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IIHF Withdraws 2023 World Championship From Russia

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The IIHF has imposed another sanction on the Russian Ice Hockey Federation, this time removing the 2023 World Championship from St. Petersburg. The event will be held at a different location, one that will be confirmed next month at the IIHF Annual Congress in Finland, during the final week of this year’s tournament.

In a press release, they explained:

The decision to relocate the event was taken primarily out of concern for the safety and well-being of all participating players, officials, media, and fans. As was the case with Council’s earlier decision to withdraw the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship that was to be held in Omsk and Novosibirsk, Russia, the Council expressed significant concerns over the safe freedom of movement of players and officials to, from, and within Russia.

The IIHF has now imposed several negative measures on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, including the removal of the Russian and Belarusian teams from several international tournaments altogether. The 2023 World Juniors had already been withdrawn from the country.

Originally scheduled for St. Petersberg from May 5-21, the 2023 event will now have a new home. As Gord Miller of TSN tweets, the city had built a new rink that was meant to be the “centerpiece” of the 2023 championship.

PHF Announces Reagan Carey As Next Commissioner

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The PHF will have a new commissioner moving forward, as Reagan Carey has been introduced as the replacement for the outgoing Tyler Tumminia. Carey will take over the position full-time on May 10. Tobin Kelly, who chaired the search committee, released the following statement:

The search committee had the opportunity to speak with many exceptional candidates who were considered for the role of PHF Commissioner over the course of this process. What stands out about Reagan Carey is not only her incredible depth of experience in the world of women’s hockey but the collaborative approach she brings to the position. In all of our many conversations, Reagan’s commitment to communication and her values that advocate for what is right and put players first, make her the perfect leader for the next phase of growth in the PHF. We are all excited about welcoming Reagan as she takes the lead in moving the PHF forward.

Carey, 43, has a long career in professional and amateur sports, including nearly a decade with USA Hockey as the general manager of the women’s program. She won gold medals at the U18 World Juniors, World Championship, and the Olympics, and has already worked with many of the athletes, coaches and staff members around the league.

The PHF has already introduced a huge increase in salary cap and benefits for next season, which will essentially begin on May 1 when unrestricted free agency opens for 2022-23.

Metropolitan Notes: Andersen, Snively, Rangers

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After the Hurricanes got some good news when it came to goaltender Antti Raanta today, it appears things may be looking up even more on the injury front in Carolina.  Sara Civian of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that goaltender Frederik Andersen should be good to go for the playoffs as well.  The 32-year-old suffered an undisclosed injury a week and a half ago with little information revealed from there.  While Civian notes that Andersen isn’t expected to dress for any of Carolina’s games this week, having both him and Raanta available for the postseason will certainly help their chances of a lengthy playoff run.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Capitals winger Joe Snively skated for the first time on Sunday after undergoing wrist surgery last month, relays Samantha Pell of the Washington Post. The 26-year-old did well in his first career NHL recall, picking up four goals and three assists before being injured in his 12th game at the end of February.  Nevertheless, Snively did well enough to earn a two-year, one-way extension which he inked last month.  It’s unlikely that Snively will be in Washington’s lineup to start the playoffs but if some injuries strike, he could be an option to suit up.
  • The Rangers have listed forwards Andrew Copp, Kaapo Kakko, and Filip Chytil as game-time decisions for their game on Tuesday against Carolina as they look to stay in the mix for the top spot in the division, notes Ethan Sears of the New York Post. Copp (lower body) and Chytil (undisclosed) were both injured on Thursday while Kakko has been out for a week and a half with a lower-body injury and received a week-to-week designation at the time.  Even if they don’t play on Tuesday, all three were full participants in practice which bodes well for their availability when the playoffs start next week.

Central Notes: DeBrincat, O’Brien, Spurgeon

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Blackhawks winger Alex DeBrincat will be eligible to sign a contract extension in July and indicated to reporters, including Ben Pope of the Chicago-Sun Times, that he’s open to having those discussions whenever the team is.  The 24-year-old has been one of the few bright spots for Chicago this season, notching 40 goals and 36 assists in 79 games.  DeBrincat will be owed a $9MM qualifying offer in the 2023 offseason so it stands to reason that any discussion of an early extension will have that number as a starting point.  Pope adds that DeBrincat isn’t expected to suit up at the World Championships next month with him and his wife expecting their first child.

Elsewhere in the Central:

  • Coyotes winger Liam O’Brien may be able to return to the lineup on Wednesday against Dallas, relays Jose M. Romero of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link). The 27-year-old has missed the last two months with an upper-body injury.  O’Brien has had a quiet year with three points and 106 penalty minutes in 37 games but was rewarded with a two-year contract extension last month, the first one-way deal of his career.
  • Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon left last night’s game early in the first period. While some were hoping he was being held out as a precautionary measure, head coach Dean Evason told reporters postgame, including Michael Russo of The Athletic (Twitter link), that the blueliner suffered an upper-body injury and will undergo testing to learn how much time he’ll miss.  The timing is hardly optimal for Minnesota as Spurgeon is one of their top defensemen (he leads their back end in points with 39 while sitting third in ATOI at just over 21 minutes a night) and their first-round series against St. Louis starting early next week.

Injury Notes: Nurse, Raanta, Blackhawks

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The Edmonton Oilers are still hoping that Darnell Nurse will be ready for game one of the playoffs, though that isn’t a guarantee. Jason Gregor of TSN tweets that Nurse will not play this week and the team won’t know until Friday if he’s going to be able to suit up to start their first-round series.

It is very likely that the Oilers will take on the Los Angeles Kings in the first round, and having their 25-minute-a-night defensive leader in the lineup would certainly be a positive. Edmonton has won just one playoff series since 2006, and certainly isn’t a heavy favorite at this point despite their strong second half. The team sits just two points ahead of Los Angeles, meaning home-ice advantage is still up for grabs this week as they take on the Pittsburgh Penguins (tomorrow), San Jose Sharks (Thursday, and Vancouver Canucks (Friday). If he isn’t playing again in the regular season, Nurse finishes with 35 points in 71 games.

  • Good news for the Carolina Hurricanes, who are crossing their fingers hoping for some health in goal as the playoffs arrive. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet tweets that Antti Raanta, who was pulled from last night’s game, should be ready to go tomorrow. It was apparently a “cramping issue” that Raanta was dealing with when the team was forced to put Pyotr Kochetkov into the net. With no clear timeline at this point for Frederik Andersen, Raanta is obviously of huge importance to the Hurricanes at the moment.
  • Though they were on the ice today (in non-contact jerseys), Kirby Dach and Connor Murphy are not expected to play again for the Chicago Blackhawks this season, according to Charlie Roumeliotis of NBCS Chicago. It’s a predictable end to a terribly disappointing season for Dach especially, who registered just nine goals and 26 points in 70 games. The third-overall pick from 2019 has scored just 19 times in his 152 regular season games so far.

Dryden McKay Signs With Toronto Marlies

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The interesting saga of Dryden McKay is heading to Toronto, as the free agent goaltender has signed a two-year AHL contract with the Toronto Marlies. Of note, McKay is currently serving a six-month sanction for breaking anti-doping rules by unknowingly ingesting a banned substance. He will be eligible to practice with a team in August and play in early October, meaning his professional career will not be significantly affected.

McKay, 24, is the reigning Hobey Baker winner after another outstanding college season, where he posted a .931 save percentage in 43 games for Minnesota State-Mankato. He led the group all the way to the national championship game (eventually losing to the University of Denver) and went 38-5 overall. Those kinds of numbers are nothing new for McKay, who posted a .932 save percentage and 113-20-4 record over 140 career appearances at the NCAA level, and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker in each of the previous two seasons.

It’s easy to see why he would choose Toronto. The Maple Leafs have had goaltending issues all season long after free agent signing Petr Mrazek never really got off the ground, and are facing the potential loss of Jack Campbell to unrestricted free agency in the summer. The team is currently using 25-year-old Erik Kallgren as the backup, who is signed through next season on a two-way deal, and also have the oft-injured Joseph Woll in the organization along with Mrazek. That doesn’t represent a ton of depth at the position, meaning McKay will have a clear path to playing time in the AHL if he shows his performance from college can carry over to the next level.

That’s by no means a certainty, though the Maple Leafs also have a strong development and support system to help him along the way. The organization has done exactly that for fellow college free agent Keith Petruzzelli, who decided to sign a similar minor league deal with Toronto last summer and has progressed nicely through the system. It appears as though the Maple Leafs are trying their hardest to add depth at the position in any way they can, including even trying to bring over KHL netminder Harri Sateri at the trade deadline; Sateri was eventually lost on waivers to the Arizona Coyotes.

This contract means he is not call-up eligible and will still need to sign an entry-level deal in order to play in the NHL.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Ovechkin, Senators

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The NHL has released its Three Stars for last week, with Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos leading the way. After racking up 13 points in four games Stamkos is now just three points away from cracking the 100-point mark for the first time in his career. Already with a career-high of 60 assists, Stamkos has changed his game dramatically over the last few seasons and reinvigorated a Hall of Fame-level career that had been held back by injuries.

Second and third went to Kevin Fiala and Jonathan Quick, two players that have been questioned at times over the last few years. Fiala, 25, has finally found a level of consistency that matches his talent, and with 11 points in four games last week now has 84 on the season. In fact, Fiala is on a ten-game point streak and is really establishing himself as one of the most dynamic offensive players in the entire league, something that certainly will complicate matters in the offseason when he hits restricted free agency for the final time. Quick meanwhile was left for dead a few years ago when injuries struck and his numbers fell off a cliff, but the 36-year-old has battled admirably for the Kings this season. With a .909 save percentage, he still lags behind some of the league’s elite netminders but just ask some of his previous Western Conference opponents about how dominant he can be in the postseason.

  • Alex Ovechkin has been listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury after leaving last night’s game for the Washington Capitals but was present on the ice and in full uniform at the team photo today. With the Capitals still trying to chase down the Pittsburgh Penguins for a better playoff position, losing Ovechkin over the last few games of the season will obviously be a big blow. But with their inclusion in the postseason secure, resting him through the next week may be the more prudent option. Ovechkin, who will turn 37 before the start of next season, has 50 goals and 90 points in 77 games this year.
  • The Ottawa Senators had an exciting reinforcement at practice today as Shane Pinto joined the group, but he won’t actually play before the end of the season. Pinto hasn’t played since November, and totaled just five games on the season. It was more bad news when head coach D.J. Smith took the podium after practice, announcing that Colin White and Connor Brown are both not expected to play again this season. Brown is dealing with nagging injuries and his inclusion in the upcoming World Championship will be up to him and how he feels in the coming weeks. Brown finishes the disappointing year with ten goals and 39 points in 64 games.

Detroit Red Wings Sign Turner Elson

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How about rewarding a strong performance at the minor league level with a taste of the NHL? The Detroit Red Wings have done just that, signing Turner Elson to a one-year contract for the remainder of the 2021-22 season. According to PuckPedia, Elson is expected to play in the final two games of the season for the Red Wings and will carry a pro-rated NHL salary of $750K.

Elson, 29, will be an unrestricted free agent again at the end of the year, but gets a few days of increased pay and another chance to play in the NHL. The long-time minor league forward played one game for the Calgary Flames in 2015-16 and has been a pillar of the Grand Rapids Griffins lineup for the past five years. This season, in 73 games, he has 21 goals and 45 points, both career highs.

An ECHL Kelly Cup champion, the undrafted Elson may very well have to settle for another AHL contract next season, though he has put together quite the career in the minor leagues. Over parts of 11 seasons, he has played in 469 AHL contests, scoring 95 goals and 210 points. Notably, signing this contract means he is no longer eligible to play for the Griffins this season, but they will not be making the playoffs as they sit last in the Central Division with a winning percentage of just .486.

Ryan Lomberg Suspended One Game

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The Department of Player Safety has handed down an automatic punishment, suspending Florida Panthers forward Ryan Lomberg one game for instigating a fight in the final five minutes of regulation. Head coach Andrew Brunette has also received a $10,000 fine.

When Lomberg confronted Erik Cernak in the final minutes of a 8-4 Tampa Bay Lightning win, he earned himself a standing ovation from the crowd in Florida, but will now have to miss a tune-up game before the playoffs. The bang-and-crash forward ended up with 27 minutes in penalties in what was a very physical game and will be held out against the Boston Bruins tomorrow night.

Brunette meanwhile earned himself a misconduct last night, as he was ejected from the match following the fight. The coach’s wallet will also be a little lighter, as he faces a fine that is actually a good bit higher than the usual DoPS player punishment, as negotiated by the CBA.

While it doesn’t really matter if Lomberg sits out a game, given the Panthers’ position at the top of the Atlantic Division, a suspension will be held against him in any further disciplinary decisions. The automatic nature of this one likely means it won’t have a big impact, though he may now have to watch his step a little bit or face more severe punishment.

AHL Shuffle: 04/25/22

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Just one week remains on the NHL schedule but today is largely quiet around the league. Only the Philadelphia Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks will do battle, in a game that doesn’t have any playoff implications. It could however affect the draft lottery odds, as Philadelphia could actually climb past the New Jersey Devils with a win, and pull even with the Blackhawks. As they prepare for tonight and other teams prepare for the last few games of the regular season, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling.

Atlantic Division

  • The Ottawa Senators continue their near-daily goaltending rotation, sending Kevin Mandolese back to the AHL and recalling Filip Gustavsson. The Belleville Senators clinched their playoff spot with a strong performance from Gustavsson yesterday, when he stopped 32 of 35 shots to take down the Toronto Marlies.

Metropolitan Division

Central Division

  • Dakota Joshua has been returned to the minor leagues by the St. Louis Blues, as the Springfield Thunderbirds get ready for a Calder Cup run. The AHL club sits at 41-24-9 this season and Joshua has been a big part of the forward depth, scoring 17 points in 33 games.
  • The Minnesota Wild have sent Joseph Cramarossa back to the minor leagues with Marcus Foligno expected to return to the lineup tomorrow night. Cramarossa, 29, recorded an assist in his season debut, after spending most of the year with the Iowa Wild.

Pacific Division

  • The Anaheim Ducks have recalled Hunter Drew, Buddy Robinson, and Trevor Carrick from the AHL, though they obviously won’t be up for long. The San Diego Gulls have made the playoffs, and will likely receive these players back after they provide a little depth for Anaheim during their final two games, both on the road this week.

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