Matias Maccelli Signs With Arizona Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes have signed prospect forward Matias Maccelli to a three-year entry-level contract, following the new transfer agreements the NHL announced earlier today. Maccelli played last season in the top Finnish league, where he was named Rookie of the Year.
Originally selected in the 2019 fourth round, the 19-year old Maccelli starred in the USHL during his time in North America but decided to return to Finland for the 2019-20 season. He scored 13 goals and 30 points in 43 games for his club team, and also added another five points as one of the leaders on Finland’s World Junior contingent.
It’s hard to have a better development year than Maccelli just experienced and now he’ll get the chance to show what he can do in the Coyotes’ system. He could potentially be sent to the AHL next season to join the Tucson Roadrunners, something Coyotes GM John Chayka suggested to Craig Morgan of The Athletic, though there is always the option to send him back to Finland as well.
Either way, Arizona has landed another interesting prospect to add to a pipeline that is brimming with talent.
NHL Announces New Player Transfer Agreements
The NHL has announced new player transfer agreements today, including one-year extensions with the existing ones. Those include the IIHF Member Federations/Leagues in Austria, Belarus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Norway, Slovakia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
They have also extended the existing CHL Agreement with the Canadian Hockey League (OHL, WHL, QMJHL). This means that nothing will change in regards to players drafted out of the CHL being eligible for AHL play before the age of 20. Corey Pronman of The Athletic (subscription required) recently polled scouts on whether the believed the agreement should be amended; 60% felt it should be, however, any changes will have to wait at least another year.
The biggest news however is the new one-year agreement with the Swiss Ice Hockey Association and Swiss League, something that previously did not exist. This will provide extra opportunities for players in Switzerland to come over to North America, and will slightly tweak the rules for draft picks out of the league.
With these agreements announced, we will likely see a flood of contracts for European players officially filed over the next few days.
2020 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup Officially Canceled
Though it had been obvious for some time that this announcement was going to come eventually, the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup has now been officially canceled for 2020. Hockey Canada CEO Tom Renney released a statement:
The health and safety of players, staff, officials, fans, family, volunteers and the general public is of the utmost importance to Hockey Canada, and although this was a difficult decision to make, we believe it is in the best interest of everyone involved given the uncertainty at this time
The tournament had been scheduled for August 3-8 in Edmonton and Red Deer Alberta and is the first big scouting event for the 2021 draft class. Its cancelation will only make it more difficult for teams to get an early read on targets for next year, though there will still be plenty of time to see the players with their respective club teams.
Oula Palve Signs In SHL
Despite still technically being under contract with the Dallas Stars, Oula Palve has already decided to take his talents back overseas. The Finnish forward has signed a two-year contract with Linkoping HC of the SHL, ending his sojourn in North America after just one season.
Palve, 28, was originally signed by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2019 after he starred in Finland for several years. A talented offensive player that scored 51 points in 53 games during the 2018-19 season, he was asked to play a checking role for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and then the Texas Stars following a midseason trade.
That defensive role is exactly what Palve is looking to escape, telling his new team that playing a more offensive game was a big part of the decision to return to Europe.
In 60 games split between WBS and Texas, Palve recorded three goals and 13 points. His one-year contract will expire at the end of the season, leaving him an unrestricted free agent.
Chicago Blackhawks Release CEO John McDonough
The Chicago Blackhawks have sent shockwaves across the hockey world today, announcing that they have “released” John McDonough from his role as team president and CEO. Chairman Rocky Wirtz explained the decision:
Thirteen years ago, I recruited John to the Blackhawks because of his leadership, direction and vision. John brought all of that to the table and more. His contributions went well beyond leading the team to three Stanley Cup Championships. He rebuilt the front office and helped guide the organization toward a winning vision. As difficult as this is, we believe it was the right decision for the future of the organization and its fans.
The club will immediately begin a search to fill the role of team president. Daniel Wirtz, who currently serves as vice president and alternate governor, will serve as president in the interim.
Immediately questions will be raised about the future of Stan Bowman, who took over as general manager in 2009 when Dale Tallon was fired weeks after signing Marian Hossa to a 12-year $63.3MM contract. The Blackhawks have failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs since winning the Stanley Cup in 2015, causing many fans to believe that the hockey operations should be under new leadership. Change near the top often drips down an organizational chart, meaning there could be further changes in the coming months.
Still, McDonough’s contribution to the Blackhawks should not be overlooked. When he took over as president in 2007 (CEO wouldn’t be added to his title until 2011), the Blackhawks were drawing just over 12,000 fans per game according to Frank Seravalli of TSN. As he leaves, they are currently on a 531-game sellout streak and won the Stanley Cup three times during his tenure.
Just over a month ago, Wirtz told Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) that there would be no changes in the front office after a frustrating season. In fact, he went so far as to say “if I wasn’t confident (in McDonough, Bowman and head coach Jeremy Colliton), they wouldn’t be employed. Yeah, I’m very confident.”
Calgary Flames Sign Emilio Pettersen
The Calgary Flames have signed one of their more interesting prospects, inking Emilio Pettersen to a three-year entry-level contract according to several reports including Frank Seravalli of TSN. Pettersen recently finished his sophomore season at the University of Denver, but will turn pro and join the Flames organization.
The 20-year old forward was originally a sixth-round pick of the Flames in 2018 following two seasons in the USHL. Norwegian-born, he has been playing in North America since 2014 and has improved at every level. This season recorded 35 points in 36 games for DU, leading the program in scoring and earning himself a Hobey Baker nomination as one of the best players in college hockey.
It’s hard to know exactly where Pettersen’s potential will end up taking him, but at this point he looks like a late-round steal for the Flames. The next step will be continuing to produce at the AHL level, in hopes of one day contributing in the NHL.
Troy Grosenick Named AHL Man Of The Year
Milwaukee Admirals goaltender Troy Grosenick has been named the 2020 AHL Man of the Year, winning the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award. The honor is given to an AHL player for his outstanding contributions to his local community and charitable organizations. Landon Ferraro was the previous winner, taking home the award in 2019 as a member of the Iowa Wild.
Grosenick, 30, joined the Admirals in 2018 following a trade from the San Jose Sharks and is the first player born and raised in the Milwaukee area to play for the organization. The veteran netminder was part of several charitable campaigns this season, donating money and time to childhood cancer research and anti-bullying programs.
Not only was he outstanding off the ice, but Grosenick was also a star on it, recording a .920 save percentage in 33 appearances for the Admirals and posting a 20-9-3 record on the year. He has two career NHL appearances, both with the Sharks in 2014-15.
Joel Ward Announces Retirement
Though he hasn’t played in the NHL since the 2017-18 playoffs, Joel Ward was still hoping to make it back at some point. Today, however, he has given up that chase and announced his retirement through a piece in The Players’ Tribune.
Ward, 39, played 726 regular season games in the NHL, a total he used as the title for his piece. The fact that he even spent a single day at the highest level was not something that seemed possible when he went undrafted and spent four years at the University of Prince Edward Island. The epitome of hard work and not giving up on your dream, Ward would eventually make the NHL with the Minnesota Wild at age-26.
A veteran of 11 seasons, the gritty forward also suited up 83 times in the playoffs. Those postseason games included a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2016 with the San Jose Sharks, the closest he ever came to lifting the ultimate prize over his head.
A two-time 20-goal scorer, Ward had 133 over his career and recorded 304 points. A player perfect for the playoffs, his production shot way up when the games meant the most. In his 83 playoff appearances he had 22 goals and 52 points (and 132 hits).
Adam Helewka Signs AHL Contract
The merry-go-round continues to spin for Adam Helewka, who has now signed an AHL contract with the Cleveland Monsters, minor league affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets. The young forward split last season between the KHL and SHL, spending most of the year with Linkopings HC.
That stint overseas—during which Helewka recorded 19 points in 44 games—came after an interesting few weeks. Originally drafted by the San Jose Sharks in 2015, the former WHL star had already been traded twice previously when he found himself on his way to the New Jersey Devils organization in June of 2019. His contract was terminated a few days later, giving him the chance to pursue an opportunity in the KHL.
Four different minor league teams, two overseas clubs, and several organizations later, Helewka will try to get his career back on track with the Monsters. The 6’2″ forward has 118 points in 119 AHL appearances and still could have a chance to improve his game enough to get an NHL crack one day. That would have to be quite the development step though and requires him to eventually sign another NHL contract at some point down the road.
Snapshots: Early Draft, Brome, Martin
The NHL floated a “trial balloon” earlier this week with the idea that the 2020 Entry Draft could be held in June, before a potential restart for the 2019-20 season. That brought up all kinds of questions about how the draft order would be determined and if teams would be able to complete trades, something draft day has been known for in the past. On yesterday’s edition of Insider Trading for TSN, Pierre LeBrun explained that he asked around front offices to gauge their response to the idea.
LeBrun states that 15 teams gave him a “hard no” on the idea of a June draft, with only five open to the idea. That kind of response certainly won’t help the plan get off the ground, meaning we may have to wait until after the season concludes to get the draft over with.
- One player that won’t have to wait for the draft to find out where he’ll play next year is Mathias Brome, a 25-year old forward that has spent the last three seasons in the SHL. Rick Dhaliwal of TSN reports that the Vancouver Canucks and Detroit Red Wings are “in the mix” to sign Brome once the new transfer agreement comes into place. With 17 goals and 43 points for Orebro HK this season, Brome ranked sixth in league scoring and could be considered an option to step directly into the NHL.
- Max Martin didn’t get drafted when he was eligible either, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be playing professional hockey. The Kamloops Blazers standout has signed a one-year contract with the Texas Stars of the AHL for the 2020-21 season, giving him a chance to show what he can do at the next level. The 20-year old defenseman had 14 goals and 58 points in 57 games after an early-season trade from Prince Albert. The Blazers just so happen to be owned by Tom Gaglardi, who also owns the Dallas and Texas Stars.