2017 has been quite a busy year in the hockey world. There have been several big trades, the first expansion team in over 15 years, and much more. Over the coming days, PHR will take a look back at the top stories from around the game on a month-by-month basis. Next up is a look at March.
Deadline Dealings: For all of the hype going into the trade deadline, most of the big deals were made in the days leading up to it which made for a quieter deadline day. A total of 20 trades were made in total with the most prominent names on the move being wingers Jannik Hansen (to SJ), Jarome Iginla (to LA), and Thomas Vanek (to FLA) plus center Valtteri Filppula (to PHI). For a full run-down of the deals made, here are our breakdowns by division.
Atlantic Division
Central Division
Metropolitan Division
Pacific Division
Elias Retires: Long-time Devils winger Patrik Elias had been hoping to come back and suit up at some point last season and had been skating with the team in case he was needed. That wasn’t required after all so Elias hung up his skates. He retired as New Jersey’s all-time leader in goals (408), assists (617), and points (1,025) while ranking third in games played with 1,240. That point total places him second all-time among Czech-born players (behind only Jaromir Jagr). Unsurprisingly, the team is wasting little time in retiring his #26 with the ceremony to be held two months from now on February 24th, 2018.
Arizona Arena Situation: Just when it looked like Arizona was on track for a new arena, a previously-announced deal that would have seen the team partner with Arizona State University to put an arena in Tempe fell through. Commissioner Gary Bettman then weighed in, sending a letter to the Arizona Senate and House of Representatives to not only encourage them to vote on a bill that would provide public funding for a new arena (which didn’t happen) but to tell them that the Coyotes “cannot and will not remain in Glendale”. Unlike the arena situation for the Islanders which was resolved earlier this week, this one just won’t go away.
USNWT Ends Lengthy Boycott: Nearly two weeks after announcing that they would boycott the World Championships, the US Women’s Team reached an agreement with USA Hockey on a four-year deal that would provide a much higher level of financial support than they were receiving previously. The agreement came on the heels of the NHLPA publicly supporting the women as well as rumblings that American NHL players would consider boycotting the Worlds themselves as a show of solidarity.
Canucks Sign Boeser: Vancouver surprised many when they opted to sign 2015 first-round pick Brock Boeser and burn the first year of his entry-level contract a year early. It’s safe to say that he has put any questions about his NHL readiness to rest as he leads all rookies in goals with 20 this season, a total that puts him fifth overall league-wide. Looking ahead, it will be interesting to see if the team pursues an extension with Boeser this coming summer or if they wait to see how he fares in his sophomore season. Certainly, things are looking up for Boeser who is positioning himself well for a big payday in the near future.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.