, Rams left, Mizzou’s money-making sports programs fell apart, and now this Major League Soccer stuff is in flux. But St. Louis and the Blues nailed this one.

Oh, baby.

“It’s just almost overwhelming to look around,” Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said.

And how about the Blues themselves? They played one of their better games of the season (and literally their best game of the year). It was easy to be skeptical heading into this spectacle. Road teams were 6-1-1 in Winter Classics, possibly because the home team deals with the stress of family and friends visiting and so many extra responsibilities in the city. And the Blues were deflated Friday against Nashville. And then the Blackhawks scored 62 seconds in. But after that, Hitchcock’s Blues “played a smart, sound hockey game and, quite frankly,” the coach said, “deserved to win.”

Before the game, there were worries that there wouldn’t be a game. Cardinals president Bill DeWitt III balanced his thoughts from his office at Busch.


“Then I looked from my office and saw the Nelly concert and pep rally, and it was absolutely packed, the whole Ballpark Village parking lot,” he said. “You couldn’t see any pavement. To me, that was a moment that was like, wow. People are here to have fun, regardless of what happens with the weather.’”

I myself milled about, outside of Busch while Blues fans drank Budweiser products at a Nelly concert and thought to myself, this is about as St. Louis as it gets. Nelly went through all the hits, and then afterward, greeted some reporters in his trailer. Of the Winter Classic, he said: “I think it’s dope for our city. It kind of reminds you of when the All-Star Game is here. If you grow up here, we’re pretty passionate about our sports. Everybody comes out and shows love.”

As for the rivalry with Chicago, the renowned rapper said: “It’s funny, because in what I do, St. Louis and Chicago are like brothers. I’m real cool with Ye and Twista, but when it comes to sports, it’s the exact opposite. (Ye, for the record, is Kanye West). I wasn’t totally bummed out that the Cubs won — because it can’t be a rivalry if one side never wins anything! And at least we have something to take from them next year.”

And then, he grabbed his custom-made, light-blue Blues jersey and hoisted it. On the back, it said “NELLY” and the number, surely in homage to his favorite childhood baseball player and also his rap song of the same numeral, was 1.

Jon Hamm, too, was at the stadium Monday. So was Olympic gold medal gymnast Aly Raisman. And of course Patrick Kane. But the biggest star of the day was Vladimir Tarasenko, who played as if this event was created just to showcase him. The Blues forward resplendently ascended, scoring twice, demanding the attention of 46,556 people.

“He sniffs out weaknesses and he jumps on them,” Hitchcock said. “When he’s engaged, he’s dangerous, because he’s one shift away from breaking the thing wide open. … Those type of players, they don’t come around very often.”

But Hitch himself snatched the spotlight for a bit during the Winter Classic, thanks to his navy fedora — Stetson style — which he wore like Gary Cooper or Weatherbird or one of those old-timey reporters, who would’ve said in a nasally, high-pitched voice: “What’s the scoop?”

Turns out Hitch bought the fedora at Levine Hat Co. on Washington Avenue, and he put it up to a player vote whether or not he should wear it behind the bench.

It was little touches on the day like the hat that made the day special, different, ours.

And so, there are now just 81 more scheduled games at Busch Stadium this year.

When Monday’s game ended — what a day it was — Blues broadcaster Chris Kerber said on KMOX: “And if it’s all right with you Mr. Buck — that’s a winner.”

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 01.03.2017


Blue Notes: Stillman, DeWitt feel proud to host Winter Classic

By Jeremy Rutherford and Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch 6 hrs ago

Blues fans had a great time Monday, but no one may have been happier than the two local sports bosses who pulled the game off, Tom Stillman of the Blues and Bill DeWitt III of the Cardinals.

“We had the unfortunate departure (of the Rams) about a year ago and people questioned what kind of sports city is that and I think St. Louis has demonstrated what kind of city it is,” Stillman said. “It’s also a city that pulls together. We’ve had our issues over the last couple of years, but in the end, we pull together. We are one city, one region. I think it’s another indication to the rest of the hockey world that we really are a hockey city. I mean we love our Cardinals, we’re a baseball town, and we’re also a hockey town.”

“We’re just proud to be able to do it together,” DeWitt said. “Operationally, it’s a lot of coordination, so we’ve gotten to know them even better through all that. I would think that relationship will just continue to build because it’s been great.”

Both Stillman and DeWitt had fears about the weather, but the NHL announced at 7 a.m. that the game would start on time at noon, and it turned out to be a good call because the rain stayed away for the most part.

“A little misty, or whatever, but that’s somewhat of the charm of this event,” DeWitt said. “It’s unpredictable and I think that’s why it connects with people. When kids grew up playing hockey on the ponds, it was rough, no Zamboni, it might be a little risky and that’s what it was like out there today. It was really cool. There was a buzz with the fans. Nobody had umbrellas, but it didn’t seem like anyone cared.”

“You couldn’t have (drawn it up any better),” Stillman said. “I suppose a bluebird day, but other than that, it was just spectacular.”

Schwartz plays

Forward Jaden Schwartz missed practice Sunday with the flu but was in the lineup for the Winter Classic, logging 19 minutes, 8 seconds of ice time.

“He was probably 50, 60 percent, but we needed it,” Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. “We just felt that 50 percent of him is better than a lot of players. We said give us what you got and that’s exactly what he did.”

Ice is fairly nice

The consensus was that the ice conditions at Busch Stadium improved after a soggy first period.

“The first was tough, obviously, with the rain,” Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said. “It was tough when sticks get wet. Everything’s puddling around. But I think once the rain stopped in the second period, everything froze over. It actually wasn’t too bad. The boards weren’t quite as lively as they normally are, but pretty impressive the way they can get the ice in that condition. Overall, I think it was good enough.”

There were varying opinions, however, in the Chicago locker room. Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford was less than thrilled, saying, “The ice was pretty bad. It was hard. It was bouncing all over the place.”

But defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson countered, “I think the ice and the conditioning was probably the best I’ve played on so you can’t complain about that at all. The ice surface was pretty good, probably better than our last game in Carolina.”

Hitch's hat

Hitchcock took a poll of his players before the game about whether he should wear a hat that he picked up at Levine Hat Co.

“I went there and the guy suggested a sombrero, and I told the guy, ‘I’m round enough as it is,’ so we settled on a navy fedora and the Stetson style,” Hitchcock said. “I asked the players to vote on it and if they would have voted no, I wouldn’t have worn it, but they voted yes. They needed a laugh before the game.”

Robby Fabbri said the vote was unanimous.

“Everyone said yes,” he said. “I give it a thumbs up for sure.”

Redbird representation

Not surprisingly for a game at Busch Stadium, Cardinals past and present came out. Lance Lynn, Matt Adams, Jon Jay, Kolten Wong and Kevin Siegrist were on hand. Siegrist, a Buffalo Sabres fan, is the biggest hockey fan on the team, but Wong is learning to love. By spending his offseason in St. Louis, he said he’s “falling in love with hockey through the Blues.”

Blue Notes

On Patrik Berglund’s goal Monday, Alexander Steen notched his 300th career assist and it was also his 500th career point. ... The win was No. 777 in the regular season for Hitchcock, moving him five behind Al Arbour for third on the all-time list. ... The healthy scratches Monday were forward Ty Rattie and defenseman Brad Hunt; Nail Yakupov missed the game with the flu.




Ortiz: Inspired Tarasenko has special New Year

Jose de Jesus Ortiz St. Louis Post-Dispatch 6 hrs ago

In perhaps the most important manner, Vladimir Tarasenko was much like every Blues fan who attended the Winter Classic at Busch Stadium.

Ignore for a second that Tarasenko scored two goals, including the winner, to beat the Blackhawks 4-1 on Monday afternoon.

To appreciate the entire Tarasenko story and truly identify with the young Russian superstar, this story must start about 23 hours before he took over the third period.

It begins with a proud young father, just like many proud parents — young and old — who trekked from all over the St. Louis area and the Midwest to see their beloved Blues against the hated Blackhawks. Many among the sellout crowd of 46,556 could identify with Tarasenko’s emotions.

He admittedly could barely hear the thunderous roars from the crowd after his goals, but he felt the family bonds that prompted fans to make a pilgrimage to Busch Stadium for the Blues’ first outdoor game.

If you’ve ever laced on skates and passed along that joy to your children, you’ll surely identify with the tears Tarasenko had in his eyes as he skated on the Busch Stadium outdoor rink a day before his game-winning heroics.

Tarasenko grew up playing outdoor hockey in his native Yaroslavl, Russia, where coaches wouldn’t cancel his daily 7 a.m. practices unless the temperature was colder than 25 below zero.

Tarasenko, the son of a former Russian Kontinental Hockey League scoring champ, never truly understood what his grandfather Vladimir and his father Andrei felt the first time they put him on the ice. That all changed Sunday evening after the Blues finished their practice and were allowed to have a family skate on the outdoor rink.

Tarasenko, 25, cradled his seven-month-old son Aleksandr and skated around the rink with tears of joy. His wife Yana also joined him for her first skate since she gave birth to Aleksandr on May 17.

Tarasenko’s stepson Mark, 9, also joined in, capping the emotional afternoon.

“It was crazy,” Tarasenko said. “It was his first time on ice, so it was a really sensitive moment. All our family had fun. Our second one had fun too. He’s 9 years old, so he can skate.”

Tarasenko’s English has improved tremendously in recent years, and it continues to get better. Just to be clear, though, we asked if his “sensitive moment” was a tearful one.

“Yeah, of course,” he said. “Now I know what parents feel like when they see their kids for the first time on the ice.”

Most Blues fans have spent time on the ice, whether skating for fun or playing hockey. Even those who have never skated, though, can relate to a father’s love, a child’s first step or attending a sporting event with family for the first time.

And for those in attendance Monday, the Winter Classic at Busch Stadium will hold a special memory in our hearts.

“First and foremost, the whole event, the whole few days was wonderful,” hockey legend Wayne Gretzky said. “Obviously the city and the community, and the state for that matter, really rallied around the game. ... It was exciting for the fans of obviously St. Louis. It was a wonderful day for the Blues and the Blues community. It was a nice time.”

Perhaps you’ll remember it fondly because you attended it with your old high school pals, your father, your mother, your brother, your sister or your cousin.

Perhaps you’ll appreciate it because it brought you in from Washington, Iowa, to meet your brother, who flew in from San Diego. And when you remember this game, don’t forget that the star who scored the winning goal could feel your passion even if he couldn’t hear you.

“Yeah, when we can hear the noise, and the fireworks, and then especially when all our families are in the building,” he said when I asked if he sensed the excitement in the crowd. “And like I said, it’s really a great win for us.”

Ultimately, that’s the most important fact to remember. Nobody likes to have the visitors spoil a party. There’s nothing worse than losing to your rivals at Busch Stadium, whether it’s the Cubs or the Blackhawks.

Fortunately for the Blues, they recovered after falling behind only 62 seconds into the game. Patrik Berglund tied it at 1 at the 7:45 mark of the second period. Tarasenko then took over the third period.

Tarasenko put the Blues ahead for good 2-1 with a shot that went in off the Blackhawks’ Niklas Hjalmarsson’s skate at the 12:05 mark of the third.

Less than two minutes later, he made it 3-1.

“You just play hockey, you coach, and you play in that little bubble, that glassed-in bubble,” Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. “Then all of a sudden you come here and it’s just overwhelming. You’re looking at it as an event, and that’s hard to grasp.

“But I think the combination of the season and what goes on, it’s really emotional for (Tarasenko). He was really emotional yesterday.”

Tarasenko was in control of his emotions Monday, saving his outbursts for the fist pumps and smirks Blues fans have grown to love from him after he scores.

When it mattered most, Tarasenko made memories for all of us while his family watched as well at Busch Stadium.

“He did a hell of a job,” Hitchcock said. “He played heavy, he played hard. He was fantastic.”



Blues come through in Classic fashion with win over Blackhawks

By Jeremy Rutherford St. Louis Post-Dispatch 6 hrs ago

A steady shower spread through Busch Stadium on Monday afternoon, enough to have put the Winter Classic between the Blues and Chicago Blackhawks on pause.

But it came 30 minutes after the Blues celebrated a 4-1 victory in the NHL’s premier outdoor game, too late to spoil what turned out to be a banner day for St. Louis with the eyes of the league on the city.

Vladimir Tarasenko, with black polish smeared under his eyes, scored twice in a blink in the third period, turning a tight game into a Blues blowout win. Fireworks went off at Busch — just like after the Cardinals win — and the crowd of 46,556 had just enough time to bask in beating the Blackhawks as well as the rain.

“Once in a lifetime and there is no way to rank it,” Tarasenko said. “I was really happy to win (today), especially to make all our Blues fans happy here. And it was probably the most, best feeling when you win the game.”

Almost lost was the fact that the Blues got their act back together after Friday’s 4-0 loss to Nashville and pulled to six points back of Chicago (51-45) with two games in hand. That was frivolous Monday compared to the fervor in the stands.

Fans came in their new powder blue Winter Classic sweaters and many in rain gear, expecting the worst. But a little drizzle couldn’t dampen the spirit of the fans, who welcomed the Blues onto the ice with a resounding “Let’s go, Blues” chant.


“That was the largest amount of people saying it and the loudest it’s ever been,” Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk said.

Early on, the ice was “a little muddy, a little sandy, a little pebbly — perfect,” according to Blues coach Ken Hitchcock.

The conditions, though, led to a bit of a break for Chicago just 62 seconds into the game. Busch Stadium is used to bouncing ground balls, but the Blues are not, and that’s what a shot from Hawks defenseman Michal Kempny looked like when it skipped off the ice and then the wrist of goalie Jake Allen for a 1-0 Blackhawks lead.

The Arch and the Blues were in a fog, and after that goal one of them emerged.

“It was a good thing for us to snap out of it,” Shattenkirk said. “I think a lot of us were looking around and trying to take it all in, but we really buckled down after that point and played hockey and controlled the rest of the game.”

The Blues trailed 1-0 at the intermission but came out in the second period and put nine shots on goal in the opening eight minutes. On the ninth, Patrik Berglund scored his sixth goal of the season, taking a heads-up pass from Jay Bouwmeester and putting the puck past Chicago goalie Corey Crawford.

The game-tying goal 7:45 into the second period was worthy of an emphatic reaction from Berglund, but thinking of the fans, he added a little extra.

“I thought it was a little funny because for a lot of them it was hard to see when the puck goes in, so I tried to sell it really hard so they knew,” Berglund said.

Those fans didn’t need any help early in the third period of a 1-1 game, coming out of their seats when they saw that it was Tarasenko heading on a breakaway.

“I thought for sure that was going to be the one,” Hitchcock said.

But it wasn’t, as Crawford came up with the save on Tarasenko, nor was it moments later when he hit a post.

The Blackhawks went on a power play with 10½ minutes left in regulation, and the Blues needed back-to-back saves from Allen to keep it tied. The second one popped in the air and Allen snagged it like he was catching a pop fly.

“We were down in the batting cages yesterday throwing some balls around, so that might have helped,” Allen quipped.

The Blues’ third killed penalty of the day would lead to their offense in a unique way. The club always wants Tarasenko and Jori Lehtera coming onto the ice after a penalty expires, and with Jaden Schwartz logging time on the penalty-killing unit, Hitchcock slipped Robby Fabbri in Schwartz’s spot on their line.

It was not long after that when Fabbri passed the puck ahead to Tarasenko, who backhanded it in front of the net, scoring off the skate of Chicago defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson.

The Blues were fortunate, but Chicago "got the bounce in the first and then we got the one in the third, so it evened itself out,” forward Alexander Steen said.

Then less than two mintues later, the line of Fabbri, Lehtera and Tarasenko answered again, with Tarasenko burying a wrist shot for his second of the game and 18th of the season for a 3-1 lead with 6:02 left.

“Teams are watching him, and the best thing we can do is play off him and work off what he’s seeing, and whenever you can give a guy that’s one of the most dynamic scorers in the league a chance like that, that’s what we’re trying to do,” Fabbri said. “Leave it to Vladi to be the hero here and we expect nothing less from him.”

Tarasenko finished with a season-high nine shots on net for the Blues.

“He’s a hungry offensive player,” Hitchcock said. “... He sniffs out weaknesses or he sniffs out coverage issues and he jumps on it. And when he’s engaged like he was today, and like he’s been for the most part of this year, he’s dangerous, because he’s one shift away from breaking the thing wide open.”

The Blues salted the win with an empty-net goal from Steen, sending the stadium into a tizzy.

“I don’t even know how to describe it because it’s so different from a game in a regular arena,” Bouwmeester said. “Awesome experience, our fans were awesome and everybody was into it. I’m a baseball fan and I’ve been to baseball games here and it’s an awesome atmosphere. To be able to experience on the field, or on the ice, it’s pretty cool.”

“Bigger stage, bigger crowd, everything was just bigger,” Fabbri said. “It feels good to come out on top with this one, do it against the Blackhawks and have some fun doing it.”

The Blues and the city waited a long time for this day, and the team responded with one of its best performances of the season.

“I thought we played great,” Hitchcock said. “I thought we ground on them hard. I thought we managed the game really well. I thought we played a really smart, sound hockey game and quite frankly deserved to win.”



Hochman: St. Louis shines in special day at Busch Stadium

By Benjamin Hochman St. Louis Post-Dispatch 3 hrs ago

It was as if the Arch did it on purpose, hiding behind the fog for much of Monday’s Winter Classic, acknowledging that for a day, it wasn’t the symbol of St. Louis.

Down below, there was a hockey rink on top of a guitar on top of a baseball field, and it was awesome. The Winter Classic took us someplace we’d never been before — Busch Stadium for a Blues game — and then being there, well, it took us someplace we’d seldom been before. The elation, the palpitation, the celebration, the inebriation.

“It was probably the coolest thing I’ve ever been a part of,” Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo said.

It was 46 and gross, overcast and foggy, as if to say, it was perfect outside. Rain or snow or even blinding sun can ruin an outdoor hockey game. And only after Monday’s final foghorn — Blues 4, Blackhawks 1 — did it really start to pour, as if it was being held back all afternoon.

Of late, our city has underperformed or underwhelmed in the sports realm. Cardinals missed the playoffs, Rams left, Mizzou’s money-making sports programs fell apart, and now this Major League Soccer stuff is in flux. But St. Louis and the Blues nailed this one.

Oh, baby.

“It’s just almost overwhelming to look around,” Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said.

And how about the Blues themselves? They played one of their better games of the season (and literally their best game of the year). It was easy to be skeptical heading into this spectacle. Road teams were 6-1-1 in Winter Classics, possibly because the home team deals with the stress of family and friends visiting and so many extra responsibilities in the city. And the Blues were deflated Friday against Nashville. And then the Blackhawks scored 62 seconds in. But after that, Hitchcock’s Blues “played a smart, sound hockey game and, quite frankly,” the coach said, “deserved to win.”

Before the game, there were worries that there wouldn’t be a game. Cardinals president Bill DeWitt III balanced his thoughts from his office at Busch.

“Then I looked from my office and saw the Nelly concert and pep rally, and it was absolutely packed, the whole Ballpark Village parking lot,” he said. “You couldn’t see any pavement. To me, that was a moment that was like, wow. People are here to have fun, regardless of what happens with the weather.’”

I myself milled about, outside of Busch while Blues fans drank Budweiser products at a Nelly concert and thought to myself, this is about as St. Louis as it gets. Nelly went through all the hits, and then afterward,


greeted some reporters in his trailer. Of the Winter Classic, he said: “I think it’s dope for our city. It kind of reminds you of when the All-Star Game is here. If you grow up here, we’re pretty passionate about our sports. Everybody comes out and shows love.”

As for the rivalry with Chicago, the renowned rapper said: “It’s funny, because in what I do, St. Louis and Chicago are like brothers. I’m real cool with Ye and Twista, but when it comes to sports, it’s the exact opposite. (Ye, for the record, is Kanye West). I wasn’t totally bummed out that the Cubs won — because it can’t be a rivalry if one side never wins anything! And at least we have something to take from them next year.”

And then, he grabbed his custom-made, light-blue Blues jersey and hoisted it. On the back, it said “NELLY” and the number, surely in homage to his favorite childhood baseball player and also his rap song of the same numeral, was 1.

Jon Hamm, too, was at the stadium Monday. So was Olympic gold medal gymnast Aly Raisman. And of course Patrick Kane. But the biggest star of the day was Vladimir Tarasenko, who played as if this event was created just to showcase him. The Blues forward resplendently ascended, scoring twice, demanding the attention of 46,556 people.

“He sniffs out weaknesses and he jumps on them,” Hitchcock said. “When he’s engaged, he’s dangerous, because he’s one shift away from breaking the thing wide open. … Those type of players, they don’t come around very often.”

But Hitch himself snatched the spotlight for a bit during the Winter Classic, thanks to his navy fedora — Stetson style — which he wore like Gary Cooper or Weatherbird or one of those old-timey reporters, who would’ve said in a nasally, high-pitched voice: “What’s the scoop?”

Turns out Hitch bought the fedora at Levine Hat Co. on Washington Avenue, and he put it up to a player vote whether or not he should wear it behind the bench.

It was little touches on the day like the hat that made the day special, different, ours.

And so, there are now just 81 more scheduled games at Busch Stadium this year.

When Monday’s game ended — what a day it was — Blues broadcaster Chris Kerber said on KMOX: “And if it’s all right with you Mr. Buck — that’s a winner.”



Blackhawks continue to struggle in outdoor games

By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch 6 hrs ago

The Blackhawks are America’s Outdoor Team. The Winter Classic against the Blues was the fifth time they’ve played roofless hockey.

They’ve played at Wrigley Field and Soldier Field in Chicago, plus Nationals Park in Washington and TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. They know an iconic venue when they see one. They just can’t figure out how to win.

The Blackhawks’ 4-1 loss to the Blues on Monday on a hockey rink plopped down in the middle of a baseball diamond dropped them to 1-4 all-time in outdoor games. They’ve played the most outdoor games and lost the most outdoor games.

“Obviously coming into big events, they’re always a lot more memorable when you win,” said defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk. “This is something I’ll remember forever. It would have been nice if we could have gotten a win. It was just a couple of breaks here and there. It’s always close between us and them, so in a game of capitalizing on chances, they came out ahead.”

The Blackhawks have mastered a lot of things about the NHL, winning three of the past seven Stanley Cups, but when the sun comes out, or the rain comes down, something doesn’t work.

“I think coming in today we wanted to put together a better performance in these outdoor games,” said forward Patrick Kane. “For whatever reason, we haven’t come out on top and haven’t played too well in them. It’s frustrating because it’s on a national stage, there’s a lot of hype, and you want to put a good show on for your fans. Maybe sometimes we’re thinking too much about that rather than going out and playing a simple game. It’s a little frustrating.

“We talked about it a little bit, not necessarily before the game but going into the game today that we haven’t done too well. We knew it in the back of our head. It was made aware to pretty much everyone on the team.”

“I think that you can look at them outside of last year,” said coach Joel Quenneville, pointing to last season’s 6-1 loss at Minnesota. “I thought this year was comparable to a tough loss we had in Washington (in 2015) where we lost with a couple minutes to go. Here, we’re in a 1-1 game, had a couple decent looks on the power play, had a good forecheck going and had the puck and it’s in our net and a quick transition on the third one. So it wasn’t like we weren’t in the game. Corey (Crawford) kept us in the game as well, but it was disappointing that you’re there, you’re looking to get a point, and hopefully you can get two.”

Of course, outdoor games come one-per-season at most, even for the Blackhawks, so a poor performance there goes only so far. More concerning to them is that the Blackhawks have gone 1-4-1 in their past six games and have held on to first place in the Central Division only because they’ve played four more games than Minnesota, which is just one point back.

“We’ve been playing good hockey,” Chicago goalie Crawford said. “We just need that extra to find a way to win some games. It’s just going the other way in those tight games like today. We played tight until the end and then it just blows up on us. We’re fine, we’re fine. We’ve got a ton of skill. We’ve just got to pick it up.”

“I know the games are always going to be close, tight,” said Quenneville, whose team has scored two goals or less in four of their past six games. We’re not getting production that we could use. The production’s been down a little bit, whether we get it from our power play or top guys. I think we are a better team offensively when we get some help from our defensemen, whether it’s off the rush or in the zone or on the point and in the power play, that can really help us as well. But I think the balance offensively has got to be, we got to find a way to get some ugly goals and some greasy goals.”

The slump has largely coincided with the loss of forward Marian Hossa to injury. He’s missed the past five games and played less than three minutes before getting hurt in the prior game. Hossa has 16 goals and seven assists in 34 games played.

“It’s huge,” Kane said. “He does a lot of big things, penalty kill, power play, every time he’s on the ice he’s a threat, especially this year. We miss him. It will be nice to get him back. When we do, hopefully soon, it should help us a great deal, especially up front.

“We’ve got to get back to where we were and start to get points in these games; play a little better and make 2017 a good year.”



Tarasenko's two third-period goals send Blues to Classic victory

By Ben Frederickson St. Louis Post-Dispatch 12 hrs ago

The first Winter Classic here included pretty much everything that warms a St. Louisan's heart.

Nelly performed before the game. Brett Hull dropped the first puck. Jon Hamm and some Cardinals — Kolten Wong and Kevin Siegrist were


among those in attendance — watched from the Busch Stadium seats. And there was no shortage of beer.

After the threat of a rain-related postponement or cancellation abated, the only worry was, you know, the outcome of the game.

Blues star Vladimir Tarasenko took care of that.

The right wing scored two goals in a span of 1 minute 53 seconds to transform what was a third-period tie into a 4-1 win in front of a sellout crowd of 46,556.

The Blues (20-13-5) won their first-ever Winter Classic after falling behind by a goal early. The Blackhawks (23-12-5) lost their fifth game in six attempts, and fell to 1-4-0 when they play outside.

"I thought we played great today," said Blues coach Ken Hitchcock, who sported a sharp hat. "I thought we ground on them hard. I thought we did a great job getting pucks deep. I thought we really managed the game well. I thought we played a really smart, sound hockey game, and quite frankly, deserved to win."

Tarasenko came oh-so-close to scoring early in the third period, when he rifled a puck off the pipe. It was a sign of things to come. His 17th and 18th goals of the season followed in rapid-fire fashion. Then Alexander Steen's empty-net goal secured the Blues' 4-1 win.

Blues fans went from wondering if their first Winter Classic would see overtime, to chanting the name of Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford, whose head must still be spinning.

Tarasenko needed some help from the Blackhawks for his first goal. He made it 2-1 Blues when his backhand bounced off the skate of Chicago defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson and into the goal 12 minutes and 5 seconds into the third period. Robby Fabbri got the assist.

Tarasenko, who now ranks fourth in the league in goals scored this season, used a more traditional approach to make it 3-1 Blues. He rifled one of his feared wrist shots past Crawford 13 minutes and 58 seconds into the third. Assists went to Jori Lehtera and Fabbri.

"Well, he's a hungry offensive player," Hitchcock said. "He's a guy that sniffs out weaknesses, or he sniffs out coverage issues and he jumps on it. And when he's engaged like he was today and like he's been for most part of this year, he's dangerous because he's one shift away from breaking the thing right open. He usually doesn't miss on those breakaways and I thought for sure that was going to be the one. But he was very hungry, he was very heavy and hard on the puck ... those type of players they don't come around very often."

Steen's fourth goal of the season came after Crawford was pulled.

The Blues outshot the Blackhawks and became more aggressive as the game progressed. They threatened to score on multiple power plays. They created flurries in front of the goal. Tarasenko fired again and again before he broke through.

But before they grabbed the momentum, they had to force a tie. Blues center Patrik Berglund put fans on their feet and made the foghorn bellow when he turned a beautiful pass from defenseman Jay Bouwmeester into a game-tying wrist shot 7 minutes and 45 seconds into the second period. Bouwmeester found Berglund from deep behind the net, and Berglund buried it behind Crawford for his sixth goal of the season. Crawford stopped 31 of 34 shots.

An official delay was never announced, but misting rain and fog pushed back the start of the game from noon to 12:32 p.m. The precipitation gathered on players' shields and caused some to worry that the pace would suffer. The Blackhawks dismissed that concern as soon as the puck dropped.

Blackhawks defenseman Michal Kempny silenced the crowd just 62 seconds into the game. His slap shot skipped off the ice then ricocheted off Jake Allen's wrist before finding the back of the net. Kempny's second goal of the season, assisted by Artemi Panarin and Duncan Keith, secured a place in obscure outdoor hockey history. It was the second fastest goal to open an NHL regular-season outdoor game, the NHL announced. Colby Armstrong's goal 21 seconds into the 2008 Winter Classic remains in first place.

Allen settled in after that, stopping the 22 shots that followed.

Tarasenko took care of the rest.

Berglund ties it in the second

The foghorn blared at 1:40 p.m.

A chant of "Lets Go Blues" followed.

Then came the Towel Man, descending the Busch Stadium steps like he was back in the Scottrade Center.

Blues center Patrik Berglund's wrist shot provided the reason to party. His second-period goal tied the game 1-1 and erased the lead the Blackhawks claimed a minute and change into the first period.

Berglund, assisted by Jay Bouwmeester and Alexander Steen, scored his sixth of the season 7 minutes and 45 seconds into the second. He positioned himself in front of Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford. Bouwmeester made a beautiful pass to set up the score. Berglund buried the shot before Crawford could react.

The Blues will be on the power play for 1 minute, 11 seconds to start the third period, thanks to a Ryan Hartman interference against Alexander Steen late in the second.

The Blues have outshot the Blackhawks 23-17 so far. They are 0-for-3 on the power play. The Blackhawks are 0-for-2.

Weather update: The misting rain that was present earlier has mostly stopped. But there is a pocket of rain about 10 miles away from the city that could potentially affect the game, according to a local weather update played during the game broadcast here in the press box. Scroll down for weather-related information from the league. The most important news is this: Now that two periods are in the books, the game is official, meaning the game would count if it has to end early.

This is one of the greatest pictures ever!! @NHL @StLouisBlues @NHLBlackhawks got it right! pic.twitter.com/niflJQofgJ

— Jamie Rivers (@JamieRivers08) January 2, 2017

Blackhawks lead 1-0 after one

A misting rain in downtown St. Louis pushed back the start of the Winter Classic to 12:32 p.m.

It didn't dampen the Blackhawks' offense.

Before precipitation could settle on his shield — something players will battle in these conditions — Blackhawks defenseman Michael Kempny sneaked the puck past Blues goalie Jake Allen for a 1-0 lead. It was the first and last goal of the period.

Kempny's second goal of the season, assisted by Artemi Panarin and Duncan Keith, skipped off the ice, bounced off Allen's wrist and quieted a sellout Busch Stadium crowd packed with Blues fans just one minute and two seconds into the game.

Per the NHL, the only faster goal to open an NHL regular-season outdoor game came when Colby Armstrong scored 21 seconds into the 2008 Winter Classic.

The Blues out-shot the Blackhawks 8-6 and came up empty on their lone power play opportunity. They killed off the Blackhawks' only power play, squashing the opportunity while Alex Pietrangelo was in the penalty box for slashing.



Hitchcock has coached outside before — at a prison

By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch Jan 2, 2017

Though Ken Hitchcock hasn’t coached an outdoors game in the NHL, that doesn’t mean the Blues coach has never done it.

Hitchcock did one back in 1985, when he was coaching junior hockey in Canada and arranged a game at a prison in Saskatchewan where he said his team was afraid to score against the convicts.


“They were playing for real and we were trying to play for fun,” Hitchcock said. “They won. It was neat because snow was on top of the boards, and they were all lined up on top of the snow and it looked a little like the Colosseum in Rome.

"It was an interesting way of playing because it was 20 below. The way we played was one group of five on the ice, one on the bench and the other in the (warming) shack. You went from the ice to the shack and it was a neat way of playing. It ended up being a lot of fun, but it wasn’t one of my brightest ideas.

“That (was) a lot scarier than the one’s going to be tomorrow.”

The first NHL Winter Classic here included pretty much everything that warms a St. Louisan's heart and ended as a 4-1 Blues victory over the Blackhawks.



‘St. Louis did it right’ former Blackhawks star says of Winter Classic

BY NORM SANDERS

JANUARY 2, 2017 6:11 PM

Former Chicago Blackhawks star Jeremy Roenick never played a game for the St. Louis Blues.

Now part of the NBC television hockey coverage, Roenick seemed like just the kind of unbiased person to ask what he thought about the first NHL Winter Classic at Busch Stadium hosted by the Blues and St. Louis Cardinals.

“St. Louis did it right here,” Roenick said after visiting the Blues’ dressing room following their 4-1 victory over the Blackhawks. “This was awesome.”

Roenick has been to many of the NHL’s outdoor games over the years, and he was in a working capacity again Monday.

“Because of the elements it had and the way the fans came out, the way the guys played and their attitudes ... to me I’d say this is one of the top two best ones that I’ve been to,” Roenick said. “The one in Chicago when it was snowing was amazing, but this one just had an aura to it. The fans were so into it, with more than (46,000) people that were out here ... it was great.”

There is no doubt the Cardinals are at the top of the St. Louis sports hierarchy. They probably always will be, but Roenick senses a shift of momentum for hockey that has been accelerated by the Blues’ success and stockpiling of young talent led by Vladimir Tarasenko.

“It’s gotten a lot bigger,” Roenick said. “I think through the ’90s they got so good, and this team has been so good for so long that they’re just scratching at the surface of a (Stanley) Cup run. I think a lot of people in here smell that the Cup is close. It’s up to these guys to make sure it happens, but that’s what makes it exciting here.

“There’s great fans in St. Louis. Obviously it is a baseball town, but if these guys can find a way to win a Cup, it can become a hockey town really quick.”

Even since before the NFL Rams left town for greener pastures in Los Angeles, there was a special synergy between the Blues and the Cardinals.

Blues chairman Tom Stillman and Cardinals president Bill DeWitt III are close friends and have worked together on several projects. One of the loudest ovations in Scottrade Center history came when the pair walked out to center ice to drop a ceremonial first puck not long after the Rams’ move was announced.

It seemed fitting that the largest crowd in Blues franchise history — 46,566 strong — came a few blocks east of Scottrade Center in Busch Stadium.

Fans filled the downtown area more than three hours before the opening face-off, tailgating and talking hockey and celebrating, getting ready for the first outdoor NHL game they had ever seen. They were a part of history, and along with the fabulous Blues-Blackhawks Alumni Game that drew more than 40,000 fans two days earlier, were creating memories they will never forget.

Even local notables such as Cardinals players Lance Lynn, Kolten Wong and Kevin Siegrist were in attendance for the special event, as were many ex-Blues led by Hall of Famers Brett Hull, Al MacInnis, Chris Pronger and the Great One himself, Wayne Gretzky.

From the entertainment world, St. Louis musical artist Nelly put on a concert at Ballpark Village and had his own customized Blues jersey. Noted actor and well-known Cardinals and Blues fan Jon Hamm was in the crowd wearing a Blues jacket and hat.

Yes, the Winter Classic finally visited St. Louis and despite dire weather forecasts and the specter of a potential loss to the rival Blackhawks, everything turned out great.

About all that was missing was “he shoots, he scores!” from former Blues announcer and legendary Hockey Hall of Famer Dan Kelly and an “Oh, baby” from former Blues announcer Ken Wilson.

Hockey outdoors? We’ll take it — even in the rain.

“Once the puck’s dropped it’s 85 by 200, and it’s a glassed-in hockey rink,” said Hitchcock, who was sporting a sharp, navy blue Stetson Fedora from the Levine Hat Company located in downtown St. Louis. “You can’t help but look around; it’s almost overwhelming. The feel I got from a baseball standpoint is I could hear what everybody was saying to us as we were coming on and off the ice.

“It would be really interesting if you didn’t have a good baseball team here. It’s an amazing atmosphere because the people are right there with you.”

On Monday, as they have been since the team joined the NHL in 1967, the fans were squarely behind their Blues.

Norm Sanders has covered the Blues for the Belleville News-Democrat since 1995.

Belleville News-Democrat LOADED: 01.03.2017


Tarasenko’s two goals cap perfect Winter Classic day for Blues

BY NORM SANDERS

JANUARY 2, 2017 2:59 PM

Vladimir Tarasenko stepped onto center stage Monday on an ice rink in the middle of Busch Stadium and showed the hockey world what St. Louis Blues fans have known for a long time.

He’s a special player — indoors or out.

Tarasenko scored two goals to break a 1-1 tie during a span of 1 minute, 53 seconds in the third period, and the Blues thrilled a sellout crowd of 46,556 with a 4-1 NHL Winter Classic victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.

“He’s a hungry offensive player,” Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said of Tarasenko, who has 14 goals and 20 points in his last 19 games against the Blackhawks counting playoffs. “He sniffs out weaknesses, he sniffs our coverage issues and he jumps on them. When he’s engaged like he was today and like he’s been for the most part of this year, he’s dangerous because he’s one shift away from breaking the thing wide open.”

The NHL got its wish by averting any kind of weather that would have caused a delay, and it was 46.7 degrees when the puck dropped. Blues players and the organization finally got their wish to finally participate in one of the league’s marquee events, and Blues fans were more than happy with the final outcome.


“That was one of the coolest things I think we’ve done, or I’ve done,” said Blues forward Alexander Steen, whose empty-net goal with 1:14 remaining iced the win for the Blues (20-13-5, 45 points). “That was awesome.”

So was hearing a packed house at Busch Stadium fire up the traditional “Let’s Go Blues” chant.

“I think that’s the largest amount of people saying it and the loudest it’s ever been,” Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk said.

Key sequence

Tarasenko, who has 18 goals and and 41 points in 38 games, could have had four goals in the third period.

He was turned away on a breakaway by goaltender Corey Crawford and hit a goalpost during a power play before scoring the Blues’ next two goals.

His first goal was a bit of a fluke as the Russian winger threw a backhand pass toward Jori Lehtera and the puck went in off the skate of Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson.

“It wasn’t on purpose,” Tarasneko said. “The second one, my line just created a good chance for me, and it’s (a) really important win for us and I’m excited about my goals.”

There was no mistake on the second as Tarasenko rifled a sizzling wrist shot past Crawford to push the Blues lead to 3-1.

“It’s no secret,” said Crawford, who stopped 31 of 34 shots. “He’s got probably one of the best wristers in the league ... when he’s out there, everyone knows what he can do.”

Just 62 seconds into the game, a shot from the left point by defenseman Michal Kempny skipped off the ice and just over the wrist of Blues goaltender Jake Allen to put the Blackhawks (23-12-5) on top 1-0.

The St. Louis Blues hockey team got two goals from player Vladimir Tarasenko and beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 at the NHL Winter Classic in an outdoor game on Monday at Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team.

It seemed like a time of potential panic for a Blues team playing its first Winter Classic against an experienced Blackhawks squad with five outdoor games under its belt since 2009.

Instead, the Blues regained their focus, played better and won over the sellout crowd the rest of the day.

“That (goal) came early enough — and that kind of hit us right over the side of the head,” Shattenkirk said. “It was, in a way, a good thing for us to snap out of it. A lot of us were looking around and trying to take it all in, but we really buckled down after that point and played hockey.”

Blues center Patrik Berglund provided the only goal in the second period, beating Crawford on a one-timer in front after a pass from behind the net by defenseman Jay Bouwmeester.

Steen also picked up an assist on the play, the 300th of the career that also allowed him to hit the 500-point mark. Steen later added an empty-netter.

Crawford came up huge 2 minutes, 50 seconds into the third period when Tarasenko broke in alone. Tarasenko tried to go stick side and Crawford got a piece of it to avert danger.

“He usually doesn’t miss on those breakaways and I thought for sure that was going to be the one,” Hitchcock said, “but he was very hungry and very hard on the puck. Those type of players. they don’t come around very often.

“He’s got the gift of knowing where the goalie’s not and plays all the angles.”

St. Louis Blues fans are getting ready for the NHL Winter Classic at Busch Stadium against the Chicago Blackhawks. The game will be played at noon Jan. 2 in St. Louis, MO near southern Illinois.

Historic day

Speaking of covering all the angles, the Blues and Cardinals put on a spectacular show for a national TV audience and a sold-out crowd.

Not even the slower ice conditions because of the rain bothered anyone.

“It’s kind of our ice,” Hitchcock said. “A little muddy, a little sandy, a little pebbly. Perfect. No, it was way better than anybody thought and I think the ice felt heavy, so the shifts were short. You were looking at 25, 30 second shifts.

“That fits us, too. We kept our energy up, changed great all game, and we used four lines right almost to the end — which was a real good sign for us.”

Norm Sanders:



Live blog: Tarasenko erupts for two late goals at Winter Classic

BY NORM SANDERS

JANUARY 2, 2017 11:46 AM

It was an eerie setting Monday morning as thousands of hockey fans descended on a fog-shrouded Busch Stadium.

They were there to participate in pregame festivities ahead of the NHL Winter Classic between the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks and weren’t letting a little light rain and foggy conditions bother them.

The NHL announced early Monday morning the game would remain scheduled for a noon start time, though weather-related delays are possible. The official temperature for opening face-off was 46.7 degrees.

Beer was flowing as hockey fans tailgated at various parking lots surrounding the stadium. Area bars around the stadium, including the ones at Ballpark Village, Paddy O’s and others, were doing a brisk business. So were vendors selling anything Winter Classic related as fans proudly sporting their new Blues Winter Classic jerseys.

St. Louis area native and Grammy award-winning artist entertained fans with a pregame concert at Ballpark Village, the site of the official NHL PreGame Winter Classic tailgate area.

Jon Hamm is in the house!! #WinterClassic #STLBlues pic.twitter.com/EBxQSxHxCP

— Immortan Steve (@FilmBuffSteve) January 2, 2017

Camera crews were busy getting set up near the field as hundreds of workers prepared for an onslaught of fans with a crowd officially announced at 46,556, easily the largest in Blues history.

Media from the U.S. and Canada, including most major media outlets, filled the press box to overflowing similar to a St. Louis Cardinals World Series or playoff game.

Fans did their best to avoid getting any wetter once they entered the stadium, which wasn’t easy since umbrellas were on the list of items banned from being brought inside by the NHL. A lot of rain ponchos could be seen and many fans were wearing their official Winter Classic stocking caps — or toques, if you are from Canada.

On the ice

- The Blues win 4-1 after an Alexander Steen empty netter with just more than a minute remaining.

- Vladimir Tarasenko’s backhand pass went in off the skate of Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson for his first goal of the game, then he scored again just 1:53 later to give the Blues a 3-1 lead. The goals were Tarasenko’s 17th and 18th of the season and he nearly had four goals in the third period.

Earlier in the period, Tarasenko was stopped on a breakaway and also hit a goalpost.

- Patrik Berglund netted the tying goal at 7:45 of the second period on a sweet pass from behind the net by defenseman Jay Bouwmeester. Alexander Steen also picked up an assist on the play, giving him his 300th career assist and 500th NHL point.


- Defenseman Michal Kempny gave the Blackhawks an early lead 1:02 into the contest, sending a shot toward net from the left point that appeared to skip right over the outstretched glove of Blues goaltender Jake Allen.

- Blues Hall of Fame defenseman Chris Pronger was sitting in a box with Cardinals president Bill DeWitt III. DeWitt is a big hockey fan and his close relationship with Blues chairman Tom Stillman helped make the Winter Classic at Busch Stadium a reality,

- St. Louis native and famous actor Jon Hamm got some interview time during the first period on NBC. Hamm, who loves both the Blues and the Cardinals, was shown wearing a Blues jacket and hat.

- The large hat being worn on the bench by Blues coach Ken Hitchcock made him look like one of those NBC reporters working outside during coverage of the Winter Olympics.

#NewProfilePic#stlblues pic.twitter.com/yiTQet7IMx

— Hitch's Hat (@HitchsHat) January 2, 2017

- Once the Blues hit the ice for warmups, forward Jaden Schwartz was part of the contingent and later was listed in the starting lineup. Schwartz did not make the practice yesterday at Busch Stadium because of an illness, but was expected to play in the game. Forward Nail Yakupov, who also was out with an illness, was not on the ice for warmups.

- Those sharp-looking vintage Blues jerseys being worn for the Winter Classic will be worn for six more games this season, including Saturday against the Dallas Stars.

- A pair of Hall of Famers, former Blackhawks star Bobby Hull and his son, former Blues star Brett Hull, handled the ceremonial opening puck drop before the game.

- Former Blues star Keith Tkachuk got a nice ovation from the crowd when shown on the video scoreboard during the first period. He also did a bit of “dabbing” for the second time in three days. He also did the “dab” after scoring a goal in the Winter Classic Alumni Game.

- The national anthem included a large flag in the shape of the United States unfurled across the ice and a trumpet player who just may be today’s version of flugel horn hitmaker Chuck Mangione.

As the puck dropped for the opening faceoff, chants of “Let’s Go Blues” could be heard throughout Busch Stadium.

Just in case

The NHL issued a series of contingency plans to deal with any potential weather delays at the Winter Classic. At least two periods are required for it to be considered a regulation game.

Here is the actual release from the NHL, which includes the bizarre scenario where the Blues-Blackhawks Winter Classic game could be decided with a shootout on Feb. 26 at United Center in Chicago.

“If the game is started, then stopped permanently due to unplayable weather conditions, it will be deemed “official” once two periods have been played. The team leading at the time play is stopped will be declared the winner and will be awarded two points in the standings.

If the game is tied at the time play is stopped permanently, any time after two periods of play, each team will be awarded one point in the standings, with an opportunity to earn an additional point in a standard shootout format.

If weather conditions permit, the shootout will be conducted at Busch Stadium immediately after regulation play has been stopped. If weather conditions make it impossible to conduct a shootout safely at Busch Stadium, the shootout will take place at United Center on Sunday, February 26 prior to the regularly scheduled St. Louis-Chicago game, with St. Louis deemed the home club for shootout purposes only.”



Weather won’t delay Winter Classic start

NEWS-DEMOCRAT

JANUARY 2, 2017 7:04 AM

The Winter Classic game between the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks at Busch Stadium will begin at noon, the NHL announced Monday morning.

There was concern that the start time could be pushed back because of rain.

Winter Classic festivities included a game between Blues and Blackhawks alumni Saturday at Busch, and featured some of the NHL’s all-time greats, including Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull and Chris Pronger.

The game was originally scheduled for a noon start, with a national broadcast on NBC (KDSK Channel 5 locally; KMOX-AM 1120 is also carrying the game). A crowd of more than 45,000 is expected at Busch Stadium for the first NHL outdoor hockey game in St. Louis.

The 2017 NHL Winter Classic is the NHL’s 21st regular-season outdoor game, with the Blackhawks playing in a league-record five of them. The list of NHL outdoor games includes eight Winter Classics, seven Stadium Series games, four Heritage Classic games and the NHL Centennial Classic on Sunday in Toronto between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs.

The first Winter Classic was Jan. 1, 2008 when the Pittsburgh Penguins edged the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 in a shootout at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo, N.Y.

The NHL’s largest crowd was the 105,491 fans gathered at Michigan Stadium for the 2014 Winter Classic between the Red Wings and Maple Leafs.


1041182 Chicago Blackhawks

Winter Classic: Blues defeat Blackhawks 4-1

Chris Hine

Another outdoor game and another loss for the Blackhawks.

The Blues downed the Hawks 4-1 on Monday at Busch Stadium, dropping the Hawks to 1-4 in outdoor games. The Hawks have also lost five of their last six games. A familiar foe did them in on Monday, with Vladimir Tarasenko scoring two goals in the third period to break a 1-1 tie and give the Blues the win.

Tarasenko's first goal came on a breakway as he was attempting a pass from the right wing back into the slot. The puck deflected in off the skate of Hawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson.

Tarasenko added some insurance later in the period on a one-on-one chance with a wrist shot that went past Hawks goaltender Corey Crawford. Alexander Steen added an empty-net goal for the final margin.

Michal Kempny got the scoring started early with a shot that skipped along the ice and off the glove of Blues goatlender Jake Allen and into the net. Kempny's goal came 1 minute, 2 seconds into the game.

The Blues got one back in the second period when Patrik Berglund scored from the slot off a feed from Jay Bouwmeester at 7:45. Berglund found room beside Brian Campbell to get his shot off.

The game went off without a hitch despite rain in the stadium earlier in the day. There were no delays in warmups and there did not seem to be any noticeable issues for the players as they try to navigate around the ice. There was light rain before the game, but that halted as the game began.

Despite a forecast for rain, the NHL kept the original start time of noon.

"The decision was made after consulting with meteorologists regarding the latest weathers reports, which while the weather forecast is


unpredictable, the original start time should provide the best opportunity to play the game," the league said in a statement.

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 01.03.2017


Blackhawks continue a couple of bad trends in Winter Classic loss to Blues

Chris Hine

For the last three years, the Blackhawks have traveled to play an outdoor game in the opponent's city.

And like the Washington Generals to the Harlem Globetrotters, the Hawks have played the patsy role and sent stadiums full of opposing fans home happy.

That was the case again Monday, when the Blues scored three goals in the third period to outpace the Hawks 4-1 in the Winter Classic at Busch Stadium. The NHL averted a logistical quagmire by playing the game during a dry window on an otherwise rainy day in St. Louis.

The Hawks left the ice with some unwanted symmetry. The 4-1 defeat dropped their record in outdoor games to 1-4, including a blowout loss to the Wild last season at TCF Bank Stadium and a loss to the Capitals two years ago at Nationals Park.

Of more importance to the Hawks, Monday's loss was their fifth in six games.

"We did a lot of good things, but I thought we tried to make too many plays," defenseman Duncan Keith said. "We got away from our game plan."

Winter Classic: Blues 4, Blackhawks 1

It was an unfamiliar setting in front of a sellout crowd of 46,556, but a familiar foe did in the Hawks during the third period. Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice to break a 1-1 tie.

The first goal came with an assist from Hawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson. Tarasenko was attempting a pass on a Blues rush, and the puck went in off Hjalmarsson's skate 12 minutes, 5 seconds into the period.

"We got away from our game plan, and I scored a goal in our own net," Hjalmarsson said. "Then they got up 2-1. I thought overall we played a good game except for the last 10 minutes."

The Hawks struggled to generate offense in the third and did not register a shot on goal until 10:13 into the period.

Tarasenko scored the Blues' third goal on another rush, and this time it was all him. He fired home a wrist shot that beat goaltender Corey Crawford at 13:58.

"He doesn't need many chances," Keith said. "And when he was in a position where we had a breakdown, they're going the other way and usually when he's left open, he's got a great shot. He can pick his spots."

The NHL picked the right spot to play the game. League officials opted not to delay the noon start time, which proved prudent. It rained before the game and rained heavily afterward, but conditions were dry during play and most players said the ice was acceptable.

For the slumping Hawks, however, the game was a continuation of their recent woes and of their struggles the last few years in outdoor games.

"It wasn't like we weren't in the game," coach Joel Quenneville said.

But it ended the same.



Fluky Blues goal proves to be downfall for Corey Crawford, Blackhawks

Chris Kuc

The Blues kept coming, and Corey Crawford kept turning them aside.

Until disaster struck for the Blackhawks goaltender.

Late in the third period of Monday's Winter Classic at Busch Stadium, Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko shuffled a backhanded pass into the crease, looking for hard-charging teammate Jori Lehtera, and the puck deflected off Hawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson's left skate and toward the net.

Crawford was set to make the save and keep the score tied, but when he went to move his right pad, it didn't slide easily.

"My pad gripped the ice," Crawford said. "It was actually an easy save; it wasn't coming in hard. I just didn't want to boot it right back in the slot where their guys were, and it gripped on me."

The result was Crawford watching helplessly as the puck wobbled into the goal to break open the floodgates. The Blues scored two more in a 4-1 victory in front of a crowd of 46,556.

Crawford deserved a better fate. He made 31 saves — many of them high-quality — to keep a Hawks team that continues to play sluggishly on offense in the game. The Blues' fourth goal came with the net empty in favor of an extra attacker.

"(Crawford) played great," coach Joel Quenneville said. "He handled the puck around the net well. There was a lot of unpredictability with the new boards and glass and different background, and those things happen. He did everything he could to get us a point or two."

Winter Classic: Blues 4, Blackhawks 1

The loss was Crawford's third in four career outdoor games and third in his last four overall. He yielded a second Tarasenko goal 1 minute, 53 seconds after the winger's first score, and there was nothing fluky about that one.

Tarasenko took a touch pass from Lehtera and ripped a wrist shot from a tight angle past Crawford to the glove side.

"It was kind of a weird one," Crawford said. "I didn't think he had room on that side. I think he was more trying to chip it over the pad than fire it as hard as he can. I just didn't think he had anything, a left shot coming in.

"It's no secret (Tarasenko) has a good shot, probably one of the best wristers in the league. Everyone knows what he can do. He just got open a few times."

And they proved to be the demise of Crawford and the Hawks.



Blackhawks' opinions vary on ice conditions during Winter Classic

Chris Hine and Chris Kuc

Anytime it rains for hours before an outdoor hockey game, conditions become a natural concern.

On that front, the Blackhawks were not united in their opinion of the ice during their 4-1 loss Monday to the Blues.

"The ice was pretty bad," goaltender Corey Crawford said. "It was hard and (the puck) was bouncing all over the place.

"Both teams knew that you couldn't just make the same plays that you usually do. The puck wasn't settling down. It was a chip-away kind of


game, chip it by people and get after it. That's what created their odd-man breaks."

Defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson didn't mind the ice as much.

"It was probably the best that I've played on (in an outdoor game)," Hjalmarsson said. "I can't complain about that at all. When we got out there first period in warm-ups, I thought this might be a long day, but the ice surface was really good, probably better than last game (indoors) at Carolina. Can't blame it on that at all."

Defenseman Duncan Keith agreed the ice wasn't an issue.

"No complaints. It was a great atmosphere," Keith said. "The ice was really good. Probably the best ice we've had in an outdoor game."

Tip of the chapeau: Blues coach Ken Hitchcock made the fashion statement of the day by choosing a stylish hat to battle the elements. Hitchcock went to a local hat store and chose a dark, flat-brimmed hat that drew rave reviews.

"The guy suggested a sombrero," Hitchcock said. "And I told the guy, 'I'm round enough as it is,' so we settled on a navy fedora and the Stetson style.

"I asked the players to vote on it, and if they would have voted no, I wouldn't have worn it. But they voted yes. They needed a laugh before the game."

Kempny scores again: The Hawks' only goal came from defenseman Michal Kempny, who has scored his first two NHL goals in his last two games. Kempny sent a bouncing pack past Jake Allen 1 minute, 2 seconds into the first period.

Kempny has played in three consecutive games after he was scratched for nine of the previous 10.

"He has played well," coach Joel Quenneville said. "Defensively he's been moving the puck quickly and he's been getting better, and that's the area where, if he improves, his overall game's really going to be enhanced."



Vladimir Tarasenko powers Blues past Blackhawks in Winter Classic

Mark Lazerus

ST. LOUIS — Underneath all the pomp and circumstance of the Winter Classic, all the talk about rain delays and possible postponements, all the pyrotechnics and family skates and throwback uniforms and alumni events, there was a game to be played. Not just any hockey game — a division game, a rivalry game, a game, a regular old hockey game.

And it was a game that the Blackhawks really wanted. Not just because of the big stage or even the heated rivalry with the Blues. Having limped into 2017 with four losses in their last five games, the Hawks badly needed a win.

Instead, their outdoor misery continued with a 4-1 loss at Busch Stadium in front of a sellout crowd of 46,556. Vladimir Tarasenko broke open a tight game with two goals in less than two minutes in the third period, sending the Hawks to their fifth loss in six games.

The Hawks fell to 1-4-0 in outdoor games, including 0-3-0 at the Winter Classic.

“We wanted to do a better job, put together a better performance in these outdoor games,” said Patrick Kane, echoing a familiar sentiment from the 2015 Winter Classic in Washington and last season’s Stadium Series game in Minnesota. “For whatever reason, we just haven’t come out on top, and haven’t really played too well in them. It’s frustrating because it’s on a national stage, there’s a lot of hype, and you want to put a good show on for your fans. Maybe sometimes we think too much about that, instead of just going out there and playing a simple game.”

Corey Crawford was brilliant all game and did everything he possibly could to steal another win for the Hawks. But Tarasenko banked a puck in off Niklas Hjalmarsson’s skate to make it 2-1 at 12:05 of the third, then fired a shot past Crawford 1:53 later. Alex Steen sealed the win with an empty-netter.

Far more concerning than the outdoor woes — a quirky issue that pops up just once a year — is the fact that the Hawks scored just one goal for the third time in five games. They have just eight goals total in those games. The Hawks were outshot 34-23 on Monday, and 0-for-3 on the power play. And missing Marian Hossa doesn’t justify the sudden lack of offensive punch.

“We’re not getting the production we could use,” Joel Quenneville said. “Production’s been down a bit, whether we get it from our power play or top guys.”

It was misting and foggy all morning, with the Gateway Arch fading in and out of the St. Louis skyline above right-centerfield throughout the day. It morphed into a steady drizzle by game time, but the show went on. The ice conditions are rarely perfect in such events, and this one was no different. The puck was skittering about and taking funny bounces — and that worked to the Hawks’ advantage just 62 seconds into the game.

Michal Kempny scored the second-fastest goal in Winter Classic history when his one-timer from the point off an Artemi Panarin pass knuckled forward and skipped off the ice, bounding over Jake Allen’s left shoulder and into the net for a 1-0 Hawks lead. Kempny, who was scratched in nine of 10 games before returning to the lineup last week, has scored in consecutive games, the first two goals of his career.

Patrik Berglund banged in a nice centering feed from Jay Bouwmeester at 7:45 of the second period to tie it, and then the pace — and the intensity — picked up from there, as it often does in both outdoor games and Hawks-Blues games. At one point, Crawford — who joked that he’d hit the batting cages if there were a rain delay — took a two-handed baseball swing at David Perron after Perron tripped him in the crease. And after Robby Fabbri boarded Vinnie Hinostroza, Joel Edmundson delivered a two-handed cross-check right to the recently injured back of Jonathan Toews during a post-whistle skirmish.

Crawford opened the third period by stopping a Tarasenko breakaway, and made several other big stops as the Blues outshot the Hawks 7-0 in the first 10 minutes of the third. But Tarasenko’s fortunate game-winner deflated the Hawks, and things unraveled from there.

“You never want it to be a goal like that, obviously,” Trevor van Riemsdyk said. “But that’s the game. You knew in this kind of environment, where it’s tougher to string together some pretty plays like that, it was probably going to come down to something fluky like that.”

And given the Hawks’ recent history and their outdoor history, it was probably going to come down to a loss, too.

“We’ve been playing good hockey,” Crawford said. “We just need that extra. Have to find a way to win some games. [We’re] taking games to the end, and then it just blows up on us. But we’ll be OK. We’ve got a ton of skill.”

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 01.03.2017


Bad bounce proves costly for Niklas Hjalmarsson, Blackhawks

Mark Lazerus

ST. LOUIS — Niklas Hjalmarsson couldn’t have played it any more perfectly. All alone with three St. Louis Blues bearing down on him, Hjalmarsson turned around, turned on the afterburners and raced over to force Robby Fabbri out wide and into a passing situation. And once Fabbri flung the puck across to Vladimir Tarasenko on the other wing, Hjalmarsson closed the gap almost immediately and used his stick to make it impossible for Tarasenko to shoot.

So Tarasenko passed. Or, at least, he tried to. The puck hit Hjalmarsson’s left skate and slipped past Corey Crawford. It gave


Tarasenko the first of his two goals on the day, gave the Blues a 2-1 lead at 12:05 of the third period, and eventually a 4-1 victory.

“That makes it even worse,” said Hjalmarsson, who threw up his hands in anger and disbelief after the goal. “I felt that i put him off on a good angle and I made a good play. He just threw it in there and it hit my skate and in. Just a bad bounce. It happens. It’s a big game and it’s a big goal, so it stinks extra.”

Just a shift earlier, Hjalmarsson was doubled over in pain after blocking a shot, then limping into another shooting lane to block another. He struggled to get to the bench, but in typical Hjalmarsson fashion, he didn’t miss a shift. And he had the legs on his next shift to almost thwart Tarasenko, one of the league’s best players.

“Obviously, that first one stung him,” said Trevor van Riemsdyk, who had pinched in the offensive zone before Richard Panik’s pass was deflected away, leading to the 3-on-1 for the Blues. “They have some heavy shooters out there. It doesn’t faze him, and he’s still right in the lane for the next shot. He’s an absolute warrior.”

As much as the blocked shots hurt, the harmless pass that banked in off his skate hurt a lot worse, as it sent the Hawks to their fifth loss in six games.

“Hammer was in perfect position and made a great play on it,” van Riemsdyk said. “Just a lucky bounce when you’re that close to someone. An unlucky break. Hammer played it as perfectly as you can. Something those things just happen. Nothing you can really do.”



Blackhawks, Blues don’t blame it on the rain

Mark Lazerus

ST. LOUIS — Corey Crawford said the ice was “pretty bad.” Niklas Hjalmarsson said it was better than the indoor ice at Carolina’s PNC Arena. Trevor van Riemsdyk said none of it mattered.

“Both teams are playing in the same elements,” van Riemsdyk said following the Blackhawks’ 4-1 loss in a rainy Winter Classic at Busch Stadium. “It’s not like it was just raining on our end, or just raining on them. You can notice it when it rains, obviously the ice feels a little different. But it’s nothing that affected us too much, I don’t think.”

Five hours before the scheduled noon puck drop, the NHL announced that it was sticking with that original start time. But the league also laid out a whole bunch of bizarre scenarios. The game had to go two full periods to be deemed official, otherwise they would try again on Tuesday. If it couldn’t be played by Tuesday night, it would be rescheduled indoors at Scottrade Center at a later date. And in a fascinating possibility, if the game was official, but unfinished, and tied, each team would have earned one point, and a pregame shootout at the United Center on Feb. 26 would have decided the extra point.

But the game went off on time, and without a hitch. Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo said the rain was a bit of a factor early, with little puddles affecting play, but that it let up in the second period and everything froze over.

“I don’t think anyone’s really complaining about the conditions too much,” Patrick Kane said. “The ice was fine.”

Said Blues coach Ken Hitchcock: “It was way better than anybody thought. And I think the ice felt heavy, so the shifts were short. You were looking at 25, 30 second shifts. That fits us, too.”

Helpless

Corey Crawford is now 1-2-1 since returning from an appendectomy that cost him three weeks. He was outstanding for most of Monday’s game, making 31 saves in all, and his teammates felt guilty for not giving him enough support.

“He’s been probably our best player so far this year, and [Scott Darling], too,” Niklas Hjalmarsson said. “We’re spoiled with having great goaltending. It makes it extra tough sometimes, when you feel like maybe you don’t have his back sometimes, when he had your back.”

Nice hat

Hitchcock was wearing a stylish fedora during the game. He picked it up at Levine Hat Co., a local hat shop.

“I went there and the guy suggested a sombrero, and I told the guy, ‘I’m round enough as it is,’” Hitchcock said. “Wo we settled on a navy fedora and the Stetson style.”



St. Louis won a game, but the Hawks — and Cubs — still run things

Steve Greenberg

ST. LOUIS — Look, Jeremy Kirsch seems like a nice enough guy.

“I really don’t like the word ‘hate,’ ” the 33-year-old St. Louisan and Blues season-ticket holder said here Monday morning.

See? A fine fellow and a real gentleman.

Kirsch stood in a light rain outside Busch Stadium, site of the Winter Classic game against the rival Blackhawks, wearing a billed Blues cap under a knit Blues winter hat — the latter festooned with shredded beanie fabric in the shape of a mohawk and white wool that extended down the sides of his face like mutton-chop sideburns.

“But I hate the Blackhawks,” he went on. “Probably the only time I’ll use the word ‘hate’ is with the Blackhawks.”

OK, so the guy’s a tiny bit nuts.

Yet can you blame him? This city has been waiting since 1967 — the year the Blues began NHL play — for a Stanley Cup championship. The Blues reached the Finals, only to be swept in four games, in each of their first three seasons. Since then, it has been pretty much bupkis for this close-but-not-really franchise.

Meanwhile, the flippin’ Hawks have gone all three-titles-in-six years on everybody.

“I’d be lying if I said I’m not jealous that they have three Cups and we have zero,” 33-year-old fan Jeff Weinacht said before the Blues’ 4-1 victory. “I have a bunch of friends from Chicago and hear their crap all the time. I hate the Hawks.”

There appears to be a developing theme here.

It isn’t lost on most Blues fans that, for years now, they’ve essentially been the Cubs to the Hawks’ 11-time World Series-winning Cardinals. Except that the actual Cubs now have a championship of their own (perhaps you’d heard) and have attained celebrity status that no Cardinals team ever could even dream of, taking the one thing St. Louis fans were able to lord over their northerly counterparts — baseball eminence — and drop-kicking it into the Mississippi River.

If the Hawks are better than the Blues and the Cubs are better than the Cardinals, what do pro sports fans here have to hang their hats on? The only thing that comes to mind is the possibility that it’s better to have lost the Rams to Los Angeles than to be stuck with the Bears.

Hmm, we’ll have to think about that one awhile.

Jeff Drese, 53 and a diehard fan of the Blues since he was a boy, actually was heartened by the Cubs’ World Series win.

“When the Cubs won, I was able to kind of picture what it would be like if we won the Cup,” he said. “I was glad they won because, I figured, 108 years was long enough. Hopefully, it’s not going to be 108 years for the Blues. Hopefully, it happens in my lifetime.”


Isn’t it amazing that Cubs fans don’t have to say stuff like that anymore? Of course, it once was like that for Hawks fans, too; they didn’t see a title from 1961 until 2010.

Rapper Nelly, one of this city’s favorite sons, says entertainers from St. Louis and Chicago are like “brothers.”

“I’m real cool with (Kanye West) and Twista and everybody up there from Chicago,” Nelly told the Sun-Times after performing outside the stadium before the game. “But when it comes to sports, it’s the exact opposite.”

Yet even Nelly, a dyed-in-the-wool Cardinals fan, saw some good in the Cubs’ autumn glory.

“I wasn’t totally bummed out that the Cubs won,” he said, “because it can’t be a rivalry if one side never wins anything. You know what I’m saying? We’ve had the weakest rivalry ever, because they (never won).”

Only, now the Cubs have. Like the Hawks — three times in six years — before them.

The Blues won Monday’s outdoor battle — and, yes, they eliminated the Hawks from last year’s playoffs — yet here the Hawks are again, leading the Western Conference in points while the Blues are tied for fifth.

It’s plain to see one team is closer to Cup No. 4 than the other is to Cup No. 1.

Whether fans here hate it or not.



Blackhawks fall to Blues in Winter Classic

John Dietz

ST. LOUIS -- For all the talk about how much the Blackhawks love, love, love playing outside … in massive venues, in front of huge crowds and in front of millions of fans on TV … maybe it's time to just admit they'd rather avoid the Great Outdoors altogether.

For the fourth time in five games outside since 2009, the Hawks lost, with the latest setback coming to the arch-rival Blues, 4-1 at Busch Stadium on Monday in the 2017 Winter Classic.

"Especially coming into today we wanted to do a better job and put together a better performance in these outdoor games," Patrick Kane said. "For whatever reason we haven't really played too well in them. It's frustrating because it's on a national stage."

The Hawks scored 62 seconds in when Michal Kempny took a full swing at a bouncing puck and sent a one-hop "grounder" up and over the glove of Blues goalie Jake Allen, but that was all the offense they could muster.

St. Louis prevailed thanks to a second-period goal by Patrik Beglund and a pair of Vladimir Tarasenko tallies in the third period. Alexander Steen added an empty netter with 1:14 remaining.

The game -- despite gloomy weather forecasts and all sorts of crazy contingency plans -- went off without a hitch. Ice conditions were a bit iffy in warmups and during the first period, but things improved after that, making it easier to pass and play what amounted to a normal hockey game.

Temperature at puck drop was 46.7 degrees, the warmest of the five outdoor games the Hawks have played in since 2009. And other than a few sprinkles here and there, the rain did indeed stay away.

Despite pregame proclamations that goalies tend to struggle outside, the Blues' Jake Allen said he actually found it easier to pick up the puck. He made 22 saves, including a couple in which he looked like an infielder gloving pop flies down the first-base line.

"We were down in the batting cages yesterday throwing some balls around, so that might have helped," Allen quipped.

Tarasenko's game-winning goal came when he worked a give-and-go with Robby Fabbri after a Hawks turnover. Tarasenko got in deep on Corey Crawford, and on a pass attempt to the middle of the ice, the puck hit Hjalmarsson's skate and Crawford could do nothing but watch it glide over the line with 7:55 remaining.

Less than two minutes later, Tarasenko made it 3-1 when his laser from about 40 feet out flew over Crawford's left shoulder.

"He's a hungry offensive player," said Blues coach Ken Hitchcock. "He's a guy that he sniffs out weaknesses or he sniffs out coverage issues and he jumps on it."

Afterward, Kane and Duncan Keith both said the Hawks seem to lose focus in these games and it might be a big reason for their .200 winning percentage outside.

"It's a lot of hype, and you want to put a good show on for your fans," Kane said. "Maybe sometimes we're thinking too much about that instead of just going out there and playing a simple game."

Said Keith: "I thought we tried to make too many plays and we got away from our game plan, and they came down and they scored."

The Hawks (23-12-5) are 1-4-1 in their last six games and know they need to take advantage of a four-game homestand that begins Thursday against Buffalo.

"We've lost five of our last six here, so it's probably time to start turning it around," Kane said.

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 01.03.2017


Blackhawks' Hjalmarsson had unfortunate role in Blues goal

John Dietz

ST. LOUIS -- Niklas Hjalmarsson has played in more than 700 games in the NHL and he doesn't need more than one hand to count the number of times the puck has bounced off one of his body parts and into the Blackhawks' net.

But that's exactly what happened in the third period of the Winter Classic on Monday when a pass by Vladimir Tarasenko clanked off Hjalmarsson's left skate and slid past Corey Crawford to give St. Louis a 2-1 lead in a game they would win 4-1.

"It wasn't on purpose," Tarasenko said of trying to score with 7:55 left in the game.

The play that led to the winning goal began when Richard Panik flipped the puck to the middle of the Blackhawks' zone with nobody there to receive the puck. Tarasenko picked it up, passed it to Robby Fabbri, got it back from Fabbri and banked it off Hjalmarsson's skate as he was racing in to the right of Corey Crawford.

"I thought he played it smart. Those kind of plays happen," Duncan Keith said of Hjalmarsson. "We had full possession in the other end. Overall, we got away from our game and getting pucks in behind their D and keeping it simple."

While a play like this is rare, it wasn't the first time it's happened to Hjalmarsson.

"I remember getting a puck (early) in the Stanley Cup Finals against Philly in my forehead and (it went) straight into the net," Hjalmarsson said of a goal that was credited to the Flyers' Ville Leino. "That was a bad one, too. It happens."

Hjalmarsson did say he thought he could have prevented Tarasenko's goal by angling his skate differently.

Heating up:

Lost in the Blackhawks loss is the fact that Michal Kempny had an extremely strong game. The defenseman not only opened the scoring 62


seconds in, but he also thwarted numerous high-danger scoring chances by the Blues.

Kempny has played in three straight games (scoring in the last two) since being a healthy scratch in nine of the previous 10.

"That's probably the most impressive part -- when you've been sitting for more than two or three games it's tough to play right away," said Niklas Hjalmarsson. "He's been playing unbelievable since he came in and scored two goals in two games. I haven't done that in my career yet.

"That's good for the whole team when we can contribute on the back end. He's been playing really well."

Slap shots:

Home teams are now 3-4-2 in the Winter Classic. … The NHL's 20 outdoor games have a combined attendance of 1,100,851. That's an average of 55,043. … Coming into the Winter Classic, the Hawks were 9 of 32 on the power play in their past 12 games. Against St. Louis, though, they went 0-for-3. … Ryan Hartman was whistled for two penalties Monday. He had just 2 penalty minutes in his first 24 games, but has had 12 in his last 11.



Winter Classic brought a buzz to St. Louis, says Hall of Famer Hull

John Dietz

ST. LOUIS -- Brett Hull was on fire.

Not necessarily during the Blues vs. Blackhawks Alumni Game at Busch Stadium on Saturday, but certainly during a Q&A session with reporters afterward.

Here's what the Hall of Famer had to say about the Winter Classic, the Blackhawks and who surprised him during an "old-timer's game" won by the Blues 8-7.

Q. Can you please describe the excitement of St. Louis as a city this weekend and what this means for St. Louis as a hockey town?

A: It hasn't just been this week. It's from the minute they announced it there was a buzz, there's a buzz in the arena during games.

You go out to eat and people would walk by your table and say, 'Oh, we can't wait for the Winter Classic and to see you guys out there, the alumni.' And first thing I did is I went and got my ticket. …

Now that it's here, I think having (the Alumni Game) here -- a couple days ahead of the real one -- it's going to be even more exciting. Because I think they saw, even as slow and as old as we were, it was still exciting. And they can feel the Blackhawks-Blues game coming, and it's a real game.

Q. Talk about the fact that it's versus Chicago.

A: That's the way you have to do it. No sense having Tampa against St. Louis. … That's why Toronto and Detroit (played Sunday). And you've got to have the rivalry and that close proximity between cities so their fans can come and watch as well.

So, the game against the Blackhawks and how both teams now are -- obviously Chicago has won the Cups and they have such a great corps of players. Well, the Blues the last five years have been as good as anybody, (and) haven't quite gotten over the hump to win that Cup. But there's two really good teams in the NHL and they always have good battles.

Q: Anybody really surprise you in the Alumni Game as far as what they had left in the tank?

A: Yeah, I thought I had a lot more left in the tank. (Laughter) I mean, I was good for about 10 steps and then it was just burning. ...

But I thought a lot of the guys looked really good. Keith (Tkachuk). Keith's a big man and he looked good out there. I thought he was great. And Larry Patey, he's got to be 60 years old and he pumped a goal in. And Bernie (Federko). Everyone looked good. And to win was great because I thought they had a bunch of young guys that barely just retired. So it was great. And it was nice to have Marty Brodeur in the net for us as well.



Winter Classic between Blackhawks and Blues will start at noon

By Tracey Myers January 02, 2017 7:37 AM

ST. LOUIS – The Winter Classic between the Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues is still scheduled to begin at noon today, the NHL announced this morning.

The current forecast on Weather.com shows a 65 percent chance of rain around noon; rain is expected to end around 3 p.m. If it’s just light rain, it shouldn’t be a problem. The league said, “the decision was made after consulting with meteorologists regarding the latest weather reports, which while the weather forecast is unpredictable, the original start time should provide the best opportunity to play the game.”

Here are some scenarios if the game is not completed:

· If the game has to be stopped permanently due to unplayable weather conditions, it will be deemed "official" after two periods. The team leading at the time play is stopped will be declared the winner and will be awarded two points in the standings.

· If the game is tied at the time play is stopped permanently, any time after two periods of play, each team will be awarded one point in the standings, with an opportunity to earn an additional point in a standard shootout format. If weather conditions permit, the shootout will be conducted at Busch Stadium immediately after regulation play has been stopped. If weather conditions make it impossible to conduct a shootout safely at Busch Stadium, the shootout will take place at United Center on Sunday, February 26 prior to the regularly scheduled St. Louis-Chicago game, with St. Louis deemed the home club for shootout purposes only.

· If the game is started, and stopped permanently due to unplayable weather conditions, and fewer than two periods of regular time has been played, the game will be officially "postponed" and, if possible, will be played in its entirety at Busch Stadium on Tuesday, January 3. If the game cannot be replayed at Busch Stadium on January 3, it will be rescheduled at Scottrade Center for a date to be determined later in the season.

The Blackhawks talked on Sunday of dealing with the uncertain start time. Coach Joel Quenneville said the Blackhawks have rolled with various start times before, and this was no different.

“We’ve played in a lot of different games, time schedules over the course of a season or career. Early starts, mid-afternoons, 6 o’clock, 7 o’clock, we’ve had 8:30 [p.m.]. Sometimes you skate, sometimes you don’t,” Quenneville said on Sunday. “We’ll see what happens early [Monday] and go from there but I think we’ve adapted as you go along. Going into a game like [Monday], we’re excited about the game and if it starts at noon, it’ll be great. If it doesn’t, both teams will adapt the same way.”

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.03.2017


Wayne Gretzky: Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are Hall of Famers

By Charlie Roumeliotis January 02, 2017


Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews each have three Stanley Cups on their résumés, and have achieved seemingly every individual accolade there is throughout their NHL careers all before the age of 30.

Over the weekend they got a ringing endorsement from The Great One, who believes they are locks to join him and many others greats in the Hockey Hall of Fame when it's all said and done.

"Listen, I think that both of them are obviously superstars, both of them are Hall of Famers," Wayne Gretzky, the NHL's all-time points leader with 2,857, said after the Winter Classic Alumni Game. "I don't think there's any debate over that. More importantly, they're winners and they're very unselfish, and they've had a great deal of success. And they've been a real positive for Chicago, not only because of the way they play but because of the fact they've won championships.

"And so you have to have good leadership and you have to have talent. And they bring both of those qualities to the organization, and consequently they've had a great deal of success, and they're fun to watch."

Kane and Toews were blown away upon hearing those comments.

“He’s the greatest player to ever play the game, Toews told reporters. "We’re all trying to live up to what players like him left for us. You have a tremendous respect for the [veteran] players, not only in the alumni game but in the tradition that the current players are fulfilling as NHL players.

"You don’t want to let anyone blow to much smoke, hype you up too much — got a lot of work you have to do. But you appreciate any compliment from a former player, let alone a great one.”

Said Kane: "Hearing that, that’s pretty special. It's funny, I scored my 700th point the other night, and some of the text messages I got were, ‘You have 2,100 more point to catch Gretzky.’ That kind of speaks volumes about how great of a player he was. So that’s nice of him to say.”



Vladimir Tarasenko lifts Blues past Blackhawks in Winter Classic

By Tracey Myers January 02, 2017

ST. LOUIS – The Blackhawks playing in an outdoor game has become tradition. So has their losing in them.

Michal Kempny scored his second goal in as many games but Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice as the St. Louis Blues beat the Blackhawks 4-1 in the 2017 Winter Classic on Monday afternoon.

The Blackhawks are now 1-4-0 in outdoor games. The only one they won was at Soldier Field on March 1, 2014 (4-1 over the Pittsburgh Penguins).

“I mean, last time in Minnesota, it was kind of a blowout but [today] it was a closer game and we did a lot of good things,” Duncan Keith said. “But we tried to make too many plays and got away from our game plan, and they came down and scored.”

Yes, this one was closer, the Blackhawks and Blues deadlocked at 1-1 heading into the third period. But the third period, especially the start of it, wasn’t close. The Blues had seven or eight shots before the Blackhawks got their first. The Blackhawks’ first third-period shot didn’t come until the midway point of the frame.

A bigger immediate issue, however, is the Blackhawks are now 1-4-1 in their last six games. They’ve relied too much on goaltending all season, and that was true again on Monday as Corey Crawford kept it tied through the first 50-plus minutes. But you got the sense it was only a matter of time before the Blues cashed in on their chances.

Tarasenko finally did, albeit with an unfortunate deflection for the Blackhawks. The forward’s third-period shot went off Niklas

Hjalmarsson’s skate and in to give the Blues a 2-1 lead about eight minutes into the third.

“We had guys in the right spot. Hammer made a great play coming back and he was in the perfect position, but sometimes it’s really fluky and there’s nothing you can do about it,” Trevor van Riemsdyk said.

Tarasenko’s second goal, however, was all his as he put the Blues up 3-1 about two minutes later.

“He’s one of the few guys in the league who has a shot that’s more than above average,” Hjalmarsson said of Tarasenko. “He doesn’t have to wind up to get a big shot away. He can shoot it from anywhere. That’s what makes him so dangerous.”

In their last two games the Blackhawks have experienced a bit of a reversal. They’ve gotten the early goal and lead – Kempny both times, just 62 seconds into the game on Monday – but haven’t had enough at the end.

Maybe it’s just coincidence that the Blackhawks don’t fare well in these outdoor games. This one was close until the third period. But for a team that’s been struggling lately, a frustrating division loss, be it indoors or out, is a frustrating division loss.

“This year was comparable to the tough loss we had in Washington [to start 2015,] lost with a couple of minutes to go. It wasn’t like we weren’t in the hockey game,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “Crow did a good job of keeping us in the game as well but [it’s] certainly disappointing that you’re there, you’re looking to get a point, hopefully two."



Five Things from Winter Classic: Blackhawks' quick start doesn't translate to strong finish

By Tracey Myers January 02, 2017

ST. LOUIS – OK, the outdoor games are just not friendly to the Blackhawks.

Yes, as the Blackhawks players and coach Joel Quenneville told us, this one was a close one that could’ve gone either way. But it’s the fourth of five outdoor games that went against the Blackhawks, as they fell 4-1 to the host St. Louis Blues on Monday.

We talk about the not-so-good outdoor record knowing full well it won’t matter: commissioner Gary Bettman said on Sunday that the league is planning on three outdoor games next season and we’ll be floored if the Blackhawks aren’t in one of them.

But we digress. The Blackhawks are struggling whether they’re outside or in right now, and they’ll have a few things to fix early in the new year. Before we get to that for an off-day story, let’s look at the Five Things to take from the Blackhawks’ Winter Classic loss.

1. Maybe not on the quick starts. The Blackhawks haven’t gotten off to very many fast starts this season but they did on Monday. Michal Kempny’s knuckleball shot put the Blackhawks up 1-0 just 62 seconds into the game. But for the second consecutive game a quick start didn’t translate into a strong finish. Oh, it was another good game for Kempny, who now has two goals in as many games. But the Blackhawks couldn’t muster enough at the end to build off that early lead.

2. Conditions were just fine. Hey, we were all wondering how this one was going to go, considering the forecast leading up to this game and the rain falling at the start of it. The concerns were unfounded, however, as there were no real issues. Duncan Keith said the ice was, “probably the best we’ve had in an outdoor game.” Trevor van Riemsdyk, one of many players who wears a visor, said that wasn’t a problem, either. “You gotta wipe it off more than in a normal game. Just being outdoors it may fog up on you a couple of times but once you get moving it clears up.”

3. Vladimir Tarasenko does it again. Tarasenko was close a few times before breaking through in this one, including hitting iron on a third-period


power play. But he got his goals against the Blackhawks, as he often does. Tarasenko, who scored twice in less than two minutes in the third period, now has 12 goals in 19 career regular-season games against the Blackhawks. The guy just loves torturing the Blackhawks – and their fans.

4. Too quiet start to the third. The Blackhawks had to start the third period on the penalty kill. But they didn’t get much momentum off recording their fourth kill of the game. The Blues just kept the pressure on while the Blackhawks couldn’t get a shot on goal for about 10 minutes. Their first shot came on their power play midway through the third period – Jonathan Toews – but it took way too long for the Blackhawks to get going in those final 20 minutes.

5. Blackhawks 1-4-1 in their last six games. We’ll get to this more on Tuesday, which we’ll assume is going to be a Blackhawks off day. The Blackhawks are still atop the Western Conference but they’ve looked shaky lately. It doesn’t help that Marian Hossa is out – just in case anyone still doubted his impact on every freaking game. The Blackhawks are hoping to get Hossa back on Thursday, when they host the Buffalo Sabres. They need to get more of a complete game back, too.


1041319 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Predators not evolving at expected pace this season

ERIC ENGELS JANUARY 2, 2017, 6:44 PM

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Evolution doesn’t happen overnight.

It might be the best explanation for why the Nashville Predators (16-14-6) have fallen woefully short of expectations through their first 36 games this season — spending most nights on the outside of the playoff picture and barely maintaining their hold on a wildcard spot.

The hockey world saw the alterations Predators general manager David Poile made in the off-season — mainly the acquisition of defenceman P.K. Subban, who would become the centrepiece of what could be considered the most dynamic defence core in the NHL — and saw a team that should immediately vault to the upper echelon of the league.

It made sense.

After watching the Pittsburgh Penguins hoist the Stanley Cup on the strength of their seamless transition game and unmatched speed, Poile traded the older, slower Shea Weber for Subban and dropped forwards Eric Nystrom, 33, Paul Gaustad, 34, along with defenceman Barrett Jackman, 35, to give up-and-comers Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg, Victor Arvidsson and Ryan Ellis more prominent roles.

The plan was for Nashville to be a possession magnet and have a dominant power play with strong goaltending that could frustrate the best teams in the league. There have been signs it will come to fruition before season’s end, but they’ve been few and far between.

“The bottom line is I know we can be more consistent in every area, whether I’m talking about our forwards, defence or our goaltending," Poile said Monday. "At different times this season we’ve shown that, but the inconsistency, which is the word, unfortunately, I’ve been using a lot in interviews seems to be plaguing us with our team this year.”

Looking at how things have gone from month to month for Nashville is a perfect example of what Poile’s referring to.

The Predators started with the NHL’s second-worst record in October, going 2-5-1 before turning things around with a 9-3-2 record in November. But they managed just five wins in 14 December games.

Goaltender Pekka Rinne, who struggled in October and December, was the NHL’s player of the month in November.

Up front, James Neal has scored 14 goals in bunches, while Forsberg, who was drafted fourth overall in 2012 and led the team in scoring in each of the last two seasons, scored just two goals in his first 25 games.

On defence, Subban, who got off to a rocky start, has accumulated seven goals and 10 assists in 29 games.

“He does a lot of things on the ice -- which is why we acquired him -- that I think make him a special hockey player and obviously one of the best skaters in the league,” Poile said. “He does something every game that brings you out of your seat.”

But Subban was held off the scoresheet in the four games that preceded his recent two-week absence from the lineup, and he’s slated to miss up to three more weeks with what’s been reported as a herniated disk in his back.

It’s a heavy loss for a team still trying to find its stride.

“Obviously he’s a big part of our team, he’s a great player,” Ellis said. “But we’ve gotta just go about our business and we gotta start climbing the standings.”

How the Predators have put themselves two points out of the second wildcard spot in the West and seven points back of the St. Louis Blues, who rank third in their division, is perplexing.

Nashville has the NHL’s fourth-best possession stats, its power play is currently ranked 10th overall at 20.3 per cent, and they rank in the top half of the league in both categories of goals-for and goals-against per game.

“We’re one of the worst teams in the league in the first period,” Poile said. “If we could change our second period for our first period and score the first goal of the game, we’d be in a much different place.”

Having a penalty kill fight off more than 81.3 per cent of its opposition’s chances would help, too.

But there has to be more to it than that.

If you’re looking for a common thread between what the team lost in Weber, Nystrom, Gaustad and Jackman, it’s that all of them brought an element of toughness to the equation. They also brought leadership.

Those intangibles have seemingly become secondary in the process of team-building in today’s stat-driven NHL.

“Our direction, like a lot of teams, is going for speed and quickness,” Nashville captain Mike Fisher said.

But it takes more than that to win consistently in this NHL. As far as leadership is concerned, that transition is taking longer than Fisher or anyone else in Nashville would like.

“We’ve got a lot of young guys,” Fisher said. “Sometimes it just takes a little bit of time to feel out where they are in the lineup and what their role is.”

Poile said the team is edging closer to finding its better self.

His thoughts were echoed by head coach Peter Laviolette and by Fisher, who each said that Nashville’s last three games (an overtime loss to Minnesota, a one-goal loss to Chicago and a 4-0 win over St. Louis) were more representative of how they want to play.

The hope has to be that results follow and things quickly change for the better.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 01.03.2017

1041320 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Maple Leafs reflect on dads ahead of annual father’s road trip

Auston Matthews and Mitchell Marner join Scott Oake to comment after a thrilling Centennial Classic.

CHRIS JOHNSTON JANUARY 2, 2017, 3:52 PM

TORONTO – Mike Babcock carries his father’s name along with a lot of the wisdom he imparted over the years.


And before the Toronto Maple Leafs set out on their annual father’s road trip, the head coach paid tribute to Mike Babcock Sr., who passed away in March 2015.

"He meant everything," Babcock said Monday. "Not many of us overcome not having great parents building a good foundation for you to have success. I thought I learned how to talk to people from my mom and I learned how to work hard from my dad.

"My dad, growing up, was my idol, my hero, and he was a good man that looked after his family. Always made it clear to us it didn’t matter how successful he was in business – what mattered was his kids and his family, and I feel exactly the same (way)."

The Leafs were joined by roughly 30 guests as they set off for games in Washington on Tuesday and New Jersey on Friday. Many of the players and staff brought their fathers, but there are some brothers and fathers-in-law in tow as well.

It is a significant event for the organization, which is operating under a mandate to create a safer, more close-knit environment for the players.

Toronto has also put itself squarely in the playoff race with five straight victories, including Sunday’s Centennial Classic outdoor game, and hopes to keep the good times rolling.

"To have these dads along, I think this is how you treat people right," said Babcock. "I think if you treat people right they work twice as hard for you. … I thought what we were able to do over three days (at BMO Field) with our alumni, with our families here, was spectacular and we want to do the same on this trip.

"It gives you an opportunity to thank your dad for what he’s done."

Here are some thoughts from the players about what their fathers have meant to them:

Auston Matthews

Brian Matthews hasn’t missed too many of the big moments during the electrifying start to his son’s NHL career.

He and wife, Ema, were in Ottawa on opening night when Auston made history with a four-goal debut and they were bundled up alongside daughters Alex and Breyana in the stands on Sunday when he scored his second goal of the day in overtime to lift Toronto past Detroit in the Centennial Classic.

Now he’ll get more of a peek behind the curtain at what life is like on the road.

"I think he’s just going to soak it all in," said Auston Matthews. "It’s exciting, he’s been enjoying this whole year. He’s been in Toronto for the most part."

That sacrifice is illustrative of what an entire family has had to do to help a 19-year-old realize his dreams. Brian Matthews is basically living with his son when the Leafs are in Toronto while also making trips to suburban New Jersey for work and the occasional visit to the family home in Scottsdale, Ariz.

"He’s been huge," said Matthews.

It’s a lot to juggle, but the family has grown accustomed to a unique lifestyle.

There was a fair bit of travel involved when Auston started making his way as a youth hockey player and his mother joined him in Switzerland last season when he played for the Zurich Lions.

"Both of my parents (have helped), my whole family, grandparents too," he said. "Just driving me around to practice, all the sacrifices they make not only for myself but for both of my sisters. I think it goes the same for everybody, all the hockey players growing up. Family is such a big part.

"They make such a big sacrifice and commitment."

No wonder there was so much excitement in his voice before heading to the airport.

"It’s going to be a blast," said Matthews.

Once Nikita Zaitsev caught the hockey bug, his father Igor became an ever-present fixture at rinks around Moscow.

"He (did) not skip any practices when I was young," said Zaitsev. "He was there all the time in the practices and never skipped the games."

The elder Zaitsev had grown up playing soccer, but learned to love a new sport. He could be demanding with his son – "every day he was pushing me," said Nikita – but theirs was a relationship built on trust.

"We are friends," said Zaitsev.

Igor Zaitsev was in Toronto with other family members before Christmas – seeing Nikita score his first NHL goal against Pittsburgh on Dec. 17 – and wasn’t keen on making another trans-Atlantic trip so soon afterwards.

That means his first NHL father’s trip will wait until next season.

He will, however, follow his usual routine of waking up at 3 a.m. to watch the Leafs play before speaking with his boy afterwards.

"Every time," said Zaitsev. "He texts me after every game and I call him back."

Connor Carrick

HKN Sabres Maple Leafs 20160319

Connor Carrick was an extremely focused kid.

Like, incredibly serious.

"I’m probably more relaxed now than I was as a six-year-old," said Carrick. "I was pretty uptight."

That created the odd situation for his father, Jory, after young Connor became obsessed with hockey. One memorable incident happened at Arctic Ice Arena in suburban Chicago, when Connor saw some of his teammates on the Bruins house league team heading back on the ice in a different sweater after a game.

"I was ticked off," said Carrick. "I didn’t know why they were going out there. And I look over the boards, I’m crying, and I’m like: ‘Dad, why are my teammates out there?’

"It was like the first travel league, and my dad didn’t know about it. He told me: ‘I didn’t know. I’m sorry, I’ll never not know again."’

Jory Carrick made good on his word while watching his boy rise through the U.S. National Development program, the Ontario Hockey League, American Hockey League and eventually land a permanent role with the Leafs.

"No stone unturned," said Connor. "There was nothing we didn’t know about. He took great care of me."

To this day, the two speak often about the finer points of the game. Jory Carrick has charted his son’s progress closely and is usually able to explain things in a way that helps bring Connor "back down to Earth."

There isn’t any mystery for Connor about how he managed to realize his boyhood dream.

"We had a rink real close to our house – like a two-minute drive in the suburbs – and he just made it happen," said Carrick. "He was always good with me. Personally he was demanding, demanding of himself, because he spent a lot of time, a lot of money, a lot of money not made going places (for hockey) – you know, opportunity costs – but I owe him and my ma (Deb) everything.

"I think that story’s pretty common in hockey."


1041321 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Predators not evolving at expected pace this season

ERIC ENGELS JANUARY 2, 2017, 6:44 PM

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Evolution doesn’t happen overnight.


It might be the best explanation for why the Nashville Predators (16-14-6) have fallen woefully short of expectations through their first 36 games this season — spending most nights on the outside of the playoff picture and barely maintaining their hold on a wildcard spot.

The hockey world saw the alterations Predators general manager David Poile made in the off-season — mainly the acquisition of defenceman P.K. Subban, who would become the centrepiece of what could be considered the most dynamic defence core in the NHL — and saw a team that should immediately vault to the upper echelon of the league.

It made sense.

After watching the Pittsburgh Penguins hoist the Stanley Cup on the strength of their seamless transition game and unmatched speed, Poile traded the older, slower Shea Weber for Subban and dropped forwards Eric Nystrom, 33, Paul Gaustad, 34, along with defenceman Barrett Jackman, 35, to give up-and-comers Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg, Victor Arvidsson and Ryan Ellis more prominent roles.

The plan was for Nashville to be a possession magnet and have a dominant power play with strong goaltending that could frustrate the best teams in the league. There have been signs it will come to fruition before season’s end, but they’ve been few and far between.

“The bottom line is I know we can be more consistent in every area, whether I’m talking about our forwards, defence or our goaltending," Poile said Monday. "At different times this season we’ve shown that, but the inconsistency, which is the word, unfortunately, I’ve been using a lot in interviews seems to be plaguing us with our team this year.”

Looking at how things have gone from month to month for Nashville is a perfect example of what Poile’s referring to.

The Predators started with the NHL’s second-worst record in October, going 2-5-1 before turning things around with a 9-3-2 record in November. But they managed just five wins in 14 December games.

Goaltender Pekka Rinne, who struggled in October and December, was the NHL’s player of the month in November.

Up front, James Neal has scored 14 goals in bunches, while Forsberg, who was drafted fourth overall in 2012 and led the team in scoring in each of the last two seasons, scored just two goals in his first 25 games.

On defence, Subban, who got off to a rocky start, has accumulated seven goals and 10 assists in 29 games.

“He does a lot of things on the ice -- which is why we acquired him -- that I think make him a special hockey player and obviously one of the best skaters in the league,” Poile said. “He does something every game that brings you out of your seat.”

But Subban was held off the scoresheet in the four games that preceded his recent two-week absence from the lineup, and he’s slated to miss up to three more weeks with what’s been reported as a herniated disk in his back.

It’s a heavy loss for a team still trying to find its stride.

“Obviously he’s a big part of our team, he’s a great player,” Ellis said. “But we’ve gotta just go about our business and we gotta start climbing the standings.”

How the Predators have put themselves two points out of the second wildcard spot in the West and seven points back of the St. Louis Blues, who rank third in their division, is perplexing.

Nashville has the NHL’s fourth-best possession stats, its power play is currently ranked 10th overall at 20.3 per cent, and they rank in the top half of the league in both categories of goals-for and goals-against per game.

“We’re one of the worst teams in the league in the first period,” Poile said. “If we could change our second period for our first period and score the first goal of the game, we’d be in a much different place.”

Having a penalty kill fight off more than 81.3 per cent of its opposition’s chances would help, too.

But there has to be more to it than that.

If you’re looking for a common thread between what the team lost in Weber, Nystrom, Gaustad and Jackman, it’s that all of them brought an element of toughness to the equation. They also brought leadership.

Those intangibles have seemingly become secondary in the process of team-building in today’s stat-driven NHL.

“Our direction, like a lot of teams, is going for speed and quickness,” Nashville captain Mike Fisher said.

But it takes more than that to win consistently in this NHL. As far as leadership is concerned, that transition is taking longer than Fisher or anyone else in Nashville would like.

“We’ve got a lot of young guys,” Fisher said. “Sometimes it just takes a little bit of time to feel out where they are in the lineup and what their role is.”

Poile said the team is edging closer to finding its better self.

His thoughts were echoed by head coach Peter Laviolette and by Fisher, who each said that Nashville’s last three games (an overtime loss to Minnesota, a one-goal loss to Chicago and a 4-0 win over St. Louis) were more representative of how they want to play.

The hope has to be that results follow and things quickly change for the better.


1041322 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / The NHL Commissioner on the pros and cons of his job, future Canadian expansion teams and whether he can skate.

Sportsnet: Can you skate?

Gary Bettman: Yes.

Can you stop both ways? Are you comfortable with your crossovers in both directions?

Let’s put it this way: I would consider my skiing ability to be far superior to my skating ability. And in fact my 10-year-old grandson, who’s a AAA squirt, can skate circles around me.

Have you ever cheered for an NHL team? I guess when you were a kid you did.

Yes, but I won’t go back there so people think I have some inherent biases, which I don’t. My rooting interest these days is first and foremost competitive hockey, and secondly in officials not making a mistake.

It would be funny if you were a big fan of the Ottawa Senators.

I think the other 29 teams might have an issue with that.

So I shouldn’t ask who your favourite player is?

No, I love them all.

Good answer. Same with the owners, right?

Absolutely with the owners.

When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

From as early as I can remember, I was focused on becoming a lawyer.

You never dreamed of becoming a police officer or running your own candy store?

Not that I recall.

In high school, were you the president of student council, were you into sports?

I played on the soccer team. I remember having a bunch of friends. And I remember having a good time. I don’t really think about having a retrospective on my high-school years. It’s not something that from a positive or a negative standpoint is a driving force in my life.

Those can be awkward years, right?

I remember them being just fine.


That’s good. You were in a fraternity at Cornell. Did you have to do anything crazy for initiation?

No, that was in the early ’70s. The fraternity system then was really a function of where you were going to live. In fact, we were a fraternity of people who were pretty focused on—in addition to having a good time in college—getting a good education.

Do you have any nicknames?

Not that I’m aware of.

“If everybody who comes up to me afterwards and says, 'I didn't boo you' didn't boo me, I'm not sure anybody would be booing me.”

How would you describe your personality?

Ah. If I were in therapy—and I’m not—I would leave that for my therapist. I tend to be optimistic, fairly easygoing, focused when I need to be,

passionate about my family and my job.

How were you introduced to hockey? Do you remember watching your first game?

I went to a public high school in New York, and I remember getting into the Garden for 50 cents. I vividly remember going to the hockey games when I was at Cornell. I was a season ticket holder for all four years I was there. And in those days, you had to sleep out on hockey line to get your tickets. I even occasionally went on the road when Cornell was in the Frozen Four to watch the Big Red play.

“Sleep out on hockey line”?

They would announce hockey line was forming, and the line would last one or two days, and you had to stay in line to be eligible to buy season tickets for Lynah Rink.

So you slept on the sidewalk?

No, they would put us in the fieldhouse.

Oh, that’s nice.

It was very nice—it was essential, because it was gonna be cold that time of year.

So you were dedicated. What did you like about the game?

I’ve always loved the speed, the skill, the physicality of the game. And watching the game at Lynah Rink, which in those days was probably about 4,000 seats, was very intimate, and the students as fans were very active.

When did you last play?

A long time ago. There’s always the question of… well a couple of things: One, I don’t have the time. And two, as one ages, there are a variety of physical ailments that make it wise not to engage in a sport where you can aggravate those ailments. Bad knees.

From soccer?

No, from running. At one point, I was running five miles every other day, nothing more than staying in shape. Each knee’s been operated on at least once.

What do you like most about your job?

The game and the people associated with it, meaning the players, the executives, the league in club level and the fans. And, of course, the one aspect of my job that is the best is the honour of presenting the Stanley Cup every year to the league champions.

And you get booed tremendously while you do that.

I hadn’t noticed.

Do you care if fans like you?

My interaction with fans is terrific. When I go to a game, the number of people who come up and say hello and want an autograph or a picture is overwhelming at points in time. I’m not sure that the narrative of what the media suggests fan opinion is is necessarily accurate, at least based on the experience that I have interacting with fans.

So it might just be fun for them to boo you when you award the Cup?

You know what, if everybody who comes up to me afterwards and says, “I didn’t boo you” didn’t boo me, I’m not sure anybody would be booing me. So who knows?

“My job isn’t a job, it’s really a lifestyle. It’s 24-7, 365. You’re never off. So if you’re not passionate about it, you can’t do it.”

How many hours of hockey do you figure you watch each week?

I haven’t put a stopwatch to it, but on nights when I’m not at games or out doing other things, I’m typically watching games. And even when I’m out, I’m frequently checking in on games on any one of the number of digital devices I have.

Do you watch other sports?

Rarely. If I do, it tends to be because I’m being sociable.

Is hockey an obsession?

It has to be to do what I do. Because my job isn’t a job, it’s really a lifestyle. It’s 24-7, 365. You’re never off. So if you weren’t passionate—you call it an obsession, I’ll call it a passion—but if you’re not passionate about it, you can’t do it.

What’s your ideal day off?

Spending time with my children and grandchildren, just all being together and enjoying each other’s company.

That sounds nice.

And spending some quality time with my wife, who probably doesn’t get enough of it, understanding as she does very well the demands of the job.

How many days a year are you on the road?

Somewhere between 80 and 100, maybe.

That’s not terrible.

I don’t think it’s terrible. It’s what I do.

Will there be another NHL team in Canada before you retire?

I don’t think anybody knows the answer to that question.

I had to ask.

I respect you asking the question, but it depends on a whole host of factors that would have to be focused on and resolved. And nobody’s focusing on them or resolving them right now.

Is there anything hockey fans should know about you that maybe they don’t?

They should know that I care about the game as much as they do. If not more.


1041323 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Down Goes Brown: 25 facts about the Doug Gilmour trade

SEAN MCINDOE JANUARY 2, 2017, 1:49 PM

Monday marks the 25th anniversary of one of the biggest trades in NHL history: the blockbuster 1992 deal that sent Doug Gilmour from the Calgary Flames to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

In hindsight, it was the trade that reinvigorated a Maple Leafs franchise still digging out from the Harold Ballard era, while extinguishing any hope that the Flames’ Stanley Cup contender status could be revived.

Hearing the move announced for the first time back then was a legitimately stunning experience; once the names started, they just kept coming. The deal involved 10 players, sending Gary Leeman, Michel Petit, Jeff Reese, Craig Berube and Alexander Godynyuk to the Flames


in exchange for Gilmour, Jamie Macoun, Ric Nattress, Rick Wamsley and Kent Manderville.

In terms of the sheer number of players involved, the deal really was the biggest in NHL history, and remains so to this day. And while other trades may have had a bigger impact – Wayne Gretzky, Eric Lindros and Phil Esposito all come to mind – that list is a relatively short one.

So today, let's celebrate the deal's silver anniversary with 25 facts about the Doug Gilmour trade.

—

1. The trade happened the day after Gilmour walked out on the Flames.

Let's lead off with this one, because it's important but has somehow been largely forgotten over the years.

These days, the trade is held up as a classic lopsided blockbuster, and as we'll get to, that's a fair assessment.

But it's not like the Flames just woke up one day and said "Let's trade a really good player for a bunch of worse ones." They kind of had no choice.

Gilmour was miserable in Calgary, feuding with GM Doug Risebrough (and at one point, allegedly overhearing a phone call in which Risebrough talked about trading him). Mix in a contract dispute that was turning fans against him, and it was well-known that Gilmour wanted out.

But things escalated on New Year's Day. Hours after putting up two points in a win over Montreal, Gilmour packed up his gear and left the Flames. The deal had obviously been in the works long before that – 10 player deals don't just come together in 24 hours – but Gilmour's walkout sped things along and stripped the Flames of virtually any remaining leverage.

It gets in the way of the "dumb team gives away a superstar" storyline, but fair is fair. You can't tell the story of this trade without mentioning that Gilmour was already an ex-Flame when it happened.

2. Risebrough knew the Flames pretty well

Most fans know that Risebrough was the Flames GM at the time. What isn't as well remembered is that he was also in his second season as the team's head coach.

Pulling double duty was relatively rare back then, though not unheard of, and in theory Risebrough would have had a chance to evaluate the players he was trading away up close.

(As a side note, his dual status didn't last long. Two months after the Gilmour trade went down, the Flames lost to the Canucks 11-0 and Risebrough resigned as coach. He'd remain as GM until 1995, though.)

3. Cliff Fletcher knew the Flames pretty well, too

Fletcher had been the first and only GM in Flames' franchise history until after the 1990-91 season, when he headed to Toronto to assume near total control of the Maple Leafs. This wasn't his first Leafs blockbuster – that would have been the September 1991 deal that saw Toronto acquire Grant Fuhr and Glenn Anderson from the Oilers. But it was his first chance to deal with his old club, and with the man who had replaced him.

Needless to say, Fletcher knew the players he was getting at least as well as the ones he was giving up. And in hindsight, it showed.

4. A Gilmour/Leeman trade had been rumoured for weeks

Even before Gilmour forced the Flames' hand, rumours had been flying that a deal would send him to Toronto for Leeman. The Leafs' winger was having an awful season, with just seven goals through the first half, but was still less than two years removed from scoring 112 goals over three seasons, peaking with 50 in 1989-90.

Things had fallen apart for Leeman in November 1990, when in the span of 24 hours the Leafs traded away his centreman, Ed Olczyk, and he suffered a serious shoulder injury.

He was still feeling some lingering effects of that injury and hadn't clicked with new linemates; the idea that he could get healthy and regain his scoring touch next to someone like Joe Nieuwendyk or Theo Fleury wasn't all that far-fetched.

But even given that, most figured that a straight up one-for-one deal probably didn't make sense, and that a player or two would have to be thrown in to make it work. We just didn't realize that "a player or two" would end up ballooning to eight other names.

5. One of the worst losses in Leafs history may have helped the deal go down

While Gilmour's walkout was the biggest factor in pushing the Flames towards a deal, the Maple Leafs may have been given a nudge of their own by one of the worst performances in franchise history. On December 26, 1991, the Leafs went to Pittsburgh and got blown out by a score of 12-1.

Any thoughts of patience on Fletcher's part probably evaporated as he watched the defending champs toy with his sad-sack team. Chance was going to be needed, and minor tinkering wouldn't cut it. One week later, he pulled the trigger on the trade that blew his roster to smithereens.

6. The deal was a massive ripoff

OK, we've defended the Flames as much as possible. But even given Gilmour's walkout and Fletcher's inside info, this deal was awful. Even Risebrough later admitted that, calling the move "a mistake by a very young general manager." The trade was so bad from Calgary's perspective that even if you remove Gilmour from the equation, they still barely break even.

And by the way, this isn't just 20/20 hindsight talking. Even at the time the trade was made, the general consensus was that the Leafs had made out like bandits. Calgary papers referred to the deal as a robbery and ran editorial cartoons of Fletcher making off with a haul while Risebrough was left wearing a barrel. And Toronto media could barely contain their glee.

7. If there was one concern in Toronto, it was age

The 1991-92 Maple Leafs weren't just bad. They were also old—or at least older than you'd like a last-place team to be.

Their leading scorer was 31-year-old Glenn Anderson, and the roster was dotted with guys like Mike Foligno, Mike Krushelnyski and Lucien DeBlois. The team's best young players were guys like Daniel Marois and Rob Pearson, and the prospect pipeline wasn't especially well-stocked.

So there was some concern in Toronto when the team pulled off a trade centered around a star player in Gilmour who was already 28, two defencemen who'd be 30 by the end of the season, and a 32-year-old goaltender.

Manderville was the youngest player in the trade, but Godynyuk was only 22 and all the players the Leafs gave up were 27 or younger.

In the end, it didn't really matter. But Fletcher's willingness to get older for the sake of short-term improvement – just like he'd done in Calgary – may have foreshadowed Toronto's "draft schmaft" future.

8. None of the players the Flames received lasted long in Calgary

If the idea behind the move was to reshape the Flames for the long-term, it didn't quite work out. By the end of the 1993-94 campaign, all five players who came over in the deal had departed the Calgary roster.

That included Petit leaving as a free agent and Godynyuk being claimed in the 1993 expansion draft, as well as three trades. In case you're wondering if any of those trades ended up redeeming the initial mistake... well, not so much. The Flames' total haul from those deals: Dan Keczmer, Brian Skrudland and a fifth-round pick.

9. Jeff Reese stuck around long enough to set an NHL record

While Reese didn't last long in Calgary, appearing in just 39 games, he did manage to set an NHL record that still stands to this day, and probably will for a long time.

On Feb. 10, 1993, Reese was in net as the Flames hosted the Sharks. He gave up the opening goal just three minutes in, but from then on it was all Calgary as they pumped home 13 goals in one of the biggest blowouts in league history.

Theo Fleury was a ridiculous plus-9 in the game, and Reese became the first and only goalie to have three assists in a single game.


10. The deal helped Michel Petit set a record too, although it took a bit longer

It's fair to say that Petit got around. The Leafs and Flames were his fourth and fifth stops in the NHL, and it turns out he was only halfway done. He'd end up playing for 10 different teams, and he recorded a point with all of them, making him the first player in league history to get on the scoreboard for 10 franchises.

11. The deal capped off a busy year for Craig Berube

The notorious tough guy (and future Flyers coach) had come over to Toronto from Edmonton in the Fuhr deal in September. He'd never even suited up for the Oilers, having arrived there in an off-season trade with Philadelphia.

That Flyers trade was a six-player deal centered around Jari Kurri and Scott Mellanby. Factor in the seven-player Fuhr trade and the 10-player Gilmour deal, and in just over seven months Berube was involved in three trades totaling 23 players (including four future Hall-of-Famers).

Given today's conservative trading landscape, it's safe to say that's a record that will never be broken.

12. Leeman got off to a truly terrible start in Calgary

Any hopes of Leeman regaining his scoring prowess in Calgary vanished fairly quickly. He made his Flames debut in a home-and-home series against the Oilers, and was held pointless.

That was just the beginning.

It took Leeman a remarkable 20 games to score his first goal as a Flame, and he wouldn't manage a single multi-point game over the rest of the season. He finished the year with just two goals and seven assists in 29 games.

He was somewhat better in 1992-93, scoring nine times through 30 games, but by that point it was too late. Just over a year after the Gilmour trade, the Flames sent Leeman to Montreal in a straight-up deal for Skrudland.

13. In one sense, Leeman still got the last laugh

Only two of the 10 players in the deal went on to win a Stanley Cup afterwards. One of those was Leeman, who earned his ring with the Canadiens in 1993. He suited up for 11 games during that playoff run, scoring once.

14. Gilmour made an impact early on – literally

While he didn't blossom into one of the league's top offensive threats until the following season, Gilmour scored at a better than point-a-game pace with Toronto, including multi-point outings in his first and third game as a Leaf.

But while he'd make his mark for his play-making, goal-scoring and two-way play, Gilmour's first true highlight as a Maple Leaf may have come in his sixth game with the team, when he found himself staring down a crazed Stu Grimson during a wild brawl in Chicago.

While every Leaf fan probably saw their new franchise player's life flashing before their eyes, Gilmour showed off some unexpected grappling skills by taking Grimson to suplex city.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=2EXLoC7DwXg?start=223

(He wouldn’t' debut what would become his patented finisher, the head butt, until a year later.)

15. Gilmour wasn't the first player to wear #93 for the Maple Leafs

Gilmour wore No. 39 in Calgary, but chose to flip that into what would become his iconic No. 93 in Toronto. This was during an era where high numbers were typically reserved for superstars like Wayne Gretzky, so the choice was a bit of a daring one.

But Gilmour's play lived up to the hype, and to this day you can still find blue-and-white No. 93 sweaters dotting the crowd at pretty much any Maple Leafs game. The number is so closely associated with Gilmour that Mitch Marner wouldn't take it when it was offered to him earlier this year.

All of which makes it a little bit odd that Gilmour wasn't the first player to wear the number in Toronto. He wasn't even the only one to do it in this trade.

Instead, that honour belonged to Godynyuk, who became the first player in NHL history to wear No. 93 when he debuted in Toronto during the 1990-91 season. One version of the story says Godynyuk chose the number because he was the third Soviet defector of the 90s, following Sergei Fedorov and Alexander Mogilny.

16. The trade didn't include any picks, and only one prospect

It's one thing to pull off a deal involving 10 players. But unlike just about every other high-volume trade in modern history, this one was made up almost entirely of established NHLers. The deal didn't include any draft picks, and only one prospect.

That prospect was Kent Manderville, a 20-year-old forward who was spending the season with the Canadian national team. He was already committed to playing in the 1992 Winter Olympics, where he'd have three points in eight games to help Team Canada to a silver medal.

Manderville debuted for the Maple Leafs later in the season, and went on to bounce around the league during a decade-long career as a low-scoring checking forward. He had some decent moments in Toronto, but Leafs fans may best remember him as the guy who whiffed on a check against Wayne Gretzky in Game 7 of the 1993 conference final.

17. The deal's biggest loser may have been Rick Wamsley

The Flames' veteran backup had been looking for a trade for months. Stuck behind established starter Mike Vernon in Calgary, Wamsley was concerned that his lack of playing time would prevent him from landing another contract in the league. So he'd asked the Flames to move him to a team where he'd have a chance to play more.

Instead, he was sent to the Leafs, who already had a future Hall-of-Famer in net in Fuhr, not to mention prospect Felix Potvin on the way.

Wamsley would make only eight appearances for the Maple Leafs the rest of the season, and just three the following year. He never did get that contract, and was out of the league by 1993.

18. Ric Nattress's stint in Toronto ended quickly and controversially

Nattress was a veteran defenceman who was hurt at the time of the deal. He appeared in 38 games for Toronto that season, scoring 16 points (including beating Patrick Roy from centre ice on Hockey Night in Canada for his first goal as a Leaf).

But at the end of the season, Nattress's contract status ended up being in question. The CBA dictated that any 10-year veteran making less than the league average salary was eligible for unrestricted free agency, but didn't actually define what "league average" meant. The case ended up going to a neutral arbitrator, who sided with Nattress and declared him a free agent. Nattress signed with the Flyers shortly after.

19. Jamie Macoun lasted longer with his new team than anyone else in the deal

Given how quickly most of the players in the trade ended up in new homes or out of the league altogether, you might assume that Gilmour stuck around longest.

Instead, that honour belongs to Macoun, who played nearly seven seasons in Toronto, outlasting Gilmour by one year.

An additional fun fact: despite being a defensive defenceman, Macoun's 101 points with the Leafs was more than all five players on the Flames side of the deal managed in Calgary, combined.

Macoun finally punched a ticket out of Toronto at the 1998 trade deadline, heading to Detroit for a fourth-round pick. That deal, small as it was, worked out well for both teams. The Leafs turned the pick into Alexei Ponikarovsky, and the Red Wings went on to win their second straight championship that spring, allowing Macoun to join Leeman as the second member of the 1991 blockbuster to pick up a post-trade Cup ring.

20. Heading to Toronto greatly increased Gilmour's marketability, with mixed results

By the time he'd put up 127 points in his first full season with the Leafs, Gilmour was one of the biggest stars in hockey, and playing in a major media market led to plenty of chances to pick up sponsorship deals.


Sometimes, that meant having cool hair.

Other times, it meant, well, this:

The 90s were weird.

21. The Flames and Leafs hooked up for another trade a few days later, but it was slightly smaller

Apparently feeling that swapping 10 players just wasn't quite enough, Fletcher and Risebrough threw one more name into the mix less than two weeks later.

On Jan. 15, 1992, the two teams completed a trade that didn't quite generate the same headlines: The Flames sending minor leaguer Todd Gillingham to the Leafs for cash.

Gillingham never did play in the NHL, but he was traded three times, each of which involved him shuffling back and forth between the Flames and Leafs.

22. Flames fans still aren't quite over all of this

Don't worry, we can talk about them. Every Calgary fan punched a hole in their screen the second they saw the headline on this post.

But yeah, it's fair to say that Flames fans haven't exactly gone with the whole "forgive and forget" thing.

They're still mad. Just a bit cranky. A little ornery. Mildly irritable.

Can you blame them? No, you cannot.

23. Over a decade later, the Leafs traded for Gilmour a second time. It didn't end well.

As memorable as it was, Gilmour's stint in Toronto only lasted a little more than five years, as he was traded to the Devils in advance of the 1997 deadline. He'd go on to bounce around four teams in six seasons, including a stint with Montreal.

That's where he was at the 2003 deadline, when the Habs agreed to send him back to Toronto for a sixth-round pick. It was a classic rental move; the Leafs were quasi-contenders, and bringing back Gilmour as a depth guy seemed like the sort of inspirational move that could spark the team to a playoff run. At the very least, they'd get a great moment when Gilmour first stepped onto the ice in Toronto wearing the blue and white.

It never happened. Instead, Gilmour made his Leafs return on the road, was involved in an awkward collision, and suffered a career-ending knee injury.

His Toronto comeback lasted just five shifts.

The location of that lone comeback game? Where else but Calgary.

24. The Fletcher family wasn't done with Risebrough quite yet

Cliff Fletcher remained with the Maple Leafs until 1997, and with the exception of a brief stint with the Coyotes and an interim role with the Leafs, that was the end of his career as an NHL GM.

That probably came as a relief to Risebrough, who moved on to a role in the Oilers' front office in 1996 before being named the first GM of the expansion Minnesota Wild in 1999. Building a team from the ground up is always a tough job, but at least Risebrough would be able to do it without being haunted by Fletcher, and memories of the ambitious blockbuster that backfired so badly.

Well, that ends up being mostly true. But in 2009, after nearly a decade on the job in Minnesota, Risebrough was relieved of his duties. His replacement: Chuck Fletcher.

Yes, the son of the man who fleeced him on the Doug Gilmour deal.

25: If you remember the day this deal went down, this post made your feel really old

Sorry about that. Feel free to yell at some clouds if it makes you feel better.


1041324 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Gilmour trade ushered in era of big-spending Maple Leafs

Doug Gilmour talks about his grueling seven-game series with Detroit in the 1993 Stanley Cup playoffs.

DAMIEN COX JANUARY 2, 2017, 8:18 AM

In those days, news travelled a lot more slowly.

So in Fussen, Germany on Jan. 2, 1992, it took a little while for the news that Doug Gilmour had been traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs to cross the ocean. Twenty-five years later, when news is communicated in half-seconds, that seems hard to believe.

But that’s the way it was before the internet, back when we filed by fastening couples to a telephone handset.

For me, a 30-year-old journalist for the Toronto Star in my third year as a beat reporter covering the Leafs, that specific time was a bit unusual because I wasn’t in Detroit when the trade was announced. Frank Orr was covering the Leafs that day for their game against the Red Wings, and our hockey columnist, Bob McKenzie, was covering the blockbuster trade from Toronto.

McKenzie wrote it was a “killer” of a trade for the Leafs, using Gilmour’s nickname to make his point that this was an earth-shaking deal for both Toronto and the Calgary Flames.

Me, I was in Germany at the 1992 world junior hockey championships, and from there, the Gilmour trade wasn’t on the top of my agenda. The day before, the Soviet Union’s hammer-and-sickle flag had been removed from the main tournament arena, and it was announced the team would henceforth be referred to as the Commonwealth of Independent States.

We felt like we were in the middle of history, not just a hockey tournament. On Jan. 2, meanwhile, Canada was blasted 6-1 by Czechoslovakia. Team Canada had airlifted Eric Lindros, Kimbi Daniels and goalie Trevor Kidd into Germany days after the team had arrived in Europe to bolster the lineup, but instead, the team went downhill and ended up finishing a disastrous seventh.

So those of us covering the world juniors were a little busy, and you just didn’t have the same access to news reports and opinion when you were thousands of miles from home.

As soon as we returned to North America, however, it became clear the impact the Gilmour deal would have on the Leafs in the win-loss column, and it opened one of the most exciting and successful chapters in the modern history of the team which, depending on your perspective, may or may not mean much.

What’s taken the passage of a quarter-century to understand, however, is that while the 10-player trade was clearly a lopsided one in favour of the Leafs, it also marked a turning point for the Leafs that had very positive, but also very negative, consequences.

Throughout the 1980s, the Leafs had gone through a rebuilding period in which they accumulated high draft picks under general manager Gerry McNamara, ostensibly to reconstruct what had been built during the 1970s by Jim Gregory and then ripped apart by Punch Imlach in his ill-fated second tour of duty running the Leafs.

In 1990, with a high-scoring young team, the Leafs had made the playoffs, losing in the first round to the St. Louis Blues. Partway through that series owner Harold Ballard died, and it was unclear what impact this would have on the future of the team. Maple Leaf Gardens had for decades been referred to as the “Carlton Street Cashbox,” but despite all those revenues, the Leafs had never been a high-spending organization.

That summer after Ballard’s death, the St. Louis Blues signed Washington defenceman Scott Stevens to a five-year, $5.145 million contract, and to their everlasting regret, the Capitals decided not to match the offer and accepted five first round draft picks as compensation. It was the kind of aggressive financial move the Leafs, despite their wealth, had never been known to make while Ballard was running the team. Four years earlier, in fact, Chicago had signed away Gary Nylund, the third overall pick in his draft year, from the Leafs, and the Leafs had


received Ken Yaremchuk, Jerome Dupont and a draft pick as compensation.

With Ballard gone, a battle ensued for control of the Leaf organization between the executors of his will - Steve Stavro, Donald Crump and Don Giffin. Crump sided with Stavro, while Giffin gained temporary control of the organization and in the summer of 1991 hired Cliff Fletcher away from the Flames to run the Leafs. Stavro was opposed to Fletcher’s hiring, and told him so to his face, but for the start of the 1991-92 season Fletcher was in charge and started to make aggressive moves.

It was clear that while the Leafs hadn’t spent under Ballard, Fletcher very much intended to use the team’s financial muscle. In September, he acquired the expensive contracts of Grant Fuhr and Glenn Anderson from Edmonton in exchange for youngsters Vince Damphousse, Luke Richardson, Peter Ing and Scott Thornton.

Fletcher’s intent was to think short-term and to spend, at least partially to try and win Stavro’s confidence by improving the team quickly.

Gilmour, meanwhile, had lost an arbitration battle with Calgary - he asked for $1.2 million, the Flames offered $570,000, the arbitrator gave him $750,000 - and demanded to be traded. Fletcher, who had acquired Gilmour for Calgary, knew what an outstanding two-way player he was, and that the rise of young forward Theoren Fleury on the Flames depth chart had pushed Gilmour out of the core group.

After a New Year’s Eve victory over Montreal, Gilmour walked out. Less than 24 hours later, he was a Leaf in a spectacular deal that quite clearly was partly about an unhappy hockey player, but mostly about the Leafs being willing to spend money for the first time and become one of the league’s higher payroll teams.

It wasn’t just Gilmour, who within two years was making more than $2 million a season under a new deal he signed in Toronto. Rick Walmsley wanted to play more so he could get a new contract. Ric Nattress was playing out his option. Jamie Macoun wanted more money.

And the Leafs, as they’d shown in acquiring Fuhr and Anderson, were willing to take on salary. It was a sea change in Toronto; under Ballard in the early 1970s they’d let good players leave for the World Hockey Association rather than pay them. But this was the beginning of a new era with the Leafs in which the team would use money, great gobs of it, to try and end a Stanley Cup drought that was then only 25 years old.

Another 25 years has passed, and still no Cup. Fletcher’s short-term thinking produced the thrilling playoff runs of 1993 and ’94, getting the Leafs to the Final Four twice. It was the first good hockey the city had seen in 15 years, and people loved it. Fletcher was a hero, Gilmour was a hero, and the Leafs were suddenly one of the most interesting teams in hockey.

All that said, this much is also true; the Gilmour deal ushered in a new wave of thinking in Toronto that may have set the team back for two decades.

Remember, under McNamara the Leafs were terrible, but they were building with kids and high draft picks. The problem was that under the erratic Ballard - he hired Gord Stellick as GM, then wouldn’t let Stellick choose his own coach - the team lacked the capacity to develop those young players.

After the Gilmour trade, the Leafs kept spending and moving prospects and picks for players, although Gilmour was traded away to New Jersey for young players. Fletcher tried to sign Wayne Gretzky as a free agent, and brought back Wendel Clark in 1997, giving up a fourth overall pick that the New York Islanders used to acquire Roberto Luongo.

Soon after, Fletcher was gone, and a new group led by Ken Dryden and Pat Quinn took over.

That group continued to spend, starting with signing free agent goalie Curtis Joseph, and over the next few years the Leafs became one of the higher spending teams in the sport along with the New York Rangers, Detroit and Philadelphia.

The organization still struggled to draft well and develop a productive farm system, so trades to bring in expensive veterans and free agent signings were used to plug holes as the team again edged towards being a contender. In 2003, Owen Nolan was acquired from San Jose for Brad Boyes, a former Leaf first round pick, along with Alyn McCauley and a first round draft pick.

Then came the institution of the NHL salary cap in 2005, and the financial power of big-spending clubs was diminished considerably. The Leafs suffered worse than any other team because they didn’t have a cupboard of affordable young players and the ownership was unwilling to take a major step back and start over with young players.

In other words, the short-term thinking that Fletcher had brought to Toronto in 1991 lasted through Dryden and Quinn, through the John Ferguson Jr. and Brian Burke regimes, and until Tim Leiweke hired Brendan Shanahan to run the team in 2014.

Now, the Leafs are back to doing what McNamara tried to do in the 1980s, albeit with much greater stability at the ownership level. The team still spends - $64 million on Mike Babcock, a big swing-and-a-miss on Steven Stamkos - but is otherwise totally committed to a plan of losing that has netted top prospects like Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews.

It would be wrong to say the Gilmour trade hurt the franchise. He was one of the best players to skate for the team in the post-expansjon era, and you had to be there to understand how exciting those few years were with No. 93 leading the charge.

But the Gilmour deal was part of a period in which the direction of the team was altered dramatically, and in significant ways, for the worse.


1041325 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Down Goes Brown Weekend Wrap: Time to give Columbus credit

Auston Matthews and Mitchell Marner join Scott Oake to comment after a thrilling Centennial Classic.

SEAN MCINDOE JANUARY 2, 2017, 11:15 AM

Every Monday, Sean McIndoe looks back at weekend play in the NHL and the league’s biggest storylines. You can follow him on Twitter.

Opening faceoff: That was fun

It was a big weekend in the NHL. The arrival of the new year meant the official start of the league’s 100th anniversary celebrations, and the weekend was headlined by the Centennial Classic between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings.

We’d seen these two teams take it outside once before – this was the first rematch in NHL outdoor game history – and neither is sitting in a playoff spot right now.

And after two periods, it looks like the league might have delivered a dud, as a lackluster 1-0 game dragged into the third without much in the way of highlights.

But that's when things got a little crazy, as the Leafs poured home four straight to build a 4-1 lead, only to watch the Red Wings mount a furious comeback to tie the game with a second left on the clock. That set up a back-and-forth overtime, one that Auston Matthews ended with his first career overtime goal.

It was all a lot of fun, and the weekend in Toronto even included a memorable alumni game—one highlighted by a ridiculous Mike Palmateer save, some good-natured toque-theft by Chris Chelios, and a decidedly not good-natured exchange between Kris Draper and Gary Roberts.

CHRIS CHELIOS STEALS TIE DOMI'S TOQUE DURING A DUMP AND CHASE PIC.TWITTER.COM/5J3S1LYU30

— JEFF VEILLETTE (@JEFFVEILLETTE) DECEMBER 31, 2016

We also had the St. Louis Blues/Chicago Blackhawks alumni game—one featuring Wayne Gretzky's return to the ice, and we'll get the real thing Monday afternoon when the Winter Classic goes in St. Louis.

But despite all the hype that comes with the league's various outdoor events, the highlight of the weekend was probably a game that nobody


paid any attention to when the schedule was released. That was Saturday's contest between the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets, a meeting of two teams riding double-digit win streaks.

It was a history-making matchup, marking the first-ever game between teams riding win streaks of 12 or more across all of major North American pro sports.

And despite various attempts by both teams to remind us that this was still just a regular season game, it felt like something bigger. Maybe that's because fans are finally giving these two teams some respect. Or maybe it's because we were just waiting to see whether one would be exposed.

Either way, the game managed to live up to expectations, delivering an entertaining game that ended with a 4-2 Blue Jackets win. We got some nice goals, a few big saves, and even a couple of scraps. It all played out in front of a loud Minnesota crowd, giving the whole thing a true big game feel.

So… did we just see a Stanley Cup Final preview?

That still seems like a stretch; June is still a long way away, and you can bet that teams like the Pittsburgh Penguins and Blackhawks will have a thing or two to say along the way. But at least a few fans may be holding out hope, given how Saturday night's meeting played out.

And if you prefer to keep things a little more realistic, we'll at least get a regular season rematch in early March.

The game snapped the Wild's streak at 12, and gives the Blue Jackets 15 straight. That's tied for the second longest streak in league history, and they'll have a chance to break the record this week with games against the Edmonton Oilers, Washington Capitals and New York Rangers.

BREAKING: #BLUEJACKETS BECOME THE 4TH TEAM IN NHL HISTORY WITH A 15-GAME WIN STREAK PIC.TWITTER.COM/XAHKBIPL3L

— SPORTSNET STATS (@SNSTATS) JANUARY 1, 2017

—

Road to the Cup

The five teams that look like they're headed towards Stanley Cup favourite status.

5. Chicago Blackhawks (23-11-5, plus-13 true goals differential*) – The Wild are getting all the attention right now—and rightly so—but the Blackhawks are technically still the Central's top seed.

4. New York Rangers (26-12-1, plus-37) – They closed out 2016 with a pair of road games against the league's worst teams, putting up a half-dozen goals on both the Coyotes and Avalanche.

3. Minnesota Wild (23-9-4, plus-38) – Despite the loss to the Blue Jackets, their recent hot streak is enough to return them to our top five for the first time since October.

2. Pittsburgh Penguins (25-8-5, plus-25) – They've got a four-game win streak. They'll keep it all week; they don't play again until Sunday.

1. Columbus Blue Jackets (26-5-4, plus-49) – You don't want to think too far head, but the Blue Jackets going for the all-time win streak record on home ice against the Rangers on Saturday night would be worth tuning in for, right?

(*Goals scored minus goals allowed, without counting shootouts like the NHL does for some reason.)

—

We took last weekend off because the NHL did too, so we've got two weeks of shuffling to deal with in the power rankings. Let's dive in and figure out where things stand.

The big news is that we have a new number one, and yes, it's finally the Blue Jackets. We've been struggling with how to handle Columbus in this space all year, initially going conservative to deny them a spot and later wrestling with just how good they might be.

There's still some debate to be had, and even those praising the Blue Jackets are still doing so with some caveats.

But at some point, you don't over-think this stuff. They're in first place overall, they've got the league's best goals differential, and they're riding one of the greatest hot streaks of all time. They get the number one spot, and fairly easily. At least for this week.

The last time we were here, we were trying to figure out whether the Wild were really a playoff lock. Two weeks later, they sure seem to be, pulling away to build a double-digit gap over teams like Dallas and Nashville. They're also just one back of the Blackhawks for the Central lead and hold three games in hand. Add it all up, and it's hard to deny them a top-five spot.

And that means that after a few weeks of relatively stability, somebody has to drop off the list to make room for Minnesota. That ends up being a team that's been there nearly the entire season, and has held the number one spot more than anyone else: the Montreal Canadiens. (Don't worry, I'm sure Habs fans will take the news well.)

It's a close call, and if you wanted to nudge the Canadiens ahead of somebody like Chicago, then you could certainly make that case. But the reality is that after a red-hot start, the Canadiens haven't been much better than average for the better part of two months now—and maybe not even that.

They had a four-game win streak back in early November that moved them to a league-leading 13-1-1, and ever since that ended, they're just 9-8-5.

In other words, they've lost 13 of their last 22, and only six of those nine wins have come in regulation. Even Carey Price looks mortal lately, giving up three or more goals in each of his last three starts.

It's not all bad in Montreal–they've banked enough points that their playoff spot is all but locked in, and they're still holding a comfortable six-point lead on top of the Atlantic. There's plenty of time to sort things out and get back into the mix at the top of the league.

But for the first time in months, they're not quite there right now.

—

Road to the lottery

The five teams that look like they're headed towards watching Nolan Patrick highlights and clicking refresh on draft lottery simulations.

5. Detroit Red Wings (16-16-5, minus-19) – They did well to come back and get a point in Toronto. But they've now managed just three regulation wins in their last 30 games.

4. New Jersey Devils (14-16-7, minus-29) – With one regulation win in their last 12, they've dropped below the Islanders for last spot in the Metro.

3. Buffalo Sabres (13-15-8, minus-19) – They managed just two wins in a six-game stretch against teams outside the playoff race, then lost back-to-back games to the Bruins. This week, they get the Rangers and Blackhawks.

2. Colorado Avalanche (12-23-1, minus-47) – They've lost three straight, and are apparently willing to start listening on some of their bigger names.

1. Arizona Coyotes (11-21-5, minus-41) – They've lost seven straight, including some ugly ones, and are now in that awful place where everyone knows they're bad but the players aren't allowed to come out and admit it because… oh, wait, never mind.

DOAN: "YOU LOSE AS BADLY AS WE’VE LOST THE LAST FEW GAMES AND AS MANY IN A ROW AS WE’VE LOST, WHAT ELSE (IS THERE) TO SAY? WE'RE BAD."

— SARAH MCLELLAN (@AZC_MCLELLAN) JANUARY 1, 2017

—

Let's face it, this is a pretty miserable time of year to be a fan of a bad team. The season is mostly over, at least in terms of the playoff hunt. As much as the league tries to pretend otherwise, the loser point makes it all but impossible for teams to make up big gaps in the standings, especially if there are multiple teams ahead of you.

And the rewards at the end of the road for bad teams, the draft lottery and draft, are still too far away to get excited about.


So where do you find optimism these days? One potential source is the World Junior Championships. A top prospect having a strong performance at a major international tournament can be just the thing to offer some hope to a suffering fan base.

So today, let's check in on how some of the NHL's more hopeless teams are doing at the WJC.

We'll start near the bottom, where Coyotes fans will be focused on Dylan Strome. He's been a disappointment at the NHL level so far, failing to stick in Arizona through two seasons, but is still viewed as a top prospect. He's got one of the highest-profile jobs in the tournament as captain of Team Canada, and has looked great so far, with eight points in four games. That's the start of the sort of performance that will restore some faith in his potential to be a special player in the NHL.

And the Coyotes' 2016 top pick, Clayton Keller, has also looked good, leading Team USA with seven points.

Colorado's top prospect is also playing a key role on Team Canada, in 2016 first round pick Tyson Jost. He's only managed two points so far, but has made some big plays.

Meanwhile, the Islanders will be watching another Canadian in Matt Barzal, who's right behind Strome with seven points.

Sabres fans are getting some much-needed positivity, with first rounder Alex Nylander leading the entire tournament in scoring through four games.

The Devils have four players at the tournament, including Team Canada forwards Blake Speers and Michael McLeod, who each have two points.

The Hurricanes have three players on Team Canada, including Nicolas Roy.

And the Red Wings may have found a gem in goaltender Joren van Pottelberghe, who's put up a .935 save percentage in four starts for underdog Switzerland.

And then there's the surprisingly feisty Canucks, who are hanging tough in the playoff race. They have top prospect Olli Juolevi serving as captain of Team Finland. That team has been a disaster, sitting last in Group A and firing their entire coaching staff mid-tournament. That's hardly Juolevi's fault, although he'll take his share of the heat as one of the team's key players. He led all defencemen in scoring last year as Finland won gold, but has just a single assist so far this year.

It's the second straight year that a Canucks prospect has been front-and-centre in a WJC disappointment, and a reminder that this time of year doesn't always bring good news for the teams that could use it.

—

Quick shifts: Ten more notable moments from around the league

• Now that we're into 2017, expect to see plenty of self-promotion and celebration of the game's history. On Sunday, the league unveiled the first 33 members of its Top 100 list. The rest of the (unranked) list will be announced at the All-Star Game.

CHILLS.

100 YEARS IN 100 SECONDS. #NHL100 PIC.TWITTER.COM/1ACSRNIIHJ

— NHL (@NHL) JANUARY 1, 2017

• Congratulations to Team Canada on its second straight Spengler Cup title. This year's team was coached by Luke Richardson and backstopped by Zach Fucale.

• We had an ugly moment on Saturday when Devils defenceman John Moore was hit from behind by Washington's Tom Wilson. Moore was stretchered off and spent time in hospital, but has since been released.

Wilson did not face any further discipline from the league, and played in last night's win over the Senators.

• Tough news for the Predators, as P.K. Subban will be out at least two or three weeks. That includes tomorrow's game with the Canadiens, which would have been his first meeting with his former team.

Elliotte Friedman has reported that the injury is thought to be a herniated disc.

PK SUBBAN, PREDATORS, DOCTORS TO MEET TOMORROW TO DISCUSS PATH TO TREAT WHAT IS BELIEVED TO BE A HERNIATED DISC...

— ELLIOTTE FRIEDMAN (@FRIEDGEHNIC) JANUARY 1, 2017

• Another key defenceman injury, this one in San Jose where Marc-Edouard Vlasic took a puck to the face on Friday. He missed Saturday's game and is considered day-to-day.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! THANK YOU FOR ALL THE KIND MESSAGES. DOING WELL, I'VE GOT THESE 4 GIRLS TAKING CARE OF ME. PIC.TWITTER.COM/NECWIWVI68

— MARC-ÉDOUARD VLASIC (@VLASIC44) JANUARY 2, 2017

• Evander Kane and Kevan Miller mixed it up a bit on Saturday, then settled it the way hockey tradition demands: With post-game media sniping and Twitter burns.

• The Hurricanes might be getting a little bit predictable; they've now lost nine of their last eleven on the road, while claiming points in eleven straight at home.

THE @NHLCANES HAVE EXTENDED THEIR HOME POINT STREAK TO 11 GAMES (10-0-1). PIC.TWITTER.COM/SDWJRXDYL2

— NHL PUBLIC RELATIONS (@PR_NHL) DECEMBER 31, 2016

• Coyotes defenceman Anthony DeAngelo has been suspended three games for physical abuse of officials, stemming from an incident in Saturday night's game against the Flames.

• The league and its players continued to send mixed messages on the 2018 Olympics yesterday. Donald Fehr says he's "more optimistic," while Gary Bettman seems less so.

• Finally, in what was easily the best story of the weekend and may be a late candidate for best story of 2016: Hurricanes' equipment manager Jorge Alves, who was forced into the lineup as the emergency backup goalie on Saturday when Eddie Lack got sick. We see this happen every now and then, but this time there was a twist: The Hurricanes actually put him in the game.


1041326 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / 20 awesome things about the Centennial Classic

LUKE FOX JANUARY 2, 2017, 10:29 AM

TORONTO — From legitimately flared tempers in an alumni game to a storybook ending written en plein air by a teenage hope, the Centennial Classic had more than its share of rewind-button-worthy moments.

Here are 20 awesome things from the National Hockey League’s 20th outdoor game.

1. Wayne Gretzky learned something new about hockey.

Hours after suiting up in a Blues uni and skating alongside Adam Oates and Brett Hull in St. Louis’s Winter Classic alumni game, the Great One hopped a plane to Toronto and made certain to tour the Hall of Fame truck parked in the fan zone outside Exhibition Place.

Gretzky is a lifelong student of the game who’s almost spent as much time in the Hall of Fame as Phil Pritchard, and yet he still got schooled Sunday.

"I learned something really new today going through the truck: you used to be able to get four assists on a goal. And I thought I knew a lot about the game of hockey, and I didn’t know that until today, which... wow, I wish that was around in the '80s," Gretzky laughed.

"And don’t change the rule for Jagr now."


GRETZKY JUST WALKED INTO THE CENTENNIAL FAN ARENA UNANNOUNCED AND IS CHECKING OUT THE VINTAGE STICKS. "OH MY GOD," A FAN INSIDE SAID. PIC.TWITTER.COM/JYVCI03CD0

— DAN ROSEN (@DROSENNHL) JANUARY 1, 2017

2. The view from the helicopter circling over the rink.

OK, SO THIS IS PRETTY DOPE. PIC.TWITTER.COM/FDEU79G4ZE

— FAIZAL KHAMISA (@SNFAIZALKHAMISA) JANUARY 1, 2017

3. Mantha’s double-pump fake.

After a dull, test-the-waters first period, 22-year-old Detroit Red Wings forward Anthony Mantha opened scoring in the second frame with a beauty. He double pump-faked Maple Leafs rookie Auston Matthews, who was coming out to block his shot. Then he ripped it short side on Frederik Andersen.

Mantha would add an assist and score the tying goal with less than two seconds left in regulation. He has five goals in five games and nine points over the past seven, but his patience on the opener was wonderful.

Fun fact: Mantha scored both the Red Wings final goal of 2016 and their first goal of 2017.

4. Mike Babcock waxing poetic about Borje Salming.

“Growing up, for me, Borje Salming was my favourite Leaf. I thought he was an unbelievable player and warrior. Just incredible," said the Leafs coach.

“He was an exceptional player. Intelligent. Good offensively and defensively. Could take a beating like no one I’ve ever seen in my life and just keep coming. Didn’t back up an inch. I’m not trying to take anything away from Darryl Sittler, but to me he was the player.”

5. Salming—at 65, the eldest Leaf to participate in Saturday's alumni contest—saying he should get back on the ice more.

“It hurts a little bit," the legendary defenceman told me after the game.

"A week ago I skated. Before that, it was the [2016] Hockey Hall of Fame game, and before that it was the [2015] Hockey Hall of Fame game. I don’t skate too much, which I should do. Turning and everything like this, it’s hard on the knees. The knees aren’t 100 per cent." The heart is.

6. The unveiling of the first 33 of the 100 greatest NHL players of all time.

Considering 15 of them are Maple Leafs, the league chose a good town to make the announcement. Johnny Bower, Johnny Bucyk, Dave Keon, Glenn Hall and Red Kelly—some of the last living members of the group—made a surprise appearance at a press conference and spilled some wisdom.

LEGENDS ROW. #CENTENNIALCLASSIC PIC.TWITTER.COM/QIS0YTEYUB

— LUKE FOX (@LUKEFOXJUKEBOX) JANUARY 1, 2017

7. Hall talking about the evolution of the goalie.

“We knew nothing about good equipment,” the Chicago icon said. “You get some skinny little fella and he’s got pants on that are 10 times too large. We used to move to save the puck. Now the goalkeeper moves so the puck hits him.”

Hall was brimming with zingers. Asked who was the better goalie, him or Bower, he quipped: “Let’s just look. Who’s better looking?”

Bower, 92, found it difficult to hear reporters' questions but managed to fill the room with laughter with this: “I let in a few goals, but that’s because I couldn’t see them. I blame my defencemen for that.”

8. Something else about pants!

We loved the capital "T" on the Maple Leafs' pants and the vintage, Tigers-styled "D" marking the Red Wings' thighs. A nice nod to the ol' Toronto Arenas and Detroit Cougars. So much attention gets paid to throwback sweaters, it's about time somebody gave the pants love.

9. Lanny McDonald’s alumni photo bomb:

LANNY MCDONALD SLIDES RIGHT BY DETROIT'S ALUMNI PHOTO. PIC.TWITTER.COM/P5DWZSF9YP

— SPORTSNET (@SPORTSNET) DECEMBER 31, 2016

10. The concourse parade through adoring fans.

The Maple Leafs took over the Argonauts' dressing room for the weekend, and its positioning at the stadium is such that the players must walk directly through a packed concourse, where fans can reach out and high-five the stars—an intimacy unavailable during a regular game.

line

11. Gary Roberts and Kris Draper getting nasty.

So, here's something you don't see at an alumni exhibition. Two old-timers exchanging legitimately testy slashes and nasty words, ramping up the truculence at a family-friendly matinee.

"It wasn't fake, I can tell you that," said Draper, who would go on to score the game-winner.

The confrontation was sparked when a forechecking Dino Ciccarelli rammed Leafs defenceman Danny Markov into the corner.

"Did you see Robs and Drapes go at it?" a giddy Tie Domi said post-game. "The two most fit guys on both teams going at it!”

12. Gretzky made the puck drop.

The best player to lace 'em up dropping the puck to kick off the 100th year of the league. Pretty perfect.

Interesting that the captainless Leafs selected Tyler Bozak to take the ceremonial draw. I wonder if that was for good luck, considering Bozak won the 2014 Winter Classic for Toronto with his shootout heroics.

WHO ELSE BUT THE GREAT ONE TO GET OUR CENTENNIAL YEAR STARTED? #CENTENNIALCLASSIC #NHL100 PIC.TWITTER.COM/BEWIKWFCFM

— NHL (@NHL) JANUARY 1, 2017

13. Gretzky defending the names on the NHL's individual trophies.

A reporter asked commissioner Gary Bettman if he would consider updating the names of the league's MVP, Rookie of the Year, and scoring race awards. Gretzky interrupted. He wanted to handle the question himself.

"The Art Ross, the Hart, the Lady Byng... I think they should stay the way they are, because that’s the history of our game," Gretzky said. "I really believe that that’s what separates our sport from every other sport, is some of the history that we have."

Bettman added this: "While there will be certain players we’ll have to find ways to commemorate and respect for all eternity, disrespecting those who have been given the honour of having their names on trophies doesn’t strike me as a fair or appropriate thing to do. But it’s a good question. And I’m glad Wayne answered it."

14. The current Maple Leafs and legendary Maple Leafs sharing one dressing room on Saturday.

"To see those guys and how much they loved Toronto and being a Leaf and all that was great for our kids," said Babcock, calling it the highlight of the weekend.

"I thought we did a nice job that way with the alumni, and they helped us get better by being around us, and I thought that was important."

WHAT A GREAT WEEKEND #NHL CENTENNIAL CLASSIC PIC.TWITTER.COM/B5KLIXGMHE

— DOUG GILMOUR (@DOUGGILMOUR93) JANUARY 1, 2017

15. Babcock's adoration for Nick Lidstrom will never die.

“He’s good enough to play in the National Hockey League today. For sure," said Babcock. "For sure he could play in anybody’s top four in the National Hockey League.”

Of course, Lidstrom would score in the alumni game.

TWO LEGENDS. LARIONOV AND LIDSTROM. PIC.TWITTER.COM/LKADXQ3PBX

— JAMES MIRTLE (@MIRTLE) DECEMBER 31, 2016


16. Mike Palmateer’s body-breaking, arm-sprawling, penalty-shot-snuffing save.

“Mike Palmateer is trending” is something that was said in 2016. And it wasn't because the 62-year-old died... although he did think he killed himself for a second.

17. The NHLPA is "more optimistic" about playing in Pyeongchang.

"I'm more optimistic now than I ever have been, at least as far as we're concerned, that we'll be able to reach an appropriate agreement with the IIHF to allow for the players to go," Donald Fehr, the executive director of the NHL Players' Association, said Sunday.

While Commissioner Bettman sounded less optimistic, it's becoming clearer that the players will be pushing to participate.

"I assume there will be further discussions over the course of the next several weeks and I choose to be optimistic on this one," Fehr said. "We'll see."

Also of note: Bettman is targeting three outdoor games for 2017-18. One will be the Winter Classic. Another will likely be on Dec. 19 in honour of the NHL's inaugural game. Nothing is finalized, however.

18. Mitch Marner's ridiculous goal through traffic.

The Leafs rookie cut to the slot through a crowd of five Red Wings to snipe this wonderful go-ahead goal in the third period:

“I watched Marner play with Max for two years in London, so I know what he’s capable of," Tie Domi said.

“Guys like him, they’ve been small their whole life. So he’s smart. He doesn’t put himself in situations. The puck follows him around. He’s got eyes in the back of his head, always looking. You just hope he doesn’t let his guard down, especially in the second half. Second half, every game is like a playoff game. Teams in your conference try to hurt you, so you have to be aware.”

19. The Sportsnet teaser.

My wife has been trying to convince me that Coldplay doesn't suck for years. She would've had an easier time by just showing me this montage. Goosebumps, I tell ya. Goosebumps....

20. Auston Matthews playing the hero...

But even more awesome was the explosive reaction from the normally restrained Kyle Dubas and Brendan Shanahan. Love it. (Though I'm not sure Lou Lamoriello flinches here.)

GOTTA LOVE HOW PUMPED @BRENDANSHANAHAN, @KYLEDUBAS, AND THE REST OF THE LEAFS BOX WERE FOR MATTHEWS' OT WINNER PIC.TWITTER.COM/Q2Z7EA1RS5

— JEFF VEILLETTE (@JEFFVEILLETTE) JANUARY 2, 2017


1041327 Websites

TSN.CA / Chabot shines in Canada’s quarterfinal win

By Frank Seravalli

MONTRÉAL — The temperature inside the Canadian dressing room was a little warmer than usual during the first intermission on Monday, the demons of last year’s worst showing in World Junior Championship in nearly two decades dancing around in the heads of five returning players.

It was one period, yes, but Canada trailed a Czech Republic team they romped by a 13-0 margin in two pre-tournament games.

Chabot delivers against the Czechs

After losing his defence partner, Gord Miller and Ray Ferraro talk about the impressive play of Thomas Chabot who had a goal and an assist

against the Czech Republic and discuss the stellar work by Anthony Cirelli in the dot as Canada advances to the semi-final against Sweden.

Just about everything that could have gone wrong did: Canada was booed off the Bell Centre ice after their potent power play suddenly sputtered and the Czechs scored on a strange bounce off the referee.

Then Thomas Chabot piped up.

According to Blake Speers, Chabot told the team during the first intermission: “We’ve got this. We were going to score more than one goal today anyways. It’s not a big deal that they got one. Keep sticking to our game.”

As Chabot spoke, Speers looked around the Canadiens’ hallowed dressing room that Team Canada was inhabiting.

“You see could see everyone around the room listening to him,” Speers said, “that he’s going to lead the team.”

Then Chabot did just that. A 50-50 puck squirted out to Chabot at the point. He gambled and not only kept the play alive, but ducked a Czech defender and beat goaltender Jakub Skarek to quell any lingering thoughts of an upset and give Canada a lead they would never relinquish.

Canada pulled away for a 5-3 victory thanks to two third period tallies by Julien Gauthier, but the quarterfinal victory served as a poignant reminder that the 2017 World Junior Championship has served as Chabot’s official coming out party.

“The whole country knows who he is now,” goaltender Connor Ingram said.

Canada will have its hands full against Sweden

It is very rare that Canada enters a game as an underdog, and even though they have dominated Sweden in the knockout stages of this tournament, the Swedes are still considered favourites. The WJC panel explains how Canada can overcome that and pull out a win in the semis.

Canada will now face tournament favourite Sweden in one semifinal on Wednesday night at the Bell Centre (7:30 p.m. on TSN 1/3/4/5 & 4K). The winner of that game will square off against either Russia or the United States for the gold medal on Thursday.

Chabot, one of the five returnees, helped make sure Canada skirted what would have been a quarterfinal exit for the second consecutive tournament - which would have been Canada’s worst back-to-back showing since the playoff format was introduced in 1996.

Chabot, 19, has averaged five more minutes ice time per game than any other Canadian skater and aptly covered for the absence of concussed blue liner Philippe Myers.

The Ottawa Senators’ first-round pick now leads all defencemen in tournament scoring with three goals and four assists for seven points in five games.

When Chabot made the play for the go-ahead goal, he said he wasn’t sure if he should take the risk as the only defenceman between himself and Ingram.

“It was a pretty tight play,” Chabot explained. “But that’s when I told myself I might as well go around him.”

Most players, Speers said, might think about the obvious danger and fumble the puck - particularly in a die-or-die elimination game setting.

“If you’re thinking, ‘Well, I’m the last guy back, I better not bobble it,’ that’s when you’re going to bobble it,” Speers said. “You’ve got to be confident in yourself and confident in your ability with the puck.

“He’s just a calm leader, a really calming voice if temperatures are starting to boil over or we’re getting a little anxious. He’s the guy to settle things down.”

Each time Canada scored on Monday night, the Czech Republic seemingly had an answer. The situation was getting more tense with each strike, considering the Czechs scored three times on their first 14 shots.

After the game, Canada coach Dominique Ducharme offered a lukewarm assessment of Ingram, who started two consecutive games for Canada for the first time this tournament. Ingram admitted he made a poor read


on the second Czech Republic goal, but he couldn’t be faulted for the other two.

“He was all right,” Ducharme said. “The first goal hit the referee, kind of a bad bounce. The second goal, I’m sure he knows he can get that one. Overall, I think he was OK.”

Chabot carrying Canada: "He's a monster right now"

Thomas Chabot has clearly stepped up in a leadership role for Team Canada and his teammates have noticed both on and off the ice. Chabot spoke about his extended role within the team and described his goal that gave his team a much-needed boost. Mark Masters has more.

Ducharme seemed to leave the door open for Carter Hart to return to the net against Sweden. Goaltending remains Canada’s biggest question mark as they have the 9th-best save percentage in the tournament (.874). Ducharme will have an extra day to think about it as Canada will not practice on their off-day on Tuesday.

“We’ll see,” Ducharme said. “We’ll talk about it. It’s too early to tell.”

Ducharme didn’t get a queasy feeling on the bench when Chabot stepped in to make his game-changing play, the TSN Turning Point of the quarterfinal win.

“He’s been making those plays,” Ducharme said. “He brings a lot of confidence to our team.”

Ducharme noncommittal on who starts in goal for semis

After Team Canada head coach Dominique Ducharme was noncommittal about if Connor Ingram would start in the semis versus Sweden, TH2N talks about who they believe will be between the pipes for the Canada.

Canada could have crumbled. They didn’t. Armed with that experience, Speers said Canada now has the confidence to tackle Sweden, which they will try to do in an unfamiliar position as underdog.

“There aren’t that many guys that have played in such meaningful elimination games,” Speers said. “That’s how you grow as a team, through situations like this. It’s nice that we just stuck with it.”

TSN.CA LOADED: 01.03.2017

1041328 Websites

TSN.CA / Leafs send Corrado down for conditioning

By Kristen Shilton

TSN Maple Leafs reporter Kristen Shilton checks in daily on TSN.ca with news and notes from Maple Leafs practices and game-day skates. The Maple Leafs held a practice at MasterCard Centre on Monday.

Frank Corrado is normally among the first players out when the Maple Leafs take the ice for practice, but he was conspicuously absent on Monday. Not long after the team began drills, it was announced that Corrado had been sent to the Toronto Marlies for a two-week long American Hockey League conditioning stint. The Marlies are slated to play seven games by Jan. 14, and if the Maple Leafs don’t need to recall him Corrado should dress for them all. He’s only played in one NHL contest this season, a 4-1 loss in Pittsburgh on Nov. 12. “We could have sent him earlier,” coach Mike Babcock said of the timing of the stint. “I wanted him to be part of the Centennial Classic — whether he got to play in it or not, just be part. We talked to him awhile back and said this is how it would work out. Ideally we’ll stay healthy and he’ll get to play the whole swath of games available to him. That gives him a better chance of an opportunity to jump in.” Corrado voiced his displeasure last month about the lack of playing time he’s seen this season, claiming Babcock was keeping him out because he doesn’t like him. Players have to agree to be loaned to an AHL club for conditioning. Toronto also returned centre Byron Froese to the AHL, leaving them with a 21-man roster.

Auston Matthews scored his 19th goal of the season in the third period, and his 20th in overtime to seal the 5-4 victory for Toronto in Sunday’s Centennial Classic. The Leafs’ four-goal third period in that contest was

sparked by Matt Martin’s fight with Detroit’s Steve Ott early on, and when the entire team piled onto the ice to celebrate at the end, Martin said Matthews sought him out with an important message. “Right after [Auston] scored that goal when we were in the huddle, he grabbed me and said, ‘You pumped me up,’ Martin said. “For me that was pretty impressive after scoring the overtime goal in the outdoor game, the first thing you think about was to say something like that. It’s pretty special. He’s a hell of a player and off the ice he’s just as special. He’s going to be a good leader for this team for a long time.” The size of Martin’s four-year contract and his four points over 36 games has led to grumbling among some fans, but there’s no confusion for Matthews. “He’s a guy you want on your team,” he said. “[Martin] gives 110 per cent every game or practice, doesn’t matter what it is. He’s one of our leaders here.” And Martin’s mere presence is doing exactly what Babcock hoped it would when the team signed him, even if his playing time has dipped since Ben Smith went down with injury and the fourth line isn’t in rotation as much. “We don’t get pushed around, ever,” Babcock said. “We don’t get slapped or abused and we did last year all time. [Martin]’s doing a real nice job for us and is an effective player for us.”

As the first rookie to reach 20 goals, Matthews has perhaps exceeded expectations as far as where his point totals would be early in the season. It’s no secret that his linemates – Zach Hyman and Connor Brown – have been an integral part of what make Matthews so impactful. They create space for him, and as his reputation around the league has intensified, Matthews generates room for them by drawing multiple players to him on the rush. That trio has been the Maple Leafs’ most consistent on their recent five-game winning streak. “I think we’ve really jelled more and more as we’ve played together,” Matthews said. “Lately we’ve been really finding each other well in those open areas. [Hyman and Brown] work hard so they create as well for me. Brown can make plays and Hyman is a worker and is really good behind the net with this pop plays, which you saw with Connor’s goal [on Sunday]. We’re hard to play against. We’re comfortable playing against any line any night.” With a player of Matthews’ calibre in the fold, Babcock has stressed time and again that given how important the wingers are to Matthews’ success, they deserve more credit. “I think the line is good,” he said. “We spend a lot of time here talking about Matthews and [William] Nylander and [Mitch] Marner and we don’t spend as much time talking about Hyman and Brown and how hard they work and how competitive they are. But it’s become a real good line for us that can play against anyone.”

While they’re still three points off where they’d like to be in their segment-based system, the Maple Leafs are firmly in the playoff hunt, with a few games in hand on most of teams they’re trying to muscle past. They haven’t played a team in the playoff picture since Dec. 19, but there’s an upcoming stretch of opponents who will present a better challenge of where they’re at, starting with the Washington Capitals on Tuesday. “We need to do a better job of holding onto leads. It’s not a strength of ours it seems,” Martin said. “But we are definitely very resilient. We have a lot of guys who can step up in big moments, but there are a few things we can clean up to be a better hockey team.” It would be easy to caution the young group against getting too focused on the idea of making the playoffs without underlining how important their execution will be in getting there, but Martin thinks their recent history will keep the Maple Leafs even-keeled. “Ten, 12 days ago we were a .500 team at the bottom of the standings,” he said. “In this season things can change quickly so we have to take it one game at a time and continue to build.”

- The Maple Leafs’ trip to D.C. and then the New York area will be the team’s annual dad’s trip, with players’ fathers joining them on the road. Even though Matthews lives with his father in Toronto, he says it’s a special thing to be able to have him on the road for a few days. “Your family has made such a big sacrifice and commitment to you, it’s nice to have a trip for them,” he said. “All the dads are looking to have a good time so hopefully it’ll be a good trip for everyone and they can soak it all in.”


1041329 Websites

TSN.CA / Ingram gets the call for Team Canada

By Mark Masters


TSN's Mark Masters is with Team Canada and has the latest as the squad plays in the world junior championship. The team held an off-ice workout at the Bell Centre in Montreal ahead of tonight's quarterfinal game.

- Connor Ingram gets the start for Canada in tonight's quarterfinal against the Czech Republic. The Kamloops goalie posted a 21-save shutout in a pre-tournament game against the Czechs on Dec. 21 in Ottawa and also blanked them during a 30-minute appearance in a selection camp scrimmage on Dec. 14 in Boisbriand, Que. The decision to go with Ingram over Carter Hart was mostly based on how the 19-year-old responded in the New Year's Eve loss to the United States. "He kept us in the game with big saves," head coach Dominique Ducharme explained. "We're confident he's going to be good for us tonight. Overall, we think he's on the right track."

- Canada's five returning players haven't forgotten what happened in the quarterfinals last year. "It was tough," said Mathew Barzal. "You got to stay composed, no matter what happens throughout the game. It was a rollercoaster of a game last year against Finland. That may happen tonight, who knows, so just got to stay composed, push the pace, play our game and make sure it's 60 minutes.” Canada squandered leads of 2-0 and 3-2 en route to a 6-5 loss to the Finns last year. The tournament hosts scored the game-winning goal on the power play with six minutes remaining. "We're ready this year," said Julien Gauthier. "We have a better team and we're more prepared." A lack of discipline cost Canada dearly last year and some troubling signs emerged in the last couple of games as the team was shorthanded eight times against Latvia and seven times against the United States. Ducharme had a brief chat about discipline issues with Pierre-Luc Dubois, who took an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty late in the third period on Saturday for shooting the puck into the USA net after the whistle on an offside call. Dubois was not made available for interviews on Monday.

- Is Blake Speers familiar with one-and-done situations? "Oh, I don't even know really," the Devils prospect said before pausing a moment to think. "Haven't been in too many to be honest. It's a little bit of a first-time experience for me. Obviously, when I was younger, playing minor hockey tournaments, those were all one and done so it's not the first time, but it's probably the biggest one-and-done game of my life." Speers is getting a big opportunity tonight as he's been promoted to the top line with Dylan Strome and Tyson Jost. "It's just really important for me to use my speed," said Speers, who played with Strome and Dubois in the first pre-tournament game against Finland. "If I can go and separate guys from the puck and get pucks back to Dylan, he's a guy that's going to do a lot with the puck and find me if I get open." Strome has eight points in the tournament, but only two have come at even strength, including a helper on the 10th goal in the 10-2 rout of Latvia.

- Speers turns 20 today. "I got my birthday beatings this morning so I’m already a little sore," he said with a laugh. "The guys have been good. They're trying to tell me I'm too old for the tournament now." What would be the perfect birthday gift? "A ticket to the semis," the Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., native said with a smile. If Speers comes up big this week, it won't be the first time his birthday has coincided with an important moment in his hockey life. "My team won the Bell Capital Cup in Ottawa a couple days around my birthday when I was nine or 10 and that was pretty special. That was a big tournament for me and hopefully I can get a late birthday present at this tournament."

- While three of Canada's four forward lines will have a new look on Monday, the one that remains the same will be Barzal between Taylor Raddysh and Mathieu Joseph. Ducharme was asked if he considered giving Raddysh a look with his Erie Otters linemate Strome. "No, we like the Barzal line," the coach explained. "We made little adjustments. We didn't want to change everything." He said that Michael McLeod, Speers and Mitchell Stephens, who have all played on the right side with Strome, play a similar style so it's a not a big change rotating them in. Much like Strome, Barzal has produced on the power play so far, but only has one point at even strength.

- Stephens will return to the lineup after missing the last two games due to injury. Will he need to ease back in? "No, I think I'm ready to go," the Lightning prospect said. "We've done a lot of therapy, treatment to get me back to 100 per cent so it's a matter of going out and proving that." Stephens left the game against Slovakia shortly after taking a big hit, but the injury was described as a "twisted ankle" by Ducharme. On Monday, Stephens was addressing the media for the first time since the injury and was asked how it happened. "Ah, next question," he said. "Sorry."

--

* Projected Team Canada lineup for tonight's game:

Jost-Strome-Speers

Joseph-Barzal-Raddysh

Dubois-Roy-Gauthier

Dube-Cirelli-Stephens

McLeod

Chabot-Clague

Bean-Juulsen

Lauzon-Fabbro

Ingram starts

Hart


1041330 Websites

TSN.CA / Statistically Speaking: Matthews tearing it up

By Scott Cullen

Kreider and Kesler have hat tricks; Matthews, Mantha, Hedman and more in Scott Cullen's Statistically Speaking.

Rangers power forward Chris Kreider recorded a hat trick in Saturday's 6-2 win at Colorado. He has eight points (6 G, 2 A) in the past four games and is having a breakout offensive campaign with 15 goals and 29 points in 33 games. He's also generating a career-high 2.76 shots on goal per game.

Derek Stepan and Mats Zuccarello each assisted on two of Kreider's goals against the Avalanche. Stepan has 16 points (5 G, 11 A) in the past 15 games and Zuccarello has nine assists during a six-game point streak.

HEROES

Ryan Kesler - Anaheim's veteran centre scored three goals in Sunday's 4-3 shootout win against Philadelphia. He has 24 points (11 G, 13 A) in the past 25 games.

Auston Matthews - Toronto's ace rookie is tearing it up, and his hot streak continued Sunday as he scored two goals, including the overtime winner, in a 5-4 win against Detroit in the Centennial Classic. He has 19 points (14 G, 5 A) in the past 17 games.

Anthony Mantha - The Red Wings rookie winger scored two goals and set up one in Sunday's 5-4 overtime loss at Toronto. He has nine points (5 G, 4 A) during a six-game point streak. Henrik Zetterberg added three assists for the Wings, giving him eight points (1 G, 7 A) during a six-game point streak.

Victor Hedman - Tampa Bay's top defenceman is on an offensive roll. Two assists in Saturday's 3-1 win against Carolina gives him 14 points (2 G, 12 A) in the past nine games. With 33 points in 38 games, he ranks second among defencemen, two points behind San Jose's Brent Burns.

ZEROES

Miles Wood - The Devils rookie winger was on the ice for four goals against in Saturday's 6-2 loss against Washington.

Roman Polak - While the Maple Leafs emerged victorious against Detroit Sunday, Polak was pinned in his own end (2 for, 17 against, 10.5 CF%, 1-10 scoring chances) during the 5-4 overtime win.

Cam Fowler - Anaheim's big-minute blueliner had a rough couple of games over the weekend (21 for, 42 against, 33.3 CF%, 11-21 scoring chances) against Vancouver and Philadelphia, respectively.


Keith Kinkaid - In New Jersey's 6-2 loss to Washington Saturday, netminder Kinkaid surrendered six goals on just 26 shots, a quick regression after he had stopped 43 of 44 shots in his previous start.

Connor Hellebuyck - Winnipeg's goaltending problems continue to linger, as Hellebuyck gave up four goals on 15 shots in Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Islanders. He has a .898 save percentage in his past 10 games.

Calvin Pickard - Colorado's goaltender gave up six goals on 37 shots in Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Rangers. He has a .851 save percentage in his past three starts.

Jake Allen - St. Louis' netminder allowed three goals on 14 shots before he was pulled in Friday's 4-0 loss to Nashville. He has a .881 save percentage in his past six starts.

VITAL SIGNS

Ryan Getzlaf - Anaheim's playmaking centre left Sunday's win over Philadelphia with a lower-body injury.

Kris Letang - Pittsburgh's No. 1 defenceman returned to the lineup after missing more than two weeks with a lower-body injury. He had two assists in Saturday's 4-3 overtime win against Montreal and has six assists in his past four games.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic - San Jose's shutdown defender missed Saturday's 3-2 defeat at Los Angeles after taking a puck in the face late in Friday's win over Philadelphia. He's considered day-to-day.

Dmitry Kulikov - The Sabres blueliner is out with a lower-body injury, which created an opening for Justin Falk to play in Saturday's 3-1 loss to Boston.

John Moore - New Jersey's defenceman suffered a concussion following a hit by Capitals RW Tom Wilson during Saturday's 6-2 loss vs. Washington.

SHORT SHIFTS

Blackhawks C Jonathan Toews assisted on both Chicago goals in Friday's 3-2 loss at Carolina, giving him four points (2 G, 2 A) in the past four games…Predators LW Filip Forsberg scored a goal and added an assist in Friday's 4-0 win at St. Louis; he has six points (5 G, 1 A) in the past six games…Predators C Mike Ribeiro had a couple of assists at St. Louis, ending a seven-game scoreless drought…Canucks LW Loui Eriksson contributed a goal and an assist in Friday's 3-2 overtime win vs. Anaheim. He has four points (2 G, 2 A) in the past five games.

Brandon Saad is one of several Blue Jackets producing at a high level.

Columbus' leading scorer, RW Cam Atkinson, found the net twice in Saturday's 4-2 win at Minnesota, and has 16 points (9 G, 7 A) in the past 12 games…Blue Jackets LW Brandon Saad earned a couple of assists in Saturday's 4-2 win at Minnesota; he has 15 points (8 G, 7 A) in the past 14 games…Even in a losing effort, Wild RW Mikael Granlund continued to produce. He had a goal and an assist against Columbus, and has 15 points (5 G, 10 A) in the past 12 games…Wild D Jared Spurgeon had a couple of assists against the Blue Jackets, giving him five points (3 G, 2 A) in the past five games…Canadiens LW Paul Byron produced a goal and an assist in Saturday's 4-3 overtime loss at Pittsburgh, giving him 11 points (5 G, 6 A) in the past 12 games…Penguins LW Carl Hagelin had a couple of assists against Montreal, giving him five points (2 G, 3 A) in the past three games…Penguins RW Phil Kessel chipped in a goal and an assist, and has seven points (2 G, 5 A) in the past six games…Capitals RW Justin Williams came away with a goal and an assist in Saturday's 6-2 win at New Jersey then added an assist in Sunday's 2-1 win over Ottawa. He has 12 points (7 G, 5 A) in the past 13 games…Capitals defencemen Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik each contributed a couple of assists at New Jersey and Orpik added another against Ottawa. Niskanen has eight points (2 G, 6 A) in his past 10 games, while Orpik had gone his previous 10 games without a point… Lightning RW Nikita Kucherov had a pair of assists in Saturday's 3-1 win over Carolina, giving him nine points (2 G, 7 A) in his past eight games…Islanders LW Josh Bailey recorded a couple of assists in Saturday's 6-2 victory at Winnipeg, giving him seven assists in the past six games…Islanders RW Ryan Strome contributed a goal and an assist, and has seven points (4 G, 3 A) in his past eight games. He had one point in his previous 18 games before this upswing…Islanders C John Tavares had a goal and an assist, and has a modest four points (2 G, 2 A) in the past seven games…Panthers RW Jaromir Jagr had a goal and an assist in Saturday's 3-1 win at Dallas, giving him seven points (1 G, 6 A) in the past six games…Panthers C Vincent Trocheck, who moved up to play

with Jagr in the absence of Aleksander Barkov, also had a goal and an assist and has five points (3 G, 2 A) in the past three games…Flames RW Michael Frolik scored a goal and added an assist in Saturday's 4-2 win against Arizona; he has six points (1 G, 5 A) in the past four games…Canucks LW Sven Baertschi scored a goal and added an assist in Saturday's 3-2 shootout win at Edmonton. He has nine points (4 G, 5 A) in his past nine games…Canucks C Bo Horvat picked up a pair of assists, and scored the shootout winner at Edmonton; he has nine points (2 G, 7 A) in the past nine games…Kings LW Tanner Pearson produced a goal and an assist in Saturday's 3-2 win vs. San Jose, and has five points (2 G, 3 A) in the past five games.

Maple Leafs rookie RW Connor Brown put up a goal and two assists in Sunday's 5-2 win against Detroit, and has seven points (3 G, 4 A) in the past five games…Maple Leafs D Jake Gardiner and LW Zach Hyman both chipped in a couple of assists against Detroit. Gardiner has 11 points (2 G, 9 A) in the past 11 games, while Hyman has six assists in the past six games…Red Wings LW Tomas Tatar contributed a pair of assists at Toronto, and has six points (4 G, 2 A) in the past six games.

Juuse Saros has been great in limited playing time for Nashville.

Predators G Juuse Saros had a 25-save shutout in Friday's 4-0 win at St. Louis, and has a .957 save percentage in six starts…Sharks G Aaron Dell stopped all 21 saves in Friday's 2-0 win against Philadelphia, giving him a .936 save percentage in six games…Islanders G Thomas Greiss had 32 saves on 34 shots in Saturday's 6-2 win at Winnipeg; he has a .931 save percentage in his past seven starts…Panthers G James Reimer stopped 35 of 36 shots in Saturday's 3-1 win at Dallas, and has a .951 save percentage in his past five games…Canucks G Jacob Markstrom turned away 42 of 44 shots in Saturday's 3-2 shootout win at Edmonton, giving him a .936 save percentage in his past seven games…Capitals G Braden Holtby had 23 saves on 24 shots in Sunday's 2-1 win against Ottawa. He has a .942 save percentage in his past 11 games…Ducks G John Gibson turned away 51 of 54 shots in Sunday's 4-3 shootout win against Philadelphia. He has a .926 save percentage in his past six starts.

FIRSTS

Michal Kempny - The 26-year-old Blackhawks rookie defenceman scored his first goal, and added an assist, in his 25th career game, Friday's 3-2 loss at Carolina. Kempny has been a regular healthy scratch, so it was only his third game in 26 days.

Jorge Alves - Carolina's equipment manager made his NHL debut, playing in goal for eight seconds in Saturday's 3-1 loss at Tampa Bay. The 37-year-old Massachusetts native had played some emergency games in the ECHL a decade ago and has worked with the Hurricanes since 2003-2004, full-time since 2012-2013.

FANTASY FOCUS

The most added defencemen that are (not mentioned above and) still owned in less than half of TSN leagues:

Matt Dumba has been a productive part of the Minnesota blueline corps.

Nick Holden - The Rangers blueliner has five points (3 G, 2 A) in the past five games. Owned: 43.0%

Matt Dumba - Despite getting ejected from Saturday's loss to Columbus, the Wild defender has eight points (3 G, 5 A) in the past 13 games. Owned: 33.9%

Dmitry Orlov - Washington's emerging defenceman has eight assists in the past 11 games. Owned: 17.7%

Jason Demers - A significant addition to the Panthers blueline as a free agent last summer, Demers has six points (3 G, 3 A) in the past seven games. Owned: 13.8%


1041331 Websites

TSN.CA / Matthews the hero in Centennial Classic

By Frank Seravalli


TORONTO — Walking into the roar of 40,148 packed into BMO Field, Mike Babcock joked he was half surprised some of his Maple Leafs didn’t veer to the left for a twirl on the mini ice surface reserved for mites.

“It’s because they’re all such little kids,” Babcock said, laughing. “It’s a young group.”

One kid took centre stage at the Centennial Classic.

Believe it or not, Auston Matthews was issued a challenge by Babcock - and didn’t pass muster at first.

Sixty-two seconds remained on the clock. The Maple Leafs were hanging on for dear life and their revellers - who were shaking the grandstands with cheers that echoed all the way to the Air Canada Centre - were suddenly on-edge as they shivered.

Babcock chose Matthews to take the face-off against Henrik Zetterberg in Toronto’s end. He said it wouldn’t have been wrong for Nazem Kadri or Tyler Bozak to be griping on the bench saying ‘What’s he doing?’

“They’re right, too. Why don’t I just put out the veteran guys?” Babcock said. “Because they’ve got to learn. I’m giving them a chance to shut out the game.”

Matthews' 20th lifts Maple Leafs over Red Wings

After blowing a three-goal lead in the third period, the Maple Leafs responded in overtime as Auston Matthews' 20th of the season was the game-winner. Gino Reda, Dave Poulin and Darren Dreger talk about Toronto winning a thrilling Centennial Classic.

Matthews lost the draw. The puck eventually ended up behind Frederik Andersen with 1.1 seconds remaining in regulation, a three-goal lead earned and blown in a matter of minutes.

Then Matthews became the hero. Again. He responded with a flair for the dramatic that is quickly becoming his calling card.

Leave it to the 19-year-old from Arizona who made history with four goals in his first NHL game to score twice, including the overtime winner, in his first-ever outdoor game.

There seemingly isn’t a stage Matthews and the Maple Leafs’ nine rookies fear.

Led by last June’s No. 1 overall pick, Toronto’s kids accounted for four of the team’s five goals in the 5-4 victory over Detroit, making the 2017 Centennial Classic one that won’t soon be forgotten.

“It’s definitely one of the best moments in hockey I’ve ever experienced,” Matthews said. “When it’s a (Centennial) Classic game, it’s a little bigger setting, a lot more fans, kind of that national stage. I think people were on the edge of their seats in the third period and overtime, so it was really fun to experience this whole thing.”

Matthews became one of just four NHL rookies in the last 30 years to score 20 goals in his first 36 games. He is just the sixth Maple Leafs teenager to hit the 20-goal plateau in the franchise’s 100-year history.

Matthews rises to the occasion again

Auston Matthews has been able to handle the pressure thus far in his NHL career, and once again, under the spotlight he came through for the Maple Leafs. TH2N explains how special he has been so far and how it was the youngsters who were tasked with closing out the game against the Red Wings.

The win iced a magical few days for the Maple Leafs, who are officially back on the road to respectability after a lost decade. The first NHL outdoor game celebration in the self-proclaimed centre of the hockey universe went about as well as could be scripted.

In the shadow of Toronto’s beaming skyline, the Centennial Classic was played under ideal conditions. New Year’s Day 2017 brought a bright, sunny day - with a game-time temperature of three degrees - that made for a postcard-worthy setting as the sun slipped behind BMO Field’s grandstand and beyond the Lake Ontario shoreline.

Sunday was so nice, in fact, that the game’s start was pushed back 30 minutes by the NHL because of the sun’s soupy impact on the ice surface.

It wasn’t nearly as picturesque an effort for the Maple Leafs. No one will confuse this game tape with a Mona Lisa. But Babcock learned more about his young team.

“I love tonight, I loved the way it happened,” Babcock said. “At playoff time in the National Hockey League you're either up one or down one. It's the same every night. You've got to love the duress. You've got to love the grind. You've got to love digging in and knowing you're going to get it done, so that was a good opportunity for our team because we haven't had those kind of opportunities.”

Connor Brown joked the Maple Leafs “almost sent the wrong message” with the blown lead.

That is true. But the real message Matthews and the Leafs delivered to the rest of the NHL watching was that they are on the rise. Who could have imagined that to be said now, this quickly, after last season?

So many faces have changed - only five Leafs remained from the 2014 Winter Classic at the Big House - but Morgan Rielly said there will be a lot to remember from the Centennial Classic with a close group of young players with so much in common.

“They're going to grow up here together,” Babcock said. “These guys aren't leaving, they're staying, and they're going to stay for a long time and be a real good team. Now, it's going to take us some time to get there. It's going to take us time. Obviously we're not deep enough and not good enough, but we're going to get there.


1041332 Websites

USA TODAY / There's still something romantic about NHL's Winter Classic games

Kevin Allen , USA TODAY Sports 5:50 p.m. EST January 2, 2017

Outdoor hockey has been a staple of the NHL regular-season schedule since the first Winter Classic was held between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Jan. 1, 2008.

The St. Louis Blues’ 4-1 win against the Chicago Blackhawks at Busch Stadium Monday was the ninth Winter Classic. It won’t be the last, especially with the NHL celebrating its centennial.

“We’re focused on a game on the same day that (the NHL) played our first game,” Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “Obviously, we’re focused on a Winter Classic. So my guess is we’re probably talking about three (outdoor) games next year, give or take.”

Bettman said it will be three, whether the NHL sends players to the Olympics or not. Here’s why the outdoor concept still works:

Super Bowl feel: Media and social media commentary often suggests outdoor games have lost their charm because the concept is no longer novel, but anyone who has attended an outdoor game in person probably views it differently. They appreciate how the games take over a city. Outdoor games are made-to-be-there events.

Monday’s Winter Classic at Busch Stadium was the first NHL outdoor game in St. Louis, and Sunday’s Centennial Classic at BMO Field was the first in Toronto.

The week-long build up to the game offers the sport as much attention as the game itself. The game is often the grand finale of seven or more days of hockey events. It’s a hockey celebration as much as a game.

Weather always the subplot: Weather is always an entertaining story line at an outdoor game.

Outdoor games are the only sporting events where many fans root for inclement weather. The snowier, the better. The 2014 Winter Classic in Ann Arbor, Mich. was played with snow falling, winds howling at 10 mph and a wind chill of zero. Yet that game may rank among the all-time best in terms of entertainment value.


You never know what you will get attending outdoor hockey. The NHL played an outdoor game at Dodger Stadium with 60 degree temperatures.

NHL officials were so concerned about rain for Monday’s Winter Classic in St. Louis that they issued a press release detailing scenarios that could play out if rain delayed or cut short the game. As it turned out, the 47 degree temperatures allowed for quality ice conditions.

Games are bigger than the sport: On Sunday, famed Canadian recording artist Bryan Adams supplied the between-period entertainment at the Centennial Classic. When the Blues and Blackhawks were playing Monday, NBC’s Jeremy Roenick interviewed St. Louis native Jon Hamm (Don Draper from Mad Men) who was sitting in the stands with his high school buddies. Outdoor allows the NHL to expand its boundaries.

Results matter: These games are spectacles, but not exhibitions. If the Maple Leafs make the playoffs, fans might see Auston Matthews’ overtime game-winner in a 5-4 win against Detroit as the turning point of this season.

The Blues are trying to chase down the Blackhawks in the Central Division standings, and the two points earned are ultra-important.

NHL officials have picked opponents for outdoor games based on entertainment value. The Blues-Blackhawks rivalry is one of the best in hockey.

Romance of the game: Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock has been involved in three outdoor games, and still described his Sunday experience as “awesome.”

“I hear all the time, there’s too many outdoor games. Well, ask the players, they want to be in them,” Babcock said. “They love them. They are one of the greatest gifts you can give your family. I loved the family skate. I loved the practice outside. The whole event for our team was spectacular.”

Blues coach Ken Hitchcock was coaching in his first outdoor game.

“It’s almost overwhelming to look around,” he said.

USA TODAY LOADED: 01.03.2017

carolina hurricanesdownloads.hurricanes.nhl.com/clips/clips010317.pdfcarolina hurricanes news...

Documents