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Superstar Issue 2020

Superstar Issue 2020

The Hockey News celebrates the best of the best with our Superstar Issue. Inside you'll find features on Alex Ovechkin, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby, Auston Matthews & Mitch Marner, Elias Pettersson and many more.

THE STRAIGHT EDGE

THE FUTURE TAKES TIME

HYPOTHETICALLY, the Montreal Canadiens could have been a playoff team this year. Despite some key injuries, despite going 0-4 against the lowly Detroit Red Wings and Carey Price having an up-and-down campaign, there is one statistic that simply blows my mind: when Jesperi Kotkaniemi was out of the lineup, the Habs went 12-3-1. When he was playing for them, they went 11-19-6. And in the first five games after the young center was mercifully sent down to the AHL, the Canadiens went 4-1-0. Keep in mind, Kotkaniemi missed games during two separate stretches due to injury, then one more as a healthy scratch – so it’s not like the Habs just happened to get hot for one segment of the schedule. There is a correlation here. So why, why did Montreal…

BUZZ

Behind the MASK

JOHN GIBSON | ANAHEIM DUCKS WHEN KOBE BRYANT, HIS daughter Gianna and seven others died in a Jan. 26 helicopter crash, the grief transcended basketball. Athletes across sports paid their respects. Gibson did so via mask art from Shell Shock Designs. The sides feature Kobe’s L.A. Lakers jersey numbers, 8 and 24, with the years of his five NBA titles and career-high single-game point total (81). On the back: a silhouette of Kobe and Gianna, plus the names of the other victims.…

NEXT

HERE COMES THE BOOM

THE OFFICIAL TOURISM website for Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, touts the relaxing attractions of a “spa town like no other,” complete with 15 mineral springs whose waters reportedly possess “curative effects.” No doubt these sites were frequented throughout the 2000s by local youth hockey goalies seeking to soothe their limbs after facing shots from Martin Frk. Here is one of many stories: when he was 12 or 13, Frk ripped a slapper that struck the opposing netminder in the glove and knocked the kid out of the game. That was in the first period. In the second, another howitzer from Frk pummeled the backup in his stomach. “So we had to stop the game halfway, because they didn’t want to go back to the net,” Frk said. “Their head coach was…

NHL

EASTERN CONFERENCE - BIGGEST SURPRISE

Boston Bruins Wasn’t CHARLIE MCAVOY drafted as a dynamic offensive blueliner? He’s been a physical minute-muncher but had a measly one goal and 20 points in 50-plus games, including one power-play point despite playing 1:22 a night with the extra man. At 22, he still has time to bloom. Buffalo Sabres JEFF SKINNER’S pattern of good year, bad year was just a coincidence…or was it? His career-best 40 goals last season earned him an eight-year, $72-million deal. This year he’s not even on a 20-goal pace. Even by Skinner’s yo-yo standard, the decline in productivity is shocking. Carolina Hurricanes While JORDAN STAAL has always been more of a shutdown guy, the Canes could use some offense from him. Staal is on pace for his worst season since his sophomore slump in Pittsburgh more than a…