As players put in their final offseason workouts before training camp begins next week, the consensus on the NHL's new conference and divisional alignment debuting in the 2013-14 season seems clear.
Making the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which never has been an easy feat, will be even more challenging for the foreseeable future.
"It puts you on notice that nobody is a lock to make the playoffs," Ottawa Senators center Jason Spezza told NHL.com Friday during the League's annual Player Media Tour. "If you look at our division [Atlantic], nobody is a lock. It shows you just how hard it's going to be to get in. It's gotten tougher, that's for sure." The most noticeable difference in the NHL's realignment plan is the unbalanced conference setup, with 16 teams in the Eastern Conference and 14 in the Western Conference. It was a change made with geographic implications in mind, but offset slightly by the fact every team will play in each city at least once.
The Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets, teams based in the Eastern time zone, moved to the Eastern Conference; the Winnipeg Jets, based in the Central time zone, moved to the Western Conference.
All but eight of the Blue Jackets' games this season will start no later than 8 p.m. ET, whereas last season 12 of their 48 games started at 8:30 p.m. ET or later. It's a similar disparity for the Red Wings, and now the Jets will have the bulk of their road games starting between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. CT as opposed to between 6 and 6:30.
The Dallas Stars shifted from the Pacific Division to the Central Division, meaning every one of their divisional road games will be played in the Central time zone or Mountain time zone, as opposed to the Pacific time zone.
"It's a chance for our fans to follow us more closely and get more attached to this team," Columbus coach Todd Richards told NHL.com. "It's a way for our young kids to stay up until 9:30 and see this team play and get attached to the team and get attached to our players. Most parents aren't going to let their kids stay up on a Wednesday night when a game starts at 10:30."
The geographical setup of the divisions makes sense to the players, but it's definitely piqued their interest because of how it potentially impacts their chances of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Western Conference players obviously are for it because 57 percent of the teams will get in, as opposed to 50 percent in the Eastern Conference.
"It's crazy that there's two less teams on our side than the other side," Colorado Avalanche center Matt Duchene told NHL.com, "but obviously that gives us a little better odds of being in a playoff spot there. It's going to be a good little change."
The Eastern players admittedly are leery about the odds not being the same for both conferences even though the format for getting in is the same: The top three teams from each division make the playoffs, then the field in each conference is filled out by the next two highest point-earning teams regardless of division.
"It's a little bit skewed, but it's good for the game to bring Detroit over [to the Eastern Conference] and move Winnipeg over [to the Western Conference]," Spezza said. "Geographically it's not fair to those teams that have to travel just for the sake of travel, but I do look at only my division and it's gotten tougher."
There's no debating Spezza on that point.
The same five teams that represented the Northeast Division (Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres and Senators) now have to deal with the Red Wings, plus the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning in the new Atlantic Division. The Red Wings have made the playoffs a record 22 straight seasons.
"They're a powerhouse," Buffalo forward Steve Ott told NHL.com.
From a business standpoint, the Washington Capitals' move into the new Metropolitan Division should give them the opportunity to recreate rivalries with some old Patrick Division teams. However, moving into a division with the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders makes things more difficult for the Capitals from a competitive standpoint.
Washington dominated the Southeast Division, winning it five of the past six seasons. The Penguins, Rangers, Flyers and Devils have accounted for the past six titles in the old Atlantic Division. The Islanders snapped their six-year playoff drought last season.
"We've snuck in playing in that Southeast Division a couple of times and we won't have that luxury," Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner said last month in Calgary at Canada Olympic orientation camp. "But it'll keep us a little more honest, which is probably a good thing for our team." The Carolina Hurricanes join the Capitals as former Southeast Division teams now in the Metropolitan Division. The Blue Jackets, who missed the playoffs last season because of a tiebreaker, also are in the division.
"I like it," Hurricanes captain Eric Staal told NHL.com. "It's going to force us to amp it up every night. It's going to force us to be prepared to play because every team in our division is competitive and very good. It's competitive across the board in the League, but our division, there are a number of teams that are expected to be good every year. We want to make sure we're one of the teams."
The Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators probably were happy to wave goodbye to the Red Wings after competing with them in the old Central Division for the past 15 years. Now they're now part of the new Central Division, which includes four up-and-coming teams: the Stars, Jets, Avalanche and Minnesota Wild.
The Wild have their foundation in place with Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, plus a large number of top prospects ready to make an impact. The Stars revamped their organization with first-year general manager Jim Nill overhauling the center depth this summer by adding
Tyler Bunz came to a rude realization in his first season as a professional goaltender.
"At this level, guys can shoot the puck no matter what position they play or what role they play," said Bunz who is "starting over" as his second campaign as an Edmonton Oilers farmhand approaches.
"The game is a lot faster, and it's going to take a lot more years than I thought to develop and become an elite goalie at the pro level."
Others competing in a tournament here for Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Winnipeg Jets and San Jose Sharks prospects teams also know they are on a long and winding road to the NHL — if they get there at all. Traditionally, goaltenders take longer than other position players to reach the game's top level.
But, like Bunz, a 21-year-old St. Albert, Alta., native who played 37 games for the Stockton Thunder of the ECHL and one contest with the Oklahoma City Oil Barons of the AHL last season, they are willing to be patient as they pursue only two permanent jobs available per team.
"This position is a lot different than the other three," said Bunz, who posted a 16-16-4 record and 3.35 goals-against average with Stockton. "You're kind of fending for yourself back there. You're the last line of defence. You've gotta be able to bale your team out when they make mistakes."
He and all of the other hopefuls here are on deeply personal quests. On his mask, Bunz sports tributes to an aunt and two close friends who died at young ages. Late Oilers prospect Kristian Pelss, a "close buddy" who drowned while in his native Latvia in June, is among those honoured.
"I just keep them close in my mind and, really, I play for all them, and they keep me going as well," he said.
Bunz also sports a tattooed expression over his heart. The gist: Never give up.
"Those are the words that I live by," he said. Bunz got the tattoo while playing for the Tri-City Americans of the WHL.
But at least Bunz has two years left on an entry-level contract. Many others here are free agents and just playing for a chance to attend NHL main training camps when they start later this week.
First-year pro Ty Rimmer, 20, who completed his junior eligibility with Lethbridge of the WHL last season, hopes to land a deal with his hometown Oilers after being bypassed in the NHL draft — even though he was a first-team WHL all-star in 2011-12 with Tri-City.
Rimmer is trying out with the Oilers after he could not stick with Dallas following a summer camp due to a "logjam" of Stars goalies under contract.
"I'm just going to play my heart out (here) and, when the time comes, discuss where my chance is at," he said.
Comrie the 'shooter tutor'
Based on the fact draft picks usually get priority over free agents, Eric Comrie, 18, already has a decent shot at reaching the NHL. The Edmonton native was drafted in the second round this year (59th overall) by the Winnipeg Jets, and has a chance to play for Canada in the world junior championships. He expresses a willingness to be patient as he appears headed back to Tri-City for a fourth season with the Americans, but it will be a challenge for him to wait his turn to reach the NHL.
"I'm not really a patient guy," he said. "I want to get out there and get everything as quickly as I can. But I understand the situation."
Comrie, the son of Brick furniture store chain founder Bill Comrie, started down the goaltending path from the backyard of his family home while playing shinny with his much older brothers, former NHLers Paul and Mike Comrie.
"They needed somebody to shoot on, so they stuck me in net and used me as a shooter tutor," he said.
Meanwhile, Franky Palazzese, a 20-year-old Mississauga, Ont., native who is playing for the Oilers prospects squad, hopes that being around pros for a while will help him in the future. He is willing to plod along the path to the NHL for as long as necessary.
"You have to be, especially me, not being drafted three drafts in a row a obviously, I get frustrated, but you've just got to keep active and stay focused. That's all it is," said Palazzese.
He is slated to return to Sudbury of the OHL for his final year of junior. But some goalies here have a chance at NHL employment this season.
Flames prospect Joni Ortio, 22, hopes he can gain a spot with the big club as a result of fellow Finn Miikka Kiprusoff's impending retirement.
"There's one guy missing right now, so there's opportunity to be had," said Ortio.
Ortio is vying for a job in North America two seasons after a brief stint with Calgary's AHL farm club in Abbotsford, B.C., did not go as smoothly as planned.
However, another Finnish compatriot, Karri Ramo, appears to be the heir apparent to Kiprusoff's starting job, and Joey MacDonald looks like a lock for the backup role after making a good impression following his arrival from Detroit via waivers late last season. MacDonald received a new one-year, $925,000 contract in the off-season.
Canucks hopeful Joacim Eriksson also hopes to push for NHL employment. Starter Roberto Luongo could be in need of a short-term backup as minor-leaguer Eddie Lack, the heir apparent for the No. 2 role following Cory Schneider's trade to New Jersey, recovers from a hip injury.
Eriksson, a 23-year-old Gavle, Sweden native who has spent the past five years playing in his homeland, signed with Vancouver as a free agent in June. He is determined to make good on a second shot at the NHL after the Philadelphia Flyers drafted him in the seventh round (196th overall) in 2008 but chose not to sign him.
"I'm going to compete every day to show that I want to be in the best league," he said.
Canucks goaltending consultant Dan Cloutier, who toiled with the New York Rangers, Vancouver, and Tampa Bay in a 15-year pro career, wants his club's prospects to do the little things right in order to be ready for an NHL opportunity — because they never know when it will come.
One of the seminal players in Calgary Flames history, Miikka Kiprusoff, made it official Monday: He is done with the NHL, after nine seasons with the Flames that put him alongside Mike Vernon as one of the franchise’s greatest goaltenders.
Kiprusoff, 36, had one year remaining on a front-loaded six-year, $35-million (U.S.) contract he signed before the start of the 2008-09 season. It initially paid him $8.5-million, but would have dropped to $1.5-million for the final campaign. Rather than accept such a significant pay cut, Kiprusoff opted to call it a career.
The announcement, which saves Calgary a $5.888-million salary cap charge, came on the eve of training camp for the 2013-14 season.
According to the Flames, they knew about his plans all along, but chose not to make them public in case he changed his mind. However, their actions in the off-season, signing goalies Karri Ramo and Reto Berra, plus getting backup Joey MacDonald to agree to an extension, suggested they had a pretty good idea of where it was going.
In a statement, Flames general manager Jay Feaster said: “Miikka has been up-front with us since the trade deadline that he wanted to finish his outstanding playing career as a Flames player, and that the 2013 season was going to be his last.”
Feaster’s comment was a reference to trade talks with the Toronto Maple Leafs that fell through at the deadline last season. The Leafs asked – and received permission – to speak to Kiprusoff about waiving his no-trade clause to join Toronto for the stretch drive, but ultimately, Leafs GM David Nonis was unable to convince him to move.
Kiprusoff had, by far and away, his worst season with Calgary in 2013 – 8-14-2, 3.44 goals-against average, .882 save percentage.
It looked as if the constant losing finally got to Kiprusoff, after he’d spent years propping the team up with elite-level goaltending. The prospect of playing for Calgary in a rebuilding era likely had no appeal to Kiprusoff, who also didn’t appear interested in starting over elsewhere in the NHL.
Feaster said the organization wanted to give Kiprusoff time to reflect in the off-season, so he wouldn’t make “a rash or hasty decision. We wanted to give him time to get refreshed during the summer and spend some additional time to make his decision. … In returning to Calgary this month, he advised us that his decision remained the same, and that he was retiring as a player.”
Kiprusoff’s best moment came in the spring of 2004, when he led Calgary to the Stanley Cup finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning (of which Feaster was GM). The Flames did not win another playoff series after that unexpected success, however.
Still, Feaster hailed Kiprusoff as “backbone of the Calgary Flames since his arrival here in 2003, and every night for more than 70 nights per season, his magnificence between the pipes gave the team a chance to win. He inspired hope and confidence, and he made those around him better players as a result of his brilliance.
“Miikka will take his place in the pantheon of great NHL goaltenders, and his place in Flames history is secure. He will be missed by players, teammates and fans, and we wish him all the best in his retirement.”
Statistically, Kiprusoff finished as the Flames all-time leader in wins (305), games played (576) and shutouts (41).
In a statement, Kiprusoff confirmed he made his retirement decision after last season, but appreciated the fact Feaster gave him the chance to reconsider.
“It’s an important decision for me personally, my family, the Flames organization and fans,” Kiprusoff said. “Jay and I had conversations over the summer, and nothing had changed for me and upon returning to Calgary last week, I once again spoke with Jay and confirmed with him that I would be retiring.”
Kiprusoff plans to live in Calgary this year, largely so his children can continue to go to school here.
“I’ve been very lucky to have spent 10 years of my career in Calgary. There is no better place to live and play. I look forward to taking the next year with my family to enjoy everything wonderful about Southern Alberta.”
The Flames acquired Kiprusoff on Nov. 16, 2003, from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a second-round draft pick. He finished the 2003-04 regular season posting a modern-day NHL record GAA of 1.69.
For his career, Kiprusoff finishes with 319 wins, a 2.49 GAA, 44 shutouts and a .912 save percentage.
Miikka Kiprusoff announces retirement from NHL - The Globe and Mail
"I decided to retire at the end of last season," Kiprusoff said in a statement released by the team. "I appreciated [general manager] Jay Feaster and the Flames organization permitting me to take the summer to be 100 percent sure. It's an important decision for me personally, my family, the Flames organization and fans. Jay and I had conversations over the summer and nothing had changed for me and upon returning to Calgary last week, I once again spoke with Jay and confirmed with him that I would be retiring. "I've been very lucky to have spent 10 years of my career in Calgary. There is no better place to live and play. I look forward to taking the next year with my family to enjoy everything wonderful about southern Alberta."
In 24 games last season, Kiprusoff, 36, went 8-14-2 with 3.44 goals-against average and .882 save percentage
Kiprusoff retires as the Flames' franchise leader in games played (576), wins (305) and shutouts (41). He was acquired from the San Jose Sharks in a trade Nov. 16, 2003, and that season led the Flames to the Stanley Cup Final. He went 15-11 with five shutouts, a 1.85 GAA and .928 save percentage in 26 playoff games
His best season was 2005-06, when he led the League with a 2.07 goals-against average and 10 shutouts, was second with 42 wins and third with a .923 save percentage. He capped his season by winning the Vezina Trophy as the League's top goaltender.
"Miikka has been up-front with us since the trade deadline that he wanted to finish his outstanding playing career as a Flames player, and that the [2012-13] season was going to be his last," Flames general manager Jay Feaster said. "We, as an organization, made it clear to [Kiprusoff] that we did not want him to make a rash or hasty decision. We wanted to give him time to get refreshed during the summer and spend some additional time to make his decision. Had we been prepared to accept Miikka's position back in April we could have announced his retirement at the end of the season. We purposely chose to wait and give him more time to ensure this was the course he wanted to take. In returning to Calgary this month he advised us that his decision remained the same, and that he was retiring as a player.
"Miikka Kiprusoff has been the backbone of the Calgary Flames since his arrival here in 2003, and every night for more than 70 nights per season his magnificence between the pipes gave the team a chance to win. He inspired hope and confidence, and he made those around him better players as a result of his brilliance. Miikka will take his place in the pantheon of great NHL goaltenders, and his place in Flames history is secure. He will be missed by players, teammates and fans, and we wish him all the best in his retirement."
Drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the fifth round of the 1997 NHL Draft, Kiprusoff ranks 23rd all-time with 319 wins and 30th with 44 shutouts in 623 NHL games with the Sharks and Flames. He won 40 games three times and at least 30 games seven times.
Calgary Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff retires from NHL - NHL-com - News
National Hockey League clubs haven't officially hit the ice for game action, but CBC's Hockey Night in Canada is set to broadcast the first of four pre-season contests beginning Saturday with Kraft Hockeyville.
It all starts with Saturday's Winnipeg Jets-Washington Capitals matchup in the township of Stirling-Rawdon, Ont., (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 7 p.m. ET).
The winners of the Kraft Hockeyville contest celebrated their victory with a Stanley Cup parade last September and a visit from NHL alumni to go along with a game. In addition, the community was awarded a $100,000 cheque from Kraft Canada for renovations to Stirling District Recreation Centre.
Hockey Night's Ron MacLean and Coach's Corner commentator Don Cherry will be on location from Yardmen Arena in Belleville to bring you all the action.
Next up on Sept. 21, fans will get a doubleheader dose of hockey when the Toronto Maple Leafs face the Buffalo Sabres (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 7 p.m. ET) followed by an all-Canadian matchup with the Vancouver Canucks at Edmonton to battle the Oilers (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 10 p.m. ET).
An Original Six rivalry will be renewed on Sept. 28 when the Leafs host their new Atlantic Division foes, the Detroit Red Wings, (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 7 p.m. ET).
The puck officially drops on the regular season Oct. 1 when Toronto visits its arch rivals, the Montreal Canadiens (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 7 p.m. ET) followed by the Jets at the Oilers (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 10 p.m. ET).
Game Date Time
Capitals at Jets Sept. 14 7 p.m. ET
Leafs at Sabres Sept. 21 7 p.m. ET
Canucks at Oilers Sept. 21 10 p.m. ET
Red Wings at Leafs Sept. 28 7 p.m. ET
The NHL officially returns with the opening of training camps for the 2013-14 season. It wasn't too long ago we watched the Chicago Blackhawks capture their second Stanley Cup in three seasons on a muggy night in Boston.
David Bolland's game-winner for Chicago was scored 79 days ago. Less than three months later, the boys are back and full of optimism. With that in mind, we take a glance at the training camps for the seven Canadian clubs.
After all, opening night on Hockey Night in Canada is only 20 days away.
Calgary Flames
3 questions entering training camp
- Who will replace retired Miikka Kiprusoff in goal? The combatants are Reto Berra, Joey MacDonald and Karri Ramo.
- What kind of an immediate impact will new president of hockey operations director Brian Burke make?
- Now that the Flames are in a rebuild mode, can they begin to find some answers down the middle with youngsters like Roman Horak, Sean Monohan and Max Reinhart?
New faces: G Karri Ramo, D Shane O'Brien, D Kris Russell, LW T.J. Galiardi, RW David Jones.
No longer in town: D Cory Sarich, C Roman Cervenka, LW Alex Tanguay
Youngsters to watch: D Chris Breen, D Patrick Sieloff, RW Ben Hanowski, C Corban Knight, C Sean Monohan, C Max Reinhart
Pre-season schedule: Sept. 14 vs. Edmonton (split-squad), Sept. 14 at Edmonton (split-squad), Sept. 16 vs. Ottawa at Saskatoon, Sept. 17 vs. N.Y. Islanders at Saskatoon (split-squad), Sept. 17 vs. N.Y. Islanders at Regina (split-squad), Sept. 23 vs. N.Y. Rangers, Sept. 15 vs. Phoenix
Edmonton Oilers
3 questions entering training camp
- After a four-season run of Pat Quinn, Tom Renney and Ralph Krueger behind the bench, is new head coach Dallas Eakins the guy to steer the young Oilers to the playoffs?
- Will Taylor Hall, who played the first three seasons of his NHL career on left wing, make a smooth transition to the middle to buy time as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins continues to recover from off-season shoulder surgery?
- Can the weak area of the Oilers roster -- the defence -- improve enough with the additions of Andrew Ference and Dens Grebeshkov?
New faces: G Jason LaBarbera, G Richard Bachman, D Andrew Ference, D Denis Grebeshkov, D Philip Larsen, C Boyd Gordon, LW Ryan Hamilton, LW Jesse Joensuu, LW David Perron.
No longer in town: G Nikolai Khabibulin, D Theo Peckham, C Shawn Horcoff, LW Magnus Paajarvi
Youngsters to watch: D Darnell Nurse, D Oscar Klefbom, C Anton Lander
Pre-season schedule: Sept. 14 vs. Calgary (split-squad), Sept. 14 at Calgary (split-squad), Sept. 17 at Winnipeg, Sept. 18 at Vancouver, Sept. 21 vs. Vancouver, Sept. 23 vs. Winnipeg, Sept. 24 vs. N.Y. Rangers, Sept. 27 vs. Dallas at Oklahoma City
Montreal Canadiens
3 questions entering training camp
-Can the club that went from worst in the Eastern Conference to second last year continue its climb? A lot will depend on health and whether newcomer Daniel Briere can be the offensive dynamo he was a few seasons ago?
-After the top four defencemen of P.K. Subban, Andrei Markov, Josh Gorges and Alexei Emelin, there could be a couple of open spots available on the blue-line. Are youngsters Nathan Beaulieu or Jarred Tinordi ready for prime time to unseat the likes of Francis Bouillon or Douglas Murray?
-How will goalie Carey Price rebound from his late-season doldrums and playoff disappointment against the Ottawa Senators -- and will new Habs goalie coach Stephane Waite mesh with his new student?
New faces: D Douglas Murray, C Daniel Briere, RW George Parros
No longer in town: D Tomas Kaberle, D Yannick Weber, RW Colby Armstrong, RW Michael Ryder
Youngsters to watch: D Nathan Beaulieu, D Greg Pateryn, D Jarred Tinordi, C Michael Bournival, C Gabriel Dumont, C Louis Leblanc.
Pre-season schedule: Sept. 15 vs. Buffalo, Sept. 16 vs. Boston, Sept. 20 vs. Carolina at Quebec City, Sept. 21 vs. Carolina, Sept. 23 vs. New Jersey, Sept. 25 at Ottawa, Sept. 26 vs. Ottawa
Ottawa Senators
3 questions entering training camp
-How much better will Erik Karlsson (Achilles tendon), Jason Spezza (back), Craig Anderson (ankle), Jared Cowen (hip) and Milan Michalek (knee) be after injuries kept them out of most of last season?
-Will the 22-year-old Cowen, a restricted free agent, re-sign before the regular season begins?
-How much can newcomer Bobby Ryan, who has scored 147 times in 378 NHL games, lessen the off-season blow of losing captain Daniel Alfredsson to free agency and the Detroit Red Wings?
New faces: D Joe Corvo, LW Clarke MacArthur, RW Bobby Ryan
No longer in town: D Sergei Gonchar, D Andre Benoit, D Mike Lundin, RW Daniel Alfredsson, RW Jakob Silferberg, RW Stefan Nosen, C Peter Regin, RW Hugh Jessiman
Young players to watch: LW Dave Dziurzynski, C Mike Hoffman, C Shane Prince, LW Matt Puempel, RW Mark Stone
Pre-season schedule: Sept. 16 at Winnipeg (split-squad), Sept. 16 vs. Calgary at Saskatoon, Sept. 19 vs. Toronto, Sept. 24 at Toronto, Sept. 25 vs. Montreal, Sept. 29 vs. N.Y. Islanders at Barrie, Sept. 29 vs. N.Y. Islanders
Toronto Maple Leafs
3 questions entering training camp
-Who will emerge as the club's No. 1 starter in net, either incumbent James Reimer or newcomer Jonathan Bernier?
-Will there be any lingering effects from last spring's collapse in Game 7 of the Maple Leafs first-round series against the Boston Bruins?
-With the Nazem Kadri signing on Tuesday evening, how long will it take Toronto to get top-four defenceman Cody Franson, a restricted free agent, locked up to deal?
New faces: G Jonathan Bernier, D T.J. Brennan, C David Bolland, RW David Clarkson, LW Mason Raymond
No longer in town: G Ben Scrivens, D Mike Komisarek, D Ryan O'Byrne, LW Clarke MacArthur, LW Matt Frattin, C Mikhail Grabovski, RW Leo Komarov.
Youngsters to watch: D Morgan Rielly, C Joe Colborne
Pre-season schedule: Sept. 15 at Philadelphia, Sept. 16 vs. Philadelphia, Sept. 19 at Ottawa, Sept. 21 at Buffalo,
The Alex Pietrangelo contract dispute with the St. Louis Blues didn't last very long into training camp. The sides wanted a deal done as quickly as possible, and it came to fruition Friday.
The Blues' top-end defenseman signed a seven-year contract worth $45.5 million ($6.5 million per season).
"Really excited to be a part of Blues organization for the next 7 years," Pietrangelo wrote on his verified Twitter account (@apetro_27). "Excited for the opportunity."
Pietrangelo's contract breaks down the same as that of Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson, who signed a seven-year, $45.5 million deal that began last season. Pietrangelo, who was a restricted free agent and the only player on the Blues roster not at training camp, will make $5 million this season, $5.5 million in 2014-15, $6.5 million in 2015-16, $7 million in each of the next three seasons, and $7.5 million in 2019-20.
Pietrangelo, who finished his three-year, $9.675 million entry-level contract last season, missed the opening of training camp after the sides could not come to terms on an agreement in a last-ditch effort Tuesday night. Pietrangelo, 23, was said to be seeking a contract similar to Drew Doughty's with the Los Angeles Kings. Doughty has an eight-year, $56 million contract (an average annual value of $7 million).
Pietrangelo and Doughty are represented by Don Meehan of Newport Sports and came from the 2008 NHL Draft class (Doughty was the second pick, Pietrangelo was fourth). The Blues were said to be offering $6 million per season.
"I think all in all, this is a fair deal for both sides," Meehan said. "... Even though some of these issues were difficult, we had agreed that we would continue to speak with each other. I've been at it long enough to know that you can't operate on this basis waiting for the other person to call."
Blues general manager Doug Armstrong and Pietrangelo's camp re-engaged in contract talks Thursday and the sides split the difference in dollar amount, and Friday completed the details. The contract includes a no-trade clause for the final three years.
"We're excited," Armstrong said. "It's a day that I knew was going to come at some point. I was hoping it was going to be a few days ago, but we had a conversation yesterday, a scheduled call today, and we were able to wrap up all the loose ends that were there.
"In talking to Alex, I know he's very excited to be part of the organization. What I said to him, 'This isn't a seven-year deal, this is just another stepping stone to the rest of your career.' I think he's excited to be here. I know we're excited to have him, get him in here to St. Louis tomorrow and turn him over to the coach."
Armstrong said Tuesday a bridge contract was a possibility after another failed attempt at an agreement, but the sides were focused on a long-term deal and were able to come to terms on a contract that will take Pietrangelo three years into unrestricted free agent status.
"He's the one player that has that quality to be an elite player in our game and in his position," Armstrong said. "I view him as a potential Norris Trophy winner, I view him as someone who can dominate a game. He has the ability to play half the game, he touches every aspect of our team, power play, penalty killing. He has leadership qualities, he's played internationally and done very well.
"I just think at his age, defense is a position that's a little slower to mature at than maybe a forward, and what he's accomplished so far sets up for an outstanding career. I think we're all very fortunate to have it here in St. Louis."
Veteran defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, who has been Pietrangelo's partner since arriving in a trade from the Calgary Flames last season, spent time with the King City, Ontario native at Canada Olympic Orientation Camp in August.
"From his perspective, I saw him a couple weeks ago and no one wants to sit out, no one wants to do that," Bouwmeester said. "He wants to be here. Absolutely the quicker you get it done ... it's not a drawn-out thing.
"You have everyone there. I don't think it was a distraction. It's out of the way. It's done, and you move along."
Blues captain David Backes said it's natural for a player to be itching to get into camp while his teammates are fully engaged and preparing for what is expected to be another solid season.
"I can’t imagine that it doesn't," Backes said. "Your nature as a team-sport athlete is to be around the guys and to be in that locker room, to have the camaraderie in the room. When you're kind of that outcast, that guy sitting at home, all because of business things, not because of injury or because of your ability to play that game, that has to eat at you. I think anybody that's ever held out would admit that.
"The moral of the story is, it was very short-lived and I think it shows on both sides that [Alex] wanted to be here long term and the Blues wanted him here long term. It's a great relationship that's going to be great for this organization for the long term."
Coach Ken Hitchcock said Friday that missing two days of practice won't affect Pietrangelo's progress.
"I think with training camp and exhibition games, he's going to get up to speed," Hitchcock said. "He hasn't missed much. We kept him up to date until we couldn't speak to him anymore. He knows the last couple weeks what's going on, players have kept him up to date. Just missing the first two ice sessions isn't a big deal. He'll catch up to speed right away.
"For him, for the team, for where we want to go to the next level, all those things, I think it's important (for Pietrangelo to be at camp). It's not a distraction now. Our team's in place. Now it's just who can do what during training camp."
Alex Pietrangelo signs seven-year contract with St. Louis Blues - NHL Free Agency 2013
In an interview aired on Hockey Night in Canada Saturday, the Washington Capitals star told correspondent Elliotte Friedman that he won't be fleeing the National Hockey League to play in Russia this season.
Ovechkin's compatriot Ilya Kovalchuk made waves when he retired from the NHL in July to continue his career in his native Russia's Kontinental Hockey League. Many speculated other Russian players might consider the same move, but Ovechkin says he's not bolting for the KHL.
"No worries," said the 27-year-old left winger. "I'm playing for the Capitals ... I'm here and I don't want to go nowhere."
Last season's league MVP commented on Kovalchuk's move, saying every player has right to make his own decision.
"It was his choice. Everybody has their choices," Ovechkin said. "I don't want to say that I'm happy for him. He made his decision."
The sniper scored 32 goals and 24 assists for 56 points in a lockout-shortened 48-game season in 2013. He potted 23 of those goals in the final 23 games of the regular season to lift the Capitals into the playoffs. Ovechkin was held to just two points in Washington's first-round playoff exit at the hands of the New York Rangers.
Ovechkin says his love for the game is still strong, especially with the motivation he gets from head coach Adam Oates, who took over from Dale Hunter in 2012.
"My last coach before Adam, I don't have that kind of support, I don't have that kind of trust," Ovechkin said. "And sometimes when you don't have that, you just don't want to play hockey. You just want to sit and that's it."
Alex Ovechkin says he's staying in NHL - NHL on CBC Sports - Hockey news, opinion, scores, stats, standings
Colin Campbell told the Canadien Press this week that the NHL won’t use video review on high-sticking double-minors this season, in an attempt to see if one teammate cuts another rather than an opponent. It reverses the competition committee’s decision, which isn’t something that happens often.
Why? Because instead of allowing the new rule to play out and have its nuances exposed and loopholes closed organically – as it does with every rule, from head-shots to spin-o-ramas – the NHL feels it needs to have every detail established before mandating replay for double-minor high sticks.
From Steve Whyno of the Canadian Press:
"We're punting right now," Campbell said in an interview with The Canadian Press. "We're going to watch it, we're going to talk about it and see how many times it happens. We just don't want to do something that we weren't totally comfortable with on video review. We want everything to be clear and precise, and we didn't think that was."
Campbell said New Jersey Devils President/GM/Ruler of All He Surveys Lou Lamoriello is the one who complained to the league that there’s too much unsettled law within the high-sticking replays. From the CP:
Campbell broached the possibility of a delayed penalty late in a game with the goalie pulled leading to a goal, and there was no consensus on what to do in that situation. "Sometimes you just got to be careful, just like with the high stick, that you don't lean on technical support too much when there's other issues you've got to get straight," he said. "The unintended circumstance there, it's clear with that one. We never even thought about that."
As we’ve noted before, it’s a rule that would have unintended consequences and unforeseen conundrums. But is Colin Campbell actually claiming that a rule that’s far overdue – using technology to overturn officiating mistakes that can alter the course of a game – should be delayed because the NHL couldn’t figure what to do in one very specific scenario?
Ugh. It’s cold feet, well after the innovation was met with widespread acceptance. Hopefully this is the NHL’s typical reluctance to innovation and not some hesitancy to spotlight the glaring mistakes of its officials. Because the latter is the kind of old-boys network decision one would associate with Campbell.
Phoenix Coyotes forward Paul Bissonnette has been automatically suspended without pay for 10 regular-season games as a result of being assessed a game misconduct penalty for leaving the bench on an illegal line change to join an altercation during NHL Preseason Game No. 9 against the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday night in Glendale, Ariz.
At 12:09 of the first period, Bissonnette was assessed a game misconduct under Rule 70.6, which states: "A game misconduct penalty shall be imposed on the player who was the first or second player to leave the players' or penalty bench during an altercation or for the purpose of starting an altercation, from either or both teams."
The suspension is mandated by Rule 70.10, which states: "The first player to leave the players' or penalty bench illegally during an altercation or for the purpose of starting an altercation from either or both teams shall be suspended without pay for the next 10 regular League and/or playoff games of his team."
Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and based on his average annual salary, Bissonnette will forfeit $37,820.51. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.
Bissonnette will be eligible to return to the Coyotes' lineup on Oct. 24 at Los Angeles.
Phoenix Coyotes forward Paul Bissonnette suspended 10 games for leaving bench - NHL-com - News
Nathan Walker still can recall how impressed he was the first time he witnessed a hockey game in his hometown of Sydney, Australia.
He was inspired so much, in fact, that he decided to lace on the blades and give the sport a shot because it was "something different" to do in a country dominated by football and soccer.
"Soccer wasn't a sport that really fit with me too well," Walker told NHL-com. "I can kind of kick a ball but I don't know what direction it's going in. Hockey isn't the most popular thing in Australia; it's certainly not the No. 1 thing to do on a Saturday night."
While it might not be the thing to do, Walker made certain to watch, practice and play as often as possible. "When I was 13, that's when I decided I really wanted to take a shot at this, so I went overseas [to the Czech Republic] to learn and play the game," Walker said.
Walker, a left wing, has dreams of becoming the first Australian to play in the NHL. Despite the fact he didn't hear his name called at the 2013 NHL Draft -- the second time he's gone through the annual selection process -- the 19-year-old is experiencing training camp with the Washington Capitals on a tryout basis. He is one of 40 forwards listed on the Capitals' roster.
"It's been great," he said. "I had a good rookie camp and then got the invite to the main camp, so it's gone well. I'm thoroughly enjoying it. I've had the most fun playing hockey the last three weeks than I have in a while."
Walker played in his first preseason game Sept. 14 against the Winnipeg Jets in the Kraft Hockeyville game in Belleville, Ontario, and has skated with Troy Brouwer and Chandler Stephenson during several sessions of main camp. When Caps forward Brooks Laich left the first session of training camp with a hip flexor injury Sept. 12, Walker filled his spot on a line with Stephenson and right wing Brouwer.
According to reports, Walker skated hard, was aggressive and pressured opposing defenders when given the opportunity in a 4-3 win.
"I like to make plays and give the puck a lot," Walker said. "I use my speed and keep my feet moving at all times. The coaches have told me to have fun and just play hockey. That's what young guys need to hear."
If he isn't signed by the Capitals, Walker will enter his first full season with the Youngstown Phantoms of the United States Hockey League in 2013-14. Minus a contract, the 5-foot-8, 186-pound left-handed shot also will be entering his third and final season of draft eligibility.
"I wouldn't say it's frustrating [to not be drafted]," Walker said. "It's not what I wanted, but it's not that big a deal either. It just motivates me even more just wanting to be better than I am. Not getting called out [at the draft] just motivates me even more."
Walker joined the Phantoms in January 2013 after playing six seasons of hockey in the Czech Republic, including the past two with HC Vitkovice in the top Czech professional league. Born in Cardiff, Great Britain, his family moved to Sydney when he was 2 years old. He then moved to Ostrava, Czech Republic, where's been developing his game the past six seasons.
"My time in the Czech Republic was so important; that's when I really developed," Walker said. "I wasn't really going to develop in Australia since I was on the ice once a week and playing one or two games, so making the transition to Czech Republic was a huge part of my development." Walker acknowledged that there are about 30 rinks in Australia, so there isn't much ice time to go around for those interested in the sport.
"I like the fact that what we do on ice is so much different than playing football or soccer," he said.
Walker started last season with Vitkovice's under-20 team and had 12 goals and 24 points in 13 games. He had one assist and 29 penalty minutes in 20 games with Vitkovice, and then moved across the Atlantic to finish the season with Youngstown. In 29 games with the Phantoms he had seven goals, 27 points and a plus-5 rating to help the club overcome a 5-11 start to finish third in the USHL's Eastern Conference. He even starred at the 2013 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game at the L.C. Walker Arena in Muskegon, Mich.
"It took some time getting used to the USHL on the smaller rink [in North America] as compared to the Czech Republic, and the speed of the game, but after a while it went really well," Walker said.
Walker sustained a serious neck injury in the team's 5-2 regular-season victory against the U.S. National Team Development Program under-18 team April 5 and sat out the playoffs.
"Walker is a great skater and works hard on every shift," NHL Director of European Scouting Goran Stubb told NHL-com.
Despite his smallish frame, Walker has earned the nickname "Stormy" for his aggressive and relentless puck pursuit each shift. He had been training in the Czech Republic early this summer before returning to Australia.
He played for Australia at the 2011 IIHF World Championship Division II tournament and the following year played for Australia at the 2012 World Championship Division IB tournament, when he had four goals and six points. He was recognized by tournament coaches as Australia's best player.
When asked for the odds of his becoming the first Aussie to play in the NHL, Walker laughed.
"It's definitely not an easy road," he said, "but I'll keep pushing and we'll see where it ends up."
Nathan Walker trying to become first Australian player in NHL - NHL-com - NHL Insider
The new NHL rules for this season continue to trickle in one by one it seems. That's not really the case as they have all been previously agreed upon over the summer but they didn't all get the same fanfair. So with preseason games under way, we're learning some of them on the fly.
One of those rules changes that popped up on Monday night was the fact that now the removal of one's helmet before or during a fight calls for a minor penalty. That coincides with the five-minute major for fighting. Here's an example from Monday.
Joe Haggerty of CSN New England has a little more.
Players that take off their helmets prior to a fight will be served with a minor penalty along with the five minute fighting major this season. Whispers around the NHL also indicate that linesmen have been instructed to break up hockey fights as soon as either combatant's helmet comes off during the scrap.
Sources indicated to CSNNE-com that the league's general managers also considered introducing a minor penalty to any player that pulls off an opponents' helmet during a hockey fight, but that rule didn't have enough support for adoption.
The reasoning for the rule seems straightforward enough. The NHL is trying to diminish injury potential and the cynic would say the league is trying to protect its rear from future lawsuits like the NFL recently experienced. There was also the case of a player dying as a result of hitting his helmet-less head on the ice at the conclusion of a fight. It's a dangerous endeavor.
At the same time, fighting fans and hockey purists are not digging the new restriction. Combine this with the mandatory visor grandfathering into the game and it's easy to see why people think this is another attempt to take fighting out of the NHL without actually taking fighting out of the NHL. It's just another deterrent because really, who wants to fight somebody wearing a visor?
Really though, is this going to be a major curb to fighting in the NHL? I have my doubts on that. Fighting is already going down more because some teams are beginning to realize it's a waste of space to have a guy who is only good at fighting on the bench. Perhaps this will reduce the amount of fights just a little more but the OHL would suggest otherwise.
The OHL already has this rule in place, assessing minor penalties for removing one's helmet in a fight. The OHL also requires players to wear face protection. Guess what? They still fight in the OHL. A lot. Last season there were 14 players that had at least 10 fights in the OHL, the NHL had only seven. Granted, the NHL played 20 fewer games this past season so that's a major skew but the point is they still fight in the OHL.
The biggest deterrent there was the new sliding scale of punishment for fighting more than anything else.
Still, it most likely will have some impact on fighting going forward, specifically on seeing the number of fights diminishing. However I don't think it's going to be drastic or frankly anything more than the steady decline we've been seeing in fighting for some time.
What will be interesting to see is if the players adjust to this in fighting etiquette. It's not hard to envision either both players removing their helmets together to each incur a penalty or even for players to take off their opponent's helmet for them. That only goes for the more dramatic fights, of course, not the heat-of-the-moment bouts. But you know players will adjust.
Two NHL rookies got a quick lesson on what types of hits are illegal in the NHL.
The NHL suspended Detroit Red Wings forward Teemu Pulkkinen for four preseason games and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Adam Erne for three preseason games.
Pulkkinen was taking part in his first NHL shift when he was ejected for boarding on a hit on Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Mike Kostka. "Pulkkinen sees Kostka's back throughout the play and tracks his opponent for some distance," NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan said in his accompanying video. "Pulkkinen has enough time to make a better decision on this play."
Erne, also making his NHL debut, was disciplined for an illegal shoulder-to-head hit on St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Sobotka. He received a minor penalty and ended up scoring the winning shootout goal.
"Erne must do a better job of hitting more squarely through the body and not picking his opponent's head," Shanahan said.
Both Kostka and Sobotka left the game, though Shanahan said neither suffered an apparent lasting injury. Because the suspensions didn't extend into the regular season, neither player will lose any money. But it will count against them if they have to come before Shanahan again.
Pulkkinen, 21, was drafted in the fourth round in 2010 and is expected to be sent to the Red Wings' affiliate in Grand Rapids, Mich. He played two regular-season games there last season, plus the American Hockey League playoffs, after finishing his season at Jokerit in the Finnish league.
Erne, 18, a New Haven, Conn., native, was the Lightning's second-round pick in June.
Washington has been awarded the National Hockey League's Winter Classic in 2015, a source tells The Canadian Press.
The Capitals will host the game four years after they visited the Penguins at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.
Capitals owner Ted Leonsis is set to make the announcement at the team's fan convention Saturday.
It was not immediately clear which team the Capitals will play, though there is speculation it will be the Philadelphia Flyers, who hosted the 2012 outdoor game.
The NHL did not have any comment on the Capitals and their announcement Saturday.
It was not clear where the game would be played. Nationals Park is the most logical place, though RFK Stadium and FedEx Field, which is in Landover, Md., could also be options.
Capitals to host 2015 NHL Winter Classic: report - NHL on CBC Sports - Hockey news, opinion, scores, stats, standings
Nine days after they opened training camp by skating on the Barclays Center ice for the first time, the Islanders were back in the $1 billion arena, which they will call home two years from now.
Their four Stanley Cup banners were hanging from the rafters, albeit temporarily. Their organ was here. Roger Luce, their public address announcer, was here. Their owner, Charles Wang, was here and dropped the ceremonial puck alongside Bruce Ratner, the visionary behind Barclays Center and the man responsible for bringing major-league sports back to Brooklyn (the NBA's Nets moved in one year ago).
A crowd of 14,689 witnessed the first NHL game to be held in this borough and created a boisterous atmosphere. This wasn't your average preseason game.
"Preseason, you don't see a crowd like that," Islanders coach Jack Capuano said. "The music, the atmosphere … when the guys came on the ice, you could tell. It had that feeling, just like we ended off at the Coliseum last year against Pittsburgh (in the Stanley Cup Playoffs). It was everything we expected coming here, first-class. "Hopefully people enjoyed the game. They hadn't seen a game here. Everybody had a chance to come into the building. It was a great night."
For Islanders fans, it was a chance to test out their new digs, if only for one night. Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, the only place the Islanders have called home since the franchise's inception in 1972, will continue to host the team until the conclusion of the 2014-15 season.
Unfortunately for those fans, they were forced to get back on the Long Island Rail Road and head east with a 3-0 loss to the New Jersey Devils. Some stellar play from Devils goaltender Cory Schneider (26 saves) and some sloppy play from the "home" team, particular on the power play (New York went 0-for-5) was too much to overcome.
The answer to the trivia question "Who was the first Islanders player to score at Barclays Center?" will have to wait a bit longer.
Instead, it was New Jersey forward Jacob Josefson who scored the first goal in this building. Josefson was able to poke a loose puck past Evgeni Nabokov 10:14 into the game after the Islanders goaltender was unable to control Anton Volchenkov's shot from the point.
Patrik Elias doubled New Jersey's lead at 4:49 of the second period. After a pretty feed from Josefson, Elias rocketed a wrist shot from the left circle past Nabokov to make it 2-0. Steve Bernier completed the scoring with a power-play goal 2:31 into the third period.
What transpired Saturday was obviously just the beginning of Islanders hockey in Brooklyn. In some ways, though, it was the culmination of the trials and tribulations Wang experienced over the past decade. After years of trying to secure a new Coliseum in Nassau County and being unable to, Wang accepted Ratner's invitation to bring the team 25 miles west to Brooklyn. The New York Islanders will remain exactly that.
"Charles tried to do something in the area that couldn't get done," Capuano said. "He kept the team in New York. We're excited about it. For our guys to come to that first practice and then leading up to this game, knowing that we were going to be sold out and have a great crowd, it was a great atmosphere.
"Nobody knew where this team was going when the lease [with Nassau County] was up in 2015, and now we know."
If Saturday was any indication, Islanders fans from New York City and Long Island will trek to Brooklyn two years from now, when the team becomes a full-time tenant. The roar the Islanders received when they took the ice was proof of that.
"It was loud when we got out there," Islanders captain John Tavares said. "It was good to see all the support, a full building. Obviously, we appreciate it. It was nice to be welcomed in this place with open arms, like everyone did."
For now, Brooklyn will go back into waiting mode. The Islanders will play the next two seasons at the Coliseum, a building out-of-date by today's standards but one loaded the history. The Islanders, who won an NHL record 19 consecutive playoff series between 1980 and 1984, clinched three of their four straight Stanley Cup championships on Coliseum ice.
With two years to go in Uniondale, they'd like to give it a going-away present.
"We're excited about the new facility, but at the same time we have a couple of years still in Nassau," left wing Matt Martin said. "It would be great to win a Cup there after all the memories. It would be nice to treat our fans to a Stanley Cup win before we come here to Brooklyn."
Led by Tavares, the Islanders boast a talented, young core that is primed to build off what they accomplished last season, when they ended a six-year playoff drought and gave the Pittsburgh Penguins a run for their money before falling in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals in six games.
New York is looking to build off that this season and beyond, perhaps adding a key free agent or two in the next two summers before moving to an arena that has every amenity one can imagine.
"When the time comes," Capuano said, "we'll be excited to be here."
Judging by the atmosphere Saturday night, Brooklyn is excited they're coming.
New York Islanders excited by first NHL game at Barclays Center in Brooklyn - NHL-com - NHL Insider
With the Capitals now officially named the hosts of the 2015 NHL Winter Classic all that’s left is to determine where and whom they will play. That process will likely take several months, but at Saturday’s Capitals convention fans shared their opinions on where they want to see the outdoor showcase played.
“Nats Park, hands down,” said Matt Bradbury, 42, of Germantown, Md. “I think the area down by the park is revived, new and fun. It’s much better than RFK, which is outdated and old. And FedEx you have to deal with Dan Snyder, traffic and what have you.”
Romano Mascetti III, 52, from Odenton, Md., also believes Nationals Park would be the best place to hold the Classic.
“I think it makes sense for it to be here, I’ve been around since 1974 when they opened up the old USAir Arena and I think it makes sense to have it in the city,” Mascetti said. “I don’t like FedEx, I think it’s too cold. It’s a bigger stadium, but big deal. RFK’s just too old. I think there has to be some identification with the Capitals being from Washington, D.C.”
Nationals Park is believed to be the early front runner based on its location in the District, which would allow the NHL to keep all of its coordinating events and fan areas more centrally located, and that it is the newest facility available. Not to mention Nationals owner Mark Lerner is a minority partner in Ted Leonsis’s Monumental Sports and Entertainment.
But not everyone discounted 52-year-old RFK Stadium as an option. The only other possibility in Washington itself, RFK Stadium would offer plenty of D.C. sports nostalgia but it is in less-than-perfect condition. “For Washington tradition, RFK would be a good place to have it. It’s going to be available and it’s a good house,” said Bob Ternes, 66, who is a season ticket holder from Waynesboro, Pa. “I like RFK the most but any of the venues would work. I think Camden Yards is the most beautiful ballpark and would be a great place to have it, I’d definitely go if I was there. Those would be my top two choices.”
While there’s little question that Camden Yards would provide the most picturesque setting, fans had strong opinions about keeping the game in Washington as opposed to playing it in Charm City.
“I’m a Baltimore fan and I don’t even want it in Baltimore,” said Melissa Kreiner, 22, from Odenton, Md. “I know it’s another field but it just doesn’t make sense. It needs to be in Washington.”
Season ticket holders Todd and Sarah Murphy live in Bowleys Quarters, Md., and make the more than 50-mile trek to Verizon Center for every home game. But although they live much closer to Baltimore, they would like to see the game in the nation’s capital.
“We live in Baltimore but they’re the Washington Capitals. So I’d say RFK,” Todd Murphy said. “It’s going to be the middle of the NFL season and other people that have been to the Winter Classic say they’re better at football stadiums because the outfield in baseball stadiums is too big. I think RFK, by default, would work best.”
Where do you want the Capitals to play the 2015 NHL Winter Classic?
The NHL suspended two Vancouver Canucks players on Monday, with the most severe punishment resulting from the most serious injury.
Canucks forward Zack Kassian, who played part of last season on the Sedin line, will miss the rest of the preseason and the five first games of the regular season for his high stick that broke the jaw of Edmonton Oilers center Sam Gagner. Gagner had pulled up to avoid a hit from Kassian along the boards.
"As he nears the boards, Kassian comes to a spinning stop, recklessly swinging his stick and striking Gagner in the face," NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan said in his explanatory video.
Shanahan said he accepted that Kassian didn't intend to strike Gagner in the face, but said the Canucks player was responsible for the consequence of swinging his stick.
"It's also important to note that that Kassian begins the act of swinging his stick before he crashes into the boards," Shanahan added.
Kassian will lose $22,500 in salary. Gagner is out indefinitely. Shanahan also suspended Vancouver's Dale Weise for three preseason games for a head hit on Edmonton's Taylor Hall.
Because his suspension didn't extend into the regular season, Weise won't lose any money. Hall remained in the game.
The suspension was the first for both players. Monday, the Oilers claimed tough guy Steve MacIntyre off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins. He played twice previously with Edmonton.
"Watching the Leafs-Buffalo game last night and what happened to us against Vancouver, it shouldn't really come as a surprise to anybody that we ... picked up some toughness," Oilers general manager Craig MacTavish told reporters.
Phil Kessel has been suspended for the remainder of the preseason -- three games in total -- but the team's leading scorer will be available to the team for its opening game Oct. 1 in Montreal.
Kessel was suspended for swinging his stick in an attempt to injure Buffalo's John Scott on Sunday night. The league believed Kessel was acting in self defence with his first hack at Scott's legs. But pointed out Kessel was involved in other stick swinging incidents earlier in the pre-season against Philadelphia.
David Clarkson came off the bench to defend Kessel and was automatically suspended for 10 regular sesaons games. He is not eligible to play until Oct. 25.
Meanwhile, Buffalo Sabres head coach Ron Rolston has been fined for player selection and team conduct as a result of that melee.
The events took place during the face-off after Buffalo forward Corey Tropp fought Toronto forward Jamie Devane. In total, 211 penalty minutes, including three game misconducts, were assessed due to the various altercations.
Because the Leafs were at home, coach Randy Carlyle had the last change. He said he put Kessel's line on the ice to diffuse the situation after Devane and Tropp fought.
The NHL is holding Buffalo Sabres coach Ron Rolston partially responsible for a brawl that broke out during a preseason game against Toronto.
The league fined Rolston an undisclosed amount on Tuesday for "player selection and team conduct." The NHL determined that Rolston was partially to blame for the melee that broke out midway through the third period of Toronto's 5-3 victory on Sunday.
In the meantime, Rolston told The Associated Press earlier in the day that forward Corey Tropp is out indefinitely while being evaluated for a possible concussion. Tropp was hurt and his head bloodied following a fight with Toronto's Jamie Devane that eventually sparked the melee.
On the next faceoff, Sabres enforcer John Scott initiated the line-brawl when he attempted to go after Toronto forward Phil Kessel before a faceoff. That prompted a series of fights that involved all 12 players - including both goalies - and led to 211 penalty minutes and three ejections.
The Sabres had no comment. And Rolston spoke to the AP before the NHL announced it had fined the coach.
Rolston did call the brawl "an unfortunate incident for everybody."
As for Tropp, Rolston said the player is going to be out for "a while."
"We're still in kind of the process here of going through the evaluation," Rolston said.
Rolston added forward Marcus Foligno is day to day, but should be ready for the start of the regular season on Oct. 2, when Buffalo plays at Detroit.
Foligno was hurt against Toronto when he was checked into the boards and landed awkwardly.
The Sabres were off Tuesday, a day before they host the Columbus Blue Jackets in a preseason game.
Read More: NHL fines Sabres coach Ron Rolston following brawl - NHL - SI-com
While visiting Alex Ovechkin in Russia last month, Washington Capitals coach Adam Oates had an opportunity to experience firsthand just how woven into the fabric of the nation his captain is.
"When I was over there, the president called him," Oates recalled Thursday. "Obama doesn't call me too often."
Ovechkin's importance to his home country will be further displayed worldwide Sunday when he is the first Russian to carry the Olympic Torch once it is ignited in Olympia, Greece, in preparation for the 2014 Sochi Olympics. "I'm very excited and I've been waiting this day since I got the news they invited me because it was pretty hard to do that with the schedule and all that stuff," Ovechkin said after Thursday's practice. "It's very big honor for me to be the first guy."
The whirlwind trip has been weeks in the making, but was only finalized days before the official ceremony.
The plan is for Ovechkin to play in the Capitals' penultimate preseason game against the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday at Verizon Center before leaving for Greece immediately after. He will miss the preseason finale Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks and return to Washington on Sunday, a scheduled day off. He will join his teammates for practice Monday at Kettler Capitals Iceplex ahead of Tuesday's regular season opener in Chicago.
"He might have a little jet lag, but big picture, we let our players play in the Olympics for a reason, which is obviously a unique thing, and it's very risky but we let them do it," Oates said. "Globally for hockey, it's a great thing and our team's got to survive that just like you've got to survive everything else."
The Capitals organization has always been incredibly supportive of Ovechkin's passion for representing his country. In January, majority owner Ted Leonsis said that he would allow the 28 year old to participate in the Olympics, even if an agreement to do so had not been reached between the League, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and International Olympic Committee (IOC).
"If they don't and Alex still wants to go to the Olympics, I'm going to be honest, I'm going to let him go," Leonsis said at the time. "I just think it's kind of a once-in-a-lifetime thing for him to have something played in Russia. He's going to be a torchbearer, and it's very important to him and his family. Who am I to get in the way of him wanting to fulfill that?"
Conversely, prior to accepting the honor, Ovechkin sought out and received the blessings of the entire organization.
"Thanks to them," Ovechkin said. "Since day one, I talk to my boys and my coaching staff, I talk to [general manager] George [McPhee] and everybody says, ‘Yeah, if you have a chance to go there you have to go because it's a very important thing for you.'"
The Torch will be carried through all 83 Russian regions, visiting 2,900 towns and settlements. Ovechkin also mentioned that his mother, Tatyana, a two-time gold medalist in basketball, might also carry it at a later stage of the relay.
Either way, Ovechkin considers the opportunity to serve as a face of the Sochi Olympics to be one of his career's crowning achievements.
"This is probably the biggest event in my life," Ovechkin said. "It's huge for us. You can ask any guy who's been in the Olympics, it's an unbelievable time. My mom was Olympic champion in Moscow back in the days and she told me it was unbelievable stuff, unbelievable things going on there. Everybody was pretty excited, people were pretty happy. It's that kind of situation that you just want it to be."
Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin proud to carry Olympic Torch for Russia - NHL-com - News
Making the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which never has been an easy feat, will be even more challenging for the foreseeable future.
"It puts you on notice that nobody is a lock to make the playoffs," Ottawa Senators center Jason Spezza told NHL.com Friday during the League's annual Player Media Tour. "If you look at our division [Atlantic], nobody is a lock. It shows you just how hard it's going to be to get in. It's gotten tougher, that's for sure." The most noticeable difference in the NHL's realignment plan is the unbalanced conference setup, with 16 teams in the Eastern Conference and 14 in the Western Conference. It was a change made with geographic implications in mind, but offset slightly by the fact every team will play in each city at least once.
The Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets, teams based in the Eastern time zone, moved to the Eastern Conference; the Winnipeg Jets, based in the Central time zone, moved to the Western Conference.
All but eight of the Blue Jackets' games this season will start no later than 8 p.m. ET, whereas last season 12 of their 48 games started at 8:30 p.m. ET or later. It's a similar disparity for the Red Wings, and now the Jets will have the bulk of their road games starting between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. CT as opposed to between 6 and 6:30.
The Dallas Stars shifted from the Pacific Division to the Central Division, meaning every one of their divisional road games will be played in the Central time zone or Mountain time zone, as opposed to the Pacific time zone.
"It's a chance for our fans to follow us more closely and get more attached to this team," Columbus coach Todd Richards told NHL.com. "It's a way for our young kids to stay up until 9:30 and see this team play and get attached to the team and get attached to our players. Most parents aren't going to let their kids stay up on a Wednesday night when a game starts at 10:30."
The geographical setup of the divisions makes sense to the players, but it's definitely piqued their interest because of how it potentially impacts their chances of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Western Conference players obviously are for it because 57 percent of the teams will get in, as opposed to 50 percent in the Eastern Conference.
"It's crazy that there's two less teams on our side than the other side," Colorado Avalanche center Matt Duchene told NHL.com, "but obviously that gives us a little better odds of being in a playoff spot there. It's going to be a good little change."
The Eastern players admittedly are leery about the odds not being the same for both conferences even though the format for getting in is the same: The top three teams from each division make the playoffs, then the field in each conference is filled out by the next two highest point-earning teams regardless of division.
"It's a little bit skewed, but it's good for the game to bring Detroit over [to the Eastern Conference] and move Winnipeg over [to the Western Conference]," Spezza said. "Geographically it's not fair to those teams that have to travel just for the sake of travel, but I do look at only my division and it's gotten tougher."
There's no debating Spezza on that point.
The same five teams that represented the Northeast Division (Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres and Senators) now have to deal with the Red Wings, plus the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning in the new Atlantic Division. The Red Wings have made the playoffs a record 22 straight seasons.
"They're a powerhouse," Buffalo forward Steve Ott told NHL.com.
From a business standpoint, the Washington Capitals' move into the new Metropolitan Division should give them the opportunity to recreate rivalries with some old Patrick Division teams. However, moving into a division with the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders makes things more difficult for the Capitals from a competitive standpoint.
Washington dominated the Southeast Division, winning it five of the past six seasons. The Penguins, Rangers, Flyers and Devils have accounted for the past six titles in the old Atlantic Division. The Islanders snapped their six-year playoff drought last season.
"We've snuck in playing in that Southeast Division a couple of times and we won't have that luxury," Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner said last month in Calgary at Canada Olympic orientation camp. "But it'll keep us a little more honest, which is probably a good thing for our team." The Carolina Hurricanes join the Capitals as former Southeast Division teams now in the Metropolitan Division. The Blue Jackets, who missed the playoffs last season because of a tiebreaker, also are in the division.
"I like it," Hurricanes captain Eric Staal told NHL.com. "It's going to force us to amp it up every night. It's going to force us to be prepared to play because every team in our division is competitive and very good. It's competitive across the board in the League, but our division, there are a number of teams that are expected to be good every year. We want to make sure we're one of the teams."
The Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators probably were happy to wave goodbye to the Red Wings after competing with them in the old Central Division for the past 15 years. Now they're now part of the new Central Division, which includes four up-and-coming teams: the Stars, Jets, Avalanche and Minnesota Wild.
The Wild have their foundation in place with Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, plus a large number of top prospects ready to make an impact. The Stars revamped their organization with first-year general manager Jim Nill overhauling the center depth this summer by adding