Evening Notes: Team Canada, Crosby, Ortmeyer
In a surprising announcement, Hockey Canada shared that it will not be participating in the 2026 Spengler Cup. The 2026 rendition of the tournament will be the first time since 1983 that Canada has not sent a team to the tournament.
Included in the announcement was a statement from Hockey Canada, saying, “Hockey Canada and the Spengler Cup organizing committee have announced that Canada’s National Men’s Team will not participate in the 2026 Spengler Cup. Hockey Canada’s long-term agreement expired following the 2025 Spengler Cup, and a new agreement to include Team Canada in the 2026 event could not be reached in time.”
There is no word on exactly why an agreement couldn’t be reached between the two sides, but the outcome remains the same. Typically carrying a roster full of AHL talent, Team Canada had been dominant in the tournament for the last three decades, winning 13 Spengler Cups since 1992 and appearing in 20 championship contests.
Additional evening notes:
- Eligible for a contract extension this summer, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby was fairly non-committal on a new deal when asked today. According to Seth Rorabaugh of the Tribune-Review, Crosby stated that he is taking a “wait and see” approach regarding a new deal and has not given it much thought. In the midst of their rebuild, Crosby signed a new extension with the Penguins after being followed by extensive trade rumors. At this point, it doesn’t appear there’s much possibility of “The Kid” playing for a new team, and he will continue his career in Pittsburgh as long as he wants.
- According to Vince Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic, the New York Rangers will not be retaining Jed Ortmeyer this offseason. Ortmeyer, 47, has been the Rangers’ Director of Player Development since the 2017-18 campaign. It’s a relatively obvious change as New York embarks on a retool, as the team has had a notoriously difficult time drafting and developing talent over the last several years.
Kings Notes: Smith, Fiala, Wright
Los Angeles Kings General Manager Ken Holland was relatively noncommittal when asked about the team’s head coaching position. According to Eric Stephens of The Athletic, Holland shared that D.J. Smith is already considered a candidate. Still, the Kings will also talk to other possibilities over the next few weeks.
Smith was named the Kings’ interim head coach on March 1st, after the team fired Jim Hiller. Although it can’t all be attributed to the head coach, Los Angeles found the spark to get into the playoffs. One of the biggest issues that the Kings faced under Hiller was the offense. This season, in 59 games under Hiller, Los Angeles averaged 2.6 goals per game, and 3.1 goals per game under Smith. Even with the improvement, over a full season, that would have been the 16th-best offense in the NHL.
Former NHL player Manny Malhotra has been mentioned as a potential candidate for the Kings’ head coaching position by some sources. However, considering that his current team, the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks, finished last in scoring this season, it seems unlikely that the Kings would consider him for a lateral move. For an increase in offense, Los Angeles may consider Peter Laviolette, who is known for his aggressive approach to offensive schematics.
Additional Kings notes:
- Still recovering from multiple fractures during his time with Team Switzerland at the Winter Olympics, Zach Dooley of the Kings shared that forward Kevin Fiala is progressing well in his rehabilitation. He is not only progressing well but also exceeding expectations, as Dooley indicated that Fiala could have been an option in Round Two of the playoffs. The leg fractures Fiala suffered typically take three to six months to fully recover, meaning he would have returned exceptionally quickly, potentially beating the shorter end of the expectation.
- According to Alexander Legget of Mayors Manor, Holland is expecting depth forward Jared Wright to have a full-time role with Los Angeles next season. Wright, 23, is a former sixth-round pick of the Kings, and debuted with the club this season. He should perform relatively well in a bottom-six role with Los Angeles as he registered four assists in 23 games at the NHL level, and 30 points in 54 games with the AHL’s Ontario Reign.
Maple Leafs Denied Permission To Interview Julien BriseBois
Although the reported group of final candidates doesn’t strike much inspiration, it’s now safe to say the Toronto Maple Leafs attempted to go big-game hunting for their GM vacancy. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Maple Leafs requested to interview Tampa Bay Lightning General Manager Julien BriseBois, but were quickly denied.
Frankly, it’s not surprising at all that Toronto was denied permission to interview BriseBois. As Friedman put it, “I don’t think anyone is shocked to hear that the Lightning would say no. I do think they asked permission to speak to him and were rejected.”
BriseBois, 49, has been the front office leader for the Lightning since the 2018-19 season, after Steve Yzerman stepped down from the role. Inarguably, three of the most important players on the team were drafted by Yzerman: Nikita Kucherov, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Brayden Point. Still, that’s not to say that BriseBois has only been coasting off Yzerman’s success. He was the one who acquired Brandon Hagel, Jake Guentzel, and J.J. Moser, among others.
Regardless of which General Manager ultimately had the bigger hand in the team’s success, BriseBois was the General Manager of the team during their back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021. Because of that, he’s one of the most successful General Managers in the NHL, rivaled only by Bill Zito of the Florida Panthers. Given his track record, there’s no questioning why the Maple Leafs would be interested in bringing him on board.
Now, since they were rejected by the Lightning and potentially rejected by additional teams to speak with their front office leaders, the Maple Leafs appear headed for a split role. Reports suggest that Toronto is actively pursuing John Chayka and franchise legend Mats Sundin for higher management roles. Instead of having one man to lead the pack, the Maple Leafs may opt for a combined effort.
Evening Notes: Doan, Pascall, Kostin
Last week, reports emerged that the Toronto Maple Leafs had granted permission to the Vancouver Canucks to interview Shane Doan for an unknown role. However, even if a deal between Doan and the Canucks doesn’t come to fruition, he may leave Toronto anyway.
John Chayka, the former General Manager of the Arizona Coyotes, is widely considered to be one of the finalists for the Maple Leafs’ GM vacancy. On yesterday’s edition of DFO Rundown, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period shared that if Toronto hires Chayka as the organization’s next General Manager, Doan has little interest in staying around.
Much of the turmoil between the two likely stems from Doan’s exit from the Coyotes after the 2016-17 season. It was Chayka’s first as Arizona’s General Manager, and the team abruptly decided to let him leave via free agency, although Doan would ultimately retire. Though there were certainly arguments from an on-ice perspective that the Coyotes had little use for a soon-to-be 41-year-old forward who was struggling to produce, it was the cause of consternation for many fans who felt the franchise’s greatest player had been given the cold shoulder to end his professional career.
Additional evening notes:
- While the Maple Leafs may be nearing the conclusion of their GM search, the Canucks are not. Still in the interview process with several candidates, another has joined the fray today, as TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Vancouver has interviewed Brad Pascall, the Assistant General Manager of the Calgary Flames. If the Canucks were to offer him the position, it would be a major milestone in Pascall’s career, since he’s been the Flames’ Assistant General Manager since the 2014-15 season and has never worked for another NHL organization.
- A former up-and-coming prospect with the St. Louis Blues is staying in the KHL for a few more seasons. According to William Espy of The Hockey News, forward Klim Kostin has signed a three-year extension with the KHL’s CSKA Moskva. It’s somewhat surprising, given Kostin’s return performance in the KHL this season, scoring two goals and five points in 31 games between CSKA and Avangard Omsk.
Team Canada Notes: Donskov, Carbery, McKenna
As expected, Hockey Canada is making a change behind the bench for their international teams. According to an announcement from the organization, Hockey Canada has named Misha Donskov as head coach for Team Canada at the IIHF World Championship this summer and the IIHF World Junior Championship next winter.
Donskov, 49, was rumored to be a favorite for the role for some time. Although he has never held a head coaching position in an official capacity throughout his professional career, he has been involved in the game for some time. His career began ahead of the 2001-02 season, when he joined the Columbus Blue Jackets as a team consultant. Donskov enjoyed the same role with the now-relocated Atlanta Thrashers from 2004-05 to 2008-09.
He spent some time in the OHL and with various Team Canada clubs, primarily working as a video coach. He returned to the NHL in 2016-17, being named Director of Hockey Operations for the Vegas Golden Knights, and became one of the team’s assistant coaches ahead of the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs. He had his name engraved on the Stanley Cup in 2023 as a coach of the Golden Knights.
Since then, Donskov enjoyed a two-year stint as an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars before fully transitioning to the international stage this season. He was an associate coach on Dave Cameron‘s staff at the World Junior Championships this season, earning a bronze medal.
Additional international notes:
- Although it won’t be at the World Junior Championships, Donskov will have another successful coach joining him this summer in Switzerland. According to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, Spencer Carbery, head coach of the Washington Capitals, will serve as an assistant coach under Donskov for the international tournament. Unlike Donskov, this will be Carbery’s first time serving internationally with Team Canada, despite being only one year removed from winning the Jack Adams Award.
- Team Canada has made another addition to their World Championship club, though this time it’ll be on the ice rather than the bench. Mike Morreale of the NHL announced that top prospect Gavin McKenna will join Team Canada for the 2026 NHL Draft international contest. McKenna, 18, remains the consensus top choice in the upcoming draft on most boards after scoring 15 goals and 51 points in 35 games for the NCAA’s Penn State University Nittany Lions this season.
Blues’ Dylan Holloway Wants Long-Term Deal
Two summers ago, the St. Louis Blues sent waves through the hockey world by poaching defenseman Philip Broberg and forward Dylan Holloway from the Edmonton Oilers via offer sheets. Both players have performed exceptionally well with the Blues so far, but only one has signed a long-term contract with the organization.
Holloway will have that opportunity this summer. On July 1st, Holloway’s two-year, $4.58MM contract, the offer sheet that pried him away from Alberta, will expire. Holloway will be eligible for arbitration and is owed a qualifying offer of $2.29MM, which St. Louis is expected to tender.
In a new update from the Blues, the team quoted Holloway, saying, “It was kind of wild two years ago. But obviously I’m very thankful to be a Blue and I want to be a Blue for a long time.” There will obviously be mutual interest from St. Louis to retain Holloway, but they may not have much appetite for a lengthy commitment just yet.
Holloway was exceptional during his first year with the club, scoring 26 goals and 63 points in 77 games with a +21 rating, averaging 16:49 of ice time. Additionally, he finished fifth on the team in hits and was behind only Jordan Kyrou for the best possession metrics among Blues’ forwards.
Unfortunately, Holloway hit a wall this season, particularly due to a right ankle injury that began in mid-December. His point-per-game production remained strong, but Holloway only finished with 59 games played on the season. If there are concerns that Holloway might be affected by injuries for several years, the Blues will likely hesitate on a long-term deal this summer.
Back in October, before Holloway’s injury, Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic theorized on what an extension for Holloway may look like. Being spot on for his $8MM salary call on Broberg, Rutherford believes it will be around the same for Holloway, indicating that it will likely fall between $7MM and $9MM per year on a long-term pact.
Still, if Holloway was being truthful in his comments, and not just paying lip service, he shouldn’t mind another two-year bridge deal with St. Louis. He doesn’t become eligible for unrestricted free agency until after the 2028-29 season, and even if the Blues are willing to commit long-term this summer, it won’t be for top dollar after he missed nearly 30% of the season.
Regardless, outside of decisions on who to keep and who to trade, Holloway is the only important contract the Blues will have to wrestle with this summer. The club will have to decide whether or not to tender a contract to waiver-claim Jonatan Berggren, but it likely won’t take too much time deciding on the future for the other pending free agents, such as Justin Holl, Oskar Sundqvist, and Matthew Kessel.
Golden Knights Reassign Braeden Bowman, Trevor Connelly
The Vegas Golden Knights are giving their AHL affiliate some reinforcements for the Calder Cup playoffs. According to a team announcement, the Golden Knights have reassigned forwards Braeden Bowman and Trevor Connelly to the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights.
Never believed to be a top prospect in Vegas’ pipeline, Bowman joined the organization ahead of last season as an OHL free agent. He performed quite well during his rookie season, scoring 14 goals and accumulating 36 points in 68 games with a -5 rating, while exclusively playing with AHL Henderson.
After a tremendous start with the Silver Knights and due to some injury concerns at the NHL level, Bowman was able to debut with the Golden Knights this season. He spent much of the year in Vegas, scoring eight goals and 26 points in 54 games with a -16 rating.
Although his production was well above-average for a young undrafted free agent, it’s important to remember that Bowman was relatively sheltered throughout his rookie campaign. Much of his time with Vegas was spent on a line with Jack Eichel, and he began more than 60% of his shifts in the offensive zone.
Meanwhile, unlike Bowman, Connelly is a very recognizable prospect in the Golden Knights system. Being the only first-round pick that the team has retained (up to this point), Connelly is arguably the top prospect in the Golden Knights organization by a country mile.
The 20-year-old spent the entire season with AHL Henderson and was only recently recalled to serve as injury depth for the postseason. Connelly had a more than respectable rookie season, scoring 14 goals and 49 points in 46 games with a +2 rating.
Both Bowman and Connelly have played for the Silver Knights so far this postseason, playing integral roles in their series sweep over the San Jose Barracuda. Since they weren’t being used in the Stanley Cup playoffs, the pair of forwards will now help AHL Henderson take on the Colorado Eagles in the Division Semifinal.
Kings’ Quinton Byfield Suffered Two Oblique Tears
As occurs each year, after teams are eliminated from the postseason, players start to disclose the injuries they were managing during the final stretch of the regular season and the playoffs. According to Zach Dooley of the Los Angeles Kings, Kings forward Quinton Byfield tore his right oblique just after the Olympic break, and tore his left oblique after the other healed.
Fortunately, it doesn’t appear that Byfield will need surgery to repair either muscle. He’ll take the first few weeks of the offseason to rest and recover before beginning his summer training.
Although it should never be a formal expectation that a player should perform through injuries, it is typically how most hockey players operate, especially at this time of year. Typically, you can tell if a player is playing through something, as they typically aren’t as good as they usually are. However, in Byfield’s case, you’d never know he was dealing with anything.
The former second overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft was arguably playing the best hockey of his NHL career after the league returned from the Olympics. Finishing out the regular season, Byfield scored 13 goals and 19 points in 24 games with a +4 rating, averaging over 20 minutes of ice time per game. Additionally, he performed well in the faceoff dot, winning 53.3% of draws over that stretch.
Byfield will want to build on that success entering next season. Unless Los Angeles makes a significant splash, Byfield should assume the center role on the Kings’ first line, replacing Anze Kopitar after his retirement. Over the last three years, Byfield has averaged between 50 and 55 points a season, though the Kings will need much more offense than that. If he can continue the same pace he had after the Olympic break, Los Angeles would be far more comfortable having a 65-70 point center leading the pack.
Marcus Hogberg Signs With SHL’s Linköping HC
Netminder Marcus Högberg is leaving professional hockey in North America for the second time in his career. According to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, Högberg has signed a three-year deal with the SHL’s Linköping HC.
His first stint in North America began in the mid-2010s. Högberg was selected by the Ottawa Senators with the 78th overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft. It took him several years to make the jump, waiting until the 2017-18 season to join the AHL’s Belleville Senators on a full-time basis.
He played relatively well, topping out in the 2018-19 campaign when he earned a 21-11-10 record in 39 games with a .917 SV% and 2.32 GAA. That performance afforded him an extended look in the NHL as Ottawa’s backup goalie during the 2019-20 season, registering a 5-8-8 record in 21 starts with a .904 SV% and 3.12 GAA.
Unfortunately, that was essentially the end of his tenure with the Senators. After a disastrous year in the 2020-21 season, Högberg left Ottawa as a free agent, joining Linköping HC.
After spending three years in Sweden, Högberg activated his NHL opt-out clause and signed a two-year contract with the New York Islanders. Due to Semyon Varlamov‘s injury last season, Högberg earned an extended look with the Islanders, backing up Ilya Sorokin, finishing with a 2-6-3 record in 15 games with a .878 SV% and 3.38 GAA.
New York pursued superior options last summer, landing David Rittich on a one-year deal, which pushed Högberg to the third-string role. He almost exclusively played for the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders, managing a 12-13-10 record in 31 games with a .890 SV% and 2.92 GAA.
Being that this will be his third stint with Linköping HC, Högberg is clearly comfortable with the SHL organization. Throughout his professional career in Sweden, Högberg has a 110-102-0 record in 219 games with a .915 SV% and 2.40 GAA, including 20 shutouts.
Latest On Maple Leafs GM Search
April 29th: According to Nick Alberga of Leafs Morning Take, a third candidate has made it to the final stages of the Maple Leafs GM search. Michael Futa, currently serving as a special assistant to the General Manager with the Carolina Hurricanes, has joined White and Chayka as a finalist for the role. Futa spent many years with the Los Angeles Kings organization as the team’s Director of Amateur Scouting, Vice President of Hockey Operations, and Assistant General Manager.
April 24th: In a new update from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on his 32 Thoughts podcast, the Toronto Maple Leafs are likely down to their final two candidates for their open General Manager position. Still, Friedman doesn’t expect anything to be announced soon as the Maple Leafs continue to do their due diligence on each candidate, who couldn’t be more different.
One of the candidates is Scott White, Assistant General Manager of the Dallas Stars, as reported a few days ago. White was hired by the Stars organization after the 2005 lockout, working his way up from their AHL affiliate to the AGM position in 2016. In his developmental philosophy, White typically values players of high character, often providing prospects and draft options with numerous character assessments.
That’s not to say he doesn’t value talent, but he is keenly aware of what a bad locker room can create, even with the necessary talent to win. Unsurprisingly, the Maple Leafs are interested in allowing that philosophy to dictate the future of the organization. Toronto has undeniable talent, but the team has struggled to mesh well in recent years. White would be an interesting candidate to come in and make some blunt changes to reshuffle the team’s chemistry.
Meanwhile, Friedman shared that John Chayka, former General Manager of the Arizona Coyotes, is the other finalist, and likely the favorite. Chayka has not worked in the NHL since he left the Coyotes organization in 2020, as he’s largely focused on his company, Compass Restaurant Group, along with his wife.
Additionally, it was unlikely he would find another General Manager role before that due to some controversy surrounding him toward the end of his time in Arizona. Chayka was suspended from the NHL by Commissioner Gary Bettman for pursuing opportunities with other clubs while under contract with the Coyotes. Additionally, the Coyotes were forced to forfeit a second-round pick in 2020 and a first-round pick in 2021 for hosting a private scouting combine for draft-eligible prospects under Chayka.
Still, Chayka has what the Maple Leafs want. He has a shrewd analytical mind, similar to Eric Tulsky of the Carolina Hurricanes and Sunny Mehta of the New Jersey Devils. Like White, Chayka would likely implement changes to enhance the team’s talent; however, concerns about the locker room atmosphere may persist.
Friedman pointed out that although the team has narrowed its choices down to two finalists, neither White nor Chayka has advanced to the second round of negotiations, which involves meeting with the Maple Leafs’ ownership group. The first candidate to reach this stage is likely to be named the team’s next General Manager in a few weeks.