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Tampa Bay Lightning Begin Sale Process

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Jeff Vinik’s 14-year tenure as majority owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning could soon come to an end as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shares that Tampa Bay has begun a multi-stage process to sell the team. Friedman adds that the sale would turn ownership over to Doug Ostrover, co-CEO of Blue Owl Capital and a minority partner of the ownership group that recently purchased the NFL’s Washington Commanders.

Ostrover will pay a pretty penny for Tampa Bay’s majority reign, with Friedman also sharing that the sale values the Lightning franchise at close to $2B – roughly double the price paid in the NHL’s most recent, record-breaking sale: Michael Andlauer’s $950MM purchasing of the Ottawa Senators.

Meanwhile, Vinik will retain both his operational duties with the team and a large stake of ownership. He originally bought the Lightning for $170MM in 2010, amid a desolate time for Tampa Bay fans despite being six years removed from their first Stanley Cup. Vinik quickly cut through the gloom, bringing in an influx of funding and instilling NHL legend Steve Yzerman as the club’s general manager. It was Yzerman who commanded Tampa’s surge back to the top of the NHL, on the back of head coach hires Guy Boucher and Jon Cooper and draft-day steals like Nikita Kucherov, Ondrej Palat, Brayden Point, and Anthony Cirelli. The new construction propelled Tampa Bay to the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals, though they’d need a few more years of seasoning – and the handoff of GM duties from Yzerman to Julien BriseBois – before the Lightning could win Cups in 2020 and 2021.

It’s now a summer of change for the Lightning franchise, who also lost franchise icon Steven Stamkos to free agency this summer. They’ve responded to that move with the additions of Jake Guentzel, Cam Atkinson, and Conor Geekie – though Tampa hasn’t yet named Stamkos’ successor as team captain. Vinik’s maintained presence should keep this sale from influencing the on-ice product too much, though it will be a process worth monitoring as Ostrover looks to continue his investment in American sports.

Five Key Stories: 8/5/24 – 8/11/24

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With training camps a little more than a month away, activity around the hockey world has slowed down considerably in recent weeks.  Nevertheless, there was some news of note over the past seven days which is recapped in our key stories.

Helenius To Play In North America: On draft day, Konsta Helenius slipped to the Sabres at 14th overall despite being ranked as a top-ten prospect by several publications.  Often, a European player picked in the middle of the first round will stay overseas for a couple of years but that’s not the case for Helenius as his club team in Tappara revealed that the youngster is expected to play in North America this coming season.  Since he wasn’t drafted out of the CHL, Helenius is eligible to play with AHL Rochester in 2024-25 but after an impressive season in the Finnish Liiga that saw him record 36 points in 51 games, it’s possible that he makes a case to spend at least a few games in Buffalo as well.

Klefbom Confirms Retirement: Any hope of a late-career comeback for Oscar Klefbom has come to an end as the blueliner confirmed that he has retired.  The 31-year-old was a key part of Edmonton’s back end for most of his career, averaging more than 21 minutes a night over his last six seasons.  However, a shoulder injury that he played through eventually proved to be too much as he last played in the 2019-20 campaign, spending the final three years of his contract on LTIR before becoming a free agent last summer.  Klefbom has indicated that he’d like to stay involved in some capacity but it remains to be seen if that will be with an NHL team or in his native Sweden.

Avs Add Another Blueliner: Colorado has been active in adding depth defenders this summer, bringing in Erik Brannstrom and Calvin de Haan early in free agency.  They added another rearguard this past week, signing Oliver Kylington to a one-year, $1.05MM deal.  The 27-year-old returned to Calgary in January after missing a year and a half for mental health reasons.  While his numbers in the second half weren’t overly impressive (eight points in 33 games), his last full season in 2021-22 was a breakout showing for Kylington when he put up 31 points in 73 appearances while logging over 18 minutes a night.  If he can come even close to those numbers with the Avalanche, they’ll get strong value on this contract.

Coaching Changes In Columbus: In an offseason that has seen the Blue Jackets take their time with off-ice moves, they rounded out their coaching staff under new bench boss Dean Evason.  The team parted ways with assistant coach Mark Recchi and development coach Derek Dorsett (who could eventually return in another capacity); assistant Josef Boumedienne had previously been let go as well.  Taking their place on the coaching staff will be new assistant coaches Scott Ford and Mike Haviland.  This will be Ford’s first coaching job at the AHL level after spending the last eight seasons with AHL Milwaukee.  Haviland, meanwhile, has four years of NHL experience as an assistant with Chicago and spent the last two years as an associate coach with their AHL affiliate in Cleveland.

Sillinger Nearing A Contract: Still with the Blue Jackets, they only have one remaining restricted free agent to re-sign, forward Cole Sillinger.  It appears he won’t be unsigned for much longer as the two sides are believed to be close to getting an agreement on a new deal in place.  It’s expected that the contract, when finalized, will be for two years.  The 21-year-old was the 12th overall pick by Columbus in 2021 and turned pro right after, spending the bulk of his entry-level deal at the NHL level where he has 74 points in 220 games.  With the limited production, a long-term agreement doesn’t make sense for either side so it appears he’ll get a couple of years to try to boost his value before gaining arbitration eligibility next time out.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Frank Nazar Could Be An X-Factor In Chicago’s New Top-Six

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The Chicago Blackhawks have had the wind behind their sails since drafting Connor Bedard. They’ve continued to announce exciting upgrades to the roster, the staff, and even the United Center; pulling out plenty of storylines ahead of next season. But that excitement has cast a bit of a shadow over the genuine rookie challenge awaiting top prospect Frank Nazar, and the X-factor role he could earn as a result.

Nazar signed his entry-level contract following the end of the University of Michigan season in April. He was soon granted the first three NHL games of his career, as part of a cohort of Hawks prospects receiving their debuts. But Chicago used Nazar the most, awarding him an average of 16 minutes of ice time and coupling him with Bedard for a quarter of his ice time. He only managed one goal in the appearances but looked ready to play at NHL pace, and next to NHL stars.

The hefty ice time he received in his debuts was an early sign of the role that Chicago thinks Nazar could fill. They didn’t waste his ice time, and gave him a chance to earn roles alongside their best players – sentiment that’d now be much more valuable following the many upgrades to the Blackhawks offense this summer. Chicago now sits with significantly improved top lines, thanks to the additions of Teuvo Teravainen and Tyler Bertuzzi, as well as the return of Taylor Hall. That trio will join Bedard and, likely, Andreas Athanasiou or Philipp Kurashev to form an excitingly high-tempo and high-skilled Blackhawks top-six. But that leaves one spot open – and while hardened veterans like Jason Dickinson, Nick Foligno, or Ilya Mikheyev are likely safer bets for the role, Nazar could be much better fit for the high-skill calling card.

That’s certainly the moniker he built for himself at the U.S. NTDP, where Nazar fought with Logan Cooley and Cutter Gauthier for top-line minutes. He scored above a point-per-game pace in the role, and built up a knack for elevating talented wingers like Rutger McGroarty and Jimmy Snuggerud. He became a bit easy to forget during his absentee 2022-23 season – but rebounded with purpose last season, showing that he still had the ability to sway games with his flashy offense. He worked with McGroarty to carry Michigan to the Big Ten championship game and Frozen Four semi-finals – and carried the high-energy into his first taste with Chicago.

Hawks general manager Kyle Davidson has said that all players stand an “equal chance” at making the Blackhawks lineup out of training camp, perhaps casting some doubt on Nazar’s undisputed role. But with a healthy summer and a sense of what he’s preparing for, it’s hard to imagine Nazar not taking a step up next season. He sits amid tough competition with Chicago’s hardened veterans and other top youngsters, like Lukas Reichel and Landon Slaggert. With one collegiate season to his name, Nazar also has the least experience of the bunch. But the Blackhawks will need a special offensive talent to round out their newly-constructed top-six – and Nazar’s skill seems like an early best fit. He may need to first prove himself in the minor leagues, or wait for others to struggle, but the sky will be the limit when Nazar earns a spot among Chicago’s now-high-scoring top-end.

Poll: Who Will Be The NHL’s Next Captain?

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August is finally here, marking the time of year when teams reconvene at their home rink and begin hardy planning for the upcoming season. That step will come with extra work for the six teams around the league who don’t currently have a captain.

Many of these teams, including Seattle, Anaheim, and Utah, have gone years without a captain – instead opting to disseminate responsibilities among multiple assistant captains. All three teams are amidst staunch rebuilds – with Utah even mapping out relocation – and are likely waiting for their top prospects to take a few more steps before earning the role. The trio of Matthew Beniers, Leo Carlsson, and Logan Cooley seem prime for that ascension with their respective teams, though they each have multiple challengers lining up behind them. The Buffalo Sabres are in a similar grouping, as they transition from a veteran-laden lineup to one of the league’s youngest rosters.

The Chicago Blackhawks also fall into the aforementioned discussion – not carrying a captain since legendary centerman Jonathan Toews ended his career in 2022. Toews leaves massive shoes as Chicago’s leader, after co-heading three Stanley Cup wins alongside winger Patrick Kane. Naming a successor will formally carry Chicago into a new era – one without many of the faces that came to define Chicago hockey in the 2010s. Teenage phenom Connor Bedard seems like a great option to lead that transition, after netting 22 goals and 61 points in 68 games last season – the most of any rookie Blackhawk since Artemi Panarin in 2016, and Kane before him. But Bedard is still young and was limited to a partial season last year by a jaw injury. Those factors could hold him back from Chicago’s prestigious ’C’. If that is the case, it doesn’t seem any of the team’s veteran leaders, including Nick Foligno and Seth Jones, would inspire Chicago to name a captain too early.

And while Chicago’s next captain will lead the team through new scenery, it’s the Tampa Bay vacancy that headlines the off-season. The Lightning now sit without a captain for the first time since 2002, after franchise icon Steven Stamkos chose to sign with the Nashville Predators in his first trip to unrestricted free agency. Stamkos wore the ’C’ for the last 10 years and established himself as a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer in that span, leading Tampa Bay to two Stanley Cups and setting the franchise’s all-time records in both goals and points scored. Like in Chicago, the Lightning will be entering a new era with their next captain – though they’re much more prepared for the vacancy than their counterparts. While forwards Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point could both serve as strong replacements, it’s defenseman Victor Hedman that offers the same rugged veteran leadership brought by Stamkos. Hedman recently signed a four-year extension in Tampa, taking him through his age-37 season and, potentially, the end of his career. He’s already appeared in 1,052 games with Tampa Bay – the most of any Lightning other than Stamkos – and holds the franchise records in all three scoring stats, among defenders. Transitioning from Stamkos to Hedman should prove more of a light handoff than a total change in power, which could be enough to sway a Lightning franchise that hasn’t gone longer than one year without a captain since naming Paul Ysebaert as their inaugural ’C’.

Mapping out when captain announcements will come is often a fool’s bet, but the candidates to earn the NHL’s next ’C’ seem to be becoming clearer. Who will it be? Will Tampa jump to another veteran, will Chicago move into their next step, or will an oft-captain-less team commit to their young guard? Let us know by voting in the poll below and discussing in the comments.

If the embedded poll isn’t showing up, use this link to vote!

Snapshots: NCAA Recruitment, Colorado, Lekkerimäki

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The NCAA commitment window opened to the 2008 birth year on August 1st, bringing another wave of top young players to the collegiate level. International recruits have so far headlined this year’s class, with five Europeans and 13 Canadians already announcing their commitments. Among the notable international commits is hefty centerman Caleb Malhotra, who went eighth overall to Kingston in this year’s OHL Draft, but solidified his plans to play outside of the OHL with a commitment to Boston University. Malhotra is emerging as a top Canadian in the 2008 birth year – even despite battles with injury this season. He played in just 48 games, though he still did enough to score at a point-per-game pace and earn a five-star rating from PuckPreps, who praised his mobility and puck skills.

Malhotra – the son of longtime Vancouver Canucks center Manny Malhotra – is a cerebral playmaker, who knows how to use his frame and stickhandling to create space. With a college commitment out of the way, he’s now set for the Chilliwack Chiefs of the BCHL. Malhotra is undeniably one of the BCHL’s top recruits and will now look to vindicate the expectations around him, and quickly bounce back from injury, by finding scoring quickly at the juniors level. If all goes well, he’ll enter BU with the same lofty expectations.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The AHL’s Colorado Eagles have announced they’ve hired Kim Weiss as a video coach and Matt Zaba as a goalie coach. Weiss moves to the pro level after becoming the first female coach in D-III history this season, serving behind the bench of her alma mater Trinity College. Trinity won their conference championship under Weiss’ guard – earning her a ring after losing in the NAHL’s 2023 Robertson Cup semifinals with the Maryland Black Bears. Zaba is also moving from American juniors, having spent the last seven seasons as the goalie coach for the USHL’s Tri-City Storm. He’s built up multiple NHL prospects over that span, including Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Filip Larson, Calgary Flames prospect Arseni Sergeyev, and Vegas Golden Knights prospect Isaiah Saville. He’ll now join that trio at the AHL level – coaching in familiar territory after starting his career at Colorado College. Zaba is also an alum of one NHL game, 66 AHL games, and 31 ECHL games – though much of his personal playing career was spent in Austria and Italy.
  • The Vancouver Canucks are facing a list of lineup questions as training camp approaches, shares Thomas Drance of The Athletic, who highlighted the right-wing role next to Jake DeBrusk and Elias Pettersson as the team’s most glaring hole. Drance mentioned Nils Hoglander as an early favorite for the role, though he’ll face pressure from new signee Daniel Sprong. However, Drance also noted that star prospect Jonathan Lekkerimäki could be a dark horse to round out what should be Vancouver’s scoring line. Lekkerimäki won the SHL’s ’Rookie of the Year’ award last season, after posting 19 goals and 31 points in 46 games with Örebro HK. He signed his entry-level contract and moved to the AHL after Örebro’s early playoff exit – adding two points in six more games with the Abbotsford Canucks. Lekkerimäki is an effective scorer, with an eye for the offensive zone and hard snapshot – though his size has some worried about how he’ll adjust to the next step. It seems he’ll have a chance to answer that bell at training camp, as he fights for a significant role out of the gates.

Five Key Stories: 7/29/24 – 8/4/24

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With the final arbitration hearings approaching early in the week, we saw a couple of important settlements while a pair of key blueliners inked long-term contract extensions.  Those are among the headlines in our key stories.

Second Bridge For Necas: Unable to find a suitable trade (or at least a team he was willing to sign long-term with), Martin Necas and the Hurricanes ultimately settled on a two-year, $13MM contract to avoid salary arbitration.  The deal does not contain any trade protection (he’s too young to be eligible) and walks him right to UFA eligibility in 2026.  The 25-year-old wasn’t quite able to match his 2022-23 output when he had a career-best 71 points but he still turned in a solid showing last season with 24 goals and 29 assists in 77 games.  It’s believed that Necas is looking to play a more prominent role, we’ll find out next season if Carolina is willing to play him higher up the lineup or if he’ll remain a fixture on the second line.

Lindgren Avoids Arbitration: Rather than get to a hearing, the Rangers and defenseman Ryan Lindgren agreed on a one-year, $4.5MM contract.  The deal represents a fair-sized raise on his previous $3MM AAV and $3.6MM qualifying offer.  Lindgren played in 76 games last season, picking up three goals and 14 assists while surpassing 100 blocks and hits in 19:21 per night.  He will still have one year of arbitration eligibility remaining next summer but this time, he’ll be owed a $4.5MM qualifying offer.

Eight For Faber: Following a stellar rookie year, the Wild wasted little time locking up defenseman Brock Faber, signing him to an eight-year, $68MM contract extension that will run through the 2032-33 season.  The 21-year-old joined Minnesota for a handful of games in 2023 but last season was his first full professional campaign.  Faber quickly became their top blueliner, putting up 47 points while playing in all 82 games, averaging nearly 25 minutes a night in the process which helped earn him a spot on the All-Rookie team and a second-place finish in Calder Trophy voting.  While there is some risk in signing a player with less than 100 games of NHL experience (including playoffs) to that type of contract, Faber’s cost could have gone even higher next summer if he had a similar showing in 2024-25.

Calling It A Career: Veteran forward Eric Staal has decided to retire, signing a one-day contract with the Hurricanes before officially calling it a career.  The 39-year-old last played in the 2022-23 campaign as a regular fourth line center with Florida, capping an impressive 18-year career.  All told, Staal picked up 455 goals and 608 assists in 1,365 games with six different organizations with a dozen of those coming with Carolina where he holds the bulk of the team’s records post-relocation from Hartford.  The Hurricanes will retire Staal’s #12 at some point this coming season.

Canadiens Sign Three Blueliners: The Canadiens were busy dealing with several of their young rearguards.  First, they re-signed their two remaining restricted free agents to bridge contracts.  Arber Xhekaj received a two-year, $2.6MM deal while Justin Barron re-upped for two years and $2.3MM in total.  Both players will be restricted free agents again in 2026, this time with arbitration eligibility.  Then, Montreal inked Kaiden Guhle to a six-year, $33.3MM extension that begins in 2025-26.  The 22-year-old has logged big minutes in his first two seasons, establishing himself as a long-term piece of their blueline puzzle as they look to try to emerge from their rebuild in the coming seasons.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agent Profile: Kevin Shattenkirk

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The NHL is dab in the middle of the dog days of summer. Free agency has ground to a halt as many names around the NHL get in brief vacations or an early jump on their training. But the open market still offers a long list of long-time NHL veterans, still capable of filling depth roles. The most valuable among them might be right-shot defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, following a stout performance on the Boston Bruins’ third pairing, and second power-play unit, last season.

Shattenkirk, 35, has made no indication that he’s considering retirement – recently training alongside Trevor Zegras and Matt Rempe in preparation for the 2024 Shoulder Check Charity game. There’s no reason for Shattenkirk to slow down either, after seamlessly transitioning from being one of the Anaheim Ducks’ top defenders to a role on Boston’s fringe. He lost nearly four minutes of average ice time in the move, appearing in just 15:47 through 61 games in Boston this year. But his production held strong, with Shattenkirk managing six goals and 24 points, just three shy of his 2022-23 totals. 11 of those points came on Boston’s power-play, where Shattenkirk served as the blue-line’s second-string option behind Charlie McAvoy.

The year in Boston showed that Shattenkirk still has plenty to give, even if his age defaults him to a depth role. But he’s capable of much more, playing upwards of 20 minutes a night as recently as two seasons ago in Anaheim. The 2021 and 2022 Ducks defenses didn’t do much to illicit praise – with the latter lineup setting an NHL record for most shots against per game. But Shattenkirk stood as the rare positive, ranking second on Anaheim’s defense in scoring in all three seasons with the team – and even posting the third-best xGA/60 (expected goals-against per-60) of any Ducks defenders to play a full season, behind Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson, per Evolving-Hockey. His relative prowess earned Shattenkirk plenty of ice time when the Ducks were in need, and he’d ultimately total 77 points in 212 games while averaging 20:37 in ice time.

Shattenkirk continues to shine as an adaptable, jack-of-all-trades defenseman – attributes built up over his impressive 14-year career in the NHL. He was drafted 14th overall in 2007, getting selected out of the U.S. NTDP by the Colorado Avalanche. He’d turn pro after three years at Boston University, making his NHL debut in 2010 and proceeding to post an impressive 26 points in his first 46 games. But Colorado couldn’t decline a chance to acquire 2006 first-overall selection Erik Johnson as that year’s trade deadline neared, ultimately sending Shattenkirk, Chris Stewart, and a second-round pick for Johnson, Jay McClement, and a first-round pick.

That trade sparked Shattenkirk’s illustrious career in St. Louis, where he played second fiddle to eventual team captain Alex Pietrangelo for seven years. It wasn’t an easy role to settle into, even despite Shattenkirk’s hot start in the NHL, as opponents quickly learn to shut down his flashy puck skills. Rather than trying to will his way to another skill level, Shattenkirk opted to build up his game off the puck, adding considerable size, grit, and defensive zone impact under the guidance of long-time Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock.

It’s those gritty intangibles that are now keeping Shattenkirk relevant, giving him the ability to play both sides of the red lines diligently while the quick-thinking offense that earned him draft acclaim keeps him on the power-play. His cap hit has matched his dwindling scoring, with Shattenkirk’s deal in Boston totaling just $1MM. That will likely hold him to a sub-$1MM price tag on his next deal, though that could prove lucrative value for any team needing to round out their defense corps. Even at 35, Shattenkirk is still bringing diligent two-way play, special teams upside, and predictable scoring – all certainly worth buying for cheap on the open market. If NHL teams agree, Shattenkirk will enter the 2024-25 season chasing career milestones – currently sat 16 points away from 500 and 48 games away from 1,000.

Kings’ Defensive Success Sits With High-Scoring Prospects

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The Los Angeles Kings will be entering the 2024-25 season with a glaring absence on defense after Matt Roy opted to sign with the Washington Capitals. Roy was a pillar of the Kings’ lineup, averaging 20 minutes a night over the last three seasons and serving as the consistent, well-rounded impact that allowed riskier players like Drew Doughty to thrive. But despite losing a paramount right-handed defender, Los Angeles has yet to make any notable blue-line additions – save for a surprisingly expensive, four-year deal for left-shot Joel Edmundson.  They’re now left with just $1.4MM in remaining cap space, leaving the job of filling Roy’s role up to top young Kings Jordan Spence and Brandt Clarke.

Spence is the more seasoned of the two, having appeared in 101 NHL games over the last three seasons. He broke out in a major way during his first professional season in 2021-22, earning an NHL call-up after posting 42 points through his first 46 AHL games. The scoring translated to the top level, with Spence posting eight points through his first 24 NHL games – the fifth-highest point-per-game scoring of any Kings defender that season. He settled in for a full AHL season in the following year, playing in six NHL games and scoring just one point, though Spence did post an impressive 45 points in 56 AHL games. That production was, again, enough to earn him a consistent NHL role this season – something he managed to good effect, netting 24 points in 71 games despite averaging just 14:26 in ice time.

Meanwhile, Clarke stands as Los Angeles’ unrivaled top prospect and looked stellar in his first professional season this year. He fought for the scoring lead on the AHL’s Ontario Reign for much of the year, ultimately recording 46 points in 50 games – the highest scoring rate of an AHL rookie defender since Jack Rathbone in 2020-21, and Justin Schultz in 2012-13 before him. While Rathbone and Schultz have each seen their scoring stall at the NHL level, Clarke seems to be poised to buck the trend after netting six points in his first 16 games with the Kings. Even more exciting – Clarke stood up to a variety of roles in his first NHL stint, playing as little as seven minutes, or as much as 18 minutes, on any given night.

Both Spence and Clarke have fought their way towards more-and-more opportunity in the Kings organization on the back of strong offense, but also carry reasons to hesitate before they’re thrust into the spotlight. Spence has looked admittedly lanky and easy to knock around at times, shying him away from driving too deep into either zone. Clarke shares that hesitancy, as someone still finding his pro footing, and has also yet to show the breakaway speed of a top NHL offensive-defenseman. But the pair still offers tantalizing scoring upside for a Kings defense that’s only supported one 50-point defender since 2000 – Doughty, who’s achieved the feat five times.

Roy was never much of a scorer, even in top minutes, with a career-high of just 26 points. His departure, juxtaposed by the scoring upside of former top-10 pick Clarke, and point-per-game minor leaguer Spence, matched with the defensive safety net of Gavrikov, could be enough to finally give the Kings another high-scoring defender. But one of the two top young defenders will need to take a major step forward if they want to embrace the lofty, top-four vacancy in the L.A. lineup.

Hall Of Fame Executive Murray Costello Passes Away

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Former Hockey Canada president Murray Costello has passed away at the age of 90. Costello was a pillar of Canadian hockey, with an executive career spanning over 50 years. Much of that was spent in decision-making roles with Hockey Canada and the IIHF, where Costello played a pivotal role in the growth of both junior and women’s hockey internationally. He earned induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005 – the only builder inducted in a year that also enshrined Cam Neely and Valeri Kharlamov.

Costello’s career began with the 1953-54 Chicago Blackhawks, who signed him from a St. Michael’s Major team that featured many future professionals, including long-time NHL goalie and coach Ed Chadwick. Costello scored five points in 40 games during his rookie season, pushing the Blackhawks to trade him to the Boston Bruins. But Costello couldn’t find his groove in New England either, leading to a trade to the Detroit Red Wings in 1956 and a move away from the NHL entirely in 1957. He concluded his career with 32 points and 54 penalty minutes in 162 games.

Costello would go on to support some minor professional teams and junior hockey programs in Seattle. But he’d ultimately work his way back to Canada, assuming the role of president of Hockey Canada in 1979. The role brought major oversight of Canada’s national programs, which allowed Costello to form Canada’s first national U21 team in 1982 and set up the first IIHF Women’s World Championship in 1990. He also championed the merger of CAHA and Hockey Canada in 1994, bringing together amateur and junior hockey across Canada. Costello moved to a council role with the IIHF in 1998, where he stayed until his retirement in 2012.

The strides of junior and women’s hockey in the years since sit largely on Costello’s innovations. Fellow Hall-of-Famer Angela James emphasized that point to the CBC’s Emma Weller, saying, “You don’t always see who the people are that are advocating for your sport, but I know that Murray Costello was one of them.” James added that Murray’s support of the 1990 Women’s Worlds – where she joined Team Canada in winning an inaugural gold medal – was ample show of that support.

Costello’s career is marked by countless accolades, including additions into the IIHF Hall of Fame, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, and ’Order of Hockey in Canada’. It stands as a true legacy, built on a passion for expanding opportunity to the game. PHR sends our condolences to Costello’s family and friends.

Five Key Stories: 7/22/24 – 7/28/24

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We’re now in the arbitration period which resulted in several players inking deals to avoid going to a hearing.  Those contracts are included in our key stories from the past seven days.

Five For Luukkonen: Of the players who reached a contract before their arbitration hearings, all took a short-term deal except for one, Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.  Following a career year, the 25-year-old agreed to a five-year, $23.75MM contract with Buffalo.  The deal gives Buffalo an additional three seasons of club control and also contains a five-team no-trade list in those final three years, the only ones he was eligible for trade protection.  Luukkonen posted a 2.57 GAA with a .910 SV% in a career-best 54 games last season, showing the potential of a full-fledged starter.  If he can play at that level for this contract, it should be a team-friendly deal while allowing the Sabres to be patient in bringing Devon Levi along.

More Arbitration Moves: Several other players avoided arbitration this week.  First, Buffalo signed newly acquired winger Beck Malenstyn to a two-year, $2.7MM agreement.  The 26-year-old played his first full NHL campaign last season, notching 21 points and 241 hits in 81 games with Washington.  Toronto then reached an agreement on a one-year, $1.18MM deal with center Connor Dewar.  The Maple Leafs acquired the 25-year-old at the trade deadline from Minnesota; Dewar had a career-best 11 goals and 19 points last season.  The other player to settle before a hearing was Islanders winger Oliver Wahlstrom, who worked out a one-year, $1MM agreement although his future in New York remains in question following a tough year that saw him record just two goals and four assists in 32 games.  Meanwhile, one case went to a hearing with Nashville blueliner Spencer Stastney receiving a two-year, $1.675MM award; the agreement is two-way next season before converting to a one-way deal for 2025.  Stastney had four points in 20 games with the Predators last season.

Konecny Extension: The Flyers will have their leading scorer for the long haul as they worked out an eight-year, $70MM extension with winger Travis Konecny.  The deal begins in the 2025-26 season and runs through the 2032-33 campaign.  The 27-year-old averaged just over a point per game in 60 appearances in 2022-23 and then followed that up with new career highs in goals (33) and points (68) in 76 games last season, giving him some leverage entering negotiations.  While Philadelphia is still navigating its way through a rebuild, GM Daniel Briere determined that he wanted some core veterans to help lead them through it and Konecny will do just that with this contract as he comes off the 2025 UFA list.

Oilers Hire Bowman: After it was revealed following the playoffs that Ken Holland would not return as GM in Edmonton, CEO Jeff Jackson took the team through free agency but made it clear that he didn’t want the full-time GM job.  After a long search, the Oilers found Holland’s replacement, naming Stan Bowman as their new GM.  Bowman served as the GM in Chicago for a little more than a decade with the Blackhawks winning three Stanley Cup titles in his tenure.  He resigned in 2021 following an independent report that concluded Bowman had an “inadequate response upon being informed in 2010 of allegations that Blackhawks’ Player, Kyle Beach, had been assaulted by the Club’s video coach”.  At that time, he was ruled ineligible to work in the NHL but that eligibility was reinstated last month.

Busy Blue Jackets: It was a busy week in Columbus.  First, they hired Dean Evason as their new head coach, replacing Pascal Vincent who was let go last month.  It’s the second NHL head coaching stint for the 59-year-old who spent parts of five years in Minnesota with his teams playing to a .639 points percentage.  Next, they learned that winger Patrik Laine has been cleared to exit the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.  Laine entered the program in February while recovering from clavicle/shoulder surgery back in December and has made it known that he’d like a change of scenery.  GM Don Waddell indicated that teams were interested in speaking with Laine but that couldn’t happen until he exited the program.  Now that he has, trade discussions surrounding the 26-year-old could soon pick up.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets were also busy on the contract front.  They re-signed Kent Johnson to a three-year, $5.4MM contract following a rough season that saw him limited to 16 points in 42 games while also spending time in the minors.  However, only one year removed from a 40-point campaign, this deal could become a team-friendly one fairly quickly.  One day later, they avoided arbitration with Kirill Marchenko, agreeing on a three-year, $11.85MM contract.  The 24-year-old has eclipsed the 20-goal mark in his first two NHL seasons, earning him a nice raise off his entry-level deal.  Both players will be restricted free agents with arbitration rights in 2027.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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