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Former Capital Chris Simon Passes Away At Age 52

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Long-running NHL enforcer Chris Simon has passed away at age 52, per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli (Twitter link). Simon was a mainstay of the NHL’s bruiser era, playing 15 seasons in the NHL. Seven of those came with the Washington Capitals, where Simon remains one of the club’s most penalized players, with 666 penalty minutes in 320 games.

Simon was originally drafted 25th overall in the 1990 NHL Draft, going to the Philadelphia Flyers in what was then the second round. He was selected just ahead of 1000-game pros Doug Weight and Geoff Sanderson. But Philadelphia knew what they were getting in Simon, who recorded 36 goals, 74 points, and 146 penalty minutes in 57 OHL games during his draft year.

Two years after his draft day, Simon would be part of one of the biggest trades in NHL history – making up the ’future considerations’ aspect of the trade that sent Eric Lindros to the Philadelphia Flyers. Simon was moved to the Quebec Nordiques alongside Peter Forsberg, Ron Hextall, Steve Duchesne, $15MM in cash, and more.

The Nordiques awarded Simon with his NHL debut in the subsequent 1992-93 season, with Simon netting two points and 67 penalty minutes in just 16 NHL games. He’d go on to break the 100-penalty minutes mark in 1993-94, a feat he’d achieve in each of the next four seasons and pull off nine total times in his career. His most penalized year in the NHL came in 1995-96, when Simon totaled 250 penalty minutes in 64 games, the sixth-most in Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche history. Simon was also a major piece of Colorado’s 1996 Stanley Cup win, providing a physical presence and grit that pushed the Avalanche down the stretch.

Simon built a legacy as a hard-nosed enforcer, with 101 fighting majors across his 15-year career. PHR sends its condolences to Simon’s family and friends, as well as to all of the organizations he’s played for.

Rick Nash Named GM Of Canada’s World Championship Roster

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Team Canada has announced that former Rocket Richard winner Rick Nash will serve as the team’s general manager at the World Championship (Twitter link). Nash served as an assistant general manager on Canada’s 2022 World Championship roster that would go on to earn a silver medal.

This will be Nash’s first foray into general managing, though he’s been in the Columbus Blue Jackets front office since the 2019-20 season – serving as a special assistant to the general manager for two years before taking on the Director of Player Development title that he holds today.

Nash, 39, is pursuing a managerial career after a very successful 15 years in the NHL. He was one of the league’s most potent goal-scorers through the mid-2000’s, managing three different 40-goal seasons between 2003 and 2015. Nash remains Columbus’ franchise leader in goals (289), assists (258), and points (547) – carrying a 145-point lead over Cam Atkinson in second place. He has achieved plenty on the top stage, including winning the Rocket Richard for his 41-goal season in 2003-04, winning two Olympic gold medals, and even winning a championship and MVP title in Switzerland’s National League during the 2004-05 lockout.

Nash has also been highly acclaimed at the World Championship, winning a gold medal and MVP award at the 2007 World Championship and serving as Team Canada’s captain in 2011, his last appearance at the tourney. He’ll now return 13 years later, as Canada looks to build on their gold medal win last season.

NHL GMs Propose Multiple Rule Changes, Tweaks

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The NHL’s general managers have concluded their annual three-day meeting in mid-March, discussing the latest trends of the game and what new rules could prove impactful. Each of these rule changes is still in their infancy, still needing to be approved by the Competition Committee and the NHL Board of Governors before they’re enacted. We’re here to break down each of the new proposals, with all information courtesy of Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter Link).

  • Goaltenders will now join the list of players that can receive a penalty for intentionally dislodging the net – removing netminders’ ability to stop play on their own accord.
  • Centermen will receive a warning before getting tossed from the dot in offensive-zone draws following an opponent’s icing. Previously, defensive centermen received a warning, while offensive centermen were tossed immediately.
  • Backup goaltenders will receive a warmup if the starter is pulled out of the game due to injury or concussion.
  • If a goalie’s mask is knocked off and play is blown dead, the offensive team will have a choice of which offensive-zone dot they want to take the faceoff at.
  • Coaches will now have the ability to challenge a minor high-sticking call, in an attempt show that the infraction was the result of a teammate’s stick, not the offenders. This should clear up high-sticking calls from highly-congested scrums, where multiple players have their sticks up at once.
  • Coaches will now have the ability to challenge a delay of game penalty for the puck going over the glass – attempting to show that the puck deflected off something. If they fail, the team immediately receives a 5-on-3 penalty kill – one penalty for the delay of game, and one for the failed review.
  • If a player refuses to play the puck after a teammate’s high-stick or hand-pass, the opposing team will receive a faceoff one zone better than where the play occurred – meaning the faceoff will be in the non-offending team’s offensive zone, if the infraction occurs in the neutral zone.
  • Players will no longer be able to have legs over the bench while play is ongoing. Teams will be assessed a warning, and then a bench minor, for the infraction. This rule change comes after an official was cut by a skate over the side of the bench.
  • Notably, no changes to the league’s 3-on-3 overtime format were proposed. The NHL is on pace to have 70 percent of overtime games end before a shootout, which would be a league record.

Predators’ Jeremy Lauzon Week-To-Week With Lower-Body Injury

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The Nashville Predators are facing yet another injury to their blue line, announcing that Jeremy Lauzon is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury (Twitter Link). He’s the third Preds defenseman to earn a week-to-week injury designation in the last week, joining Dante Fabbro and Spencer Stastney on the absentee list.

This is a tremendous blow to what was a very consistent Predators defense, with six defensemen playing in 49 or more games. Lauzon has served in one of the more meager roles among that corps, averaging just short of 18-and-a-half minutes of ice time through his 68 games this season. He’s managed six goals and 13 points in that span – a mark that represents Lauzon’s career-high in scoring, beating out his 12 points in 67 games last season. Lauzon has also managed a career-high 90 penalty minutes this year, far ahead of his previous high of 67 penalty minutes. He’s continuing to establish a day-to-day NHL presence with the Predators, after joining the team via trade at the 2022 Trade Deadline.

With Lauzon joining the list of injured Predators, the team will turn toward recent recall Marc Del Gaizo, who played in the first five NHL games of his career earlier in the season. He’s performed well, managing three assists, two penalty minutes, and a +2. But Del Gaizo’s promotion leaves Nashville without a seventh defenseman, likely prompting a recall soon. But, interestingly, the Predators haven’t relied on any other defenders this year – meaning whoever they recall will be making their season debut in the NHL. Kevin Gravel, the captain of the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, will likely be the team’s top option – boasting 132 games of NHL experience and a prominent role in the AHL. Nashville signed Gravel to a two-year contract extension earlier this season.

Flyers Expected To Scratch Sean Couturier

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The Philadelphia Flyers are planning to scratch team captain Sean Couturier, per The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor (Twitter Link). The scratching comes one month after Couturier was awarded the captaincy – becoming the team’s first captain since Claude Giroux’s reign ended in the 2021-22 season.

The Flyers also recalled forward Olle Lycksell and defenseman Adam Ginning on Monday, with both players expected to now slot into the lineup – Lycksell ahead of Couturier and Ginning ahead of Marc Staal.

Philadelphia will hope to find a spark with these moves, after an unconvincing 4-6-1 stretch over their last 11 games. They’ve been outscored 32-to-42 in that span, with Couturier managing just three assists. Lycksell will replace him, after recording one goal and six points over his last two AHL games. The 24-year-old winger has appeared in nine NHL games already this season, netting three assists. The appearances bring his career totals up to four assists in 17 games, though he’s still searching for his first NHL goal.

Ginning has also appeared in the NHL this season – stepping into the lineup on March 7th for a 2-1 win over the Florida Panthers. It was the second NHL game of Ginning’s career, with the stout defender managing two penalty minutes, a -1, three blocks, and seven hits in the pair of matchups. He’s still searching for his first NHL point. Ginning has been a consistent piece in the Lehigh Valley Phantoms’ lineup, where he’s totaled two goals, 13 points, and 82 penalty minutes in 56 games this season.

This is the first healthy scratch designation that Couturier has carried in quite some time, though it calls back to John Tortorella’s scratching of Kevin Hayes in December of last season. Philadelphia experienced a 6-3 loss without Hayes in the lineup, returning him to his usual role in the subsequent game. The Flyers will hope for better fortunes this time, as Tortorella is once again leaving a seemingly top-name out of the lineup.

Red Wings Recall Simon Edvinsson On Emergency Loan

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11:00 AM: Wings head coach Derek Lalonde has shared that defenseman Jake Walman (lower-body) will be unavailable on Tuesday, while Michael Rasmussen (illness) will be a game-time decision. Walman’s absence opens a top-four role for Simon Edvinsson, who is expected to slot into the lineup.

10:30 AM: The Detroit Red Wings have recalled top defense prospect Simon Edvinsson from the minor leagues. He will serve as a fill-in for the injured Justin Holl, who is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Holl’s injury qualifies Edvinsson’s recall as falling under emergency conditions, preserving Detroit’s limited number of remaining recalls.

It’s just the sixth call-up of Edvinsson’s career, with the 21-year-old defender playing in 11 games between this season and last. He’s scored two goals and three points in those appearances, adding 14 penalty minutes and a -7.

Edvinsson has continued to perform at a high level since being drafted sixth overall in the 2021 NHL Draft. He currently leads the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins defensemen in scoring, with eight goals and 29 points in 52 games. He’s also managed 51 penalty minutes and a +5. Each of those stats represents improvements over what he posted in 52 games last season – his first year in North American pros – when he managed five goals, 27 points, 52 penalty minutes, and a -3. Edvinsson is one of two 2021 top-10 picks to not yet play out their NHL rookie season, joining Ottawa Senators prospect Tyler Boucher, who has yet to make his NHL debut.

While Edvinsson is joining the Red Wings lineup, there’s not a direct path to ice time just yet. Holl was serving as the seventh defenseman behind what’s been an incredibly consistent Detroit blue line, with all six members playing in at least 59 of Detroit’s 68 games this season. While that lineup is likely to continue forward, Edvinsson could represent an exciting spark plug for a Wings team that’s gone 1-8-0 over their last nine games, getting outscored 19-to-43 – though Edvinsson has just three points in his last seven games. The highly-acclaimed blue-liner will look to breathe life into the Detroit offense if, and hopefully when, he receives a crack at the lineup.

Jets To Be Without Rick Bowness Tuesday Following Medical Procedure

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The Winnipeg Jets will be without head coach Rick Bowness on Tuesday, following what the team described as a “minor medical procedure” (Twitter Link). Bowness has returned to Winnipeg to continue receiving treatment, with Scott Arniel slated to serve as interim head coach in his absence. It’s unclear if Bowness will be available for any of the remaining four games on Winnipeg’s east-coast road trip. The team’s next home game is on March 26th, against the Edmonton Oilers.

Bowness has commanded an impressive Jets lineup this season. They’ve allowed the fewest goals in the league this season and found a particularly strong groove since February, going 13-7-0 in their last 20 games. These strong performances have come despite the absences of key players, including Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, and Gabriel Vilardi. The Jets have persevered, largely thanks to their latest trade acquisitions. Sean Monahan has eight goals and 13 points in 19 games with the Jets, while Tyler Toffoli staked his claim in Winnipeg with a dominant two-goal, three-point performance on Sunday, bringing him to four goals and five points in his first four games with the club.

The Jets will look to continue that momentum behind associate coach Scott Arniel, who joined the Jets to start the 2022-23 season, after 11 seasons in the Metropolitan Division. Arniel has taken over for Bowness in the past, serving as interim head coach when Bowness stepped away earlier this season. He hasn’t shed the “interim” title since 2010 when he served as the head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets for a brief 123 games. Arniel has also served five years as an AHL head coach, recording a combined 218-136-42 record with the Manitoba Moose and Chicago Wolves. Arniel previously played in 730 career NHL games, including 406 games across six seasons in Winnipeg.

Former Penguin Konstantin Koltsov Passes Away At 42

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Former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Konstantin Koltsov has passed away at age 42, per Sportsnet (Twitter Link). Koltsov – the partner of top women’s tennis player Aryna Sabalenka – spent three seasons in the NHL, playing in a combined 144 games. He was originally the 18th overall pick in the 1999 NHL Draft, going in the same round as the Sedin brothers, Taylor Pyatt, Barret Jackman, and Martin Havlat.

Koltsov played in his rookie NHL season in 2003-04, after four years of playing in the KHL’s predecessor. He managed nine goals, 29 points, 30 penalty minutes, and a -30 while appearing in all 82 games that season, operating in a meager role on what was a very low-scoring Penguins lineup. The 2004-05 lockout would return Koltsov to Russia – and while he rejoined Pittsburgh in 2005-06 – recording nine points, 20 penalty minutes, and a -10 in 60 games – it was clear that Russia is where Koltsov fit in best. The Belarussian forward would make his Russian stay permanent in 2006-07, playing the next 10 years in the KHL before retiring in 2016 at age 34.

Koltsov totaled 617 games in Russia’s top pro leagues, scoring a combined 90 goals and 206 points across those appearances. This includes 14 goals and 25 points in the 2006-07 season, which marked his career-high in Russia. He also made appearances at the 2002 and 2010 Olympics, representing Belarus. Koltsov took on coaching in the 2017-18 season, serving as an assistant for Belarus’ Dinamo Minsk until 2019; later moving into an assistant role with Ufa Salavat Yulaev in 2021 – after playing in 264 games with the club as a player – a role he was actively serving in.

PHR extends its deepest condolences to Koltsov’s family and the Ufa Salavat Yulaev and Pittsburgh Penguins organizations.

Snapshots: Brind’Amour, Sergachev, Fontaine, U Sports

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While most teams prefer not to have their head coach in the last year of their contract, the Hurricanes have now done so twice when it comes to Rod Brind’Amour who is once again on an expiring deal.  Despite that, GM Don Waddell told NHL.com’s Dan Rosen that a lot of the legwork might already be done, saying they’ve “agreed on everything”.  They sat down before the trade deadline but haven’t crossed paths much since then with Waddell on the road at one point and now Carolina is just wrapping up a road trip.  At this point, it’s a matter of when, not if, a new contract for Brind’Amour is completed.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev announced on Instagram that he has resumed skating as he works his way back from a leg injury sustained last month. After he underwent surgery, head coach Jon Cooper indicated that the blueliner was at least out for the rest of the regular season and likely a good chunk of the playoffs so Sergachev is still a long way from being able to return but the fact he’s back on the ice already is certainly an encouraging sign for Tampa Bay.
  • Predators prospect Gunnarwolfe Fontaine has entered the NCAA’s transfer portal, reports Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal (Twitter link). The 23-year-old was a seventh-round pick by Nashville back in 2020 (202nd overall) and has been a capable producer in his four seasons at Northeastern, capped off by a 27-point showing this past season.  He’ll now try to beat that with another school for his fifth and final college campaign.
  • While we often talk about college free agents and undrafted CHL free agents at this time of year, there is another group of prospects that could sign deals in the coming days, from U Sports, Canada’s collegiate level. Edmonton was first out of the gate with their signing of Connor Ungar.  49 Sports’ Ben Steiner provides an overview of some of the players that could ink pro deals in the coming days and weeks including several players who were drafted but ultimately didn’t sign with the team that picked them.

Rangers Among Teams Interested In Collin Graf

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Quinnipiac winger Collin Graf attracted interest from NHL teams last year but opted to return to college for his junior season.  Once that campaign comes to an end, he’ll be highly coveted once again.  It appears the Rangers will be among them as Mollie Walker of the New York Post reports that New York is interested in signing Graf.

The 21-year-old put up 21 goals and 38 assists in 41 games at Quinnipiac last season and has produced at a similar level this year.  However, injuries cost him a few games earlier in the year so Graf’s point total won’t be quite as high this season.  That said, Graf sits tenth in NCAA scoring this year, collecting 22 goals along with 26 helpers through 31 games so far.

Graf won’t officially become available to sign until his season with the Bobcats comes to an end which could still be the better part of a month away depending on how far they go in the Frozen Four tournament.  Worth noting, he has attended development camps previously with Nashville and Florida; it stands to reason that those two teams will also be in on him if he decides to turn pro and eschew playing his senior year.

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