Sale Of Arizona Coyotes Formally Approved By Board Of Governors
The sale of the Arizona Coyotes to Utah has been formally approved by the NHL’s Board of Governors, per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli (Twitter link). The vote received unanimous support from the board, shares The Athletic’s Chris Johnston (Twitter link). The NHL has promptly released their first statement on this transition (Web link).
This news brings a quiet end to the long-running saga surrounding the Coyotes search for a home in Arizona. The team has been pushing to build a new arena since their lease ended at Gila River Arena at the end of the 2021-22 season. They searched through many options, ultimately settling on building and sharing a small, 5,000-seat arena with Arizona State University’s hockey teams. The Coyotes played their first game at Mullett Arena in front of a sold-out crowd on October 28, 2022. They’ve since maxed out their attendance in nearly every game since, though the devotion from the fans wasn’t enough to will the team to a new rink. The ownership group, led by Alex Meruelo, ultimately couldn’t find a new parcel of land to build a full-size rink before their timer ran out. After a lot of back-and-forth between the Coyotes ownership and the NHL, it was ultimately decided that the Coyotes will relocate to Salt Lake City for the 2024-25 season.
The decision to relocate has come with a lot of contingencies for Meruelo and the Coyotes brand. Most notably, ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski shares that a return to Arizona wouldn’t require approval from the Board of Governors (Twitter link). Meruelo could instead get his team back quickly by building a full-size arena, with NHL Deputy Commissioner telling Wyshynski, “[Meruelo] has already been approved as an NHL owner.” The Coyotes will continue forward as an “inactive” franchise while Meruelo continues searching for a new home.
The disbandment of the Coyotes has been devastating to fans that have supported the impossible – hockey in the desert – for the past 28 years. Arizona only once averaged below 12,000 attendees prior to their move to Mullett – and it wasn’t by much, averaging 11,989 attendees in the 2009-10 season. But they rebounded well, even averaging 14,606 fans throughout the 2019-20 season. The devotion of Coyotes fans was never once in doubt – a passion made clear by the community’s rallying to support the Coyotes’ last home game on Wednesday, April 17th. Watch parties across Arizona came together to witness one more Coyotes win – a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers, the same score as their first game as a franchise. The emotions of the evening were captured beautifully by a five-minute sign-off from broadcaster Todd Walsh, who’s covered the team since their 1996 move (Twitter link).
Senators Notes: Stutzle, Pinto, Sanderson, Chabot
Ottawa Senators star Tim Stutzle was bearing through multiple injuries this season, per Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun (Twitter link). Garrioch reports that a wrist issue plagued much of Stutzle’s season, while a nagging shoulder injury is what’s ultimately held him out of the lineup. Stutzle missed Ottawa’s final seven games of the season, after playing in the previous 75. He told the media at locker clean-out that he, “hasn’t been feeling good for a year or something”, shares Claire Hanna of Sportscenter (Twitter link).
Stutzle ranked second on the Senators in scoring this year, totaling 18 goals and 70 points. While certainly a strong year, Stutzle’s scoring marked a big step down from the 39 goals and 90 points he recorded in 78 games last season. The persistent injuries are likely a big factor in that decreased scoring, though the Senators as a team also collected six fewer goals on the season compared to last year.
These lingering injuries will keep Stuzle from joining Team Germany at the World Championship this summer. Instead, he will focus on overcoming his lingering injuries this summer, as he prepares to once again rival the century-scoring mark.
Other notes from Ottawa’s cleanout day:
- Senators forward Shane Pinto says he’s hoping to join Team USA at the World Championship this summer, shares Garrioch (Twitter link). Pinto added that he’ll seek his own insurance for the event if he doesn’t have a new contract with Ottawa by June. Pinto will be joined by defenseman Jake Sanderson, who said he’s excited to play meaningful games and reunite with USA Hockey, per Hanna (Twitter link). Sanderson
- Meanwhile, defenseman Thomas Chabot shared he won’t be joining Team Canada due to lingering injuries, sharing that he’s not yet sure if he’ll need any surgeries, per Hanna (Twitter link). Chabot only managed 51 appearances this season, though he did score an impressive nine goals and 30 points. He’ll have the off-season to heal and look to return to continue leading Ottawa’s defense corps next season.
Jets Recall Brad Lambert, Three Others Ahead Of Season Finale
It seems the Winnipeg Jets are preparing for a relaxing end to the season, recalling four minor leaguers ahead of their season-finale tonight against the Vancouver Canucks (Twitter link). The transaction includes AHL All-Star forward Brad Lambert, as well as forwards Nikita Chibrikov and Parker Ford, and goaltender Collin Delia.
Each player is expected to slot into the lineup, with a long list of Jets taking the night off per TSN’s John Lu (Twitter link). Lu reports that Connor Hellebuyck, Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, Adam Lowry, Josh Morrissey, and Brenden Dillon will all sit out on Thursday. Of note, Delia is expected to back-up Laurent Brossoit.
This means that top prospect Lambert is poised to make his NHL debut, lining up next to Gabriel Vilardi and Alex Iafallo at the team’s Thursday practice. Lambert has been a highly acclaimed prospect for much of his life, notably taking his talents overseas at a young age to grow up in a Finnish youth hockey program, rather than staying in Canada. The plan worked out for him, resulting in 99 games in the Liiga, Finland’s top league, before Lambert returned to the WHL, where he led the Seattle Thunderbirds to the 2023 Memorial Cup Finals. Winnipeg drafted him 30th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft – taking advantage of concerns about his consistency pushing him down the draft board. That’s something the Jets are certainly laughing about now, as Lambert managed a team-leading 20 goals and 54 points in 63 AHL games this season – his rookie AHL season.
This move will also provide Ford and Chibrikov with their NHL debuts. Both AHL rookies have lived up to their acclaim this season, with Ford potting 17 goals and 29 points in 70 games and Chibrikov recording 17 goals and 46 points in 69 games. Chibrikov, who the Jets selected in the 2021 second-round, is in his first season in North America, after growing up through the Russian hockey ranks. Meanwhile, Ford is an undrafted free agent who signed with the Jets last Spring after three years at Providence College.
Afternoon Notes: Shattenkirk, Dobson, Kopitar, Sharpe
Boston Bruins defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk has been fined $2,734.38 for unsportsmanlike conduct in last night’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins (Twitter link). It is the maximum allowable fine under the collective bargaining agreement. Shattenkirk earned the fine when he reached over the bench and slashed Bunting on the wrist as he was skating by, after Bunting tripped Linus Ullmark. Shattenkirk wasn’t assessed a penalty during the game and went on to score Boston’s third goal in their eventual 6-4 victory.
This is just the second run-in Shattenkirk has had with the Department of Player Safety in his 950 career games, with his last punishment being a two-game suspension for charging Los Angeles Kings defenseman Kevin Gravel in March of 2017.
Shattenkirk has managed four points across his last five games, heating up at the perfect time. Boston will be glad he avoided suspension, as they chase the top spot in the Atlantic Division with two games left in the season.
Other notes from around the league:
- The New York Islanders may need to finish their season without top defender Noah Dobson, who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury per head coach Patrick Roy and Newsday’s Andrew Gross (Twitter link). Roy also shared that forward Kyle MacLean felt sick after practice, though he’s still expected to play tomorrow. The Islanders have two games remaining in their season, and could technically still lose their playoff spot – if they drop both games and both the Detroit Red Wings and Washington Capitals win-out. Robert Bortuzzo will step back into the lineup in Dobson’s absence.
- Los Angeles Kopitar captain Anze Kopitar missed the team’s practice once again, remaining day-to-day with an undisclosed injury that held him out of the team’s Saturday night win over the Anaheim Ducks, per Zach Dooley of LA Kings Insider (Twitter link). Dooley adds that the team doesn’t seem concerned about Kopitar’s availability. That’s certainly good news, with the future Hall of Famer certain to be a main factor in their postseason success, after posting 26 goals and 70 points in 79 games this season. The Kings opted to ice seven defensemen in Kopitar’s absence, returning Jacob Moverare to the lineup. They could continue that approach in their final two games of the season, though Arthur Kaliyev is their extra forward should they want to ice four full lines.
- The Toronto Marlies have signed defenseman Chas Sharpe to a two-year, minor-league contract set to begin in 2024-25 (Twitter link). Sharpe, 20, joins the team as an undrafted free-agent, having spent the last four seasons with the Mississauga Steelheads. He recorded 19 goals and 53 points in 67 games this season, and served as Mississauga’s captain.
Maple Leafs Sign Nicolas Mattinen To One-Year Contract
The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed defenseman Nicolas Mattinen to a one-year, two-way contract that’s set to begin in 2024-25 (Twitter link). The Leafs originally drafted Mattinen in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Draft, though they lost his rights in 2018 after not signing him.
Mattinen has since had a bit of a journeyman career. After four years in the OHL, he moved to USports in the 2019-20 season, playing at the University of Ottawa until 2022, though he lost one season to COVID-19 cancellations. He played eight AHL games with the Laval Rocket at the end of the 2021-22 season, recording three goals in eight games, though he opted to move overseas for the last two years – playing in both Austria and Germany. He’s been incredibly productive in the new setting, recording 16 goals and 46 points in 52 DEL games this season – a mark that led all DEL defensemen in scoring and earned Mattinen the DEL’s Player of the Year award.
Mattinen has now earned his way back into the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, inking a deal that makes him eligible for an NHL call-up, should he earn it. The Leafs have certainly shown no shyness towards their minor-league defenders this season, awarding each of Simon Benoit, Conor Timmins, Marshall Rifai, and Maxime Lajoie a chance at routine ice time. Benoit has proven the proudest of the bunch, with his stout defense and play along the boards earning him a daily lineup role. Mattinen will fight to join their ranks next season, playing in his first full year of North American pros.
Sharks Recall Daniil Gushchin, Jack Thompson, Georgi Romanov
The San Jose Sharks have recalled forward Daniil Gushchin, defenseman Jack Thompson, and goaltender Georgi Romanov for the final two games of the season (Twitter link). These moves come after San Jose officially clinched last place in the league yesterday, following a 5-2 loss to the Arizona Coyotes.
Both Gushchin and Thompson have played in NHL games this season, but this is the first call-up of Romanov’s career. The 24-year-old netminder is in his first North American season after spending the majority of the last two years with Gornyak-UGMK of the VHL, Russia’s second-tier league. He posted a .916 save percentage across 80 VHL games, performing well enough to earn an undrafted free-agent contract with San Jose last May. Romanov has since spent most of this season in the AHL, recording nine wins and a .904 save percentage in 29 games, though he’s also played in seven ECHL games. A start in the NHL would make him the second Sharks goalie this season to play in all three leagues, joining Magnus Chrona, who’s managed a .859 in nine NHL games.
The trio of Gushchin, Thompson, and Romanov could each be poised for strong ice time in San Jose’s final games, as the team gets a look at prospects on the fringe of the lineup. That could mean less ice time for the few 30-year-olds on the roster, including Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Jan Rutta, and Ryan Carpenter. Gushchin has appeared in four NHL games across the last two seasons, recording three points, while Thompson’s has only managed his NHL debut, playing with the Tampa Bay Lightning in January. Both players will be searching for their first NHL goal of the season.
Golden Knights Reassign Brendan Brisson
April 12: Brisson was returned to AHL Henderson on Friday with Stephenson rejoining the team for tonight’s match against the Wild. He logged 11:52 in Wednesday’s loss to the Oilers and put up zeros across the board.
April 9: The Vegas Golden Knights have recalled forward Brendan Brisson from the minor leagues. Brisson will serve as a fill-in option for Chandler Stephenson, who left the team’s trip to Edmonton for the expected birth of his child, per Sin Bin Vegas (Twitter link). Stephenson’s absence would qualify this recall for an emergency loan, preserving Vegas’ few remaining recalls this season.
This move marks Brisson’s eighth call-up of the season after he was sent down on Monday, giving Vegas the cap space needed to activate Tomas Hertl off of injured reserve. Brisson made his NHL debut on January 15th and has since totaled 14 games in the Vegas lineup, scoring two goals and eight points. He’s managed the production while serving in a third-line role, averaging just under 12-and-a-half minutes of ice time each game. And while he’s bounced between the major and minor leagues, the former first-round pick has most recently played in the NHL, recording an assist in Vegas’ Friday night loss to the Arizona Coyotes. The game was Brisson’s reward for recording eight points across his last eight AHL games, including three nights of two or more points. The scoring brought him up to 17 goals and 36 points in 50 AHL games – an impressive mark for the first-year pro.
Stephenson’s absence would likely open the door for Hertl to take on a full role in the offense, with Brisson slotting into the team’s bottom six. Hertl recorded an assist in his Vegas debut and will need to stay productive as the Golden Knights look to claw their way back into the top three of the Pacific Division.
Don Sweeney, Jim Nill To Manage Team Canada At 4 Nations
Team Canada has announced that Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney will serve as the team’s general manager for the upcoming 2025 4 Nations Face-Off. Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill has been named the associate general manager (Twitter link). They were chosen by Doug Armstrong, the management group lead for Canada’s National Men’s Team, with support from Ryan Getzlaf, Scott Salmond, Katherine Henderson, and Pat McLaughlin.
This will be Sweeney’s first time managing an international team – and his first time managing a team not called the Bruins. He’s been confined to the Boston organization since his managerial career began in 2006-07, serving as Boston’s GM for the last nine seasons. His only international experience to this point was 11 games at the 1997 IIHF World Championship, where Sweeney potted four points as Canada paved their way to a Gold Medal. He’s since added the 2011 Stanley Cup and the 2019 General Manager of the Year award to his trophy cabinet, on top of leading some of the most impressive regular season performances the NHL has ever seen.
Sweeney will be flanked by Nill, who has plenty of international experience under his belt. Nill served as Canada’s GM at the 2004 and 2015 World Championships, winning a Gold Medal both times. He also garnered plenty of experience as a player – joining Canada at the 1980 Winter Olympics, the site of America’s prolific Miracle on Ice. That experience could light a fire under Nill, who is bound to face tough competition from the United States at 4 Nations.
The duo of Sweeney and Nill not only connects two of the top GMs in the NHL, it marks the first big step from Armstrong and his new management group for the Canadian National Men’s Team. They will look to takeaway all of the learning lessons that they can, with the 2026 Winter Olympics rapidly approaching.
Panthers Sign Oliver Okuliar, Wilmer Skoog To One-Year Deals
The Florida Panthers have signed Czech centerman Oliver Okuliar to a one-year, one-way, entry-level contract (Web link). They have also signed Boston University winger Wilmer Skoog to a one-year, two-way contract (Web link). Both deals are set to begin next season.
Okuliar, 23, has spent the last four seasons journeying around European pro leagues, playing in the Tipsport Extraliga, Liiga, and Czechia Extraliga. He’s proven very productive despite the moves, recording 24 goals and 45 points in 52 Czechia Extraliga games this season, adding two assists in eight playoff games. His scoring ranked second among all U24 skaters in Czechia, behind Jakub Rychlovsky, who tallied one more point in one fewer appearance.
Okuliar will now move to North American pros, after going undrafted in the 2019, 2020, and 2021 NHL Drafts. He’s a flashy winger, showing great puck control and a strong ability to work in tight spaces and keep play alive. The Panthers certainly seem convinced by his play, awarding him a one-way contract that could earn him NHL starts next season. The deal closely mirrors Florida’s signing of Latvian defenseman Uvis Balinskis last summer – and Balinskis has certainly received plenty of opportunity, playing in 24 NHL games and 37 AHL games this season. Florida has a knack for awarding strong European play with a chance at the NHL, and it seems Okuliar is their latest test subject.
Meanwhile, Skoog stands out for more than just his distinct name. He’s a grizzled forward that knows how to fight for space in front of the net – made evident by his 19 goals and 27 points in 44 AHL games this season. Skoog also has plenty of flash, pulling off the Michigan goal (or Lacrosse goal) four different times at Boston University. While he likely has a longer path to the NHL lineup than the pro-proven Okuliar, Skoog’s tenacity has already earned him a promotion – signing his first NHL deal after spending his rookie professional season on an AHL contract.
Pacific Notes: Coleman, Honzek, Lipinski, McDavid, Carrick
The Calgary Flames will be without forward Blake Coleman, who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury, per Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg (Twitter link). Coleman suffered the injury on a hard hit from San Jose Sharks defenseman Kyle Burroughs, though he finished out the game.
Coleman has found a new layer to his game on the struggling Flames roster, posting an impressive 29 goals, 23 assists, and 52 points in 77 games. Each of those represents a career-high for the 32-year-old, who hasn’t topped even 40 points in any of his seven seasons up to this point. He and winger Yegor Sharangovich—who’s posted 30 goals of his own—have been pivotal to the Flames this season, setting the pace for the team’s limited offense.
The Flames are well outside of a playoff spot, removing some of the stress of finding a fill-in for Coleman. Kevin Rooney is expected to slot into the lineup for the short term. Calgary has five games left in its season.
One player who won’t be filling in is 2023 first-round pick Samuel Hoznek, who is in Calgary after the end of his WHL season, though he’s nursing an injury that could hold him out, per Ryan Pike of Flames Nation (Twitter link). Calgary signed Honzek last summer, loaning him to the WHL’s Vancouver Giants for the season. He returns to the Calgary organization alongside WHL teammate Jaden Lipinski, who has signed an amateur try-out contract with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers. Honzek will also close out the season with the Wranglers once he’s cleared to play.
Elsewhere in the Pacific:
- The Edmonton Oilers haven’t received any positive news about superstar Connor McDavid, who remains day-to-day and questionable for the team’s next game, per TSN’s Ryan Rishaug (Twitter link). McDavid will be poised to miss his second game with a lower-body injury. He’s been filled in for by Dylan Holloway, who was recalled ahead of the team’s Wednesday matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights. Holloway scored his first NHL goal since February 13th in the spot start.
- The Oilers will also be without forward Sam Carrick, who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury suffered during the team’s Wednesday night matchup, per NHL Network’s Tom Gazzola (Twitter link). Carrick, who moved to Edmonton alongside Adam Henrique at the Trade Deadline, has recorded four points and 12 penalty minutes in his first 12 games with the Oilers. He’ll likely be replaced by Connor Brown.