Snapshots: Laxdal, Clune, Klinkhammer
The OHL’s Oshawa Generals today named Derek Laxdal the 35th head coach in team history via a press release. Laxdal, 56, had spent the last eight seasons in the Dallas Stars organization. Before he was promoted midseason to the Stars’ NHL bench as an assistant coach in 2019-20, Laxdal was the head coach of the AHL’s Texas Stars from 2014-15 to 2019.
The news means that Dallas will indeed undergo a complete overhaul of their core coaching staff from last season. The organization replaced a pair of other assistants this offseason, hiring Alain Nasreddine and Steve Spott to replace Todd Nelson and John Stevens. For Laxdal, the news marks a return to the CHL after eight years, last serving there as the head coach of the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings from 2010 to 2014. His resume includes an ECHL Kelly Cup win in 2007 and ECHL Coach of the Year award in 2010 as the head coach of the Idaho Steelheads, a pair of WHL championships with the Oil Kings in 2012 and 2014, and a Memorial Cup championship in 2014.
- The AHL’s Toronto Marlies announced via Twitter today that captain and former NHLer Rich Clune has announced his retirement from professional hockey after 16 seasons, moving to a player development role with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Clune hadn’t played in the NHL since 2015-16 saw him play 19 games with the Maple Leafs, but since then, he’d been an alternate captain or captain for the Marlies, providing an important leadership voice and mentoring the Leafs’ prospects. Clune joins Toronto’s player development department headed by Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser.
- Former NHLer Rob Klinkhammer is returning to the Chicago Blackhawks organization as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs, per a team release. The news marks Klinkhammer’s retirement after he spent the last six seasons playing in the KHL. Klinkhammer, an undrafted free agent, played for Rockford from 2008-09 through 2011-12 and made his NHL debut with the Blackhawks in the 2010-11 season.
Snapshots: Tkachuk, Alberta Hockey Hall Of Fame, DiPietro
With Johnny Gaudreau‘s departure from the Calgary Flames organization, all eyes have turned to superstar Matthew Tkachuk and his future with the team. Currently, Tkachuk sits on the RFA market after unsurprisingly receiving a $9MM qualifying-offer from the Flames last week. Not much update has come since then on the 24-year-old’s situation until now, when it was revealed that Tkachuk declined to file for player-elected arbitration ahead of today’s deadline.
In light of the decision not to file, Flames Nation’s Ryan Pike believes the Flames will not elect arbitration on their end before tomorrow’s 5:00 pm ET deadline for teams to elect. Pike cites the fact that by doing so, the Flames would have to offer in arbitration, at the very least, the $9MM qualifying offer. Even still, the arbitrator in Tkachuk’s case could award a number higher than $9MM, perhaps the number Tkachuk were to file at, making arbitration all the more unpredictable at this point for Calgary. Not filing for arbitration will also keep the offer-sheet avenue open, which could pave the way to a long-term resolution for both player and team.
- Two familiar names are set to be inducted into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame this evening. Former NHL Head Coach Ken Hitchcock and former NHL goaltender and current Columbus Blue Jackets President of Hockey Operations John Davidson will join alongside Cassie Campbell-Pascall, Bill Bucyk, Bob Clark, Dr. Randy Gregg, Jamie Macoun and the 1974-75 Lethbridge Native Sons.
- According to CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal, the Vancouver Canucks have given goaltender Michael DiPietro and his agent, Darren Ferris, permission to talk with other teams to help facilitate a trade for the goaltender (link). Once a heralded goaltending prospect out of the OHL, DiPietro has yet to live up to the expectations set for him when Vancouver drafted him in the third-round in 2017. The goaltender had a strong 2019-20, his first full pro season, but dealt with injuries and limited playing time in 2020-21. He would rebound in 2021-22, but still hasn’t been able to pull himself back to the blue-chip status he once had. Even if DiPietro could make a full turnaround, he’ll find the net in Vancouver considerably blocked by that of 26-year-old star netminder Thatcher Demko, who is signed through 2025-26. A key distinction with this permission to talk to other teams is not to negotiate a contract, much like Anthony DeAngelo was allowed to do earlier this offseason, but to help find a trade to a destination that will work for DiPietro, with the goaltender having already accepted his qualifying offer yesterday.
Wayne Gretzky Purchases Minority Stake In Niagara IceDogs
The sale of the Niagara IceDogs has been unanimously approved by the OHL’s board of governors, transferring ownership from Bill and Denise Burke to a group that includes Wayne Gretzky. The majority owner will be Darren DeDobbelaer, a long-time minor hockey executive that also owns OJHL and GOJHL clubs in Brantford.
Gretzky (also from Brantford, a city about an hour west of St. Catharines, where the IceDogs play) released the following statement:
I’m really excited about being back in junior hockey and have always loved it. To be partnered with a fellow friend from Brantford is so exciting for all of us and we can’t wait to get started.
The sale follows 15 years of ownership by the Burkes but also serious suspensions handed out in April to general manager Joey Burke and head coach Billy Burke, for inappropriate comments made in a group messaging conversation. The two were banned from the league until June 1, 2024, when they could apply for reinstatement. Niagara was also fined $150,000 for the incident.
The IceDogs have experienced two losing seasons in a row (sandwiched around the canceled 2020-21 campaign) but have some promising young players that could help turn things around in the next few years.
Prospect Notes: Beck, Nelson, Lucius, Guhle
Hockey Canada has made some changes to their National Junior Team summer development camp roster, from which the organization will select their contingent for the 2023 World Junior Championship in December. In lieu of San Jose Sharks defense prospect Gannon Laroque being unable to participate due to injury, Hockey Canada has added a pair of 2022 draft-eligible prospects in forward Owen Beck and defenseman Ty Nelson to their list.
Beck, ranked 33rd in TSN’s Bob McKenzie’s final scouting poll, netted 51 points in 68 games for the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads in 2021-22. The public opinion on him is rather skewed, with some listing Beck in the mid-to-late first while some have him deep within the second round. Regardless, he’s one of the better OHLers available in this year’s class. He’ll rely on his strong skating and transitional play to try and improbably work his way onto the final roster. Nelson, who hails from the OHL’s North Bay Battalion, was ranked 50th in McKenzie’s consensus rankings after a 51-point season.
- A second Lucius brother has officially left the University of Minnesota program. 2022-eligible Cruz Lucius, the younger sibling of Winnipeg Jets prospect Chaz Lucius, has switched his college commitment to rival Wisconsin. Cruz’s draft stock was hurt by injury this season, but he still managed eight points in six games for the U.S. at the U18 World Juniors and 25 points in 33 games with the U.S. National Development Team Program. If McKenzie’s consensus rankings are a proper indication, he’s slated to hear his name called in the mid-to-late third round.
- Anaheim Ducks defense prospect Brendan Guhle won’t be staying in North America for 2022-23 after signing a contract with the DEL’s Eisbären Berlin. Guhle, originally selected 51st overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2015, will still belong to the Ducks organization if they issue the pending restricted free agent a qualifying offer. Guhle has just 65 NHL games to his name at this point, tallying 14 points. He had just seven points in 37 games last season in the AHL with San Diego.
Saint John Sea Dogs Win 2022 Memorial Cup
For the first time since 2019, the CHL’s Memorial Cup has been awarded, this time to the tournament-host Saint John Sea Dogs, who defeated the Hamilton Bulldogs by a score of 6-3 this evening to win the 2022 Memorial Cup. Saint John’s run was one of the more interesting ones, the team taking an impressive 44-17-4 regular season record into the playoffs, falling to the Rimouski Oceanic in the first round. As the host, Saint John was nonetheless awarded a spot in the final four of the Memorial Cup, along with the OHL Champion Hamilton Bulldogs, the QMJHL Champion Shawinigan Cataractes, and the WHL Champion Edmonton Oil Kings.
However, after the impressive season, Saint John and GM Trevor Georgie made the decision to fire Head Coach Gordie Dwyer, hiring University of New Brunswick coach Gardiner MacDougall. That choice, met with some question marks, ended up paying dividends for Saint John, who have taken the CHL’s ultimate prize, the first host team to win the tournament since the Windsor Spitfires did so in 2017.
The Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy for the tournament’s Most Valuable Player was awarded to Saint John’s William Dufour, who’s seven goals lead the tournament and was one shy for most all-time in a single tournament. This wasn’t Dufour’s first MVP this season, having won the QMJHL’s MVP award for the 2021-22 regular season as well after putting up an incredible 56 goals and 60 assists in just 66 games. A fifth-round pick of the New York Islanders in 2020, Dufour has elevated his prospect status this season and could be destined for a pro debut in the Islanders organization next season after signing his ELC in April.
Minor Notes: Cross, Chaulk, Henault
The 2021-22 campaign was an extremely successful one for the Springfield Thunderbirds, who fell just short of winning the 2022 Calder Cup. Newly affiliated with the St. Louis Blues, the Thunderbirds made the Calder Cup Final in the first season this iteration of the Springfield AHL franchise even made the playoffs.
Now, the team announced today that the man who captained them there is sticking around. Veteran defenseman Tommy Cross is staying in Springfield on a one-year AHL contract, continuing what’s been a long minor-league career for him. Now 32, the Connecticut native was a 2007 second-round pick of the Boston Bruins who, although he didn’t get a solid NHL role, stayed in the organization until 2018. He did get into four NHL games (three regular-season, one playoff) in Boston, registering a combined two assists. He was a captain in their organization as well, serving in the role for Providence from 2015-2018. One of the most well-respected leaders in the minors, Cross will get another chance at lifting the Calder Cup for the first time.
- Colin Chaulk stepped into the head coaching role for the Bakersfield Condors when Jay Woodcroft got the call-up to Edmonton mid-season. Today, Bakersfield announced he’ll be sticking around, stripping away the interim tag and naming him the ninth head coach in team history. The Condors won their best-of-three First Round series against the Abbotsford Canucks, but were swept 3-0 in the Division Semifinals by the Stockton Heat.
- The Baby Rangers are making moves. Via a team release, the Hartford Wolf Pack announced a one-year AHL contract for defenseman Louka Henault. The 2001-born Henault is an undrafted free agent, and after serving as the captain of the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires last season, will head to Hartford professionally. In his last season of juniors, Henault scored eight goals, 57 assists, and 65 points in 63 regular-season games, adding 16 points in 25 playoff games.
Edmonton Oil Kings Eliminated From 2022 Memorial Cup
With the round-robin set to close tomorrow at the 2022 Memorial Cup, one team already knows its fate. The WHL champion Edmonton Oil Kings are out of the top Canadian junior tournament, dropping their third game of the round-robin 4-2 against the OHL champion Hamilton Bulldogs.
The host Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL will play their league champion, the Shawinigan Cataractes, tomorrow. The winner of that game will advance directly to the 2022 Memorial Cup Final on June 29, while the loser will face Hamilton in the semi-final on Monday.
Edmonton bows out of the tournament without a regulation win. Their two points in the standings came courtesy of a 4-3 overtime win against Saint John.
It’s a shocking exit for the WHL champion, who terrorized the league with a 50-14-4 record during the regular season. But their offense was stricken heavily when it was announced that leading scorer Dylan Guenther, a 2021 first-round selection of the Arizona Coyotes, would miss the tournament due to injury. Still, the squad had a strong core with NHL prospects Sebastian Cossa (Detroit Red Wings) in goal, Kaiden Guhle (Montreal Canadiens) and Luke Prokop (Nashville Predators) on defense, and Jake Neighbours (St. Louis Blues) and Justin Sourdif (Florida Panthers) rounding out an all-star lineup. The team’s depth was nothing to scoff at either, with multiple other NHL prospects and WHL veterans playing big roles.
The WHL’s streak of Memorial Cup losses, which dates back now to 2014 with the Oil Kings, will continue.
Morning Notes: Nichushkin, Montgomery, Memorial Cup
One of the most under-the-radar redemption stories over the past few seasons in the NHL has been Valeri Nichushkin. A top-10 choice of the Dallas Stars in 2013, Nichushkin struggled with consistency in his early years in Dallas, leading him to return to his native Russia for two seasons after the expiry of his entry-level contract. The Stars then signed him to a two-year, $5.9MM contract prior to the 2018-19 season to bring him back to the NHL. However, after scoring no goals and just 10 assists in 57 games in 2018-19, the Stars bought out the second year of his contract, making him an unrestricted free agent. The Avalanche took a chance on him in free agency, inking him to a one-year deal worth $850,000. His offensive production rebounded but, perhaps most importantly, he started growing his reputation as one of the best defensive wingers in the NHL among the analytics community. It earned him a contract extension which paid off in a big way for Colorado this year, with Nichushkin providing 25 goals and 52 points in 62 games with just a $2.5MM cap hit.
That type of production along with his defensive reputation is sure to earn Nichushkin a solid chunk of change this summer. However, Bally Sports Midwest’s Andy Strickland reports that Nichushkin and the Avalanche discussed a contract extension earlier in the season, but the two sides weren’t close to an agreement. Now 27 and an unrestricted free agent off a strong contract year, this is the best chance Nichushkin will have to capitalize financially. It would surprise few if the Avalanche can’t afford to retain him, especially as the team needs to prioritize their goaltending uncertainty and a contract extension for Nathan MacKinnon.
- Strickland is also confirming this morning that the Winnipeg Jets have interviewed former Dallas Stars head coach and current St. Louis Blues assistant Jim Montgomery for their head coaching vacancy. While most have linked the Jets most strongly with top free-agent coach Barry Trotz, it’s no guarantee that he takes the job (or any job) this summer. Dallas fired Montgomery just a few months into the 2019-20 season for “inappropriate conduct,” leading Montgomery to seek residential treatment for alcohol abuse. Montgomery found a job with the Blues for the following two seasons, mainly as a power-play coach. The Athletic’s Murat Ates reported last week that Montgomery was Winnipeg’s current second choice to Trotz. Montgomery has also been linked to the Philadelphia Flyers’ coaching vacancy this offseason.
- The field for the 2022 Memorial Cup, which begins next week in Saint John, New Brunswick, is nearly set. After both winning their respective league championships, the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings and QMJHL’s Shawinigan Cataractes will join the host Saint John Sea Dogs at the tournament. The fourth and final spot will go to the winner of tomorrow’s Game 7 in the OHL finals between the Hamilton Bulldogs and Windsor Spitfires.
Snapshots: League Calendar, Stars, Quick, Walker
Over the last couple of summers, the NHL has been forced to modify its schedule which has resulted in free agency starting late the last two years. Last summer, it was July 28th while it will be July 13th this time around. As Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link), the league plans to get back to a typical league calendar for 2022-23 which would see the start of free agency next summer come on July 1st.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Stars GM Jim Nill told Saad Yousef of The Athletic (subscription link) that the team plans to address their right-defense situation this summer. John Klingberg is a pending UFA that will need to be re-signed or replaced while Jani Hakanpaa is their other right-shot option. Nill is a proponent of having three lefties and three righties on the back end so don’t be surprised if Dallas is on the lookout for another right-shot rearguard even if they’re able to keep Klingberg in the fold.
- As we get close to the annual goaltending carousel around the NHL, Eric Duhatschek of The Athletic suggests (subscription link) that Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick should be garnering some attention as a possible candidate to move. After reclaiming the starting role this season, the 36-year-old helped lead Los Angeles back to the playoffs. Quick is down to just one year left on his contract so for a team that’s looking for a short-term addition to try to stabilize the situation between the pipes, he could be a viable option.
- After recently stepping aside as an assistant coach in Vancouver, Scott Walker has found his next job as Guelph of the OHL announced that they’ve hired Walker as their new head coach. Walker was the president of hockey operations for the Storm last season and had previously been a co-owner and head coach of the team so this was a decision that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.
Wyatt Johnston Named OHL Most Outstanding Player
Despite a disappointing playoff exit, a coaching departure, and some key names hitting free agency, there are still things for the Dallas Stars to look forward to. One of those things is Wyatt Johnston, the team’s 2021 first-round pick and superstar for the Windsor Spitfires. Today, Johnston was named the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player, taking home the Red Tilson Trophy, after leading the league in scoring.
Johnston, 19, was the 23rd overall pick in 2021, and like so many other prospects had missed the entire 2020-21 season because of the OHL shutdown. His training in the year off must have been spectacular, as he went from scoring 30 points in 53 games during his rookie season to 124 points in 68 games this year. It didn’t stop at the end of the regular season either; Johnston leads the OHL in playoff scoring with 37 points in 21 games and has his Spitfires up 2-1 in the league final.
Incredibly, that breakout season did not include an invitation to Team Canada’s World Junior team, something that will likely be rectified if given the chance when the event is rescheduled this summer. Of course, Johnston may also have bigger plans on his mind when August rolls around.
Like many other star draft picks, there will be a big decision for the Stars when next season starts. Johnston cannot be loaned to the AHL on a full-time basis because of his age (he only turned 19 a few weeks ago), meaning it’s either the NHL or the OHL in 2022-23. With his Windsor head coach Marc Savard getting linked to Dallas’ coaching search, perhaps the former is a real possibility for the young forward.
It’s hard to fathom what he could do if he returned for another year, seeing as the OHL already couldn’t contain him this season. Already signed to his entry-level contract, he’ll be able to play in nine games before burning the first year of the deal.