Tyler Seguin Leaves Game With Cut On Leg
The Dallas Stars have announced that forward Tyler Seguin won’t be returning to tonight’s game against the Buffalo Sabres. Seguin left the game with what TSN is reporting as a laceration above his knee after he was cut by a skate.
Seguin becomes the third high profile NHLer to suffer a severe cut this season after Ryan Johansen was cut by a blade on his ankle, and Evander Kane had a frightening scene when he had wrist cut against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
With the NHL GM meetings set to take place next week, one has to wonder if the issue of cuts from skate blades will make its way onto the docket. The horrific Kane injury is one that most people will not forget. Player safety is always an issue and with this recent trend it could make for interesting dialogue should changes be discussed.
If Seguin is out long term, it would be a big blow to a Dallas Stars team that is leading the Central Division. Seguin has 17 goals and 42 points in 64 games this season and has been playing much more of a 200-foot game for head coach Peter DeBoer. Should the 31-year-old miss substantial time it would likely mean moving youngster Ty Dellandrea onto the third line to play wing next to newcomer Max Domi.
Multiple Bidders Submit Offers To Purchase Ottawa Senators
Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia is reporting that New York-based banker Galatioto Sports Partners received more than four bids this past week to purchase the Ottawa Senators. While Postmedia was able to confirm the names of four separate bidders, they were also advised that there are more than four groups bidding. A separate report by Los Angeles-based Sportico is stating that as many as nine groups have entered bids to buy the team. Postmedia has been unable to confirm this number with league sources. The Sportico report has also stated that some groups are willing to pay north of $900MM (in USD).
The four confirmed groups are The Remington Group, Michael Andlauer, Jeffrey and Michael Kimel and Neko Sparks. All four groups bring their own unique dynamics, but the most interesting must be The Remington Group, as they have an interesting backer in Hollywood superstar and Canadian-born actor Ryan Reynolds. The NHL wants Reynolds to be involved with the new ownership group, as he would bring worldwide attention to the NHL that Gary Bettman and company have long coveted.
These bids are just this first step in what is sure to be a long process. The opening bids were non-binding, which essentially means that not much risk was involved in submitting an opening offer. The next step will narrow the bids down to a shortlist, and the workload involved will get heavier with each additional round.
Ultimately the new ownership group will have an exciting opportunity with the Senators, albeit one with much work to be done. The Senators have one of the youngest and most exciting core groups of players in the league. However, they play in an aging arena in the suburbs of Ottawa, nearly a 30-minute drive from the downtown core. The new ownership group will have the chance to put their stamp on the Senators almost immediately, with what many hope will be a new downtown building at LeBreton Flats.
The Senators organization has signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Capital Commission for the LeBreton Flats property. But it would be up to the new ownership group to sign a lease, build the arena and ultimately develop a prime piece of property in downtown Ottawa.
Previous owner Eugene Melnyk was never able to get all the pieces to fit for a downtown building, but with the team turning a corner on the ice, and an appetite in the city of Ottawa for a downtown entertainment hub, the puzzle should come together for the group that is ultimately able to purchase the Ottawa Senators.
PPG Paints Arena Announces Major Renovations
The Pittsburgh Penguins roster went through a bit of a face-lift leading up to the trade deadline when Mikael Granlund, Nick Bonino and Dmitry Kulikov were acquired. The next major renovation in Pittsburgh will be happening to the arena itself as the team announced PPG Paints Arena will undergo major upgrades in the coming months.
The Penguins have teamed up with Aramark, their food and beverage provider to improve the dining experience at PPG Paints Arena for fans. The goal is to make it a contactless and quicker experience to grab a snack or a drink while attending events such as Penguins games. They have also set the beginning of next season as a target date to have the renovations completed.
Some of the key features that will enhance the fan experience starting next season include self-checkout scanners and self-ordering including mobile ordering for food and beverages. So, a fan would be able to enter one of the five Drink MKT’s which are essentially small convenience stores inside the arena and order their own food and drinks on their phone and scan the items at a self-scanner to pay on their way out. This should drastically decrease wait times and get fans back in their seats quicker between periods.
As a hockey fan, there aren’t many things more frustrating about the in-game experience than rushing to the concourse as soon as the second period ends, and missing the start of period three because you were standing in line for so long trying to use the washroom and grab a snack and/or beverage to enjoy during the final 20 minutes of action.
It sounds like the Penguins have come up with a method to expedite the worst parts of the hockey fan experience. Other teams around the league will surely be monitoring as they try to improve the experience for fans in their own arenas. Now, if they can just do something about finding parking anywhere near an area that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, we will really be talking.
Hockey Canada Announces 2023 Women’s World Championship Roster
The 2023 World Women’s Hockey Championship is right around the corner and Hockey Canada has released the complete roster. The lineup features 13 forwards, seven defenders and three goaltenders. The tournament is scheduled to begin on April 5, with a gold medal to be handed out on April 16 in Brampton, Ontario. Of note, Danielle Serdachny is the only player set to make her World Championships debut and the team will be looking for its third consecutive gold medal at the event. Troy Ryan remains the team’s head coach with Kori Cheverie, Caroline Ouellette and Doug Derraugh serving as assistants.
Forwards:
Defense:
Goaltenders:
Canada will play in Group A with Czechia, Japan, Switzerland and USA. Canada will play its first game on April 5 against Switzerland and wrap up their round robin with a clash against USA on April 10 before embarking on the medal round.
Snapshots: Nylander, Walker, Philp
The Pittsburgh Penguins have sent Alex Nylander down to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL, per a team release. Nylander was called up on an emergency basis as Bryan Rust and Mikael Granlund were out of the lineup. The Swedish winger helped the Pens storm back from a 4-0 deficit to the Columbus Blue Jackets by picking up an assist on the team’s first goal in an eventual 5-4 overtime victory. It was Nylander’s first NHL game of the season.
The 25-year-old winger is having a tremendous season in the AHL. He has piled up 25 goals and 50 points in 54 games for the minor-league Penguins, leading the team in goals and points. He hadn’t played a game in the NHL since the 2020-21 season, when he scored ten goals and 26 points in 65 games for the Chicago Blackhawks.
- The Minnesota Wild announced they have called up forward Sammy Walker from the Iowa Wild. This comes shortly after announcing star winger Kirill Kaprizov will be out of the lineup for 3-4 weeks with a lower-body injury. Walker is a 24-year-old center who has scored 24 goals and 44 points in 50 AHL games this season. He has also played six NHL games already in Minnesota this season, adding one goal in that time.
- The Chicago Blackhawks announced forward Luke Philp has signed a one-year contract extension. The 27-year-old forward starred for the University of Alberta Golden Bears for three seasons before signing to play in the AHL. This is his fourth season in the AHL, and he is putting up big numbers with 18 goals and 38 points in 45 games for the Rockford Ice Hogs. He was called up earlier this season to make his NHL debut with the Blackhawks and picked up his first career NHL point with an assist in a pair of games.
Minnesota Wild Star Kirill Kaprizov To Miss 3-4 Weeks
The Minnesota Wild released a statement to say they will be without their star winger Kirill Kaprizov for 3-4 weeks. Kaprizov suffered a lower-body injury during last night’s game with the Winnipeg Jets. He left midway though the third period, and after setting up the game’s winning goal.
The Russian sniper left after being awkwardly tackled by Jets defenseman Logan Stanley. The 6-foot-7 and 228 pound Jets defender appeared to try to jump on Kaprizov’s back as the Wild winger sheltered the puck along the boards in the Jets zone. Kaprizov crumpled and got up gingerly before heading straight to the Wild bench.
Obviously the Wild are going to miss Kaprizov, who leads the team with 39 goals and 74 points in 65 games. The Wild lean heavily on the top end of their lineup for offense, and will have a difficult time putting pucks in the net without their leading scorer. The Wild have 186 goals this season, which is the least by any team in a playoff position, and is 15 less than the second lowest scoring playoff team in the west.
The Wild do have some breathing room in the standings as they are ten points ahead of the Calgary Flames who are the top team not in a postseason position right now. The good news is, Kaprizov’s timeline allows him to return before the playoffs. The Wild’s final regular season game is not until April 13 against the Nashville Predators which is a full six weeks away.
Tyler Boucher To Undergo Shoulder Surgery
It has been a disappointing year for Tyler Boucher, a top prospect of the Ottawa Senators.
In January 2022, he decided to leave Boston University after just 17 underwhelming games and sign an entry-level contract with the Senators. He scored just three points in college hockey while racking up 34 penalty minutes, so he decided to go a different path for his development.
He was dealing with an injury at the time, but after eventually joining the Ottawa 67’s in the OHL, he scored just eight goals and 16 points in 28 games, including a four-game sweep at the hands of the North Bay Battalion.
This season was supposed to be his big breakout, with an offseason of preparation with the 67’s and a likely place on the U.S. World Junior team. He landed that spot, but would be replaced before the bronze medal game due to injury.
Following the tournament, the shoulder injury would keep him out until late February. After just four games back, Boucher has aggravated the injury and is now scheduled for surgery to repair a torn album. His season is over, meaning it will end with just ten goals and 18 points in 21 games for the 67’s.
Selected tenth overall in 2021, it’s been a brutal start to his time in the Senators organization. Boucher still has plenty of upside and only turned 20 in January, but now faces a three to four-month recovery. Hopefully, this lost development time won’t keep him from reaching his ceiling at the professional level.
Los Angeles Kings Activate Trevor Moore
The Los Angeles Kings are red hot, and now they’re getting back an important reinforcement. Trevor Moore has been activated from injured reserve and will be available for the team tonight.
Moore, 27, has been out of the lineup since February 21, and his return will bring up some questions about where he fits moving forward. The speedy two-way winger has played almost exclusively with Phillip Danault and Viktor Arvidsson this season, seeing less than 60 minutes of even-strength ice time with any other forward.
That duo, though, has been excellent of late playing with Kevin Fiala, meaning Moore might have to slot in somewhere else (at least to start).
Either way, his addition to the roster makes the Kings all the more dangerous. While Moore has just seven goals and 20 points in 42 games this season, he has proven his worth as a versatile possession player that head coach Todd McLellan leans heavily on in tight games.
Averaging more than 17 minutes a night, Moose will be a big part of any playoff success the Kings have this year. Getting healthy and up to speed only helps them chase that goal.
Minnesota Wild Sign Kyle Masters
The Minnesota Wild have inked another prospect, signing Kyle Masters to a three-year, entry-level contract. The deal starts in 2023-24 after Masters’ junior career ends.
Selected 118th overall in 2021, the 19-year-old defenseman hs experienced a breakout this year after a trade brought him to the Kamloops Blazers. The fourth-round pick has 11 goals and 59 points in 58 games so far, putting him seventh among all WHL defenders in scoring.
With the Blazers, Masters is headed for a Memorial Cup berth, as Kamloops will host the junior hockey tournament this year. With a chance to go out on top, he’ll head into professional hockey next year with an ELC in hand.
It’s been a busy little while for the Wild front office, who have also signed Hunter Haight, Caedan Bankier, and David Spacek, to contracts that start next season.
Pavel Gogolev Clears Unconditional Waivers
March 9: Gogolev has cleared unconditional waivers and will see his contract terminated.
March 8: It seems as though Pavel Gogolev won’t be with the Chicago Blackhawks organization for very long. The young forward is on unconditional waivers today, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, for the purpose of a contract termination.
Gogolev, 23, was included in the recent Jake McCabe trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs, coming over along with Joey Anderson. His inclusion was mostly about contract slots for Toronto but there was at least some hope that Gogolev could make the jump to the AHL in the Chicago organization.
After two games (and one goal) with the Rockford IceHogs, it appears as though he’s headed back overseas. A contract termination will leave him an unrestricted free agent, able to sign somewhere else to continue his hockey career.
While an overseas assignment is a usual outcome in these situations, it’s not like Gogolev is new to North America. The Russian forward came to Canada a decade ago to play hockey at various academies, before being the eighth overall pick in the 2016 OHL draft.
After a professional career that has been spent mostly in the ECHL, he’ll now have to catch on somewhere else to keep his hockey journey moving forward.