NHL To Change Testing Protocols After All-Star Break
The NHL has announced that it will make some changes to their COVID-19 testing procedures following the All-Star break, according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Seravalli reports that asymptomatic players and staff will no longer be tested for coronavirus, provided that COVID-19 rates around the league continue to decline over the next few weeks. Testing will then only happen following symptoms or for cross-border travel.
Notably, Seravalli adds that 73% of NHL rosters have tested positive this season and approximately 60% in the last five weeks. The NHL already had protocols in place to stop testing players for 90 days after their positive case. The current procedures are in place through February 3, while the NHL and NHLPA will meet before January 31 to review and approve the proposed changes.
In a press release, the league has confirmed the potential changes and listed them as follows:
Testing Protocol: The plan is to continue the current testing Protocol through Feb. 3. Provided positive test results continue to decline within the NHL, and pending review and agreement by Jan. 31 by the NHL’s and NHLPA’s medical experts, the Protocol will be updated as follows:
i. There will be no testing of Fully Vaccinated Players and Staff during the All-Star break (including for participating Players and staff), unless needed for travel or development of symptoms.
ii. There will be a single test upon re-entry to Club facilities post-All-Star, after which there will no longer be asymptomatic testing, or testing of Fully Vaccinated close contacts.
iii. Thereafter, testing will continue only on a limited “for cause” basis in Fully Vaccinated Players and Staff who develop symptoms or require testing for cross-border travel.
iv. The post-COVID “testing holiday” will remain at 90 days, but symptom-based testing can still be done at the team physician’s discretion. Testing for cross-border travel post-COVID will be dictated by the relevant health authority, which is currently 90 days for entry to the U.S. and 180 days for entry to Canada.
Taxi squads, which were introduced in late December as teams were struggling to ice full rosters, are scheduled to disappear again after each team’s final game before the All-Star break. Whether they are maintained past that is still unclear at this point. Friedman reports that a revised schedule for the February Olympic break is expected as early as tomorrow. More than 100 games have been postponed so far.
Kevin Hayes Undergoes Procedure, Out 3-4 Weeks
The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that center Kevin Hayes underwent a procedure this morning to drain fluid from his adductor region. He will miss the next three to four weeks, another pump in what has been a nightmare season for the veteran forward.
Hayes has played in just 20 games this season, including last night’s loss to the New York Islanders. He has just three goals and nine points while dealing with several stints on injured reserve and a bout with COVID-19. All of that followed the tragedy of his brother’s death in the offseason, when Jimmy Hayes suddenly passed away.
Speaking about his teammate, Scott Laughton told reporters including Jordan Hall of NBCS Philly that he “commends him for playing through what he has” and called him an incredible teammate. With a three to four-week absence now in front of him, Hayes will miss at least the next seven games and likely many more, as the scheduled Olympic break is filled with previously postponed matches.
It’s been a disaster for Philadelphia this season and the lack of a full-strength Hayes has been a big part of that. In his first two seasons with the Flyers, he registered 35 goals and 72 points in 124 games, playing on both the powerplay and penalty kill. The team is now 13-18-7 on the year and owns the third-worst goal differential (-34) in the Eastern Conference. Now on an eight-game losing streak, they’ll have to find a way to get back in the win column without Hayes in the lineup.
Bo Horvat, Mike Reilly Placed In COVID Protocol
The Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks have both announced new additions to the COVID protocol today, obviously affecting their lineup for tonight’s action.
In Vancouver, it’s captain Bo Horvat that is now unavailable to the club, as they look to try and put another dash in the win column this evening. Horvat was a huge part of the team’s win Sunday night against the Washington Capitals, scoring the game-winning goal and registering an assist in more than 20 minutes of ice time. Those two points took his season total to 23 in 38 games, good for fourth on the team and third among forwards.
His absence will be felt all over the ice but perhaps most in the faceoff dot, where he takes more than twice as many draws as anyone else on the Canucks roster. In fact, Horvat leads all NHL players in faceoffs this season, taking 891 through 38 games so far. His 503 wins sit just barely behind Patrice Bergeron for the league lead; the Bruins captain has an incredible 63% win rate this season.
Boston meanwhile will be without Mike Reilly, who enters the protocol after playing more than 21 minutes on Saturday night against the Nashville Predators (Nashville will face Vancouver tonight). The 28-year-old defenseman has found a home with the Bruins, where he has seen more ice time than anywhere else on his NHL journey and contributes in all situations. While he has just nine points in 32 games this season, Reilly’s puck-moving ability is an important piece of the puzzle for Boston.
Luckily, Matt Grzelcyk is set to return after his own stint on the COVID protocol, meaning the Bruins won’t really miss a beat. Urho Vaakanainen will also be afforded a bit more time with the big club, something he has taken advantage of in recent days. The young defenseman will skate beside Charlie McAvoy and very well could break the 20-minute mark for the fourth consecutive game.
NHL Announces 2022 All-Star “Last Men In”
The NHL All-Star rosters were revealed a few days ago, with one final spot open for each division. Those spots were filled by the “Last Men In” today following a fan vote.
For the Atlantic Division, the last man in is Steven Stamkos, captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning and the team’s third All-Star. He’ll join Victor Hedman and Andrei Vasilevskiy at the event, which will be held on the weekend of February 4-5. Stamkos is having a brilliant bounce-back season with 18 goals and 46 points in 39 games.
In the Metro, Mika Zibanejad of the New York Rangers was the vote-in choice, but due to personal reasons, he will not be attending. Instead, Jake Guentzel of the Pittsburgh Penguins will take his place. While refusing an All-Star appearance is normally a one-game suspension, that does not appear to be the case for Zibanejad. Guentzel is certainly a worthwhile replacement, as he is currently tied for seven in the league with 20 goals and has scored them in just 32 games.
For the Central, the obvious choice was Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri and the fans did not disappoint. Fifth in the league with 49 points this season, Kadri is having a career year and arguably deserved the All-Star bid ahead of teammate Nathan MacKinnon, who will also be there (along with Cale Makar, making it three for the Avalanche).
Another obvious snub when the lists were announced will be rectified as Troy Terry was the Pacific’s last man in, celebrating his breakout season. The 24-year-old forward sits sixth in league scoring with 22 goals in just 38 games, more than doubling his previous career total.
Alex Belzile, Cam Dineen Clear Waivers
Jan 18: Both Belzile and Dineen have cleared waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, and can be assigned to the minor leagues.
Jan 17: The Montreal Canadiens are getting some reinforcements in the coming days, meaning some players must be moved off the roster. Today it’s Alex Belzile who has been placed on waivers, according to Eric Engels of Sportsnet. He’s not alone though, as Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports reports that Cam Dineen of the Arizona Coyotes has also been placed on waivers today.
In Montreal, Josh Anderson will be back in the lineup today, Tyler Toffoli is expected back this week and Paul Byron will soon rejoin the team. Brendan Gallagher is also on track to return in one or two weeks, meaning the Canadiens will finally have some semblance of the roster they expected at the start of the season. All that means for Belzile is it’s time to go, either to the taxi squad or back to the minor leagues.
The 30-year-old minor league journeyman made his NHL debut in the 2020 bubble and has suited up 11 times for the Canadiens this season, but is still looking for his first NHL goal. In 16 games for the Laval Rocket before his most recent call-up, he had 11 points. An undrafted forward who spent years in the ECHL near the start of his pro career, Belzile serves as nothing more than injury insurance at this point.
Dineen meanwhile is at the opposite end of his career. Still just 23, he was a third-round pick of the Coyotes in 2016 and made his NHL debut this season. In 14 games, the left-shot defenseman has four points. Passed over on the prospect depth chart by several other defensemen in the Arizona system, Dineen’s placement on waivers doesn’t come as much of a surprise.
Still, given his relative youth and inexpensive price tag, he perhaps could be snagged by another team dealing with defensive injuries or absences. He is currently signed to a one-year, two-way deal that carries a cap hit of just $750K.
Fowler, Stolarz, Manson Placed In COVID Protocol
Jan 18: Elliott Teaford of the OC Register tweets that Josh Manson, assistant coach Geoff Ward, and video coach Joe Piscotty have now also been placed in the COVID protocol. With the Ducks off until tomorrow, they haven’t announced any activations but did send Benoit-Olivier Groulx to the AHL.
Jan 15: The Anaheim Ducks won’t have John Gibson in net tonight and they won’t have Anthony Stolarz either. The latter has joined the former in the COVID protocol, leaving Lukas Dostal and the recently recalled Olle Eriksson Ek as the two goaltenders on the active roster.
The worries don’t end there, however, as Cam Fowler has also been placed in the COVID protocol. The Ducks have recalled Vinni Lettieri and Greg Pateryn along with Eriksson Ek as they try to fight through this newest outbreak. Brendan Guhle is expected to enter the lineup in Fowler’s place.
Anaheim has lost two in a row and now seven of their last ten, but remain in second place in the Pacific Division. A big part of that is the fact that they’ve already played 40 games though, meaning they’ll need to get back on track here or risk dropping quickly down the standings.
Stolarz has been exceptional in relief of Gibson this season, posting a .919 save percentage through 13 games. In fact, since arriving in Anaheim in 2019-20 there hasn’t been much to complain about. In 22 appearances, the 27-year-old netminder has posted a .923 save percentage in a Ducks sweater. Dostal and Eriksson Ek meanwhile have a combined two games at the NHL level.
Cole Caufield, Joel Armia Placed In COVID Protocol
The Montreal Canadiens can’t seem to get a healthy lineup together. Just as some of their forwards were getting back from injuries, they’ve lost Cole Caufield and Joel Armia to the COVID protocol. Both played in yesterday’s game against the Arizona Coyotes, but will now face an isolation period of at least five days if they tested positive.
That means Caufield and Armia likely won’t be available tonight against the Dallas Stars, Thursday against the Vegas Golden Knights, or Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche as the Canadiens go through a fast-paced road trip. The team will be in Minnesota on Monday, a game that technically they would be eligible for if they are able to test out of the protocol.
It’s not like having them in the lineup was adding much anyway, as both Caufield and Armia are experiencing brutal offensive seasons. Each has just a single goal on the year, despite playing 29 and 32 games respectively. Caufield’s disappearance has been especially frustrating for fans who believed he would contend for a Calder Trophy this season. The 21-year-old sniper has just eight points on the season and hasn’t scored since late November.
New general manager Kent Hughes will have to wait to get his first look at the young forward as part of the Montreal front office, but everyone understands that this is a lost year for the Canadiens anyway. Now just 7-25-5 on the season, they are last in the NHL and are in pole position for the draft lottery in a few months.
Switzerland, Slovakia Announce Olympic Rosters
The 2022 Winter Olympics is inching closer, with pre-tournament games happening in just a few weeks. Several countries including the U.S. have announced the rosters that will compete next month and today two more revealed their NHL-less groups.
For Switzerland, it’s a roster with several familiar names including Gregory Hofmann, who only just terminated his contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Swiss finished tenth in 2018 after missing the quarterfinals because of a loss to the Czech Republic. This year they will have a chance at redemption, as they’re in a group with Czechia, the Russian Olympic Committee, and Denmark. The Swiss roster looks like this:
G Reto Berra
G Leonardo Genoni
G Joren Van Pottelberghe
D Santeri Alatalo
D Raphael Diaz
D Michael Fora
D Romain Loeffel
D Christian Marti
D Mirco Mueller
D Ramon Untersander
D Yannick Weber
F Andres Ambuhl
F Sven Andrighetto
F Christoph Bertschy
F Enzo Corvi
F Gaetan Haas
F Fabrice Herzog
F Gregory Hofmann
F Denis Hollenstein
F Denis Malgin
F Simon Moser
F Killian Mottet
F Sven Senteler
F Dario Simion
F Joel Vermin
Switzerland wasn’t alone announcing a roster today, as Slovakia also revealed the group that will travel to Beijing. Their group also has plenty of former NHL talent on it, though they’ll certainly be in tough during the group stage. Slovakia is in Group C, which also includes Finland, Sweden, and Latvia, meaning they’ll likely have to make it through the qualification playoff round.
Slovakia’s roster will look like this:
G Branislav Konrad
G Patrik Rybar
G Matej Tomek
D Michal Cajkovsky
D Peter Ceresnak
D Marek Daloga
D Martin Gernat
D Mario Grman
D Samuel Knazko
D Martin Marincin
D Simon Nemec
F Peter Cehlarik
F Marko Dano
F Adrian Holesinsky
F Marek Hrivik
F Libor Hudacek
F Tomas Jurco
F Milos Kelemen
F Michal Kristof
F Kristian Pospisil
F Pavol Regenda
F Milos Roman
F Juraj Slafkovsky
F Samuel Takac
F Peter Zuzin
Though Slovakia’s path to a medal will be difficult, their team should be very exciting. Nemec and Slafkovsky in particular are two names to watch, as top draft-eligible players for 2022. Nemec in particular has the ability to take over a game if given the chance, as he does on a routine basis for HK Nitra, his Slovakian club team. The 17-year-olds should be used to international competition by now, having both appeared at the World Championship last summer.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/18/22
It was a busy Monday in the NHL and things aren’t slowing down as the league plows ahead with their soon-to-be condensed schedule. Eight games are on the docket, including the red-hot Florida Panthers taking on the stingy Calgary Flames. The Panthers have averaged more than six goals per game over their last eight but will take on a Calgary Flames team that has allowed just 87 on the season, the fewest in the Western Conference. As they and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league and taxi squad shuffling right here.
Atlantic Division
- The Ottawa Senators have recalled Mark Kastelic and Logan Shaw to the taxi squad, giving them some extra forward depth. Kastelic, 22, has 11 points in 31 games for the Belleville Senators this season to go along with 38 penalty minutes. The 6’3″ forward was a fifth-round pick in 2019 and has yet to make his NHL debut. Later in the day, the team announced that Filip Gustavsson has been recalled as Matt Murray will miss tonight’s game with a non-COVID illness.
Metropolitan Division
- The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled Josh Leivo back to the taxi squad, moving Joey Keane to the Chicago Wolves to make room. Leivo has played in just three games for Carolina this season, spending most of the year in the minor leagues where he has 19 points in 20 games for Chicago. A veteran of more than 200 NHL contests, he’ll be an extra forward option after Martin Necas was put in the COVID protocol yesterday.
- Michael Sgarbossa has been recalled by the Washington Capitals, giving them another forward to use against the Winnipeg Jets this evening. The Capitals lost their last game but remain within three points of first place in the Metro.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have added Max Willman to the active roster, while sending Jackson Cates back to the AHL. Cates has played in seven games for the Flyers this season, his first full year of professional hockey after signing out of the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have reassigned Anthony Angello, Kasper Bjorkvist, and Filip Hallander to the AHL, as the team is back home for the next few days. The Penguins will welcome in the Senators on Thursday before heading to Columbus for a game Friday evening.
Central Division
- The Chicago Blackhawks have removed Seth Jones from the COVID protocol, meaning the team could make some other changes. Jakub Galvas, Mike Hardman, Cale Morris, and Josiah Slavin have all been reassigned to the Rockford IceHogs, though the minor league club doesn’t have a game until Friday.
- The Dallas Stars have reassigned Anton Khudobin to the taxi squad, adding Ty Dellandrea to it as well. The move suggests that Braden Holtby is ready to exit the COVID protocol and retake his position alongside Jake Oettinger in the Stars’ net. Khudobin played twice last week, allowing five goals on 50 shots.
- The Minnesota Wild have reassigned Kevin Czuczman, Hunter Jones, and Kyle Rau to the AHL, while moving Calen Addison, Matt Boldy, and Andrew Hammond back to the taxi squad. The moves don’t necessarily mean that players like Boldy are actually out of the lineup, but will save the team some cap space while they wait for their next game.
- The Arizona Coyotes have placed Antoine Roussel in the COVID protocol, while also assigning Vladislav Kolyachonok, Victor Soderstrom, and Ivan Prosvetov to the AHL. The Coyotes are off until tomorrow when they travel to New Jersey to take on the Devils.
- The Winnipeg Jets have reassigned Declan Chisholm to the AHL, while bringing Arvid Hom, Mikey Eyssimont, and Austin Poganski up to the taxi squad. Chisholm made his NHL debut last week, playing 13:44 against the Detroit Red Wings and recording four shots on goal.
Pacific Division
- Jacob Ingham and Austin Strand have been sent to the AHL from the Los Angeles Kings taxi squad. The Kings are at home against the Lightning tonight after a short road trip and don’t need the extra practice bodies for the time being.
- The Seattle Kraken have recalled Joey Daccord from the AHL, sending Max McCormick back to make room. Seattle of course claimed Karson Kuhlman on waivers yesterday, adding a forward to the active roster.
- The Calgary Flames have activated Adam Rucizka to the active roster from the taxi squad. The 22-year-old has played in five games with Calgary this season and scored his first career NHL goal last month.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Montreal Canadiens Hire Kent Hughes
The Montreal Canadiens have made a decision, hiring Kent Hughes as their next general manager. Hughes joins vice president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton in a new-look front office and will receive a five-year contract. Gorton released the following statement:
The process of hiring our new general manager allowed us to meet several highly qualified candidates. Kent is the one who stood out the most, and who we believe is the perfect person to fill the position of general manager of the Canadiens. We believe that his extensive experience as an agent will be an important asset to our organization.
Hughes, 51, has no front office experience but that does not mean he’s a newcomer to the hockey world. One of the most decorated player agents in the game, he represented players like Patrice Bergeron, Kris Letang, and Darnell Nurse from his agency Quartexx Management. He’ll now leave that role to take on the weight of Montreal, working as the francophone counterpart to Gorton’s leadership.
First connected to the Canadiens by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Hughes has been a longtime friend and associate of Gorton, and fits the profile of an inexperienced, French-speaking general manager that could grow into the role. He was not, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, part of the initial wave of interviews along with names like Daniel Briere and Mathieu Darche, but he landed the job anyway as a sort of unconventional option. He leaves behind more than $290MM in active contracts according to PuckPedia, as his players will have to find new representation.
The speculation of course that Letang, Bergeron, or others could sign in Montreal will certainly ramp up as they head toward free agency, but there is also another young hockey player that will now be linked to the Canadiens. Jack Hughes–not that Jack Hughes or that Jack Hughes–is a top prospect for the 2022 draft, currently ranked seventh among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting. He is a freshman center for Northeastern University who was developed by the U.S. National Team Development Program. He also happens to be the son of the new Canadiens general manager.
With the draft scheduled for Montreal this summer, you can bet that the new front office will be hoping to make a splash. The team has been absolutely dreadful this season, finding the bottom of the barrel after a Cinderella-like run to the Stanley Cup Finals last year. A 5-2 loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Monday showed just how far things had fallen, as the Canadiens dropped to 7-25-5 on the year, dead last in the league.
Orchestrating a rebuild is not new for Gorton, who was part of the New York Rangers management group that issued a letter to fans before a scorched-earth tear-down. It will be a new experience for Hughes, as will everything about being a GM. Gorton and Hughes are set to meet with the media on Wednesday morning.