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League Notes: NHL Awards, 2020-21, USHL

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While the NHL has already revealed several of their end-of-the-year awards prior to recent playoff games, they will save the remaining awards for one special presentation. The league has announced today that the five remaining awards –  the Hart, Lindsay, Vezina, Norris, and Calder – will be presented virtually in a 30-minute special at 5:30pm CT on Monday, September 21. Since the event is technically being hosted from inside the Edmonton bubble, the awards will also have an “Oilers twist” to them. Wayne Gretzky is set to present the Hart and Calder trophies, with Mark Messier announcing the Lindsay, Grant Fuhr announcing the Vezina, and Paul Coffey announcing the Norris. The winners will then be made available to the media via Zoom for interviews following the awards presentations.

  • As the Stanley Cup Final gets underway in the Edmonton bubble, it is remarkable to look back at hat the NHL has been able to accomplish this postseason in Edmonton and Toronto. However, they face a much more difficult task right around the corner with trying to implement the 2020-21. While the league has held firm on their desire to begin the new season before the end of the calendar year and to play a full 82-game schedule, doubts are starting to creep in about how this can be arranged as COVID-19 continues to be prevalent in North America. Even Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly recently stated that he does not know for sure when and how the league will return to regular season play, though he did that a start date prior to December 1 is more unlikely than not. Speaking with others around the league, The Athletic’s Scott Burnside gets a growing sense of skepticism across all corners of the NHL . While most believe the season will still occur in some form or fashion, his sources believe that a likely start date is not until January at the earliest, which could rule out an 82-game season. Some believe that the league could wait until it is safe for fans to attend games before returning to play, while others believe that early-season schedules could be geographically-influenced to play a more compact schedule and to reduce travel risks. Burnside notes that continued outbreaks of Coronavirus in U.S. cities and the closed border between the U.S. and Canada will make a typical season impossible until they are resolved. In other words, there is still a lot to figure out before teams can return to play for the regular season, so a delayed start beyond what had previously been anticipated is an ever-growing possibility.
  • Two USHL teams have now decided to scrap their seasons altogether in response to the continuing COVID pandemic. The league announced today that the Cedar Rapids Roughriders and Madison Capitols will suspend operations for the 2020-21 season. On top of troubles related to Coronavirus, the Roughriders sustained damage to their arena in a recent storm and are finding it impossible to be prepared for a new season, while the Capitols, who are owned by Minnesota Wild star Ryan Suter, are so overly restricted by local health regulations that they cannot operate this year. The league stated that a dispersal draft will be held to give the teams’ players a new home for the coming season. However, the rights of those players who wish to continue in the USHL beyond this season will revert back to their teams next year.

Washington Capitals Sign Daniel Sprong

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The Washington Capitals acquired Daniel Sprong at the deadline in an under-the-radar move, but have now decided to re-sign the former top prospect. Sprong has signed a two-year, one-way contract with the Capitals that will carry a $725K average annual salary. The 23-year-old forward was scheduled for restricted free agency and would have been arbitration-eligible but will now be under contract through the 2021-22 season.

For several years following his second-round selection in the 2015 draft, Sprong was seen as a future top-six star in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization. He made the team out of training camp just a few months after being drafted and played 18 NHL games as an 18-year-old. After finally returning to the QMJHL, he scored 61 points in just 45 games before then being sent back to pro hockey and playing big minutes for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the 2016 Calder Cup playoffs. That was followed by another very successful (though limited) season with the Charlottetown Islanders before Sprong burst back onto the AHL scene with a 32-goal, 65-point season with the baby Penguins in 2017-18.

Expected to then take the next step for Pittsburgh and become a core part of their NHL team, things fizzled. Sprong would fail to score a goal in 16 games to start the 2018-19 campaign and found himself traded to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Marcus Pettersson. 14 goals down the stretch for the Ducks wasn’t enough to keep him off waivers the following training camp and when he cleared, it was obvious his NHL outlook was not as rosy as it once was.

This season, Sprong spent the majority of the year with the San Diego Gulls of the AHL, scoring 27 points in 39 games. He was swapped for Christian Djoos at the deadline, and finished strong with the Hershey Bears before the season was canceled. Now in Washington, where the team will be looking for inexpensive options at the bottom of their NHL roster, Sprong has another great shot to get his career back on track.

Still just 23, it’s impossible to write him off completely at this point. Should Sprong get an opportunity with some of the more skilled attackers in the Capitals lineup there is a real chance he flourishes in this next chapter. Still, he’ll have to prove he can do more than just contribute at the offensive end of the rink to keep himself up at the NHL level.

NHL Announces Official Dates And Times For 2020 Draft, Opening Of Free Agency

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With the 2020 postseason proceeding ahead of schedule, there has been reporting and considerable speculation that the league would move up the dates of the delayed 2020 NHL Entry Draft and the beginning of the new league year and opening of free agency. The NHL has followed through on that speculation, officially announcing today the new dates for these events. The Draft will take place on October 6-7, and the new league year will commence on October 9.

The first round of the NHL Draft will begin at 7pm ET on Tuesday, October 6, a departure from its usual Friday night slot. Similarly, the second day of the draft, comprising rounds 2-7, will take place on Wednesday, October 7 rather than it’s typical Saturday placement. Otherwise, the structure of the draft stays the same. One key difference though is that all draft operations will take place virtually.

As for the start of free agency, the July 1 unofficial holiday will instead take place on Friday, October 9. Other than a delay of more than three months, the opening of free agency will not be much different; at 12pm ET, the signing window will open and free agents will be free to speak with teams and sign contracts. What may be very different however is the pace at which players will sign. While there is usually a massive rush of contracts when free agency opens, there are factors working against a fast-paced market. First, the NHL’s new CBA has eliminated the free agent contact period, meaning teams and available players cannot formally communicate until after free agency officially opens. Second, the flat salary cap will force the majority of NHL teams to be very careful with their roster operations this off-season, potentially prioritizing re-signing their own restricted free agents before throwing money at unrestricted free agents. This combination could produce an abnormally slow start to free agency, but October 9 will be an intriguing day league-wide nonetheless.

League Notes: Inclusion Efforts, QMJHL, Schedule

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The NHL and NHLPA have released a long list of Inclusion and Anti-Racism Efforts, including a partnership with the Hockey Diversity Alliance to establish and administer a grassroots hockey development program for BIPOC boys and girls in the Greater Toronto Area. There will be a similar pilot program in the United States, announced at a later date. NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr released this statement:

Everyone should be able to live and work in an environment that is inclusive, and one that is free from racism and discrimination in any form. In our sport, from the NHL to youth programs, we must take actions to achieve that goal, and to make our sport available and accessible to all.

Three committees have also been formed to develop “action-oriented solutions that positively impact the access, opportunity, and experiences that underrepresented groups have in the game–and in the business–of hockey.” The Player Inclusion Committee will be co-chaired by former NHL player Anson Carter and current NHL defenseman P.K. Subban, while the Fan Inclusion Committee and Youth Hockey Inclusion Committee have also been announced today.

  • The QMJHL has released its schedule for the 2020-21 regular season, with things kicking off on October 2. It will be region-based and played almost exclusively on weekends (Fri-Sun), finishing on April 3, 2021. This is an encouraging announcement for those junior players in the league, looking to continue their development and build up their draft stock, and an ambitious model for other leagues to examine. The WHL and OHL, the other two leagues that make up the CHL, have both delayed their starts until December at the earliest.
  • Though the conference finals were set to be held in Edmonton’s bubble, that may not necessarily be the case in the east. Should the New York Islanders finish off the Philadelphia Flyers tonight, their first game against the Tampa Bay Lightning will likely be held in Toronto according to John Shannon. On Monday, Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper explained on TSN radio that he still didn’t know where the team would be playing and suggested that they could play “a game or two” in Toronto before heading west.

NHL Announces Updated Second-Round Schedule

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The NHL has released the updated second-round schedule, following the postponement of games on Thursday and Friday. Things will kick off once again on Saturday with a tripleheader, beginning with the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning at 11am CT. The rest of the rescheduled games will follow.

The full schedule:

All times central

Philadelphia vs New York

Game 3 – Sat Aug 29, 6pm
Game 4 – Sun Aug 30, 7pm
Game 5 – Tue Sep 1, 6pm
Game 6 – Thu Sep 3, TBD*
Game 7 – Sat Sep 5, TBD*

Tampa Bay vs Boston

Game 4 – Sat Aug 29, 11am
Game 5 – Mon Aug 31, 6pm
Game 6 – Wed Sep 2, TBD*
Game 7 – Thu Sep 3, TBD*

Vegas vs Vancouver

Game 3 – Sat Aug 29, 8:45pm
Game 4 – Sun Aug 30, 9:30pm
Game 5 – Tue Sep 1, 8:45pm
Game 6 – Thu Sep 3, TBD*
Game 7 – Fri Sep 4, TBD*

Colorado vs Dallas

Game 4 – Sun Aug 30, 5pm
Game 5 – Mon Aug 31, 8:45pm
Game 6 – Wed Sep 2, TBD*
Game 7 – Fri Sep 4, TBD*

*If necessary

NHL, NHLPA Postpone Four Games

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NHL players on all eight playoff teams have decided not to play tonight or tomorrow, forcing the NHL to postpone each of the four scheduled games. The decision was made following yesterday’s boycott by several other professional sports. The league and NHLPA released a joint statement:

Black and Brown communities continue to face real, painful experiences. The NHL and NHLPA recognize that much work remains to be done before we can play an appropriate role in a discussion centered on diversity, inclusion and social justice.

We understand that the tragedies involving Jacob Blake, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others require us to recognize this moment. We pledge to work to use our sport to influence positive change in society.

The NHLPA and NHL are committed to working to foster more inclusive and welcoming environments within our arenas, offices and beyond.

According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, over 100 players had a call this afternoon to discuss the issues with Evander Kane and Matt Dumba, two members of the Hockey Diversity Alliance, following the group’s request earlier today for the league to postpone games. Many of those involved made sure to point out on social media that this was a decision the players made, not the league. Larry Brooks of the New York Post has been told it was the Vancouver Canucks in particular who were the “driving force” among the players.

Each of the eight teams will have a game postponed and there will be no NHL hockey played tonight or tomorrow. Those games originally scheduled will now be played starting on Saturday and the remainder of the second round will be adjusted accordingly. No specifics have been released on the adjusted schedule.

Yesterday, the Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA started a wave of boycotts by not appearing on the court for their playoff game against the Orlando Magic. The Milwaukee Brewers and several other MLB teams followed suit, along with teams from the WNBA and athletes from professional tennis. Several NFL football teams canceled practice today and more MLB teams refused to play.

The protests and postponements across the sporting world stem from a desire to raise awareness of social and racial injustices, enact change, and come in response to the recent police shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year old Black man, in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The Hockey Diversity Alliance was formed this June and asked the NHL to sign the HDA Pledge which:

…includes commitments to funding grassroots programs for BIPOC youth, funding impactful social justice initiatives, anti-racism education, targets for hiring and promoting Black individuals and businesses, and rule changes to make the culture of the game more inclusive.

Rick Westhead of TSN tweets a list of requests included in the pledge, stretching from using empty NHL rinks as polling stations for the upcoming United States elections to specific goals for hiring practices among NHL organizations.

NHL, Players Discussing Postponement Of Games

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1:40pm: Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports that not only will today’s games be postponed, but Friday’s games are also not going to be played. An official statement from the league has still yet to come.

12:48pm: According to several reports including Darren Dreger of TSN and insider John Shannon, players and the NHL are discussing whether or not to postpone both games scheduled for today following yesterday’s boycott by several other professional sports. Frank Seravalli of TSN reports that at least one team has voted not to play.

The Hockey Diversity Alliance, headed by NHL players like Evander Kane and Matt Dumba, formally requested the NHL to suspend the games as they felt it “sends a clear message that human rights take priority over sports.”

Yesterday, the Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA started a wave of boycotts by not appearing on the court for their playoff game against the Orlando Magic. The Milwaukee Brewers and several other MLB teams followed suit, along with teams from the WNBA and athletes from professional tennis. Several NFL football teams canceled practice today.

The NHL planned a “moment of reflection” before yesterday’s games, though notably it was not held prior to the Dallas Stars-Colorado Avalanche match.

The protests and postponements across the sporting world stem from a desire to raise awareness of social and racial injustices, enact change, and come in response to the recent police shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year old Black man, in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

It is not clear yet when the games will be played if postponed or if Friday’s games will continue as scheduled.

Snapshots: Hextall, Maple Leafs, QMJHL

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The Philadelphia Flyers are roaring through the 2020 NHL postseason, winning all three of their round-robin games convincingly and downing the Montreal Canadiens in game one of their first-round series. The team, led by head coach Alain Vigneault and GM Chuck Fletcher looks poised for a long Stanley Cup run this summer, but neither man was part of the organization when the seeds of this group were sown.

A lot of that credit goes to former GM Ron Hextall, who spoke to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun about his time in Philadelphia and how his vision is now playing out. Interestingly, LeBrun notes at the end of the piece how Hextall is “ready for another crack at it” and points out that there is a vacancy in the Florida Panthers front office right now.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced that Paul McFarland has now left the organization to take the head coaching job with the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL, something that had already been reported. New though was that they have also not renewed the contract of assistant coach Andrew Brewer, who had been with the club since 2015. Brewer, a video coach, has a long history with former Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock, who was let go earlier this season.
  • Though the OHL and WHL have both indicated that they hope to start the 2020-21 season in December, the QMJHL is taking a different route. The other CHL league will begin to play on October 1 if all goes according to plan from here on out. Training camps are expected to start at the end of August with a 60-game regular season schedule planned.

Boston Bruins-Carolina Hurricanes Game One Postponed

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The Tampa Bay Lightning and Columbus Blue Jackets were locked in a duel for the ages on Tuesday night, playing into a fifth overtime in a game that began at 3:00pm ET – the fourth-longest game of all time. As a result of this historic game and the unprecedented circumstances of the bubble postseason, Game One of the Boston Bruins-Carolina Hurricanes series that was supposed to begin at 8:00pm ET has now been postponed. The league has announced that the two teams will square off at 11:00am ET on Wednesday, which should allow for the Washington Capitals-New York Islanders game to proceed as scheduled at 3:00pm ET.

With Game Two of the Bruins-Hurricanes still scheduled for Thursday night, the teams will open their first round series with back-to-back games. As with every series this year, there is already a back-to-back scheduled, for Games Five and Six on Wednesday and Thursday of next week. As a result, Boston and Carolina could end up playing six games in nine days in this series. Backup goaltenders Jaroslav Halak and James Reimer could very well see a start or two in this series.

Additionally, the Hurricanes long wait has been extended even further. Carolina was the only team to sweep their qualifying round series, knocking out the New York Rangers last Tuesday, August 4. The team had already waited a week, but now will have gone eight days between action. The Bruins meanwhile played their final round robin game on Sunday.

ECHL, OHL, WHL Announce Revised Start Dates

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Thursday: The WHL has announced its own adjusted start date, going with December 4 as well. They will also attempt a full 68-game schedule, even going as far as saying “regardless of our start date, the WHL is committed to playing a full regular season and playoffs in 2020-21.”

Wednesday: Two other leagues have announced their plans for a return to play, as the ECHL and OHL released revised start dates for the 2020-21 season.

The ECHL, a professional league used as the low-minors for the NHL, has approved a revised schedule for the upcoming season that will begin on December 4, 2020. The league anticipates holding a full 72-game season, though further adjustments to the schedule will be announced as we get closer to the start. The ECHL was originally scheduled to start their season at the beginning of October.

The OHL meanwhile, one of the three leagues that make up the CHL, announced that it is planning on starting their season December 1, 2020. The 2020-21 season will be a 64-game schedule for the OHL and include a 16-team playoff format.

The Memorial Cup, which will be hosted by either the Oshawa Generals or Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds will be held between June 17-27, 2021.

Like anything else in today’s world, these decisions are subject to change should health recommendations shift over the next few months.

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