Pittsburgh Penguins Extend Chad Ruhwedel
The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed Chad Ruhwedel to a one-year extension, keeping him under contract through the 2021-22 season. Ruhwedel’s current deal carries a cap hit of just $700K for next season, but the new extension will pay him the increased minimum of $750K. Penguins GM Jim Rutherford released a statement on the signing:
Chad is a reliable, depth defenseman who is a great teammate. He keeps himself in great shape and is always game-ready, which is important for a player in his role and the success of our team.
Ruhwedel, 30, has been in-and-out of the Penguins lineup for the last four seasons, acting as the seventh defenseman in most cases. He played 41 games in 2019-20, recording six points and averaging just under 15 minutes a game. Through 170 career NHL games, the undrafted college signing has 25 points.
More important than his regular season success though, and hinted at by Rutherford in his release, is how Ruhwedel has stepped into the lineup for the Penguins at important times. He played six games in the Penguins 2017 playoff run that ultimately ended in a Stanley Cup, and 12 the year after. That reliability is exactly what you want out of a seventh defenseman and is something that Rutherford and the Penguins coaching staff has come to expect.
He will now be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2022.
Minor Transactions: 08/28/20
Minor, junior and European leagues continue to prepare for the 2020-21 season with signings, trades and loans. As always, we’ll keep track of the notable transactions right here:
- It’s been years since Rob Schremp was a notable NHL name, but that doesn’t mean he’s out of the hockey world just yet. The Edmonton Oilers 2004 first-round pick has resurfaced with HK Mogo in Latvia, signing a one-year deal with the club. Schremp last played an NHL game during the 2010-11 season with the Atlanta Thrashers and has since spent time in the AHL, SHL, KHL, EBEL, NLA, DEL and Belarussian league, traveling the world playing hockey.
- Andrew O’Brien, who was a fourth-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in 2012 will be playing another year overseas, this time signing with Dinamo Riga of the KHL for the 2020-21 season. O’Brien played several years in the AHL before heading to Norway last year and dominating, scoring 45 points in 41 games. Perhaps more notable than his scoring totals though were O’Brien’s penalty minutes, which totaled 309 to more than double the second-place offender.
- Griffen Outhouse, who spent part of last season with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL, has decided to give up his professional career for now and return to school. Outhouse will join the University of New Brunswick on the Canadian college circuit, an eight-time national championship program. The 22-year old goaltender posted an .882 save percentage for the Moose in five appearances.
New York Islanders Loan Simon Holmstrom To Vita Hasten HC
The New York Islanders are still churning along towards the Stanley Cup, but the front office still has to make preparations for next season. With that in mind, the team has loaned prospect Simon Holmstrom to Vita Hasten HC of the Swedish second league. The team does not specifically state whether Holmstrom will be back for the 2020-21 season in North America, whenever that begins.
Selected 23rd overall in 2019, Holmstrom is part of a prospect pipeline in New York that is still quite well stocked. Even as a teenager this season he was part of a Bridgeport Sound Tigers team that also included Kieffer Bellows and Oliver Wahlstrom, two other first-rounders that are still waiting for their real big break in the NHL. Though he didn’t by any means dominate the minor league, Holmstrom did record 15 points in 46 games as one of the youngest players in the entire AHL.
There is an obvious “wow” factor when you watch Holmstrom, especially when pitted against players his own age. His puck skills and acceleration are excellent and though he wasn’t able to use that offensive upside on a routine basis in the AHL, you can bet he’ll find success playing in the Allsvenskan to start the year.
Holmstrom’s contract will slide this season and can again next year should he fail to play in ten NHL games. That would mean his entry-level deal, signed in 2019, could end up stretching all the way to 2024.
Chris Wilkie Signs In AHL
Another one of the players who saw their exclusive draft rights expire earlier this month has found a new home, as Chris Wilkie signs a one-year AHL contract with the Rockford IceHogs. Wilkie was a draft pick of the Florida Panthers in 2015 but was actually acquired by the Ottawa Senators last October. Unfortunately, the Senators weren’t able to sign him before the August deadline, meaning Wilkie became an unrestricted free agent able to sign with whatever organization he chose.
A sixth-round pick of the Panthers, he was actually the player sent to Ottawa for Jack Rodewald who was subsequently involved in the Brendan Leipsic Instagram messaging scandal, actions condemned by the NHL and the Florida organization. Rodewald will become a Group VI unrestricted free agent this fall, but it doesn’t appear as though the Panthers gave up much of an opportunity anyway when they moved on from Wilkie.
The 24-year old forward actually had an outstanding goal-scoring campaign for Colorado College in 2019-20, scoring 23 times in just 34 games. That dwarfed his previous NCAA high of six goals and earned him some national recognition.
Still, Wilkie will have to start in the minor leagues and continue to work his way up the chain if he dreams of ever playing in the NHL. His AHL contract will not allow the Chicago Blackhawks to recall him, but perhaps he can show enough this season to earn himself an entry-level deal down the road.
Filip Hronek Loaned To Mountfield HK
The Detroit Red Wings continue to send their young players overseas to begin the season, this time loaning Filip Hronek to Mountfield HK in the Czech Republic. Hronek still has one year remaining on his entry-level contract and will almost certainly be back for the start of NHL training camp (though the release does not specifically state that).
Selected 53rd overall in 2016, Hronek has been one of the bright spots for the Red Wings in the last few seasons. His development from a second-round afterthought to full-time NHL puck-mover has been almost seamless, with plenty of success along the way. Now 22, he’s coming off his first full season in the NHL and a career-high 31 points in 65 games. While he came with a close to league-leading -38, that has a lot more to do with logging 24 minutes a night for a historically bad team than it does about Hronek’s ability at this level.
Moving forward there is no doubt that Hronek figures strongly into the Red Wings plans as a pillar on the back end, but given his offensive ability, the team would be wise to bring in other names that could take some of the defensive pressure off the youngster.
For now, he’ll be getting some time overseas to continue his development while he waits for hockey to resume on North American ice.
NHL Announces Updated Second-Round Schedule
The NHL has released the updated second-round schedule, following the postponement of games on Thursday and Friday. Things will kick off once again on Saturday with a tripleheader, beginning with the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning at 11am CT. The rest of the rescheduled games will follow.
The full schedule:
All times central
Philadelphia vs New York
Game 3 – Sat Aug 29, 6pm
Game 4 – Sun Aug 30, 7pm
Game 5 – Tue Sep 1, 6pm
Game 6 – Thu Sep 3, TBD*
Game 7 – Sat Sep 5, TBD*
Tampa Bay vs Boston
Game 4 – Sat Aug 29, 11am
Game 5 – Mon Aug 31, 6pm
Game 6 – Wed Sep 2, TBD*
Game 7 – Thu Sep 3, TBD*
Vegas vs Vancouver
Game 3 – Sat Aug 29, 8:45pm
Game 4 – Sun Aug 30, 9:30pm
Game 5 – Tue Sep 1, 8:45pm
Game 6 – Thu Sep 3, TBD*
Game 7 – Fri Sep 4, TBD*
Colorado vs Dallas
Game 4 – Sun Aug 30, 5pm
Game 5 – Mon Aug 31, 8:45pm
Game 6 – Wed Sep 2, TBD*
Game 7 – Fri Sep 4, TBD*
*If necessary
NHL, NHLPA Postpone Four Games
NHL players on all eight playoff teams have decided not to play tonight or tomorrow, forcing the NHL to postpone each of the four scheduled games. The decision was made following yesterday’s boycott by several other professional sports. The league and NHLPA released a joint statement:
Black and Brown communities continue to face real, painful experiences. The NHL and NHLPA recognize that much work remains to be done before we can play an appropriate role in a discussion centered on diversity, inclusion and social justice.
We understand that the tragedies involving Jacob Blake, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others require us to recognize this moment. We pledge to work to use our sport to influence positive change in society.
The NHLPA and NHL are committed to working to foster more inclusive and welcoming environments within our arenas, offices and beyond.
According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, over 100 players had a call this afternoon to discuss the issues with Evander Kane and Matt Dumba, two members of the Hockey Diversity Alliance, following the group’s request earlier today for the league to postpone games. Many of those involved made sure to point out on social media that this was a decision the players made, not the league. Larry Brooks of the New York Post has been told it was the Vancouver Canucks in particular who were the “driving force” among the players.
Each of the eight teams will have a game postponed and there will be no NHL hockey played tonight or tomorrow. Those games originally scheduled will now be played starting on Saturday and the remainder of the second round will be adjusted accordingly. No specifics have been released on the adjusted schedule.
Yesterday, the Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA started a wave of boycotts by not appearing on the court for their playoff game against the Orlando Magic. The Milwaukee Brewers and several other MLB teams followed suit, along with teams from the WNBA and athletes from professional tennis. Several NFL football teams canceled practice today and more MLB teams refused to play.
The protests and postponements across the sporting world stem from a desire to raise awareness of social and racial injustices, enact change, and come in response to the recent police shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year old Black man, in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The Hockey Diversity Alliance was formed this June and asked the NHL to sign the HDA Pledge which:
…includes commitments to funding grassroots programs for BIPOC youth, funding impactful social justice initiatives, anti-racism education, targets for hiring and promoting Black individuals and businesses, and rule changes to make the culture of the game more inclusive.
Rick Westhead of TSN tweets a list of requests included in the pledge, stretching from using empty NHL rinks as polling stations for the upcoming United States elections to specific goals for hiring practices among NHL organizations.
Minor Transactions: 08/27/20
Minor, junior and European leagues continue to prepare for the 2020-21 season with signings, trades and loans. As always, we’ll keep track of the notable transactions right here:
- Andrew Nielsen, whose NHL contract with the Calgary Flames will expire at the end of this season, has decided to take his talents overseas for next year. The 23-year old defenseman has signed in Austria, though the Flames could retain his rights by issuing him a qualifying offer. Nielsen arrived in Calgary via a 2018 trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who had selected him 65th overall in the 2015 draft. Nielsen was part of the 2018 Calder Cup champion Toronto Marlies, but hasn’t seen a single game in the NHL.
- Andrew DeBrincat, the older brother of Chicago Blackhawks forward Alex DeBrincat is on the move in the ECHL, part of a three-way trade between the Kansas City Mavericks, Cincinnati Cyclones and Worcester Railers. The older DeBrincat, who has never played above the ECHL, will play for the Railers this season.
- 2008 third-round pick Mathieu Brodeur has returned to the ECHL for the 2020-21 season, inking a one-year deal with the Adirondack Thunder. Brodeur has spent time playing in France and Slovakia the past two seasons but has extensive experience in both the AHL and lower minors. Like Nielsen, he has never reached the NHL.
NHL, Players Discussing Postponement Of Games
1:40pm: Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports that not only will today’s games be postponed, but Friday’s games are also not going to be played. An official statement from the league has still yet to come.
12:48pm: According to several reports including Darren Dreger of TSN and insider John Shannon, players and the NHL are discussing whether or not to postpone both games scheduled for today following yesterday’s boycott by several other professional sports. Frank Seravalli of TSN reports that at least one team has voted not to play.
The Hockey Diversity Alliance, headed by NHL players like Evander Kane and Matt Dumba, formally requested the NHL to suspend the games as they felt it “sends a clear message that human rights take priority over sports.”
Yesterday, the Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA started a wave of boycotts by not appearing on the court for their playoff game against the Orlando Magic. The Milwaukee Brewers and several other MLB teams followed suit, along with teams from the WNBA and athletes from professional tennis. Several NFL football teams canceled practice today.
The NHL planned a “moment of reflection” before yesterday’s games, though notably it was not held prior to the Dallas Stars-Colorado Avalanche match.
The protests and postponements across the sporting world stem from a desire to raise awareness of social and racial injustices, enact change, and come in response to the recent police shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year old Black man, in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
It is not clear yet when the games will be played if postponed or if Friday’s games will continue as scheduled.
Dan Muse, Adam Nightingale Named NTDP Head Coaches
Over the last few weeks USA Hockey had lost several coaches from their National Team Development Program to other positions in the hockey world, but today they’ve found some replacements. Dan Muse and Adam Nightingale have been named head coaches of the NTDP, heading up the U18 and U17 teams respectively.
Muse has served as an assistant coach for the Nashville Predators for the past three seasons after previously working as the head coach of the Chicago Steel of the USHL. Twice he was a video coach with USA Hockey at the U20 World Juniors and has plenty of experience as an assistant with Yale in the NCAA as well.
He’ll be joined by assistants Dan Hinote and Mike Leone behind the bench of the U18 team.
Nightingale meanwhile has worked with the Detroit Red Wings for the last several seasons, first as a video coach and then an assistant in 2019-20. He’s served as video coach for USA Hockey’s World Championship squad the last three years and was previously the Director of Hockey Operations at Michigan State University.
He’ll be joined by assistants Nick Fohr and Brent Darnell behind the bench of the U17 team.
Seth Appert and John Wroblewski, who previously held the positions, both took head coaching jobs in the AHL this summer.