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Eugene Melnyk Dies At 62

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The hockey world is in mourning this evening, as the Ottawa Senators confirmed that owner Eugene Melnyk has died at age 62. A message from the Melnyk family indicated that he passed “after an illness he faced with determination and courage.”

Melnyk purchased the Senators in 2003, when the team was facing bankruptcy and possible relocation. While the team has still yet to raise the Stanley Cup as champions, they did reach the Final in 2007 and went to the Conference Finals in 2017.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman released the following statement:

The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk. The words ‘passion’ and ‘commitment’ define the man who has owned the Ottawa Senators since 2003. Whether it was in the boardroom with his fellow governors, at the rink with his beloved Senators or in the community with his philanthropy, he cared deeply about the game, about his team and about bettering the lives of those in need, particularly underserved children, organ donation and, most recently, with his commitment to his parents’ home country of Ukraine.

While successful in business, it was our game and his Senators that he was most passionate about. Eugene was often outspoken but he maintained an unwavering commitment to the game and his roots and he loved nothing more than donning a Senators sweater and cheering on his beloved team.

On behalf of the entire National Hockey League, I extend my deepest sympathies to Eugene’s daughters, Anna and Olivia, his extended family, and all those who benefited from his generosity.

The entire hockey world, including those of us at PHR, send our condolences to his children Anna and Olivia, partner Sharilyne and the rest of the Melnyk family.

Matt Murray Skating Again; Mads Sogaard To Travel With Senators

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  • Matt Murray was back on the ice this morning for the Ottawa Senators, as he works his way back from an upper-body injury. The veteran netminder has been out since earlier this month, leading to the Senators recalling and taking Mads Sogaard on the road with them to Nashville for tomorrow’s game. Murray, 27, has had a nightmare season, losing 14 of 20 appearances and seeing time in the minor leagues. While he had been seemingly turning things around in late February, two early starts in March saw him allow 13 goals on 53 shots before going back on the shelf.

Ottawa Senators Sign Jake Sanderson

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The Ottawa Senators announced that they have signed defenseman Jake Sanderson to a three-year, entry-level contract. The financial terms of the deal have not yet been announced, however the contract will take effect immediately with Sanderson expected to join the club in the coming days.

As mentioned earlier, Sanderson was close to signing with the Senators after his season at the University of North Dakota came to an end earlier this week. Although Sanderson is still recovering from a hand injury suffered on March 5th, Ottawa wanted to get their star prospect into the organization and around the team as soon as possible, getting him accustomed to the team and lifestyle, and importantly, around team doctors and training staff as he recovers. Ottawa also hopes to have Sanderson in the lineup once he is fully healthy, and before the team’s season concludes on April 29th.

The fifth-overall pick in 2020 by Ottawa, Sanderson has found himself among the game’s best prospects, and has impressed at UND. After playing with the US National Team Development Program, Sanderson began playing for UND during the 2020-21 season, putting up two goals and 13 assists in in 22 games. This season, Sanderson was named an alternate captain for UND and took additional strides, posting eight goals and 18 assists in 23 games. Despite playing in just 23 of UND’s 39 games, Sanderson was third on the team in scoring.

In addition to missing time due to injury, Sanderson also missed games for UND as a result of playing in the suspended IIHF World Junior Championships, where he served as Team USA’s captain, as well as playing for Team USA at the Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Mads Sogaard Re-Called, Filip Gustavsson Re-Assigned to AHL

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  • The Ottawa Senators announced that they have swapped a pair of goaltenders with the AHL’s Belleville Senators. Filip Gustavsson was re-assigned to Belleville, while Mads Sogaard was brought up to Ottawa. Gustavsson made his NHL debut for Ottawa last season, impressing in nine games, but has struggled over 15 NHL games this season with an .886 save-percentage and 3.78 goals-against average. Sogaard, Ottawa’s second-round selection, 37th overall, in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, has yet to make his NHL debut, but has been solid in the AHL this season with a .906 save percentage an 2.87 goals-against average in 31 games.

Sanderson Expected To Join Ottawa Soon

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  • After his NCAA season came to an end, University of North Dakota defenseman and Ottawa Senators prospect Jake Sanderson is expected to sign his first professional contract, reports Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. Garrioch adds that despite potentially burning a year of his entry-level contract, the Senators still prefer to bring the defenseman in now. It’s also worth noting that Sanderson had hand surgery after a March 5th injury, but Ottawa is confident he will be able to debut before their last game on April 29th. Even still, Garrioch adds, the team wants to have Sanderson around to get accustomed to the team and NHL life, and to work with the team’s medical and training staff. The fifth overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, Sanderson put up 10 goals and 31 assists in 45 games on UND’s blueline.

Ottawa Senators Will Not Face Discipline Amid Dadonov Fallout

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  • The Ottawa Senators will not face any subsequent fines or discipline for any role they may have played with the issues surrounding Evgenii Dadonov’s no-trade clause, reports Friedman, appearing to finally close the book on the non-trade. There had been speculation that the Ottawa Senators could be fined for the role they played in the matter, dating back to their trade of Dadonov to Vegas this offseason.

NCAA Notes: Sanderson, Kleven, Gabriele, Tsekos, UFAs

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Though a recent hand injury was an unexpected variable in the situation, there was very little doubt that Ottawa Senators top prospect Jake Sanderson would sign with the team at the conclusion of his season. After North Dakota was bounced from the NCAA Tournament by Notre Dame on Thursday – due in no small part to Sanderson’s injury absence – his signing now seems imminent. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the 2020 No. 5 overall pick is expected to sign his entry-level contract in the coming days. Sanderson may only be 19, but he has little left to gain from the college level. With 26 points in 23 games, Sanderson was not only one of the top scorers for the Fighting Hawks but one of the NCAA’s most productive defensemen. That doesn’t even speak to his top-notch defense either, which may be an even stronger part of his game than his offense. The only question facing Sanderson now is whether he will see NHL action this season, a decision that will be made by the Senators’ medical staff once his contract is signed.

Sanderson’s pair mate at North Dakota and fellow Senators prospect Tyler Kleven is reportedly facing a more difficult decision. Garrioch reports that Senators GM Pierre Dorion suggested to both Sanderson and Kleven that they turn pro after the collegiate season, but Kleven is less convinced. While the two have nearly identical resumes – two years with the USNTDP, two World Junior selections, two years at North Dakota – Kleven is a less developed prospect than Sanderson at this point. While the 6’4″ defenseman may always rely on a heavy, defense-first game, there is a case to be made for finally getting out from under Sanderson’s shadow and trying to develop more of a two-way game at North Dakota next season rather than following him to Belleville and staying in his same role. With that being said, Kleven excels at what he does well and has the size and hockey sense to jump to the pro level already.

  • Another top prospect defenseman considering signing his entry-level contract but taking a late-season injury into account is the Boston Bruins’ Mason Lohrei. The USHL’s reigning Defenseman of the Year continued his meteoric rise from being a surprise second-round pick in 2020 to starring for Ohio State this season. Lohrei was second on the Buckeyes in scoring with 29 points in 31 games, demonstrating high-level puck-moving ability, and at 6’4″ and 200 pounds already has pro size. An older freshman at 21, it would not be a shock to see Lohrei turn pro but given that he still has room to grow and would likely be slated for the AHL next season, he could also easily return to Ohio State, especially after the team so narrowly missed an NCAA Tournament berth this year. The Bruins are doing their part to help convince Lohrei to make the transition to the pros now though, adding a familiar face to their AHL lineup. The Providence Bruins have announced that fellow Ohio State defenseman and frequent pair mate of Lohrei’s, Grant Gabriele, has signed an amateur tryout and a contract for the 2022-23 season. The Bruins saw plenty of Gabriele while watching Lohrei and noticed that the senior defender had pro ambitions of his own, recording 20 points in 37 games while playing a solid two-way game. Even Lohrei returns to Ohio State next season, Providence will benefit from at least one Buckeye blue liner.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have dipped into the college free agent pool as well with an AHL contract for Zach Tsekos. The Colorado Eagles announced that they were adding the skilled center on an ATO for the remainder of the year and then a contract for 2022-23. Less a prospect and more an immediate minor league depth option, the 25-year-old Tsekos just completed a whopping six-year college career, spending two seasons with Sacred Heart and three seasons with Clarkson. Productive each and every year, Tsekos still saved his best for last with 31 points in 35 games. Tsekos has been nothing if not consistent in his NCAA career and if that translates to the pro level then he could become an NHL option down the road for Colorado.
  • The first round of NCAA Tournament games are now complete and a pair of prime undrafted free agents have already seen their seasons come to an end and are now on contract watch. UMass’ Bobby Trivigno and Michigan Tech’s Brian Halonen, both Hobey Baker Award finalists and quite possibly the two best individual efforts in college hockey this season, have both seen their teams eliminated. The senior forwards are likely already fielding contract offers and it should only be a matter of time before their first pro steps are revealed. Meanwhile, other top free agents like Minnesota’s Ben Meyers and Western Michigan’s Ethen Frank are still alive in the tournament – at least until Sunday when one will be eliminated as the two teams square off.

Jake Sanderson's Debut Will Have To Wait A While

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  • The Senators will be waiting a while to get top prospect Jake Sanderson in their lineup as Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (Twitter link). The youngster underwent hand surgery earlier this month that will keep him out for four-to-six weeks, putting his availability for the stretch run in question.  Ottawa’s team doctors are set to evaluate him which will give them an idea as to whether or not he’ll be able to suit up for a few games down the stretch.  Even if he doesn’t play, the first year of his contract will be burned if Ottawa signs him to a deal that begins this season instead of in 2022-23.

Minor Transactions: 03/22/22

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After the rush and excitement of trade deadline day blows over, it’s always good to be reminded that hockey transactions do go on. Sure, there will be nothing close to matching the excitement of the deadline until later this summer with the NHL Draft and opening of free agency, but in the meantime there will still be signings involving undrafted college and junior players, prospects receiving entry-level deals, and perhaps some early European additions, not to mention the potential for some minor trades among non-playoff teams getting their offseason started early. There also continue to be roster operations ongoing outside the NHL, with the AHL and European leagues dealing with different rules and timelines. For those “minor” moves, make sure you don’t miss out on any of the action:

  • It’s hard to keep all of the NHL trades straight on deadline day, nevertheless noticing an AHL swap. It seems that future considerations had a busy day across both leagues, as that was the return for the Belleville Senators in a deal that saw veteran forward Tyrell Goulbourne head to the Stockton Heat. The team announced that they had acquired the 28-year-old forward, as they look to bolster their lineup for the Calder Cup playoffs. Goulbourne, a former member of the Philadelphia Flyers, has never possessed much offensive ability and is scoreless through nine AHL games this season, but continues to provide value with his defensive ability. Though not confirmed by any of the teams involved at either level, Goulbourne is believed to be future considerations himself, as the return of the NHL deal that saw goaltender Michael McNiven head to Ottawa.
  • Arizona State standout Colin Theisen isn’t going very far for his first pro experience. The AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners have signed the Sun Devils captain, his now-alma mater announced. A fifth year transfer from Notre Dame, Theisen enjoyed a breakout season to end his collegiate career, recording 19 goals and 42 points in 35 games with ASU. This was far superior than anything he did with the Fighting Irish; in fact, his goals and points totals were better than his two best marks at Notre Dame combined. Though hardly a young prospect at 24, Theisen did enough this year to earn a look in the pros and the nearby Roadrunners were happy to give him a shot. Perhaps the Coyotes will be next if he can prove his game translates to the next level.
  • Though far less common in Europe, the end of the playing season marks the beginning of buyout season and one Swiss club is making big cuts. The National League’s SC Bern has bought out a pair of former NHL forwards in Cory Conacher and Kaspars Daugavins as they begin a “remodel”. Conacher and Daugavins were both under contract through 2022-23 and seemingly seemed safe to stick around. Both were among the top six scorers for Bern, as was Vincent Praplan, a player who had already been bought out (with three year remaining on his deal). Though each is on the wrong side of 30, Bern is undoubtedly a worse team without Conacher and Daugavins who will attract interest from a multitude of other European clubs.

Michael McNiven Traded To Ottawa Senators

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The Ottawa Senators have added a little more goaltending depth, acquiring Michael McNiven from the Calgary Flames in exchange for future considerations. This is the second time McNiven has been dealt for future considerations just this season, after arriving in Calgary a little over two weeks ago from the Montreal Canadiens.

McNiven, 24, made his NHL debut this season for the Canadiens, unfortunately allowing three goals on just seven shots to give him a career .571 save percentage at the highest level. While he’s just 24, there’s no guarantee he gets a chance to change that, at least not yet. The move to Ottawa doesn’t mean he’s going to be heading to the NHL level, as he’ll likely report to the minor leagues again.

In all, the young netminder never did actually enter a game for the Flames organization, meaning this may be a forgotten stopover in an odd season. While he’ll be a restricted free agent again this summer, McNiven remains (as he has in the past) a prime candidate to go unqualified. In 82 career AHL games, he has posted a 31-35-13 record with an .891 save percentage.

While future considerations often don’t mean very much, in this case, it appears to have been an AHL player heading back the other way. Tyrell Goulbourne has been traded from the Belleville Senators to the Stockton Heat. Players on AHL contracts can’t be included in the same trade as NHL players, meaning this had to be done as two separate transactions.

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