Jeff Tambellini To Retire, Coach At Michigan
Former NHL forward Jeff Tambellini may be retiring from pro hockey, but he seems to have his next career already planned out. The University of Michigan revealed tonight that Tambellini will return to campus to finish his degree and has been named an “undergraduate assistant coach”. Tambellini himself has yet to recognize his retirement, but may never actually do so in any official capacity.
Normally, “graduate assistant coach” is a title given to recent grads helping out with their alma mater’s program in some way. Tambellini’s new title of “undergraduate assistant coach” is almost unheard of, but fitting for the former All-American who left Michigan a year early after three dominant seasons. He returns to finish his degree with over a decade of pro hockey experience under his belt.
A first-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2003, there were high expectations of Tambellini that only increased with each collegiate season. Yet, once he turned pro, the small, speedy forward struggled to skate around the opposition like he could in the NCAA. The Kings traded him to the Islanders after only four games with the team, sending he and Denis Grebeshkov to New York for Mark Parrish and Brent Sopel. Tambellini carved out a bottom-six/AHL depth role for himself on the island and played for New York for four more seasons, accumulating 46 points in 176 games. Tambellini played his final NHL season in 2010-11 with the Vancouver Canucks, posting a career-best 17 points and +10 rating in 62 games and playing in the Stanley Cup Final against the Boston Bruins.
Since then, Tambellini has had an up-and-down experience as a globe-trotting veteran. He was a force to reckon with in his first pro season outside the NHL, scoring 45 points in 50 games with the ZSC Lions of the Swiss NLA. Injuries limited his production in his second season with the Lions, so he moved on to Sweden, where he played well for MODO. He again struggled in the following year, splitting his time between the SHL and NLA, but not finding results in either location. 2015-16 marked an attempted NHL comeback, as Tambellini signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Despite impressive production in the AHL, Tambellini did not see any NHL action and headed back to Sweden last season, where he struggled mightily and, at the age of 33, likely decided it was time to hand up his skates.
However, his new opportunity with the Wolverines should allow Jeff to follow in his father’s footsteps. Steve Tambellini played ten years in the NHL, but is likely best known for his later work off the ice. Steve was the GM of the Edmonton Oilers from 2008 to 2013 and also previously worked for the Vancouver Canucks and Team Canada. He is currently a scout for the Anaheim Ducks. While Jeff seems to be heading more in a coaching route rather than toward a front office future, it is clear that hockey intelligence runs in the family and Jeff could have a shot a great coaching career, beginning with his return to Ann Arbor this season. Who knows, if coaching is a great fit for Jeff, he may end up back in the NHL, this time behind the bench, before little brother Adam Tambellini, a New York Rangers prospect, makes it to the big time himself.
NHL Snapshots: Penguins, Karlsson, Oleksiak, Callahan
The Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins released a statement saying they will attend an invitation from President Trump to come to the White House. No date has been announced.
Morning Notes: NBC Olympics, Ekman-Larsson, Desjardins
The NHL will be going dark on national television during the two and a half weeks that the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea will be on the air, according to the New York Post’s Larry Brooks. The NHL, who will not be participating in this year’s Olympics, have been informed that no NHL games will be televised by any NBC affiliate during the dates of Feb. 7-26.
While the original TV schedule had no games listed, it was believed that NBC would add games into their TV lineup to air NHL hockey games. However, Brooks writes that he believes it’s NBC’s way of “giving a symbolic middle finger” to Gary Bettman and the Board of Governors for withholding its players from this Olympics, which NBC will also be televising. Last year, the NHL previously aired 20 NHL hockey games during those same dates.
The NHL has stated previously that it did not want to participate in the Olympics next year for many reasons, but chief among them was they didn’t want to take a 17-day break at a time when the NHL should get its highest ratings with the NFL season completed and MLB’s season not having gotten started. However, now without national TV exposure, it looks as if they may not get that exposure anyhow.
- NBC Sports Cam Tucker writes that Arizona’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson will be re-evaluated today after suffering a lower-body injury during overtime against the San Jose Sharks. The defenseman had to be helped off the ice. The 26-year-old has been one of the few bright spots on the Coyotes roster the last few years and was expected to lead a renewed effort to get out of the basement of the Western Conference. It’s also rumored that Ekman-Larsson is next in line to be named captain to replace long-time leader Shane Doan.
- In a separate story, NBC Sports Cam Tucker writes that New York Rangers’ Andrew Desjardins will face a disciplinary hearing on Monday with the NHL Department of Player Safety for his hit on New Jersey Devils forward Miles Wood during Saturday’s preseason game. Desjardins received a match penalty for an illegal hit to the head during the middle of the first period. Wood was slow to get to his feet and went through concussion protocol, but was cleared and allowed to return to the game. The 31-year-old center was on a PTO with the Rangers. He previously played three years with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Injury Notes: Lightning, Sabres, Jets
Despite finishing the 2016-17 season with 94 points and missing the playoffs, the Tampa Bay Lightning are the favorite of many to win the Atlantic Division and possibly even the Eastern Conference. Why? It’s not because they added Dan Girardi, Chris Kunitz, and Michael Leighton this off-season. No, the real reason for the resurgence of hope in Tampa is of course the return of captain Steven Stamkos. The Bolts’ superstar is set to return to the team after missing nearly all of last season, and the first step is his preseason debut tonight at home against the Predators. Stamkos told the Tampa Bay Times’ Joe Smith that, more than anything, he’s feeling curious about his first game action since November 15, 2016, eager to see how he feels and how he plays. Lightning fans are eager as well; their season rides on the health and performance of Stamkos. When Stamkos returned from a broke leg in 2014, he tells Smith that he felt he was playing “the best hockey of my career”. However, the serious knee injury that sidelined him for much of 2017 could take a bit longer to work back from. Only time will tell how one of the best players in the game returns from his latest injury, but there is no doubt that the spotlight will be on him, starting tonight.
- Smith also issued an update today on Anton Stralman, the Lightning defenseman whose undisclosed injury had kept him from even practicing this week and had some worried about the start of the season. That is, until today. Previously, Stralman had only been seen skating at practice in a red, non-contact jersey and was not taking part in drills, but Smith reports that he was back it today, cleared for contact and participating fully. Stralman told Smith that he expects to be back t full strength for the season opener, easing the fears of the fan base.
- Another team with a pair of potential difference-makers currently sidelined are the Buffalo Sabres. The Buffalo News’ John Vogl reports that big off-season trade acquisition Marco Scandella was back at practice today after sitting out the last few days. Still recovering from hip surgery, Scandella said that he is preparing for the season mentally, even if he’s taking it easy physically. The Sabres plan to use Scandella on the top pair this season, and while they would love for him to be at 100% come October 5th, his long-term health and durability is of greater concern.
- Unfortunately, Vogl’s article didn’t have as much optimism about young scorer Alexander Nylander. The team’s 2016 first-round pick has yet to take the ice in training camp after suffering a lower body injury in the Sabres’ prospect camp. Nylander’s status is up in the air, but it seems highly unlikely that he will be ready for the season if he is still watching practices from the stands. New head coach Phil Housley acknowledged that the team is letting Nylander move slowly with his recovering, but admitted that there is no definite time table for his return.
- The NHL is trying to cut down on injuries this season and to achieve that goal they are ramping up the enforcement of penalties. That presents a substantial problem for the Winnipeg Jets, who have taken more penalties than any team in the league over the past four seasons and haven’t been very good on the penalty kill either. In a stroke of genius, the team hosted former NHL referee Paul Devorski in camp today, who provided some in-depth instruction on how to void penalties, especially those like slashing that have been given special emphasis by the league this season.
NHL Orders Independent Evaluation Of Joffrey Lupul
Joffrey Lupul may not want a second opinion, but the NHL does. Sportsnet’s John Shannon was the first to relay the news from a league source that the NHL plans to have the veteran forward evaluated by an independent doctor. It’s not surprising giving the recent allegations made against his “current” team. No specific time frame has been given, but one would expect the league to have interest in putting an end to this saga sooner rather than later.
It was only three days ago that Lupul turned heads around the hockey world when he publicly accused the Toronto Maple Leafs of “cheating” by keeping him on the Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) when he is healthy enought to continue playing. Lupul, who turns 34 this Saturday, has not played in a game since February 6, 2016, having been kept on LTIR for the entirety of the 2016-17 season. When he went in for his yearly physical with the Leafs’ medical staff last week, he was once again told that he would remain on LTIR. Frustrated and wanting to play again, Lupul lashed out on Instagram and accused the team of mismanaging not only his injury status, but several past and “current” teammates’ injuries. Yet, given a week to seek a second opinion, Lupul announced last night that he would not. Many have taken that to be backtracking on Lupul’s part and perhaps an end to this issue.
Well, the league would rather get a clear answer than continue watching Lupul’s animosity boil over while he sits on LTIR, maybe injured or maybe not. An independent evaluation will set things straight, once and for all, whether Lupul is healthy and able to return to his playing career, signaling that Toronto may have in fact been “cheating”, or whether he simply wishes and believes he can play contrary to medical sensibilities. The saga continues, but at least there now appears to be a definitive end in sight once the league schedules the exam. Of course, a decision in Lupul’s favor would open a new can of worms, one of the cap circumvention variety…
Red Wings Notes: Rebuilding, LCA, Parenteau, Athanasiou
After 25 years of sustained success where the team didn’t miss the playoffs, the Detroit Red Wings are entering a new phase of reality—and it will be painful writes the Athletic’s Corey Pronman. There is an entire generation of Detroit fans who didn’t know the playoffs without the Red Wings in them, but that will become a harsh truth as Detroit attempts to restock a steady–but hardly elite cupboard of talent. Pronman identifies Dylan Larkin, Anthony Mantha, and Andreas Athanasiou as the pillars of hope for Detroit, but they are hardly the likes of Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov or Nicklas Lidstrom, players the Red Wings rode into Stanley Cup glory two decades ago. Pronman continues, writing that it’s not a knock on the players but instead, shows just how hard it is to win consistently in the NHL. Additionally, he reminds Wings fans looking for a full teardown that there is only a 25% chance that tanking will garner a #1 pick–which may not even pan out. Regardless of the path they take, Detroit is surely in for bumpy times ahead.
- The Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James quotes Wings coach Jeff Blashill calling the new Little Caesars Arena the “Ritz Carlton” of hockey arenas. After years of playing at the hastily constructed and outdated Joe Louis Arena, the Red Wings step into a state of the art facility that houses a practice rink and mammoth 25,000 square foot locker room.
- St. James also writes that P.A. Parenteau, who signed a PTO with the Red Wings has the best chance of getting a permanent spot by boosting the Red Wings powerplay. Last season, Detroit was dreadful with the man advantage and Parenteau has made a career of potting powerplay goals and it may be a perfect match for both the Wings and the nine-year veteran.
- The Red Wings are “standing firm” on their contract offer to forward Andreas Athanasiou, putting a two-year, $3.8M deal on the table. TSN’s Bob McKenzie cited progress between the camps and TSN reported that general manager Ken Holland expects to make a move in order to get cap compliant.
Evening Snapshots: Hischier, Hitchcock, Leafs’ Captaincy
The New Jersey Devils’ top pick in the 2017 Entry Draft told NHL.com’s Mike Morreale that it would be a “disappointment” if he didn’t make the Devils’ roster following training camp. General manager Ray Shero called him a “special talent,” and that if there’s a spot, it’s his to win. Teammate Taylor Hall reminisced about his first season with the Oilers, when the 2010 #1 overall pick learned a lot from then captain Shawn Horcoff. He added how important it was for younger players to have a veteran presence to “bounce things off of,” when beginning a career after being a first overall pick. Hischier is certainly saying all the right things–it’s just a matter of time if the youngster get a shot as a regular.
- It’s the return of Ken Hitchcock in Dallas, and it’ll be the “new adventures of old Ken Hitchcock,” writes the Dallas Morning-News’ Mike Heika. The veteran coach and Dallas’ all-time winningest coach has promised a camp that “no one has ever seen before.” Heika adds that Hitchcock has to rein in an offensively “supercharged” team that failed to defend in its own zone. Unlike his 90’s teams or even more recently in St. Louis, “Hitch” plans to attack in the offensive zone while being responsible with the puck in their own zone. Center Tyler Seguin believes the team has more than enough offense to score goals and that it’s just a matter of being better defensively. Should the Stars stay healthy, they could certainly be a favorite in the West.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs will once again go without a captain, and opt for three alternates reports the Toronto Star’s Kevin McGran. General manager Lou Lamoriello sees no reason to name a captain, citing a number of leaders in the room with no rush to name one player as the captain. McGran speculates that the C will eventually be sewn onto Auston Matthews‘ jersey, but believes that keeping any additional pressure off of the second year forward may be the team’s motive for not bestowing that honor yet.
Atlantic Notes: Eichel, Lightning, Panthers’ Playoff Hopes
NHL.com’s Joe Yerdon writes that Buffalo star center Jack Eichel says that he “hasn’t proven anything” despite a couple great seasons scoring over 20 goals and being nearly a point-per-game player last season. But the thirst for regular and postseason success drives Eichel, and calling his past work “mediocre,” it’s clear that the 2015 second overall pick is ready for his Sabres to turn the corner:
“It’s the third year, so if there’s ever a time to start winning and being a good team in this league, it’s right now. I think all the guys are pretty sick of losing and not playing in the playoffs. I don’t think I’m the only guy; I think I can speak for a lot of guys in the room, that we’ve got to be there at the end of the year.”
Set with a new general manager and head coach, a fresh approach may just be what the Sabres need to finally break through.
- The Tampa Bay Times Tom Jones wonders if the Bolts have another deep playoff run in the horizon. Or, as Jones asks, could last year’s playoff miss be the start of Tampa’s descent in the Atlantic, and Eastern Conference? He quotes head coach Jon Cooper, who says that after two deep playoff runs, anyone asks “what happens,” when a team completely misses the playoffs. The Lightning held a 2-1 advantage during the 2015 Stanley Cup Final before Chicago roared back to take three in a row. Two seasons ago, they came within a game of returning to the Final. General manager Steve Yzerman called it “humbling” while players say there’s a certain “hunger” to the playoffs this season. Though Yzerman says the expectations remain high, certainly no one thought that was a cause for decline. It was the injury bug that bit hard in Tampa and crippled any chances at postseason glory. Should they stay healthy, the Lightning a formidable opponent not only in the conference, but also the league.
- The other Floridian team also has a shot at making a playoff run opines the Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn. The Panthers, despite an off year in 2016-17 after such a strong 2015-16, are projected by Luszczyzyn to see a marked improvement based on his metrics. Anyone familiar with his work knows that Luszczyzyn uses advanced stats more than most writers. Similar to the Lightning, the Panthers suffered from injuries and just having Jonathan Huberdeau back a full season will do wonders for a team that was starved for goals in his absence. Ludzczyzyn admits that there isn’t much further to go down from here, but he advises that no one should sleep on the Panthers, either.
Prospects Tournament Update: DeBrincat, Hronek, Kostin
The Athletic’s Scott Powers reports that Chicago Blackhawks prospect Alex DeBrincat believes he can “play better” despite potting two goals in as many games during the tournament so far. All eyes are on the scoring dynamo, who was a major contributor for the Erie Otters last year in the OHL. Some have projected the 19-year-old to make the Hawks roster while others believe it may take some seasoning in Rockford before the youngster is ready. The Chicago Sun-Times Mark Lazerus wrote yesterday that it will ultimately boil down to how the shorter teenage phenom will compete when he’s fighting bigger, stronger, NHL players for not only space on the ice, but also puck battles. There’s no doubt that the talent is there: it’s more about how the rookie responds when he’s put on the ice against elite talent.
- Powers’ colleague Craig Custance weighs in on the Red Wings’ young talent and who tops the list in terms of having the best chance of playing in Detroit. Defenseman Filip Hronek leads the pack, and though he’s shown growing pains, appears to be on the same course as forward Evgeny Svechnikov, who didn’t make his first appearance in Detroit until April. More than anything, it was to ensure the young forward wasn’t rushed and the Red Wings look to take the same approach with Hronek.
- The championship game seems all but set as the Blackhawks pasted Carolina 9-2 this evening. The Red Wings beat the Rangers 4-1, creating a championship contest between Chicago and Columbus. St. Louis’ Tage Thompson leads all players with six points in the tournament (2-4) while DeBrincat leads all scorers with three goals.
- Thompson’s teammate, Klim Kostin, has turned a lot of heads during the camp, and has shown that the shoulder injury that caused him to drop a bit in the draft has done nothing to limit his dangerous scoring ability. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jim Thomas writes that Blues GM Doug Armstrong cautions patience, but even he seems ready to see what Kostin can do during training camp with the big club.
Blackhawks Great Pierre Pilote Passes Away At 85
The Chicago Blackhawks and the hockey world lost a defensive legend as Pierre Pilote passed away Saturday at the age of 85. The three-time Norris Trophy winner played 13 season for the Blackhawks and then one final season for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Pilote was at his best during the stretch from 1960 to 1967, where he reached either the first or second all-star team in all of those years. He won the Norris Trophy, given to the NHL’s best defenseman, in 1963, 1964 and 1965 and was a runner up for the Trophy in 1962, 1966 and 1967. In 1961, Pilote helped lead the team to a Stanley Cup and was named captain of the Blackhawks the following year.
“The Chicago Blackhawks offer our sincere condolences to the family of Pierre Pilote as we mourn his passing. Pierre was one of the most decorated defenseman in NHL history and was a valuable member of the 1961 Stanley Cup championship team. He will be remembered for his toughness, leadership and reliability on the ice, as proven by his captaincy and streak of 376 consecutive games played. We will forever be grateful for his incredible contribution to the Blackhawks and the game of hockey.”
Pilote finished his career having played 821 games and scoring 477 points (77 goals and 400 assists). His No. 3 sweater was retired by the Blackhawks in 2008.