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Brian Boyle

League Updates: Boyle, Ekman-Larsson, IIHF

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The NHL Network will be adding a new face as they announce former player Brian Boyle will be joining the staff. Although he did suit up last season for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Boyle is now officially retired from the NHL.

Over his 14-year career, Boyle was originally drafted 26th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the famous 2003 NHL Draft. He then would go on to play seasons for the New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils, Nashville Predators, and Florida Panthers, before finishing up with the Penguins. In 871 career games, Boyle scored 141 goals and 252 points overall.

In August 2017, shortly before training camp would open up for the Devils, Boyle discovered that he had been struck with chronic myeloid leukemia, a form of bone marrow cancer. Boyle would return to hockey, playing the rest of the season in New Jersey, and being rewarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy at the conclusion of the season. Thankfully, just over a year later, Boyle announced that his cancer was in remission, and he went on to play for another three years.

Other notes:

  • Patrick Johnston of The Province wrote an article today explaining that Vancouver Canucks’ defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson will likely not return to the ice this year. Suffering a sprained ankle in the team’s February 15th game against the Rangers, Ekman-Larsson has not played since. After being acquired from the Arizona Coyotes, Ekman-Larsson was on pace to have his best season in point production since 2018-19, but he will now be unable to eclipse that. Playing in Vancouver this year, Ekman-Larsson will finish with two goals and 22 assists, with a -24 +/-.
  • The IIHF has announced that Russia and Belarus will not be included in any international competitions for the 2023-24 season. This will mark the second official suspension of both teams, making the initial call in February of 2022 in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Many pundits are speculating about when the eventual suspensions will stop, or if there is another solution possible altogether, as the war does not seem close to slowing down as of now.

Snapshots: Boyle, Oettinger, Domi

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Free agent center Brian Boyle had a nice comeback season with Pittsburgh in 2021-22, recording 11 goals and 10 assists in 66 games with Pittsburgh after not playing at all the year before.  Despite that, he wasn’t tendered an offer to remain with the Penguins when free agency opened up.  However, Dave Molinari of Pittsburgh Hockey Now notes that the 37-year-old is hoping to play again next season and is hoping that a return to Pittsburgh isn’t out of the question.  After playing on a deal for the league minimum a year ago, it’s likely that Boyle’s market value would be at that level again so he’s likely to remain on the open market for a little while longer until those types of contracts start to be signed closer to the beginning of training camp.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • With Dallas likely only having enough cap space to commit a long-term deal to just one of winger Jason Robertson and goalie Jake Oettinger, both Mike Heika and Bruce LeVine of the Stars’ team website suggest that Oettinger should be the one to receive a bridge deal. The 23-year-old had a strong year with a .914 SV% and a 2.53 GAA in 48 games but there isn’t much history of young goalies bypassing bridge contracts and going straight to a long-term pact.  With just 77 career NHL appearances under his belt, a bridge deal certainly makes sense.  He has four seasons of RFA eligibility left so there would still be ample time to work out a long-term agreement before Oettinger is eligible to hit the open market.
  • Max Domi wasted little time signing with the Blackhawks in free agency, inking a one-year, $3MM deal. Choosing to go to a team that has entered an extended rebuild may seem surprising but the 27-year-old told reporters, including Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago, that their decision to hire Luke Richardson prompted Domi to tell his agent that Chicago was where he wanted to go with a deal being agreed to just before free agency opened up.  Richardson was on the coaching staff with Montreal for Domi’s two seasons with the Canadiens and clearly, the new bench boss made a positive impression.

East Notes: Point, Boyle, Goodrow

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It looks like the Battle of Florida will be missing one of its biggest stars, at least for Game 1. After falling awkwardly in their Game 7 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point is doubtful for Game 1 of their Second Round series against the Florida Panthers, according to head coach Jon Cooper. Cooper notes that Point’s availability remains day-to-day, however.

Point’s injury didn’t look good, to say the least. Toe-picking along the wall with not much time remaining in the first period, Point’s leg went into the boards and he immediately winced in pain, grabbing his right leg near his hip. Point attempted to return for a shift in the second period and did not return after, although he did stay on the bench. The Leafs did a decent job of limiting Point in that series, holding him to just four points in seven games (and a -6 rating), although he did score the overtime winner in Game 6 to tie the series. Nonetheless, he remains an extremely important piece for the Lightning if they hope to get past their Presidents’ Trophy-winning Floridian counterparts and keep the three-peat dream alive.

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins announced today that veteran forward Brian Boyle underwent successful knee surgery today with an expected recovery time of six weeks. Boyle was injured in the team’s Game 6 loss to the New York Rangers. The 37-year-old was a pleasant surprise this season for Pittsburgh, notching 21 points in 66 games and two assists in six playoff games. The cancer survivor signed a PTO with the Penguins during training camp after not playing professionally in 2020-21 and carved out a regular spot in the lineup. It remains to be seen whether Boyle will return to the NHL next season.
  • Rangers forward Barclay Goodrow won’t be available for Games 1 and 2 of their Second Round series against the Carolina Hurricanes, but he still has a chance to return from injury during the series according to head coach Gerard Gallant. Goodrow was injured in Game 1 against the Penguins and hasn’t played since. He remains week-to-week with an undisclosed injury.

Brian Boyle Out Week-To-Week

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As the Penguins gear up for a do-or-die final game in their series against the New York Rangers, they will be without one of their more important bottom-sixers. Veteran Brian Boyle, whose play after not playing all of last season has been one of the best stories all year, is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury, as relayed by NHL.com’s Dan Rosen.

While those looking only at Boyle’s cap hit and box score numbers to get an indication of his value may not view this as any substantial loss, for a team hoping to play deeper into the playoffs beyond tonight, this news is a relatively substantial blow. Coach Mike Sullivan spoke on the value to his team lost by Boyle’s absence, calling Boyle “a good penalty killer” and lamenting that his absence “places a physical burden on the rest of the group.” The Penguins recently called up six-foot-six winger Radim Zohorna, so perhaps he can help bear some of that “physical burden” Sullivan was talking about. But he has yet to skate in a playoff game, and with Rickard Rakell likely back, it’s unlikely that Zohorna will do so anytime soon. So, it seems that the team will rely on the physical contributions of players like Brock McGinn or Jason Zucker to fill the void left by Boyle’s absence.

This loss is perhaps most significant within the context of the Penguins’ penalty kill. Recently, they have struggled mightily against a lethal Rangers powerplay, giving up three goals on only six chances in the past two games. Should the Penguins manage to defeat the Rangers and advance to play the Carolina Hurricanes in the next round, Boyle’s absence could be a major loss in the face of a Carolina powerplay that was top-15 in the regular season. But, before they can worry about that, they will need to beat the Rangers, a task that has now been made more difficult thanks to this news of Boyle’s extended absence.

Nominees Announced For 2022 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy

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The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is given out annually to the NHL player who exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. The award has been voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association since 1968, and today they announced their nominees for 2022.

Past winners of the award include Oskar Lindblom (2021), Bobby Ryan (2020), Robin Lehner (2019), Brian Boyle (2018), Craig Anderson (2017), Jaromir Jagr (2016), Devan Dubnyk (2015), Dominic Moore (2014), and Josh Harding (2013).

Below are the nominees from each team:

Anaheim Ducks – Ryan Getzlaf

Arizona Coyotes – Andrew Ladd

Boston Bruins – Jake DeBrusk

Buffalo Sabres – Kyle Okposo

Calgary Flames – Chris Tanev

Carolina Hurricanes – Antti Raanta

Chicago Blackhawks – Dylan Strome

Colorado Avalanche – Jack Johnson

Columbus Blue Jackets – Justin Danforth

Dallas Stars – Tyler Seguin

Edmonton Oilers – Kris Russell

Florida Panthers – Anthony Duclair

Los Angeles Kings – Blake Lizotte

Minnesota Wild – Jared Spurgeon

Montreal Canadiens – Carey Price

Nashville Predators – Mark Borowiecki

New Jersey Devils – Nico Hischier

New York Islanders – Zdeno Chara

New York Rangers – Chris Kreider

Ottawa Senators – Anton Forsberg

Philadelphia Flyers – Kevin Hayes

Pittsburgh Penguins – Brian Boyle

St. Louis Blues – Vladimir Tarasenko

Seattle Kraken – Jaden Schwartz

Tampa Bay Lightning – Alex Killorn

Toronto Maple Leafs – Ondrej Kase

Vancouver Canucks – Luke Schenn

Vegas Golden Knights – Jack Eichel

Winnipeg Jets – Josh Morrissey

Washington Capitals – Nicklas Backstrom

Injury Notes: Wilson, Stone, Boyle

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According to The Washington Post’s Samantha Pell, the Washington Capitals placed right wing Tom Wilson on injured reserve, although the move is retroactive to December 10. He hasn’t played the last week as he deals with an upper-body injury. Due to the retroactive nature of the move, he can be activated at any time. The team needed to free up roster space for Garnet Hathaway, though, who came off COVID protocol today, and moving Wilson to injured reserve accomplished that. Wilson’s day-to-day status hasn’t changed. He has nine goals and 15 assists in 27 games this season, on pace for a career-high in points.

More injury notes from around the league:

  • Many Vegas Golden Knights fans were concerned when captain Mark Stone missed today’s game with an upper-body injury due to his lengthy absence earlier in the season. However, head coach Peter DeBoer said after the game today that he doesn’t expect Stone to be out long-term. That’s great news for a Vegas team that’s finally getting on a roll after a nightmarish season in terms of health. The team now sits atop the Pacific Division, the place many expected them to be before an injury bug bit the team hard. The captain’s been red-hot recently, scoring four goals and 17 assists in 18 games.
  • Pittsburgh Penguins forward Brian Boyle is day-to-day with an upper-body injury and won’t play tonight against the New Jersey Devils, head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed. Pittsburgh somewhat unexpectedly added Boyle, who didn’t play at all in 2020-21, to the roster prior to training camp with injuries to both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin limiting them down the middle. Boyle’s gotten into 19 of Pittsburgh’s 29 games, scoring three goals and providing a good defensive game.

 

Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Brian Boyle

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Oct 12: Now that we’re into the first day of the regular season, the Penguins have made a few more cap moves to fit in Boyle. The team placed Evgeni Malkin on long-term injured reserve, moved Sidney Crosby to injured/non-roster, added Zach Aston-Reese to the COVID protocol and officially signed Boyle to a one-year, $750K contract. Anthony Angello and Drew O’Connor have also been recalled.

Oct 11: The Pittsburgh Penguins are expected to sign Brian Boyle on Tuesday, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff confirms that the one-year deal will be worth $750K when finalized. Boyle had been in Penguins camp on a professional tryout after failing to even play professional hockey in 2020-21.

Now 36, Boyle’s story is one of incredible perseverance and hard work, with this just the latest impressive chapter. The veteran forward seemed to be out of the NHL last season, but took earned himself a spot on the U.S. World Championship team, was given the captaincy and proved he could still play at a high level. Even that wasn’t enough to land him an actual contract, but his performance at Penguins’ camp on a PTO–combined with the team’s injury concerns–will be enough to get him another chance.

No one is mistaking Boyle for a top-line player at this point, but he does bring size, experience and versatility to the bottom of the lineup. The 6’6″ forward can play center or left wing, while contributing on both special teams. In 2019-20 with the Florida Panthers he recorded six goals and 15 points in 39 games, while providing a physical presence and a reliable faceoff percentage. If the Penguins, who are without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin to start the season, get a few months of respectable performance out of Boyle, it will be well worth the one-year deal.

Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Brian Boyle, Matt Bartkowski To PTOs

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The Pittsburgh Penguins are bringing in some experience to training camp. The team announced today that both Brian Boyle and Matt Bartkowski have signed professional tryouts with the club and will be at camp later this month.

Boyle, 36, didn’t play anywhere in 2020-21 before joining the U.S. contingent at the IIHF World Championship, where he captained the squad to a bronze medal. He actually opened some eyes with his play, which resulted in two goals and three points in ten games despite his advanced age, and suggested that a return to the NHL could be possible for the 2021-22 season. That chance is now apparent in Pittsburgh, where he’ll battle for an NHL contract at training camp.

There’s a lot to like in the 6’6″ forward, who has played 805 regular season games over a long career. Boyle at one point was on a streak of deep playoff runs, getting to the Stanley Cup Finals in back-to-back seasons with the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning. Though he’ll never again be the 20-goal scorer he was in 2010-11, he’s an excellent faceoff man that can add size to the fourth line and chip in offensively now and again. Even while playing just 12 minutes a game with the Florida Panthers in 2019-20 he managed six goals and 15 points in 39 games.

Bartkowski on the other hand has only played 256 NHL games to this point, last finding a regular lineup spot in 2015-16 with the Vancouver Canucks. He played just one game for the Minnesota Wild last season, spending most of the year with the Iowa Wild of the AHL. That injury replacement role is exactly the kind he’s likely fighting for in Penguins camp, but an NHL contract for the veteran defenseman isn’t out of the question.

One thing to note with any PTO is that it is not just a showcase for the team that signs it, but for the entire league. If Boyle or Bartkowski show enough to catch the eye of another team, they are allowed to sign with anyone they want.

Gabriel Bourque Signs AHL Contract With Laval

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After a year off from hockey, Gabriel Bourque is back. The Montreal Canadiens may still be focused on their Stanley Cup pursuit, but GM Marc Bergevin and company know opportunity when they see it and have locked in the NHL veteran and Quebec native for the 2021-22 season. Locked him into an AHL contract that is. It is the Laval Rocket who have announced the signing of Bourque to a one-year deal. After a year away from the game, Bourque will have to prove that he can still be an impact player by at least starting the season in the minors.

Bourque, 30, was unable to find an NHL contract last off-season and without much of a PTO market and a then-unknown future for the AHL in 2020-21, the experienced winger opted to take the season off rather than jump to Europe for the first time in his career in the midst of a pandemic. This is not as unusual as it may seem, as a number of players did the same thing. Included in that list is a fellow established NHL veteran in Brian Boyle, who after suiting up for Team USA at the IIHF World Championships is also hoping to make a comeback next season. Bourque also struggled through a lingering lower-body issue in 2019-20, so health may have played a part in his decision as well.

Don’t be surprised if Bourque pushes for more than just a full season spent in the minors, though. A veteran of over 400 NHL games who has also topped 100 points in that time, Bourque is a proven NHL commodity. Since turning pro in 2010-11, the versatile wing has played in at least half of his NHL team’s games in six of nine seasons, including 50+ games played in each of the three seasons leading up to his gap year. A two-way forward with a strong turnover differential and good checking ability, Bourque is an asset as a bottom-six forward. Both the Nashville Predators and Colorado Avalanche kept him around for several seasons as a result, before a one-and-done stay with the Winnipeg Jets. If the Canadiens find that they are impressed by his play in training camp or suffer a bottom-six injury during the season, it would not be a shock to see Bourque get bumped up to an NHL contract. There is also potential for a partnership beyond next season for the local product and the team.

USA Hockey Announces World Championship Roster

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The IIHF World Championship roster is always a little different. Because the tournament takes place during the NHL playoffs, many players are unable to attend. Many others choose not to participate because of injuries they sustained during the season, meaning there are often some interesting choices that compete for their country.

This season is perhaps even more difficult for U.S. Men’s National Team general manager Chris Drury. Not only does he have injuries and the postseason to deal with, but many players haven’t seen their families for months and just want to spend some quality time at home. With that in mind, this year’s team has both players not yet drafted and others that have already aged out of the NHL.

The full roster is as follows:

G Jake Oettinger
G Cal Petersen
G Anthony Stolarz

D Adam Clendening
D Matt Hellickson
D Zac Jones
D Connor Mackey
D Matt Roy
D Ryan Shea
D Matt Tennyson
D Chris Wideman
D Christian Wolanin

F Justin Abdelkader
F Matthew Beniers
F Colin Blackwell
F Brian Boyle
F Sasha Chmelevski
F Ryan Donato
F Jack Drury
F Conor Garland
F Kevin Labanc
F Trevor Moore
F Jason Robertson
F Eric Robinson
F Kevin Rooney
F Tage Thompson

The U.S. team will be coached by Jack Capuano. The tournament kicks off on May 21 in Riga, Latvia.

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