Taylor Hall Will Not Attend World Championships
Though he was asked, Taylor Hall has declined an invitation to compete in the upcoming World Championships according to Mike Morreale of NHL.com. Team Canada would have loved to bring the MVP candidate aboard, but after a long season and disappointing playoff exit Hall will take some time off before starting to train for next year.
Hall has always been an excellent players, going back to his first-overall selection in 2010, but he found a new gear this season playing for the New Jersey Devils. With 93 points in 76 games he set a career-high in basically every offensive category, including goals, assists, plus/minus and takeaways. He added six points in the first five playoff games of his career, proving he could perform on the biggest stage. Unfortunately the Devils ran into a powerhouse Tampa Bay team and were eliminated, but still took huge steps forward this season.
On one of the most affordable contracts in the league—$6MM for each of the next two seasons—Hall will concentrate on helping the Devils take another step next season. It’s not like he hasn’t represented Canada in the past, playing in three World Championships and taking home two gold medals.
Canada, USA Rosters Set For U18 World Championships
The IIHF U18 World Championships begin today in Russia, with Team Canada and Team USA facing off at 9:30am central. The two squads are made up of many 2018 draft eligible players, including several potential first-round picks. The squads also feature two incredible youngsters, as both Alexis Lafreniere and Jack Hughes are present. Hughes is expected to challenge for the first-overall pick in the 2019 draft, while Lafreniere has a shot at being selected first in 2020.
The full rosters are below:
Team USA
F Jack Hughes
F Trevor Janicke
F Gavin Hain
F Tyler Weiss
F Alex Turcotte
F Jake Wise
F Jack DeBoer
F Jonathan Gruden
F Oliver Wahlstrom
F Jake Pivonka
F Cole Caufield
F Patrick Giles (A)
F Joel Farabee
D Cam York
D Adam Samuelsson
D Ty Emberson (A)
D Bode Wilde
D K’Andre Miller
D Mattias Samuelsson (C)
D Spencer Stastney
G Drew Deridder
G Spencer Knight
G Jonathan Mor*
Team Canada
F Joe Veleno*
F Akil Thomas
F Alexis Lafreniere
F Cole Fonstad
F Cameron Hillis
F Allan McShane
F Liam Foudy
F Ty Dellandrea (A)
F Aidan Dudas*
F Jack McBain
F Chase Wouters
F Raphael Lavoie
F Serron Noel
D Kevin Bahl
D Matthew Robertson
D Bowen Byram
D Jonathan Tychonick
D Ty Smith (C)
D Ryan Merkley
D Jared McIsaac (A)
G Colten Ellis
G Olivier Rodrigue*
G Kevin Mandolese
*Not dressed for the opening game
Bill Peters Named Head Coach Of Team Canada At World Championships
Bill Peters may not be secure in his NHL coaching position with the Carolina Hurricanes, but that hasn’t stopped him from adding another coaching job to his resume. Sportsnet reported this evening that Hockey Canada has named Peters the head coach of the Canadian team at the upcoming IIHF World Championship. The tournament runs from May 4th – 20th in the cities of Copenhagen and Herning, Denmark.
This won’t be Peters’ first go-round at the World Championships, as he has previously coached for Team Canada on two other occasions, including leading the team as head coach to a 2016 title. The Alberta native was also an assistant coach for Canada’s World Cup team during the summer of 2017.
Peters won’t be without an impressive support staff in Denmark, as Florida Panthers head coach Bob Boughner and St. Louis Blues head coach Mike Yeo were named his assistants. Yeo has previously served as an assistant for the World Championships team, while Boughner will make his coaching debut at the tournament. In Yeo and Boughner, Peters and Team Canada not only add extensive experience, but also the two coaches who came closest to earning an NHL playoff spot this season, each missing out by only one point.
Morning Notes: Raanta, Barzal, Dahlin
According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7, the Coyotes have extended a contract offer to goaltender Antti Raanta. The deal could be up to four years with a cap hit between $4-4.5MM, which would be a huge raise over the $1MM deal Raanta is currently on. While the Coyotes have been open with the fact that they want to re-sign Raanta, he potentially could enter the market as the top goaltending option this summer and have his pick from several opportunities.
After struggling through injury for part of the season, Raanta has really found his groove and now carries a .929 save percentage on the year. That puts him second among goaltenders who have started at least 30 games, only trailing Marc-Andre Fleury‘s .931 mark. Raanta’s exquisite play and relative youth—he won’t turn 29 until May—could land him a long-term deal from any number of teams in the offseason. If he’s going to stay in the desert, it may take even more money.
- Mathew Barzal will suit up for Team Canada at the World Championships according to Andrew Gross of Newsday. The outstanding rookie has 79 points on the season and has quickly turned into a household name around the NHL. Citing excitement to play with Connor McDavid, Barzal will join a pretty impressive group already signed up for the tournament. With the Olympics not taking NHL players this year, perhaps even more are willing to pull on their country’s sweater and play in an international event.
- Rasmus Dahlin on the other hand won’t be appearing in any more games for Sweden this season. After his club team’s season ended recently, Dahlin will shut it down and prepare for what will be a whirlwind offseason where he is expected to go first overall in the NHL draft. Uffe Bodin of Elite Prospects reports on the situation, noting that without Dahlin at the upcoming U18 tournament, all eyes will shift to Adam Boqvist, another top defensive prospect in the upcoming draft.
Snapshots: Bozak, World Championships, Fast
The Vancouver Canucks received some financial certainty today, when Henrik and Daniel Sedin confirmed their intention to retire at the end of the season. With their decision comes the fact that the Canucks have $14MM coming off the books, and should have ample room to make a splash in free agency if they choose.
Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 notes that he’s hear Tyler Bozak‘s name as a player the Canucks could have interest in, should he go unsigned by Toronto and reach free agency. Bozak, 32, isn’t a top-line player anymore (if he ever was) but should still command a multi-year deal as one of the better center options on the open market. Where he fits into a Canucks rebuild isn’t clear, but the Vancouver front office has been clear that they aren’t willing to turn the entire franchise over to the young guns, and want some experience to help guide them through the next few years.
- The World Championships are coming fast, and several players indicated their intentions today over whether to play in it or not. Matt Duchene told media that he wouldn’t play for Team Canada in the upcoming tournament, while Ryan O’Reilly confirmed to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic that he would be. O’Reilly has competed five times previously, including being named an alternate captain last year. With two golds and one silver, he will be a welcome addition to a team that looks like it could be a powerhouse.
- Jesper Fast will likely not play again for the New York Rangers this season, after suffering a groin injury that should keep him out the rest of the year. That ends what has been a career year for the 26-year old, with 33 points in 71 games. The Rangers will hope that progression can continue over the next two years of his current contract, as he’ll be relied upon as a key forward while the team rebuilds with their eyes on contention down the road.
Anaheim Ducks Sign Chris Kelly For Remainder Of The Season
Hours after the Boston Bruins signed Team USA Olympic captain and long-time pro Brian Gionta to a contract, the Anaheim Ducks have made a similar move. Veteran center and Team Canada captain Chris Kelly is on his way back to the NHL, as TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that he has inked a one-year deal with the Ducks. However, Kelly is commanding $1.25MM plus bonuses, adds Lebrun, compared to just $700K for Gionta.
The difference in salary between the two veterans could be explained by their recent production, as Kelly recorded three points en route to a bronze medal with Canada. In contrast, Gionta failed to record a point as the Americans were bounced in the quarterfinals. However, going back to 2016-17, Gionta performed far better, registering 35 points in 82 games for the Buffalo Sabres. Kelly too played a full 82-game season last year, suiting up in every game for the Ottawa Senators, but saw only limited ice time and added just 12 points. Yet, it is Kelly who will make nearly $300K in pro-rated salary before bonuses, while Gionta will make just over half of that with Boston.
It could also just be that Kelly is being valued on his expected role with the team. While Gionta is likely to be a 13th or 14th forward for the Bruins, who have for all intents and purposes already clinched a playoff spot with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference, Kelly will likely push for a starting spot on the team’s fourth line as they fight for a playoff spot in the tight Pacific Division and Western Conference wild cared race. While scoring and power play production have been the bigger issues for Anaheim, Kelly’s two-way ability and intelligence will only further solidify a strong defensive team. It’s a savvy for GM Bob Murray and company, especially this year when the price of trading for assets has been so high.
IIHF Releases 2018 Olympic Schedule
This article was originally published in September when the schedule was first released. After a request in our live chat yesterday, we’re pushing it to the top again.
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) released the schedule for the 2018 Olympic Men’s Hockey tournament in Pyeongchang, South Korea today, and as expected the games will go from February 14th to 25th—though, because of the time difference North America will be watching the gold medal game late on the 24th. The first matchups will be Slovakia vs Russia and USA vs Slovenia, both games featuring Group B opponents.
The host South Korean team will make their Olympic debut on February 15th against the Czech Republic, while reigning champion Team Canada starts against Switzerland, a team that has given them quite a bit of trouble on the international stage in the past. The entire schedule is listed below, all times Central.
February 14th
Slovakia vs OAR – 6:10am
USA vs Slovenia – 6:10am
Finland vs Germany – 9:10pm
February 15th
Sweden vs Norway – 1:40am
Czech Republic vs South Korea – 6:10am
Canada vs Switzerland – 6:10am
USA vs Slovakia – 9:10pm
February 16th
OAR vs Slovenia – 1:40am
Finland vs Norway – 6:10am
Sweden vs Germany – 6:10am
Canada vs Czech Republic – 9:10pm
February 17th
Switzerland vs South Korea – 1:40am
USA vs OAR – 6:10am
Slovakia vs Slovenia – 6:10am
Germany vs Norway – 9:10pm
February 18th
Czech Republic vs Switzerland – 1:40am
Canada vs South Korea – 6:10am
Sweden vs Finland – 6:10am
February 19th
TBD Playoff – 9:10pm
February 20th
TBD Playoff – 1:40am
TBD Playoff – 6:10am
TBD Playoff – 6:10am
TBD Quarterfinal – 9:10pm
February 21st
TBD Quarterfinal – 1:40am
TBD Quarterfinal – 6:10am
TBD Quarterfinal – 6:10am
February 23rd
TBD Semifinal – 1:40am
TBD Semifinal – 6:10am
February 24th
TBD Bronze Medal Game – 6:10am
TBD Gold Medal Game – 10:10pm
A few things to remember about these Games. One, the NHL will not be sending players to compete in the tournament, including all those in the minor leagues signed to two-way contracts. AHL-only deals will be allowed to go, as will those playing abroad. Two, the NHL trade deadline is set for February 26th, giving teams a bit of time to sign any international players and still have them eligible for the playoffs.
The IIHF also released the Women’s hockey schedule, a tournament that may actually get a boost from the lack of NHL presence at the Games. The Canadian team has won four straight gold medals and should be a powerhouse once again. They will however be without long-time leader Hayley Wickenheiser, who retired from the sport this January. Team USA will try to follow their impressive overtime win at the World Championships in April with another gold medal; they won the inaugural women’s tournament in the 1998 Nagano Games. The schedule for their tournament is as follows:
Cale Makar Turns Down Olympic Offer
Since his explosive performance at the World Junior Championships as a powerplay quarterback and dynamic offensive presence, Colorado Avalanche prospect Cale Makar‘s name has been thrown around as a potential option for the Canadian Olympic team. According to Darren Dreger of TSN, Makar did in fact get an invitation to the team but has “respectfully declined.”
This option has also been mentioned recently, as Makar already took time off from his freshman year at UMass-Amherst and wanted to get back to his development path for the NHL. The fourth-overall selection in last year’s draft, Makar had already said he was unlikely to stay in the NCAA for more than “one or two years” meaning the next few months could be his only time spent outside the professional ranks. With his performance so far this year the Avalanche must already be counting the days until he gets into their system, and he could even play a role for them down the stretch this season.
None of that is to say that the Olympics would prevent him from turning pro this season. But if Makar believes his long-term future would be adversely affected by another stint away from his college team (and studies, for that matter) this decision is understandable, if a little surprising. He’ll almost undoubtedly play more important minutes with his college team than what he would be asked to do for Team Canada.
The Canadian squad will have to go without his dynamic playmaking, and according to Dreger likely won’t have the speed of Jordan Kyrou either. Dreger reports that no CHL players are expected to be named as of right now. Victor Mete, another potential option, is still with Montreal following his World Junior stint and could be in the NHL the remainder of the season.
Atlantic Notes: Mete, Howard, Brassard, Raddysh
The Montreal Canadiens announced that World Junior Championship gold medalist defenseman Victor Mete will return to the team on Friday, Jan. 12, according to Sportsnet’s John Shannon. After tomorrow’s game against Vancouver, the team will go on its five-day bye week and will return for their first practice on that Friday, with their next game to be played on Jan. 13 against the Boston Bruins.
Mete left the team to join Team Canada after playing against the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 5, but many felt that when he left, he would eventually be returned to his junior team due to the fact that his playing time had begun to decrease over the previous weeks. However, it looks like he will return to the Canadiens’ lineup. Grant McCagg of Recrutes.ca adds that despite the fact that Mete will return to Montreal, that doesn’t suggest the team won’t still send him to his junior team. While the team has already burned the first year of his entry-level contract, the team has until his 40th game to decide whether they want to push back his first year of free agency. The 19-year-old has played in 27 games this year.
- Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard will miss tomorrow night’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning with a lower-body injury, according to MLive’s Ansar Khan. He was injured during the second period in Friday’s game against the Florida Panthers. The timing of the injury is both good and bad, writes the scribe, as Howard has been playing great hockey over the past couple of weeks as he has allowed just 10 goals over his past six starts. However, the team will go on their bye week after tomorrow, which should give him time to heal.
- While commenting on trade rumors regarding the Ottawa Senators, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun writes that one player who is generating a lot of interest is center Derick Brassard. However, Garrioch adds that there is no way the team will move the veteran who the team believes is part of their solution. Brassard is well known for his playoff scoring success. In 78 career playoff games, the 30-year-old has 22 goals and 33 assists.
- Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Taylor Raddysh was the subject of a major OHL trade today in which the Erie Otters traded Raddysh and Detroit Red Wings defensive prospect Jordan Sambrook to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds for 16-year-old prospect Hayden Fowler and nine draft picks, according to the Erie Otters. The Otters, who won the 2017 OHL champsionships with Raddysh and Sambrook, are struggling this year with a 12-20-6-1 record. The Greyhounds, however, have the best record in the league at 33-3-2-1 and should only get better now with those top additions. Raddysh, Tampa Bay’s second-round pick in 2016 had 15 goals and 29 assists in 30 games for Erie, but had 42 goals and 109 points a year ago in 58 games.
Poll: Who Will Win The WJC Gold Medal Game?
In what has been a tournament filled with outstanding performances—except perhaps at the ticket offices—Canada and Sweden have outlasted all the rest and will come together in the World Junior Championship gold medal match tonight. Neither team lost a game in regulation during the tournament, with Canada only falling in a snowy shootout at the hands of the United States in the outdoor game.
Both teams are loaded with future NHL talent, including the almost consensus 2018 first-overall pick in Rasmus Dahlin. Dahlin has been incredible all tournament long, looking just as poised and confident as always. The 17-year old defenseman plays for Frolunda in the SHL, where he has 11 points in 26 games and has graced highlight reels all season. While other 2018-eligible players have impressed at the tournament, Dahlin has cemented his spot as a franchise-changing prospect and the prize of the draft lottery.
It’s not just Dahlin starring for Sweden though. Their group of 2017 first-round picks—Elias Pettersson, Lias Andersson, Erik Brannstrom and Timothy Liljegren—have all shown moments of brilliance throughout the last couple of weeks, and all look like they’ll make their NHL debuts before long. Alexander Nylander has shown off his elite offensive skill, and reminded Buffalo fans that even though he’s struggled at the AHL level he still has tremendous upside.
For Canada, a team that has just a single first-round pick on the whole roster, the scoring responsibility has been spread throughout. Every Canadian player save for Dante Fabbro has at least a point in the tournament, with St. Louis Blues prospect Jordan Kyrou leading the way. Perhaps the biggest surprise has been Cale Makar (that aforementioned first-round pick, fourth-overall to the Colorado Avalanche last year), who has worked his way up from the seventh defenseman on the roster. Makar has been a dynamic powerplay quarterback and will be relied upon again tonight against the tough defense of the Swedes.
It will be a very tough matchup for both sides, as neither has given up very many chances. With the quick-strike offense both teams possess, the game could hinge on which experienced defense corps makes the fewest mistakes. It also could be an Olympic preview for some of the players, as Kyrou and Victor Mete are possibilities to go to Pyeongchang for Canada, while several of the Swedes (including Pettersson and Dahlin) playing in the SHL could crack their squad.
So who will take home gold tonight? Who will win MVP? Who have you been most impressed by in the tournament? Vote below, and use the comment section to discuss.
Who will win the WJC?
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Canada 65% (200)
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Sweden 35% (106)
Total votes: 306
[Mobile users click here to vote!]