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IIHF Cancels 2020 Women’s World Hockey Championships

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The Coronavirus continues to wreak havoc on the international hockey calendar.  Earlier this week, the IIHF announced the cancellation of six upcoming tournaments at the Under-18 and Women’s levels but the top tournaments at each level were still an option.  That doesn’t appear to be the case for the latter now as TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that the IIHF has cancelled the 2020 Women’s World Hockey Championship.  The tournament was slated to begin later this month in Eastern Canada.

It’s only the second time that the tournament has been cancelled with the other instance occurring in 2003 during the SARS outbreak.  Ten countries were slated to participate: Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Russia, Switzerland, and the United States.

No decisions have been made yet on the World Under-18’s which feature many of the top draft-eligible prospects or the Men’s World Hockey Championship which has many players from non-playoff teams involved.  The Under-18’s are set to take place in Michigan next month while the Men’s Worlds are scheduled for May in Switzerland.  Earlier this month, IIHF President Rene Fasel indicated that March 15th could be the deadline to make calls on those tournaments while the potential to play without fans in attendance wasn’t an option that was being considered.  As a result, there is likely to be more news on the international front in the near future.

Overseas Notes: Coronavirus, World Championships, Sticks, Jokipakka

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As the coronavirus crisis continues to creep into every corner of day-to-day life, it was only a matter of time before it started to have a major impact on hockey. IIHF President Rene Fasel has revealed to the Swiss media that the threat of coronavirus is being taken seriously as it pertains to upcoming international tournaments. Fasel states that the IIHF’s medical commission is currently meeting to discuss the potential cancellations of any international events in March and April. This would include the U-18 World Junior Championships, scheduled to be held in Michigan in April. Should the sickness persist, the IIHF will also have to consider cancelling the 2020 World Championships, slated to take place in Switzerland in May. Fasel gives March 15th as the date when these difficult decisions will begin to have to be made. This appears to be a decision based wholly on health risks, as the tournaments are insured against cancellation and neither the IIHF nor the hosts would be facing financial loss. With that said, Fasel also ruled out the possibility that tournaments could still be held but just closed to the public. With no end to the coronavirus outbreak in sight, it appears more likely than not that the U-18’s and World Championships this year could be the next victims of the disease.

  • Of course, this is not the first link between coronavirus and hockey, as the mass shutdown of the Chinese economy has greatly limited the supply of sticks to the NHL and other levels of the game. Both Bauer and CCM have their primary factories in the country most greatly affected by this outbreak and neither have been in operation for weeks, while shipping to North America has also been halted. Players across the league have begun to stock up on sticks as they face the possibility of a coming shortage. NHL players, who often order custom sticks in small batches, may have to work with what they have through the rest of the season and possibly into the postseason.
  • In non-pandemic news, former NHLer Jyrki Jokipakka has benefited greatly from a move to Europe. Now with his second team in his third season since leaving North America, Jokipakka was the undisputed top defender for the KHL’s Sibir Novosibirk this season, leading the team in time on ice and finishing near the top in assists, points, and blocked shots. He also finished among the top-ten producers on defense league-wide. While Sibir has not yet begun their Gagarin Cup playoff campaign, Jokipakka is already the bright spot of the season for the team. The club opted to reward him for his success with a new two-year extension. Jokipakka flashed ability in the NHL, but never able to put it all together in stops with the Dallas Stars, Calgary Flames, and Ottawa Senators. So, while the 28-year-old could have waited to see if there was NHL interest this off-season, it seems like he has made the right choice to stick with where he has finally found consistent success and is valued as a top contributor.

Peter Laviolette Named Coach Of 2020 U.S. National Team

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Though he’ll have to wait for his next opportunity in the NHL, Peter Laviolette will be back behind a bench this spring. Laviolette has been named head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team that will take part in the IIHF World Championship. The tournament will be held in Zurich and Lausanne, Switzerland between May 8-24.  Chris Drury, the team’s general manager, released a short statement on the hiring:

It’s great to have Peter as our head coach. He brings significant international experience, both as a player and a coach, and his passion and desire to win align with our goal of bringing home the gold medal.

The ironic part about this appointment is that many believed John Hynes to be a candidate for the job, before he was hired to replace Laviolette with the Nashville Predators. It also represents a different voice than Jeff Blashill, who had led the team the last three years.

Laviolette isn’t new to the international scene, having served as head coach of the World Championship entry three times previously and acting as an assistant coach at both the Olympics and World Cup. He’ll try to take Team USA to the gold for the first time since 1960.

IOC, IIHF Open To Making Major Olympic Concessions To NHL

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If it means the top players in the world return to Olympic participation, the International Olympic Committee and International Ice Hockey Federation are open to changing their relationship with the NHL. In a new and potentially game-changing shift in the status quo, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the IOC and IIHF have decided that they would be willing to meet many of the demands previously made by the NHL in order to ensure the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, China feature NHL talent.

Friedman reports that the two global organizations met in New York earlier this week and came to the conclusion that NHL participation would be worth ceding promotional rights and contributing greater financial assistance to the league. This would include paying injury insurance costs, as well as travel costs, as well as allowing the NHL to market their stars’ participation in the Winter Games, including the use of Olympic footage and marks. This checks all the boxes for the league’s previous demands for returning to the Olympics. As for their final complaint, that the Games are disruptive to the season, that argument has been considerably weakened by the league’s bye week format, which reduces game play by 50% in the weeks on either side of the All-Star break. If the league is comfortable with that break every year, it stands to reason that a slightly longer break once every four years is not “incredibly disruptive”.

With that said, the league is unlikely to accept these new terms with the IOC and IIHF without also gaining some leverage with the NHLPA as well. The NHL maintains the Olympic participation is a concession to the players and should be part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly stated recently that even if the IOC and IIHF gave in to all of their demands – which it appears they have – the NHL would still like to tie the event to collective bargaining as part of balanced agreement with the Players’ Association for long-term labor peace. While the current CBA extends through 2022, making the argument for the Beijing Games moot, allowing NHL players to participate would still be a bargaining tool for the next agreement. Friedman reports that NHLPA is in fact encouraged by this latest development with the IOC and IIHF and does not seem opposed to making Olympic participation a bargained right for players moving forward. The NHL and NHLPA resume collective bargaining talks this Tuesday.

The IIHF had previously given the NHL a deadline of no later than the end of August 2020 to make a decision about Beijing 2022. Yet, Commissioner Gary Bettman responded that the NHL will make a decision when they are ready, not when they are told to. At the end of the day, the league has all of the leverage in talks with the international bodies. However, these concessions are a major step forward in a new agreement and the world’s top player returning to its biggest international stage. With many of their concerns now addressed, not to mention the global growth of the NHL brand in recent years, the odds are higher than they have ever been that the league will return to the Olympic Games.

Chris Drury Named GM Of 2020 U.S. National Team

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USA Hockey has announced that Chris Drury will be back in his role as general manager of the 2020 National Team. Drury served as GM last year, while also holding down duties as assistant GM for the New York Rangers and GM of the Hartford Wolf Pack. He’ll be joined by an advisory group made up of John Vanbiesbrouck, David Poile, Don Waddell, Dale Tallon, Stan Bowman, Jeff Gorton and Bill Guerin.

Drury will be in charge of creating the team for the IIHF World Championship, this year held in Zurich and Lausanne, Switzerland between May 8-24. The team finished seventh last year.

Vanbiesbrouck, who is the assistant executive director of USA Hockey, released a short statement on Drury’s hiring:

Chris had an exceptional playing career and is an emerging star as a manager. We’re really pleased to have him back as the general manager of our men’s national team, and coupled with our Men’s National Team Advisory Group, we’re fortunate to have what is truly an all-star group engaged in helping us assemble a team that can compete for a gold medal.

Bettman Speaks On Tracking Technology, Nassau Coliseum, Olympics, And More

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NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman addressed the gathered media at the NHL All-Star Game in St. Louis this evening, speaking on a variety of topics. The long-time leader of the league had plenty to say, including confirming a 2021 All-Star weekend hosted by the Florida Panthers and introducing the league’s All-Decade teams. Here are some notes on other topics that Bettman touched on:

  • Player and puck tracking will become a reality in the NHL in the not too distant future. Bettman announced that the tracking technology will be available in all 16 arenas for the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs and is likely to be operational in every NHL arena for the start of the 2020-21 season. The tracking data will allow for more accurate and polished statistics and game scoring, as well allowing for new stats and data visualizations that will further advance hockey analytics.
  • The question of which arenas will have tracking this spring will depend on how the rest of the season plays out. However, one team is already being forced to focus on where they might play should they make the playoffs. Bettman stated that a decision has not yet been made as to whether the New York Islanders will play their postseason games at the Nassau Coliseum, the preferred location of the team, or the Barclay’s center. Bettman called Nassau a “challenge” and that it is not a major league facility, which would cause problems if the Islanders made a deep playoff run. Bettman also acknowledged that a request has been made for New York to play all of their home games at Nassau Coliseum next season, but believes it is too early to make that decision.
  • One thing it is not too early for is continuing CBA talks. Bettman said that the league is expecting to go resume negotiations on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NHLPA soon, after enough progress was made back in September that both sides decided not to use their opt-out clauses. There is plenty of time before the current CBA expires in 2022, but Bettman and company are eager to build on positive talks and get a new deal in place.
  • A bargaining issue that the NHL continues to hold firm on is Olympic participation. Bettman noted today that the league’s opinion that attending the Games is “extraordinarily disruptive” has not changed. He acknowledged that the players’ association would like to return to the Olympics, but that the league is comfortable without participating in Beijing in 2022. Bettman has not completely closed the door on the idea, but does not want to spread “false hope”. He added that the league will make a decision on their own time and will not abide by any deadline provided by the IIHF.
  • Another major league change that has the support of many, but not the NHL itself, is a change to the current playoff format. Bettman revealed that there have been no talks of altering the current postseason structure, even in a season with drastic competitive balance differences between divisions. The upcoming addition of the Seattle expansion team is not expected to change the playoff format either.

Snapshots: Team Canada, Kreider, Nutivaara, Copp

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The World Junior Championships got a gold medal game to remember as Canada pulled off a big comeback victory Saturday to win the gold as Los Angeles Kings’ prospect Akil Thomas scored the go-ahead goal to give Canada a 4-3 win over Russia on Sunday.

Canada was down 3-1 to Russia in the third, but got key goals from Washington Capitals’ prospect Connor McMichael and Arizona Coyotes forward Barrett Hayton to come back and tie the game. It’s the third time in six years that Canada has won the World Championships, but the first time since 2008 that they have won the title on Europe ice. Russia finished with the silver, while Sweden topped Finland for the bronze medal earlier today.

Projected top pick in the 2020 draft, Alexis Lafreniere was named the MVP of the tournament, by the IIHF, as well as the top forward. Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Rasmus Sandin was awarded the top defenseman award, while St. Louis prospect Joel Hofer won the top goaltender award.

  • One reason the Montreal Canadiens went through with signing forward Ilya Kovalchuk last week was that they realized they had little chance of acquiring New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider. The New York Post’s Larry Brooks notes that Kreider, who has a modified no-trade clause in which he has submitted an 11-team no-trade list, has all the Canadien teams on his list, meaning he has no interest in playing there. Kreider remains the top trade candidate at the trade deadline.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets got some much needed depth back on their blueline as the team announced they have activated Markus Nutivaara off of injured reserve. The 25-year-old has been out since Nov. 5 when he suffered an upper-body injury and has now missed 27 games. The blueliner has two goals in 10 games this season, but should add a helping hand as the team has several defensemen on IR, including Ryan Murray, Dean Kukan and Andrew Peeke.
  • The Winnipeg Jets may have forward Andrew Copp back in the lineup as The Athletic’s Ken Weibe reports that the 25-year-old was a full participant in practice. Head coach Paul Maurice said that if he comes to the rink feeling as good as he left Sunday, that Copp should find himself back in the lineup. The forward has missed the past eight games with an upper-body injury.

 

IIHF Notes: Olympics, Russia, World Juniors

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Speaking on the final day of the 2020 World Junior Championship tournament earlier today, IIHF President Rene Fasel revealed updates on several issues of note. When it comes to the NHL, the major issue continues to be Olympic participation, and Fasel was clear that the clock is ticking on a decision for the Beijing Winter Games in 2022. The Hockey News’ Ryan Kennedy relays that Fasel would like a definitive answer prior to the final qualification games for the next Olympic tournament, which will take place in September. He has requested an answer by the end of August. While Olympic participation has been a major talking point in collective bargaining discussions between the NHL and NHLPA, those talks have cooled since both sides opted to extend the current agreement. It remains to be seen if and when the issue will be debated again in the next nine months. The NHL sat out the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, citing the disruption of the league season  – both in scheduling and potential player injuries – and the lack of financial benefit to the NHL. While neither of those issues are going away, one has to think that locale has amplified these negative effects of participation, as the NHL clearly didn’t see much value in Pyeongchang, South Korea and quite possibly might feel the same about Beijing, China in 2022 and Milan and Cortina, Italy in 2026. Yet, Fasel still feels optimistic about the NHL’s return to the Olympics, stating that if Commissioner Gary Bettman is smart, “They will come in the end, I hope so.”

  • As for another important international tournament in hockey, Fasel confirmed that the World Junior Championships will not be impacted by the recent four-year ban on international participation placed on Russia by the World Anti-Doping Agency. WADA placed the ban on Russia, which was similarly prohibited from participation at the last Winter Olympics, after evidence emerged that the country tampered with hundreds of samples and also engaged in improper behavior toward whistle-blowers. The ban prevents any Russian athlete implicated in a positive doping test from participation in major international events, requires all others to compete as “Authorized Neutral Athletes”, and bans Russia from hosting any international events. However, these sanctions will by and large not impact the WJC. Not only did Russia participate in this year’s tournament under their own flag, but they will play for a gold medal today against Canada. The country will continue to participate as such and Fasel also added that they will still be able to host the event in Novosibirsk and Omsk in 2023. Of course, any players found to be doping will still be prohibited from participating, but otherwise the Russian entry into the top junior tournament will be safe.
  • As for this year’s tournament, while the results of the bronze medal and gold medal games are still yet to be decided today, this morning’s contest had the more important result as it pertains to planning for next year. Germany and Kazakhstan played a winner-take-all relegation match earlier, after Kazakhstan stunned Germany in Game Two of the series on Saturday with their first non-regulation loss result of the entire tournament. However, Germany shook off that loss with a convincing 6-0 win on Sunday morning to avoid relegation. As quickly as they re-entered the top level of World Junior participation this year, Kazakhstan will head back down next year. They will be replaced by Austria in 2021, the surprise victor of the “A” class tournament back in December.

Five Key Stories: 12/23/19 – 12/29/19

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With the holiday week having come and gone as well as an NHL roster freeze, hockey news slows down quite a bit, yet there was plenty of news despite the three-game respite last week. Here are the five biggest stories of the past week:

World Junior Championships Get Underway: Perhaps even bigger than the NHL is the IIHF World Junior Championships that started on Dec. 26 and continues to be ongoing. The leagues top propsects or soon-to-be prospects find themselves competing in Ostrava and Trinec in the Czech Republic. All NHL teams have at least one representative at the tournament with several teams possessing a host of prospects. The Los Angeles Kings have nine prospects representing their organization, while the Arizona Coyotes have seven. Five teams have just one prospect at the tournament.

John McCarthy Retiring Due To Health Concerns: He only appeared in 88 career NHL games, but San Jose Sharks forward and a long-time minor league player for them, John McCarthy, announced his retirement due to health concerns. While he played in 18 games for the Barracuda this year, his season and career came to a halt after suffering an Ischemic stroke earlier this month. While he has made a complete recovery, those health concerns have ended his playing career. He was drafted by the Sharks back in 2006 and played for the Sharks’ organization his entire career and the Barracudas’ captain immediately took a coaching role with the team.

Brent Seabrook, Calvin De Haan Out For The Season: Just before play was supposed to resume after the Christmas hiatus, the Chicago Blackhawks announced that they are losing one-third of their defense. Two of their defensemen, Brent Seabrook and Calvin de Haan, will miss the season due to surgeries. Seabrook is expected to have surgery on both his hips, while de Haan will have shoulder surgery. De Haan has been a consistent part of the team’s defense, leading the team in hits and blocked shots. Seabrook has similar strengths, but has seen his playing time cut and has even been scratched three times so far this season. Regardless, these are tough losses for a franchise hoping to get back into the playoffs.

Alex Ovechkin To Skip NHL All-Star Game: For the second time in as many years, Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin has announced that he will be skipping the NHL All-Star Game. Ovechkin was voted in as Metropolitan Division captain, but he told media Friday that he will skip the all-star festivities to rest up for the second half of the season. Of course, Ovechkin will be suspended one game for skipping the league event. He must miss either the game before the all-star break or the game after. The team faces the rival New York Islanders, suggesting that Ovechkin will likely opt to miss the game after the break against the Montreal Canadiens.

Multiple Toronto Maple Leafs Players Injured: The Toronto Maple Leafs suffered three injuries upon their return from break. The team first revealed that forward Trevor Moore would be out indefinitely due to a concussion. Moore had been out with a shoulder injury and had only appeared in one game before getting injured once again. The team then lost winger Ilya Mikheyev who suffered a lacerated wrist after New Jersey’s Jesper Bratt ran sliced it with his skate. He is expected to miss a minimum of three months as he heals from the injury. Only hours after that, the Maple Leafs announced that defenseman Jake Muzzin would be considered week-to-week after suffering a fractured foot in that same game against the Devils. With all those injuries, it should make the team’s challenging of working their way up the Atlantic Division standings just a bit more difficult.

Evening Notes: NHL Laceration Task Force, Andersson, Veleno

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After a scary incident on Friday in which Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ilya Mikheyev had his wrist sliced open as New Jersey Devils forward Jesper Bratt skated over him, the NHL laceration task force will meet during the 2020 NHL All-Star Game, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston on Saturday’s Hockey Night in Canada. It was the second incident in 10 days after the New York Islanders’ Cal Clutterbuck had his hand cut open by the skate of Boston’s Patrice Bergeron.

“They monitor any of these incidents that happened,” said Johnston. “And they will be meeting at the All-Star Game in St. Louis, I think to discuss in part, is there maybe some more mandatory changes that might be coming down the pike at some point, because obviously everyone recognizes that these are very serious and potentially catastrophic situations.”

  • New York Post’s Larry Brooks writes that, little surprise, there hasn’t been much interest in New York Rangers forward Lias Andersson, who left the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack and was suspended on Dec. 20 after requesting a trade. Andersson has struggled at the NHL level over the past few years, having tallied just nine points in 66 NHL games. Even in Hartford, he has just three points in his last 10 games, suggesting that he’s struggling even in the minors. Brooks writes that Andersson spent the holiday with his family in New York and it’s unclear if the Rangers’ organization would accept him back if he asks if he can return. Regardless, there seems to be no indication that a trade is likely to happen any time soon.
  • With Team Canada already without Alexis Lafreniere on Monday against Germany at the 2020 World Junior Championships, the team lost another forward as well as the IIHF announced that their disciplinary panel has announced that Joe Veleno, a Detroit Red Wings prospect, has been suspended one game for head butting Russian defenseman Danil Misyul, a New Jersey Devils’ prospect. The incident happened in the middle of the second period of Saturday’s game in which the two got into a confrontation. Veleno head butted Misyul twice, the second time more aggressively. The 19-year-old Veleno has one assist so far in two games for Canada.

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