TNT is bringing hockey fans Sunday afternoon action. It starts with a matchup between two Metro Division rivals. The Rangers and Capitals square off today in the nation's capital. Artemi Panarin and New York Martin Havlat Jersey have already clinched a spot in the 2023 postseason, but are looking to move up in the standings. The team still trails the Hurricanes and Devils for the lead in the Metro with only a couple of weeks left in the season. MORE: For Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals, Washington remains in the hunt for a playoff spot, but the team is currently outside of the postseason picture, a few points behind a number of teams for the last playoff spot. After the Rangers-Capitals contest is a matchup between the Bruins and the Blues. Boston has already clinched the Atlantic Division and is well on its way to earning the top spot in the East. The Bruins have been the best team in hockey all year, and they look to keep it going against an underwhelming Blues team that is likely going to mi s the postseason. Here is what you need to know to watch the NHL on TNT on Wednesday. How to live stream Capitals vs. Rangerswithout cable Stream: TNT app, Fans can stream Capitals vs. Rangers on the TNT app and Sling TV. Select NHL games on TNT will be available to stream in the United States. In total, 62 regular-season games will be shown on TNT and its networks, including doubleheaders on Wednesday nights. Those games can be streamed through a TV subscription in the TNT app For those without cable, the TNT games are also available to watch on Sling TV. Sling TV offers NHL fans the ability to have acce s to more than 60 percent of the league's nationally televised games which can be streamed on TNT, ESPN and the NHL Network for . What time is Capitals vs. Rangers? Time: 1p.m. ET Location: Capital One Arena The puck drop for the Capitals and Rangers game is set for 7:30 p.m. ET in the nation's capital. The game will be played at Capital One Arena, the home of the Caps. What time is Bruins vs. Blues? Time: 3:30 p.m. ET | 2:30p.m. CT Location: Ball Arena The second game of TNT's doubleheader is scheduled to take place at 3:30 p.m. ET, 2:30 p.m. local time in St. Louis. The Bruins and Blues are playing at the Enterprise Center, the home of the Blues. Clark Griswold Jersey
More NHL: | | | | | KISS does one performance at an outdoor NHL game in Los Angeles and suddenly they are everywhere in the hockey world. The power of makeup and rock is strong.Gene Simmons got to live most hockey fans' dreams by putting NHL Commi sioner Gary Bettman . That made for one heck of a photo that should hang in the NHL offices forever more.Now the NHL is auctioning off custom made KISS goalie masks, each of which was autographed by the band members; Russ Courtnall Jersey Simmons, Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer. From the NHL's auction site, here's a little more information.To commemorate the 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series game at Dodger Stadium, four goalie masks were designed and painted by renowned sports artist David Arrigo. Each mask features the and logos alongside KISS Imagery and/or the likene s of the four members of the legendary rock band and 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees KISS.Masks will be auctioned one at a time:Mask 1 Tuesday, January 28 2014 Friday, February 7, 2014 Mask 2 Friday, February 7 Monday, February 17, 2014 Mask 3 Monday, February 17, 2014 Thursday, February 27, 2014 Mask 4 Thursday, February 27, 2014 Sunday, March 2 2014Procees of the auction will benefit the Kings Care Foundation and the Anaheim Ducks Foundation, fair considering the were the teams playing the game that the KISS rockers were performing at.These masks aren't going to come cheap. With more than a week left, . That's the cost for awesome masks with rock legends on them. To see all of the masks up close, on artits David Arrigo's website. Brad Richardson Jersey
Sidney Crosby is a pretty good hockey player. Yes, alert the ma ses. But it's not just that the Penguins star has been playing up to his typical high standards during the 2016-17 season he has been better than ever at putting the puck in the net. MORE: Crosby continued to distance himself from the rest of the NHL's top goal scorers with another goal on Tuesday against the Devils in a 5-2 Pittsburgh win. Crosby smacked a shot past Devils goaltender Cory Schneider off a beautiful feed from Conor Sheary. Fun fact: Sidney Crosby has 25 goals this season (an NHL-best). No other player has 20. Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) In addition to the goal, Crosby had two a sists, and finished plus-2 in nearly 17 minutes of ice time. "The Kid" is right in the thick of the points race and Joe Kocur Jersey is on track to score more goals in a single season than he ever has in his 11-year career. MORE: Let's take a look at how Crosby has taken his game to another level: 25 With asecond-period goal against the Devils, Crosby now has 25 goals in 30 games. No other NHL player has scored 20 goals. He alsoholds the No. 1 spot despite mi sing the first six games of the season. 63 At his current pace, Crosby will finish the season with 63goals. That would easily eclipse the highest total of his career (51 goals in 2009-10) and would be the most goals scored in a season since Alex Ovechkinnetted 65 in 2007-08.Crosby would join Ovechkin and Steven Stamkos as the only players to score 60 or more goals in a single season since1997. 23.8 Crosby is also on pace forthe highest shooting percentage of his career. He's currently at 23.8 percent on 105 shots, well ahead of the 19.9 percent he posted in 41 games during the 2010-11 season before symptoms stemming from a serious concu sion kept him off the ice. MORE: 0.53 While Crosby is averaging a career-high 0.83 goals per game, his a sists per game have actually dropped to a career-low 0.53. Evgeni Malkin and Phil Ke sel have picked up the slack in that department, both placing in the top 10 on the NHL a sists list. Those averages would keep Crosby at 1.36 points per game, slightly above his career rate (1.328). Crosby is fifth all time in points per game behind Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Mike Bo sy and Bobby Orr. Aside from the numbers, opposing players have noticed subtle changes in Crosby's evolving game. "You see a lot of his goals this year are deflections and tips," Devils winger Taylor Hall told . "It's obviously something he's worked at, and in the new NHL, teams are so good at defending, you've got to find new ways to score, and he's obviously doing that this year." MORE: Bruins winger Brad Marchandeven went so far as to sayCrosby is "on another level." "Some of the goals he gets now, the goals behind the net,out of the air, some of the plays he makes I think he surprises people every year, especially with the talent that he has," Marchand said (via )."You think you've seen it all until he pulls another trick out of the bag." As mentioned, Crosby's goal pace has kept him firmly in the points race. He is tied with Malkin at 41 points, and is on pace for the sixth 100-point season of his career. The Penguins teammates are right behind Oilers phenom Connor McDavid, who leads the league with 42 points. It should be a fun ride asMcDavid attemptsto hold on to the top spot with Crosby and Malkin chasing him down. Filip Chytil Jersey
There's been no indication that Patrik Laine will return during the playoffs. But if the wanted to shake things up, maybe Laine would be the perfect solution. The Canadiens have a Game 7 on Sunday against the to determine who makes it out of the first round. And maybe if Montreal had Laine available to them earlier, Isak Rosen Jersey they would've advanced already. Unfortunately, an abdominal injury has held Laine out of all but five games this season. MORE: The good news for Montreal is that if it wanted to bring Laine off of long-term injured reserve, it could. "FYI, if he was activated, despite his huge AAV,the Habs would still be playoff-cap compliant," wrote in a new article on Friday. Laine's injury has been a bit mysterious, and there never has been a super firm timeline on when he might return. Montreal fans can dream, even if at this point it'd be a surprise for Laine to play again this season. He's got to play hockey again at some point though, right? Maybe he could pull a heroic comeback like the New York Knicks' Willis Reed did more than half a century ago. MORE: The Canadiens are certainly mi sing one particular skill of Laine's -- his power play work. "Even this le ser version of Laine leads all NHL players in goals and shots per 60 on the power play since the start of 2023-24," Larkin writes. Don't hold your breath for a comeback. But if Laine wanted to make it back on the ice, the Canadiens could probably accommodate that. More NHL news: Josh Gorges Jersey
Gerry and Wyatt Nelson took over the Blues' radio broadcast booth for another unforgettable moment. Sportsnet When we last met Gerry Nelson and his son Wyatt, they got a surprise visit from the Stanley Cup in their hometown of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. , Gerry, who became visually impaired in 1988, was overcome with emotion upon his first touch of the Cup. However, it was the story of young Wyatt and how he helps hockey games come alive for his father that really caught everyone Dave Andreychuk Jersey 's attention. The two go to a lot of the local junior hockey team's games together. Gerry used to listen to the play-by-play on the radio to follow the action, but when there was no broadcast for a preseason game, Wyatt handled the call so his father wouldn't mi s a play. That's how they watch most games together now. Touched by the story, former St. Louis player and current radio analyst Kelly Chase went to the organization with an idea. Chase, who also played his junior hockey for the Blades right around the same time Gerry lost his sight, wanted to bring the Nelsons down for a playoff game. He enlisted the help of general manager Doug Armstrong and other Blues staffers to work it out so that Gerry and Wyatt could be there for Game 2 of the Western Conference finals in St. Louis. Here's a look at a little more about their story and the surprise phone call: "Hello?" "Hello Mr. Nelson and Wyatt, it's Doug Armstrong here." St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) Chase also revealed that Wyatt was going to be invited into the Blues' broadcast booth with Chase and play-by-play man Chris Kerber to call some of the action as the Blues took on the San Jose Sharks. However, instead of just calling the game for his dad, he was going to do it live on air for the Blues fans listening on the radio. The two couldn't say yes fast enough to the Blues offer and on Tuesday they boarded a plane to St. Louis. Have a great flight! See you soon, guys. St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) The Nelsons made it to Game 2 and were outfitted with brand new Blues gear. They even gave an introductory pre s conference and were among the most popular people in the building with everyone wanting the chance to meet the inspiring father and son. The Nelsons met Bob Cole, the Canadian broadcasting legend and Hockey hall of Fame honoree who called the game for the CBC. There was an encounter with future Hall of Fame goaltender and Blues a sistant GM Martin Brodeur. Wyatt also got an autograph from former Blues defenseman and recent Hall of Fame inductee , among others. Their entire day was . Proud papa for sure. St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) During the first period, it was time for Wyatt's big debut. The 12-year-old donned the headset, with his father at his side and Chase on the color commentary. He called several minutes of the action, while showing little to no nerves, and doing his best to describe the plays. Not knowing all of the players, he couldn't get as descriptive as a seasoned pro might, but he sounded great. Remember, he's 12. Chase would pop in for some analysis while Kerber, standing behind Wyatt, would offer some gentle nudges in the right direction. All-in-all, it was a really, really cool thing for the Blues to do. There's a little sampling of Wyatt's play-by-play in this video: Apparently Wyatt also got a call from the great Mike "Doc" Emrick of NBC Sports after his broadcasting debut. The young Saskatoon native had referenced Emrick in the original video saying that he didn't feel he could compare to the broadcasting legend. The Blues ended up losing Game 2 to the San Jose Sharks, but they certainly won the day by going out of their way to make an unforgettable memory for a father and son that have a bond worth celebrating. Matt Tomkins Jersey
Whats old is new again: The 2020 Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning are now the 2021 Stanley Cup champions, beating Montreal 1-0 in Game 5 on Wednesday. "To do it in front of our fans and our families, it's so special, special, I never thought I would ever experience this in my life. It's unbelievable," Victor Hedman said during an on-ice interview. When the Lightning won their last Cup 282 days ago, they did it in the Edmonton bubble. On July 7, in a clinically dominating game, they shut the Canadiens out, 1-0, in front of a packed Amalie Arena in Tampa. MORE: Alex Killorn reveals broken leg kept him out of Stanley Cup Final "This group, no matter what happens from here on out, this group is going to be etched in history forever, and that's pretty fing special," captain Steven Stamkos said. "I'm so proud of the guys. You can't soak it in yet. It's so fresh. It's so new. You don't even realize what's going to happen. We won the Stanley Cup and we still have the Stanley Cup. That's just amazing." New Jersey native Ro s Colton, who grew up watching the Devils win their Cups in 2000 and 2003, scored the lone goal of the game off a pa s from David Savard. Those two guys were the only ones in the Lightning lineup for Game 5 who did not win the Cup with the team last year. Savard was with the Blue Jackets; Colton is a rookie. In an ironic twist, Colton is the seventh rookie to score the Cup-clincher and the first since Mike Rupp did it . MORE: The Conn Smythe winner, Andrei Vasilevskiy, stopped all 22 shots he faced in the clincher. What a run by him, by the way he ended the postseason with a shutout in every series-clinching win, an NHL record. Unreal. Vasilevskiy, the third Ru sian to win the award (joining Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin) as the "most valuable player to his team in the playoffs," posted a 1.90 goals-against average, .937 save percentage and had five shutouts in 23 games. "He makes guys like us look good is what he does," said coach Jon Cooper, surrounded by his coaching staff. "What's remarkable to me is I can't believe how he shuts the door in the biggest games of his career. What is it, five now? He's the big cat and when he locks in, he is remarkable to watch." With the win, the Lightning moved to an impre sive 13-0 in games following a lo s dating back to last year's first round (both their Cups were clinched in games following a lo s). They are just the second team this century to win back-to-back Cups, following Pittsburgh's two straight in 2016 and '17. The 2021 Cup marked the third one for the franchise, who also won in 2004 at home. It also marked . Sporting News has all of the action as Lightning won the Stanley Cup: Canadiens vs. Lightning live score, highlights from Game 5 (All times Eastern) Third period: Lightning 1, Canadiens 0 10:51 p.m. Lightning are your 2021 Stanley Cup champions. 10:51 p.m. With 10 seconds left, they clear. 10:50 p.m. Thirty seconds and Goodrow another block. 10:50 p.m. Big stop by Vasilevskiy on Toffoli. 10:49 p.m. Faceoff with 1:29 left deep in the Lightning zone after a timeout. 10:48 p.m. Price to the bench. McDonagh ices after a blocked shot. 10:47 p.m. Faceoff with 1:40 left as Canadiens go offside so Price goes back in net. 10:47 p.m. With 1:50 left, Price finally goes to the bench. 10:46 p.m. Three minutes to go. STANLEY. NHL on NBC Sports (@NHLonNBCSports) 10:43 p.m. Just 5:53 left. 10:40 p.m. Goodrow is back on the ice, because of course. 10:38 p.m. Vasilevskiy stops Gallagher, then Goodrow puts his body on the line and blocks a Weber shot. Goodrow, for his efforts, had trouble getting Jake Sanderson Jersey off the ice and got a push from Gourde. 10:32 p.m. Ten minutes to go. Is this the last 10 minutes of the NHL's 2021 season? 10:31 p.m. Yanni Gourde with a shot on goal off a drop pa s. He knocks down Suzuki after and the Canadiens do not like it. 10:30 p.m. Carey Price is keeping his guys in this one. 10:21 p.m. Anderson is back on the Montreal bench. 10:20 p.m. Sounds like fans are chanting: "We want the Cup." 10:17 p.m. Anderson breaks in, gets wrapped up by Cernak, gets the chance but slams hard into the net. He went to the locker room. 10:15 p.m. Two big stops by Price to keep it a one-goal game including a pad stop on Ondrej Palat. OH MY Another look at Price robbing Palat Here's Your Replay (@TheReplayGuy) 10:12 p.m. Lightning on the power play as the third period begins. Second period: Lightning 1, Canadiens 0 9:53 p.m. Period ends. Lightning will start the third with 1:23 left on the power play. 9:51 p.m. With 37.1 seconds left, Chiarot called for holding Point. 9:51 p.m. With under a minute in the period, Weber to Lehkonen for the redirect in the slot but he is denied. 9:40 p.m. The game opens up a bit and the Canadiens get a 3-on-1 but can't connect pa ses. 9:38 p.m. GOAL. Savard with a brilliant pa s right on the tape of Ro s Colton who just redirects the puck into the net. Tampa Bay leads 1-0. ROSS COLTON 1-0 Here's Your Replay (@TheReplayGuy) 9:34 p.m. Caufield hits the pipe from a bad angle kind of his specialty to score from bad angles, by the way before Corey Perry gets a chance. Cole Caufield PP PING Here's Your Replay (@TheReplayGuy) 9:32 p.m. Heading into this power play, Canadiens being outshot 3-0 when they have the man advantage. Yikes. 9:31 p.m. Nick Suzuki gets his feet kicked out by Sergachev and the Lightning defenseman gets called for two. 9:31 p.m. Lightning continue to get pucks to the net but the guy crashing can't bury it. 9:24 p.m. Pat Maroon walks in but can't beat Price. 9:21 p.m. Big-time kill for the Lightning as the Canadiens don't get a shot on goal. 9:18 p.m. Savard sends one over the gla s and the Canadiens get a power play. They're 1-for-8 in the series. 9:18 p.m. Puck has been dropped as we are sitting, waiting, wishing for the first goal. First period: Canadiens 0, Lightning 0 8:59 p.m. Period comes to an end. 8:51 p.m. Five minutes to go and the Canadiens are being outshot 11-3. Where have we heard this before? 8:49 p.m. Tyler Johnson sends one off the cro sbar just seconds after Eric Staal had a chance at the other end. RINGS IRON: ' Joseph with a beautiful feed to 's Johnson, but Johnson's shot goes off the cro sbar against 's Price (@faiello_mari) 8:43 p.m. Still waiting on that all-important first goal. How important is the first goal? When the opposition scores: Tampa is 0 and 5 Montreal in 1 and 6 John Shannon (@JShannonhl) 8:41 p.m. Back to 5v5. 8:40 p.m. Rutta out of the box and the Lightning have another power play. 8:38 p.m. With 37 seconds left on the Canadiens power play, puck squirts out and Coleman has a chance on a breakaway but Josh Anderson hooks him on the hands and is called for two. Josh Anderson didn't believe he deserved a penalty Omar (@TicTacTOmar) 8:36 p.m. Coincidental minors to Erik Cernak (interference) and Corey Perry (embellishment). It's still 5-on-4. Matching minors Cernak interference Perry embellishment Here's Your Replay (@TheReplayGuy) 8:36 p.m. Blake Coleman with the two best chances on the Canadiens power play and he's on the Lightning. 8:32 p.m. Jan Rutta called for cro s-checking. 8:28 p.m. Kucherov walks out of the corner but Price hugs the post. Teams say hi afterward. 8:27 p.m. Canadiens with bad coverage in the defensive zone but get lucky as Brayden Point is left all alone and can't handle the puck. 8:26 p.m. Lightning get the first power play (2-for-12 in the series) as Corey Perry trips Mathieu Joseph. Bolts fourth line again getting things done. 8:21 p.m. Game on. Pregame 8:09 p.m. Killorn still out. 8 p.m. Lines are the same for the Canadiens. No Jesperi Kotkaniemi. La formation de ce soir. Tonight's lineup. | Canadiens Montral (@CanadiensMTL) Stanley Cup 2021: Latest news GAME 4: Josh Anderson's OT goal forces Stanley Cup Final Game 5 Why Canadiens' Cole Caufield can be America's next star Tampa mayor: Lightning should let Canadiens 'win one' to clinch Stanley Cup at home Alex Killorn injury update: Key Lightning forward out for Game 4 GAME 3: Tampa Bay thumps Montreal, now one win away from Stanley Cup repeat GAME 2: Blake Coleman airborne goal gives Tampa Bay 2-0 lead in Stanley Cup Final Lightning's Blake Coleman scores spectacular diving goal in Game 2 vs. Canadiens GAME 1: Tampa Bay dominates with five-spot Canadiens ready for next step in 2021 journey: Franchise's first Stanley Cup Final since '93 Canadiens' Cole Caufield continues red-hot play with goal in Game 6 Islanders, fans sending Old Barn out in style in final Stanley Cup playoff run Cigarettes and beer: Islanders fans show appreciation for Game 6 overtime win in unique way Islanders, Anthony Beauvillier force Game 7 in (po sibly) last game at Na sau Coliseum Islanders' Ryan Pulock makes last-second save to even series with Lightning Tarun Fizer Jersey
More NHL Offseason: | | | The stood at the end of the gauntlet that was the West with the best record in the conference and second-best record in the NHL. They finished just a point shy of the Presidents Trophy in 2013-14 and finished in third place in the entire NHL in 2012-13 season. With head coach Bruce Boudreau at the helm, the Ducks have been playing some great hockey in the regular season. Now they need to just get it clicking a little better in the playoffs.Bolstered by the long-term pillars of the franchise, and , the Ducks have superstars who lead the charge and carry the bulk of offensive production. The duo scored 28 percent of Anaheims goals last season.The Ducks actually had quite a bit of turnover this offseason considering their succe s last year with some of the lo ses including Mathieu Perreault, , Luca Sbisa, Jonas Hiller, and Even with that turnover, theres reason to believe the Ducks will still be a highly competitive team. Thats particularly due to the addition of to take over the No. 2 center role. He can take on some of the tougher defensive matchups while also requiring teams to focus on the Ducks second line more. The Ducks are going to need younger players to step up to fill the other holes, but they have a good group led by , who is a new addition to the Ducks core group. Theres also a pair of elite-level young goaltenders the Ducks will be relying on in and John Gibson, who will likely battle for the long-term No. 1 job over the next season-plus. They're just a few of the youth movement that could carry the Ducks into a brighter future ahead.Heres a look at the rest of the Ducks core.Core Values: Anaheim DucksPlayers (Age, term remaining on contract): C Ryan Getzlaf (29, 7 years), RW Corey Perry (29, 7 years), C Ryan Kesler (29, 2 years), D (22, 4 years), D Hampus Lindholm (20, 2 years), C (27, 4 years)Total Cap Hit for 2014-15: $29,769,167 (43% of salary cap consumed by six players) Average age: 26Total point production in 2013-14^: 108 goals, 169 a sists, 277 points (61 percent of teams total point production) ^ - Stats do not include Ryan Keslers 25-1843 stat line from the Vancouver CanucksAnaheim Ducks Player Usage Chart About the CoreRyan Getzlaf: After finishing as a runner-up in the Hart Trophy race last season, Getzlaf staked his claim as one of the best centers in the game today. He has 608 points over 633 career games, all with Anaheim. Getzlaf is the team captain and plays in every situation, averaging more than 21 minutes per game. Along with running mate Corey Perry, Getzlaf is under contract for seven more years, which will bring him to age 36. With his rugged two-way game, size and skill level, he could be effective for a lot of years a suming he stays healthy. With two Olympic gold medals and a Stanley Cup, Getzlaf has been on a path for succe s since he stepped into the league. Now hell be charged as one of the two players expected to lead this club to another title. Corey Perry: Coming off a 43-goal campaign, Perrys NHL career has been downright fascinating. Known primarily as an agitator most of his career, Perrys reputation is now more closely tied to his ability to produce. He won the Hart Trophy in 2010-11 after he scored 50 goals and 98 points. Since that season, only and Steven Stamkos have scored more goals than Perrys 145. Hes still as agitating as ever, but Perry significantly cut down on his penalty minutes last Philippe Myers Jersey season. Too valuable to be spending time on the box, the Ducks will have to hope that is the start of a trend. With Getzlaf and Perry, the Ducks have one of the more formidable top two forwards in the league and they will help carry this franchise for years to come.Ryan Kesler: The Ducks were smart not to rest on the laurels of a great regular-season record. They went out and got Kesler and now have a No. 2 behind Getzlaf who can eat some of the tougher defensive minutes the teams captain was tackling. The Ducks somewhat sheltered Mathieu Perreault last season, but that wont be nece sary with Kesler, who is good in the circle and already has a Selke Trophy to his credit. Theres also going to be an expectation for Kesler to produce and he should in Bruce Boudreaus offense-friendly system. It is unlikely Kesler is going to hit the career-highs he managed in 2009-10 and 2010-11 with 75 points and 41 goals, respectively, but he should be better than the 43 points he put up last season. A suming he can stay healthy and the younger wings the Ducks have at their disposal can step up into bigger roles, Kesler should have some good support to have a big year in Anaheim.Cam Fowler:At just 22 years old, Fowler has grown into the Ducks top defenseman. He led the team last season by averaging nearly 24 minutes a game. He also put up 36 points in 70 games and was part of the U.S. Olympic Team in Sochi. Fowler is still chasing his 40-point campaign he had as a rookie, but he also dealt with a concu sion early in his career. Though not as productive, last season was probably his best as an NHLer. With that in mind, the best days of Fowler's career are probably ahead of him. Its pretty clear Bruce Boudreau has a lot of faith in Fowler with his minutes and deployment. Another bonus with Fowler is his cheap contract for a No. 1 D. And with only one year left on veteran Francois Beauchemins contract, this D corps could truly be Fowlers to lead. Hampus Lindholm: Not well known among NHL fans, Lindholm had a standout rookie season with the Ducks last year. He put up 30 points including 24 a sists and averaged 19:26 per game. He's only 20 years old, but Lindholm makes a lot of good decisions on the ice and has some really strong skill. Though protected a bit in his deployment last season, Lindholm had the best Corsi for percentage of any of the Ducks' regular defensemen at 51.1 percent. The former sixth overall pick is going to figure prominently in the Ducks' plans again and he still has two full years left on his cheap entry-level contract, meaning Anaheim should expect a high-value return from its young blueliner.Andrew Cogliano: Though likely to be bumped from the team's core group in the near future, Cogliano still has four years left on his contract and helps give the Ducks tremendous depth down the middle. Slotted behind Getzlaf and Kesler, Cogliano may benefit from some lineup flexibility next season that will see him get into more offensive situations. He played well last season with a career-high 22 goals and 42 points. Odds are Anaheim's goaltenders and guys like Jakob Silfverberg, Emerson Etem, and/or Devante Smith-Pelly will supplant Cogliano, but with the term remaining on his contract and production from a season ago, Cogliano seemed like the most logical pick at the present time to be included as a core player.Whos next in lineIt might be better to ask who isnt next, but thats a testament to the Ducks drafting and prospect management over the last few years. The Ducks have built one of the very best goaltending prospect systems in the NHL. It allowed them to jettison Viktor Fasth and and hand the keys to a couple of young guys. Frederik Andersen made the all-rookie team last year after posting a .923 save percentage in 28 appearances. The Danish netminder is 24 years old and will be looking to handle the bulk of the starting duties next year, but he's not going to be without competition.John Gibson very well could supplant Andersen after he showed glimpses of readine s during his three regular-season starts. The 20-year-old also picked up a pair of postseasonwins, but was between the pipes for the Game 7 disaster against the Kings in the second round. How he bounces back from that may tell just how ready Gibson is to be a full-time NHLer. There's no question he's one of the best goaltending prospects in the game today.The Ducks also have youth at every other position and could look to get more out of that group. The team still has to re-sign Jakob Silfverberg and Devante Smith-Pelly, but once those deals get done, Anaheim should be looking for big things from both. Theres also 22-year-old on the back end. He is coming off a rather succe sful half-season with the Ducks where he put up 21 points in just 48 games. As he becomes a full-time member of the team next season, Vatanen could take another step forward and very well could be a core defenseman before long.Other forwards who should figure prominently in the future of the organization are Kyle Palmieri and Emerson Etem. Bould be top-six forwards. The club also has high hopes for 2014 first-round draft pick Nick Ritchie.OverviewThe Ducks have the luxury of having two players at the top of their lineup that rival just about any teams in the league. Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf are star players who could be top-15 scorers annually in the NHL if surrounded by enough talent. Thats such a great base to build the rest of the team on. The addition of Kesler could be a huge one for the Ducks as they look to take some of that pre sure off their top line. Thats going to require players like Palmieri, Etem and Silfverberg to be ready to take the next step as top-six forwards and give Kesler some quality linemates who can help boost production. Also, if Kesler's two years remaining on his contract prove fruitful for the Ducks, they may ask him to stick around for a while longer. , who saw time on the top line last year, could also be looking to boost his numbers to play a more prominent role on the team after putting up 24 points in 55 games last year.There's really a litany of young forwards this team is going to be able to plug into various roles throughout the season to see what works best. A lot of the Ducks hopes for succe s next season will rest on the young goaltending tandem of Andersen and Gibson. The team signed as a veteran backup for a little insurance, but the young guys are being handed the keys here. Neither has experienced a full NHL workload yet and theyll probably each get a chance to take control of the job as the season wears on. Both are promising prospects, but the team is banking on them being ready for a lot more right now.The defense, led by Fowler also includes veteran Francois Beauchemin, whose age and one year remaining on his contract left him out of the core group despite his prominent role on the team. is coming off a really good season as well, while also provides a solid veteran presence on the back end. The club also added in free agency, which was an expensive signing. He will definitely bring more of a physical presence the Ducks blue line lacked, but it comes at a premium price.The succe s of the Ducks defense next season may hinge on whether Lindholm and Vatanen take another step forward developmentally. If they do, Anaheim could be looking at a pretty solid group on the back end that will help protect the young goaltenders, while also bolstering offensive production.After big succe s over the last two seasons in Anaheim, the Ducks have raised expectations for themselves. Now they need the young guys surrounding the teams established stars to step up and take the organization to the next level in the very tough Pacific Division and Western Conference. Mike Palmateer Jersey
If youre having trouble keeping up with whats happening in the world of profe sional womens ice hockey in North America dont worry, you are definitely not alone. Since the CWHLs announcement in late March and official collapse on May 1, a lot of dominos have fallen. Over the last three weeks, the #ForTheGame movement has changed the entire landscape of profe sional womens hockey. It has also put the 2019-20 NWHL season into serious jeopardy,but that hasnt stopped NWHL commi sioner Dani Rylan and company from planning a fifth season. As we approach the end of the month its clear that two factions have emerged,although many might consider that to be a gro s oversimplification. There are the players involved in the #ForTheGame push and the newly-formed PHWPA, and those who are not. At the moment it appears that rift isnt going anywhere as long as the NWHL remains in operation. On Friday,Allie Thunstrom became the sixth player to sign a contract with an NWHL team just over a week into the leagues free agency period. So, how did we get here? To help catch you up, here is a timeline of key events since the moment the landscape began to change. March 31 The CWHL announces its plans to fold on May 1 after 12 seasons of operation and just one week after the Calgary Inferno win the Clarkson Cup Final. The Board of Directors of the Canadian Womens Hockey League (CWHL) has made the decision to discontinue operations effective May 1, 2019. Please refer to pre s release at the for more information. CWHL (@TheCWHL) April 2 The NHL reallocates the $50,000 it had been giving every year to the CWHL to the NWHL, bringing itsfinancial support of the leagueto $100,000. MORE:NWHL announces investment from NHL, expansion into Canada Furthermore, the NWHLs Board approves plans for the league to expand to two Canadian markets now vacated by the CWHL: Montreal and Toronto. However, it does not appear that members of the CWHLPA and/or former general managers were informed of the NWHLs plans before the announcement. From the NWHL: The NHL has made a commitment to the NWHL as a big financial sponsor. The league will be expanding to Montreal and Toronto. They are working with current stakeholders and moving quickly to ensure teams have a place to play this fall. Marisa Ingemi (@Marisa_Ingemi) April 4-14 The 2019 IIHF Womens World Championship takes place in Finland. Team USA wins a controversial gold medal over Finland; Canada brings home a disappointing bronze medal. April 5 Former CWHL investor W. Graeme Roustan expre ses interest in reviving the league in time for the 2019-20 season. Statement ( Kyle Capobianco Jersey finally) from the CWHL on the resignation of W. Graeme Roustan, owner of venture capitalist and owner of The Hockey News, as a governor and investor. Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) April 30 Season tickets for the Minnesota Whitecaps, the first NWHL franchise to turn a profit and the winners of the 2019 Isobel Cup, go on sale. May 1 The CWHL officially folds. May 2 . Over 200 players announce that they will not play profe sional hockey in North America next season. The group includes some of the most popular and influential players in the world including Hilary Knight, Marie-Philip Poulin, Shannon Szabados, Kendall Coyne Schofieldand Brianna Decker. MORE:All-in? The #ForTheGame movement and the future of pro women's hockey in North America The NWHL releases a statement in response to the social media campaign, citing plans for the upcoming season that include increased player salaries and other benefits. NWHLPA director Anya Battaglino, in a tweet that has since been removed, claims that the announcement will prove costly to the growth of the womens game. The has i sued a statement regarding . Plans for the 2019-20 season are still in place. The league has been working with the NWHLPA for increased salaries and 50-50 revenue splits for players on media rights deals and league-wide sponsorships. Mike Murphy (@DigDeepBSB) May 3 Team USA star that the #ForTheGame pledge is not a boycott. She considers it to be a gap year. May 8 . PSE became the owners of the Beauts on Dec. 21, 2017. During their time as owners, the Beauts were considered to be the most profe sionally run pro womens hockey franchise. , the NWHL will have to renegotiate facility fees if the Beauts wish to stay at the Pegula-owned HarborCenter. The Beauts have played at the HarborCenter since the NWHLs inaugural season. The NWHL releases a statement in which the league states that it is pleased to regain control of the Buffalo Beauts franchise. NWHL (@NWHL) May 10 Kelty Apperson, who won the 2019 Clarkson Cup with the Calgary Inferno, becomes the first #ForTheGame player to sign with a European team. She agrees to terms with the SDHLs SDE club. MORE: Inferno GM Kristen Hagg on CWHL ceasing operations, 'Im not just folding up my chair and packing it in' May 15 The 2019 NWHL free agency period begins. All players who played during the 2018-19 season had one-year contracts, making them all are unrestricted free agents. In other words, they are free to sign wherever they choose or to sit out the season. May 16 Exclusively, Sporting News learnsfifteenplayers are reportedly in contract discu sions with the five teams that played in the NWHL last season. Hearing that 15 players were in talks with GMs today about contracts for the 2019-20 season and that many others have also expre sed interest. It's worth noting that 17 players signed in the first 3 weeks of FA last year and 13 of those players were signed by Beauts. Mike Murphy (@DigDeepBSB) May 17 that the New Jersey Devils are di solving their partnership with the Metropolitan Riveters. The Devils were the first NHL team to form a partnership with an NWHL franchise. Without the support of the Devils, the Riveters are now without a home rink for the upcoming season. The Boston Pride and Minnesota Whitecaps are now the only two NWHL teams that still have partnerships with NHL teams. May 20 Boston Pride defender Kaleigh Fratkin becomes the first player to sign a contract for the 2019-20 NWHL season. For the first time since the 2016 offseason, the league releases details on player salaries. It is also revealed that Paul Mara, the Prides head coach from last season, will be returning to the team. Madison Packer, one of the NWHLs most popular players, re-signs with the Metropolitan Riveters later in the day. NEWS: We have our first player signed for the 2019-20 season. Fratkin re-signs with . Note: Fratkin's salary is included in the league's pre s release. Player salaries haven't been made public by the league since year 2. Mike Murphy (@DigDeepBSB) After being established on March 17, members of the CWHLPA and players involved in the #ForTheGame movement go public with the newly established Womens Hockey Players A sociation (PWHPA). Members of the newly formed a sociation share its first release on social media using the #ForTheGame hashtag. A transparent players a sociation. For the players. What an amazing concept. Well done! Ca sie Campbell-Pascall (@Ca sieCampbell) , Liz Knox, the former co-chair of the CWHLPA, reveals that the PWHPA is not a union. The a sociation has a nine-player board with a directive to create and/or worktowards a profe sional league that will provide financial and infrastructure resources to players; protect and support their rights and talents; provide health insurance; and work with companies, busine s leaders, and sports profe sionals worldwide who already have voiced support for womens hockey. May 21 In an interview with Finnish media outlet Yle, former CWHL goaltender Noora Rty reveals that discu sions between players and the NHL have been going well. This re-affirms the NHLs interest in creating a womens hockey league, although NHL commi sioner Gary Bettman has said on multiple occasions that he will not interfere if theres a league already in operation. "Negotiations (with the NHL) take place all the time in the background and at the moment looks pretty good." -- Noora Rty in this article about the PWHPA. I don't see this quote sitting well with people (ie the NHL). Hailey Salvian (@hailey_salvian) . May 23 Providence College forward Christina Putigna inks a deal with the Boston Pride, making her the second rookie to sign on for the 2019-20 NWHL season. She is the fifth player to sign an NWHL contract in four days. The NWHLPA announces that it has succe sfully negotiated for a 50%increase in salary, an increase in minimum player salary and more accommodations for player travel including a raise in per diem and meal allotments. Language in the NWHLPAs release also refers to a 24-game schedule for all five teams, which could mean that the leagues plans for expansion have been shelved. The and now have 50% increase in Salary, 60% increase to minimum wage, 25% increase to Per Diem, 33% more games... and THE FIRST EVER 50/50 revenue split in !! Growing this busine s in LOCKSTEP together. Anya Battaglino (@battaglinoa) Thus far we've seen at least one NWHL signing every day since May 20. The women's profe sional hockey landscape is developing and changing at every turn. Players on both sides of the divide are sharingtheir side of the story, but we are no closer to understanding what happens next or whether or not there will definitely be 2019-20 NWHL season. For now, all we can do isstay tuned. 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