from Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News, The Wings have had six games this season. How many of those games has Mantha felt, coming off the ice, he’s had a good game? Detroit Red Wings right wing Anthony Mantha has one goals and two assists while being a minus-5 in six games. “One,” said Mantha, during Monday’s Zoom chat with the media. “The afternoon game against Columbus (Jan. 18), the one we won in overtime.” He has a power-play goal in the 3-2 OT win at Little Caesars Arena. That, in itself, goes a long way to show how much of a frustrating start to this season it’s been for Mantha. “Oh yeah,” Mantha said. “It’s not something that I like, to not be involved and help the team. I’m someone that’s hard on myself and I want to get better and that’s the mentality I’m going in with. “Today was a good day at practice and it’s fun when we play every other night, so I can redeem myself as quick as (Tuesday) night.” In a sluggish start to this season, Sunday’s loss in Chicago was a personal low point for Mantha. read on

The Wings did pratice today but there was no media coverage. Tweets from Max Bultman from Zoom media conference. Jeff Blashill says Namestnikov practiced at center today. Doesn't mean he'll play there tomorrow, but at least sets up the possibility for it in the near future Anthony Mantha says he's watched film and talked with Blashill in recent days, and that he'll do everything in his power to not have to sit again, as he did for much of the third period yesterday Anthony Mantha says the only game he came off the ice feeling like he played well so far this season was the OT win over Columbus. It's pretty clear the slow start has bothered him as much as anybody I will post videos if they become available.

Five minutes of your time.  

NEW YORK (Jan. 25, 2021) – Montreal Canadiens center Tyler Toffoli and University of Montreal Health Centre (CHUM) respiratory therapist Virginie Hébert have been named the NHL’s “First Stars” for the week ending Jan. 24. Throughout the 2020-21 season the NHL is celebrating the remarkable efforts of the off-ice stars who make it possible for us to play our games amid a pandemic by honoring frontline healthcare heroes from the regions represented by the League’s weekly and monthly “Stars.” Hébert has been a respiratory therapist (RT) since 2017, working to maintain, restore or assist airway function for people who have difficulty breathing. During the pandemic, she has distinguished herself by giving additional trainings to colleagues to share the latest protocols and procedures to follow during this critical period, in order to keep patients and staff safe as well as reduce the risk of virus transmission. For the past 10 months, Hébert and her colleagues have been working selflessly, alongside doctors and other healthcare professionals, to help treat and hopefully save coronavirus patients experiencing respiratory distress. Their duties include tracking patients’ oxygen levels, managing their breathing, assisting with intubations and monitoring patients connected to mechanical ventilators, exposing them to the sickest patients and to dangerous aerosolizing procedures. Hébert’s commitment to her practice as well as to her patients have made her an invaluable frontline healthcare hero within CHUM’s respiratory therapy team. Rounding out the “Three Stars” of the week are Dallas Stars center Joe Pavelski and Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson. More on each NHL player’s performance can be found below:

from Jack Todd at the Montreal Gazette, The first move was made before the playoffs began, when Bergevin signed brilliant second-round pick Alexander Romanov to a three-year deal that was announced on July 13, 2020. On Sept. 2, Bergevin sent the first signal that he was playing for real by dealing third- and seventh-round picks in 2020 to the Blues for goaltender Jake Allen and a seventh-rounder in 2022. For the first time since Jaroslav Halak was shipped to the Blues, Carey Price had a bona-fide, blue-chip backup. On Sept. 12, Bergevin sent a fifth-rounder to Carolina for defenceman Joel Edmundson, a solid, experienced 6-foot-4, 227-pound defender. On Oct. 6, Bergevin took his biggest off-season gamble, dealing the somewhat enigmatic Max Domi to Columbus for Josh Anderson, a one-time fourth-rounder coming off shoulder surgery and a one-goal season — then signing Anderson for seven years and $38.5 million. On Oct. 12, Bergevin proved that he wasn’t done. He signed forward Tyler Toffoli, once a key part of the Los Angeles Kings in their championship days, to a four-year, $17-million deal. All that, and Bergevin managed to keep two of his own key pieces in place, signing Jeff Petry to a four-year extension and Brendan Gallagher to a six-year extension. Then in December, Bergevin topped it off by signing veterans Corey Perry and Michael Frolik for the taxi squad at $750,000 each for the season. On digital paper, it looked good. Great, even. But you know what they say about playing the games. Now the Canadiens have played six games, all part of a season-opening schedule that loomed like the Bermuda Triangle, with six straight on the road and no exhibition games to prepare. They still haven’t lost in regulation. read on

from Larry Brooks of the New York Post, Igor Shesterkin and Alex Georgiev combined to start 18 of the Rangers’ final 19 regular-season games last season, so the tandem certainly should have felt comfortable getting behind the wheel this season following the buyout of Henrik Lundqvist. But if it was one thing for the young Russians to take over around the midway point of 2019-20 while the King was still there as kind of safety net/security blanket if things had gone wrong for Shesterkin upon his Jan. 6 promotion, it is another now that they have inherited the keys to the Kingdom.... No one is calling the team’s mundane netminding a five-alarm fire through this 1-3-1 getaway. But for nearly a decade-and-a-half, Lundqvist not only gave the Rangers their best chance to win every game, he was the fundamental reason they won, when they won. So far, except for Georgiev’s shutout of the outclassed Islanders in the second game, neither goaltender has given the Rangers their best chance to win. Indeed, there have been too many marginal goals and too many allowed in critical spots. The Rangers entered this season believing they were going to get superior netminding, and perhaps there is every reason, as the coach said, to believe that will be the case. more

from Emily Kaplan of ESPN, In August, Larkin said a handful of players returned to Detroit for optional practices, and by September, there were even more. Then came free agency in October, and Yzerman signed five veteran players -- goalie Thomas Greiss, forwards Vladislav Namestnikov and Bobby Ryan, defensemen Jon Merrill and Troy Stecher -- then traded for longtime New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal. Larkin was on a text chain with his two linemates, Anthony Mantha and Tyler Bertuzzi. "It was just like, another great player, another great player," Larkin says. "And then Ty texted: Are the Red Wings a wagon now?" Detroit is probably a bit away from wagon status, but there's a noticeable difference in the Red Wings this season. They split their first four games, but saw momentum halted with five players on the COVID-19 protocol list, and held out of action this weekend in Chicago (where they lost both games). Even still, there's a new swagger to the Red Wings. Detroit's goaltending is far improved (Jonathan Bernier and Greiss have combined for a .904 save percentage, a huge improvement on last season's .886 as a team) and there's more resolve (after being shut out in their opener, Detroit stormed back for a 4-2 win over a talented Hurricanes team in Game 2). "The blue line -- those guys are always screaming for the puck, they want the puck," Larkin says. "They come to the bench, and they're letting me know, and they're letting guys know that we gotta talk. It makes everyone's life easier and I think that's something we were really missing last year. Those veteran guys who came from other teams have just been emphasizing talking and wanting the puck, and it's made a huge difference." more

Sorry for the delay this morning, I slept in. THREE HARD LAPS * Chicago’s Pius Suter scored a hat trick to equal a feat achieved by only one other player in franchise history (nearly 90 years ago), while fellow rookies Kirill Kaprizov (MIN) and Ty Smith (NJD) continued their hot starts. * Joe Pavelski (1-2—3), Anze Kopitar (1-2—3) and Connor McDavid (0-3—3) also were among a group of six players who had three points Sunday, while Marc-Andre Fleury climbed the all-time shutouts list as Vegas improved to 5-1-0. * The Canucks and Senators clash tonight to open a busy week in the NHL, which is set to include three days with at least 12 games.

The Vegas Golden Knights scored 42 seconds left in regulation to beat the Arizona Coyotes 1-0. Coach Tocchet said it should have been icing. You can check the video below.   "Proud of the team. Played hard. It was a good game." Hear Coach Tocchet, Jakob Chychrun, and Darcy Kuemper's thoughts postgame: pic.twitter.com/LAYTwj7IPL — Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) January 25, 2021

We have Larkin, Bertuzzi and Blashill in the first video, below find the game highlights.  

Pius Suter hat trick for the Blackhawks plus they added three more while Detroit's Tyler Bertuzzi had two goals. Final- Chicago 6 Detroit 2. Lack of talent was exposed today and if the Wings continue to play like this, mark it down as another long season. The older veterans are not adding anything to the game, they just seem to be there. Detroit goals are below.

It's a matinee game, so, I'm guessing that means day drinking for the 19. Sit back, relax, and hopefully you will be entertained. It's a Live Blog!

The Wings have recalled Taro Hirose and Givani Smith from the taxi squad prior to today's game.

from the Toronto Maple Leafs, The Toronto Maple Leafs mourn the passing today of George Armstrong at age 90. As one of the first players of Indigenous descent to play professional hockey, George first signed with the organization in 1946 and was a member of the Maple Leafs family for 75 years. He distinguished himself as a player, captain, coach, assistant general manager, scout, community ambassador and alumnus. Skating his entire 21-year NHL career with the Maple Leafs - and 12 as their captain - George helped Toronto capture four Stanley Cups. He was named one of the One Hundred Greatest Maple Leafs of all-time, is an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and has had his number retired by the club in addition to being a hallowed member of Legends Row. "George is part of the very fabric of the Toronto Maple Leaf organization and will be deeply missed," said Toronto Maple Leafs President & Alternate Governor Brendan Shanahan. "A proud yet humble man, he loved being a Maple Leaf but never sought the spotlight even though no player played more games for Toronto or captained the team longer. Always one to celebrate his teammates rather than himself, George couldn't even bring himself to deliver his speech the day he was immortalized on Legends Row." continue for a bit more...

from Sean Leahy of NBC Sports, Bobby Ryan entered the 2020-21 NHL season with one goal in mind. The 2005 No. 2 overall pick had an up-and-down final few years in Ottawa, culminating in last season where he took a leave of absence from the Senators to deal with an alcohol problem. He returned and recorded a hat trick in his first game back home. His comeback saw him be named the winner of the 2019-20 Bill Masterton Trophy, which is awarded “to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.” While the comeback was memorable, it also signaled the end of his time with the Senators. With the team transitioning towards youth, they bought out the final two years of his contract. In October, he signed a one-year deal with the Red Wings. Ryan is long-past the early days of his NHL career where he was a four-time 30-goal scorer. But now healthy, in body and mind, he went to Detroit for the chance to turn things around. “For me, this was a ‘prove it’ year,” he said, “an opportunity for me to take the step that I should have taken years ago but hadn’t been able to because of outside stuff.” continued

THREE HARD LAPS * Montreal collected another two points and became the second team in NHL history to record a point in each of their first six games of a season, with each outing taking place on the road. * The Blue Jackets and Jets each skated to victories after swapping Pierre-Luc Dubois for Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic earlier in the day. * Dallas looks to build off of its 7-0 season-opening win on Friday with another head-to-head matchup against Nashville.

from Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet, Suddenly and unexpectedly back in the game Saturday and with a chance to save a series and restore some confidence, the Vancouver Canucks used all the hard lessons learned from a difficult start to the season and, naturally, applied none of them. They made the same big mistakes – mistakes you can’t overcome -- to get another discouraging result, losing 5-2 to the Montreal Canadiens at Rogers Arena to fall three games below .500 for the first time since March 26, 2019. Seven games into the National Hockey League season, it’s hard to say if the Canucks are good enough to compete in the Canadian division because all they’ve done so far is beat themselves. They are 2-5-0, allowed the Canadiens to light them up with 17 goals in three games, and continue to get net-negative play from some of their top skaters. continued Game highlights are below.

via Sportsnet, Chris Johnston and Elliotte Friedman break down the latest news from around the NHL, touching on the blockbuster trade between the Blue Jackets and Canadiens, the Maple Leafs looking for help, and the NHL Draft date.  

from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun, - Mike Babcock’s next job should be university professor: He could teach revisionist history. Babcock peddled a bunch of truths and half-truths to TSN’s Pierre Lebrun in an exclusive interview the other day. If this was written as a book, it would have to be termed fiction instead of non-fiction. And, really, Babcock has to give up on the ‘I’m a mental health advocate’ platform when there would be a long list of former players who would gladly disagree with that claim. The Marner family was so upset about Babcock’s treatment of Mitch — and aren’t happy with Babcock peddling the all-is-well mantra — that, if you go back, Marner’s father refused to go on the dad’s trip one season with the Leafs. The reason: He didn’t want a thing to do with the coach. And that kind of behaviour is pretty rare. - I don’t mind hockey statistics, as overrated as many of them are, but I do mind people who can’t talk about the game without referencing some inane or irrelevant stat. - Detroit sports: the Lions stink; the Red Wings stink; the Pistons stink; the Tigers stink. more

from Larry Brooks of the New York Post, Hands, please, if you’re surprised that Alex Ovechkin was among the perps who violated the NHL’s — the NHL’s and NHLPA’s, by the way — COVID-19 protocols. Didn’t think so. We know it is not ideal. We know that restrictions imposed in our daily lives don’t always make sense. But we also know that if Ovechkin and his Capitals teammates Evgeny Kuznetsov, Ilya Samsonov and Dmitry Orlov wanted to watch television while bivouacked at the team’s hotel in Pittsburgh, they could have done so in a large ballroom set aside for team recreational activities. But no.... continue for more on Ovechkin plus other topics like this... The league has what appears to be a two-week buffer following the tentatively scheduled May 8 end of the regular season to accommodate postponements. According to deputy commissioner Bill Daly via an email exchange, the NHL has not yet begun to discuss — or even consider — contingencies if all teams are unable to complete the 56-game schedule. That, I don’t understand. Seems simple enough to declare immediately that team standings will be determined by winning percentage rather than points if everyone isn’t able complete the schedule. Why wait? In fact, the NHL could even enlist a corporation to sponsor the percentage column of the standings. The league can thank me in the morning.

Almost 18 minutes of Blashill after practice today.  No more names added to the COVID list today and Helm is questionable tomorrow. Bobby Ryan is below.  

With the Detroit beat writers doing exactly what we are doing, sitting at home, it could be a slow news period when the Wings are on the road. Basically we will depending on the team to keep us updated or perhaps a local beat writer may chime in now and then.   Practice day in Chicago. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/dYQBnLbf5Y — Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) January 23, 2021

Some perspective. PLD is an excellent addition to the Jets. Roslovic made it clear he was never playing for Winnipeg again. Laine didn’t see a future with the Jets beyond this season. This is asset management. 20+ teams expressed interest in Dubois. https://t.co/peOay7yCnj — Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) January 23, 2021

from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, For the third time this season, the Detroit Red Wings are faced with salvaging a series. They lost their first game at Chicago, falling 4-1 Friday at United Center. The teams play again Sunday afternoon. The Wings had to make do without several key players because of the pandemic, leaving them wondering if they will face a temporary shutdown. “Well’ we’re five guys down,” coach Jeff Blashill said Friday night. “The other team with five guys down is Carolina, and they postponed their games. So, that is where we are at. Certainly, it does not help chemistry, but again  … we are just trying to control what we can control.” continued

THREE HARD LAPS * The Stars erupted for seven goals, including five in the second period, to end a scoring drought against the Predators and earn a season-opening win. * A four-goal outing at Xcel Energy Center helped the Wild boost the NHL’s best points percentage in home openers to .800. * Montreal, which leads the League with 24 goals through five games this season, is set to close a six-game, season-opening road trip with its third straight game against Vancouver tonight on Hockey Night in Canada.

Kind of a yak game tonight. As Larry Murphy discussed during the 2nd intermission, Detroit 's routine has been messed up sine yesterday's practice where they skated in small groups to avoid the spreading of the COVID virus. Then flying out this morning, no morning skate an the result was a 4-1 loss tonight. Detroit's lone goal is below, see you Sunday afternoon.

Oops, puck shoved into their own net. Rangers lost 4-3 in a shootout.  

Up first is Dylan Larkin below fid Mickey Redmond, Jeff Blashill and the game highlights.  

The Wings will have their work cut out for them this weekend. Tonight’s game against the Hawks is not going to be an easy one. They’re hungry and angry. We're only four games in, but, this Wings team is starting to look better, and, are playing with more confidence. They will have a couple more players out because of Covid protocol. That's just the way this season will go on. We’ll just have to hang in there, trust in the Yzerplan, keep our fingers crossed, and, hope the guys are for real.  It’s a Live Blog!

Detroit – Adam Erne; Robby Fabbri; Sam Gagner; Jon Merrill; Filip Zadina The rest of the teams are below.

from Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News, Forwards Bobby Ryan and Vladislav Namestnikov, defensemen Troy Stecher and Jon Merrill, and goaltender Thomas Greiss weren’t high profile — Ryan was the biggest name, but some felt he was way past his elite days — and some analysts weren’t sure how much they’d help. So far, through one week and four games of the regular season, the new Red Wings have been impactful — both on and off the ice. “Everyone is buying into the system and doing it the right way,” forward Tyler Bertuzzi said. “They’re all great guys and they’re fitting in perfectly." read on

from John Ourand of Sports Business Journal, NBC has told distributors and some sports leagues that it plans to shut down its NBCSN sports channel by the end of the year. NBC’s most recent affiliate deals with Charter and Dish Network do not include carriage for NBCSN beyond this year, sources said. Plus, sports leagues that have deals with NBC were being told of the changes this week. The move is in line with the current media trend of consolidating cable channels. For NBC, it also is part of a bigger strategy to grow its Peacock streaming service, while, at the same time, bolstering the programming schedule for other NBC channels like USA Network. Bigger properties, like the NHL, NASCAR and EPL, will move to USA Network while keeping some windows on the broadcast channel. Smaller properties, like car shows, dog shows and some motorsports, will have to find new linear TV outlets. The big question is how a league like the NHL reacts to the shutting down of a network that has carried its games for the past 15 years. The NHL’s deal with NBC ends after this season. The NHL has made it clear that it wants to split its rights between at least two TV outlets. NBC has told the NHL that it would carve out regular windows on its broadcast channel and USA Network, which is in 86.2 million homes, plus Peacock. continued (link very slow to open at the time of this post)

from Nicholas J. Cotsonika of NHL.com, Fans are tuning into the NHL in record numbers -- in French and English, in Canada and the United States, nationally and regionally, on television and online. Demand pent up when the start of the 2020-21 season was delayed until Jan. 13 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The vast majority of fans have been at home and unable to attend games in arenas. The NHL and its broadcast partners have been creative with scheduling and promotion. This is the result. "NHL fans are incredibly passionate," said Justin Byczek, senior vice president of programming and rights management at NBC Sports Group. "I think after a really successful bubble Stanley Cup Playoffs, people are ready to get back to hockey." continued

List of teams that I believe have inquired with Columbus on Pierre-Luc Dubois, obviously some with more seriousness than others (in no particular order): Anaheim, Minnesota, Montreal, Winnipeg, Calgary, Ottawa, Rangers, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Detroit, Washington and Arizona. — Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) January 22, 2021

Any plans to bet online now that it is legal in Michigan? from Ryan Zuke of Mlive, Consumers will have ample options to place their wagers once online casino gaming and sports betting launches in Michigan at noon Friday, Jan. 22. The Michigan Gaming Control Board on Tuesday and Wednesday approved authorization for 10 total casinos and their platform providers to begin accepting wagers on Friday. All 10 operators are licensed in at least one other state and are reputable, according to Steve Ruddock, analyst and content director at BettingUSA.com “I think the reliability will be there across the board,” Ruddock told MLive in a phone interview. “Certain companies might have a little bit of a difference in their customer service, things like that. Other companies have a little bit of an advantage in the user experience of the mobile app. It’ll really depend on what the customer’s preferences are and what they find important.” continued

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins on Friday announced their schedule for the 2020-21 American Hockey League season. It will mark the franchise’s 25th campaign overall, 20th as members of the AHL and 19th as the primary affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings.

from Kurt Badenhausen of Forbes, The NHL’s top-earning player for the 2020-2021 season is Auston Matthews. The Toronto Maple Leafs center was scheduled to make $15.9 million in playing salary and bonus, but will instead earn $13 million net of escrow and including deferrals (a bulk of the escrow payment will be deducted from his July 2021 bonus). Matthews’ off-ice income in 2021 from endorsements, memorabilia and licensing is an estimated $3 million, pushing his total income to $16 million. The athlete endorsement market has gone into a deep freeze during the coronavirus pandemic, but Matthews added new deals last year with Verizon and equipment giant CCM Hockey. They join ongoing partners Nike, Scotiabank and sleep aid Dream Water. Matthews offers a compelling package for marketers. He was on pace to break the Maple Leafs’ single-season goals record before the season was paused in March. He is a young, fashion-forward, Mexican American playing in the hockey capital of the world. Matthews spent part of his offseason training with fellow star center Connor McDavid, who ranks as the NHL’s second-highest-paid player with $15.2 million (both are clients of sports agency Wasserman). The 2017 NHL MVP has one of the sport’s top endorsement portfolios, generating an estimated $4.5 million from partners CCM, Adidas, CIBC, BioSteel and more. McDavid’s No. 97 Edmonton Oilers jersey was the NHL’s second best-seller behind Sidney Crosby’s sweater in 2020. Rounding out the top five are Mitch Marner ($15 million), Alexander Ovechkin ($13.2 million) and Crosby ($11.9 million). more

from Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press, The hot start has left many fans wondering: Are the Wild for real? Here’s a counterpoint to that: Who cares? Honestly, it doesn’t matter if the Wild are a legitimate Stanley Cup contender this season, not if they are laying the foundation to be legitimate Stanley Cup contenders for seasons to come. As much as Guerin has preached that he expects the current roster to compete at a high level — something it’s proved capable of so far — it’s pretty clear he’s playing the long game here. He doesn’t even have a No. 1 center, for crying out loud. That said, it’s pretty clear the Wild are going to be a fun team to follow no matter what happens this season. They have a potential superstar in rookie Kirill Kaprizov, who goes by “Dolla Bill Kirill” in the locker room and already has the fan base wrapped around his finger. They also have a rising star in wing Kevin Fiala, who is among the most dynamic players in the league, capable of spontaneously combusting at any moment. more

"I can't wait till we all get the vaccine. "Get a shot ... and get this to be a safer world for all of us. But it's a worry." "I worry about it every day. "We show up here every morning to get tested, and every morning I get the results from the previous day and it's like, I come in with my fingers crossed because I don't think anybody knows exactly enough about where you get this." -David Poile, GM of the Nashville Predators.  More by Paul Skrbina of the Tennesseaon including Poile is a bit puzzled by the fine the Washington Capitals received.

Five and a game misconduct for Myers.  

from Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, Dubois’ situation went from a brushfire to a bonfire Thursday when the Blue Jackets’ No. 1 center was benched by coach John Tortorella for the final two periods of a 3-2 overtime loss to Tampa Bay in Nationwide Arena. Yes, the Blue Jackets’ leading scorer last season — arguably the most talented forward on the roster, though he’s off to a rough start this season — finished the game with five shifts and 3:55 in playing time and sat on the bench for the final 44:36. This could have been the last straw for Tortorella: On Dubois’ last shift, late in the first period, he took nearly 10 seconds to go from the far end of the rink to the Blue Jackets’ bench to make a change. “I’m not going to have a discussion with you guys about it,” Tortorella told reporters afterward. “It’s not difficult for me. I have to call them as I see them and go about our business on the bench and try to win a hockey game.” read on (paid subsription)

from Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet, For the first time since Travis Green was hired as coach, the Vancouver Canucks look dead in the water, truly stalled and in danger of foundering. Hope that Wednesday’s wonderfully chaotic win against the Montreal Canadiens was a sign the Canucks were starting to move forward again was obliterated Thursday when Vancouver gave away a pile of goals, including two in nine seconds, and was embarrassed 7-3 by the Habs at Rogers Arena. The seas are getting rougher and the Canucks already look capable of sinking. They no longer seem like a team trapped by circumstance in a slow start, but a team in serious trouble. “We weren’t just giving up scoring chances, we were giving up goals,” Green, who is in the fourth and final year of his Canucks contract, said after the game. “We gift-wrapped probably four or five goals. It wasn’t a game where we were hemmed in our zone... it was just giving up breakaways. In this league, if you give up chances that are gifts, you’re going to lose bad. We did that tonight.” continued Watch the game highlights below.

THREE HARD LAPS * Tyler Toffoli followed up a hat trick with another multi-goal game against his former team as the Canadiens and Canucks concluded their back-to-back set with over 20 combined tallies. * Semyon Varlamov saw his season-opening shutout sequence end at 142:10, one of the longest such runs in League history. * The reigning Western Conference champion Stars are set to play their season opener against the Predators in a rematch of the 2020 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic.

from Frank Seravalli of TSN, Hockey is back, but some National Hockey League coaches’ salaries have not returned to pre-pandemic levels with the start of the season. According to data compiled by TSN, seven NHL coaching staffs are working on reduced salary this season... League employees are also operating on reduced pay. Sources said league employees were notified at a town hall meeting in early January to continue to expect a 25 per cent reduction for the duration of the 2020-21 season for employees earning more than $75,000.... Here is the list of NHL franchises whose hockey operations staff – including coaches – are currently operating at reduced pay, according to team and league sources: Detroit Red Wings: A 20 per cent reduction for all staff over $75,000, effective Jan. 9 until July 1, 2021. more teams...

What impact will the Capitals COVID-19 news have on the team as a whole? What would happen if a team had too many games cancelled, and wouldn't be able to finish the complete 56 game schedule? Are NHL coaches still working with reduced pay? TSN Hockey Insiders Pierre LeBrun, Darren Dreger and Frank Seravalli discuss this and more. Watch at TSN

NEW YORK (Jan. 21, 2021) – The National Hockey League today released the list of Players who are unavailable to play or practice on Jan. 21, 2021, in accordance with the League’s COVID Protocols.

from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, It’s at least a week without four critical players for the Washington Capitals — including captain Alexander Ovechkin — after contact tracing following a positive COVID test revealed the group was together in a hotel room, in violation of league protocols. Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dmitry Orlov and Ilya Samsonov were the other players added to the league’s COVID-Related Absences List on Wednesday evening. The Capitals’ next game is Friday against Buffalo, and, as of Thursday afternoon, there were no plans to postpone. “We totally understand why the rules are in place and there's no arguing with that,” head coach Peter Laviolette said Thursday. “We want to be compliant. We made a mistake and we need to do a better job.” Ovechkin’s wife, Nastya, was not as understanding, blasting the decision in an Instagram post, which revealed both Orlov and Ovechkin have antibodies. She made sure to post in both Russian and English so no one misunderstood her message. continued

Tippett "It's almost funny to me how everybody talked all summer about Toronto and Edmonton have to defend better and then Toronto and Edmonton actually defend well, and now they think its a bad hockey game. It just baffles me sometimes hearing what's going on." — Ryan Rishaug (@TSNRyanRishaug) January 21, 2021 Edmonton beat Toronto 3-1 last night.

Anthony Mantha first and Jeff Blashill is below.  

Capitals' Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dmitry Orlov and Ilya Samsonov are all in quarantine. Laviolette just said he believes all will miss the next four games and then under review. — Samantha Pell (@SamanthaJPell) January 21, 2021

via Ansar Khan tweet, practiced in four small groups today using both rinks. The early groups are done. The later groups feature: Zadina, Larkin, Helm Nemeth-Hronek And Ryan, Rasmussen, Mantha, Smith DeKeyser, Djoos

via the YouTube page of the Detroit Red Wings, Today's episode features a recap of Tuesday's Red Wings win over Columbus, looking forward to facing Chicago on Friday and Christian Djoos’ first week in Detroit. Plus, MLive.com's Ansar Khan and NBC hockey analyst Eddie Olczyk join us for interviews. Stream scheduled to start at 12pm, watch below.

Just under 5 minutes long.  

from Will Burchfield of 97.1 The Ticket, Detroit was a comforting situation for Ryan. So much had changed in his life over the past year. Here was a chance to retain his role as a leader. And here was a chance to play. Here was a chance to chase those dreams in the back of his mind of racking up goals and lighting up crowds and "getting back to the Bobby Ryan I was." Ryan calls these dreams 'selfish.' Another word might be 'human.' "For me personally, this was a prove-it year," Ryan said Monday after his two-goal game. "And an opportunity to take the step that I should have taken years ago but hadn’t been able to because of the outside stuff. So (this start) means a lot." For now, that's all it is. A start. Ryan has put seven pucks on goal and four have gone in. That won't continue. But the jump in his step is back, and he never lost his nose for the net. They were right about Bobby Ryan. He's the kind of player you want in your locker room. Perhaps they were wrong about him, too. He's still the kind of player you want high in your lineup. more

from Dan Rosen of NHL.com, To create the Super 16, each of the 14 participating staff members put together his or her version of what they think it should look like. Those were submitted and a point total assigned to each. The team that was selected first was given 16 points, second got 15, third 14 and so on down to No. 16, who got one point. Here is the Super 16: 1. Tampa Bay Lightning (2-0-0) Total points: 221 Preseason rank: No. 1 The Lightning have eight players who've scored at least one goal and 13 at least one point. Forward Steven Stamkos leads them with five points (two goals, three assists). 2. Vegas Golden Knights (4-0-0) Total points: 207 Preseason rank: No. 3 Alex Pietrangelo appears to be a fit; the defenseman scored his first goal with Vegas in a 5-2 win against the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday and entered averaging more than 26 minutes of ice time per game. The Golden Knights have shown resiliency by coming back to win games against the Coyotes and Anaheim Ducks after falling behind in each of them. 3. Colorado Avalanche (2-1-0) Total points: 180 Preseason rank: No. 2 The Avalanche responded to their season-opening 4-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues by scoring 11 straight goals across five periods before allowing two in the third period of a 3-2 win against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday. Nathan MacKinnon scored his 500th NHL point against the Kings. The center has 191 goals and 309 assists in 528 games, all with the Avalanche. 13 more teams

THREE HARD LAPS * The Lightning and Blue Jackets are set to renew acquaintances five months after squaring off in the 2020 First Round, which included contesting the fourth-longest game in NHL history. * The Canucks and Canadiens combined for five game-tying goals in the first of three consecutive head-to-head games. * New Golden Knights captain Mark Stone factored on another game-winning goal as Vegas extended its season-opening win streak.

from Sean Fitz-Gerald of The Athletic, Mike Ross, the voice of the Maple Leafs, spent time working in Toronto’s playoff bubble last year, and he was told the public address voice maintains a sense of routine for players, even in abnormal times. The in-arena game script has changed — the Kiss Cam had probably run its course, anyway, before the pandemic arrived — but the essential elements remain. Ross still did player introductions, and he still announces the penalties and goals. “I understood pretty quickly that part of it was also to bring a little bit of normalcy to the players,” said Ross. “They’re so used to certain sounds and certain elements being there, that it was about bringing everything that I would normally bring to a game for them, as well — to bring a little bit of that normalcy.” more ($$$) PA announcers chime in...

Joe Thornton heads to the dressing room after taking a hit along the boards. #NHLonSN #ItsOn pic.twitter.com/jDYzdJmyhW — Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 21, 2021   Sheldon Keefe on Joe Thornton: "It looks like he's definitely going to miss some time." — Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) January 21, 2021

via NBC Sports, Darren Dreger joins NHL Live to discuss concerns surrounding the Canes' COVID-19 outbreak, teams making use of waivers to manage rosters and what the future holds for Aleksander Barkov and Keith Yandle with the Panthers.   Your browser does not support iframes.

NEW YORK (Jan. 20, 2021) – The National Hockey League announced today that it has fined the Washington Capitals $100,000 for Player violations of the League’s COVID-19 Protocols which involved social interactions among team members who were in close contact and who were not wearing face coverings.

.@hulu and @YouTubeTV subscribers: We share in your frustration. We’ve offered both providers rates in line with what hundreds of others have agreed to. We’ve been waiting to have constructive conversations, but until then encourage you to make the switch: https://t.co/6CjOFiBTc9 — FOX Sports Detroit (@FOXSportsDet) January 20, 2021

from Josh Berenter of DetroitRedWings.com, Eleven Stanley Cup championships. Original Six. The Winged Wheel. Hockeytown. That's the cache that comes with being a member of the Detroit Red Wings, and this season, the Wings welcomed seven new members to the exclusive fraternity as the clubs looks to jumpstart their rebuild. The Red Wings began their offseason by signing Swedish forward Mathias Brome on April 29 and traded for 13-year New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal on September 26 before attacking the free-agent market in October. On the first day of free agency on October 9, Detroit signed veteran forward Bobby Ryan and Michigan native defenseman Jon Merrill to one-year deals. The next day, the Red Wings added 11-year NHL goalie Thomas Greiss and 26-year-old defenseman Troy Stecher, and on October 11, Detroit capped off its new haul by signing center and Red Wings bloodline Vladislav Namestnikov. Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said he was pleased with the offseason work of executive vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman. "I think all of them have the opportunity to make our team a better hockey team, without a shadow of a doubt," Blashill said during training camp. "They all have good hockey in them. I think they're a good group in their own different ways that can give us good, good minutes, which is what you need lots of times in the NHL." The Wings badly needed defensive depth after finishing last season near the bottom of the NHL in goals-against average. And with the help of Merrill, Staal and Stecher, along with the return of Danny DeKeyser from a back injury, Blashill said the back end has been stabilized. continued

from Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News, The important thing to remember is it’s only been four games. Four games to begin this weird, unique, short season of an NHL schedule, and all the Red Wings did was split them. But Tuesday’s 3-2 overtime victory over Columbus was another reminder that this does feel different from last season’s misery. The Red Wings appear to be much more competitive. “We are feeling good,” said forward Tyler Bertuzzi, who scored Tuesday’s winner, essentially banking in Dylan Larkin’s pass off a 2-on-1 rush. “We have a really good team this year and if we can play like that and keep doing the right things we’ll get rewarded with these one-goal wins.” At least in the first 240 minutes and 15 seconds of hockey this season, general manager Steve Yzerman’s free-agent and trade acquisitions have been impactful on and off the ice. They’ve added an air of professionalism, and stability, that was much needed. continued

Five minutes to watch.  

from Ilitch Companies News Hub at the Wings website, In this time of uncertainty, we are committed to standing with and supporting our dedicated and hardworking colleagues and providing them and their families the reassurance they deserve.   The Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers, 313 Presents, Fox Theatre, and Little Caesars Arena have set up a $1 million fund to cover one month's wages for our part-time staff for games, concerts, and events that they would have otherwise worked were it not for the recent cancellations and postponements caused by the coronavirus crisis. In other words, if they were scheduled to work at an event that has been cancelled in the next month, they will be paid. Where there are opportunities, arena staff will be moved into other roles.   This fund will cover our part-time colleagues' wages for the Red Wings four home games that were paused; Detroit Pistons eight home games that were suspended; and for the Detroit Tigers six Spring Training games that were cancelled at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, FL. This also will include our Little Caesars Arena and Fox Theatre colleagues impacted by the postponement of concerts and events, which currently includes: continued

from Sarah McLellan of the Star-Tribune, If they aren't at the arena for a game or working out on the practice ice, there's a good chance Wild players are staring at their cellphones. "Uber Eats and DoorDash have been very popular," winger Marcus Foligno said. A week into its season-opening, four-game trip, which wraps Wednesday at Anaheim, the Wild is starting to get the hang of life on the road in 2021. New rules have been implemented to stay safe while traveling during the pandemic. Although the policy has restricted players' access to the outside world in between games, it's also increased their bonding time. "You can't go anywhere, so everyone is together," captain Jared Spurgeon said. "Having new guys on the team, you're able to play cards or just hang around and talk. It's definitely been good for the group." continued

from Larry Brooks of the New York Post, It wasn’t so much hype as a sense of anticipation. A year ago, for the first time ever, the first two overall selections in the NHL draft were going to teams based approximately six miles apart, and weren’t we all going to be in for a treat watching the rivalry develop between the Devils’ No. 1, Jack Hughes, and the Rangers’ No. 2, Kaapo Kakko? Well, the future obviously all lies ahead of the two 19-year-olds, which is a pretty good thing considering their one season of NHL past added up to the biggest combined one-two statistical flop in more than two decades.... And let me tell you, Hughes was dancing all night long at the Garden on Thursday, racking up a pair of goals and an assist in an eye-opening performance to co-star with 47-save goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood in the Devils’ 4-3 victory. The young man added musculature to his frame with diligent offseason work that has allowed him to battle in those 50-50 areas, but Hughes just never stopped moving his feet. He was dynamic and quicksilver, on his toes throughout while thriving under head coach Lindy Ruff, who worked as an assistant the previous three years on the other side of the Hudson. “My confidence level is obviously high,” said Hughes, who has six points (2-4) through three contests. “I think it’s always been high, you know, but we’re building and I’m building personally. more

from Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun, Nine meetings between Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid this season, starting on Wednesday night. Buckle up. For entertainment value in the North Division, it won’t get much better than that when the Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers clash. “They play different games but what makes them similar is that they are elite in what their skill sets are,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said after Toronto practised at the Ford Performance Centre on Tuesday. “McDavid’s speed and Auston’s shot and goal-scoring ability … both players are more experienced in the league and they’re adding different layers and pieces to their game. They’re special talents. “Just to be on the bench for these games are great, all throughout the division, there’s elite talents on every team. The challenge certainly doesn’t get easier now with Edmonton.” Each player is producing at a point-a-game pace — Matthews has four points in four games and McDavid five in four — but we know each is capable of more and busting out at a moment’s notice. continued

from Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News, The Wings are 2-2 through the first four games, splitting each of the two-game series they've had thus far. "Very significant," said Larkin, of splitting the four-game season-opening home stand. "I've liked our process every game. The way we played with the puck, and our confidence, and the goaltending has been great. Just the way we've played, it's repeatable."... Larkin was between Vladislav Namestnikov and Filip Zadina, while Mantha played with Michael Rasmussen and Ryan. Luke Glendening centered Bertuzzi and Mathias Brome. The fourth line had Valtteri Filppula between Frans Nielsen and Sam Gagner. Blashill hinted after the morning skate the Mantha,  Larkin and Bertuzzi line may have been forcing things in an attempt to get going offensively. Whatever the purpose, the decision sparked the victory. "(There was) no message," Blashill said. "We wanted to spread the lines around a little bit and see what type of chemistry we could have with some different lines. Our guys came out and played hard. Our guys do a good job of not worrying what my decisions are and I make my decisions and they go and play." more Watch extended game highlights below.

THREE HARD LAPS * In a game to be broadcast nationally in the U.S. and Canada, Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews are set to face off in their first of nine meetings this season. * In the first matchup between the most recent No. 1 picks, Jack Hughes propelled the Devils to victory in the first rendition of the ‘Hudson River Rivalry’ this season. * Nathan MacKinnon collected his 500th career regular-season point in Colorado’s win and joined a short list of players to reach the milestone before their 26th birthday.

One thing about this team after four games is they don't quit. You can see the determination from this team, especially from the youngsters. Tonight, they get rewarded with a 3-2 OT win. Be patient folks, this team is starting to gel slowly but surely Goals are below.

First up is Dylan Larkin and Mickey Redmond below.  More coming. added 10:27pm, Game highlights are below.  added 10:35pm, Jeff Blashill is below.  added 10:52pm, Tyler Bertuzzi is below. sdded 11:05pm, in one video, Larkin, Bertuzzi and Blashill below.  

It’s still to soon to know what to expect from this team. Many have pointed out that this is still a somewhat pre-season mode for the entire league. With all the new health protocols, and, uncertainty surrounding everything, it’s too soon to know what’s what. The best takeaway a mere three games in, is so far the Wings have not played as bad as we’re used to seeing them play. It’s definitely more entertaining to watch a game. There is more confidence with this group. They’re not giving up on themselves mid-game like they used to, and, that is an important improvement. We’ll take it. It’s a Live Blog!

from Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News, Detroit's Michael Rasmussen didn’t get much notice he was going into the Red Wings lineup Monday afternoon, but maybe that was a good thing. Rasmussen and Frans Nielsen entered the lineup replacing Robby Fabbri and Adam Erne, who were placed on the COVID-19 protocol list. Rasmussen, the Wings’ 2017 first-round pick, has been on the Wings’ taxi squad, practicing with the team daily and waiting for an opportunity to play. That chance came Monday, with Rasmussen earning an assist on Bobby Ryan’s first of two goals in the 3-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. “It was good to get back in the lineup and play a game with the guys,” Rasmussen said a Zoom session Tuesday with media. “It’s been a good experience so far with the taxi squad. It’s good to be around the guys and work on your game and skate and get some work in the gym, too. continued

DENVER – The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that the team has acquired defenseman Greg Pateryn from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for defenseman Ian Cole. Pateryn, 30, has recorded two points (0g/2a) in three games for the Minnesota Wild so far this season. After undergoing surgery on Oct. 1, 2019, Pateryn made his 2019-20 season debut on Jan. 12, 2020 against Vancouver and played in 20 contests for Minnesota during the regular season, tallying three points (0g/3a). He recorded a career-best, three-game point/assist streak from Feb. 25-28, 2020. The Sterling Heights, Michigan, native missed the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs due to an upper-body injury.

NEW YORK (Jan. 19, 2021) – The National Hockey League announced today that, effective with tonight’s games, the League will be using game pucks without the imbedded tracking technology. The decision was made after concerns were raised about the puck’s performance during the first few days of the 2020-21 season. A review by the League determined that the first supply of 2020-21 pucks did not receive the same precise finishing treatments during the off-season manufacturing process as were used during the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. It is expected that a new supply of the League’s “tracking pucks” will be available soon and, after undergoing appropriate quality control testing, will be back in use for all games. In the interim, the League will use the official game pucks from the 2019-20 season and will continue to utilize Player tracking technology for all games.

from Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, It began with former Red Wings defenceman Chris Chelios going on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast and alleging that Babcock had verbally assaulted Franzen during a playoff series against Nashville. Franzen, in a subsequent interview with Swedish newspaper Expressen, called Babcock a “great coach,” but a “terrible person” and a “bully,” saying he suffered from verbal attacks from the coach. Former Red Wings GM Ken Holland was asked by the Detroit Free Press last December if a player had ever come to him and accused Babcock of verbal abuse. Holland said no.... “(Franzen) had unbelievable years in Detroit,’’ Babcock said. “He was a big man with great hands. When he first came here, we thought he was a checker and he turned himself into an unbelievable player. “When a player that you’ve coached says that about you, it stings you big time. But not only does it sting for that, if you’ve been involved with mental health like I have …'”... “Can you imagine having someone say that about you when you have been involved in mental health as much as I have? Now, I’ve reached out to (Franzen). That’s not going to make anything go away. “It doesn’t matter what I perceive. When you’re talking about this kind of thing, if the person — whether it’s a co-worker, your spouse, your student — if they think that’s the environment, that’s what they’re feeling. Now, I sure wish I would have known about that then. And I could have done something about that. Besides apologize, there’s not much I can do about that now. But does it sting? Does it hurt? Absolutely.’’ more ($$$) and Babcock addresses other topics too...

from Frank Seravalli of TSN, If only, Winnipeg Jets coach Paul Maurice mused, the NHL could have it all – an all-Canadian North Division and fans in the stands. What a bubbling cauldron that would create: endless one-anthem nights to feed frenzied fan bases with rivalries that feel like more than just key divisional points are on the line. "The idea is wholly selfish … We have our own little tiny league here,” Maurice said Monday, before Winnipeg visited Toronto. “We’re not crossing the border, not going all over the place. “It would be fantastic.” Alas, Maurice will be hard-pressed to get his wish. A permanent all-Canadian division is not feasible – not over an 82-game campaign. The rest of the hockey world (and paying rights holders) in the United States should get variety and the opportunity to see Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews, just as much as Canada should be able to have Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon come home to play. But the NHL may be on to something with the wildly popular North Division. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun on Monday that the league has agreed to explore the results gathered from this season’s baseball-style schedule with multiple games played against the same opponent on single trips. continued

NEW YORK (Jan. 19, 2021) – The National Hockey League today announced that Game #52, Carolina Hurricanes at Nashville Predators, scheduled for tonight, has been postponed. The rescheduled date of Game #52 will be announced when available. The decision was made out of an abundance of caution to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and game day personnel and in consultation with medical experts.

The live stream is below and I will update any news from the skate right here.

from Mac Engel of the Dallas Morning News, “Sinclair remains committed to reaching a fair agreement with both Hulu and YouTube TV to carry the FOX (regional sports networks),” Sinclair wrote in a statement. “At no time have we demanded exorbitant fees for these channels. Instead, we have consistently offered both pay TV providers extremely fair deals in line with what hundreds of other TV services have agreed to and continue to agree to.” “However, despite high profile ad campaigns and website claims touting their live sports content, we have yet to see that same commitment from either provider to put consumers first. Unfortunately, at this point we have no choice but to conclude that neither Disney (which owns Hulu) nor Google (which owns YouTube) is willing to engage in good faith discussions or return the RSNs to their platforms.” more on the issued in the Dallas market...

"I don’t think there’s any advantage in any rink in the National Hockey League right now, to be quite honest with you, just because the fans do have an important effect," he said. "I think we saw that in Madison Square Garden [Thursday and Saturday]. "I mean, it’s quiet in there . . . [Normally] when the Rangers and Islanders are playing, we could be playing at 7 a.m. in the morning, with a full building and the place is going crazy."  "You’ve got to bring your own sense of emotion, your own game every night. You’re not going to get any help from the atmosphere. You’re not . . . Here, it’s a lonely road out here." -Barry Trotz, head coach of the New York Islanders.  Nei Best of Newsday has more.

from Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun, Wouldn’t it be something if Bobby Ryan rejuvenated his career with the Detroit Red Wings? Wouldn’t it be nice to see? Of course it would. Everybody loves Bobby Ryan as much as Everybody Loves Raymond Barone. Well, last season’s Bill Masterton Trophy winner sure is off to a sensational start with his new team. Ryan missed the opener, a 3-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, because of an injury he suffered in the first week of camp, but since then he has been, well, coming in hot. In his Detroit debut on Saturday, he scored in a 4-2 win over the Hurricanes, and then on Monday afternoon he had both goals in a 3-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. That puts Ryan on pace for, hmmm, 56 this season. Not bad for a guy who the Red Wings signed to a one-year, $1 million deal as a free agent after Ottawa decided to buy him out. A reminder: Ottawa is now paying Ryan $1,833,833 in each of the next four seasons to not play in the nation’s capital. continued plus more hockey topics...

from Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, “I knew (it was Larkin) pretty much right away,” Werenski said. “I was kind of laughing during it. We weren’t holding back. I was trying to win the fight, and I think he was as well. “Once I realized it was him, with everything going on, him leaving tickets for my family, my parents being here, my friends … pretty funny how it all worked out.” Larkin offered his own play-by-play: “We had six guys (with their goaltender pulled); they have five. I saw Korpisalo in there with his stick — I was kind of late to the pile — and didn’t like it, and I think as I tried to jump in, I think I elbowed Zach and didn’t make him happy. We fought, and that was it. Not our first fight. We’ve had plenty of battles.” more (paid) If you missed the tussle watch it below.

THREE HARD LAPS * Semyon Varlamov became the first goaltender in Islanders history to record a shutout in each of his first two appearances of a season and the 14th goaltender in NHL history to do so. * Taylor Hall and Jack Eichel continued to produce at over a point-per-game pace and helped Buffalo snap a seven-game winless skid in Philadelphia. * Up to 11 No. 1 picks could be on the ice tonight, including a pair of matchups between back-to-back top picks: Jack Hughes of the Devils (2019) vs. Alexis Lafrenière of the Rangers (2020) and Alex Ovechkin (2004) of the Capitals vs. Sidney Crosby of the Penguins (2005).

from Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun, At age 31, Grosenick, a goaltender with two games of NHL experience, had been put on waivers by the Los Angeles Kings and claimed by the Oilers with the intent of giving him a job on the newly created coronavirus pandemic taxi squad because of the crease conundrum in Edmonton. Grosenick was said to be driving to Edmonton, apparently because the quarantine time involved in crossing the border by car for an NHL player is less than the 14 days that would be involved if he’d taken a flight. A job in the newly created position of taxi squad goalie isn’t likely to get his picture on a Tim Hortons hockey card next year, but for Grosenick it’s employment. But hold it, there, Tony. Pull over to the next town and wait until 9 a.m., Pacific or 10 a.m., Mountain time. The Toronto Maple Leafs put Aaron Dell on wavers and he has played 107 NHL games with a .908 save percentage. So it was in Zigzag, Oregon or Humptulips, Washington or Slickpoo, Idaho or Pray, Montana that Grosenick allegedly overnighted to find out if he should continue his trek North or turn around and head to maybe Bakersfield, California to become a Condor. It turned out that Dell was claimed by the New Jersey Devils and Grosenick could head north again with maybe a chance of catching Cam Moon call his second NHL game on 630 CHED during the final few hours of his drive. read on