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Eric Staal Named Captain Of 2022 Canadian Olympic Squad

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Hockey Canada has announced the leadership group for the upcoming Olympic Games, with Eric Staal the obvious choice as captain of the club. He’ll be joined by David Desharnais and Maxim Noreau as alternates.

Staal, 37, has not only appeared in the Olympics previously–he went when the NHL was still participating. A member of the 2010 gold medal-winning squad in Vancouver, the veteran forward is already a member of the exclusive Triple Gold Club, with Olympic gold, World Championship gold, and a Stanley Cup championship. This is the second time he’s served as captain for Team Canada, having also worn the “C” in 2013 at the Worlds.

With the scattered talent that’s on the team, Staal was always going to be the captain as he brings more experience than anyone else. He very well could skate with someone nearly two decades his junior, if Mason McTavish can work his way up the lineup. He’ll have another veteran forward to lean on either way though, as Desharnais gets an “A” after three excellent years playing in Switzerland. The 35-year-old had a strong NHL career of his own, racking up 282 points in 524 career games.

Noreau, a player that might be much less familiar to NHL fans given he played just six games with the Minnesota Wild more than a decade ago, is the other alternate after a long successful career in Switzerland. He’s also a returning member of the 2018 Olympic group, where he also wore an “A” en route to a bronze medal. The 34-year-old defenseman should likely play a role on the powerplay given his offensive skillset, though young Owen Power has the ability to play in all situations including with the man-advantage.

Meanwhile, Canada’s pre-tournament tune-up game in Switzerland before they travel to Beijing has been canceled due to COVID concerns for EV Zug, the scheduled opponent. For Staal and his team, the tournament will begin on February 10.

Eric Staal, Owen Power Headline Team Canada 2022 Olympic Roster

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Jan 25: The roster below has been confirmed, and Chris Johnston of TSN also has the full group of alternates. Justin Pogge, Morgan Ellis, John Gilmour, Chris DiDomenico, Kent Johnson, and Max Veronneau will all be traveling to Beijing and could see action depending on injuries and illnesses.

Jan 24: While the official announcement from Hockey Canada isn’t until tomorrow, the IIHF mistakenly tweeted out the roster for the upcoming 2022 Olympics this afternoon. The tweet has since been deleted, but not before it was seen by many including PHR. Canada’s roster is filled with names familiar to NHL fans, including Stanley Cup champion and veteran of nearly 1,300 games Eric Staal.

The full roster:

G Devon Levi
G Eddie Pasquale
G Matt Tomkins

D Brandon Gormley
D Alex Grant
D Owen Power
D Tyler Wotherspoon
D Mat Robinson
D Mark Barberio
D Jason Demers
D Maxim Noreau

F Daniel Carr
F Corban Knight
F Ben Street
F Jack McBain
F Eric Staal
F Adam Tambellini
F Eric O’Dell
F Daniel Winnik
F Adam Cracknell
F Mason McTavish
F Landon Ferraro
F David Desharnais
F Jordan Weal
F Joshua Ho-Sang

Of note, the announcement did not come with the six-man alternate group that Darren Dreger of TSN reported on this morning. Olympic teams will get to bring a handful of extra skaters that would be eligible to play in case of injury or COVID-related issues. Kent Johnson, who didn’t appear on the final roster, is expected to be among Canada’s alternates.

Extension Notes: Fox, Hughes, Bergevin, Desharnais

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The New York Rangers are the focus of many right now as they try to turn the corner from rebuilding to a contender, and a huge part of that success will be the continued star play of reigning Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic writes in his latest that a Fox extension should be the entire focus of the Rangers front office right now, lest they put themselves in a trickier situation next summer. LeBrun writes that the Rangers and Fox’s agent Matt Keator have had “very preliminary talks.”

  • LeBrun also touches on Jack Hughes, whose camp has also had preliminary talks with the New Jersey Devils on an extension. The young forward suffered a dislocated shoulder and will be out indefinitely for the Devils, but that doesn’t mean he’s any less a key part of their future. The first-overall pick from 2019 had 31 points in 56 games last season and appeared to be taking another step forward this time around, with three points in the game and a half he was able to finish. The scribe believes the Devils will try to sign Hughes to a long-term deal, as they did previously with captain Nico Hischier.
  • Meanwhile, Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin told reporters yesterday that in a perfect world he would be back with the team next season, but that talks are still put off until the end of the season. He confirmed he still has total control over hockey decisions, despite his contract expiring at the end of this season. Arpon Basu of The Athletic examined his comments and suggests that the ball is now squarely in owner Geoff Molson’s court after Bergevin spoke publicly and made his desire to stay clear.
  • Remember David Desharnais? Well, he’s got an extension of his own, this time with HC Fribourg-Gotteron in Switzerland, where he’s played the last few years. Desharnais signed a new one-year extension that keeps him there through the 2022-23 season, allowing him to continue being a key part of a professional team a little longer. The 35-year-old forward scored 282 points in a 524-game NHL career before taking his talents overseas and has been excellent in Switzerland, racking up 94 points in 113 games.

Minor Transactions: 03/19/21

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While the NHL trade market is swirling with rumors and the college free agent market has begun to heat up, there has been far more anticipation than actual transactions of late. Yet, in Europe there are teams already looking ahead to next season and players whose current campaigns are coming to an end. The KHL is already through the first round of the Gagarin Cup playoffs, while the SHL, Liiga, NLA, and others are in the stretch run. Keep up with these notable moves and more with today’s minor transactions:

  • After a surprising first-round sweep at the hands of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, the off-season has arrived earlier than hoped for perennial KHL contender Jokerit. The Finnish club hasn’t wasted any time with making their intentions for next season known either, quickly re-signing many of their core players who had been on expiring contracts – a group familiar to NHL fans. Jokerit has announced new contracts for four key players: two-year extensions for forward Markus Hannikainen, defenseman Alex Grant, and goaltender Anders Lindback and a one-year deal for forward Henri Ikonen. Hanikainen, 27, just completed his first season in the KHL after spending the past five years with the Columbus Blue Jackets (and briefly the Arizona Coyotes). Lindback, perhaps the most recognizable name, has been in Europe for three years now, but spent eight seasons in North America, totaling 130 NHL games with five different teams. Grant, known more for his status as top defender in the AHL in nearly 500 career games, has spent the past three years with Jokerit since leaving North America. Ikonen, 26, is a former Tampa Bay Lightning prospect who has played in the KHL for the past four years since his entry-level contract expired. With many of Jokerit’s other top players also signed beyond this season, including several more former NHLers, the team will return the bulk of a roster than finished fifth in the KHL’s Western Conference this year and hope that they can take another step forward in 2021-22.
  • The season has also ended abruptly for the KHL’s Torpedo Nizhny Novogord, although not entirely unexpectedly as they were swept in the first round by the powerhouse Ak Bars Kazan, the Eastern Conference regular season champions. With his Russian campaign now over, the Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled young forward Semyon Der-Arguchintsev from his loan, writes Mike Davies of the Peterborough Examiner. Rather than rush SDA back from Russia to play in the AHL right away, the Leafs allowed him to complete his KHL season. The 20-year-old forward recorded six points in 17 games for Torpedo as a part-time player, and did play in all four playoff games but was held off the score sheet. He is now ready to return to more consistent, valued role with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, making his North American pro debut. A former standout with the OHL’s Peterborough Petes, SDA is an impressive offensive talent who should be able to make an impact in the minors.
  • Longtime Montreal Canadien David Desharnais is wrapping up his second season with HC Fribourg-Gotteron of the Swiss National League, his third season abroad since leaving the NHL. It’s been his best season in Europe by a wide margin, as Desharnais has recorded 36 points in 39 games and has established himself as a veteran leader for Fribourg-Gotteron, who currently sit in second place in the NLA standings with the postseason approaching. Despite this success and many years of NHL experience, the 34-year-old center does not seem too focused on attempting a return to North America. Instead, he has signed a one-year extension to stay in Switzerland, the club announced. Barring another point-per-game Swiss season next year (and even if then), this likely puts an official end to Desharnais’ NHL career.

Canada Announces 2019 Spengler Cup Roster

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Dec 23: Canada has added Mathew Maione and Blair Riley to the club, two more players with plenty of international experience.

Dec 19: While most fans of international hockey are paying attention to the upcoming World Junior Championship, there is actually another high-level tournament that starts at the same time. The Spengler Cup, where several club teams from around the world gather to compete is held every year just after Christmas. Canada also submits a team in the tournament, and this year’s edition has quite a few names that should be familiar to NHL fans.

The full roster:

G Brendan Burke
G Zach Fucale
G Matt Tomkins

D Paul Postma
D Ian Mitchell
D Alex Grant
D Patrick Wiercioch
D Andrew MacDonald
D Maxim Noreau

F Adam Tambellini
F Kris Versteeg
F Dustin Jeffrey
F Eric Fehr
F Justin Danforth
F Scottie Upshall
F Cory Emmerton
F Daniel Winnik
F Kevin Clark
F Ben Maxwell
F David Desharnais
F Josh Jooris
F Chris DiDomenico

Mitchell immediately stands out in the group, given that unlike many of the other former NHLers, he hasn’t even had his chance at the highest level so far. The Chicago Blackhawks draft pick is still just 20 years old and in his junior year at the University of Denver.

Obviously the Spengler Cup doesn’t come with a whole lot of name recognition, but some of these players could be considered at the next Olympics should the NHL decide not to attend in 2022.

The tournament kicks off on December 26th in Davos, Switzerland.

David Desharnais, Viktor Stalberg Heading To NLA

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Two familiar NHL names are on their way to Switzerland for the 2019-20 season, as HC Fribourg-Gotteron have announced that David Desharnais and Viktor Stalberg have signed on for two years.

Desharnais, 32, had an effective season for the New York Rangers in 2017-18 but decided to try out the KHL this year. His 28 points in 58 games for Avangard tied him for fifth in team scoring, and he added another seven assists during the team’s improbable Gagarin Cup Final run. The long time Montreal Canadiens forward suited up for 524 games in the NHL, recording a career-high of 60 points in the 2011-12 season. He had previously played in Switzerland during the 2012-13 lockout.

Stalberg, 33, actually joined Desharnais in the KHL partway through the season after leaving the NLA and recorded 11 points in 29 games down the stretch. The journeyman forward played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes and Ottawa Senators during a long career in North America, even winning the Stanley Cup in 2013. The speedy forward had 168 points in 488 regular season NHL games, but hasn’t played there since 2017.

Sergei Shumakov Signs With KHL’s Avangard Omsk

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Sergei Shumakov was applauded for sticking with North American hockey when his contract with the Washington Capitals was terminated earlier this month. It turns out he wasn’t that committed to staying on the continent. Just eleven days after signing with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds, Shumakov has jumped ship in favor of a return to the KHL. Avangard Omsk have announced that they have signed Shumakov to a three-year contract.

Shumakov, 26, made headlines when he signed with the Capitals this off-season. The talented forward had been playing for Sibir Novosibirsk of the KHL since he was a teenager, before moving to CSKA Moscow last year. Shumakov helped CSKA to a finals appearance behind a 40-point effort and +28 rating in 47 regular season games and another four points in eleven postseason games. Many felt that would be a good fit in Washington, a team that has had great success with Russian players. However, Shumakov was unable to earn a spot on the Capitals roster in training camp and was relegated to beginning his North American career with the AHL’s Hershey Bears. Shumakov recorded four points in ten games with the Bears before requesting his release from Washington. Shumakov then joined the Thunderbirds, perhaps hoping he might earn another shot at the NHL with their parent club, the Florida Panthers, or another team, and added one point in three games.

However, when Avangard came calling with a lucrative, long-term contract, Shumakov likely couldn’t resist a return to the league that he so recently excelled in. Omsk is currently a top five team in the KHL and leading the Chernyshev Division. They add Shumakov to a roster that already boasts a number of NHL alumni, including veteran defensemen Cody Franson, Alexei Emelin, and Evgeny Medvedev and experienced scorers Sergei Shirokov, David Desharnais, Maxime Talbot, and Viktor Stalberg. Shumakov should fit right in with this group and make Omsk and even more dangerous team this season and beyond in the KHL.

Snapshots: Doughty, Nylander, Altybarmakyan

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The Toronto Maple Leafs ended up landing the biggest fish of free agency in John Tavares, but long before the Tavares sweepstakes even began, the team was linked to Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty. Doughty, a Toronto area native, ended up signing an eight-year, $88MM extension early this off-season, ending any thoughts that he might be a free agent in the summer of 2019. So where did the homecoming rumors come from? Doughty has now admitted, via TSN, that he never seriously considered moving on from L.A. Instead, he floated the idea of departing the Kings for the Maple Leafs as a negotiation tactic. Doughty negotiated his latest deal without an agent and, in order to ensure he wasn’t taken advantage of, made sure he had some leverage on his side. The rumors that he might leave if able to test the free agent market surely encouraged the Kings to give him what he wanted on his latest extension, the largest contract for a defenseman in NHL history.

  • Another player who has no interest in signing with the Maple Leafs, at least not at their current offer, is restricted free agent forward William Nylander. Toronto and their young forward seem to be at an impasse in contract negotiations and the December 1st deadline, after which Nylander would be prohibited from playing in the NHL this season, is starting to look like a real possibility. Should that come to fruition, Nylander would likely turn to the KHL for his paycheck this season. Nylander’s rights are held by Avangard Omsk, currently led by former NHL head coach Bob Hartley, who recently spoke to TSN about his excitement about the possibility of having Nylander on the roster this season. Avangard already added Cody Franson, Alexei Emelin, David Desharnais, and Kris Versteeg this off-season and could really make waves in the KHL by adding Nylander to the mix. Nylander is currently skating in his native Sweden and could make the short trip over to Russia rather than the trip back across the Atlantic this season, if talks continue to go poorly with the Maple Leafs.
  • Staying in the KHL, Chicago Blackhawks prospect Andrei Altybarmakyan is on the move. The 20-year-old winger was traded today, swapped by SKA St. Petersburg to HK Sochi for fellow young forward Ivan Larichev, the league reports. Both Altybarmakyan and Larichev are fringe KHLers with limited experience at the highest level, but Sochi appears to be the long-term winner in this deal, acquiring the 2017 third-round pick. There has been no indication that Altybarmakyan is heading over to North America any time soon and could continue to develop into a bona fide starter for Sochi down the road.

Alexei Emelin Signs Three-Year Pact With KHL’s Avangard Omsk

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Long-time Montreal Canadiens defenseman Alexei Emelin agreed to terms this morning with Avangard Omsk, one day after the KHL team signed Kris Versteeg. The 32-year-old Emelin, who played six years in Montreal and then finished out his contract last year with the Nashville Predators, was having trouble finding work in the NHL, but opted to return to the KHL where he played parts of eight seasons.

Emelin arrived in the NHL at age 25, but almost immediately stepped into the Canadiens’ top-four and averaged close to 20 minutes a night throughout most of his NHL career. However, Montreal opted to expose Emelin and his $4.1MM contract in the expansion draft last year and Vegas took the bait, selecting him and then flipping him to Nashville for a third-round pick in the 2019 draft. The Predators brought the veteran defenseman on board to provide top-four depth while Ryan Ellis sat out for the first three months of the season after undergoing knee surgery. Emelin did that, but saw his minutes decrease significantly once Ellis returned as he was forced into the team’s third-line pairing.

Once a free agent, the 32-year-old struggled finding work as his lack of speed worked against him in a league where teams are looking to get faster. Emelin, however, showed he still has value as he managed to register 181 hits as well as blocking 109 shots last season, suggesting he should continue to fare well in the KHL. While Emelin will join Versteeg, he will also join up with two former Habs as well, including Alexander Perezhogin and David Desharnais.

David Desharnais Re-Signs In KHL

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Teams looking for some last minute free agent shopping could have received some good news earlier this week when it came out that NHL veteran David Desharnais was set to terminate his contract with HC Lokomotiv in the KHL, but it turns out that he won’t be coming back to North America. The 31-year old Desharnais has signed a one-year deal with Avangard Omsk and will be remaining in the KHL this season.

It was quickly reported after the termination news surfaced that Desharnais would be switching KHL clubs, but it wasn’t clear where he’d be headed. We know now that he’ll be joining long-time NHL head coach Bob Hartley in Omsk, where he’ll likely play a key role. Desharnais doesn’t appear to be anywhere near the end of his playing career, and is actually coming off a season with the New York Rangers where he posted 28 points in 71 games. Though there may not be a ton of room left for him in the NHL, there’s no reason to believe that he won’t find a lot of success in the KHL.

An offensive dynamo in junior, Desharnais went undrafted partly because of his small stature and had to fight his way up through the minor leagues. That included an incredible 106-point season in 2007-08 with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL, in which he registered a 27-game point streak and put up one of the best playoff performances in the history of the league with 33 points in 22 games. Desharnais would find relative success in the AHL, and become a 60-point player for the Montreal Canadiens in 2011-12. In the KHL he’ll face a new test, but could potentially set himself up for another contract in North America next summer. Given the lack of center depth for many teams around the league, it wouldn’t be surprising to see his name pop up down the road.

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