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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.

NHL Draft Picks Participating In The World Junior Championship

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The 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship is underway from Ostrava and Trinec in the Czech Republic. The tournament began today and will run through the championship game on January 5th. Each of the NHL’s 31 teams has at least one representative at the WJC. Five teams have only one draft pick participating, while the Los Angeles Kings (9) and Arizona Coyotes (7) each have more than those teams combined. However, it only takes one player and one moment to make history at the WJC. Check out which future NHLers will have that chance this year:

Anaheim Ducks (2):

G Lukas Dostal, Czech Republic
F Trevor Zegras, USA

Arizona Coyotes (7):

F Barrett Hayton, Canada
F Jan Jenik, Czech Republic
F Matias Maccelli, Finland
D Aku Raty, Finland
D Victor Soderstrom, Sweden
F Valentin Nussbaumer, Switzerland
D Ty Emberson, USA

Boston Bruins (3):

F Jakub Lauko, Czech Republic
F John Beecher, USA
F Curtis Hall, USA

Buffalo Sabres (4):

F Dylan Cozens, Canada
F Matej Pekar, Czech Republic
G Erik Portillo, Sweden
D Mattias Samuelsson, USA

Calgary Flames (1):

G Dustin Wolf, USA

Carolina Hurricanes (5):

D Anttoni Honka, Finland
F Lenni Killinen, Finland
F Patrik Puistola, Finland
F Dominik Bokk, Germany
F Jack Drury, USA

Chicago Blackhawks (2):

F Antti Saarela, Finland
F Michal Teply, Czech Republic

Colorado Avalanche (4):

D Bowen Byram, Canada
G Justus Annunen, Finland
F Sampo Ranta, Finland
D Daniil Zhuravlyov, Russia

Columbus Blue Jackets (4):

F Liam Foudy, Canada
F Kirill Marchenko, Russia
F Dmitri Voronkov, Russia
D Tim Berni, Switzerland

Dallas Stars (3):

F Ty Dellandrea, Canada
F Oskar Back, Sweden
F Albin Eriksson, Sweden

Detroit Red Wings (5):

D Jared McIsaac, Canada
F Joseph Veleno, Canada
D Moritz Seider, Germany
F Jonatan Berggren, Sweden
F Jesper Eliasson, Sweden

Edmonton Oilers (4):

F Raphael Lavoie, Canada
G Olivier Rodrigue, Canada
F Matej Blumel, Czech Republic
D Philip Broberg, Sweden

Florida Panthers (3):

Justin Schutz, Germany
F Grigori Denisenko, Russia
G Spencer Knight, USA

Los Angeles Kings (9):

F Aidan Dudas, Canada
F Akil Thomas, Canada
F Lukas Parik, Czech Republic
F Rasmus Kupari, Finland
D Kim Nousiainen, Finland
D Tobias Bjornfot, Sweden
F Samuel Fagemo, Sweden
F Arthur Kaliyev, USA
F Alex Turcotte, USA

Minnesota Wild (1):

F Alexander Khovanov, Russia

Montreal Canadiens (4):

D Alexander Romanov, Russia
D Mattias Norlinder, Sweden
F Cole Caufield, USA
D Jordan Harris, USA

Nashville Predators (1):

D Spencer Stastney, USA

New Jersey Devils (5):

D Kevin Bahl, Canada
D Ty Smith, Canada
D Daniil Misyul, Russia
F Nikola Pasic, Sweden
G Akira Schmid, Switzerland

New York Islanders (2):

F Jacob Pivonka, USA
F Oliver Wahlstrom, USA

New York Rangers (5):

D Nico Gross, Switzerland
F Karl Henriksson, Sweden
D Nils Lundkvist, Sweden
D Zachary Jones, USA

D K’Andre Miller, USA

Ottawa Senators (3):

D Jacob Bernard-Docker, Canada
D Lassi Thomson, Finland
F Shane Pinto, USA

Philadelphia Flyers (4):

F Egor Zamula, Russia
D Adam Ginning, Sweden
F Bobby Brink, USA
D Cameron York, USA

Pittsburgh Penguins (1):

D Calen Addison, Canada

San Jose Sharks (1):

Santeri Hatakka, Finland

St. Louis Blues (2):

G Joel Hofer, Canada
F Nikita Alexandrov, Russia

Tampa Bay Lightning (3):

F Nolan Foote, Canada
F Maxim Cajkovic, Czech Republic
G Hugo Alnefelt, Sweden

Toronto Maple Leafs (3):

D Mikko Kokkonen, Finland
D Rasmus Sandin, Sweden
F Nicholas Robertson, USA

Vancouver Canucks (4):

F Karel Plasek, Czech Republic
D Toni Utunen, Finland
F Vasily Podkolzin, Russia
F Nils Hoglander, Sweden

Vegas Golden Knights (3):

F Pavel Dorofeyev, Russia
F Ivan Morozov, Russia
G Isaiah Saville, USA

Washington Capitals (2):

F Connor McMichael, Canada
D Martin Has, Czech Republic

Winnipeg Jets (2):

F David Gustafsson, Sweden
D Ville Heinola, Finland

Top Prospects Lead Team Russia WJC Roster

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The IIHF World Junior tournament is just a few weeks away, and after Finland and Canada released their rosters yesterday, Russia has followed suit today. The hockey powerhouse routinely uses a roster of almost all 19-year olds at the tournament, but one young goaltender will have a chance to show why he’s in contention for the first-overall draft pick in 2020.

The full training camp roster is as follows:

Goaltenders:

Yaroslav Askarov (2020 eligible)
Amir Miftakhov
Daniil Isayev

Defense:

Danila Galenyuk
Mikhail Gordeyev
Danila Zhuravlyov (COL)
Yegor Zamula (PHI)
Nikita Zorkin
Anton Malyshev
Daniil Misyul (NJD)
Daniil Pylenkov
Alexander Romanov (MTL)
Sergei Telegin

Forwards:

Nikita Alexandrov (STL)
Dmitry Voronkov (CBJ)
Maxim Groshev (2020 eligible)
Grigori Denisenko (FLA)
Pavel Dorofeyev (VGK)
Kirill Marchenko (CBJ)
Ivan Morozov (VGK)
Vasili Podkolzin (VAN)
Egor Sokolov
Nikita Rtischev
Maksim Sorkin
Lev Komissarov
Ilya Kruglov
Alexander Khovanov (MIN)
Zakhar Shablovsky

Finland’s WJC Roster Filled With NHL Prospects

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The IIHF World Junior tournament is just around the corner now that the calendar has turned to December and the involved countries will soon start to release training camp rosters. Finland is the first to do just that as today they announced a group of 36 players that will compete for a chance to represent their country on the world stage. Finland has continued to develop as a hockey nation every year, supplying the NHL with high-end talent like Kaapo Kakko, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Miro Heiskanen and Patrik Laine in recent drafts.

The full team, with their NHL affiliate in parenthesis:

Goaltenders:

Justus Annunen (COL)
Jasper Patrikainen 
Kari Piiroinen

Defense:

Santeri Hatakka (SJS)
Ville Heinola (WPG)
Anttoni Honka (CAR)
Mikko Kokkonen (TOR)
Miska Kukkonen (BUF)
Topi Niemela (2020 eligible)
Kim Nousiainen (LAK)
Axel Rindell
Peetro Seppala
Lassi Thomson (OTT)
Toni Utunen (VAN)

Forwards:

Leevi Aaltonen (NYR)
Eemil Erholtz
Aleks Haatanen
Roni Hirvonen (2020 eligible)
Lenni Killinen (CAR)
Otto Kivenmaki (DET)
Rasmus Kupari (LAK)
Anton Lundell (2020 eligible)
Matias Maccelli (ARI)
Henri Nikkanen (WPG)
Niklas Nordgren (CHI)
Joonas Oden
Mikko Petman
Ville Petman
Patrik Puistola (CAR)
Sampo Ranta (COL)
Aatu Raty (2021 eligible)
Aku Raty (ARI)
Antti Saarela (CHI)
Samuel Salonen
Patrik Siikanen (EDM)
Kristian Tanus

Snapshots: 2021 Draft, Formenton, Canada-Great Britain

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While several teams are dreaming of what might be available for them in the 2020 draft, others will already be looking forward to see what is next on the horizon. Corey Pronman of The Athletic (subscription required) examines some of the top names for the 2021 class, including a familiar family name.

Luke Hughes sits second on his list, and though he has a lot to live up with after the incredible debuts of Quinn Hughes and Jack Hughes, there’s plenty to be excited about. The 16-year old defenseman is part of the U.S. National Development Team Program at the moment and is committed to the University of Michigan.

  • The AHL has announced that Ottawa Senators prospect Alex Formenton has been issued a one-game suspension for his cross-checking incident earlier this week. Formenton has eight points in 13 games for the Belleville Senators, his first full professional season after getting a taste of the NHL each of the last two years.
  • Next year before the 2020 IIHF World Championship, Team Canada will take on Team Great Britain in an “international challenge” game. NHL stars that don’t make the playoffs will be able to attend the tournament and give the fans in Nottingham a chance to see some of the top players in the world.

Overseas Notes: Olympics, Lindberg, Ozhiganov, Tikhonov

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As expected, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman met with NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr and IIHF President Rene Fasel this week in Stockholm, Sweden, the site of the NHL Global Series, to discuss another international hockey event: the Olympics. Although the next Winter Olympic Games are not until 2022, there needs to be a decision on participation in Beijing, China sooner rather than later, especially as that decision is tied into collective bargaining between the league and players’ association. However, Sportsnet’s Emily Sadler relays that Bettman told the collected media yesterday in Stockholm that he had “no news to report” on an Olympic resolution, and the NHL’s stance on participation remains pessimistic:

We had another meeting. We’ve had many, many meetings, and there is no news to report… I don’t want to sound like a broken record on the subject, but I think going to the Olympics is a challenge for us. I know the players love representing their countries, I know that the players like going, I know that the players that don’t go like having a break in the middle of the season. But from our standpoint, we have found going to the Olympics to be incredibly disruptive… I think it has some pretty material downsides in terms of what happens to our season.

  • Tobias Lindberg is ready to get his 2019-20 season started. After seemingly holding out hope for a contract in North America, Lindberg has finally opted to return home to Sweden. Timra IK of the SHL has announced a one-year deal with Lindberg, who adds another stop to a lengthy list of teams he has played for in his young career. The 24-year-old forward is most well-known by NHL fans not for his short stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but for his tendency to be traded. A fourth-round pick of the Ottawa Senators in 2014, Lindberg was dealt to Toronto in the Dion Phaneuf deadline deal of 2016. He spent a season with the Leafs organization before being traded to the Vegas Golden Knights early in 2017-18, who flipped him to the Pittsburgh Penguins later that season. The Penguins sent him back to Ottawa in December of last year, who in turn gave him back to Vegas at the deadline. In total, the capable AHLer has been involved in five NHL trades compared to just six NHL games and it could be good for his development to find some stability in Timra, at least for one year.
  • A blockbuster trade in the KHL this week featured two former NHLers. Defenseman Igor Ozhiganov, who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs just last year, was dealt by Ak Bars Kazan to SKA St. Petersburg in exchange for forward Viktor Tikhonov, who has spent multiple seasons in North America with the Arizona Coyotes and Chicago Blackhawks. Defenseman Roman Rukavishnikov will also move to Kazan. Both teams currently lead their respective divisions with Ak Bars sharing the top record in the KHL, making this a rare swap between top contenders. Tikhonov had been buried under the tremendous forward depth of SKA and should be able to play a larger role with his new club. Tikhonov, who recorded six points in 50 games between the ‘Hawks and ‘Yotes in 2015-16, is no longer a dynamic offensive talent, but plays a well-rounded game and can provide leadership and experience to a Kazan club that hopes to make a deep playoff run this year. Rukavishnikov, a physical stay-at-home defender, will also help to make up for the loss of Ozhiganov. Meanwhile, SKA lands one of the top blue liners in the KHL. Ozhiganov had eight points through 19 gamed with Ak Bars, which would put him on pace for a career high in scoring, especially with the firepower of St. Petersburg at his disposal now. Ozhiganov recorded seven points in 53 games with Toronto last season and looked like a player who could have found employment in the NHL again this summer had he wanted to stay.

Overseas Notes: Olympics, Rattie, Brickley

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As collective bargaining continues to progress between the NHL and NHLPA, one of the major issues still in discussions is the league’s participation in the Olympics. The NHL notably sat out the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, as the owners’ complaints included the extended break in the league season, the injury risk to star players, and the lack of value in the locale. With the first two arguments unchanging and the next two Games being held in Beijing, China and Milan, Italy, it is unlikely that the NHL Board has changed their stance on Olympic participation. However, there is a reason why “bargaining” is a key word in the CBA. If Olympic participation is a sticking point for the players, the NHL could use it as leverage in another area of negotiations. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr, and IIHF President Rene Fasel plan to meet in Sweden in two weeks during the NHL Global Series between the Buffalo Sabres and Tampa Bay Lightning in Stockholm. The trio of leaders will discuss the issues and options regarding the league’s Olympic participation, but there is unlikely to be a resolution from just the one meeting. Johnston calls the Olympic issue a “major hurdle” in CBA talks, so it could be that the upcoming summit is just the beginning of working toward an answer.

  • One of the more notable NHL players to sign in Europe this off-season is already out of a job. The KHL announced that Lokomotiv Yaroslavl has terminated the contract of forward Ty Rattie. It’s unclear if this was a mutual termination or if Rattie was cut from the team, but either way the 26-year-old winger will be looking for a new place to play. The news comes as a surprise, as Rattie has recorded nine points in 16 games for Lokomotiv and was part of a strong core group of former NHLers alongside Stephane Da Costa, Anton Lander, and Jakub Nakladal. The KHL is no stranger to payroll problems, which may have led to Rattie’s release, but one would think that the team could have traded him instead. Thus, it is more likely that Rattie requested his contract be terminated to go play elsewhere. After a career-high 50 NHL games with the Edmonton Oilers last season, it very well could be that Rattie feels he belongs in North America and has been waiting for an opportunity. Stay tuned to this story to see what comes next for the former second-round pick.
  • Going the other way is big, two-way forward Connor Brickley. Brickley had a difficult summer, failing to find an NHL contract despite a full season with the Florida Panthers in 2017-18 and a nice stretch run with the New York Rangers last year. On top of that, he failed to turn PTO’s with both the Rangers and their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, into a contract. As a result, Brickley has decided to take his talents to Germany. EC Salzburg of the Austrian-based EBEL has announced a one-year contract with Brickley. A high-scoring AHLer and a veteran of 81 NHL games, Brickley immediately becomes the most decorated player on the Red Bulls’ roster and should provide a major boost to the team this year. Brickley likely hopes that a dominant performance in the EBEL will be enough to garner more attention in North America next off-season.

Evgeny Kuznetsov Receives IIHF Suspension

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Washington Capitals forward has received a four-year suspension from the IIHF, banning him from all international hockey competitions due to a positive test for cocaine at the recent World Championships. Earlier this summer, a separate video was circulated which showed Kuznetsov in a hotel room beside an unidentified white powdered substance, but after denying he ever took illegal drugs and stating that the video was from 2018, he was cleared by the NHL. In light of this news, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly has released this statement:

We have been fully briefed by the IIHF with respect to the positive test result and related international sanction that has been imposed on Washington Capitals’ Player Evgeny Kuznetsov.

Unlike the IIHF, cocaine is not considered a performance enhancing drug and is therefore not a Prohibited Substance under the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program.  Instead, it is considered a drug of abuse that is tested for and for which intervention, evaluation and mandatory treatment can occur in appropriate cases.

Here, we understand that Mr. Kuznetsov has voluntarily sought help through the education and counseling program provided for in the NHL and NHLPA collective bargaining agreement and has agreed to a regular testing protocol relating to his involvement with that program.

Mr. Kuznetsov has also agreed to an in-person meeting with Commissioner Gary Bettman to discuss his situation and review his conduct prior to the start of Training Camp preceding the 2019-20 season. We intend to reserve further comment on any additional actions that may or may not be taken with respect to today’s announcement (disciplinary or otherwise) pending the completion of the Commissioner’s meeting with Mr. Kuznetsov.

Kuznetsov has not been suspended by the NHL and as of this moment is currently still able to take part in training camp next month. The team released a statement on this issue:

We are aware of the positive test result and related international sanction that has been imposed on Evgeny Kuznetsov. We are disappointed with this development and take this occurrence seriously. We understand that Evgeny has voluntarily sought help through the education and counseling program provided for in the NHL/NHLPA collective bargaining agreement and has agreed to a regular testing protocol relating to his involvement with that program. In addition, we are committed to ensuring he has the necessary support required to work through this situation. We will remain in contact with the NHL as they determine the next steps. Because of the sensitive nature surrounding this matter, there will be no further comment from us at this time.

Kuznetsov himself also released a statement through the team, explaining that he will accept the four-year suspension.

Recently, the IIHF notified me that, due to a positive test for a banned substance, I would be suspended from international competition for four years. I have made the decision to accept this penalty. Representing my country has always been so close to my heart and something I take so much pride in. Not being able to put that sweater on for four years is very hard to take. I have disappointed so many people that are important to me, including my family, teammates and friends. From the first day I took the ice in D.C., the Washington Capitals organization and our fans have been nothing but great to me and my family. I feel absolutely terrible for letting you down. I realize that the only way I can win you back is to take ownership of my situation and my actions from this point forward.

World Junior Summer Showcase Schedule

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While the hockey world waits for NHL training camps in a few months, draft gurus and prospect evaluators everywhere are getting ready to tune in to the World Junior Summer Showcase that starts this evening in Plymouth, Michigan. The two Team USA squads will take on each other and teams from Sweden and Finland before joining forces and taking on the rival Canadians. The full schedule is as follows:

All times central

July 26:

USA Blue vs USA White – 4:30pm

July 27:

USA White vs Finland – 12:00pm
USA Blue vs Sweden – 3:00pm

July 28:

USA Blue vs Finland – 12:00pm
USA White vs Sweden – 3:00pm

July 30:

Canada vs USA – 3:00pm

July 31:

Canada vs Finland – 12:00pm
USA vs Sweden – 3:00pm

August 2:

Sweden vs Canada – 12:00pm
Finland vs USA – 3:00pm

August 3:

Sweden vs Finland – 12:00pm
USA vs Canada – 3:00pm

This tournament will help the respective programs prepare for the next IIHF World Junior Championship which will be held in the Czech Republic starting on December 26th. It is also a great chance for players who were just drafted or aren’t eligible until next year to show off their skills to NHL fans that might have missed them so far. Several first round selections like Cole Caufield, John Beecher, Alex Turcotte and Cam York will be suiting up for the Blue squad, while the White team has Matthew Boldy, Trevor Zegras and returning players like Oliver Wahlstrom and K’Andre Miller.

There will also be plenty of attention placed on Canada’s roster, as potential 2020 first-overall pick Alexis Lafreniere is set to suit up. The 17-year old had 105 points for the Rimouski Oceanic in the QMJHL last season and is one of the players that you never want to take your eyes off of. If you want to know more about the future of Swedish hockey pay close attention to Lucas Raymond, who played ten games in the SHL last season despite only turning 17 in March. Raymond and teammate Alexander Holtz are both in early contention for the second overall pick, though there is still a long way to go before any decisions are made.

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