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Snapshots: Forsberg, NHLPA, PWHPA

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This evening on Hockey Night in Canada’s 32 Thoughts segment, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman discussed an update on Filip Forsberg’s contract extension talks, noting that Forsberg’s agent, J.P. Barry and Nashville Predators’ GM David Poille recently met face-to-face for the first time in a while. Friedman says that while it is difficult to gauge any progress on the talks, as nothing was made public from these discussions, the development is significant and represents the two sides continuing to talk.

Forsberg is an impending UFA, who the Predators chose not to trade at this year’s trade deadline, despite not having an extension in place with the forward. Part of the reason to hang onto Forsberg would be for Nashville to use him themselves in another playoff run, but also perhaps their confidence that they could get a deal done with Forsberg before he hits free agency. One advantage Nashville will have over other teams, besides an extended negotiating period and familiarity, is the ability to give Forsberg an eight-year contract as opposed to seven, something he will almost assuredly get.

  • Also from Friedman is that a succession plan for NHLPA Director Donald Fehr could be in place by this summer, though Friedman adds he is not entirely sure what that will look like. Fehr has served in this role since 2010, after a storied career with the MLBPA, however his position has come under fire recently, especially with the release of the results of an independent investigation into the NHLPA and Fehr’s handling of the accusations against the Chicago Blackhawks and Brad Aldrich. The 73-year-old Fehr had already been rumored to be nearing retirement, so to see a succession plan being rumored now is not surprising, even with the investigation news.
  • With the PWHPA planning to go their own way in forming a league without the PHF, Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek shares some details of what the new league will look like. First and foremost, Marek says that the league will have a new name, though what that will be is not yet known. The league’s first season will take place from January through April of 2023 and consists of 32 games per team, including six teams spread between the US and Canada. Each team is expected to have 23 players, with the minimum salary being $35K and the average salary being $55K, as well as benefits for all players. Without too many more pertinent details, it’s hard to forecast what this league and season will truly look like and what fans can expect, however having these basic plans in place is a promising step forward after talks between the PWHPA and PHF have not progressed to anything of note thus far.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Wallstedt, PWHPA

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The NHL has released its Three Stars for last week, with Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs taking home top spot. Matthews scored seven more goals in his four games to extend his lead in the Rocket Richard race, and set the Maple Leafs’ single-season franchise record. With 58 goals on the season, Matthews is incredibly already up to 257 in his career, putting him into the top-10 for the Maple Leafs organization–just three behind franchise icon Wendel Clark.

Second and third went to John Carlson and Jonathan Huberdeau respectively, who continue to rack up points of their own. Carlson, somewhat quietly in a year that has had so many other strong offensive performances from defensemen, is up to 63 points after his eight-point week. It’s the fourth time in five seasons that the Washington Capitals defenseman has recorded 60+ and has him closing in on 600 in his career. Huberdeau meanwhile broke the 100-point mark for the first time in his career and now leads the league with 77 assists as he makes a run at both the Art Ross and Hart trophies.

  • The Minnesota Wild are hoping to sign top goaltending prospect Jesper Wallstedt soon, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic, in order to have him play in North America next season. The 19-year-old was picked 20th overall in 2021 and posted a .917 save percentage in 22 appearances for Lulea HF in Sweden this season. The team is into the semi-finals meaning a contract will have to wait at least a little while, though veteran netminder Joel Lassinantti has started all five playoff games to this point.
  • The PWHPA’s board has voted unanimously to end any discussion of collaborating with the PHF, according to Hailey Salvian of The Athletic. The two factions of women’s professional hockey have never seen eye-to-eye but had met with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman recently to try to come to some sort of coalition. It appears that is impossible, at least for the time being, with the two sides ceasing further communication.

Morning Notes: PHF/PWHPA, Chabot, 3ICE

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The NHL has requested a meeting between the PHF and PWHPA–the two feuding women’s hockey factions–to attempt to bring the two sides together. Jeff Marek of Sportsnet reports that details of the proposed meeting are still being worked out, but the PWHPA was informed recently of a multi-million dollar funding deal, one that would be an 8-10 year commitment, that would allow their proposed league to move forward. Marek doesn’t specify where the funding is coming from.

The PHF meanwhile recently announced their own massive investment, a $25MM guarantee from several private donors. That led to a huge increase in the salary cap for each team, added health benefits for the players, and other increases throughout the financial landscape of the league. It also recently saw a group of high-profile investors purchase the Toronto Six, bringing more name recognition to the ownership group. The two leagues are currently splitting the player base, with the vast majority of the U.S. and Canadian Olympians on the side of the PWHPA.

  • Bad news for the Ottawa Senators, as Thomas Chabot is expected to be out long-term with a hand injury. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia notes that the team will have more information in the coming days, but Darren Dreger of TSN was told it is a broken hand. This comes after Jake Sanderson, the team’s top defense prospect, was also ruled out for at least a few weeks, which could put his late-season rendezvous with the Senators in jeopardy. After a midseason hot streak, the Senators are back to their losing ways of late, dropping their last three and eight of ten. Without Chabot, things certainly will be more difficult down the stretch. (UPDATE: Senators head coach D.J. Smith confirmed today that Chabot has suffered a broken hand and will miss the rest of the season.)
  • Back in 2020, a new 3-on-3 league called 3ICE was announced with many recognizable NHL players and coaches attached to the product. While the COVID-19 pandemic put many of the league’s plans on pause, it didn’t kill it completely. 3ICE will be back this summer and today they announced some of their first few signings. Sean Shapiro of The Athletic tweets that David Booth, Chris Bourque, Chris Conner, T.J. Hensick, and Aaron Palushaj are the first five players that will be drafted into what will be a six-team league. All five played in the NHL, with Booth even scoring 31 goals and 60 points during the 2008-09 season with the Florida Panthers.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Six, Chychrun

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The NHL has released its Three Stars for last week, with Dallas Stars phenom Jason Robertson taking the top spot following his back-to-back hat trick efforts. Robertson had seven goals in three games for the week and now has 46 goals and 100 points in his first 100 NHL contests. While he’s shooting an incredible 20.4 percent this season, the 22-year-old is proving he’s no fluke and should be among the league’s most dynamic offensive weapons for years to come.

The second and third spots went to Nick Schmaltz and Igor Shesterkin respectively, with outstanding weeks of their own. The Arizona Coyotes forward had an incredible seven-point night against the Ottawa Senators and has been playing huge minutes over the last few weeks, really stepping back into the offensive role he carried earlier in his career. Shesterkin meanwhile continued his historic season with three more wins and actually raised his save percentage to .942 on the year. Shesterkin leads in almost every goaltending category so far and has a 28-6-3 record to go with it.

  • The Toronto Six, a PHF franchise that came into existence in 2020, has been sold to a new ownership group that includes former NHL player Anthony Stewart, Hockey Hall of Fame member Angela James and former NHL coach Ted Nolan. The Six are currently in first place in the PHF with a 13-2-1 record on the year and are next in action on March 12.
  • The Coyotes still prefer to not trade Jakob Chychrun, according to general manager Bill Armstrong who spoke with The Fourth Period’s Anthony Di Marco, but they won’t be turning down any calls. Armstrong admitted that “if someone were to offer the right assets” they would be interested in moving Chychrun, even if the “preference” is to not. Earlier this season, reports emerged suggesting that the asking price was quite high, an ask that obviously hasn’t been met to this point.

Snapshots: Murray, PHF, Johnson

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The Calgary Flames have hired former Anaheim Ducks general manager Bob Murray as a scout, according to Eric Francis of Sportsnet. The long-time executive resigned his position with the Ducks a day after the team put him on administrative leave while an investigation was conducted into improper professional conduct. When he resigned, he indicated that he was entering an alcohol abuse program. Anaheim has since conducted and completed a search to fill the vacant GM position, hiring Pat Verbeek earlier this month.

According to Eric Stephens of The Athletic, Murray attended the Ducks’ recent game against the San Jose Sharks in a scouting capacity for the Flames. Murray and Flames head coach Darryl Sutter played together with the Chicago Blackhawks and have been connected several times since, most recently when Sutter was hired by the Ducks in 2019 as a coaching advisor.

  • The PHF has tweaked some salary cap and roster rules as they head into the last part of their season, allowing teams to sign up to two new players from other professional leagues, spend over the salary cap, hold an extra skater on the roster, and dress an extra skater for each game. The league is set to more than double the salary cap for next season, after securing huge private investments earlier this year. In a statement, commissioner Tyler Tumminia–who will be moving on from the PHF after the 2022 Isobel Cup playoffs–used the words “attracting world class talent” in regards to this new rule tweak. That could indicate teams are going to target players from the PWHPA, which still includes many of the best women’s hockey players in the world.
  • Tyler Johnson appears to be ready to return to action in the coming days, as Charlie Roumeliotis of NBCS Chicago notes that the injured forward is practicing on the first powerplay unit at practice. Should he make his return on Friday as Roumeliotis suggests, it would mean a recovery period even shorter than Jack Eichel’s, who had the same artificial disk replacement surgery. Johnson last played for the Blackhawks on October 29 and underwent the procedure on December 3.

Tyler Tumminia Resigns As Commissioner Of PHF

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As reported by Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek tonight, PHF commissioner Tyler Tumminia is resigning from her duties. She plans to stay on through the end of the PHF regular season and playoffs.

Tumminia originally entered the PHF world in April of 2020, when she was named chairman of the expansion Toronto Six. Just six months later in October, however, the PHF named Tumminia the interim commissioner of the league after restructuring their administrative model.

She retained the interim commissioner title until August 2021, when the role was given to her permanently. Tumminia resigns from the job after just six months.

The PHF’s playoffs take place in late March, meaning Tumminia will only stay on for the next six weeks, approximately.

The news comes less than a month after Alex Sinatra resigned as the Executive Director of the Players’ Association of the PHF.

PHF Announces Large Salary Cap Increase

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The Premier Hockey Federation has announced that their Board of Governors has committed to investing over $25MM in direct payments and benefits over the next three years, the largest one-time independent investment in the history of professional women’s hockey. The investment will lead to a huge, 150 percent increase in the league’s salary cap for the 2022-23 season, up to $750K from $300K. The PHF, formerly the NWHL, is the leading women’s professional league in North America and consists of six independently-owned franchises.

PHF commissioner Tyler Tumminia released the following statement:

The PHF has been steadfast in its vision to grow the game under a new era that truly provides leading opportunities for athletes in the sport who deserve to be treated as professionals. This amazing investment by ownership reaffirms the strength of their commitment to being difference-makers who advance the professional game so that our athletes can thrive as role models who continue to inspire the next generation.

The investment, which will also include full healthcare benefits and equity in teams, follows a successful few months for the league. In October, the league announced a landmark deal with ESPN+ as its exclusive U.S. broadcast partner for this season. In December, they announced a partnership with Upper Deck to produce the first-ever series of trading cards for professional women’s hockey. Earlier this month an agreement was announced with Warrior as the league’s new equipment provider.

This new investment also comes with the expectation of expansion. According to John Wawrow of the Associated Press, the league is moving forward with plans for two expansion clubs; one in Montreal and the other in an undisclosed U.S. location. It will also increase the schedule to 28 games for each team next season.

Snapshots: Jets, Edmundson, PHF

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The Winnipeg Jets are could have additional positive COVID-19 results overnight, according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. Winnipeg is set to host their home opener tomorrow night against the Anaheim Ducks and already had captain Blake Wheeler ruled out.

If they do lose more players before tomorrow’s game, it’s brutal news for a team that is already off to a very slow start. The Jets haven’t won a game in their first three and have already allowed 14 goals. (Update: Seravalli reports that it might not be as bad as originally feared, as some tests that originally came back as positive have now been confirmed as negatives.)

  • Montreal Canadiens defenseman Joel Edmundson is recovering from injury, but he won’t be back with the team just yet. GM Marc Bergevin explained to reporters today including John Lu of TSN that Edmundson is taking a leave from the team to be with his father who is suffering from cancer. Edmundson has not yet played this season.
  • The Premier Hockey Federation, formerly the NWHL, has announced a broadcast deal with ESPN that will see all 60 regular season games streamed on ESPN+. PHF commissioner Tyler Tumminia calls it a “significant step” in the league’s history, and gives them an enhanced standard of delivery.

NWHL Rebrands As Premier Hockey Federation

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The NWHL, North America’s only remaining women’s professional league, has decided to rebrand. It will now be known as the Premier Hockey Federation, a decision explained by commissioner Tyler Tumminia today:

The Premier Hockey Federation is home to some of the best professional athletes in the world who deserve to be recognized for their abilities and to be empowered as equals in sport. This league has come a long way since its inception in 2015 and we believe that this is the right time and the right message as we strengthen our commitment to growing the game and inspiring youth.

The rebrand comes with a new logo and a new focus on the skill and talent of the PHF athletes, rather than their gender. It comes as the league prepares for another season which will begin in November and after a strong 2021 campaign that saw massive sponsorship improvements and a huge salary cap increase. The league has also experienced expansion recently and has hinted at further movement across North America in that regard.

The IIHF Women’s World Championship, which was recently held in Calgary and included players from the PHF, experienced a huge amount of television success in Canada. The gold medal game, played between Canada and the U.S., attracted a record average audience of 836,000 viewers and was peaking at 1.6 million when Marie-Philip Poulin scored the overtime winner.

Poulin of course is part of the PWHPA, a traveling showcase group that has been at odds with the PHF in the past but provides an alternative for professionals in North America. One of the biggest issues in women’s hockey the last several years has been the division of many of the game’s top talents, with many working against the PHF and toward a drastically different league structure. That battle will continue even through this rebrand, though the PHF certainly isn’t going anywhere just yet.

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