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Premier League Goalkeeper Petr Cech Begins Hockey Career

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There has never been a more famous 37-year-old rookie in sports and likely never will. After retiring from soccer following the 2018-19 season, many assumed that legendary Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech’s playing days were over. They were only partly right. While he may be done on the pitch, Cech is just beginning his career on the ice. He made the exciting and astonishing announcement today that he has joined the Guildford Phoenix of the U.K.’s National Ice Hockey League Division 2 on a one-year contract.

I am delighted to have the opportunity to play with the Phoenix to get the match experience. I hope I can help this young team to achieve their goals for the season and try to win as many games as possible when I have the chance to play. After 20 years of professional football, this is going to be a wonderful experience for me to play the game I loved to watch and play as a kid.

Cech, pronounced just like his nationality, hails from a country where hockey is far more prevalent than soccer. However, he did not let that stop him from becoming one of the best all-time at his position. Cech reached England’s Premier League in 2004, signing with the iconic club Chelsea at just 22 years old. Cech spent 11 years with Chelsea, appearing in 333 matches, establishing himself as one of the top keepers in the world. He then joined rival club Arsensal for the past four years before retiring from the sport and returning to work as an advisor for Chelsea. During his career, he also made over 100 appearances internationally for the Czech Republic and played a major role in the growth of the game in his native country.

While Cech is a known renaissance man – a noted musician and a speaker of five languages on top of his athletic prowess – this venture into hockey does not appear to be just a notch on his belt or a publicity stunt of any kind. Cech has reported been working on his game for several years and has previously participated in exhibition events and celebrity games. At 6’5”, he has great size, especially now guarding a much smaller net, and playing an elite level of soccer for many years certainly hasn’t hurt his reflexes. The team is taking the addition seriously as well. The press release called Cech’s addition “massive” and noted that they have been monitoring his improvement. Cech is slated to make his debut almost immediately on Saturday.

While obviously no one is expecting Cech to make it to the NHL and perhaps not even the top level in the U.K., there is no doubting that this is a great opportunity for the game. The potential for soccer fans, especially those in a non-traditional hockey market like the U.K., to follow Cech’s attempt to move into hockey is bound to create new fans and possibly some new players as well. His fame will also call attention to the sport throughout Europe. Regardless of how he performs, it will be great to follow a soccer legend as he tries his hand at his childhood passion and perhaps changes the landscape of yet another sport.

Jack Hughes Signs Entry-Level Contract

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Jack Hughes is not just another prospect. The New Jersey Devils have released a short video to announce his three-year entry-level contract, which will pay him the maximum amount of salary and performance bonuses. That means his base cap hit will be $925K, though he could earn up to $2.85MM more in bonuses depending on how well he acclimates to the NHL.

Hughes, the first overall pick in June’s draft, is going to walk right onto the Devils roster from day one meaning his contract will expire in 2022. The 18-year old forward should form a dynamic center duo with 2017 first overall pick Nico Hischier who has already developed into a premiere two-way option. The pair should give the Devils a core to build around for the next decade, especially if they can get Taylor Hall (another first overall pick) signed long-term before he hits the unrestricted free agent market next summer.

The addition of Hughes should only help that goal, as he has shown himself to be an elite playmaker at every level so far. The 5’11” 170-lbs Hughes broke several records at the USNTDP, putting up 190 points over his two years there. He has dominated on the international stage at the U18 level and even held his own among NHL competition at the recent IIHF World Championship. Even if he is a tad undersized, his elusive skating and awareness have allowed him to avoid physical contact like other small NHL stars while still finding room to create for himself and his teammates.

It’s not clear exactly where Hughes will start in the New Jersey lineup, but plugging him in along with Wayne Simmonds and P.K. Subban this summer has dramatically changed the look of the Devils. The team still has work to do with several restricted free agents, but without many long-term commitments or bad contracts, they’re set up to turn the corner on their rebuild and start competing for the playoffs once again.

Pacific Notes: Neal, Hughes, Golden Knights

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Already atop the Pacific Division, the Calgary Flames hope to get even stronger after veteran winger James Neal returned to the lineup Saturday night. Neal, who signed a five-year, $28.75MM deal in the offseason, has struggled in his time with the Flames with both injury and production, posting just five goals in 56 games. However, Calgary hopes they can get the 31-year-old going just in time for the playoffs, giving them another weapon they haven’t really had all season.

Neal, who has had 10 straight season with 20 goals or more throughout his career, fared well in his first game back.

“I thought he was real good,” said Flames’ head coach Bill Peters after Saturday’s win. “Really happy with Nealer’s play. I thought he was physical. I thought he was engaged in the game. I thought he played real well.”

Neal has one other key statistic — he has 100 games of playoff experience — a quality that few Flames have, which could be another big asset for the team.

“It felt like a long time (out), but my body feels good and I’m excited to get going,” Neal said prior to Saturday’s welcome-back against the Canucks. “It’s always tough when you get injured but for me, just the way everything was going, I just kind of took it as a positive and rested up and got ready for a big playoff run.”

  • The debut of Vancouver Canucks top prospect, Quinn Hughes, could be fast approaching as Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma reports that Hughes was out on the ice this morning, skating effortlessly during skills session. The 19-year-old had a recent test that cleared him of having a broken bone in his foot that he suffered with Michigan during the Big 10 playoffs while blocking a shot. The Canucks hope they can get their 2018 first-rounder out on the ice before their season ends.
  • Steve Carp of SinBin.vegas writes that one advantage that the Vegas Golden Knights have, almost guaranteed to be locked into a playoff battle with the San Jose Sharks in the first round, is the team can afford to give injured players some rest. That has been evidenced by forward Max Pacioretty, who landed awkwardly after taking a hit from Winnipeg’s Jacob Trouba on Thursday and is listed as day-to-day and with little incentive left until the playoffs, the team is giving him the time he needs to rest up. The same goes from heavily used Marc-Andre Fleury, who is out with a lower-body injury and has missed four straight games. Even Erik Haula, who has missed most of the season, is skating regularly and could be ready to practice when the playoffs start.

Battle of the NHL Playoffs on ESPN+

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Pacific Notes: Kovalchuk, Hoffman, Ritchie, Karlsson

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The Los Angeles Kings may have moved one of their biggest trade chips several weeks ago in Jake Muzzin, but don’t expect the Kings to stand pat as the deadline nears. Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times writes that general manager Rob Blake has spoken to veteran winger Ilya Kovalchuk, who is seriously considering waiving his no-move clause to go to a contender.

However, Kovalchuk, who signed a three-year, $18.75MM deal last summer, might not fetch a big return for the Kings. A team has to be willing to take on two more years of the 35 year-old’s contract which carries an expensive $6.25MM AAV with it. He has scored 13 goals and has 28 points in 50 games so far this year, while dealing with injuries, but few teams would be willing to give up more than a lower-level prospect to take on Kovalchuk.

Elliott also points out that Los Angeles are far more likely to hold onto defenseman Alec Martinez, who might not bring back the return they were hoping for, while few teams have shown much interest in Jeff Carter so far.

  • Sportsnet’s Marc Savard tweets that the Florida Panthers are getting a lot of calls on forward Mike Hoffman and the Arizona Coyotes, who are looking to make a late playoff run, are pushing hard to acquire the speedy winger. The 29-year-old is having a nice season as he has 26 goals and 51 points, which is in line for a career year. Hoffman could bring back a signficant return as he has another year on his deal at $5.19MM and would be another significant addition of scorers for the Coyotes.
  • The Anaheim Ducks may make a quiet move or two, but after agreeing to a five-year extension with Jakob Silfverberg, the team lacks any significant trade assets to move at the trade deadline. However, The Athletic’s Eric Stephens (subscription required) writes that with the play of Max Jones and the Max Comtois (currently in juniors), winger Nick Ritchie might be expendable now and be potentially available. A holdout at the beginning of the season, Ritchie eventually signed an inexpensive three-year deal, totaling just $4.6MM, which some teams might covet. Ritchie, of course, hasn’t proven he can be anything more than a 15-goal scorer.
  • Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reports that Erik Karlsson, who left in the second period of Saturday’s loss to Columbus, tweaked his groin injury in the game. No word on the severity of the injury, however. Karlsson already missed a month between January and February with that lower-body injury, and more missed time would be a setback for a Sharks’ team trying to work their way to the top of the Pacific Division. Head coach Peter DeBoer said he is concerned. “Absolutely,” said DeBoer. “I thought we were as conservative and cautious as you can be but muscle injuries you don’t know. Sometimes you get in positions or over-extend it. We’ll see where it’s at tomorrow.”

Atlantic Notes: Palat, Pageau, Dermott, Hudon, Rask

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Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper announced that winger Ondrej Palat is not expected to play Sunday, but after that the 27-year-old is expected to be listed as “day-to-day” and could be back soon. Palat hasn’t played since Oct. 26 when he left the game with a lower body injury and subsequently was listed out for at least four weeks. That seems about right as the team could get him back at some point this week.

Palat has appeared in just nine games this season and has failed to find the back of the net as he has just five assists in that span. The team needs the winger to return and re-establish himself in the team’s top-six as he also dealt with injuries last year as he played in 56 games, tallying only 11 goals.

Cooper also added that defenseman Anton Stralman is being re-evaluated and will be out Sunday. The 32-year-old hasn’t played since Nov. 8 with an undisclosed injury. Stralman has eight points in 16 games.

  • The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that center Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who has been out all season with a torn Achilles muscle, continues to make amazing progress as he joined the team on their four-game road trip in New York and skated with the team Sunday in a non-contact jersey. Despite a six-month timetable in mid-September, Pageau looks closer and closer to returning to the team quite a bit earlier than the original diagnosis. Garrioch also notes that Mark Stone, Colin White and Mark Borowiecki all took part in skating Sunday.
  • The Athletic’s Ian Tulloch (subscription required) breaks down the play of many of the Toronto Maple Leafs from Saturday’s game. Of note, Tulloch writes that one necessity in the near future is that Toronto must find a way to find a spot in their top-four for defenseman Travis Dermott. The 21-year-old is only averaging 17:53 of ATOI, but has been used more and more, getting 23:06 of ice time Saturday. The scribe adds that Dermott has developed into the team’s top defenseman and the Toronto needs to make adjustments accordingly, which means cutting playing time for struggling blueliners Ron Hainsey and Nikita Zaitsev.
  • After being a healthy scratch for Friday’s game, Montreal Canadiens forward Charles Hudon talked to head coach Claude Julien, who told him to be more aggressive, like he was last season when he had 126 hits, according to Montreal Gazette’s Stu Cowan. Hudon’s response was he had 13 hits in 9:09 of ice time.
  • It looks like the break that Tuukka Rask took a week ago has been paying off for the netminder. Rask has had three impressive starts since taking a critical weekend off earlier this month, including a .938 save percentage in his three appearances since his return, according to the Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont.

Metropolitan Notes: Hayes, Duclair, Folin, Pesce

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While there are plenty of rumors abound about potential trade candidates, the New York Rangers may opt to wait before they make any trades, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger, who appeared on NBCSN’s post-game show on Wednesday. While there are rumors that the Rangers could move center Kevin Hayes whenever they want and might consider moving him soon, Dreger said that was unlikely and he can’t picture the Rangers moving Hayes or Mats Zuccarello until after the new year.

“You’re right, it’s still a little bit early,” said Dreger. “But I would have said a month ago that the New York Rangers were more interested in listening to what sort of interest might have been in Kevin Hayes. But the reality is Kevin Hayes is playing pretty well for the New York Rangers right now. There are always teams in the market for centermen, particularly guys who are playing well and are 6-foot-5. So it’s still a little bit early to ramp up the rumors with Kevin Hayes and even Mats Zuccarello of the New York Rangers. I would say very early in the New Year we’ll be able to identify those specific teams with interest.”

The 26-year-old Hayes, who is eligible to be an unrestricted free agent next summer, has three goals and 11 points in 17 games so far this season. While he is still young, there are many among the Rangers’ brass who aren’t sure they want Hayes to be the center-point of their rebuilt franchise and might be better off moving him for more pieces. Zuccarello is also in the final year of a four-year deal and can also be a free agent. The 31-year-old has three goals and 10 points in 15 games.

  • Even though Columbus Blue Jackets forward Anthony Duclair has been impressive this season with seven goals in his first 17 games as he’s currently on pace for a 35-goal season at a minimum $650K. However, many were shocked when Duclair found himself benched during the third period and overtime Saturday, according to The Athletic’s Tom Reed (subscription required). Head coach John Tortorella made his point quite clear. “He’s got to check,” Tortorella said. “He’s got to learn to check.” Of course, Tortorella put the blame on Duclair’s entire line, including Alexander Wennberg and Oliver Bjorkstrand. However, it was Duclair’s minutes that were cut into as he played just 5:40, although strangely, he was still given an opportunity to take a shootout attempt at the end of the game.
  • One reason for the Philadelphia Flyers improved play of late is the recent emergence of defenseman Christian Folin, who has impressed Flyers’ brass with his defensive play, especially with his physicality and his willingness to block shots, according to The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor (subscription required). The scribe writes that after struggling during the preseason and making multiple gaffs early in the regular season, Folin has come into his own over the last couple weeks. “I really didn’t see him do anything different tonight than what he’s done over the past however many games,” the Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said. “Fols is a consistent player. He’s reliable in terms of you know what you’re gonna get, and you get those elements at a high level.”
  • Michael Smith of NHL.com reports that Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce did not practice Sunday after taking a knee-to-knee hit during Saturday’s game against Detroit and is listed as day-to-day. Pesce, who is in the first year of a six-year, $24.2MM deal ($4.03MM AAV), has been mentioned in potential trade rumors with the Toronto Maple Leafs in a potential William Nylander trade. The 23-year-old could provide Toronto with a cheap, young defensive-minded blueliner who could stabilize any teams’ defense.

Atlantic Notes: Marner, Matthews, Ozhiganov, Stempniak

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With the Toronto Maple Leafs enduring their drawn-out negotiations with restricted free agent William Nylander, it was suggested recently that Toronto try to negotiate deals with future restricted free agents, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, during the season to avoid similar holdouts next season.

Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston on Saturday Headlines, reported that while Marner’s camp sounds uninterested in discussing a contract extension in-season, Matthews camp is open to a deal.

“There were discussions throughout the summer with both Auston Matthews’ camp Mitch Marner’s camp with their extensions. They could’ve done that July 1, but some of those discussions are off,” Johnston said. “Mitch Marner and his camp have called a moratorium on talks throughout the season. They don’t want to see that distraction. I get the sense that Auston Matthews would be willing to work on his extension throughout this season.”

Matthews would be in line for a major contract pay raise as he is likely looking for pay that may even exceed the $11MM that Tavares received this summer. The 21-year-old posted 40 goals in his rookie campaign. That number dropped a little last year when he tallied 34 goals, but Matthews also missed 20 games due to injury last season.

Marner, on the other hand, hopes to get similar money to that of Matthews and The Athletic’s James Mirtle (subscription required) believes that Marner is ready to take his game to another level and believes he will easily manage to average a point-per-game after impressing in Saturday evening’s game against Ottawa. If he has an 80-point season, Marner will have posted 210 points in his three entry-level seasons, which the scribe compares to numbers of Jack Eichel, who signed an eight-year, $80MM ($10MM AAV) deal a year ago. That could prove to be quite costly for the Maple Leafs as well.

  • In a competitive defensive training camp battle, the Toronto Maple Leafs determined that defenseman Igor Ozhiganov was a keeper earlier than most. However, what does Toronto have in the 25-year-old defender who came over from the KHL this summer. The Athletic’s Ian Tulloch (subscription required) breaks down the play of the 6-foot-2 defender, who moves the puck extremely well, although there remain questions on his defense. While many KHL imports have struggled with moving the puck, Ozhiganov has had quite a bit of success so far, albeit in limited time, giving hope that he could develop into a solid blueliner. However, he does have Justin Holl breathing down his neck as a potential replacement.
  • NBC Sports’ Joe Haggerty, in a mailbag piece, writes that Lee Stempniak, who signed a PTO with the Boston Bruins, continues to remain with the team hoping for a chance to work his way into the team’s lineup. The scribe writes that if youngsters Ryan Donato or Danton Heinen fail to impress in their top-six auditions, the team is keeping Stempniak around as insurance. The 35-year-old, who played 37 games for Carolina last season, said that he would prefer to stay in Boston with his family and will continue to practice with the team for now.

Jamie McGinn Undergoes Back Surgery, Out Indefinitely

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The Florida Panthers are a trendy pick to make a run at the Stanley Cup playoffs this year, but have started camp off on a sour note. Jamie McGinn has undergone back surgery and will be out indefinitely.

McGinn, 30, was a nice surprise for the Panthers last season after acquiring him from the Arizona Coyotes. The return for Jason Demers, who was shipped to the desert due to his heft cap hit, McGinn ended up scoring 13 goals and 29 points while continuing his physical brand of hockey. Though he’s certainly not a top line option for the team, he did provide some nice depth on the wing and could fill in higher up when injuries happened.

The Panthers are considerably deeper up front this season after acquiring Mike Hoffman, Troy Brouwer and Frank Vatrano to round out their forward group and even expect younger players like Henrik Borgstrom and Owen Tippett to make an impact before long. That depth will allow them to deal with an injury to McGinn without much problem, but it does put pressure on the veteran upon his return. McGinn is in the final season of his current contract and hasn’t been able to match the 22-goal campaign that earned him $10MM over three years. If he wants anything close to that $3.33MM salary going forward he’ll have to get back to full health and start contributing right away.

William Nylander “Not Too Stressed” About Contract Talks

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have been in and out of the news all offseason, first for convincing John Tavares to sign with them long-term and recently regarding contract talks starting between the team and Auston Matthews. While Tavares, Matthews and a potential extension for Mitch Marner have received quite a bit of attention, another key forward is still without a deal. William Nylander is a restricted free agent for the first time this offseason, and is still currently unsigned as we head into August. That certainly isn’t bothering Nylander though, who was asked by TSN recently whether he’d be willing to sign a shorter bridge deal with the team.

That’s between my agent and Kyle [Dubas], I mean they’re talking about it. I’m not really into that right now. Once it gets closer to the season I think I’ll be more dialed [in]. Kyle says it’s going to take some time so I’m not too stressed about it.

That lack of stress appears to be all over the Maple Leafs roster as they head into next season excited about what it could bring. After ending up in last place in the NHL just a few years ago, the Maple Leafs have made it to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. Unfortunately those postseason episodes both ended with early exits, something they hope to change this year.

After signing Tavares the team has certainly improved their forwards and now boasts one of the deepest center group in the NHL, but many have wondered how they’ll fit everyone into the salary cap with an added $11MM contract on the books. Matthews and Marner are entering the final seasons of their entry-level deals, while Nylander should get quite a substantial raise at some point this summer. Dubas, the young GM who took over the hockey operations from Lou Lamoriello earlier this offseason, seemed awfully confident that he could keep the group together when he appeared on Sportsnet’s 31 Thoughts podcast earlier this summer. He also gave some insight onto why the negotiations with a player like Nylander may take a little longer than many expect:

It might go a little bit slower than some people would like but that would be on me to continue to be patient with it and make sure that these guys are not just signing because it’s a long-term contract and it’s obviously a nice pay increase for them, but they want to be here as part of the long-term, they know where we’re going and they’re a full part of that rather than sign a deal and then a year later wonder what the vision is for the program and whether they want to be part of it.

Obviously there will still be some anxious Maple Leafs fans waiting to see what Nylander agrees to, but for now he seems completely removed from the situation as his representation works with the Toronto front office to figure out some common ground. Whether that comes in the form of a bridge deal that will allow them to save some cap space over the next few years, or he’s locked into a long-term deal at an much higher cap hit is the biggest question mark. A hold out doesn’t seem to be a possibility at this point.

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