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Evening Notes: Olympics, Smith, Laine

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On TSN’s Insider Trading today, Pierre LeBrun relayed some of the reservations the NHL might be having about a potential NHL return to Olympic hockey participation in 2026. The NHL hasn’t taken part in the Olympics since the 2014 Sochi Olympics in Russia, a tournament in which Canada took gold. The league did not participate in the events in 2018 and opted not to return in 2022 due to COVID concerns as well as concerns surrounding travel.

LeBrun told viewers that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman spoke to the NHL board of governors and had concerns about the Olympic arena in Milan, Italy which is not built yet and has a projected timeline that would see construction conclude just six to eight weeks before the Olympics begin.

On top of that, there remains no agreement on many important details such as families travelling to the Olympics as well as an agreement on the players’ insurance.

Lebrun added that he believes this is the most negative he has heard the NHL talk about 2026 Olympic participation but he does add that NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly is not pessimistic towards NHL players returning to the Olympics.

In other evening notes:

  • The Nashville Predators announced that forward Cole Smith missed tonight’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks with an apparent illness. The 28-year-old is currently listed as day-to-day, and it is unknown whether he will be able to suit up on Thursday when the Predators take on the Tampa Bay Lightning. Smith has just one full NHL season under his belt and has started this year at a solid pace with four goals and five assists in 24 games while averaging nearly three hits a game.
  • Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is reporting that Columbus Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine was a scratch tonight due to an illness. No word yet on any timeline for Laine to return as the news came out just before the start of the Blue Jackets’ game against the Los Angeles Kings. Mathieu Olivier was expected to be scratched for the game but took Laine’s place in the lineup and scored his first goal of the season in the 4-3 loss. Laine has struggled out of the game this season and has been a healthy scratch at times, he has just five goals and two assists in 16 games thus far which is well short of the numbers he has put up in recent years where he has been a point-a-game player.

League Notes: 2026 Olympics, Men’s U18s, 2024 Draft

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On today’s edition of TSN’s Insider Trading, Darren Dreger dove into some more details surrounding a potential NHL return to Olympic participation in 2026. With the next edition of the Winter Olympics set to commence in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, it would be the NHL’s first time letting its players participate in the international event since 2014 in Sochi, Russia. After electing not to participate in the 2018 event, the NHL was on track to return to the Olympics in 2022 before concerns around travel and COVID insurance could not be resolved, leading the league to pull the plug on Olympic participation for a second straight cycle.

They appear on track to change that, with the NHL set to attend tomorrow’s IIHF meeting in Portugal with discussions around travel costs for 2026 on the agenda, per Dreger. Both the NHL and NHLPA have expressed a renewed vigor for international participation in recent months after former United States Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh assumed the lead post at the players’ association, quickly identifying a return to best-on-best international play as one of the players’ highest short-term priorities.

Some more administrative notes from the Insider Trading crew:

  • The NHL/IIHF partnership remains a topic of discussion, as Dreger also reports the league is stepping up to host an IIHF tournament for the first time. In conjunction with USA Hockey, the NHL will host/sponsor the 2025 edition of the Men’s U18 World Championships, the last major showcase tournament for draft-eligible prospects in a yearly cycle. Normally held in mid-to-late April, it’s unclear in which American city the tournament will be hosted at this time. The United States last hosted the tournament in 2021 in Frisco and Plano, Texas, and captured their record 11th gold medal at the tournament in 2023. 2025 will be the fourth time the US has hosted the tournament since its inception in 1999.
  • Lastly, Chris Johnston adds that the NHL is continuing to sort out logistical concerns regarding a venue for the 2024 NHL Draft, which is expected to take place in Las Vegas along with the 2024 NHL Awards. With the Vegas Golden Knights’ T-Mobile Arena seemingly unavailable for the Draft due to scheduling conflicts, Johnston reports the NHL has explored hosting next year’s draft at Sphere, the rather eye-drawing concert venue which boasts the largest LED screen in the world, newly opened by Madison Square Garden Company and New York Rangers majority owner James Dolan. It would certainly be a departure from normal procedure for the league, which has opted to host the Draft exclusively at team arenas, hotels and league offices throughout the event’s history.

Snapshots: Nylander, International Tournaments, Stanley

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Much has been made of Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander’s pending free agency, with reports indicating the two sides are far apart in contract talks. One person who isn’t worried is Nylander himself, who told Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman today there’s “lots of time” to work out a deal and that he remains committed to staying in Toronto.

Of course, he may feel that way, but the team has other factors to consider. They’re balancing a tricky long-term salary cap situation with an extension needed for Auston Matthews, limiting their ability to maintain negotiations with Nylander without certainty on Matthews’ cap hit next season. New GM Brad Treliving won’t utilize Nylander as a one-year rental if they don’t get close to an extension, either – the wounds of losing Johnny Gaudreau in Calgary last season are still fresh, and Treliving will undoubtedly move Nylander before the trade deadline if there’s no extension in place.

Nylander is entering the final season of a six-year, $45MM deal he signed hours before the December 1 RFA deadline in 2018. Nylander’s reported ask for an extension is $10MM per season.

More from across the NHL sphere today:

  • Speaking at the European Player Media Tour, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly once again reiterated the NHL’s desire to work with the NHLPA on an international best-on-best tournament for February 2025, whether it’s branded as a World Cup of Hockey or not. Notably, however, Daly indicated a specific plan to return to a regular schedule of international appearances, including a return to the Winter Olympics, new messaging that hasn’t been heard from an NHL official in quite a while: “So if we do a ’25 international tournament, we do the ’26 Olympics, the ’28 World Cup of Hockey, the ’30 Olympics, the ’32 World Cup of Hockey, and so on.” Since NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh assumed his post earlier this year, he’s been clear about the players’ desire to return to a consistent schedule of international tournaments.
  • Despite reportedly requesting a trade earlier this year, Winnipeg Jets defenseman Logan Stanley told the Jets’ Jamie Thomas he’s “happy with how [negotiations] went” on his new one-year contract with Winnipeg and looks forward to training camp next month. Stanley alluded to his series of injuries last season, which limited him to 19 games, making it hard to get along with new head coach Rick Bowness, whom Stanley said he’ll speak to in the near future after signing his extension. It’ll be tough for Stanley to break into the lineup every game, however, especially after the Jets signed breakout defender Dylan Samberg to a longer, richer contract earlier in the summer.

NHL Not Pursuing In-Season Tournament

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The NHL has clarified that it has no plans to introduce an in-season tournament akin to the NBA’s upcoming European cup-style competition. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly confirmed the league’s stance to ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski today, stating they are not seeking to follow the NBA’s lead.

The NBA and commissioner Adam Silver recently unveiled plans for an in-season tournament in November and December of next season, leading to speculation about NHL crossover considering the two leagues have long operated similarly in season length, conference alignment, and playoff format. These tournament games will count towards the teams’ regular-season standings, culminating in a championship game that will not affect their season record. Players on the winning team are also in line to earn significant financial incentives.

It would have been a wild step out of bounds for the NHL, whose season format has largely remained unchanged over the past few decades, save for season-shortening factors like lockouts and COVID or the addition of events such as outdoor games in recent years.

Daly emphasized that the NHL is not considering implementing a similar tournament structure. Responding to an inquiry from Wyshynski, he stated via email that “no consideration [is] being given to in-season tournaments.”

Marty Walsh, the newly-minted executive director of the NHLPA, also spoke to Wyshynski. While acknowledging that no formal discussions have taken place among the players, Walsh expressed openness toward exploring the concept of an in-season tournament:

I think it’s worth looking at anything that’s out there. I tell players all the time, even if you have an idea that you think is kind of off the wall a little bit, just run it by me. You never know what turns into a brilliant idea.

However, Walsh relayed that NHL players’ focus on changes to the season structure would revolve around international play, not additional league events. Since assuming the role of NHLPA head in February, Walsh said to Wyshynski that players encourage discussions surrounding the potential revival of the World Cup of Hockey in 2025 and the return of NHL participation in the Winter Olympics, next slated for Milan, Italy, in 2026. The NHL hasn’t sent its players to the Olympics in nearly a decade, last permitting them to attend the event in 2014.

It’s worth noting that an in-season tournament does exist in pro hockey, albeit on the other side of the Atlantic. The Champions Hockey League is an in-season tournament including 26 teams from top-level leagues in 13 European countries, with the number of berths per league divvied up based on how well teams from that league performed in the previous CHL season.

Hilary Knight Named IIHF Female Player Of The Year

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United States hockey superstar Hilary Knight has made history as the inaugural recipient of the IIHF’s Female Player of the Year award, the international body announced Thursday morning.

Knight, 33, is an absolute stalwart in the sport, trailing perhaps only Canada’s Marie-Philip Poulin as the best active women’s hockey player on this side of the Atlantic. Per the IIHF, she received an overwhelming 40.9% of the total votes for the award.

Knight expressed her gratitude for being named the award’s initial recipient:

I am honored to be the first recipient of such a prestigious award. There are many talented women at this level, and it is a privilege to be recognized as the IIHF Female Player of the Year. Reflecting on this year it’s hard to pinpoint one highlight, rather a collection of memories shared with my teammates. I am grateful to be a part of such an incredible group and share these special moments with my friends. The sport and the women who play it deserve the largest stage and biggest spotlight. My hope is that the sport continues to grow and reach greater heights. Although hockey is a team sport, having awards and accolades that acknowledge accomplishments help drive more visibility. Thank you, IIHF, for creating this award, as it is important to recognize outstanding athletic performances.

The voting process involved members of the media from 16 IIHF member countries. Knight’s outstanding performances throughout the year, including her display at the 2023 Women’s World Championship in Brampton, earned her the award. She led all players at the tournament with eight goals in seven games, the tournament-record fifth time she’s achieved the feat.

Three of those eight goals came in the gold medal game against Canada. Her second goal in that game was the game-winner and marked her third game-winning goal in an IIHF Women’s World Championship gold medal game, another tournament record.

Across her career, Knight is a nine-time gold medallist at the Women’s Worlds, a one-time gold medallist and three-time silver medallist at the Olympics, and an Isobel Cup champion with the Boston Pride in 2016.

Chicago Blackhawks Sign Drew Commesso

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The Chicago Blackhawks are adding an impressive goaltending prospect to the organization. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Drew Commesso will turn pro and sign his three-year entry-level contract. Charlie Roumeliotis of NBCS Chicago confirms that the deal will start in 2023-24.

Commesso, 20, just finished his junior season with Boston University, helping lead the Terriers to the Frozen Four. In 34 appearances this year, the 2020 second-round pick posted a 24-8 record and .913 save percentage, continuing what has been an incredible few years.

In 2021, Commesso was included on the US World Championship squad as the extra goaltender, taking home a bronze medal without appearing in a game. He played at the Olympics the following year, posting a perfect 2-0 record with a .964 save percentage.

As a prospect, he ranks among the game’s best in net, and immediately gives the Blackhawks a legitimate “goalie of the future” to develop. With the complete teardown still in progress, it will be years before Chicago is expected to contend. That gives Commesso plenty of time to hone his skills in the minor leagues, where he’ll likely spend all of next season.

Injury Notes: Pageau, Tinordi, Faber

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The New York Islanders are without one of their best depth pieces tonight against the Ottawa Senators. Jean-Gabriel Pageau is out for tonight’s game against his former team with an upper-body injury and is day-to-day, per the team.

Pageau sustained the injury at practice yesterday, says Stefen Rosner of NYI Hockey Now. Reportedly, Pageau was “clipped” during a drill and was slow to get up, yet stayed on the ice for the remainder of practice. The 30-year-old center has 10 goals and 29 points in 56 games this season. This is his first absence of the 2022-23 campaign.

  • Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi is out for the remainder of tonight’s game against the Montreal Canadiens with an undisclosed injury, the team said. The Chicago Sun-Times’ Ben Pope notes that Tinordi had fallen awkwardly on a shift in the first period. Tinordi, 30, was claimed on waivers by the Blackhawks at the beginning of the season and has suited up in 26 games, recording five points.
  • One of the best prospects in hockey on one of the best teams in college hockey is out long-term. The Athletic’s Michael Russo agreed with reports today that Minnesota Wild defense prospect and University of Minnesota captain Brock Faber is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Acquired from the Los Angeles Kings in the Kevin Fiala trade, Faber has 20 points in 30 games with Minnesota this year after representing the United States at the Olympics and World Junior Championships last season.

Evening Notes: Boeser, IIHF/Russia, NHLPA Leadership

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After the Bo Horvat trade yesterday, the floodgates appear to be opening on the trade front. That’s especially true for the Vancouver Canucks, who have some desirable trade assets other than Horvat that could find their way out of town by the trade deadline.

One of those is Brock Boeser, who TSN’s Darren Dreger said today continues to receive interest from around the league. However, he reported that any Boeser trade, and the corresponding interest, hinges on how much salary Vancouver is willing to retain in a potential trade. Boeser is signed to a steep cap hit of $6.65MM for the next three seasons. With so many teams already dipping into LTIR pools to stay cap-compliant, Vancouver is unlikely to find a trade partner willing to take the full brunt of the deal. The 25-year-old has nine goals and 30 points in 41 games this season. That’s a 60-point pace over 82 games.

Coaching Notes: Laviolette, Green, Keenan

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There are currently four NHL head coaches in the final seasons of their contracts.  Avoiding the ‘lame duck’ situation is something teams try to do and on that note, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reported on the latest TSN Insider Trading segment that extension discussions are believed to be underway between the Capitals and bench boss Peter Laviolette.  The 57-year-old is in his third season behind the bench in Washington with the team playing to a .636 points percentage in his 140 games at the helm.  With GM Brian MacLellan admitting to LeBrun in a piece for The Athletic (subscription link) that a rebuild is basically off the table with their commitment to their veteran core, it makes sense that they’d want to keep Laviolette, whose reputation is that he’s a win-now coach, in the fold.

Other coaching news from around the hockey world:

  • One name who didn’t get much attention for coaching vacancies this summer was former Vancouver head coach Travis Green. As TSN’s Darren Dreger noted in that Insider Trading segment, Green wanted to recharge before putting his name out there for openings.  That recharge has now happened and he’ll do some consulting for Switzerland’s national team this season while waiting for his next coaching opportunity at the NHL level to present itself.
  • Long-time NHL head coach Mike Keenan is heading behind the bench again. Or, more specifically, he will be coaching again in a few years as the 72-year-old confirmed to the Associated Press that he has been named Italy’s head coach for the 2026 Olympics which will be held in Italy.  Keenan was an NHL bench boss for 20 years, last running things in Calgary in 2008-09.  His last coaching opportunity was in the KHL back in 2017 with Kunlun.  Interestingly, the Italian vacancy was created recently when their head coach was hired away by Kunlun earlier this year.

Team Canada Wins Gold At 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championships

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Team Canada has completed their run at the 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championships, culminating today in a 2-1 win against the United States to take home the gold medal for the second straight season.

For the national Canadian women’s team, it’s a sweep of the three major international events — they won gold at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and at the U18 Women’s Worlds in June, also against the United States.

This year’s edition of the Women’s World Championships also saw Czechia take home the bronze, marking the first time that they’ve medalled at the tournament. It’s the first time there’s been a new medalist at the Women’s Worlds in over a decade, a hallmark of the constantly increasing parity in the game.

Canada was led in scoring by youngster Sarah Fillier, who tallied five goals and six assists for 11 points in seven games. Team captain and international legend Marie-Philip Poulin finished second in team scoring with ten points. Overall in the tournament, American Taylor Heise led the pack with seven goals, 11 assists, and 18 points in seven games.

The Women’s Worlds was the last major event of the 2022 IIHF season.

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