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NHL

Evgeny Kuznetsov Undecided On KHL Amid NHL Interest

July 23, 2024 at 5:51 pm CDT | by Gabriel Foley 12 Comments

Former Carolina Hurricanes forward Evgeny Kuznetsov is still deciding his next step after passing through waivers and becoming a free agent. His agent, Shumi Babayev, shared with Olsya Usova of Russia’s RB Sport that Kuznetsov hasn’t ruled out a new NHL contract. Babayev shared that 15 NHL clubs were still showing interest, adding, “[Kuznetsov] just wants to play hockey and be trusted. He still has the ability to play for many years to come. Kuznetsov is in good physical shape… If there was interest in those teams that count on him and let him show his best qualities, he would also consider them.

Kuznetsov’s storied career with the Washington Capitals came to a stall this season, leading to a Trade Deadline move to the Carolina Hurricanes. But that didn’t seem to inspire much, with Kuznetsov managing just 13 points across 30 games with Carolina, combining the regular season and playoffs. A request for another change of scenery has led Kuznetsov to free agency, and while he is reportedly hearing out NHL offers, previous reports have him set on a move to the KHL. Kuznetsov would be returning to an established career at Russia’s top-flight, having already appeared in 210 games and scored 124 points with Chelyabinsk Traktor between 2009 and 2014.

His illustrious KHL scoring led directly to top-end production with the Capitals. Kuznetsov is a veteran of four 70-point seasons, carving out a strong role as the gut punch behind Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin’s one-two. That trio reached a peak in the 2017-18 season, carrying Washington to its first Stanley Cup in tandem with Braden Holtby’s shutdown goaltending. It was a career-year in every respect for Kuznetsov, who finished with 27 goals and 83 points in 79 games. He’s flirted with that production a few more times since the Cup win, including notching 72 points in 2019 and 78 in 2022. But he’s struggled to achieve the consistency he had at his peak – proving to be a major flaw as his other intangibles have started to decline.

But Kuznetsov is proving persistent, with his agent urging that the forward believes he has more to give. He’s still 32 years old and carries the invaluable experience of 743 career regular season games – and 97 playoff games. Babayev shared that Kuznetsov’s team will hear out pitches, but a KHL move still feels like the right next step. He reasoned, “Most likely, he is moving towards playing in the KHL. The man wants to play hockey and have fun, be useful and win. There are many factors here.”

It’s rare to see such a top producer on the open market so late into July. What’s more, Kuznetsov isn’t likely to command much cap after a contract termination in Carolina. But it seems NHL teams will need to have a pitch that really wows if they want to reel in the former point-per-game scorer.

Carolina Hurricanes| Free Agency| KHL| NHL| Newsstand| Waivers| Washington Capitals Evgeny Kuznetsov

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Five Key Stories: 7/15/24 – 7/21/24

July 21, 2024 at 9:00 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

While activity around the NHL has largely slowed down with the offseason in full swing, there was still some notable news across the league.  Here’s a rundown of the top stories from the past seven days.

Sprong To Vancouver: With Joe Pavelski making his previously-reported retirement official, Daniel Sprong was the highest-scoring free agent remaining after a whirlwind first few days of free agency.  It took a while but an agreement finally came together as he signed a one-year, $975K contract with the Canucks.  The 27-year-old recorded his second straight season of 40-plus points in 2023-24, picking up 18 goals and 25 assists in 43 games with Detroit but wound up having to settle for less than half of his previous $2MM contract.  Sprong will likely be used in a familiar role with Vancouver, one that sees him playing in their bottom six as he should slot in behind Brock Boeser and Conor Garland on the right side.

Done For The Year Already? The Blues could be without veteran defenseman Torey Krug for the entire 2024-25 season.  The team announced that they detected pre-arthritic conditions in his left ankle stemming from a fractured ankle earlier in his career.  The 33-year-old will spend the next couple of months undergoing physical therapy that will focus on pain relief, strengthening, and range-of-motion exercises to see if the joints in his ankle can stabilize enough to return to the ice.  Krug had 39 points in 77 games for St. Louis last season and has three years remaining on his contract with a $6.5MM AAV.

Five For Byfield: Instead of working out a long-term agreement or a bridge contract, the Kings and forward Quinton Byfield split the difference; the two sides worked out a five-year, $31.25MM contract.  The deal contains a 10-team no-trade clause in 2028-29, the only year he was eligible for one.  The 21-year-old had a breakout effort last season, recording 20 goals and 35 assists in 80 games while becoming a full-time top-six forward.  With the signing, Los Angeles gains one extra year of club control on Byfield who will be UFA-eligible when the contract expires in 2029 and if he picks up from where he left off, this could be a team-friendly pact fairly quickly.

Kuznetsov Leaves Carolina: The Hurricanes now have one less forward on their roster after center Evgeny Kuznetsov requested to terminate the final year of his contract.  He subsequently cleared unconditional waivers and was released.  Kuznetsov was limited to just 24 points between Washington and Carolina last season while also spending time in the Player Assistance Program.  He walks away from what would have been a $6MM base salary and it’s widely expected he’ll sign in the KHL.  Carolina, meanwhile, did keep a different forward around as they reached a two-year, $3.45MM agreement with forward Jack Drury, avoiding salary arbitration.

Trouba Staying Put: After plenty of trade speculation around the draft, it appears that defenseman Jacob Trouba will be staying with the Rangers after all.  Following a report of a possible trade to Detroit, Arthur Staple of The Athletic relayed that the deal wasn’t as close as suggested and that GM Chris Drury has reached out to Trouba to do some fence-mending following the speculation.  Trouba has made it known that he does not want to leave New York but his no-movement clause shifted to a 15-team no-trade clause on July 1st.  He has two years left on his contract with an $8MM cap charge.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NHL Week In Review

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Snapshots: Blue Jackets Coaching, Laine, Ekman-Larsson

July 21, 2024 at 2:41 pm CDT | by Gabriel Foley 1 Comment

The Columbus Blue Jackets should be nearing the end of their head coaching search, per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, who shares that he expects a decision to be made before August 1st (Twitter link). Portzline later added that Dean Evason and Jay Woodcroft seem to be the final sparring pair and that the team is running out of time to handle the logistics of hiring a new leader.

Woodcroft and Evason are both coming off midseason dismissals last year. Woodcroft was replaced in Edmonton by rookie head coach Kris Knoblauch, who proceeded to carry the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Finals. John Hynes, Evanson’s successor, didn’t have as much success in taking over the Minnesota Wild – though still improving on Evason’s 5-10-4 start to the season. But aside from that similarity, the two candidates couldn’t be more different. Woodcroft, 47, is just three years into his NHL head coaching career, after leading the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors to a championship in 2021. He’s shown off a sharp and strategic eye, while Evason has proven more grizzled and old-school – traits he honed over a 13-year playing career in the NHL. They’ll take Columbus’ young and promising lineup down very different paths, leaving general manager Don Waddell with a tough choice on what he sees working best for his new roster.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Don Waddell will also face the imposing trade of high-scoring winger Patrik Laine before the start of next season. But the process is currently at a standstill, shares Portzline, as interested teams wait for Laine to clear the NHL Player’s Association before they meet with him. The team is still expected to part ways with Laine before the start of next season, but the timeline of a move will remain murky until he’s fully available.
  • Reigning Stanley Cup-winning defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson called his decision to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs a “gut feeling” in an interview with Craig Morgan of GoPHNX.com, adding “I’ve always liked coming in there as an away team, playing in that building. It’s always special,” the blue-liner continued. “Obviously, there’s a lot of history in the organization and I feel like they have a really good team that has a chance to do something special as well.” Ekman-Larsson is coming off a resurgent year with the Panthers, posting 32 points across 80 games and looking much more reliable than in his pair of seasons with the Vancouver Canucks. His best years are certainly behind him, but Ekman-Larsson should offer stout puck-moving ability out of a third-pair role in Toronto – hopefully boosting much-needed consistency out of the team’s depth options.

Columbus Blue Jackets| NHL| Snapshots| Toronto Maple Leafs Dean Evason| Jay Woodcroft| Oliver Ekman-Larsson| Patrik Laine

1 comment

Blue Jackets RFA Kirill Marchenko Still Awaiting Offer

July 20, 2024 at 8:55 pm CDT | by Gabriel Foley 2 Comments

The Columbus Blue Jackets are entering the dog days of July with a long list of chores still not done, including four remaining restricted free agents. New general manager Don Waddell has shared that the team is solely focused on finding their next head coach, but the dragging negotiations have started to get to forward Kirill Marchenko, who voiced his unease to Daria Tuboltseva of Responsible Gambling. Marchenko said he hasn’t yet spoken with Waddell, adding, “I haven’t received any worthy offers yet, so I can’t say for sure… I’m considering both a long-term and a bridge contract, but I prefer the process to move faster.”

Marchenko went on to describe the 2023-24 season as up-and-down, both in his feelings with the Blue Jackets and his performance on the ice. He managed a career year despite the mixed feelings, recording a team-leading 23 goals and a third-ranked 42 points in 78 games. It was his first full year with the Blue Jackets, after spending last season – his first year in North America – split between the NHL and AHL lineups. He showed off unusually high goal-scoring as a rookie as well, potting 21 goals and just four assists through his first 59 NHL games.

And while Marchenko improved that imbalance this year, he’s still hard to project beyond next season. On the one hand, he’s managed two 20-goal seasons in the first two years of his career – impressive for any rookie, especially one on the desolate Blue Jackets. But he’s also shooting at a gaudy 13.6 percent through 137 career games, tied with Patrik Laine for the highest of any active Blue Jacket. Columbus signed a heap of prospects to entry-level deals at the end of the season, including Gavin Brindley and Luca Del Bel Belluz, who received their NHL debuts. That burgeoning prospect pool gives Waddell a unique challenge ahead – with plenty of young and promising forwards deserving ice time and core pieces Kent Johnson, Cole Sillinger, and Marchenko still left unsigned.

Columbus Blue Jackets| NHL| RFA Kirill Marchenko

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AHL Notes: Weissbach, Penguins, Wolf Pack

July 20, 2024 at 7:12 pm CDT | by Gabriel Foley Leave a Comment

Free agent forward Linus Weissbach has signed with Frölunda HC of the SHL. Weissbach was a Group-VI UFA with the Sabres, effectively moving to unrestricted free agency after not receiving a qualifying offer from the team before July 1st.

This move returns Weissbach to his hometown of Göteborg, Sweden, where Weissbach grew up through the Frölunda pipeline. He made his debut with the organization’s top club in 2016, though he only played in one game before moving to North America and pursuing a four-year career with the University of Wisconsin. He graduated college in 2021 and has since spent the last three seasons with the Rochester Americans, accumulating 117 points across 191 games in the minor leagues. But despite consistent production and a stout role in Rochester’s top-six, Weissbach was never the top option for a call-up, losing standing to more robust minor leaguers like Lukas Rousek and Brett Murray, and more recently bumped out by prospects like Jiri Kulich and Isak Rosen.

With that logjam only increasing after Buffalo’s successful 2024 NHL Draft, Weissbach will change his focus to pursuing a career with his hometown club. Frölunda’s sporting director Fredrik Sjöström shared his excitement for the move, saying, “We have lost two offensively skilled players in [Malte Strömwall] and [Jere Innala]. We wanted to bring in offensive skill and “Weiss” is just that. He is a skilled forward with good speed and plays like a pattern breaker. He fits what we wanted. We’ve been on him for a while and knew we needed to wait for some other parameters before he could choose us (Linus has been a free agent in North America). But he did and we are happy about that, says Fredrik Sjöström, sports director.”

Other notes out of the minor leagues:

  • The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have added Nick Luukko as an assistant coach. Luukko, 32, has spent the last three seasons as the head coach and Director of Hockey Operations for the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen, leading the team to the postseason in each year, though they never made it past the second round. He earned the role with Jacksonville just two seasons after ending his own playing career – which spanned 274 ECHL games – after just one season as an ECHL assistant coach. He’ll now fast-track to the next level, joining a Penguins organization in the midst of cycling out much of their org chart.
  • The Hartford Wolf Pack have hired Brendan Burke as a goaltending coach. Burke has spent the last two seasons as a goaltending coach for his former youth and junior hockey teams – the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes and Portland Winterhawks. He earned an NHL Draft selection with Portland in 2012-13, hearing his name called in the sixth round by his hometown Phoenix Coyotes. Burke is the son of legendary NHL goaltender Sean Burke, who is now serving as Vegas’ Director of Goaltending.

AHL| Buffalo Sabres| ECHL| NHL| New York Rangers| Pittsburgh Penguins| Players| SHL Brendan Burke| Linus Weissbach| Nick Luukko

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Sabres’ Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen An Emerging Starter Amid Competition

July 19, 2024 at 7:43 pm CDT | by Gabriel Foley 7 Comments

The Buffalo Sabres faced an exciting question entering the 2023-24 season – “how high will Devon Levi climb?” It seemed like Levi was set for certain stardom coming off a historically good collegiate career, with some even claiming him as a pre-season favorite for the Calder Trophy opposite Connor Bedard. But Levi’s first full year of pro hockey proved to be much more human than anticipated, and it was Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen who stole Buffalo’s starting role while Levi split time between the NHL backup and AHL starter roles. Luukkonen performed well in the spotlight, managing 27 wins, a .910 save percentage, and five shutouts while handling a commendable 54 games. Now, nearly a month into the off-season, Luukkonen sits as an unsigned restricted free agent and Buffalo faces a new, much bleaker question: “who is our starter?”

The clearest answer seems to be Luukkonen, who’s still just 25 years old and coming off a year that would make any starter proud. It’s been a long march for the Finnish netminder, who struggled to find his footing through his first three years in North American pros. He kicked off his career by earning an AHL promotion on the back of 23 strong ECHL games, though he’d stall out with the Rochester Americans, ultimately recording a bleak .894 save percentage in 60 AHL games between the start of the 2018-19 and the end of the 2021-22 seasons.

But injuries forced Buffalo to recall Luukkonen twice in 2021, ultimately awarding him the first 13 NHL games of his career. He performed well in the spot starts, managing a .913 save percentage despite winning just three games. That was a bright enough flash to earn him a share of backup minutes in the 2022-23 campaign – an opportunity that he took in stride. In a reverse of his early stat line, Luukkonen found strong success in the win column despite a sub-.900 save percentage, posting a team-leading 17 wins and standing as the only Sabres goaltender with a winning record that year. His winning tendencies and strong stat lines merged in the starting role this year, ultimately leading to a season that was hard to ignore. Luukkonen’s 27 wins stand as the most of any Sabres goaltender since Ryan Miller in 2012, and his .910 save percentage is the team’s highest since Robin Lehner in 2017.

Simply put, it’s been a while since Buffalo has seen a goalie season as capable as Luukkonen’s 2023-24 campaign. The team now faces the dreaded task of putting a price to the starring performance, without much supplementary info to go on. Levi’s presence only makes Buffalo’s decision harder. The 22-year-old top prospect managed a .899 save percentage in 23 games as an NHL rookie this season – certainly nothing to bluff at – and a .927 in 26 AHL games – the second-highest save percentage in the minors. Levi still carries a blue chip, even if his highly-anticipated rookie year fell short of the history books. Any long-term extension for Luukkonen would have to consider Levi’s rightful shot at opportunity. And while Buffalo can dream of a perfectly balanced duo akin to Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman, it seems more likely that each of Luukonen and Levi’s success comes on the back of a consistent role.

So what could a new deal look like for Luukkonen – and what kind of time share is awaiting him? Thatcher Demko is currently riding a five-year, $25MM extension earned after a pair of limited but promising seasons with the Vancouver Canucks where he managed 29 wins and a .910 save percentage across 62 games. That falls closely in line with Luukkonen’s strong 2023-24, though Demko carried the prestige of a higher draft pick and stronger track record. The Sabres could instead vie for a deal more comparable to Alexandar Georgiev – who joined the Colorado Avalanche on a three-year, $10.2MM deal in 2022 after holding well in the New York Rangers backup role. Like Demko and Luukkonen, Georgiev’s deal came with little to go on, save for a strong stat line in limited minutes.

Unfortunately for the Sabres, both Demko and Georgiev followed their signings with 60-game seasons – and both performed well with the opportunity. That precedent, and Buffalo’s plea for strong consistency in net after so long without it, could force the Sabres to commit to a full year of Luukkonen. That would set them up for a situation more closely related to Nashville’s than Boston’s, with a top-end, young goaltender burgeoning out of the AHL starter role, but an all-too-capable starter hogging the limelight. Or the Sabres may bridge the gap between the two teams – a benefit of a nearby AHL team – finding ways to incorporate Levi into the lineup whenever available, while still honoring Luukkonen’s deserved chance at a full-time role. Either way, the team’s vision for their goaltending will be spelled out by the contract they sign Luukkonen to – and it will be a decision with major ramifications.

Buffalo Sabres| NHL| Pro Hockey Rumors Originals Devon Levi| Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

7 comments

Snapshots: Sprong, Misiak, Julien

July 19, 2024 at 6:10 pm CDT | by Gabriel Foley 2 Comments

The Vancouver Canucks are among the teams interested in free agent winger Daniel Sprong, shares Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK News (Twitter link). Sprong is the top remaining free agent from PHR’s Top 50 Unrestricted Free Agents.

Sprong has fought his way into NHL legitimacy over the last two seasons, kicked off with a breakout 2022-23 with the Seattle Kraken. He recorded career-highs across the board – netting 21 goals, 25 assists, and 46 points in 66 games despite a measly role on Seattle’s third line. It was a flash-in-the-pan season for the veteran Sprong, who had only managed 70 points in 202 career games up to that point. And he held onto the scoring through a move to the Detroit Red Wings last summer, netting 18 goals and 43 points despite averaging just 12 minutes of ice time. He’s seemingly proven his ability to produce in a depth role, though it’s hard to ignore the long streak of struggles that started his career. Now 28, Sprong doesn’t seem destine for a long-term deal, though he could prove a valuable late-market add for a Canucks team in need of boost down their wings.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Chicago Blackhawks prospect Martin Misiak is expected to return to the OHL next season shares Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link). Misiak played through his first year in the OHL this season, netting 23 goals and 47 points in 60 games with the Erie Otters. He signed his entry-level contract with the Hawks at the end of Erie’s season, coupling the deal with an amateur try-out in the AHL. But it seems he’s now quite ready to jump to the pros, instead focused on finding another layer of scoring after a meager debut in the OHL.
  • The St. Louis Blues are sitting happy with their addition of long-time NHL head coach Claude Julien, who joined the team as an assistant coach last June. Blues general manager Doug Armstrong compared the hire to when Larry Robinson, an NHL Hall-of-Famer, joined Craig Berube’s coaching staff ahead of the team’s 2019 Stanley Cup win, telling Lou Korac of NHL.com that he hopes this move will have similar long-term ramifications. He said, “The experience Larry Robinson showed a young staff, it was really impressive. I think Claude’s at a portion of his life now where I think accepting this is easier and seeing the joy of working with young coaches and making them better, sharing his experiences, sharing his experiences with players.” Julien, a 19-year veteran of NHL head coaching, seems set on maintaining his mentoring role in St. Louis, as the team promotes up-and-coming coaches in Drew Bannister and Steve Ott.

AHL| Chicago Blackhawks| Erie Otters| NHL| OHL| Snapshots| St. Louis Blues| Vancouver Canucks Claude Julien| Daniel Sprong| Martin Mišiak

2 comments

Snapshots: MHL, Arbitration, ESPN

July 19, 2024 at 1:39 pm CDT | by Josh Cybulski 10 Comments

The KHL will be testing a new backcourt violation rule in their junior hockey league, the MHL (Twitter link). The rule that will come into effect for the 2024-25 season will forbid players from skating the puck back to their side of center in overtime more than one time. A first violation will cause a stoppage in play and the team guilty of the backcourt violation will see a faceoff occur in their defensive zone. Any additional violation in overtime will cause a minor penalty to be called.

The trial run will be interesting to watch as there have been calls for this type of rule in North America, although no change to the rule is pending. NHL clubs have been utilizing their defensive zone in recent years as a reset during overtime and it has made 3 on 3 overtime in the NHL far less exciting than it was when it was first introduced.

In other news from around the hockey world:

  • David Alter of The Hockey News is reporting that the NHLPA has taken a new approach to arbitration hearings, opting not to release a full schedule ahead of the hearings. The news makes sense given that very little information is available about the scheduled hearings and they will begin tomorrow. The pivot means that fans won’t know about the time and date of hearings until an arbitrator has decided the outcome or the team and player have settled before arbitration. Arbitration can be contentious between teams and their players and might be something that is looked at the next time the NHL and NHLPA renegotiate the collective bargaining agreement.
  • ESPN released a list ranking the top 100 professional athletes of this century. The list was largely absent of hockey players but there were a handful that made the cut. It isn’t shocking to see so few players on their list but keep in mind that this is the network that owns a lot of NHL distribution rights and streaming rights at the moment. Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby topped this list for hockey players, finishing 22nd, while Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin was 54th, and Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid finished a shocking 98th.

KHL| NHL Alex Ovechkin| Connor McDavid| Sidney Crosby

10 comments

Predators Sign Adam Wilsby

July 18, 2024 at 6:04 pm CDT | by Gabriel Foley Leave a Comment

The Nashville Predators have signed defender Adam Wilsby to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will carry a $775K salary at the NHL level.

Nashville drafted Wilsby in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Draft, selecting him in his final year of eligibility after a strong season with Sodertalje SK of the HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second-tier league. Wilsby recorded 30 points in 41 games that year, helping Sodertalje earn promotion to the SHL and following the performance up with two strong seasons at the top flight to help keep them there.

With a successful run in Sweden in the rearview, Wilsby signed an uncommon two-year entry-level contract with the Predators in 2022. But he struggled to carry his momentum over from Sweden, posting just 18 points as an AHL rookie, though he did play in all 72 games. He also appeared in 16 postseason games, where a quicker pace boosted him to a productive eight points. He improved to 21 points in 61 games this season, though still seems far from finding the comfortable footing he had in the SHL.

Still, there’s reason to be excited about Wilsby’s stout control of the blue line and ability to spark transition. He’s a young defender who seems to have more to give and will get a chance to prove his worth to the Predators next season, fighting for a much hardier NHL deal next summer.

AHL| NHL| Nashville Predators| Transactions Adam Wilsby

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Flames To Begin Building New Arena

July 17, 2024 at 4:15 pm CDT | by Gabriel Foley 9 Comments

The Calgary Flames are expected to reveal plans for, and finally break ground on, a new arena this coming Monday, shares Sportsnet’s Eric Francis (Twitter link). Francis adds that the Flames’ new stomping grounds will include 18,000 seats, a community rink, indoor and outdoor event plazas, and a parking deck. The new arena will cost $926MM and be built two blocks north of the current Saddledome, with the hope of being operational for the 2027-28 season.

Sportsnet adds that $330MM of the funds for this arena will come from the Alberta government, who also plan to demolish the existing Saddledome as a part of their plans.

This news finally puts into motion the Flames’ move out of the Scotiabank Saddledome, where they’ve played since 1983. It stands alongside Madison Square Garden as the two oldest arenas in the league – with the Saddledome not receiving major renovations since 1995.

That’s beginning to change, with the team set to receive a new scoreboard this summer, though the Saddledome is still missing many of the amenities that had the Flames pushing for a new arena in 2017. The team could not reach an agreement with the city at the time, sparking strong comments from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who said in an interview with TSN, “This building was built in the 1980s, they don’t build buildings like this any more… it’s historic in many ways. But these aren’t the facilities that our hockey teams typically have.” Bettman’s comments came amid Detroit’s move to Little Caesars Arena and Seattle’s bid for the top-of-the-line Climate Pledge Arena.

Calgary will now join the list of top-end facilities, though they’ll be leaving a truly incredible arena behind. The Saddledome’s sloped roof and expansive, high-ceiling interior made it quickly iconic. It would enter hockey legend within a decade of being built, after hosting parts of the 1988 Winter Olympics and the 1989 Stanley Cup-winning Calgary Flames. The arena, which also hosts the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers and WHL’s Calgary Hitmen, has stood as a testament to hockey’s history in Calgary – giving any new build a hefty past to live up to.

Calgary Flames| NHL

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