The Florida Panthers got their revenge! We celebrate the Cats' first-ever Stanley Cup victory, as well as the title runs for teams across the world in our Champions Issue. Also inside: 32 break-out players to watch next season, whether the playoff format needs to change and much more.

Champions Issue 2024

The Hockey News Champions Issue 2024

<div class="byline">BY&#xA0;DAVE EMINIAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="champs_sphl_118" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_sphl_118/10310776-1-eng-US/champs_sphl_1182.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>J.M. PIOTROWSKI, ALEC HAGAMAN & DOUG PRICE</b></p><p></p> <span class="photo-credit">(ELLY MAIER/PEORIA RIVERMEN)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HE PEORIA RIVERMEN LOST</b> Game 1 of the best-of-three SPHL final, but they still had the Huntsville Havoc right where they wanted them. The championship series shifted to Carver Arena in Peoria, where the Rivermen swept Games 2 and 3 to clinch the league title in a place where they went a combined 28-1-3 in the regular season and playoffs, the best home-ice record among all NHL, AHL, ECHL and SPHL teams in 2023-24. The victory marked the first time in SPHL history that a team lost the opening game of a best-of-three final and came back to win the title.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/peoria_rive_117/10310769-1-eng-US/peoria_rive_1172.png" title="peoria_rive_117" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>It also marked a storybook farewell for Rivermen captain Alec Hagaman, a 10-year pro who was the only Peoria-born captain in the 42-year history of the franchise. Hagaman, 34, declared at the start of the year that this would be his final season. He scored five goals in the last two games, 6-4 and 5-1 decisions that gave the Rivermen their first championship clinched on home ice since 1999-2000, when they played in the ECHL. Hagaman&rsquo;s eight goals and 14 points in seven games earned him playoff MVP honors. &ldquo;Alec Hagaman scored five goals in Game 2 and Game 3,&rdquo; said Peoria coach Jean-Guy Trudel, who has won two SPHL titles in the past three seasons. &ldquo;<i>Five</i> goals. He carried us on his back. You can&rsquo;t script that. It&rsquo;s so storybook. It&rsquo;s legend now.&rdquo;</p><p>The Rivermen are also believed to be the first team to win a championship on home ice at all three levels of the minors. They won once at Carver Arena in the old International League, once in the ECHL and now once in the SPHL. &ldquo;I got to the bench and was trying not to cry, but I felt tears coming out,&rdquo; Hagaman said. &ldquo;It was just a lot of emotion. Now, I can say the word. Retired. I&rsquo;m retired. It doesn&rsquo;t hurt to say it anymore because I&rsquo;m a champion.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Champions Issue

Going Out On Top

<div class="byline">BY JARED CLINTON</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="buzz_mcdavi_015" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/buzz_mcdavi_0154/10307776-1-eng-US/buzz_mcdavi_0152.png"><figcaption class="caption-body">Once shiny and new, the NHL&rsquo;s playoff format has grown tiresome for some fans. <span class="photo-credit">(BOB FRID-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HEN THE 2023-24 NHL</b> post-season concluded &ndash; when the Stanley Cup was awarded, the parties started and the parade plans were finalized &ndash; the NHL put a bow on a decade of its current playoff format.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="mon022.jpg" title="common02" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>Pedants, perhaps, will offer a correction. It&rsquo;s been nine years, really, given the pandemic-altered playoffs of 2019-20 saw the addition of a qualification round, and, wait, what about the one-off full-scale divisional realignment necessary to complete the 2020-21 season? OK, fine. Give it an asterisk, but the point stands that the league has stuck with at least some version of its four-division-plus-wild-card-combatants arrangement for the past decade.</p><p>More than simply a tidy milestone, there&rsquo;s significance to the NHL&rsquo;s commitment to its post-season structure. Notably, it&rsquo;s the second-longest stretch the league has gone without fine-tuning or altogether reorganizing the path to the Stanley Cup since 1967 expansion.</p><p>For some, that the format has remained unchanged brings comfort. Nothing wrong with leaving well enough alone. But among other sections of the greater hockeysphere, including portions of the fan base, pundits, players and management, familiarity has, as it is wont to do, bred a level of contempt. A system that was once shiny and new has become tiresome, or its faults have become increasingly apparent, leading to everything from murmurs to outright calls the league should amend its playoff procedures. And making a change wouldn&rsquo;t be without precedent, particularly at this precise moment in the world of major sports.</p><p>Of the so-called big four leagues in North America, the NHL is the only circuit that hasn&rsquo;t revised its post-season structure since 2020. Further to that, the NHL is the only one of the four leagues that has held out on playoff expansion, with each of the NFL, MLB and NBA expanding their title tournaments the past five years by way of win-and-you&rsquo;re-in showdowns or additional wild-card spots. And for each of those leagues, it&rsquo;s been a massive boon to television ratings. The NBA, for instance, reported a record-setting average of 3.2 million viewers over the six play-in games it held ahead of its 2024 playoffs.</p><p>In spite of this, the NHL has held fast that it does not see the benefit in following suit. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not giving any thought to expanding the playoffs,&rdquo; said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman during a pre-playoff press conference. &ldquo;We have no interest in it. What we have is working very well. When you look at how our playoffs play out &ndash; the number of six- and seven-game series, the competitiveness of it &ndash; nothing in anybody else&rsquo;s playoffs rivals that.&rdquo;</p><p>There won&rsquo;t be many who argue. But it&rsquo;s worth noting that if the NHL has no intention of adopting a play-in procedure similar to the NBA, Bettman and Co. have, in fact, flirted with the idea in the past &ndash; and the option to at least broach the subject in an official manner exists in the current Collective Bargaining Agreement.</p><p>Indeed, in the CBA between the NHL and NHLPA that was ratified in January 2013, the same agreement that was later extended in July 2020 as part of the league&rsquo;s Return to Play following the COVID-19 outbreak, Article 16.2 states the Players&rsquo; Association has consented to a &ldquo;playoff qualification round&rdquo; consisting of four teams from each conference playing in best-of-3 series. Though not specified, logic dictates such a play-in round would pit the seventh seed against the 10th seed and eighth against the ninth.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/buzz_bettma_0142/10307762-1-eng-US/buzz_bettma_0142.png" title="buzz_bettma_014" width="1367" height="1420"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>&lsquo;WE HAVE NO INTEREST IN IT&rsquo;</b></p><p>Bettman was quick to shoot down the notion of expanding &ndash; or changing &ndash; the 16-team NHL post-season.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(LUCAS PELTIER-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p>Equally fascinating is the language wasn&rsquo;t written anew in the CBA that ended the 2012-13 lockout. Instead, the proviso is a holdover from the deal that concluded the 2005-06 stoppage. The document notes the NHL was permitted by the NHLPA to adopt the qualification round in either the 2005-06 or 2006-07 season without the need for any additional green light. That no such play-in came to pass in either of those campaigns following the NHL&rsquo;s lost year doesn&rsquo;t render the Article obsolete, though. &ldquo;If the league desires to implement a playoff qualification round with respect to future NHL season(s),&rdquo; the CBA reads, &ldquo;it may only do so with the consent of the NHLPA, which shall not be unreasonably withheld.&rdquo;</p><p>That last bit, of course, is the wrinkle, and it&rsquo;s not as though the players haven&rsquo;t exercised their power to shoot down changes to league structure in the past. In January 2012, the NHLPA threw a wrench in a &ldquo;radical realignment plan&rdquo; that had been approved by the NHL&rsquo;s board of governors a month earlier. A similar realignment and a pivot to today&rsquo;s playoff framework were included in the divisional revamp that took effect after the ratification of the current CBA.</p><p>If we&rsquo;re to take the league at its word and assume there&rsquo;s no interest in an expanded playoff universe, though, is there an arrangement the suits and skaters would all agree on?</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/buzz_bubble_0162/10307755-1-eng-US/buzz_bubble_0162.png" title="buzz_bubble_016" width="1571" height="1144"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>HOCKEY HOLDOUT</b></p><p>The NBA, NFL and MLB have altered their respective playoff formats in recent years &ndash; to positive reviews.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(PERRY NELSON-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p>Well, remember that bit about the divisional playoffs&rsquo; status as the second-longest-tenured structure? The first was the one that existed from 1998-99 to 2013, known more colloquially as the one-versus-eight format. Though the NHL&rsquo;s version was not a true one-versus-eight, as division winners were seeded first through third based on their point totals, with the five next-best records earning the fourth through eighth seeds. The design is considered in some corners the platonic ideal of post-season play. And it has support.</p><p>In the time since the present format was introduced, along with its two rounds of intra-division play, a number of players &ndash; including the likes of Steven Stamkos, John Tavares and Nazem Kadri &ndash; have expressed displeasure with the playoff configuration. As recently as the 2023 All-Star Game, Sidney Crosby made his feelings clear. &ldquo;I like one to eight,&rdquo; Crosby said. &ldquo;The regular season, as difficult as it is, teams should be rewarded, and I guess that&rsquo;s probably the best way that you should be rewarded.&rdquo;</p><p>That top teams aren&rsquo;t rewarded is the most common gripe with the current system. It&rsquo;s worth clarifying the complaint doesn&rsquo;t quite hold weight in the opening round. There are only two instances in the past decade in which the top team in either conference would have had a different first-round matchup in a one-versus-eight scenario: the Anaheim Ducks would have played the Calgary Flames, not the Winnipeg Jets, in the conference quarterfinal in 2014-15, and the Washington Capitals&rsquo; first-round opponent in 2015-16 would have been the Detroit Red Wings, not the Philadelphia Flyers.</p><p>It is, however, true that the middle class of each division has more often been stung by the modern playoff gauntlet. Consider &ndash; and yes, we can feel the eye rolls coming &ndash; the Toronto Maple Leafs. Discounting the altered 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns, Toronto has three times in the past six seasons squared off against first-round opponents greater than its one-to-eight conference seeding would have otherwise dictated. Notably, a fourth-seeded Leafs outfit drew the second-ranked Boston Bruins in 2017-18 instead of the fifth-place Pittsburgh Penguins. The next season, the Leafs were again forced into a matchup with the Bruins in the first round, whereas conference-based seeding would have put Toronto into a head-to-head with the fourth-seeded New York Islanders.</p><p>But where the divisional structure has had arguably its greatest influence, and where it does invariably impact all teams, is in its lack of reseeding. Forcing teams to play through their division before the conference finals, and doing so even when a conference&rsquo;s powerhouses are concentrated within one division, creates potential for a scenario akin to the 2018 playoffs.</p><p>That season, the Eastern Conference-best Tampa Bay Lightning were rewarded for their first-round victory over the wild-card New Jersey Devils by booking a second-round date with&hellip;the second-seeded Bruins. Under the conference-seeding system, the Bolts would have instead drawn the lowest-ranked team left standing, the fifth-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins. Some will say no harm, no foul. Tampa Bay dispatched Boston in five games. But it robbed the league of a potential one-versus-two Eastern Conference final, and isn&rsquo;t a best-on-next-best showdown for the conference crown what the league should want?</p><p>The NHL&rsquo;s bigwigs, though, feel there&rsquo;s no need to fix what&rsquo;s not broken, with Bettman adding there are untold complexities related to reverting back to the former design. &ldquo;The debate about one-versus-eight, then it&rsquo;s not just that, you&rsquo;ve got to also then change the wild card, and you&rsquo;ve got to start looking at the matchups in terms of how many times everybody is playing everybody else if you&rsquo;re having conference-based playoffs,&rdquo; he told reporters in 2023. &ldquo;So, it&rsquo;s not as simple as saying, &lsquo;I&rsquo;d like one-versus-eight versus what we have.&rsquo; &rdquo;</p><p>Even still, the existence of such hurdles &ndash; and schedule balance, cross-continent travel and even broadcast considerations <i>are</i> legitimate obstacles &ndash; shouldn&rsquo;t preclude the league from exploring a return to one-versus-eight, particularly if there&rsquo;s an appetite to see it happen. It&rsquo;s worked before, and it can work again. (That said, the same logistical obstacles are likely to make much more untenable the inter-conference, one-versus-16 model for which some fans have clamored.)</p><p>Regardless, a decade on, it&rsquo;s difficult to feel as though the current format isn&rsquo;t heading toward or hasn&rsquo;t already gone sour. The new divisional rivalries it was supposed to create feel manufactured at best and stale at worst.</p><p>The reward for excellence across an 82-game regular season has become muted. And whereas other leagues have, for better or worse, gambled on the creation of marquee, do-or-die matchups and added value to stretch-run games, the NHL has not. Simply put, everything has an expiration date, and perhaps the NHL playoff format&rsquo;s has passed.</p><div class="sidebar"><h4>For up to the minute coverage, visit</h4><h3><a href="http://THEHOCKEYNEWS.COM">Thehockeynews.com</a><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></h3></div>

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Buzz

PLAYOFF DIVISION

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="mtl_newhook_108" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/mtl_newhook_108/10311029-1-eng-US/mtl_newhook_1082.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>IN THE MIDDLE OF IT ALL</b></p><p>Newhook served notice that he&rsquo;s ready to ramp up his game as Montreal&rsquo;s second-line center.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(SERGEI BELSKI-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span>T&rsquo;S RIGHT THERE FOR</b> everyone to see on the bottom rung of the most beautiful trophy in sports, right there between Ryan Murray and Valeri Nichushkin. And unless the NHL changes the configuration of the Stanley Cup in the future, it will remain there for another 59 years.</p><p>When Alex Newhook had his name engraved on the Cup after his rookie season with Colorado two years ago, he probably thought at the time he&rsquo;d win three or four more of them. But, you know, things change. That might still happen, but not anytime soon, because the Montreal Canadiens are still at the top of the league when it comes to moral victories. In the real standings? Not so much.</p><p>But as the Canadiens look to make significant advances in their quest back to respectability, their lonely eyes will be turning to the likes of Newhook, who has scored at every level and is starting to look as though he can do the same in the best league in the world. Newhook&rsquo;s goal in the final game of 2023-24 represented the 100th point of his career.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/montreal_re_107/10311022-1-eng-US/montreal_re_1072.jpg" title="montreal_re_107" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>At 23, Newhook is a serious candidate for a breakout season in 2024-25, not only because he finished the season so strongly after missing 27 games with a high ankle sprain, but because he dragged a couple of veterans along with him who looked sort of, kind of, done. In doing his part to revive the fortunes of Brendan Gallagher and Joel Armia, Newhook looks primed to fulfill his potential as a legitimate second-line center.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">YOU TRY TO GET BETTER EVERY YEAR, AND THAT&rsquo;S BEEN THE PATTERN FOR ME SINCE THE START OF MY CAREER<br>&ndash; Alex Newhook</blockquote><p>&ldquo;I think so,&rdquo; Newhook said. &ldquo;The change in environment was a good thing this season, and it gave me room to assert myself and establish myself as someone who can be a difference-maker. You try to get better every year, and that&rsquo;s been the pattern for me since the start of my career. And next year is no different.&rdquo;</p><p>When people talk about the Canadiens&rsquo; youth, not many mention Newhook, and maybe that&rsquo;s because it feels like he&rsquo;s been around for a while. But he was born 26 days after teammate Cole Caufield. Much of the optimism surrounding Newhook is due to the fact that in his final 13 games of the season, he posted five goals and 12 points. Almost as importantly, Gallagher notched five goals and 11 points, while Armia, who was twice sent to the minors this season, scored six goals and nine points to finish with a career-high 17 goals. Not spectacular numbers, but definitely good enough to think there might be something more there. All three will be back in &rsquo;24-25, including Newhook, who will enter the second year of a four-year deal that carries a $2.9-million cap hit.</p><p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to put too much credit on myself,&rdquo; Newhook said. &ldquo;I think (Armia) found a part of his game, and it was a lot of fun to be a part of that. With Gally, he&rsquo;s a guy who I think his confidence was coming back, and he&rsquo;s not a guy who lacks confidence. He seemed to always be around the play and involved in every shift. All three of us were lucky to be working with each other.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/mtl_newhook_109/10311015-1-eng-US/mtl_newhook_1092.png" title="mtl_newhook_109" width="1367" height="1533"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(DAVID KIROUAC-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p>Nothing is guaranteed, but Newhook looks set up for success. As well as holding down the second-line center spot after the trade of Sean Monahan to Winnipeg, he also started getting some good looks on the left side of the top power-play unit. The Canadiens are no longer either primarily French or flying, and their dearth of offensive elan has actually been an issue for a couple of decades now. Newhook isn&rsquo;t about to turn that around singlehandedly, but if he can stay healthy and closely resemble a point-per-game player, it would have many in the organization doing a happy dance.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">HAVING THAT MINDSET OF WHERE MY STANDARD SHOULD BE IS HUGE GOING INTO NEXT YEAR<br>&ndash; Alex Newhook</blockquote><p>That said, even if Newhook can break through with an impactful season, there is no fast-track for the Canadiens&rsquo; rebuild. There will almost certainly be more seasons of pain and high draft picks. GM Kent Hughes managed to acquire Kirby Dach in 2022 and Newhook in 2023 with some pretty creative deals. Newhook made the most of his opportunity, averaging nearly three more minutes per game than he did with the Avalanche. Now, it&rsquo;s up to him to take another step.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always kind of known what I can be in this league,&rdquo; Newhook said. &ldquo;With the way things went at the end of the year, I realized I&rsquo;m very close to being that guy night-in and night-out. Having that realization and that mindset of where my standard should be will be huge going into next year.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

GREATER EXPECTATIONS

<h2><b>&gt;MEN&rsquo;S</b></h2><p><b>DIV. I-A</b></p><p>Hungary</p><p><b>DIV. I-B</b></p><p>Ukraine</p><p><b>DIV. II-A</b></p><p>Croatia</p><p><b>DIV. II-B</b></p><p>Belgium</p><p><b>DIV. III-A</b></p><p>Thailand</p><p><b>DIV. III-B</b></p><p>Bosnia & Herzegovina</p><p><b>DIV. IV</b></p><p>Mongolia</p><h2><b>&gt;WOMEN&rsquo;S</b></h2><p><b>DIV. I-A</b></p><p>Norway</p><p><b>DIV. I-B</b></p><p>Slovakia</p><p><b>DIV. II-A</b></p><p>Kazakhstan</p><p><b>DIV. II-B</b></p><p>Democratic People&rsquo;s Republic of Korea</p><p><b>DIV. III-A</b></p><p>Ukraine</p><p><b>DIV. III-B</b></p><p>Thailand<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Global Golds

<div class="byline">By Ryan Kennedy</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="rk_2020_cmy_035" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/rk_2020_cmy_0352/10307672-1-eng-US/rk_2020_cmy_0352.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(STEVEN ELLIS/THE HOCKEY NEWS)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>Y</span>OU DON&rsquo;T TAKE PART</b> in a Paul Maurice press conference so much as you turn on your tape recorder and wait for the gold. The coach of the Florida Panthers, now a Stanley Cup champion, waited longer than any bench boss in NHL history &ndash; 1,848 regular-season games &ndash; before he got to hoist the trophy over his head. And even then, Maurice had his own spin on the ritual, looking down instead of up as if to emote, &ldquo;<i>finally</i>.&rdquo;</p><p>Because of his gift for gab, Maurice has long been a favorite of media folks &ndash; not to mention the players he has coached over the years. So, throughout the Cup final, he was as much a character as Connor McDavid, Aleksander Barkov or any of the other marquee names. Before the puck was even dropped, reporters were asking Maurice about his mindset if he did not end up winning the final series. For a coach who had nearly stepped away from the game a couple years ago, it was a valid question: did he <i>need</i> a Cup before he retired, whenever that may be?</p><p>And while Maurice&rsquo;s original answer was diplomatically philosophical, he did say that he really wanted it. So, yeah, he needed one. Now that the dream has come true, Maurice finds himself more complete than perhaps he had ever anticipated. In his presser after Game 7, the coach got introspective in a way at which he tends to excel. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a whole bunch of things you don&rsquo;t know until you get there,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t <i>win</i> a Stanley Cup. I didn&rsquo;t win the Stanley Cup tonight. I got to <i>share</i> it. And that is a completely different idea. You get to share it. That&rsquo;s what I learned.&rdquo;</p><p>All of South Florida got to share it, in fact. A market that has taken its lumps over the years finally made good, with raucous crowds supporting an organization that finally got it right. GM Bill Zito, the former player agent turned ace builder, was a mess of emotions on the ice as he celebrated with loved ones. And who would be any different in the same situation? Roberto Luongo, one of the greatest Panthers in history with teams who were never as good in front of his crease as the current crop was for Sergei Bobrovsky, finally got to lift the Cup over his head as an executive with the team. No Boston Bruins could take it away from him this time.</p><p>The veterans who had toiled for so long cannot be forgotten, either. For Kyle Okposo, acquired at the deadline from Buffalo, it was just the fourth time he&rsquo;d made the playoffs in 17 years. He didn&rsquo;t play every game of the post-season for the Cats, but he made an impression and was the third player to hoist the Cup after Barkov and Bobrovsky. After him was blueliner Oliver Ekman-Larsson, another longtime NHLer who looked finished in Vancouver before resurrecting his career with Florida.</p><p>This was a group effort, and an impressive one at that. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s all on faith,&rdquo; Maurice said. &ldquo;You go as hard as you can. You give everything you have, but you&rsquo;ve never actually won before, so you&rsquo;re just grinding. That commitment, I had a feeling in training camp this year. I ran the exact same camp, and we measure everything, and they worked harder on their own (in the off-season). They were focused. I think they got a taste last year and believed.&rdquo;</p><p>And with that, the 2023-24 NHL season was over. The coach had his (shared) Cup, and all the stresses of the past few months melted away. So what&rsquo;s next for Maurice? Simple: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m going fishing.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/ryankennedy_0362/10307665-1-eng-US/ryankennedy_0362.jpg" title="ryankennedy_036" width="1367" height="617"></div><p><b>Ryan Kennedy</b><br>Editor in chief<br><b><a href="https://www.X.com/THNRYANKENNEDY">@THNRyanKennedy</a></b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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The First Word

SHARING LORD STANLEY

<div class="byline">BY W. GRAEME ROUSTAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="publishersn_042" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/publishersn_0422/10307710-1-eng-US/publishersn_0422.png"></div><p><b>&ldquo;YAHOO SPORTS WILL DISTRIBUTE</b> The Hockey News content across its platforms, guiding fans to a wide range of hockey coverage.&rdquo;</p><p>This was the headline in the press release issued by Yahoo Inc., on June 13, 2024. As some of you know, Yahoo was founded in 1994, and then, in 1997, they launched Yahoo Sports to be the go-to place for all sports coverage around the world. In 2017, Yahoo was acquired by Verizon Communications, the U.S.-based telecommunications giant.</p><p>In 2021, Apollo Global Management Inc., acquired 90 percent of the assets of Verizon Communications wholly owned Verizon Media, which included Yahoo and AOL. Verizon Communications remains a 10-percent owner.</p><p>On June 14, 2023, Yahoo named Ryan Spoon the president of Yahoo Sports. And one year later, on June 13, 2024, Yahoo announced the strategic partnership between Yahoo Sports and The Hockey News.</p><p>Spoon first became a friend of The Hockey News while previously serving as the COO at BetMGM, our exclusive betting partner for the print and podcast platforms at The Hockey News. The relationship between The Hockey News and BetMGM was signed in 2021, when Ryan was a boss at BetMGM.</p><p>In May 2024, The Hockey News digital platforms had 10.2 million pageviews without the inclusion of any traffic from Sports Illustrated, because I terminated that relationship on March 28, 2024. Many of you have read about the turmoil surrounding Sports Illustrated&rsquo;s print and digital management and operations moving from The Arena Group to Minute Media, which is actually owned by Jamie Salter&rsquo;s Authentic Brands. At the time, I believed it was better for The Hockey News to terminate any relationship with SI.</p><p>Within days, James Heckman, the founder of The Arena Group, <a href="http://Roundtable.io">Roundtable.io</a> and former global media strategist for Yahoo and I formed Roundtable Sports LLC, and he asked for a meeting with Spoon. These two media icons formulated a comprehensive strategic partnership that, frankly, has never been done before. It includes editorial integration, syndication and exclusive video content. It also calls for Yahoo Sports technology to power <a href="http://THEHOCKEYNEWS.COM">TheHockeyNews.com</a> advertising and sale integrations.</p><p>The Hockey News will become the primary hockey-content provider for Yahoo Sports, the internet&rsquo;s leading destination for comprehensive sports news. Yahoo Sports will distribute The Hockey News content across all of its platforms around the world.</p><p>Our current loyal subscribers and readers are surely not surprised by the recognition we constantly get, because The Hockey News produces the very best hockey content in the world. Since 1947, The Hockey News has produced more than a half a million pieces of content, which all of our subscribers have free access to at <a href="http://THN.com/Archive">THN.com/Archive</a></p><p>The pride everyone at The Hockey News carries with them every day because of our unmatched history continues to be elevated each and every day with the addition of each new subscriber who signs up, with each new visitor to our webpage and with each new announcement of a strategic partnership.</p><p>From the business side of The Hockey News, which is where I spend most of my time and energy, strategic partnerships are the very best way to grow a business, and the very best strategic partnerships always start by working with the very best of people at the very best organizations.</p><p>The Hockey News has formed these strategic partnerships with Apple News because of Dan Servos, with BetMGM because of Matt Prevost, with Yahoo Sports because of Spoon, with Imagn because of Justin Weiss and with Roundtable because of Heckman, just to name a few. These people believed in the strength of The Hockey News brand just as much as our subscribers and readers do, which emboldened them to enter into a partnership with all of us.</p><p>I strongly believe that success in any organization, as well as in life, is a team sport. We all need each other to grow in business and in life. Without our subscribers, readers and strategic partners, The Hockey News team of journalists, editors and staff would not be able to continue to deliver the best hockey content that started in 1947 by Ken McKenzie and Will Cote, covering the game we all love.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/graemeroust_0402/10307703-1-eng-US/graemeroust_0402.jpg" title="graemeroust_040" width="1367" height="291"></div><p><b>W. Graeme Roustan</b><br>Executive Chairman & Publisher, Roustan Media Ltd.<br><b><a href="http://roustan.com">roustan.com</a></b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Publisher’s Note

Yahooooooooooooooooo!

<div class="byline">BY&#xA0;JARED CLINTON</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="mask_mrazek_074" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/mask_mrazek_0742/10307821-1-eng-US/mask_mrazek_0742.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(DAVID GUNNARSSON/DAVEART.COM)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span>S HE PREPARED TO</b> represent his national team for the first time in seven years &ndash; and on home ice, no less &ndash; Petr Mrazek saw an opportunity to use his 2024 World Championship mask to reflect on personal and professional history. As a nod to the former, the mask&rsquo;s left panel showcases silhouettes of Antosovice, the sparsely populated village on the outskirts of Ostrava where he grew up, with a young Mrazek tending goal on a pond. But it&rsquo;s the homage to those who paved the way that will be most familiar to hockey fans. Sketched onto the mask&rsquo;s right panel by DaveArt&rsquo;s David Gunnarsson are portraits of legends Dominik Hasek, Jiri Holecek and Bohumil Modry. Hasek is a legend the world over, while Holecek and Modry left indelible marks on Czech hockey. The pair of IIHF Hall of Fame goaltenders combined to backstop their country to 12 World Championship medals, including five golds.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/mask_mrazek_0752/10307814-1-eng-US/mask_mrazek_0752.png" title="mask_mrazek_075" width="1367" height="1808"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/mask_mrazek_0762/10307807-1-eng-US/mask_mrazek_0762.png" title="mask_mrazek_076" width="1367" height="1818"></div><p><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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BEHIND THE MASK

<div class="byline">BY&#xA0;RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="jersey_sain_077" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/jersey_sain_0772/10307852-1-eng-US/jersey_sain_0772.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>EMMA-SOFIE NORDSTROM</b></p><p></p> <span class="photo-credit">(PHOTO BY ST. LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>O</span>NE OF THE UNDERRATED</b> aspects of having both men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s hockey at your NCAA school is the option for two completely different uniforms. The St. Lawrence Saints women, for example, have an awesome look that features an interlocked, baseball-style &lsquo;SLU&rsquo; within a big crest on the front of their jersey. The men also use the &lsquo;SLU&rsquo; on one of their sweaters, but without the shield behind it. It&rsquo;s a little surprising we don&rsquo;t see more interlocking letters in hockey, because it&rsquo;s really effective. With St. Lawrence, they&rsquo;ve kept the shoulders classic and the striping simple on the arms, keeping the focus on the main crest. And isn&rsquo;t that what hockey is all about, the logo on the front and not the name on the back?<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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JERSEY HOUND

<div class="byline">BY JARED CLINTON</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0015-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-012040/10307883-1-eng-US/f0015-012.jpg"></div><p><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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SEVENTH HEAVEN-O-METER

<div class="byline">BY&#xA0;SAL BARRY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cards_tough_0692/10307921-1-eng-US/cards_tough_0692.png" title="cards_tough_069" width="850" height="1212"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>C</span>OLLECTORS WHO STILL FONDLY</b> recall the heyday of fighting in the NHL should check out the new Tough Guys series by President&rsquo;s Choice Trading Cards. Released in May, Tough Guys cards feature original illustrations of many of the most feared enforcers in hockey history, such as Bob Probert, Tie Domi, Dave Schultz, Donald Brashear and Ryan Reaves. A box of Tough Guys contains four premium insert cards, each with pieces of authentic, game-used memorabilia. Some of the inserts found in Tough Guys include &ldquo;Duel Memo&rdquo; cards, which picture famous rivals and pieces of their jerseys, &ldquo;StickHandle&rdquo; cards, which have pieces of game-used hockey sticks, &ldquo;Pugilistic Puckstopper&rdquo; cards, which picture a goalie who was known to tussle, along with two memorabilia pieces and &ldquo;Patch &rsquo;Em Up&rdquo; cards, which feature patch pieces from jerseys worn by four different enforcers.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cards_tough_0702/10307914-1-eng-US/cards_tough_0702.png" title="cards_tough_070" width="747" height="1047"></div><p><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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IN THE CARDS

<div class="byline">BY JARED CLINTON</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="awards_open_012" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/awards_open_0122/10308120-1-eng-US/awards_open_0122.png"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/awards_mack_0032/10308113-1-eng-US/awards_mack_0032.png" title="awards_mack_003" width="1367" height="1377"></div><p><b>MARIO LEMIEUX AWARD</b><br><b>(Best player)</b></p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-012122/10308106-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg" title="f0016-01" width="1367" height="1367"></div><h2><b>NATHAN&nbsp;</b><b>MACKINNON, COL</b></h2><p><b>THOUGH MACKINNON DIDN&rsquo;T LEAD</b> the league in a single major statistical category other than shots (405), he finished fourth in goals (51), third in assists (89) and second in points (140). It&rsquo;s his style as much as substance, as the highlight-reel machine is a one-man attack, and he often has to be for the cap-constricted Avalanche.</p><h4><b>RUNNERS-UP</b></h4><p><b>2.</b> Connor McDavid, Edm</p><p><b>3.</b> Nikita Kucherov, TB</p><p><b>4.</b> Auston Matthews, Tor</p><p><b>5.</b> Artemi Panarin, NYR</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/awards_hugh_0022/10308099-1-eng-US/awards_hugh_0022.png" title="awards_hugh_002" width="1366" height="1376"></div><p><b>BOBBY ORR AWARD</b><br><b>(Best defenseman)</b></p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-021607/10308092-1-eng-US/f0016-022.jpg" title="f0016-02" width="1367" height="1367"></div><h2><b>QUINN</b>&nbsp;<b>HUGHES, VAN</b></h2><p><b>HUGHES SET CAREER-BEST TOTALS</b> in goals (17), assists (75) and points (92) &ndash; leading all NHL D-men in the latter two categories &ndash; and it didn&rsquo;t come at the expense of his own-zone play. Suffice to say, his skill set is rounding out nicely. Hughes was the Canucks&rsquo; clear-cut MVP this season, and his growth turned Vancouver into a legitimate contender.</p><h4><b>RUNNERS-UP</b></h4><p><b>2.</b> Cale Makar, Col</p><p><b>3.</b> Roman Josi, Nsh</p><p><b>4.</b> Evan Bouchard, Edm</p><p><b>5.</b> Victor Hedman, TB</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/awards_drou_0012/10308085-1-eng-US/awards_drou_0012.png" title="awards_drou_001" width="574" height="578"></div><p><b>SAKU KOIVU AWARD</b><br>(Comeback player)</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-031160/10308078-1-eng-US/f0016-032.jpg" title="f0016-03" width="1367" height="1367"></div><h2><b>JONATHAN</b>&nbsp;<b>DROUIN,&nbsp;</b><b>COL</b></h2><p><b>WHEN HE SIGNED IN</b> Colorado for a hair over the league minimum and a chance to reunite with former QMJHL teammate MacKinnon, Drouin was doing so in the hopes he could rejuvenate his career. Job done. The 29-year-old notched a career-best 56 points, averaged a career-high 18:11 in ice time, and his 19 goals were his most since 2016-17.</p><h4><b>RUNNERS-UP</b></h4><p><b>2.</b> Connor Ingram, Ari</p><p><b>3.</b> Patrick Kane, Det</p><p><b>4.</b> Zach Werenski, Clb</p><p><b>5.</b> Thatcher Demko, Van</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/awards_mack_0042/10308071-1-eng-US/awards_mack_0042.png" title="awards_mack_004" width="1367" height="1377"></div><p><b>WAYNE GRETZKY AWARD</b><br>(Most valuable player)</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-04856/10308064-1-eng-US/f0016-042.jpg" title="f0016-04" width="1367" height="1367"></div><h2><b>NATHAN</b>&nbsp;<b>MACKINNON, COL</b></h2><p><b>MACKINNON BECAME THE FIRST</b> player in NHL history to register two point streaks of at least 19 games in the same season. He also scored in 35 consecutive home games, the second-longest streak ever. Aside from Mikko Rantanen, who finished 36 points behind MacKinnon, &lsquo;Nate the Great&rsquo; outscored every other Avs forward by at least 84 points.</p><h4><b>RUNNERS-UP</b></h4><p><b>2.</b> Nikita Kucherov, TB</p><p><b>3.</b> Auston Matthews, Tor</p><p><b>4.</b> Connor McDavid, Edm</p><p><b>5.</b> Artemi Panarin, NYR</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/awards_hell_0052/10308057-1-eng-US/awards_hell_0052.png" title="awards_hell_005" width="1116" height="1139"></div><p><b>PATRICK ROY AWARD</b><br><b>(Best goalie)</b></p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-011810/10308050-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg" title="f0017-01" width="1367" height="1367"></div><h2><b>CONNOR&nbsp;</b><b>HELLEBUYCK, WPG</b></h2><p><b>THE JETS SURRENDERING THE</b> fewest goals against (tied with Florida) was due to Hellebuyck, whose .921 SP led all goalies who started at least 25 games. He didn&rsquo;t play in front of an especially limiting defense, either. Winnipeg was middling in average shots against and in the bottom half in high-danger chances against. Hellebuyck was magnificent.</p><h4><b>RUNNERS-UP</b></h4><p><b>2.</b> Thatcher Demko, Van</p><p><b>3.</b> Sergei Bobrovsky, Fla</p><p><b>4.</b> Jeremy Swayman, Bos</p><p><b>5.</b> Igor Shesterkin, NYR</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/awards_staa_0092/10308043-1-eng-US/awards_staa_0092.png" title="awards_staa_009" width="1367" height="1353"></div><p><b>GUY CARBONNEAU AWARD</b><br>(Top penalty-killer)</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-05497/10308036-1-eng-US/f0017-052.jpg" title="f0017-05" width="1367" height="1367"></div><h2><b>JORDAN</b>&nbsp;<b>STAAL, CAR</b></h2><p><b>THE CANES&rsquo; PENALTY KILL</b> was among the 20 best in the post-lockout era, and Staal, who centered the top unit, was the linchpin, averaging 2:07 per game shorthanded. Only five centers won more shorthanded faceoffs than Staal (106). His 50.7 faceoff win percentage on the kill was seventh-best out of the 48 pivots to take at least 100 PK draws.</p><h4><b>RUNNERS-UP</b></h4><p><b>2.</b> Gustav Forsling, Fla</p><p><b>3.</b> Charlie Coyle, Bos</p><p><b>4.</b> Travis Konecny, Phi</p><p><b>5.</b> Aleksander Barkov, Fla</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/awards_raym_0062/10308029-1-eng-US/awards_raym_0062.png" title="awards_raym_006" width="1367" height="1394"></div><p><b>CAM NEELY AWARD</b><br><b>(Breakout player)</b></p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-021360/10308022-1-eng-US/f0017-022.jpg" title="f0017-02" width="1367" height="1367"></div><h2><b>LUCAS&nbsp;</b><b>RAYMOND, DET</b></h2><p><b>RAYMOND LED THE RED</b> Wings in scoring in his third big-league season. What&rsquo;s more impressive is he tied for 19th in the NHL in even-strength goals (25) and tied for 17th in even-strength points (56). Those are numbers that bode well for the future, particularly as he looks to earn greater opportunities on the power play in coming years.</p><h4><b>RUNNERS-UP</b></h4><p><b>2.</b> Wyatt Johnston, Dal</p><p><b>3.</b> Evan Bouchard, Edm</p><p><b>4.</b> Yegor Sharangovich, Cgy</p><p><b>5.</b> Alexis Lafreniere, NYR</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/awards_slav_0102/10308015-1-eng-US/awards_slav_0102.png" title="awards_slav_010" width="1367" height="1377"></div><p><b>ROD LANGWAY AWARD</b><br>(Best defensive defenseman)</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-06384/10308008-1-eng-US/f0017-062.jpg" title="f0017-06" width="1367" height="1367"></div><h2><b>JACCOB</b>&nbsp;<b>SLAVIN, CAR</b></h2><p><b>SLAVIN ANCHORED THE BLUELINE</b> on the NHL&rsquo;s top penalty kill and ranked third in expected goals percentage (59.67) among the 145 D-men to play at least 1,000 minutes at even strength. He also ranked top 15 in shots against and high-danger chance suppression at even strength. Slavin continues to prove he&rsquo;s an underrated gem.</p><h4><b>RUNNERS-UP</b></h4><p><b>2.</b> Gustav Forsling, Fla</p><p><b>3.</b> Mattias Ekholm, Edm</p><p><b>4.</b> Chris Tanev, Cgy/Dal</p><p><b>5.</b> Devon Toews, Col</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/awards_tkac_0072/10308001-1-eng-US/awards_tkac_0072.png" title="awards_tkac_007" width="1367" height="1394"></div><p><b>BOB PROBERT AWARD</b><br><b>(Toughest player)</b></p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-03964/10307994-1-eng-US/f0017-032.jpg" title="f0017-03" width="1367" height="1367"></div><h2><b>BRADY&nbsp;</b><b>TKACHUK, OTT</b></h2><p><b>SINCE THE NHL STARTED</b> tracking hits, only three players have thrown 250-plus while scoring 30-plus goals and 70-plus points: Brenden Morrow, Alex Ovechkin and now Tkachuk, who did it this season. Only two players laid the body more often than Tkachuk (294 hits), who also racked up six fighting majors and finished second in the NHL with 134 PIM.</p><h4><b>RUNNERS-UP</b></h4><p><b>2.</b> Ryan Reaves, Tor</p><p><b>3.</b> Matt Rempe, NYR</p><p><b>4.</b> Nicolas Deslauriers, Phi</p><p><b>5.</b> Liam O&rsquo;Brien, Ari</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/awards_tocc_0112/10307987-1-eng-US/awards_tocc_0112.png" title="awards_tocc_011" width="1367" height="1377"></div><p><b>SCOTTY BOWMAN AWARD</b><br>(Best coach)</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-07311/10307980-1-eng-US/f0017-072.jpg" title="f0017-07" width="1367" height="1367"></div><h2><b>RICK</b>&nbsp;<b>TOCCHET, VAN</b></h2><p><b>TOCCHET TRANSFORMED THE CANUCKS</b> in his first full season, imposing a defensive identity and getting the most out of his top stars en route to a Pacific Division title. In all, Vancouver enjoyed a 26-point improvement over last season, with the .159 points percentage increase year-over-year representing the Canucks&rsquo; best in the post-lockout era.</p><h4><b>RUNNERS-UP</b></h4><p><b>2.</b> Andrew Brunette, Nsh</p><p><b>3.</b> Rick Bowness, Wpg</p><p><b>4.</b> Paul Maurice, Fla</p><p><b>5.</b> John Tortorella, Phi</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/awards_beda_0082/10307973-1-eng-US/awards_beda_0082.png" title="awards_beda_008" width="902" height="871"></div><p><b>TEEMU SELANNE AWARD</b><br><b>(Best rookie)</b></p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-04704/10307966-1-eng-US/f0017-042.jpg" title="f0017-04" width="1367" height="1367"></div><h2><b>CONNOR</b>&nbsp;<b>BEDARD, CHI</b></h2><p><b>EVEN THE LOWS COULDN&rsquo;T</b> be too low in Chicago as Blackhawks fans were dazzled by Bedard. Though he missed 14 games with a broken jaw, the No. 1 overall pick in 2023 led all rookies in goals (22), assists (39) and points (61). He also showcased astonishing skill, including an awe-inspiring lacrosse goal against the St. Louis Blues.</p><h4><b>RUNNERS-UP</b></h4><p><b>2.</b> Brock Faber, Min</p><p><b>3.</b> Luke Hughes, NJ</p><p><b>4.</b> Logan Cooley, Ari</p><p><b>5.</b> Marco Rossi, Min</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/awards_nill_0132/10307959-1-eng-US/awards_nill_0132.png" title="awards_nill_013" width="929" height="902"></div><p><b>SAM POLLOCK AWARD</b><br>(Best GM)</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-08260/10307952-1-eng-US/f0017-082.jpg" title="f0017-08" width="1367" height="1367"></div><h2><b>JIM</b>&nbsp;<b>NILL, DAL</b></h2><p><b>EVERY MOVE NILL MADE</b> was a resounding success. Matt Duchene added secondary scoring punch, Craig Smith provided important veteran depth, and the deadline acquisition of Chris Tanev assisted Dallas&rsquo; march to the West final. That the moves complemented the Stars&rsquo; continued development of bright young talent was the cherry on top.</p><h4><b>RUNNERS-UP</b></h4><p><b>2.</b> Bill Zito, Fla</p><p><b>3.</b> Barry Trotz, Nsh</p><p><b>4.</b> Patrik Allvin, Van</p><p><b>5.</b> Kelly McCrimmon, Veg<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

awards_open_012

THN AWARDS

<div class="byline">BY SAL BARRY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="puckculture_067" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/puckculture_0672/10308193-1-eng-US/puckculture_0672.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(PHOTO BY WIKIMEDIA/CREATIVE COMMONS)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>1. THE O&rsquo;BRIEN CUP</b></h2><p><b><i>First Won By: Montreal Wanderers, 1910</i></b></p><p><b><i>Last Won By: New York Rangers, 1950</i></b></p><p>Named after National Hockey Association founder Ambrose O&rsquo;Brien, this trophy was awarded to the NHA champion from 1910 to 1917. Back then, teams had to first win their leagues before they could compete for the Stanley Cup. When the NHA folded and reformed as the NHL in 1917, the O&rsquo;Brien Cup became the NHL&rsquo;s top prize. Once the other pro leagues disbanded, the Stanley Cup became the NHL&rsquo;s title trophy, so the purpose of the O&rsquo;Brien Cup changed. From 1928 to 1938, it was given to the NHL&rsquo;s Canadian Division winner, while the American Division winner received the Prince of Wales Trophy. When the league returned to a one-division circuit in 1938-39, the O&rsquo;Brien Cup was given to the Stanley Cup runner-up until 1950. That&rsquo;s right &ndash; for a 12-year span, the Stanley Cup <i>loser</i> received the O&rsquo;Brien Cup as a consolation prize.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/puckculture_0622/10308186-1-eng-US/puckculture_0622.png" title="puckculture_062" width="1245" height="1421"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p>Datsyuk, one of the best two-way players ever, was a plus-41 when he won the Plus-Minus Award in 2008.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(TOM SZCZERBOWSKI-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>2. NHL PLUS-MINUS AWARD</b></h2><p><b><i>First Won By: Charlie Huddy, 1983</i></b></p><p><b><i>Last Won By: Pavel Datsyuk, 2008</i></b></p><p>Plus-minus became an official NHL stat in 1967 &ndash; and fans have been debating its merit ever since. Regardless, for a 25-year span, the NHL acknowledged the plus-minus leader with his own trophy. From 1983 to 1988, it was called the Emery Edge Award. In 1989, the trophy didn&rsquo;t have a sponsor and was simply the Plus-Minus Award. The Bayer pharmaceutical company sponsored the award for the next seven years, calling it the Alka-Seltzer Plus Award from 1990 to 1996. Budweiser became the award&rsquo;s final sponsor, labelling it the Bud Ice Plus-Minus Award in 1997 and 1998, then the Bud Light Plus-Minus Award from 1999 to 2008. After that, the NHL dropped the award &ndash; perhaps because five other awards had been introduced by then.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/puckculture_0652/10308179-1-eng-US/puckculture_0652.png" title="puckculture_065" width="1367" height="1489"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>TRAVIS HAMONIC</b> <span class="photo-credit">(SERGEI BELSKI-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>3. NHL FOUNDATION PLAYER AWARD</b></h2><p><b><i>First Won By: Kelly Chase, 1998</i></b></p><p><b><i>Last Won By: Travis Hamonic, 2017</i></b></p><p>This award was given to the NHL player who &ldquo;applies the core values of hockey&hellip;to enrich the lives of people in his community.&rdquo; In other words, the player who gave back to the community, usually as a large monetary donation. The winner also received $25,000 to donate to the charity of his choice. After the 2016-17 season, the NHL Foundation Player Award was discontinued, with the prize money now going to a charity chosen by the winner of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/puckculture_0632/10308172-1-eng-US/puckculture_0632.png" title="puckculture_063" width="1367" height="1723"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>NIKLAS BACKSTROM</b> <span class="photo-credit">(KIRBY LEE/IMAGE OF SPORT-USA TODAY SPORTS
)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>4. THE ROGER CROZIER SAVING GRACE AWARD</b></h2><p><b><i>First Won By: Ed Belfour, 2000</i></b></p><p><b><i>Last Won By: Niklas Backstrom, 2007</i></b></p><p>Officially called the MBNA/Mastercard Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award, this trophy has the distinction of being the only award on the list that is named after a sponsor and a player. It was given to the NHL goalie who played in a minimum of 25 games and had the best save percentage. Additionally, the winner also received $25,000 to donate to the youth-hockey program of his choice. The Saving Grace Award was named after goalie Roger Crozier, a 14-year NHL veteran who won both the Calder and Conn Smythe Trophies. After his retirement, Crozier worked for MBNA Bank from 1983 until his passing in 1996.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/puckculture_0662/10308165-1-eng-US/puckculture_0662.png" title="puckculture_066" width="1726" height="1576"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>GORDIE HOWE</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(KIRBY LEDICK RAPHAEL-USA TODAY NETWORK
)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>5. NHL LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD</b></h2><p><b><i>First Won By:</i></b>&nbsp;<b><i>Gordie Howe, 2008</i></b></p><p><b><i>Last Won By:</i></b>&nbsp;<b><i>Jean Beliveau, 2009</i></b></p><p>Music award shows give lifetime achievement awards. So do movie award ceremonies. So, why not sports leagues? Everyone loves the nostalgia of seeing their childhood hero trot out on stage, give a speech and reminisce about his career for a bit. For two seasons, that&rsquo;s what the NHL did when it issued the NHL Lifetime Achievement Award. It was given to Gordie Howe in 2008 and Jean Beliveau in 2009, though the trophy differed in appearance each year. After that, the NHL retired the award.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/puckculture_0642/10308158-1-eng-US/puckculture_0642.png" title="puckculture_064" width="1367" height="1632"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>JOE SAKIC</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(RICK SCUTERI-USA TODAY SPORTS
)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>6. NHL/SHERATON ROAD PERFORMER AWARD</b></h2><p><b><i>First & Last Won By: Joe Sakic, 2004</i></b></p><p>Since NHLers play half their games on the road, and stay in hotels half the time, why not have a hotel sponsor an NHL award? That&rsquo;s exactly what happened in 2003-04, when Sheraton Hotels & Resorts Worldwide sponsored the NHL/Sheraton Road Performer Award. It was given to the player who scored the most points in away games. That season, Joe Sakic notched 22 goals and 49 points in 41 road games, winning the award for the first, last and only time. The 2004-05 season was cancelled due to the NHL lockout, and the league dropped the award in 2005-06.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/puckculture_0682/10308151-1-eng-US/puckculture_0682.png" title="puckculture_068" width="1367" height="1518"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>ROBERTO LUONGO</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(ANNE-MARIE SORVIN-USA TODAY SPORTS
)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>7. SCOTIABANK/NHL FAN FAV AWARD</b></h2><p><b><i>First & Last Won By: Roberto Luongo, 2009</i></b></p><p>Hockey writers get to vote for most award winners &ndash; as do broadcasters, players and GMs for certain awards &ndash; but what about the fans? Well, they did. But only once. For 2008-09, Scotiabank sponsored the Scotiabank/NHL Fan Fav Award, where fans got to vote for their favorite NHL player. Not surprisingly, popular Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo, who has a huge following on social media, won the award in its lone season.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

puckculture_067

PUCK CULTURE

<div class="byline">BY JARED CLINTON</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="countdown_g_031" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/countdown_g_0312/10308420-1-eng-US/countdown_g_0312.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>WAYNE GRETZKY</b></p><p></p> <span class="photo-credit">(PORTER BINKS/USA TODAY NETWORK)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>C</span>AN A PLAYER BECOME</b> a franchise icon without performing in the playoffs? Often, post-season performance is inextricably linked with greatness, but the funny thing about standing out in the NHL&rsquo;s second season is that players have to first have the opportunity to do so.</p><p>Consider Rick Nash, who was a star with the Columbus Blue Jackets. His No. 61 hangs from the rafters. He is the organization&rsquo;s all-time leader in goals, assists, points and leads or sits second in a handful of other major categories. But Nash&rsquo;s playoff resume from his time in Columbus is almost nonexistent: four games, one goal, three points. The good people of Ohio aren&rsquo;t writing folk songs about that.</p><p>But Nash entered the league at a time when the rules didn&rsquo;t favor expansion teams. Debate among yourselves whether that&rsquo;s enough to forgive his lack of playoff performance, though it does point to two of the factors that influence which players rise to the top of a team&rsquo;s all-time playoff producers and which fall short. In order to achieve the highest playoff heights requires skill, yes, but also a bit of timing and the supporting cast necessary to author some deep runs.</p><p>So, while many of those leading the ledger as a franchise&rsquo;s leading playoff producer are the expected top scorers, there are some who might surprise.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/edm70/10308462-1-eng-US/edm2.jpg" title="edm" width="1367" height="1366"></div><h2><b>1.</b>&nbsp;<b>EDMONTON</b>&nbsp;<b>OILERS</b></h2><h3><b>WAYNE GRETZKY, 252 POINTS</b></h3><p>Gretzky rewrote the record book as an Oiler. His 47-point output in 1985 puts him ahead of four franchise leaders.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/pit71/10308455-1-eng-US/pit2.jpg" title="pit" width="1367" height="1366"></div><h2><b>2.</b>&nbsp;<b>PITTSBURGH</b>&nbsp;<b>PENGUINS</b></h2><h3><b>SIDNEY CROSBY, 201 POINTS</b></h3><p>Mario Lemieux&rsquo;s 44 points are second-most in a single year, but Crosby has consistency and longevity on his side.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/col71/10308448-1-eng-US/col2.jpg" title="col" width="1367" height="1367"></div><h2><b>3.</b>&nbsp;<b>COLORADO</b>&nbsp;<b>AVALANCHE</b></h2><h3><b>JOE SAKIC, 188 POINTS</b></h3><p>Conn Smythe-winning 18-goal, 34-point playoff in 1996 made Sakic a legend. He ranks seventh all-time in playoff goals.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/det61/10308441-1-eng-US/det2.jpg" title="det" width="1367" height="1367"></div><h2><b>4.</b>&nbsp;<b>DETROIT</b>&nbsp;<b>RED WINGS</b></h2><h3><b>STEVE YZERMAN, 185 POINTS</b></h3><p>High-water marks were nine goals and 24 points, but 20 playoff berths in 22 years paved Yzerman&rsquo;s path to top spot.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/mtl66/10308434-1-eng-US/mtl2.jpg" title="mtl" width="1367" height="1366"></div><h2><b>5.</b>&nbsp;<b>MONTREAL</b>&nbsp;<b>CANADIENS</b></h2><h3><b>JEAN BELIVEAU, 176 POINTS</b></h3><p>An Original Six playoff great. He retired as the NHL&rsquo;s top post-season scorer and remains tied for 16th 50-plus years later.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/nyi69/10308427-1-eng-US/nyi2.jpg" title="nyi" width="1367" height="1366"></div><h2><b>6.</b>&nbsp;<b>NEW YORK</b>&nbsp;<b>ISLANDERS</b></h2><h3><b>BRYAN TROTTIER, 168 POINTS</b></h3><p>Trottier notched 107 points during the Isles&rsquo; four-Cup run. His 29-point performance in 1980 set an NHL record.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/tb70/10308413-1-eng-US/tb2.jpg" title="tb" width="1367" height="1366"></div><h2><b>7.</b>&nbsp;<b>TAMPA BAY</b>&nbsp;<b>LIGHTNING</b></h2><h3><b>NIKITA KUCHEROV, 167 POINTS</b></h3><p>Of those to play 100-plus playoff games, Kucherov ranks sixth in per-game production. He always finds another gear.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/bos_centenn_0302/10308406-1-eng-US/bos_centenn_0302.jpg" title="bos_centenn_030" width="1367" height="1366"></div><h2><b>8.</b>&nbsp;<b>BOSTON</b>&nbsp;<b>BRUINS</b></h2><h3><b>RAY BOURQUE, 161 POINTS</b></h3><p>Third all-time in playoff scoring among D-men. And he and Denis Potvin are the only &lsquo;D&rsquo; with three 20-point playoffs.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/chi68/10308399-1-eng-US/chi2.jpg" title="chi" width="1367" height="1367"></div><h2><b>9.</b>&nbsp;<b>CHICAGO</b>&nbsp;<b>BLACKHAWKS</b></h2><h3><b>STAN MIKITA, 150 POINTS</b></h3><p>Mikita won one Cup, but he led the Hawks to another four finals and set a then-NHL record with 21 points in 1962.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/dal76/10308392-1-eng-US/dal2.jpg" title="dal" width="1367" height="1367"></div><h2><b>10.</b>&nbsp;<b>DALLAS</b>&nbsp;<b>STARS</b></h2><h3><b>MIKE MODANO, 145 POINTS</b></h3><p>Regular-season sniper turned playoff playmaker. Modano twice led post-season in assists, including 1999 Cup run.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/wsh72/10308385-1-eng-US/wsh2.jpg" title="wsh" width="1367" height="1366"></div><h2><b>11.</b>&nbsp;<b>WASHINGTON</b>&nbsp;<b>CAPITALS</b></h2><h3><b>ALEX OVECHKIN, 141 POINTS</b></h3><p>His 15 tallies tie &lsquo;Ovi&rsquo; for second-most goals in a post-lockout playoff. He scored three in 2018 Cup final win over Vegas.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/nj65/10308378-1-eng-US/nj2.jpg" title="nj" width="1367" height="1366"></div><h2><b>12.</b>&nbsp;<b>NEW JERSEY</b>&nbsp;<b>DEVILS</b></h2><h3><b>PATRIK ELIAS, 125 POINTS</b></h3><p>Elias&rsquo; mark is safe. He has 114 more playoff points for New Jersey than Jack Hughes, the best current Devil.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/sj67/10308364-1-eng-US/sj2.jpg" title="sj" width="1367" height="1366"></div><h2><b>13.</b>&nbsp;<b>SAN JOSE</b>&nbsp;<b>SHARKS</b></h2><h3><b>PATRICK MARLEAU, 120 POINTS</b></h3><p>Marleau had just two point-per-game playoffs, but he&rsquo;s played 33 more contests than any other Shark.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/countdown_m_0322/10308371-1-eng-US/countdown_m_0322.png" title="countdown_m_032" width="1367" height="1502"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>PATRICK MARLEAU</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(ANNE-MARIE SORVIN-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/ana61/10308357-1-eng-US/ana2.jpg" title="ana" width="1367" height="1366"></div><h2><b>14.</b>&nbsp;<b>ANAHEIM</b>&nbsp;<b>DUCKS</b></h2><h3><b>RYAN GETZLAF, 120 POINTS</b></h3><p>Getzlaf&rsquo;s 17 points led the Ducks during their 2007 Cup run. He has five of Anaheim&rsquo;s 10 highest playoff outputs.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/phi67/10308350-1-eng-US/phi2.jpg" title="phi" width="1367" height="1366"></div><h2><b>15.</b>&nbsp;<b>PHILADELPHIA</b>&nbsp;<b>FLYERS</b></h2><h3><b>BOBBY CLARKE, 119 POINTS</b></h3><p>All-time leader led Flyers&rsquo; playoff scorers three times but never during Cup or conference-championship runs.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/stl70/10308343-1-eng-US/stl2.jpg" title="stl" width="1367" height="1366"></div><h2><b>16.</b>&nbsp;<b>ST. LOUIS</b>&nbsp;<b>BLUES</b></h2><h3><b>BRETT HULL, 117 POINTS</b></h3><p>Across Hull&rsquo;s 11 post-seasons in St. Louis, his 67 goals ranked second in the NHL. Only Mario Lemieux (70) had more.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/buf63/10308336-1-eng-US/buf2.jpg" title="buf" width="1367" height="1366"></div><h2><b>17.</b>&nbsp;<b>BUFFALO</b>&nbsp;<b>SABRES</b></h2><h3><b>GILBERT PERREAULT, 103 POINTS</b></h3><p>Perreault&rsquo;s 70 post-season assists are more than the next-highest scoring Sabre, Rick Martin, has playoff points.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cgy69/10308329-1-eng-US/cgy2.jpg" title="cgy" width="1367" height="1366"></div><h2><b>18.</b>&nbsp;<b>CALGARY</b>&nbsp;<b>FLAMES</b></h2><h3><b>AL MACINNIS, 102 POINTS</b></h3><p>MacInnis&rsquo; total bolstered by brilliant 1989 Cup run. His 31 points in that playoff are the fourth-most ever by a blueliner.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/ott66/10308322-1-eng-US/ott2.jpg" title="ott" width="1367" height="1367"></div><h2><b>19.</b>&nbsp;<b>OTTAWA</b>&nbsp;<b>SENATORS</b></h2><h3><b>DANIEL ALFREDSSON, 100 POINTS</b></h3><p>With 10 points in 10 games in 2013, &lsquo;Alfie&rsquo; became third player to average point-per-game playoff at 40 or older.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/van66/10308315-1-eng-US/van2.jpg" title="van" width="1367" height="1367"></div><h2><b>20.</b>&nbsp;<b>VANCOUVER</b>&nbsp;<b>CANUCKS</b></h2><h3><b>TREVOR LINDEN, 95 POINTS</b></h3><p>&lsquo;Captain Canuck&rsquo; also holds franchise mark for playoff games (118), and he&rsquo;s tied with Pavel Bure for most goals (34).</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/la67/10308308-1-eng-US/la2.jpg" title="la" width="1367" height="1366"></div><h2><b>21.</b>&nbsp;<b>LOS ANGELES</b>&nbsp;<b>KINGS</b></h2><h3><b>WAYNE GRETZKY, 94 POINTS</b></h3><p>Gretzky&rsquo;s spot isn&rsquo;t entirely secure. Anze Kopitar is 14 points back, though he&rsquo;s in the twilight of his career.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/nyr74/10308301-1-eng-US/nyr2.jpg" title="nyr" width="1367" height="1366"></div><h2><b>22.</b>&nbsp;<b>NEW YORK</b>&nbsp;<b>RANGERS</b></h2><h3><b>BRIAN LEETCH, 89 POINTS</b></h3><p>Leetch in 1994: 23 games, 11 goals, 34 points. In all other Rangers&rsquo; playoffs: 59 games, 17 goals, 55 points.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/tor72/10308287-1-eng-US/tor2.jpg" title="tor" width="1367" height="1366"></div><h2><b>23.</b>&nbsp;<b>TORONTO</b>&nbsp;<b>MAPLE LEAFS</b></h2><h3><b>DOUG GILMOUR, 77 POINTS</b></h3><p>Gilmour&rsquo;s 35 points during Leafs&rsquo; 1993 playoff run are the most by a player whose team didn&rsquo;t make the Cup final.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/veg71/10308280-1-eng-US/veg2.jpg" title="veg" width="1367" height="1366"></div><h2><b>24.</b>&nbsp;<b>VEGAS</b>&nbsp;<b>GOLDEN KNIGHTS</b></h2><h3><b>JONATHAN MARCHESSAULT, 75 POINTS</b></h3><p>&lsquo;Marchy&rsquo; finished second in team scoring in both of Vegas&rsquo; runs to the final. Won &rsquo;23 Conn Smythe Trophy with 25 points.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/countdown_m_0332/10308294-1-eng-US/countdown_m_0332.jpg" title="countdown_m_033" width="1367" height="1056"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>JONATHAN MARCHESSAULT</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(PERRY NELSON-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/car70/10308273-1-eng-US/car2.jpg" title="car" width="1367" height="1367"></div><h2><b>25.</b>&nbsp;<b>CAROLINA</b>&nbsp;<b>HURRICANES</b></h2><h3><b>SEBASTIAN AHO, 70 POINTS</b></h3><p>A model of consistency, Aho has scored either 11 or 12 points in each of his six career trips to the post-season.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/nsh75/10308266-1-eng-US/nsh2.jpg" title="nsh" width="1367" height="1366"></div><h2><b>26.</b>&nbsp;<b>NASHVILLE</b>&nbsp;<b>PREDATORS</b></h2><h3><b>FILIP FORSBERG, 59 POINTS</b></h3><p>Forsberg overtook David Legwand and Shea Weber in 2018 and padded his lead with six playoff points this year.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/fla72/10308259-1-eng-US/fla2.jpg" title="fla" width="1367" height="1366"></div><h2><b>27.</b>&nbsp;<b>FLORIDA</b>&nbsp;<b>PANTHERS</b></h2><h3><b>ALEKSANDER BARKOV, 59 POINTS</b></h3><p>Nine of Florida&rsquo;s top 10 playoff scorers are current Cats, with Barkov leading. But Verhaeghe, Tkachuk are in pursuit.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/wpg76/10308252-1-eng-US/wpg2.jpg" title="wpg" width="1367" height="1369"></div><h2><b>28.</b>&nbsp;<b>WINNIPEG</b>&nbsp;<b>JETS</b></h2><h3><b>BLAKE WHEELER, 39 POINTS</b></h3><p>How much longer will Wheeler&rsquo;s mark stand? Mark Scheifele is one point behind on a perennial playoff contender.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/min72/10308245-1-eng-US/min2.jpg" title="min" width="1367" height="1366"></div><h2><b>29.</b>&nbsp;<b>MINNESOTA</b>&nbsp;<b>WILD</b></h2><h3><b>ZACH PARISE, 37 POINTS</b></h3><p>Wild&rsquo;s Parise gamble never paid off but not for lack of trying. He&rsquo;s the best playoff performer in team history.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/countdown_p_0342/10308238-1-eng-US/countdown_p_0342.png" title="countdown_p_034" width="1367" height="1715"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>ZACH PARISE</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(SERGEI BELSKI-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/clb70/10308231-1-eng-US/clb2.jpg" title="clb" width="1367" height="1366"></div><h2><b>30.</b>&nbsp;<b>COLUMBUS</b>&nbsp;<b>BLUE JACKETS</b></h2><h3><b>CAM ATKINSON, 26 POINTS</b></h3><p>Atkinson has been part of all the Blue Jackets&rsquo; playoff runs, save for the franchise&rsquo;s post-season debut in 2009.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/sea34/10308224-1-eng-US/sea2.jpg" title="sea" width="1367" height="1366"></div><h2><b>31.</b>&nbsp;<b>SEATTLE</b>&nbsp;<b>KRAKEN</b></h2><h3><b>YANNI GOURDE, 13 POINTS</b></h3><p>A mark made to be broken. Gourde led Kraken&rsquo;s first playoff entry, but he has a tenuous grasp on team history.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

countdown_g_031

THE COUNTDOWN

<div class="byline">BY SAL BARRY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="buzz_bedard_020" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/buzz_bedard_0202/10308528-1-eng-US/buzz_bedard_0202.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(PHOTO BY CLEMENTE LISI)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>C</span>ONNOR BEDARD HAD AN</b> admirable rookie season, scoring 61 points in 68 games and playing top-line minutes as an 18-year-old center on a sad-sack Chicago Blackhawks team. But what was really amazing this year was the demand for his hockey cards, particularly Bedard&rsquo;s Young Guns rookie card.</p><p>While past NHL freshmen may have had more productive rookie seasons than Bedard, none can claim that their rookie card sold for $1,000 the day it was released. &ldquo;His performance this season, the city he&rsquo;s playing in and being from Canada really helped Bedard exceed all expectations in terms of collectability for his trading cards,&rdquo; said Paul Zickler, the director of sports brands at Upper Deck.</p><p>Every decade or so, a generational talent comes along and turns hockey-card collecting on its head &ndash; from Eric Lindros in 1990 to Sidney Crosby in 2005 to Connor McDavid in 2015. And then came Bedard in 2023, the perfect storm for hockey collectors: a young, generational talent from Canada, drafted first overall, playing for an Original Six team in the third-largest market in the U.S. &ndash; and in a post-pandemic society.</p><p>&ldquo;The base of collectors is significantly larger now than it was in 2015, when McDavid&rsquo;s rookie card came out,&rdquo; said Ryan Greene, the director of communications and social media for Collectors, the parent company of PSA Grading. &ldquo;Many people got into cards for the first time or back into cards during the COVID-19 pandemic. With that came a lot of people getting into it for the speculating and investing angle of it. There&rsquo;s a bigger level of hype every time one of those &lsquo;generational athletes&rsquo; comes along. Obviously, Bedard checks that box for hockey.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/buzz_bedard_0212/10308521-1-eng-US/buzz_bedard_0212.png" title="buzz_bedard_021" width="648" height="966"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>SELLING FAST</b></p><p>The demand has been &ldquo;through the roof&rdquo; as collectors &ndash; and investors &ndash; have snapped up Bedard&rsquo;s cards.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(PHOTO BY PSA)</span></figcaption></div><p>When the Blackhawks drafted Bedard first overall in June 2023, it drew more people into collecting, and they were eager to get his cards. However, due to licensing rules from the NHL and the NHL Players&rsquo; Association, Bedard could not be pictured in a Blackhawks uniform until he played in a regular-season game in October. But that didn&rsquo;t stop his earlier cards &ndash; showing him with WHL Regina or the Canadian national junior team &ndash; from being hot sellers. &ldquo;Bedard was definitely in demand,&rdquo; said Frank Caputo, co-owner of AU Sports, a trading-card store in the Chicago suburbs. &ldquo;We had a bunch of his CHL cards from last year. Those sold, no problem, for $40 or $50.&rdquo;</p><p>Despite the licensing rules, Upper Deck found a few creative ways to get Bedard into its early-season products. When the company released its 2023-24 MVP Hockey set in August 2023, it put a redemption card in packs that could be exchanged for a card of the &ldquo;2023 NHL Draft No. 1 Pick&rdquo; later that season, once Bedard made his NHL debut. The redemption card, found once in every 1,250 packs, quickly shot up to around $500 on eBay.</p><p>When 2023-24 Upper Deck Series One was released in mid-October, lucky collectors found an unannounced card of Bedard in a Hawks jersey from the NHL draft. Upper Deck received permission from the league to include the card even though Bedard hadn&rsquo;t played an NHL game prior to the set&rsquo;s production. The card was found in one of every 288 packs. Immediately, it was selling for around $700, just two weeks into Bedard&rsquo;s rookie season.</p><p>Later that month, Upper Deck offered two different cards of Bedard as a part of its online-exclusive Game Dated Moments set. The cards were sold via the company&rsquo;s ePack website for $6 and limited to 1,199 copies each. When the first Bedard card went up for sale, ePack crashed, as customers flooded the site, and the card sold out in less than 10 minutes. Thirty minutes later, the second card went online and sold out in about six minutes. That&rsquo;s an average of 10 Bedard cards sold every three seconds. &ldquo;Unfortunately, when you&rsquo;re talking about that many users and that kind of frenzy on ePack, there are instances where cards do sell out really quick,&rdquo; Zickler said.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/buzz_bedard_0242/10308514-1-eng-US/buzz_bedard_0242.png" title="buzz_bedard_024" width="592" height="850"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/buzz_bedard_0222/10308507-1-eng-US/buzz_bedard_0222.png" title="buzz_bedard_022" width="535" height="750"></div><p>Another online-exclusive set, issued by the Topps trading-card company, had unprecedented success. Although Topps cannot make NHL trading cards, it does produce a print-on-demand set of stickers called Topps Now. A week into the season, Topps issued two stickers of Bedard, one commemorating his first game and the other his first goal. The stickers had print runs of 29,357 and 19,467. In comparison, a sticker of Auston Matthews released the following week sold only 313 copies.</p><p>Originally selling for about $2 each, the Topps Now stickers of Bedard quickly appreciated in value on the secondary market. &ldquo;We&rsquo;d sell the Topps Now stickers of Bedard for $15 or $20 each,&rdquo; Caputo said. &ldquo;Those were great for little kids who wanted something of Bedard that their dad could get them.&rdquo; Knowing a good thing when it happens, Topps released another 11 stickers picturing Bedard, and the print runs for those ranged anywhere from 2,724 to 15,358 copies each.</p><p>Upper Deck also issued five more Game Dated Moments cards of Bedard, as well as its 2023-24 O-Pee-Chee set in February. That set had a &ldquo;Marquee Rookies&rdquo; card of Bedard, which was selling for around $100 online. But what collectors really wanted, though, was Bedard&rsquo;s Young Guns rookie card, which would not be released until Upper Deck Series Two came out in March.</p><p>&ldquo;Once Upper Deck made it known that Bedard&rsquo;s Young Guns card, which is the signature rookie card of any top young hockey prospect, was going to be in Series Two, the hype for that product went through the roof,&rdquo; Greene said.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/buzz_bedard_0252/10308500-1-eng-US/buzz_bedard_0252.png" title="buzz_bedard_025" width="743" height="1039"></div><p>Yes, the hype went through the roof &ndash; and so did the price. While a 12-pack box of Upper Deck Series One was selling for around $120, boxes of Series Two were pre-selling in the fall and winter for upward of $330 each. Once the set came out in March, the immediate sales of Bedard&rsquo;s Young Guns card were off the charts. The first few copies of the card sold on eBay for around $1,000 each, before settling down to around $900 by the end of the day, then $500 about two weeks later. By the end of June, the card value further dipped to around $250.</p><p>From $1,000 to $250 is quite a drop, but much of those early sales numbers were fuelled by investors who bought the card, had it graded by PSA Grading at its &ldquo;Express&rdquo; service rate, then resold it for big bucks.</p><p>Barely a week after the release of Series Two, several graded copies of Bedard&rsquo;s Young Guns card were listed on eBay. Early sales of the card with a PSA &ldquo;Gem Mint 10&rdquo; grading sold on eBay&rsquo;s Canadian site for between $5,000 and $7,000. On eBay&rsquo;s U.S. website, sale prices were lower, with early prices averaging around $2,000 to $2,800. By the end of the Stanley Cup final, &ldquo;Gem Mint 10&rdquo; copies of the card were selling for between $700 and $750.</p><p>According to the PSA Population Report, more than 8,450 copies of Bedard&rsquo;s Young Guns card have been graded by PSA in the four months it&rsquo;s been out, with almost 3,900 of them graded at a 10. That&rsquo;s not counting any parallel versions of the card with colored foil or other unique elements. Compare that to McDavid&rsquo;s Young Guns card, which came out in November 2015 and has had about 6,100 copies graded since then.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/buzz_bedard_0232/10308493-1-eng-US/buzz_bedard_0232.png" title="buzz_bedard_023" width="1649" height="2698"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(PHOTOS BY SAL BARRY)</span></figcaption></div><p>Also, the demand for Bedard&rsquo;s Young Guns card is finally starting to be met, as more Series Two packs have been opened, more copies of the card have been made available for sale &ndash; and with investors shifting their focus and their dollars to other 2023-24 products, such as SP Game Used, with cards that feature Bedard&rsquo;s autograph, a piece of Bedard&rsquo;s game-worn jersey, or both.</p><p>But all the hype isn&rsquo;t just investors looking to buy, grade and flip Bedard&rsquo;s cards. It is also spurred by new collectors, excited to find cards of the NHL&rsquo;s latest star.</p><p>&ldquo;He really transcended the hobby,&rdquo; Zickler said. &ldquo;According to dealers we talked to at the Spring Expo, a lot of new hockey-card collectors, or those who wouldn&rsquo;t traditionally collect hockey, have been introduced to the hobby because of Connor Bedard. And I think they&rsquo;ll be excited because there&rsquo;s still a lot more 2023-24 hockey products on the way.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

buzz_bedard_020

COLLECTING CONNOR

<div class="byline">BY STEVEN MCGOEY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="buzz_nhl24__026" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/buzz_nhl24__0262/10308566-1-eng-US/buzz_nhl24__0262.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>THE DROUGHT IS OVER</b></p><p>OK, it may not be the Stanley Cup, but Kerr-Polgar still ended one Canadian hockey dry spell.</p><p></p> <span class="photo-credit">(PHOTOS BY NHL PR)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span>FTER BATTLING THROUGH</b> months of competition, several online qualifiers, the North American Championship and three rounds of in-person head-to-head matches, Ethan &lsquo;Polgz&rsquo; Kerr-Polgar is the EA Sports <i>NHL 24</i> world champion. He took the crown after beating Justin &lsquo;Regs&rsquo; Reguly in a best-of-three championship series.</p><p>The NHL launched its inaugural Gaming World Championship back in 2018. The tournament enjoyed two years of growth before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the postponements of the 2020, 2021 and 2022 events. The World Championship returned to in-person competition last year in Nashville, taking place during NHL draft week. This year, the venue shifted to New York City, with the event held at gaming lounge OS NYC.</p><p>Joining Polgz and Regs at the event were Matthew &lsquo;Gren&rsquo; Grenier, Erik &lsquo;Eki&rsquo; Tammenpaa, Dany-Karl &lsquo;Deeks&rsquo; Levesque and Teemu &lsquo;Temppanen&rsquo; Karvonen. Eki and Temppanen qualified via the European Championship, while Polgz, Regs, Gren and Deeks qualified via the North American Championship.</p><p>Gren and Eki received byes into the semis for winning the North American and European tournaments, respectively. After a round-robin with the other four players, Deeks and Temppanen were eliminated. Then Polgz knocked off Gren in one semifinal while Regs took down Eki in the other to set up the championship showdown.</p><p>Polgz pulled off an overtime victory in Game 1 before Regs rebounded with a 5-0 win in Game 2 to send it to a winner-take-all Game 3. In the decisive game, Polgz jumped out to a commanding 4-0 lead before Regs responded with three goals of his own. However, the comeback came up just short, as Polgz locked it down defensively and secured the championship with a 5-3 victory.</p><p>A native of Newmarket, Ont., Polgz credited his maturation outside the game as an important aspect of his preparation for the tourney. &ldquo;The past years have come down to it,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Playing every single year, preparing myself to become a better person and player, and trying to be the best I can be.&rdquo;</p><p>Polgz, who plays Jr. C hockey for the Innisfil Spartans, became the first Canadian to win the worldwide event, a feat he said he was keen to accomplish.</p><p>The 21-year-old dedicated the victory to his mother, who recently rang the bell and beat cancer for the third time. &ldquo;My mom has been through cancer three times now, and my family has always stuck together,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;ve always been by each other&rsquo;s side. My family&rsquo;s support is unbelievable. When I was a kid, it used to be, &lsquo;Hey, get off the video game.&rsquo; But now, they know what I&rsquo;m up to, and their support is unreal. I&rsquo;m grateful for it every single day.&rdquo;</p><p>With a total prize pool of $52,000 for the six players, Polgz took home $30,000 while Regs took home $10,000.</p><p>Regs, Gren and Eki all have multiple regional or world titles and are some of the greatest <i>NHL</i> eSports players ever. Along with Polgz, they created one of the most talented final fours in NHL GWC history. &ldquo;I remember watching Eki win the first year,&rdquo; Polgz said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a big inspiration of mine and a big reason why I got into it and tried to work so hard for this. It&rsquo;s unbelievable, and those players have taught me so many things about life and growing up in general. Getting to know them and meet them these past years is an unbelievable experience.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/buzz_nhl24__0272/10308559-1-eng-US/buzz_nhl24__0272.png" title="buzz_nhl24__027" width="1367" height="2043"></div><p>The return to in-person tournaments is key for <i>NHL</i> eSports in reaching the highest possible level of play and for increasing viewership. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been an incredible experience,&rdquo; Regs said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s always something us players look forward to, getting the chance to hang out with one another and then compete on a stage like today.&rdquo;</p><p>The NHL&rsquo;s Twitch stream of the event peaked at just under 13,000 viewers, while the video of the final had around 21,000 views on YouTube as of late May. &ldquo;Going to play in person is a completely different feeling,&rdquo; Polgz said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot more pressure on you obviously because people are watching. You want to be the best you can be, and it puts a lot of pressure on you, but as long as you stick to your game and try and focus up, everything works out.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

buzz_nhl24__026

GAME SHOW

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="top10moment_060" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/top10moment_0602/10308765-1-eng-US/top10moment_0602.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JIM RASSOL-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>&gt;NO. 1: FLORIDA WINS THE STANLEY CUP</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/florida2016_0592/10308751-1-eng-US/florida2016_0592.jpg" title="florida2016_059" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span>FTER TAKING A COMMANDING 3-0</b> series lead in the Stanley Cup final, the Florida Panthers had to fight through the most pressure-packed of circumstances as the Edmonton Oilers won three straight to force a Game 7. Would the Cats be known as the biggest chokers in sports history?</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/top10moment_0612/10308758-1-eng-US/top10moment_0612.png" title="top10moment_061" width="1367" height="2876"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>ALEKSANDER BARKOV</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(SAM NAVARRO-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p>Luckily for them, the answer was &ldquo;no.&rdquo; The Panthers got back to the smart, defensive game that won them the first three contests and shut down the Oilers for a 2-1 victory, resulting in Florida&rsquo;s first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history. Coach Paul Maurice hoisted the trophy after a record 1,848 regular-season games behind NHL benches without one, while franchise legend Roberto Luongo finally got his Cup &ndash; albeit as an executive. Hours later, the Panthers were serving beverages out of the Cup in Fort Lauderdale&rsquo;s famous Elbo Room, then taking the trophy into the ocean.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/top10moment_0432/10308744-1-eng-US/top10moment_0432.png" title="top10moment_043" width="2119" height="1504"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p>After 28 years in Arizona, the Coyotes are headed to Utah, where they&rsquo;ll get a new name.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(MARK J. REBILAS-USA TODAY SPORTS
)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>&gt;NO. 2: ARIZONA</b>&nbsp;<b>MOVES TO UTAH</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-011566/10308737-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg" title="f0028-01" width="1234" height="1232"></div><p><b>AFTER YEARS OF</b> uncertainty, multiple ownership groups and awkward arena situations &ndash; the last of which involved being renters at Arizona State&rsquo;s NCAA rink &ndash; the Arizona Coyotes have left town for Utah. Technically, Alex Meruelo still owns the team name, and the door was left open for the league to return to Arizona someday, but all the players and management are now employed by Salt Lake City billionaire Ryan Smith. In Smith, the team gets an owner who already runs a Big Four franchise in the NBA&rsquo;s Utah Jazz, plus a real home at the Delta Center.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/top10moment_0452/10308730-1-eng-US/top10moment_0452.png" title="top10moment_045" width="1367" height="1097"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>RYAN SMITH</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(ROB GRAY-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p>While the NHL tried to make things work in Arizona, Meruelo&rsquo;s failure to secure a proper building was the death knell. Utah released a list of 20 team names for fans to vote on, including the Swarm, Yeti, Black Diamonds and simply Utah HC. The uniforms will only say &ldquo;Utah&rdquo; in Year 1, with a full logo and color scheme planned for rollout in 2025-26.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/top10moment_0462/10308723-1-eng-US/top10moment_0462.png" title="top10moment_046" width="1367" height="805"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ROB GRAY-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>&gt;NO. 3: HOCKEY CANADA SCANDAL</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/hockey_cana_0442/10308716-1-eng-US/hockey_cana_0442.jpg" title="hockey_cana_044" width="1367" height="1270"></div><p><b>THE HOCKEY WORLD</b> shook in late January when the rumors became official: five players from Canada&rsquo;s 2018 gold-medal World Junior Championship team were charged with sexual assault, related to an alleged incident that occurred at a hotel that summer in London, Ont. NHLers Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, Michael McLeod and Cal Foote &ndash; plus former Ottawa Senator Alex Formenton, who had been playing in Switzerland &ndash; turned themselves in to police. All five soon entered pleas of not guilty in court. The case was at the center of the Hockey Canada scandal that saw the organization initially settle with the complainant before the news became public. Once it did, high-profile sponsors left and, eventually, a number of executives, including Tom Renney (retired) and Scott Smith (resigned), stepped down from Hockey Canada. The trial for the five players is expected to take a long time, and the NHL placed them on indefinite leave in the interim.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/top10moment_0472/10308709-1-eng-US/top10moment_0472.png" title="top10moment_047" width="1459" height="1296"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(STEPHEN R. SYLVANIE-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>&gt;NO. 4: CUTTER GAUTHIER TRADE</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/anaheim112/10308702-1-eng-US/anaheim2.jpg" title="anaheim" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p><b>WE LOVE A GOOD</b> blockbuster, don&rsquo;t we? But some turn out to be juicier than others, like when the Philadelphia Flyers made a shocking January trade with Anaheim. Cutter Gauthier, the No. 2 prospect in Future Watch 2024, was dealt to the Ducks right after he had helped Team USA win gold at the 2024 WJC. Gauthier, who was playing for Boston College and therefore had not yet been signed by the Flyers, was sent to the other coast for dynamic 21-year-old defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round draft pick. More dirt came out on the deal than usual, with the Flyers claiming Gauthier had already told them he didn&rsquo;t want to play for the franchise and, despite the team giving him time, he hadn&rsquo;t changed his tune. Other sources indicated Gauthier&rsquo;s reticence pre-dated the new Flyers regime and that the trust simply couldn&rsquo;t be built back up. Whatever the ultimate truth is, the Gauthier trade dominated the news cycle and will come back up again when he becomes a full-time NHLer in the fall.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/top10moment_0482/10308695-1-eng-US/top10moment_0482.png" title="top10moment_048" width="1367" height="732"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JOHN E. SOKOLOWSKI-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>&gt;NO. 5: PRIDE TAPE</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="mon022.jpg" title="common02" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p><b>PRIDE NIGHTS SUPPORTING</b> the LGBTQ+ community have become popular around the hockey world, and a number of players have gone the extra mile to show their support. All that came into focus in October, when a recent NHL memo banning the alteration of equipment or gear on theme nights came to the fore. The memo included rainbow-colored Pride tape, which players had used on their sticks in the past on such nights. Soon, the question on everyone&rsquo;s mind centered around which player would defy the new edict. As it turns out, the answer was Arizona Coyotes defenseman Travis Dermott, who wrapped his blade in rainbow tape for the team&rsquo;s home-opener against Anaheim. With a wave of support behind him, Dermott did not face any punishment, and, in fact, the NHL changed its policy days later. In a fitting bit of kismet, Dermott scored his first goal of the season three months later &ndash; against his old team, Vancouver &ndash; on Pride Night.</p><p>Support for social causes also flared up in November, when Minnesota Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury wore a custom mask &ndash; designed by artist Cole Redhorse Taylor &ndash; in warm-ups for Native American Heritage Month. Technically, that was against NHL regulations, too, but the league let it slide. Fleury then auctioned the special mask off for charity.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/top10moment_0562/10308681-1-eng-US/top10moment_0562.png" title="top10moment_056" width="1367" height="1972"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>TRAVIS DERMOTT</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(BRETT HOLMES-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/top10moment_0572/10308674-1-eng-US/top10moment_0572.png" title="top10moment_057" width="1367" height="1951"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>CONNOR BEDARD</b> <span class="photo-credit">(JEFF CURRY-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>&gt;NO. 6: BEDARD &lsquo;MICHIGAN&rsquo; GOAL</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/chicago106/10308667-1-eng-US/chicago2.jpg" title="chicago" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p><b>AFTER BEING THE</b> much-hyped No. 1 draft pick in 2023, Connor Bedard delivered in his rookie campaign. One of the highlights came on Dec. 23, when he pulled off a &lsquo;Michigan&rsquo; lacrosse-style goal against Jordan Binnington and the St. Louis Blues. While we&rsquo;ve seen a growing number of NHLers pull off the stunt in recent years, the fact Bedard attempted it &ndash; and succeeded &ndash; so early in his career was a testament to the confidence and skill the young star possesses. Bedard went on to a Calder Trophy-worthy season, leading rookies with 22 goals and 61 points.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/top10moment_0492/10308646-1-eng-US/top10moment_0492.png" title="top10moment_049" width="2119" height="1413"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p>&lsquo;MICHIGAN&rsquo; IN MISSOURI<br>Bedard had fans abuzz after his lacrosse-style goal in St. Louis.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(JEFF CURRY-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p>The Hawks phenom would have put up bigger numbers had he not missed 14 games due to a broken jaw, sustained on a big hit by New Jersey&rsquo;s Brendan Smith. That might have been a rude awakening for the teenager, but Bedard took it in stride and continued to put up numbers upon his return &ndash; even though he had to wear a bubble cage on his helmet for a while.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/top10moment_0502/10308660-1-eng-US/top10moment_0502.png" title="top10moment_050" width="1367" height="799"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(NICK TURCHIARO-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>&gt;NO. 7: MATTHEWS SCORES 69 GOALS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/toronto2016_0532/10308653-1-eng-US/toronto2016_0532.jpg" title="toronto2016_053" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p><b>SURE, 70 WOULD HAVE</b> been a nice round number &ndash; and he did have a chance to hit it in the last two games of the season &ndash; but it was still incredibly impressive that Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews scored 69 goals. It was the highest total since Mario Lemieux hit the same number back in 1995-96, and when you&rsquo;re in the company of &lsquo;Super Mario,&rsquo; you know you&rsquo;ve done something special. Matthews&rsquo; warpath included six hat tricks and a career-high 107 points.</p><p>Meanwhile, Edmonton&rsquo;s Connor McDavid and Tampa Bay&rsquo;s Nikita Kucherov hit some nice heights themselves, with each potting 100 assists on the season &ndash; becoming the fourth and fifth players in history to do so.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/top10moment_0582/10308639-1-eng-US/top10moment_0582.png" title="top10moment_058" width="1367" height="1724"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>MATT REMPE & MATT MARTIN</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(BRAD PENNER-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>&gt;NO. 8: MATT REMPE MAKES DEBUT</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/nyrangers109/10308632-1-eng-US/nyrangers2.jpg" title="nyrangers" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p><b>ON FEB. 18, MATT REMPE</b> made his NHL debut, and Manhattan was never the same. The 6-foot-7, 241-pound mauler got into a fight with the Islanders&rsquo; Matt Martin on his very first shift, and the Rangers went on to win the outdoor Stadium Series game 6-5 in OT. Rempe almost singlehandedly brought fighting back into the NHL headlines in the ensuing weeks. A date with Toronto meant a highly anticipated bout with Ryan Reaves, while New Jersey not-so-suspiciously traded for Kurtis MacDermid after Rempe knocked out Nathan Bastian with a hit in a previous meeting. And yes, MacDermid and Rempe ended up fighting each other.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/top10moment_0512/10308625-1-eng-US/top10moment_0512.png" title="top10moment_051" width="1367" height="1360"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>RICK BOWNESS</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(JAMES CAREY LAUDER-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>&gt;NO. 9: NHL COACHING</b>&nbsp;<b>CAROUSEL ON TILT</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="mon022.jpg" title="common02" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p><b>YOU CAN&rsquo;T FIRE THE</b> players on a struggling team, and if you&rsquo;re the GM who brought in those players, you&rsquo;re not going to fire yourself. But the coaching turnover was downright absurd this year, with more than half the league changing since the end of last season. You had coaches retiring (Rick Bowness in Winnipeg), coaches fired and then hired elsewhere (Lindy Ruff from New Jersey to Buffalo) and even coaches let go before they even stepped behind the bench (Mike Babcock in Columbus). If 2024-25 doesn&rsquo;t show a bit more stability, we&rsquo;re buying stock in U-Haul.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/top10moment_0522/10308611-1-eng-US/top10moment_0522.png" title="top10moment_052" width="847" height="729"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>LINDY RUFF</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(JAMES CAREY LAUDER-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/top10moment_0552/10308604-1-eng-US/top10moment_0552.png" title="top10moment_055" width="1367" height="799"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>JOHN TORTORELLA</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(DANNY WILD-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>&gt;NO. 10: TORTORELLA REBELLION</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/philadelphi_0542/10308597-1-eng-US/philadelphi_0542.jpg" title="philadelphi_054" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p><b>THOUGH THEY ULTIMATELY MISSED</b> the playoffs, the Philadelphia Flyers played way over their heads for most of the season. And one of the driving factors was coach John Tortorella, who put his cultural stamp on the rebuilding squad and maximized results. Sometimes it wasn&rsquo;t pretty, like when he made captain Sean Couturier a healthy scratch, but it was never boring. To wit: on March 9, Tortorella was ejected in the first period of a loss to Tampa Bay, but he refused to leave &ndash; instead jawing with refs Wes McCauley and Brandon Schrader until eventually relenting. Tortorella was suspended two games in the aftermath. Coincidentally, that game honored the 2004 Cup-winning Lightning team &ndash; which Tortorella coached.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

TOP 10 NHL MOMENTS OF 2023-24

aaronekblad_084

Aaron Ekblad

THE CATS’ CUP

<div class="image-hero"><img title="2024_stanle_002" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/2024_stanle_0022/10309023-1-eng-US/2024_stanle_0022.png"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game1_110/10309016-1-eng-US/game1_12.png" title="game1_1" width="1366" height="1713"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>1.</b> Sergei Bobrovsky leads the Panthers onto the ice as the home fans greet their team before Game 1.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game1_210/10309009-1-eng-US/game1_22.png" title="game1_2" width="1366" height="852"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>2.</b> The Florida faithful cheer as the Panthers pursue their first Cup in their third appearance in the league final.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game1_39/10309002-1-eng-US/game1_32.png" title="game1_3" width="1366" height="1230"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>3.</b> Florida&rsquo;s Carter Verhaeghe gets the party started early, slipping one past Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner 3:59 in.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game1_410/10308995-1-eng-US/game1_42.png" title="game1_4" width="2120" height="1394"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>4.</b> Captain Aleksander Barkov lunges for a rebound as Bobrovsky sprawls after an early Zach Hyman chance. <span class="photo-credit">(1-4: JIM RASSOL-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game1_510/10308988-1-eng-US/game1_52.png" title="game1_5" width="1550" height="1124"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>5.</b> Verhaeghe goes airborne after being rubbed out along the boards behind the Edmonton net.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game1_610/10308981-1-eng-US/game1_62.png" title="game1_6" width="1366" height="1008"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>6.</b> Evan Rodrigues, left, extends the lead 2:16 into the second and is feted by teammate Matthew Tkachuk.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game1_710/10308974-1-eng-US/game1_72.png" title="game1_7" width="1366" height="1356"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>7.</b> The temperature is turned up as the Oilers and Panthers get acquainted with some post-whistle scrums.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game1_87/10308967-1-eng-US/game1_82.png" title="game1_8" width="1366" height="1655"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>8.</b> The Cats celebrate a 3-0 win in Game 1, taking a series lead in the Cup final for the first time in team history.<span class="photo-credit">(5-7: JIM RASSOL-USA TODAY SPORTS; 8: SAM NAVARRO-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

2024_stanle_002

Stanley Cup Final 2024

CUP IN PHOTOS: GAME 1

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0042-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-01961/10309110-1-eng-US/f0042-012.png"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game2_110/10309103-1-eng-US/game2_12.png" title="game2_1" width="1366" height="675"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>1.</b> Alonzo Mourning, a basketball Hall of Famer who won an NBA title with the Miami Heat, pumps up the crowd.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game2_210/10309096-1-eng-US/game2_22.png" title="game2_2" width="1366" height="857"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>2.</b> With Edmonton on a five-minute PK, Oliver Ekman-Larsson trips Mattias Janmark and gives the Oilers respite.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game2_310/10309089-1-eng-US/game2_32.png" title="game2_3" width="1366" height="2366"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>3.</b> Slick Panthers blueliner Brandon Montour jumps to evade a Janmark bodycheck along the boards.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game2_49/10309082-1-eng-US/game2_42.png" title="game2_4" width="2120" height="1164"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>4.</b> With teammate Eetu Luostarinen injured, Vladimir Tarasenko has words with the Oilers&rsquo; Evander Kane.<span class="photo-credit">(1+3+4: JIM RASSOL-USA TODAY SPORTS; 2: SAM NAVARRO-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game2_510/10309075-1-eng-US/game2_52.png" title="game2_5" width="1548" height="1186"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>5.</b> Mattias Ekholm, right, looks to fire up his Oilers mates after putting his team up 1-0 midway through the first.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game2_610/10309068-1-eng-US/game2_62.png" title="game2_6" width="1366" height="937"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>6.</b> A second-period shot beats Skinner under the blocker. Luckily for the Oilers, the puck flies wide of the post.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game2_710/10309061-1-eng-US/game2_72.png" title="game2_7" width="1366" height="1098"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>7.</b> Rodrigues plays to the jubilant crowd after his second of the series gives the Cats a 2-1 third-period lead.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game2_88/10309054-1-eng-US/game2_82.png" title="game2_8" width="1366" height="2302"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>8.</b> Gustav Forsling, far left, joins Tkachuk and Verhaeghe in celebrating Aaron Ekblad&rsquo;s empty-net clincher.<span class="photo-credit">(5+6+8: JIM RASSOL-USA TODAY SPORTS; 7: SAM NAVARRO-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0042-01

CUP IN PHOTOS: GAME 2

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0044-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-01843/10309197-1-eng-US/f0044-012.png"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game3_110/10309190-1-eng-US/game3_12.png" title="game3_1" width="1366" height="1078"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>1.</b> The series shifts back to Edmonton, where the Oilers&rsquo; (perhaps literally) rabid fans hope to push them to a win.</p></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game3_210/10309183-1-eng-US/game3_22.png" title="game3_2" width="1366" height="1101"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>2.</b> Corey Perry, playing in his fifth Cup final, mentally prepares for the task ahead after sitting out Game 2.</p></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game3_310/10309176-1-eng-US/game3_32.png" title="game3_3" width="1366" height="1788"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>3.</b> Connor McDavid hits the ice, his heavily hirsute face a sign of the Oilers&rsquo; long post-season run.</p></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game3_410/10309169-1-eng-US/game3_42.png" title="game3_4" width="2120" height="1335"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>4.</b> It&rsquo;s jubilation at Rogers Place as Warren Foegele ties the game at 1-1 early in the second frame.</p><span class="photo-credit">(1: WALTER TYCHNOWICZ-USA TODAY SPORTS; 2-4: PERRY NELSON-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game3_59/10309162-1-eng-US/game3_52.png" title="game3_5" width="1366" height="2292"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>5.</b> The stalemate doesn&rsquo;t last long, however, as Tarasenko gives Florida a 2-1 lead seven minutes later.</p></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game3_610/10309155-1-eng-US/game3_62.png" title="game3_6" width="1366" height="932"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>6.</b> It&rsquo;s blue-paint bedlam as players wearing both blue and white pile into Bobrovsky&rsquo;s crease.</p></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game3_710/10309148-1-eng-US/game3_72.png" title="game3_7" width="1366" height="1246"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>7.</b> All looks lost for Edmonton, down 4-1 heading into the third. But a goal at the 6:02 mark reignites the crowd.</p></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game3_810/10309141-1-eng-US/game3_82.png" title="game3_8" width="2121" height="1373"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>8.</b> The Oilers try everything possible to tie the game, including sitting on &lsquo;Bob,&rsquo; but they fall short, losing 4-3.</p><span class="photo-credit">(5+6+8: WALTER TYCHNOWICZ-USA TODAY SPORTS; 7: PERRY NELSON-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0044-01

CUP IN PHOTOS: GAME 3

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0046-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-01755/10309284-1-eng-US/f0046-012.png"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game4_29/10309277-1-eng-US/game4_22.png" title="game4_2" width="1366" height="1101"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>1.</b> Their team may be one loss away from being swept, but Oilers fans are still gung-ho ahead of Game 4.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game4_9/10309270-1-eng-US/game4_92.png" title="game4_9" width="1366" height="1067"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>2.</b> It&rsquo;s full speed ahead for Florida&rsquo;s Sam Bennett as Janmark is helpless to stop him from his icy plank position.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game4_39/10309263-1-eng-US/game4_32.png" title="game4_3" width="1366" height="1538"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>3.</b> Skinner stretches and comes up big against Verhaeghe, making one of his 13 first-period saves.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game4_49/10309256-1-eng-US/game4_42.png" title="game4_4" width="1549" height="1227"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>4.</b> Janmark strikes shorthanded, banking the puck into an open net after Bobrovsky is knocked askew.<span class="photo-credit">(1+3-4: SERGEI BELSKI-USA TODAY SPORTS; 2: PERRY NELSON-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game4_59/10309249-1-eng-US/game4_52.png" title="game4_5" width="2120" height="1314"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>5.</b> If the Panthers had comeback plans, they&rsquo;re quickly doused after McDavid scores early in second frame.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game4_69/10309242-1-eng-US/game4_62.png" title="game4_6" width="1366" height="1370"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>6.</b> Bobrovsky gets the hook after the Oilers pump five goals past him. He gave up just four in Games 1 to 3.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game4_710/10309235-1-eng-US/game4_72.png" title="game4_7" width="1366" height="1073"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>7.</b> Anthony Stolarz fares no better, as Dylan Holloway tallies the Oilers&rsquo; seventh of eight goals on the night.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game4_89/10309228-1-eng-US/game4_82.png" title="game4_8" width="1366" height="1701"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>8.</b> Put away the brooms. Edmonton thrills its fans with its first win of the 2024 Stanley Cup final.<span class="photo-credit">(5+7: SERGEI BELSKI-USA TODAY SPORTS; 6+8: PERRY NELSON-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0046-01

CUP IN PHOTOS: GAME 4

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0048-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-01539/10309371-1-eng-US/f0048-012.png"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game5_110/10309364-1-eng-US/game5_12.png" title="game5_1" width="2121" height="1022"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>1.</b> Connor Brown finishes off a great individual effort by beating Bobrovsky shorthanded to open the scoring.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game5_29/10309357-1-eng-US/game5_22.png" title="game5_2" width="1366" height="757"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>2.</b> Hyman, perched atop a downed Anton Lundell, looks on as Leon Draisaitl lines up Tarasenko in open ice.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game5_36/10309350-1-eng-US/game5_32.png" title="game5_3" width="1366" height="1893"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>3.</b> The Oilers&rsquo; top line strikes for Game 5&rsquo;s first 5-on-5 goal, as McDavid gives Edmonton a 3-0 lead in the second.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game5_49/10309343-1-eng-US/game5_42.png" title="game5_4" width="1366" height="2161"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>4.</b> Not so fast! Tkachuk stems the tide with a quick snipe over Skinner&rsquo;s glove after an Oilers turnover at the blueline.<span class="photo-credit">(1+3: SAM NAVARRO-USA TODAY SPORTS; 2+4: JIM RASSOL-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game5_59/10309336-1-eng-US/game5_52.png" title="game5_5" width="1549" height="1248"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>5.</b> Perry&rsquo;s ecstatic face tells the story after he takes a sublime McDavid feed and makes it 4-1 for the Oilers.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game5_69/10309329-1-eng-US/game5_62.png" title="game5_6" width="1366" height="810"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>6.</b> But Florida deals an immediate counterpunch as Rodrigues buries his fourth of the series 14 seconds later.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game5_79/10309322-1-eng-US/game5_72.png" title="game5_7" width="1366" height="808"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>7.</b> Ekman-Larsson one-times the puck past Skinner to pull Florida to within a goal and send the crowd into hysterics.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game5_89/10309315-1-eng-US/game5_82.png" title="game5_8" width="2120" height="685"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>8.</b> Tkachuk&rsquo;s valiant effort sees him sweep the puck off the goal line, but a lurking McDavid ices it seconds later.<span class="photo-credit">(5+8: SAM NAVARRO-USA TODAY SPORTS; 6+7: JIM RASSOL-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0048-01

CUP IN PHOTOS: GAME 5

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0050-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-01530/10309465-1-eng-US/f0050-012.png"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game6_15/10309458-1-eng-US/game6_12.png" title="game6_1" width="1548" height="1247"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>1.</b> Lundell battles through the check of Oilers center Derek Ryan in the first period as an anxious crowd looks on.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game6_22/10309451-1-eng-US/game6_22.png" title="game6_2" width="1366" height="978"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>2.</b> The explosion of energy is palpable on and off the ice as Foegele notches his second of the series to make it 1-0.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game6_35/10309444-1-eng-US/game6_32.png" title="game6_3" width="1366" height="978"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>3.</b> McDavid is sent sprawling forward after getting tangled up just as he began to turn on the jets in neutral ice.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game6_45/10309437-1-eng-US/game6_42.png" title="game6_4" width="1366" height="1614"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>4.</b> Prized deadline acquisition Adam Henrique buries one just inside the far post to increase the Oilers&rsquo; advantage.<span class="photo-credit">(ZZ1+2: SERGEI BELSKI-USA TODAY SPORTS; 3+4: WALTER TYCHNOWICZ-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game6_52/10309430-1-eng-US/game6_52.png" title="game6_5" width="1366" height="1168"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>5.</b> Barkov pays Skinner a blue-paint visit after the Cats captain draws a hooking call on a partial breakaway.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game6_65/10309423-1-eng-US/game6_62.png" title="game6_6" width="1366" height="1122"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>6.</b> Amid a long, hard-fought final, Niko Mikkola can&rsquo;t help but embrace Edmonton&rsquo;s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game6_72/10309416-1-eng-US/game6_72.png" title="game6_7" width="1366" height="1347"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>7.</b> An elated Hyman celebrates his 16th goal of the playoffs, the most in a single post-season since 1996.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game6_85/10309409-1-eng-US/game6_82.png" title="game6_8" width="1366" height="3063"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>8.</b> On the first day of summer, Barkov and Skinner try to keep cool as the Oilers&rsquo; crease is showered with snow.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game6_95/10309402-1-eng-US/game6_92.png" title="game6_9" width="1366" height="1548"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>9.</b> Ryan McLeod ices it for the never-say-die Oilers with an empty-netter. Game 7 for the Stanley Cup awaits&hellip; <span class="photo-credit">(5-9: SERGEI BELSKI-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0050-01

CUP IN PHOTOS: GAME 6

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0052-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0052-01412/10309559-1-eng-US/f0052-012.png"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game7_14/10309552-1-eng-US/game7_12.png" title="game7_1" width="1549" height="1247"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>1.</b> The all-important first goal of Game 7 goes to the home side, as Verhaeghe tips the puck past Skinner.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game7_24/10309545-1-eng-US/game7_22.png" title="game7_2" width="1665" height="1351"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>2.</b> But Janmark answers right away, finishing off a beautiful feed from defenseman Cody Ceci to tie it up.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game7_34/10309538-1-eng-US/game7_32.png" title="game7_3" width="1088" height="1845"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>3.</b> The two captains battle tooth-and-nail for positioning and the right to lift Lord Stanley&rsquo;s Cup later in the night.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game7_44/10309531-1-eng-US/game7_42.png" title="game7_4" width="1366" height="2316"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>4.</b> Rodrigues has his eyes on the prize while Oilers D-man Evan Bouchard stands over him looking for the puck. <span class="photo-credit">(1-4: JIM RASSOL-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game7_54/10309524-1-eng-US/game7_52.png" title="game7_5" width="1366" height="1362"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>5.</b> The Cats know the job&rsquo;s not done, but Sam Reinhart&rsquo;s go-ahead goal late in the second puts them on the cusp.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game7_64/10309517-1-eng-US/game7_62.png" title="game7_6" width="1366" height="1717"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>6.</b> Redemption for the Panthers! A year after coming up short in the Cup final, Florida tastes glory at home.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game7_74/10309510-1-eng-US/game7_72.png" title="game7_7" width="1366" height="2450"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>7.</b> The &lsquo;Rat King&rsquo; gets his crown. Fan favorite Tkachuk revels in the sweet victory over his old Alberta rivals.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game7_84/10309503-1-eng-US/game7_82.png" title="game7_8" width="1367" height="2451"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>8.</b> After coaching 1,985 total games across 26 NHL seasons, Paul Maurice can finally lift the Cup above his head.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/game7_94/10309496-1-eng-US/game7_92.png" title="game7_9" width="2120" height="1289"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>9.</b> The Panthers come together as one to celebrate the ultimate team prize after a gruelling Cup final.<span class="photo-credit">(5-6+8-9: JIM RASSOL-USA TODAY SPORTS; 7: SAM NAVARRO-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0052-01

CUP IN PHOTOS: GAME 7

Champs_Opener3

CHAMPIONS ISSUE

<div class="byline">BY IAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="champs_pwhl_006" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_pwhl_006/10309663-1-eng-US/champs_pwhl_0062.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>MINNY LEGACY</b></p><p>Minnesota rallied past Toronto in the semis and took down Boston in the final for the PWHL&rsquo;s first title.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE PWHL)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HEN KENDALL COYNE</b> Schofield raised the PWHL&rsquo;s Walter Cup for the first time, it was a full-circle moment. She was at the forefront of the movement to create a unified professional league for women. She was a driving force in negotiations for contracts and a leading voice among players in the formation of the PWHL. It only seemed fitting the PWHL Minnesota captain would also be the first player to hold and hoist the Walter Cup as the leader of the league&rsquo;s inaugural champions.</p><p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s something very special about being the first to do something in life,&rdquo; Coyne Schofield said. &ldquo;And for us to be the first Walter Cup champions is something that is extremely special. That will be a part of this league&rsquo;s legacy forever.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/pwhl_minnes_008/10309656-1-eng-US/pwhl_minnes_0082.jpg" title="pwhl_minnes_008" width="397" height="397"></div><p>Following PWHL Minnesota&rsquo;s 3-0 win in Game 5, earning a 3-2 series victory over PWHL Boston, it was a special moment for Coyne Schofield and her teammates that almost didn&rsquo;t happen.</p><p>After the international break, which was capped by Canada defeating the U.S. in the gold-medal game of the 2024 IIHF World Championship, Minnesota returned to a slump. The club entered the break solidly in a playoff spot, but when they came back, Minnesota lost its last five games of the regular season in regulation. Ultimately, they needed help from other teams losing to sneak into the final playoff spot. Utilizing the PWHL&rsquo;s &ldquo;pick your own opponent&rdquo; rule, first-place Toronto selected slumping Minnesota as its opponent in the opening round. And it looked as though Toronto had made the right decision early on, as it won the first two games of the best-of-five semifinal series, extending Minnesota&rsquo;s losing streak to seven games. Then, a switch flipped.</p><p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot of people that counted us out when we had that slide coming into the playoffs,&rdquo; Coyne Schofield said. &ldquo;But we got in, and we never looked back. It took a team effort from everyone you see here. There were a lot of moments where we could have gotten down and out. There were moments where we were down, but we knew we were never out. We stuck together.&rdquo;</p><p>Following that seven-game losing streak, Minnesota completed a reverse sweep of Toronto and slugged out a five-game, 3-2 series win over Boston in the final. For many players in that championship series, they&rsquo;ve spent the past several seasons playing for gold medals, not league trophies. It was the first time many of the athletes involved had ever played multiple playoff series in the post-season, which proved to be a new challenge for the teams. Through the process, however, came added gratification when the Walter Cup was finally handed out.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_pwhl_009/10309649-1-eng-US/champs_pwhl_0092.png" title="champs_pwhl_009" width="1366" height="1449"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>KENDALL COYNE SCHOFIELD</b></p></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;When you get to win the last game of the year and hoist a trophy, you&rsquo;re just so grateful, and it&rsquo;s always a special group,&rdquo; said Minnesota alternate captain Lee Stecklein. &ldquo;And it has to be to do something like this. It takes a team that&rsquo;s committed to each other that believes in each other and the process. There were moments this year, unfortunately, especially at the end, that we were pretty down, and the way we were able to pull it together, I&rsquo;m just really proud of this group.&rdquo;</p><p>Among the leaders on the team in the post-season were Taylor Heise and Michela Cava, who tied for the PWHL playoff scoring lead with eight points each. Cava scored four goals and all eight of her points in the five-game final. She won the Isobel Cup last year with the PHF&rsquo;s Toronto Six and nearly was named playoff MVP again this year, but it was Heise, the PWHL&rsquo;s first-overall draft pick in 2023, who claimed the Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP award.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_pwhl_010/10309642-1-eng-US/champs_pwhl_0102.png" title="champs_pwhl_010" width="1366" height="1982"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>FANTASTIC FINISH</b></p><p>Cava was a scoring force in the final series, racking up four goals and eight points in five games.</p></figcaption></div><p>The look on Heise&rsquo;s face when she accepted the MVP honor and hoisted the Walter Cup was much different than the disbelief on her face at the end of Game 4. Playing in front of 13,104 home fans at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul in a potentially deciding game, Heise and Minnesota ended regulation deadlocked at 0-0 with PWHL Boston. With time winding down in double overtime, Heise drove down the left wing and around Boston defender Sidney Morin before her shot attempt bounced out to defender Sophie Jaques, who put the puck behind Boston netminder Aerin Frankel in what looked like the championship-deciding goal.</p><p>Minnesota&rsquo;s players flooded the ice, launching their sticks and gloves into the air, but after minutes of celebrating, Heise&rsquo;s hands covered her mouth as the official announced to the crowd the goal had been overturned. Heise had slid into Frankel as she drove the net, and it was deemed goaltender interference.</p><p>Just 70 seconds later, with 1:24 left in double OT, Boston&rsquo;s Alina Muller scored at the other end, leaving Minnesota shellshocked. While other teams might have folded and failed to close out the series, Minnesota had been down before, and Heise, Coyne Schofield and Cava were there to carry the squad across the finish line.</p><p>&ldquo;When you end up on top, you never forget it,&rdquo; Coyne Schofield said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a feeling you chase every day. Whether you&rsquo;re in the weight room, you&rsquo;re on the ice, we&rsquo;ve been chasing it all season. The legacy of this trophy is only going to keep growing and growing, but to be the first, it&rsquo;s an honor and a privilege. It&rsquo;s extremely special, and it took an entire team effort.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_pwhl_011/10309635-1-eng-US/champs_pwhl_0112.png" title="champs_pwhl_011" width="2120" height="1419"></div><p>On the other side of the puck, the loss in the final was difficult for Boston to handle. But in the PWHL&rsquo;s first season, even moments after the loss, Boston&rsquo;s veterans were able to see the moment for what it was: an historic event in women&rsquo;s hockey that was very meaningful. The fans in attendance in Lowell, Mass., seemed to understand the gravity of the moment as well. They remained on their feet chanting &ldquo;Thank you, Boston&rdquo; following the game and cheered equally for Minnesota as its players celebrated. As the PWHL has stated on many occasions, it was about the movement, not the moment.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_pwhl_005/10309628-1-eng-US/champs_pwhl_0052.png" title="champs_pwhl_005" width="1461" height="601"></div><p>&ldquo;It was pretty emotional,&rdquo; said Boston&rsquo;s Jamie Lee Rattray. &ldquo;It was pretty special what we had here. We wanted to win on home ice, but (the fans) still stuck with us throughout the whole game. On one end of it, you&rsquo;re just a human showing up to play the sport you love. And when you get out on the ice with the group, you see the young faces. You see faces from all over. You realize how much you&rsquo;re a part of something bigger than yourself.&rdquo;</p><p>It was a point echoed by Boston captain Hilary Knight. Knight similarly acknowledged the fan support Boston received playing Game 5 in front of a sold-out crowd at the Tsongas Center in Lowell. Despite being on the losing end of the final series, she also recognized how important the game was for the league. &ldquo;When we came to the room, that&rsquo;s all we were doing is reflecting on how proud of our group we are,&rdquo; Knight said. &ldquo;This year was a historic year. It was tough, and it was something no player was ever used to. We built it, and we&rsquo;re extremely ecstatic about where it is in Year 1.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_pwhl_013/10309621-1-eng-US/champs_pwhl_0132.png" title="champs_pwhl_013" width="1366" height="1052"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>A YEAR TO REMEMBER</b></p><p>Heise, the PWHL&rsquo;s first-everNo. 1 draft pick, capped her season as the league&rsquo;s first-ever playoff MVP.</p></figcaption></div><p>Year 1 of the PWHL came and went in under six months. The league only finalized its venues weeks prior to puck drop on Jan. 1, 2024, they continued to evolve the schedule during the season, and teams played without nicknames or logos. The league ushered in unique rules including the shorthanded &ldquo;jailbreak&rdquo; goal, the Gold Plan to determine who selects first overall in the draft, a 3-2-1 point system for regular-season games, and the reintroduction of bodychecking to women&rsquo;s hockey.</p><p>More importantly, for the first time ever, the PWHL brought together all of North America&rsquo;s top players under one roof, and it is preparing for a wave of European talent next season to grow on the dozen nations represented in the PWHL&rsquo;s player pool in Year 1.</p><p>Looking at the PWHL&rsquo;s inaugural season historically, Minnesota will go down as champions. But there were winners across the board in the league, among fans, and for the next generation of women in hockey. As PWHL advisory board member Stan Kasten stated at a press conference during the PWHL final, he &ldquo;couldn&rsquo;t have imagined how the year would play out, how we would set attendance records and sponsorship records and viewing records.&rdquo;</p><p>The success of the league was on full display during the PWHL final. It was on display in Heise&rsquo;s MVP performance, in the stellar netminding of Nicole Hensley and Frankel in the final, and in the veteran leadership of Coyne Schofield. It was the caliber of hockey that made the season a success, and nowhere was that more apparent than during the PWHL final&rsquo;s five-game series and Minnesota&rsquo;s championship performance. As Kasten stated, it&rsquo;s only the beginning for the league.</p><p>&ldquo;The thing that made it work really was what I said on opening day: we got the hockey right,&rdquo; Kasten said. &ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t know our playoffs until after the last game on the last day. Who could have imagined that we&rsquo;d put together a system that would have worked out that perfectly? You see how close and competitive the playoffs have been, and as exciting as this is for all of us, we can&rsquo;t wait to get started on Year 2 because we know with a whole summer to prepare, it&rsquo;s going to be even better.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

champs_pwhl_006

First And Forever

<div class="byline">BY IAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="champs_pwhl_014" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_pwhl_014/10309750-1-eng-US/champs_pwhl_0142.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>NATALIE SPOONER & BILLIE JEAN KING</b></p><p></p> <span class="photo-credit">(PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PWHL)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HE INAUGURAL PWHL SEASON</b> was an off-ice success for several reasons, including record-setting attendance and the development of fan bases. But as the league said repeatedly, it was the on-ice product they got right before all else. That accomplishment was due largely to the game&rsquo;s star players, who were recognized at the first PWHL Awards ceremony, held in St. Paul, Minn.</p><p>The event honored the league&rsquo;s first and second all-star teams, all-rookie team and handed out awards for goalie of the year, defender of the year, rookie of the year, coach of the year and the Billie Jean King Award for league MVP.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/pwhl_toront_015/10309743-1-eng-US/pwhl_toront_0152.png" title="pwhl_toront_015" width="341" height="341"></div><h3><b>BILLIE JEAN KING MVP</b></h3><h2><b>&gt;NATALIE SPOONER</b></h2><p><b>WHEN TORONTO STRUGGLED</b> to score early in the season, Spooner carried the team. She accounted for a staggering 29 percent of Toronto&rsquo;s goals this season and recorded a point on 39.1 percent of all tallies. When Spooner went down with an injury in the playoffs, it ended Toronto&rsquo;s year.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/pwhl_montre_016/10309736-1-eng-US/pwhl_montre_0162.png" title="pwhl_montre_016" width="751" height="751"></div><h3><b>DEFENDER OF THE YEAR</b></h3><h2><b>&gt;ERIN AMBROSE</b></h2><p><b>AMBROSE SCORED 18</b> points in 24 games, which was second among blueliners and tied for ninth overall. She then averaged a mind-boggling 40:13 per game in the playoffs. No PWHL defender shouldered more of a load than Ambrose, and she did it with ease on both sides of the puck.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-01263/10309729-1-eng-US/f0059-012.png" title="f0059-01" width="341" height="341"></div><h3><b>GOALIE OF THE YEAR</b></h3><h2><b>&gt;KRISTEN CAMPBELL</b></h2><p><b>CAMPBELL WAS NEARLY</b> unbeatable this season, posting a 1.99 goals-against average and .927 save percentage along with three shutouts to earn the award. &ldquo;The low-scoring games are just a testament to the elite level of goaltending we have in the PWHL,&rdquo; Campbell said.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-02173/10309722-1-eng-US/f0059-022.png" title="f0059-02" width="341" height="341"></div><h3><b>FORWARD OF THE YEAR</b></h3><h2><b>&gt;NATALIE SPOONER</b></h2><p><b>SPOONER WASN&rsquo;T ONLY</b> the MVP, she also won the league&rsquo;s scoring title and goal-scoring crown with 20 goals and 27 points in 24 games. Accepting her awards on crutches following knee surgery, the power forward acknowledged the moment, saying her &ldquo;dream has come true.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/pwhl_minnes_0082/10309715-1-eng-US/pwhl_minnes_0082.png" title="pwhl_minnes_008" width="241" height="240"></div><h3><b>ROOKIE OF THE YEAR</b></h3><h2><b>&gt;GRACE ZUMWINKLE</b></h2><p><b>THE 25-YEAR-OLD</b> University of Minnesota grad stepped into a star-studded PWHL Minnesota lineup and finished as the team&rsquo;s top scorer, with 11 goals and 19 points. The power forward was a key contributor in Minnesota&rsquo;s Walter Cup-winning year, finishing tied for seventh in league scoring.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-03124/10309708-1-eng-US/f0059-032.png" title="f0059-03" width="341" height="341"></div><h3><b>COACH OF THE YEAR</b></h3><h2><b>&gt;TROY RYAN</b></h2><p><b>RYAN GUIDED TORONTO</b> to a 13-4-0-7 record in the regular season, including an 11-game winning streak, to finish first. &ldquo;You know it&rsquo;s not about you,&rdquo; Ryan said. &ldquo;You know it&rsquo;s not you doing that work. You&rsquo;re that representative of that coaching group and your team to get an award.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-0498/10309701-1-eng-US/f0059-042.png" title="f0059-04" width="751" height="751"></div><h3><b>HOCKEY FOR ALL AWARD</b></h3><h2><b>&gt;MAUREEN MURPHY</b></h2><p><b>THE MONTREAL ROOKIE</b> spent several hundred hours volunteering at long-term care facilities alongside her dog, Bean. Working with residents with dementia and Alzheimer&rsquo;s, Murphy balanced school and volunteering, and she still managed to finish tied for 13th in league scoring.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

champs_pwhl_014

PWHL Awards

<div class="byline">BY CAROL SCHRAM</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="champs_worl_074" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_worl_074/10309809-1-eng-US/champs_worl_0742.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(PHOTOS BY JAN BENES/CZECH ICE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>&ldquo;WHOEVER DOESN&rsquo;T JUMP ISN&rsquo;T</b> Czech. Jump, jump, jump!&rdquo;</p><p>That&rsquo;s the English translation of the chant that accompanies the bouncing frenzy that Czech hockey fans whip up during games. The capacity of Prague&rsquo;s O2 Arena is just over 17,000. When everyone inside is jumping, Prague-based sports journalist Luke Fisher says the earth literally moves. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re on the top tier, you can definitely feel it shake,&rdquo; he said.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/czechrep23/10309802-1-eng-US/czechrep2.jpg" title="czechrep" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>On May 26, the Czechs&rsquo; 2-0 World Championship win over Switzerland in the gold-medal game could have brought the roof down once and for all. To say the fans were fired up would be a massive understatement.</p><p>A Prague resident for the past seven years, Fisher said the official fan zone outside the arena began filling up by early afternoon on gold-medal day &ndash; hours ahead the 8:20 p.m. puck drop. Viewing parties around the country, including at Prague&rsquo;s famous Old Town Square, were also filled to capacity.</p><p>After two scoreless periods, with the Czechs holding a 23-17 edge in shots, Pavel Zacha, who was playing in his first World Championship, described the atmosphere inside the arena to TSN&rsquo;s Lindsay Hamilton: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s really loud out here. The fans are incredible. We just have to go and win it for them tonight.&rdquo;</p><p>The low score came as no surprise, as the final was a battle between the event&rsquo;s two best defensive teams. Captained by star D-man Roman Josi, the Swiss had surrendered just 15 goals in their first nine games. Veteran goalie Leonardo Genoni led the tourney with a .941 save percentage.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Czechs had given up 17 goals in nine games as Lukas Dostal, then 23, claimed the starter&rsquo;s job over veterans Petr Mrazek and Karel Vejmelka. Dostal went into the gold-medal game with a .929 SP and two crucial shutouts, in the tournament-opening 1-0 shootout win over Finland and the Czechs&rsquo; 1-0 quarterfinal victory over the high-scoring United States.</p><p>The jumping started early in the tournament finale. But when the game was still deadlocked through 40 minutes of play, the jubilant energy turned more tense. &ldquo;For about five minutes into the third period, the Swiss were getting there,&rdquo; Fisher said. &ldquo;You could sense that everyone was getting nervous.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_worl_075/10309795-1-eng-US/champs_worl_0752.png" title="champs_worl_075" width="1367" height="1416"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>JAROMIR JAGR & DAVID PASTRNAK</b></p></figcaption></div><p>Seven minutes into the third period, the Swiss momentum hit a wall in the form of winger Ondrej Palat. He laid a thunderous defensive-zone hit on Switzerland&rsquo;s Andrea Glauser that cracked the plexiglass along the right-wing boards. During the six-minute pause while a new pane was installed, the fans jumped and shouted while David Pastrnak, who had been held pointless since arriving from Boston in time for the final game of the round-robin, relaxed on the bench with his helmet off, sweaty hair characteristically askew.</p><p>At the Swiss bench, Josi huddled his teammates to remind them how close they were to bringing home gold for the first time in tournament history.</p><p>When play resumed, the Czechs brought the thunder. A Radko Gudas hipcheck upended Andres Ambuhl in front of the Swiss bench, inciting a chant of, &ldquo;We want a goal!&rdquo;</p><p>Then, with 10:47 remaining in regulation, it came. Taking an offensive-zone faceoff after an icing, Zacha won the draw cleanly back to Libor Hajek on the left point. Hajek fed it along the blueline to his defense partner, Tomas Kundratek, who wired a seam pass to the left faceoff dot. Pastrnak was wide open for the one-timer. As Josi attempted a desperation kick save, the puck rocketed over Genoni&rsquo;s right shoulder.</p><p>Pastrnak slid to center ice with his arms in the air. &ldquo;I told myself I would never, ever celebrate on my knees,&rdquo; Pastrnak said. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t even know there were so many emotions that could be brought out of me, but you know what? I was crazy.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_worl_076/10309788-1-eng-US/champs_worl_0762.png" title="champs_worl_076" width="1462" height="1052"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>RADIM RULIK</b></p></figcaption></div><p>The golden goal was Pastrnak&rsquo;s 30th point in 32 games over five World Championships. His hat trick that lifted the Czechs to an 8-4 win over Team USA in the 2022 bronze-medal game in Finland had already conferred legend status upon him, but this goal made him an instant national hero.</p><p>The Swiss kept pressing. But after David Kampf outraced Josi to tap the insurance goal into an empty net with 19 seconds remaining, the bedlam hit maximum volume.</p><p>This year&rsquo;s event set a tournament-record 797,727 attendance figure. That beat the previous mark by more than 50,000, which came the last time the worlds were held in Czechia in 2015. That year, the locals settled for a fourth-place finish. But the entire fortnight was a tribute to local hero Jaromir Jagr, the Triple Gold Club member who earned tourney MVP honors with a six-goal, nine-point output in his final national-team appearance in his 10th worlds at 43.</p><p>After he&rsquo;d been inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame earlier in the day, Jagr fittingly presented Pastrnak with his player-of-the-game award for the final, before the medals were handed out. &ldquo;Pastrnak is arguably the millennial and Gen-Z Jagr,&rdquo; Fisher said. &ldquo;To have that photo of the two of them, I thought it was quite cool.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_worl_077/10309781-1-eng-US/champs_worl_0772.png" title="champs_worl_077" width="1367" height="1593"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>PERFECT PASTA</b></p><p>Pastrnak arrived late after being eliminated from the NHL playoffs, but his golden goal was impeccably timed.</p></figcaption></div><p>The only holdover from the Czechs&rsquo; last gold, in 2010, captain Roman Cervenka then hoisted the trophy aloft amid a sea of gold confetti.</p><p>Dostal also collected some individual hardware, being named top goaltender by the IIHF Directorate and in the media awards voting.</p><p>The gold medal bumped the Czechs up four spots in the IIHF&rsquo;s world rankings, to fourth place.</p><p>That helps fuel the nation&rsquo;s excitement for Italy in 2026, where NHL players will compete on the Olympic stage for the first time since 2014. This generation would love nothing more than to add a 21st-century Olympic gold to go along with the Jagr/Hasek-era triumph from Nagano in 1998.</p><p>After witnessing this year&rsquo;s euphoric celebration in Old Town Square, Fisher is keen to see more. &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t think what they&rsquo;ll do if they win the Olympics if this is what they do when they win the worlds,&rdquo; he said.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

champs_worl_074

Jumping For Joy

<div class="byline">BY ERIN BROWN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="champs_worl_013" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_worl_013/10309868-1-eng-US/champs_worl_0132.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>WINNING FEELING</b></p><p>Canada outlasted the U.S. with an overtime victory to strike gold at the 2024 women&rsquo;s worlds.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(DANIEL DELOACH/UTICA OBSERVER-DISPATCH)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>C</span>ANADA IS BACK ON</b> top of the world in the women&rsquo;s game, and it raised the bar &ndash; yet again &ndash; to get there. The Canadians defeated the United States in a frenetic 6-5 overtime thriller to take gold at the 2024 IIHF Women&rsquo;s World Championship in Utica, N.Y.</p><p>After the Americans were penalized for too many players on the ice in overtime, Canada capitalized. Danielle Serdachny scored with two seconds remaining in the 4-on-3 advantage with a no-look, backhand shot past goalie Aerin Frankel.</p><p>The victory gave Canada its 13th gold medal at the world championship and third in the past four years. &ldquo;It was pretty much back-and-forth goals.&rdquo; Serdachny said. &ldquo;Pretty wild. I would say both ways no lead was really safe until the overtime goal.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/hockey_cana_015/10309861-1-eng-US/hockey_cana_0152.jpg" title="hockey_cana_015" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>The Canada-U.S. rivalry always delivers a fantastic matchup, but even these games felt different. With both rosters comprised exclusively of PWHL and NCAA players &ndash; the Canadians skewing professional, the Americans more collegiate &ndash; the breathless play reflected what is possible with investment in the game.</p><p>When the undefeated teams met in the final round-robin game, the U.S. claimed top spot in Group A with a 1-0 overtime triumph. It was just the third time since 1990 that the rivals saw a World Championship game end with only a single goal scored. Less than a week later, they combined for double digits in goals, also for just the third time in that span.</p><p>The all-time series at the worlds is now tied at 18-18. Canada has a slight 104-103 advantage in goals, with Serdachny&rsquo;s tally giving the Canadians a little more to needle the Americans about for the next year. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know what the secret sauce is,&rdquo; Canada&rsquo;s Emily Clark said. &ldquo;The rivalry is amazing, but I think it&rsquo;s just pure passion on both sides, and that&rsquo;s a credit to the 23 people on each side. We&rsquo;ve been pushing the game year after year, and it&rsquo;s been a new height to this season. What an amazing world championship final to complement the amazing year it&rsquo;s been for women&rsquo;s hockey.&rdquo;</p><p>Numbers only tell part of the story, however. Players from both sides remarked how the games between the rivals in this event were among the most intense in which they&rsquo;ve taken part.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_worl_016/10309854-1-eng-US/champs_worl_0162.png" title="champs_worl_016" width="1367" height="1947"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>EMILY CLARK</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(DANIEL DELOACH/UTICA OBSERVER-DISPATCH)</span></figcaption></div><p>In the first meeting, Canada set an early physical tone with defender Renata Fast delivering a brutal hit on Kendall Coyne Schofield just seconds in. The Americans responded by doubling down on their speed to control puck possession. The U.S. dominated Canada 7-0 on shots in overtime. Kirsten Simms, 19, used an unintentional screen by Team Canada captain Marie-Philip Poulin and scored five-hole on Ann-Renee Desbiens. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the fastest game I&rsquo;ve ever played,&rdquo; Simms said. &ldquo;The most physical game I&rsquo;ve ever played. But super-fun hockey at the end of the day.&rdquo;</p><p>Said Canadian coach Troy Ryan following the round-robin loss: &rdquo;I don&rsquo;t think we&rsquo;re overly stressed about it, to be honest. You come into the game trying to win, but you&rsquo;re trying to learn as much as you can about the opposition to continue to get better.&rdquo;</p><p>When the game counted for more than seeding, Canada had learned its lessons: match the Americans&rsquo; speed and control the pace. It worked, but the U.S. kept fighting back.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_worl_014/10309847-1-eng-US/champs_worl_0142.png" title="champs_worl_014" width="1367" height="1439"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>DANIELLE SERDACHNY</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(DANIEL DELOACH/UTICA OBSERVER-DISPATCH)</span></figcaption></div><p>The gold-medal game featured five lead changes, including three in the first two periods alone. In the third period, the sides combined for four goals in a span of six minutes. &ldquo;It was surreal,&rdquo; Poulin said. &ldquo;My heart went through a lot during that game.&rdquo;</p><p>After Poulin was sent off for an illegal hit on American winger Britta Curl, Hilary Knight gave the U.S. a 4-3 lead with a power-play goal at 8:56 of the third period &ndash; and likely gave the Canadians flashbacks to Knight&rsquo;s third-period surge in Team USA&rsquo;s 6-3 golden win in Brampton, Ont., in 2023.</p><p>Clark, however, squared it less than two minutes later by banking a pass from below the goal line off of defender Caroline Harvey&rsquo;s shinpad. &ldquo;It was just my dad in the back of my mind saying, &lsquo;It&rsquo;s never bad to get pucks on net,&rsquo; &rdquo; Clark said. &ldquo;The hockey gods treat you once in a while. For either team to just come back after a lead and tie and get ahead, it&rsquo;s an emotional rollercoaster.&rdquo;</p><p>Poulin, who had been held without a goal until the gold-medal game, registered her second of the contest to put the Canadians ahead at 12:19 of the third. Left all alone at the right side of the net, the captain took whacks at no fewer than three rebounds before getting one past Frankel.</p><p>Harvey then atoned for her earlier miscue, one-timing a Lacey Eden pass into the net just under three minutes after Poulin&rsquo;s tally to even it at 5-5.</p><p>The U.S. nearly took the lead late in the third period when a puck trickled dangerously close to an open net. Defender Ella Shelton redirected it away to preserve the tie. The teams combined for just one shot apiece in the fast-paced 3-on-3 OT. Serdachny had the only one that mattered, sending about half of the more than 4,000 fans who travelled south of the border to Adirondack Bank Center into a frenzy.</p><p>But in a season that saw major growth in women&rsquo;s hockey with the start of the PWHL and numerous attendance records set across North America, even a stinging loss on home ice had a silver lining. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s awesome,&rdquo; said American forward Laila Edwards, who captured MVP honors with six goals and eight points, tying teammate Alex Carpenter for the tournament lead in goals. &ldquo;It gives me chills. I know it&rsquo;s going to grow even greater and larger.&rdquo;</p><p>Added Canada&rsquo;s Poulin: &ldquo;Coming here to a rink where people are cheering for the women on the ice, you can feel it. It&rsquo;s more than just showing up for one game. People are proud to be part of that movement, and I&rsquo;m very happy to see that.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

champs_worl_013

Lucky 13 For Canada

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="champs_ahl3_025" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_ahl3_025/10309906-1-eng-US/champs_ahl3_0252.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(TRAVIS BOYD/SPECIAL TO THE DAILY NEWS)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_ahl1_023/10309927-1-eng-US/champs_ahl1_0232.png" title="champs_ahl1_023" width="2505" height="1798"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(TORI HARTMAN/HERSHEY BEARS)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HAT WITH ALL THE</b> moving around this season &ndash; nine times in all between Hershey and Washington &ndash; Hendrix Lapierre never got the chance to get his guitar out of storage. So, when he gets around to strumming it this summer in an effort to knock &lsquo;Learn how to play the guitar&rsquo; off his bucket list, he won&rsquo;t quite sound like the rock star after whom he is named. But he&rsquo;ll work on mastering that before moving on to the next one, &lsquo;Learn how to speak Russian.&rsquo;</p><p>If you&rsquo;re getting the idea right about now that Lapierre is something of an eclectic young man, well, your momma didn&rsquo;t raise no dummy. You don&rsquo;t see that too often in hockey. While he&rsquo;s learning how to play the guitar and speak Russian, Lapierre will simultaneously try to put a checkmark beside &lsquo;Become an impact center in the NHL.&rsquo; He&rsquo;s already on his way, in part because &lsquo;Become the winner of the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the MVP of the Calder Cup playoffs&rsquo; has already been accomplished.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/hersheynew7/10309920-1-eng-US/hersheynew2.jpg" title="hersheynew" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>It&rsquo;s not as though the young man had a choice in the matter, but he could have accepted playing in a second straight AHL playoff by skating over his bottom lip, otherwise known as the demotion big pout. But despite playing 51 NHL games with the Capitals &ndash; putting up eight goals and 22 points &ndash; and establishing himself as an NHLer, Lapierre embraced the opportunity to keep playing. He led Hershey in playoff scoring and was a driving force behind the Bears&rsquo; second Calder Cup win in as many years.</p><p>Last year as a rookie, even though he scored the goal that sent Game 7 to overtime &ndash; which the Bears won over the Coachella Valley Firebirds &ndash; he was kind of along for the ride. With the Bears defeating the Firebirds again in the 2024 final, &ldquo;He was driving the bus this time,&rdquo; said Washington GM Brian MacLellan.</p><p>And by driving the metaphorical bus in Hershey, there&rsquo;s a good chance the only bus Lapierre will ride from now on will be the one that transports the Washington Capitals from their boutique hotel to the rink, then to the airport when they&rsquo;re on the road.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_ahl2_024/10309913-1-eng-US/champs_ahl2_0242.png" title="champs_ahl2_024" width="1367" height="1296"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>TWICE AS NICE</b></p><p>Things got repetitive for Lapierre this spring, with his Bears again besting Coachella Valley in the AHL final.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(TORI HARTMAN/HERSHEY BEARS)</span></figcaption></div><p>If you can believe it, goals are even harder to come by in the AHL than they are in the NHL. And in that environment, Lapierre had a hand in 22 of them (seven goals, 15 assists), centering the top line for 20 games between Joe Snively and Ethen Frank for the Bears. The three of them finished 1-2-3 in playoff scoring, with Lapierre displaying his offensive chops, just the way MacLellan wanted him to when he decided to leave a spot on the Bears roster for Lapierre instead of veteran pro Michael Sgarbossa after the Capitals were swept in the first round of the NHL playoffs.</p><p>While Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin was getting sand all over himself playing beach volleyball in late June, Lapierre was grinding through the playoffs for a town of 15,000 that is known as much for its chocolate factory as it is for being a minor-pro juggernaut. But instead of accepting the playoff designation as a demotion, Lapierre embraced it as an opportunity.</p><p>&ldquo;Whatever the (Capitals) want me to do, I&rsquo;ll do it,&rdquo; said Lapierre, 22. &ldquo;I knew there was a possibility they wanted me to come back (to Hershey), and I&rsquo;m super happy to be a part of this group and win another Calder Cup. I listen to whatever the team wants me to do, and if they think that&rsquo;s what is best for me, so be it. And it turned out perfect. We had a great one, and I learned a bunch of new things.&rdquo;</p><p>One of those things, presumably, was how to thrive in a league where the players really mean business. Many veteran hockey people maintain the largest gulf a young player ever has to span is going from major junior to the AHL &ndash; not from the AHL to the NHL. It&rsquo;s in the AHL where the real lessons of becoming a pro are learned, and if you can excel in that environment at 22, it augurs well for the future.</p><p>Lapierre was recalled in late February by the Capitals and provided a spark of positive energy for a team playing for its playoff life down the stretch. By the time he returned to Hershey, he felt ready to dominate, and more importantly, he felt ready to prove that he can be a two-way center with the offensive ability to skate on the top line and play the power play.</p><p>&ldquo;Obviously, my role was different than last year,&rdquo; Lapierre said. &ldquo;And my abilities are as well. I&rsquo;m a different person and a player than I was last season. Everything was new last year, especially with the playoffs. This time, I knew what to expect, and I was comfortable with everything.&rdquo;</p><p>Back to the guitar and Russian, Lapierre sheepishly admitted he&rsquo;s let his Babel lessons slide a bit and playing <i>Wonderwall</i> would be a mess at the moment. But he definitely wants to get working on those pursuits.</p><p>When Lapierre played major junior for QMJHL Chicoutimi, he enrolled in health and wellness courses at Algonquin College. He spends a lot of his free time reading books. While he&rsquo;s intent on extracting as much out of his hockey career as he&rsquo;s able, Lapierre wants to use the downtime that pro athletes have to expand his universe off the ice.</p><p>That will start by being in Washington next season and having his guitar with him. Dylan Strome has the No. 1 center spot locked down, but anything beyond that is up for grabs. The Capitals acquired Pierre-Luc Dubois in June, and he could take the No. 2 job down the middle or play the wing.</p><p>But one thing is all but certain. After living out of a hotel while playing for the Capitals this season, Lapierre is eager to hear coach Spencer Carbery soon tell him to get permanent living arrangements.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s got NHL speed, and both his offensive and defensive games are really improving,&rdquo; MacLellan said. &ldquo;He could be a first-line center, a second-line center. It&rsquo;s all open for him. Something would really have to happen for him to not be in our lineup next season. His progression is indicating he belongs in the NHL.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

champs_ahl3_025

AHL Along the Watchtower

<div class="byline">BY TONY FERRARI</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="champs_memo_055" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_memo_055/10309965-1-eng-US/champs_memo_0552.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ERIC YOUNG/DREAM BIGGER MEDIA/SAGINAW SPIRIT)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>Y</span>OU COULD FEEL THE</b> electricity in the air every time the Saginaw Spirit took the ice at the Dow Event Center during the Memorial Cup. The home team was energized by its fans all week long, and it culminated in the franchise&rsquo;s first Memorial Cup championship. Sitting in the stands during the final, you could sense the passion that emanated from the fans throughout the game against London, which ended 4-3. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re champions,&rdquo; said one Saginaw fan to his wife as the clock hit zero. &ldquo;I have never been a champion!&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/saginaw_spi_056/10309972-1-eng-US/saginaw_spi_0562.jpg" title="saginaw_spi_056" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>As the final seconds ticked down, the jubilation of the crowd was matched only by the glove-throwing players on the ice. For the players, the win was for more than just the guy next to them on the bench. This was a win for the fans.</p><p>All week, when you spoke to Spirit fans, they talked about how ingrained the team was with the community this year. They spoke about how this year&rsquo;s squad felt special. They spoke about how it felt like the energy the fans gave helped fire up the team each and every night. &ldquo;Watching what the Memorial Cup has done for our community, we&rsquo;re not just playing for ourselves,&rdquo; said Spirit coach Chris Lazary before the final. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re playing for this city. We&rsquo;re playing for this community. We&rsquo;re playing for anyone that&rsquo;s ever cheered us on. It&rsquo;s overwhelming &ndash; in a good way.&rdquo;</p><p>The victory over London served as redemption after the Spirit lost in six games to the Knights in Round 3 of the OHL playoffs.</p><p>Saginaw&rsquo;s Memorial Cup win was the first by an American team since the WHL&rsquo;s Spokane Chiefs won in 2008 and the first ever for an American OHL franchise. The community was prominently featured throughout the tournament. The showcase that the city of Saginaw put on all week with Fan Fest and all the events that went with it &ndash; from concerts to games to displays of hockey memorabilia and history &ndash; it all fed into the inspiration that the Spirit used to fuel the team to victory.</p><p>If you took a stroll through Fan Fest outside of the Dow Event Center, you might spot coach Lazary conversing with fans of not just the Spirit but fans from around the CHL. In the Hockey Hall of Fame display, you could run into players like Michael Misa, Owen Beck or Josh Bloom taking in the history of the game.</p><p>It was fitting Bloom was the one to score the title-winning goal with 22 seconds remaining in the final. Originally drafted by Saginaw in 2019, Bloom was named captain prior to 2022-23. As the Spirit realized their competitive peak would be the following season &ndash; the same season they would host the Memorial Cup &ndash; they made the tough decision to trade Bloom to a contender to give him a chance to win. Bloom moved on to North Bay and, unfortunately, came up short of an OHL crown. But, sometimes, fate has a different script. Bloom turned pro to start this season and began the year in Abbotsford with the Vancouver Canucks&rsquo; AHL affiliate. After a trying start, which included an ECHL stint, Bloom was sent back to junior by the Canucks in January. He then signed with the same Spirit team that drafted him four years prior.</p><p>Bloom was the first piece moved last year as GM Dave Drinkill began to build the team for this year&rsquo;s Memorial Cup run. And Bloom was also the final piece Drinkill added this season as Saginaw looked to bolster its roster. &ldquo;This is the moment I came back for. Look at this. You couldn&rsquo;t have written this script better,&rdquo; said Bloom while gesturing to the crowd after the win. &ldquo;You see friends, family, familiar faces. They deserve this.&rdquo; It was a poetic ending for Bloom&rsquo;s junior career as he was able to reunite with the community of Saginaw to make good on the promise of a championship. &ldquo;It lets people know Saginaw is a hockey town,&rdquo; Bloom said. &ldquo;Saginaw is hockey town and forever will be.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

champs_memo_055

Spirit In The Sky

<div class="byline">BY DENIS GIBBONS</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="champs_cent_046" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_cent_046/10310024-1-eng-US/champs_cent_0462.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(PHOTOS BY DENIS GIBBONS)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>THE SECOND TIME AROUND</b> proved lucky for Collingwood.</p><p>Jack Silverman scored the only goal of the game early in the second period, and Noah Pak posted the shutout as the Ontario-based Blues won their first Centennial Cup with a 1-0 victory over the Melfort Mustangs from Saskatchewan.</p><p>Silverman will play at Middlebury College in Vermont next season, while Pak is headed to Yale.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/collingwood_047/10310017-1-eng-US/collingwood_0472.png" title="collingwood_047" width="433" height="433"></div><p>Blues coach Andrew Campoli&rsquo;s Centennial Cup roster featured 12 players who played in the 2023 event, where the Blues lost to the Ottawa Jr. Senators in the quarterfinals.</p><p>&ldquo;We were the only team in this year&rsquo;s tournament that was there last year, so it&rsquo;s good we could finish the job,&rdquo; Campoli said. &ldquo;They were a bigger team, but everybody put their body on the line and did their job.&rdquo;</p><p>Collingwood went undefeated at the Canadian Jr. A championship after breezing to the Ontario Junior League title this year, losing only 10 games out of 75 played in both the regular season and playoffs combined.</p><p>Melfort was 5-0-0 with a plus-21 goal differential entering the Centennial Cup final, which was played on the international-sized ice surface of the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex in Oakville, Ont.</p><p>The Blues eliminated New Brunswick&rsquo;s Miramichi Timberwolves in one semifinal, while Melfort downed the Calgary Canucks in the other.</p><p>Surprisingly, not a single Collingwood player won an individual award. Julien Gervais of the Canucks, who tied Blues captain Dylan Hudon for the scoring lead, was named MVP. Dalton Andrew of the Winkler Flyers (Man.) was named best forward, Leith Olafson of Melfort best defender, Jaeden Nelson of the Navan Grads (Ont.) best goalie and Riley Hearn of Calgary most sportsmanlike player.</p><p>The Blues became the first OJHL champion to win Canada&rsquo;s national Jr. A crown since the Aurora Tigers in 2007.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_cent_048/10310010-1-eng-US/champs_cent_0482.png" title="champs_cent_048" width="1367" height="1277"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>DYLAN HUDON & ANDREW CAMPOLI</b></p></figcaption></div><p>The British Columbia League parted ways with Hockey Canada in 2023, so there was no team from that league competing in this year&rsquo;s Centennial Cup tournament.</p><p>In addition, five clubs from the Alberta Junior League who have joined the BCHL &ndash; including the Brooks Bandits, who&rsquo;d won the past three Centennial Cups in 2019, 2022 and 2023 (there was no tourney in 2020 or 2021 due to COVID) &ndash; were ineligible to take part.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

champs_cent_046

True Blues

<div class="byline">BY TONY FERRARI</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="champs_ohl1_051" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_ohl1_051/10310062-1-eng-US/champs_ohl1_0512.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(WILD WAVE PHOTOGRAPHY/LONDON KNIGHTS)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span>FTER REACHING THE OHL</b> final with a young roster and falling to the Peterborough Petes last season, the London Knights made their way back and took home the 2024 J. Ross Robertson Cup &ndash; and they made it look easy along the way.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/london_knig_052/10310069-1-eng-US/london_knig_0522.jpg" title="london_knig_052" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>The Knights run to the 2023 final was a bit of a surprise, but that didn&rsquo;t take away the bitter taste that an OHL final loss left in their mouths. They had some vets, but the core of their team was young, developing talent like 2023 draft-eligible players Easton Cowan, Denver Barkey and Oliver Bonk. They also had 16-year-old defenseman Sam Dickinson playing big minutes down the stretch and into the playoffs.</p><p>A year later, all of those players were ready to take on bigger roles. The Knights had bolstered their roster with import winger Kasper Halttunen, overage center Kaleb Lawrence, and most importantly, they added the netminder who helped defeat them in the final last year, Michael Simpson. &ldquo;Every group is different, and we have a special group,&rdquo; Simpson said. &ldquo;This team could do everything. They scored. They played tight &lsquo;D.&rsquo; It&rsquo;s special. When you&rsquo;re old and grey, it&rsquo;s going to be something you remember for the rest of your life.&rdquo;</p><p>With three-year starter Brett Brochu aging out of the OHL, the Knights needed someone they could rely on. Simpson solidified the crease, making the all-OHL second team. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s got the experience from last year that has helped us all season long,&rdquo; Cowan said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s been huge for us. We wouldn&rsquo;t be here without his leadership.&rdquo;</p><p>The growth and development of the young core, particularly their dynamic duo of Cowan and Barkey (often referred to as the &lsquo;London Knights&rsquo; Twins&rsquo;), was the driving force for this Knights club. But neither Cowan nor Barkey was willing to take sole credit. &ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t have done any of it without these boys,&rdquo; Cowan said. &ldquo;They battled with me each and every night and made me better along the way.&rdquo;</p><p>Barkey echoed that sentiment. &ldquo;It was really disappointing last year, but everyone that came back held onto those lessons.&rdquo;</p><p>Cowan led the playoffs in scoring, which led to him being named post-season MVP. Barkey finished tied for third in scoring throughout the championship run. They dominated play offensively and didn&rsquo;t give their opponents room to breathe when on defense.</p><p>The Knights swept three of their four series in the playoffs, losing just two games to the Saginaw Spirit in the third round. The Knights had no intention of reliving the feeling of last year. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the feeling of losing,&rdquo; coach Dale Hunter said. &ldquo;Nobody wants to go through it again. We went through that last year, and it&rsquo;s not a good feeling to have in the pit of your stomach. The kids wanted to redeem themselves. And we did.&rdquo;</p><p>The idea of redemption was prominent for this team. Almost every player spoke about not wanting to repeat past mistakes and playing within the system. Most of all, they talked about not letting the guys around them down.</p><p>The core members of this group are all eligible to return to the Knights next season. Cowan, Barkey, Bonk and Dickinson will likely all suit up for this squad again. They have to replace some of the pieces around them &ndash; like Simpson in net &ndash; but this team is built for another run.</p><p>A year from now, we may not be talking about redemption. Instead, we might be talking about the legacy of this group in OHL history.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

champs_ohl1_051

Knight Time

<div class="byline">BY WILL MACLAREN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="champs_qmjh_053" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_qmjh_053/10310114-1-eng-US/champs_qmjh_0532.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>CIRCUIT BREAKERS</b></p><p>The Voltigeurs swept the QMJHL final and lost just three games in total in the four rounds of the playoffs.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(VINCENT ETHIER/QMJHL)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>L</span>AST SEASON, IT FELT</b> like every step forward defenseman Mikael Diotte and the Drummondville Voltigeurs took, there were two steps backward on the horizon. So, entering 2023-24 under a fourth coach and third GM in two years, Diotte and the Volts could&rsquo;ve been forgiven for looking at the road ahead with a leery eye.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/drummondvil_054/10310107-1-eng-US/drummondvil_0542.jpg" title="drummondvil_054" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>It&rsquo;s all the more reason to applaud the team&rsquo;s ability to move past a prolonged period of underachievement. &ldquo;We had a couple tough years,&rdquo; Diotte said. &ldquo;But this year, the guys showed up with a different mindset. Despite everything that had happened in the past, we believed in ourselves.&rdquo;</p><p>By the end of the playoffs, the Voltigeurs had made believers out of everybody. Following up on a 102-point regular season, Drummondville lost just three times in dispatching the Saint John Sea Dogs, Sherbrooke Phoenix and Victoriaville Tigres before sweeping the regular-season champion Baie-Comeau Drakkar to claim the organization&rsquo;s first QMJHL playoff crown in 15 years.</p><p>What felt like a daunting challenge in bringing together a veteran roster with lofty expectations that had yet to be met became more manageable in the eyes of coach Sylvain Favreau once the pre-season began. &ldquo;The buy-in was immediate,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;In training camp, these kids were salivating for guidance and success, and it was up to me and our staff to provide that. We had a mix of players who were very skilled but also wanted a clear definition as to how to play the right way. Throughout the season, we never once talked about outcome. We talked about process. Following the process led to the outcome.&rdquo;</p><p>Part of the process included making the right moves off the ice to augment an already skilled squad that boasted 2023 Tampa Bay Lightning second-rounder Ethan Gauthier, captain Luke Woodworth, netminder Riley Mercer as well as Diotte, who parlayed a breakout overage season into the QMJHL&rsquo;s Kevin-Lowe Trophy as top defensive defenseman and an entry-level contract with the New Jersey Devils.</p><p>That&rsquo;s where another newcomer entered the equation in GM Yanick Lemay, who landed in Drummondville after a lengthy stint as a scout for the Winnipeg Jets. One of the new coach&rsquo;s goals was to force the hand of the new GM at the holiday trade deadline by placing the Volts in contention for a title.</p><p>With that mission accomplished, Lemay rolled up his sleeves with an eye toward a trio of Memorial Cup winners with the Quebec Remparts. &ldquo;In our meetings (leading into the trade period), we knew we had good leadership, but we wanted to add previous winners,&rdquo; Lemay said. &ldquo;At the draft, we were already pretty sure we were landing (center Mikael) Huchette. As soon as we were able to get (defenseman Vsevolod) Komarov, we knew we had key pieces and we could make a push. When you have a chance to get quality human beings, especially guys who&rsquo;ve won a Memorial Cup, that was a big push in the right direction.&rdquo;</p><p>Also joining the Voltigeurs from the 2022-23 CHL champs was left winger Kassim Gaudet. All played a factor during the post-season, particularly Komarov. The Buffalo Sabres prospect earned both defenseman of the year and playoff MVP honors in the &lsquo;Q,&rsquo; proving particularly vital after the club lost Utah prospect Maveric Lamoureux for the entirety of the playoffs following shoulder surgery. Add in other key pieces such as Philadelphia Flyers draftee Alexis Gendron, fresh off a first-half stint in the AHL, and two-way threat Noah Reinhart and the next-level Voltigeurs were primed for a championship.</p><p>Mercer, who posted back-to-back shutouts over the high-powered Drakkar to start the QMJHL final, had nothing but praise for the process that brought the title to Drummondville, where he&rsquo;s been guarding the crease the past four seasons. &ldquo;We needed to stay focused and not get caught up too much in the future,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We saw ourselves here. We were already prepared to be in this position.&rdquo;</p><p>And it wasn&rsquo;t just the players who were learning how to reach the next level of post-season glory. Favreau himself was on the other side of the Remparts&rsquo; march to a league title last year as coach of the Halifax Mooseheads. His own development has mirrored that of his charges in Drummondville. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve learned it&rsquo;s about keeping your eye on details,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t lose your focus for a second. It&rsquo;s also the experience of staying calm in difficult situations and building off that adversity. It led me to being a better coach.&rdquo;</p><p>Favreau&rsquo;s calming influence was key, right up until the moment he and his Voltigeurs leapt off the bench in celebration.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

champs_qmjh_053

Electric Volts Cruise To ‘Q’ Title

<div class="byline">BY CAROL SCHRAM</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="champs_whl1_049" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_whl1_049/10310159-1-eng-US/champs_whl1_0492.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>BEST IN THE WEST</b></p><p>Led by captain and playoff MVP Mateychuk, the Warriors won the WHL championship in style.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(NICK PETTIGREW/MOOSE JAW WARRIORS)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HE CITY OF MOOSE</b> Jaw, Sask., is the home base for the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, the beloved air squadron whose members &ldquo;work as a team to bring thrilling performances to the Canadian public.&rdquo;</p><p>Two years after adopting a new logo that includes an homage to those local heroes, the Moose Jaw Warriors matched those qualities on the way to hoisting the franchise&rsquo;s first-ever Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL champions. Team captain Denton Mateychuk was named playoff MVP as the Warriors completed their run to the championship with a four-game sweep of the Portland Winterhawks in the final.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/moose_jaw_w_050/10310152-1-eng-US/moose_jaw_w_0502.jpg" title="moose_jaw_w_050" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>&ldquo;If you had told me before the final started that we were going to do it in four, I&rsquo;d be shocked,&rdquo; said Warriors coach Mark O&rsquo;Leary. &ldquo;It was a hard-fought series.&rdquo;</p><p>The sweep came on the heels of a gruelling seven-game Eastern Conference final against the Saskatoon Blades, which set a modern league record by featuring six overtime games. After the Warriors fell behind 3-2 in the series, 2025 NHL draft-eligible left winger Lynden Lakovic scored two straight overtime-winners to help his team advance. The series-clinching goal came just 36 seconds into overtime of Game 7. &ldquo;I thought I would just try to throw it there and maybe a greasy rebound would happen,&rdquo; Lakovic said. &ldquo;I was lucky enough to get a bounce off of one of their guys&rsquo; skates.&rdquo;</p><p>The 17-year-old was an unlikely hero on a team rich with star power. Mateychuk, Brayden Yager and trade-deadline add Matthew Savoie are all NHL first-rounders. And for a club that boasts illustrious alumni such as Theo Fleury, Brayden Point and Ryan Smyth, Jagger Firkus became the first Warrior to be named CHL player of the year.</p><p>With 61 goals and 126 points in the regular season, Firkus was also the CHL&rsquo;s top scorer in 2023-24. In the playoffs, the 2022 second-round pick of the Seattle Kraken led WHL players with 32 points in 20 games, as the Warriors outscored their opponents 87-60.</p><p>The next three slots in the scoring race were also occupied by Warriors. Mateychuk put up 30 points, including 11 goals, Yager had 27 points, and Savoie chipped in with 24.</p><p>Last year, Savoie reached the WHL final as a member of the Winnipeg Ice and finished tied for second in playoff scoring with 29 points in 19 games. During his NHL training camp with the Buffalo Sabres, the No. 9 pick in 2022 sustained a shoulder injury that sidelined him a month. He got into one NHL game before being assigned to the relocated Wenatchee Wild in November, then skated with Yager and Mateychuk on Team Canada at the world juniors in Sweden. On Jan. 4, Moose Jaw GM Jason Ripplinger acquired Savoie for a package of seven draft picks. &ldquo;I believe he&rsquo;s going to bring a lot of character and grit for us,&rdquo; said Ripplinger at the time. &ldquo;And, obviously, put the puck in the net.&rdquo;</p><p>After the trade, Savoie chipped in with 47 points in 23 games, and the Warriors finished out the regular season with a record of 23-7-1 from Jan. 4 onward.</p><p>For coach O&rsquo;Leary, 39, the journey to the WHL championship was more than a decade in the making. In 2012, he joined the Warriors as an assistant to Mike Stothers. When Tim Hunter took over as coach in 2014, O&rsquo;Leary remained in his position. O&rsquo;Leary demonstrated his potential with a record of 24-6-5 as an interim coach while Hunter was away from the team for Hockey Canada duties. In January 2020, O&rsquo;Leary was named the Warriors&rsquo; full-time bench boss.</p><p>For the community of 34,000 people, the wait for a championship had lasted 57 years. The Moose Jaw Canucks won what was then called the Presidents&rsquo; Cup in the WHL&rsquo;s inaugural 1966-67 season. It&rsquo;s the first-ever title for the Warriors, who relocated from Winnipeg in 1984.</p><p>Atley Calvert, the 20-year-old Moose Jaw native who put up 95 regular-season points before adding 20 more in the playoffs, never imagined he&rsquo;d help bring a championship to his hometown. &ldquo;To do it in front of these amazing people I grew up with, it&rsquo;s something truly special that I can&rsquo;t describe,&rdquo; he said on the ice after the win. &ldquo;We fed off your energy all playoffs, and we love you guys.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

champs_whl1_049

One For The Warriors

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="champs_ncaa_041" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_ncaa_041/10310225-1-eng-US/champs_ncaa_0412.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>PIONEERING SPIRIT</b></p><p>With its 2024 triumph, Denver becomes the first program to win 10 all-time NCAA men&rsquo;s championships.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(MATT KROHN-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>H</span>EADING INTO THE</b> NCAA men&rsquo;s national championship game, a lot of folks pencilled in Boston College as the favorite. After all, the Eagles had been the No. 1-ranked team in the country and featured a treasure trove of NHL prospects led by Cutter Gauthier, goalie Jacob Fowler and the all-NTDP line of Will Smith, Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/denver_pion_042/10310218-1-eng-US/denver_pion_0422.jpg" title="denver_pion_042" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>But if you had been paying attention, you would have done well to put some money down on the Denver Pioneers. Boston College lost only six times all season, and the first setback came at home in October to Denver. Coaches David Carle (Denver) and Greg Brown (Boston College) even joked with each other after the game that they&rsquo;d see each other at the Frozen Four, and, sure enough, they did.</p><p>Thanks to a stifling Denver defense and a deep roster that saw different players take on the hero role throughout the tournament, the Pioneers captured their second national championship in three years and their 10th overall &ndash; making Denver the first program in NCAA history to accomplish the feat. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re the best guys in the world in that locker room,&rdquo; said Denver captain and Tampa Bay Lightning prospect McKade Webster. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m super happy for them, especially the guys that hadn&rsquo;t won one. Now, they don&rsquo;t have to listen to us talk about what it was like when we won. I&rsquo;m super proud of our group. They were awesome.&rdquo;</p><p>Denver took out Boston College 2-0 in the final, played in front of a raucous crowd at Xcel Energy Center in Minnesota. It was the first time the Eagles had been shut out all season. &ldquo;It was in the prep work,&rdquo; said left winger Rieger Lorenz, a Minnesota Wild prospect. &ldquo;We have the best coach in college hockey. He prepares us through the weeks and in the pre-scout as well. He&rsquo;s helped me and our team so much and through all of our careers. We&rsquo;re incredibly blessed to have him. We couldn&rsquo;t do it without him.&rdquo;</p><p>As for the coach himself, it was all about containing BC&rsquo;s deadly attack. &ldquo;A lot of it was how we angled, and how we tried to control the middle of the rink and tried to make them play through us,&rdquo; Carle said. &ldquo;We trusted that if we did that, had good sticks on our end and got transitions going the other way from good defense, we&rsquo;d get our opportunities and our chances.&rdquo;</p><p>Lorenz was a big reason for Denver&rsquo;s win. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound power forward had a goal and an assist in the final, stepping up for a roster that also got a big-time performance from junior goalie Matt Davis (who blew minds with a sprawling save on Leonard). Lorenz, a Calgary native drafted 56th overall by Minnesota in 2022, was a big-time scorer in the Alberta Junior League with Okotoks before heading to college. With his profile, he had several top programs to choose from, but Denver ultimately won out. &ldquo;When I came down to get recruited, it was just seeing the quality of coaches and the quality of people,&rdquo; Lorenz said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a winning culture. And you get excited to be part of something like that.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_ncaa_043/10310211-1-eng-US/champs_ncaa_0432.png" title="champs_ncaa_043" width="1461" height="956"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>RIEGER LORENZ</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(MATT KROHN-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p>When he arrived in Denver, Lorenz had to adjust to the level of competition, and he put up just nine points as a freshman. This season, as a sophomore, he finished with a robust 30 points in 44 games while also making sure he was responsible in all three zones. The journey from his first day on campus to the Frozen Four title has been impressive. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s very different,&rdquo; Carle said. &ldquo;In a good way. Rieger had a very productive junior career and took part in Hockey Canada events (he was a point-per-gamer at the world under-18s, for example). And coming to Denver and playing at the college level, he looks like a specimen. He looks like a man. But you forget he was a true freshman sometimes. There was a lot of growth and maturity to be had in his game. He&rsquo;s found a way to transform himself. What we talk about is finding a &lsquo;B&rsquo; game, so when he&rsquo;s not scoring or producing, he&rsquo;s still adding a lot of value to the game.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_ncaa_044/10310197-1-eng-US/champs_ncaa_0442.png" title="champs_ncaa_044" width="1367" height="981"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>LOOKING GOOD IN BLUE</b></p><p>Carle received a bath after winning the title. And his players poured plaudits on him as well.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(NICK WOSIKA-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p>As Carle noted, that &lsquo;B&rsquo; game is crucial for anyone who wants to get to the NHL. There are only so many top-six-forward roles in the league, and the guys who hold them tend to stay there for a long time. What Lorenz has done is put himself on a path where the Wild could use him up and down the lineup in the future. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s found that consistency,&rdquo; Carle said. &ldquo;He needed to, and it&rsquo;s all him. He made the decision that&rsquo;s what he was going to do. And you look at the year he had with 16 goals, 14 assists. My DU math, that gets me to 30, which is a pretty good year in college hockey. He&rsquo;s turned himself into a really good 200-foot winger. I&rsquo;m really proud of him for wanting to buy in and learn. And he&rsquo;s shown all of us and shown the world that he can play on an NHL roster some day.&rdquo;</p><p>Lorenz&rsquo;s line with Kieran Cebrian and L.A. Kings prospect Jared Wright was excellent in the final, not only using their imposing collective size, but also putting points on the board (Wright had the other Denver goal on the evening). &ldquo;Both guys are just incredibly hardworking people and hockey players,&rdquo; Lorenz said. &ldquo;We work well off each other. And, yeah, we&rsquo;re champions.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_ncaa_045/10310204-1-eng-US/champs_ncaa_0452.png" title="champs_ncaa_045" width="1148" height="1755"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>MCKADE WEBSTER</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(MATT KROHN-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p>That 10th title broke a tie between the Pioneers and the Michigan Wolverines for the most in men&rsquo;s hockey, and Carle held up the championship as a victory for everyone at the school, both past and present. &ldquo;We owe so much to the people who came before us,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;And we&rsquo;re so proud to be Pioneers and carry that honor of being the first to 10.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

champs_ncaa_041

Smart Money

<div class="byline">BY ERIN BROWN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="champs_ncaa_060" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_ncaa_060/10310291-1-eng-US/champs_ncaa_0602.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>OH, HI THERE</b></p><p>The Buckeyes clinched their second NCAA title in three years thanks in part to some key transfer-portal additions.</p><p></p> <span class="photo-credit">(PHOTOS BY OHIO STATE ATHLETICS)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>ITH WISCONSIN</b> locked in a scoreless tie with Ohio State midway through the third period of the NCAA women&rsquo;s championship game at New Hampshire&rsquo;s Whittemore Center Arena in March, the Badgers&rsquo; Britta Curl found herself on the verge of breaking open the scoring. But Ohio State&rsquo;s Cayla Barnes had other ideas.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/ohio_state__058/10310284-1-eng-US/ohio_state__0582.jpg" title="ohio_state__058" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>As Curl started to accelerate toward the net on a potential breakaway, the Buckeyes defender gave chase. Barnes knocked Curl off the puck, then turned and sent a pass up ice to teammate Hannah Bilka at the far blueline.</p><p>Bilka, a graduate transfer with an elite shot, could&rsquo;ve easily played the role of hero by unleashing a quick shot from the right faceoff circle. Instead, she turned and set up first-year collegian Joy Dunne with a soft drop pass. Dunne, who possesses equally good aim, wound up and beat goalie Ava McNaughton with a snipe just under the crossbar. It was all the Buckeyes needed as they hung on for a 1-0 win to capture their second NCAA title in three years. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been working on that shot forever,&rdquo; Dunne said. &ldquo;And I have great linemates who set me up with a great pass to just take a shot.&rdquo;</p><p>Curl was quick to give credit to her foes. &ldquo;Not close enough, I guess,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;(Barnes) is a really good player. Tough to get by. She made a good play. I didn&rsquo;t really know where she was, but they&rsquo;re a quick turnover team, and they transition well.&rdquo;</p><p>Buckeyes goaltender Raygan Kirk finished with 26 saves to claim Frozen Four MVP honors.</p><p>The lone hiccup interrupting an Ohio State dynasty? A 1-0 loss to Wisconsin in the 2023 title game. For Ohio State&rsquo;s 13 returnees, that loss carried such emotional weight that it spread through the Buckeyes dressing room, even to the team&rsquo;s newcomers. In addition to highly touted first-year players Dunne and Jocelyn Amos, Ohio State&rsquo;s roster featured eight graduate students. Six of those grad students &ndash; including U.S. national-team regulars Barnes and Bilka &ndash; first arrived in Columbus via the transfer portal. &ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t play in that game last year, but we felt that chip,&rdquo; Dunne said. &ldquo;We felt that hunger for it just because our leadership was so good. Returners and transfers. Everyone brought that.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_ncaa_061/10310277-1-eng-US/champs_ncaa_0612.png" title="champs_ncaa_061" width="1367" height="1236"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>KIARA ZANON</b></p></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;My roommate, Jocelyn, and I were talking. We know we&rsquo;re freshmen, but we don&rsquo;t feel like it. This team was so close. Friends with anyone. Bonded like sisters. We felt that hunger for them because we wanted it too. We wanted our seniors and the girls that are done with college to win this national championship.&rdquo;</p><p>The Buckeyes&rsquo; 2023-24 revenge tour saw them capture a program-record 35 wins. By late November, Ohio State overtook Wisconsin as the No. 1-ranked team in the nation. The Buckeyes even took three of four from the Badgers in the regular-season series. But when the teams met in the WCHA Final Faceoff, Wisconsin clinched the conference championship with a stunning 6-3 victory. &ldquo;I was very proud of how they punched back after a tough loss,&rdquo; said Ohio State coach Nadine Muzerall. &ldquo;After the last time we played against Wisconsin in the conference title game, I think it showed a lot of character not letting that get to them on the high stage.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_ncaa_062/10310270-1-eng-US/champs_ncaa_0622.png" title="champs_ncaa_062" width="1367" height="798"></div><p>Top-seeded Ohio State immediately found its sense of urgency in its NCAA quarterfinal matchup against Minnesota-Duluth. The Buckeyes scored 22 seconds into their 9-0 win over the Bulldogs, and they never looked back.</p><p>A semifinal matchup against Clarkson provided a brief scare. Anne Cherkowski gave the Golden Knights a lead just two-and-a-half minutes into the contest. Makenna Webster squared it midway through the period on a breakaway. The Buckeyes needed 30 more shots before they broke through again on WCHA goalie-of-the-year Michelle Pasiechnyk. Sloane Matthews provided the go-ahead goal at 13:12 of the third period. Ohio State pulled away for a 4-1 win with goals by Dunne and Hadley Hartmetz in the final minutes. &ldquo;She&rsquo;s a great goalie, and she proved that,&rdquo; said Dunne of Pasiechnyk. &ldquo;We definitely had to keep chipping. There were some saves where all of our jaws dropped when she got those.&rdquo;</p><p>Wisconsin defeated Colgate 3-1 in the other semifinal, setting up a title rematch.</p><p>And yet another showdown between the WCHA rivals could be on the horizon next season. The conference has produced 20 NCAA champions since 2001 and regained its stronghold after back-to-back wins by ECAC juggernaut Clarkson in 2017 and 2018. Ohio State and Wisconsin have combined for the past five titles, and they&rsquo;ve gone head-to-head in the past two championship games.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_ncaa_063/10310263-1-eng-US/champs_ncaa_0632.png" title="champs_ncaa_063" width="1367" height="1523"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>JOY DUNNE & MAKENNA WEBSTER</b></p></figcaption></div><p>Now, it is the Badgers who will be carrying the chip on their shoulders heading into next season. Wisconsin returns a group of elite upper-year players, including 2024 World Championship MVP Laila Edwards and all-tournament defender Caroline Harvey.</p><p>But Muzerall and the Buckeyes are adept at working in college athletics&rsquo; new reality of building through the transfer portal and attracting players to the resources of a top program.</p><p>For next season, Ohio State has added defensive standouts Brooke Disher and Sara Swiderski, as well as goalie Hailey MacLeod, who ranked fourth in save percentage (.948) and ninth in goals-against average (1.42) in the nation during her sophomore campaign at Minnesota-Duluth. &ldquo;Legacies take time,&rdquo; Muzerall said. &ldquo;Two is fantastic. I want to push to three and more. It&rsquo;s going to take continued time and effort because you don&rsquo;t want to be part of history. You want to continue to push and be the future as well.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Revenge Tour

<div class="byline">BY ERIN BROWN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_ncaa_064/10310336-1-eng-US/champs_ncaa_0642.png" title="champs_ncaa_064" width="665" height="860"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>IZZY DANIEL</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(PHOTO BY ERIN BROWN)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HEN COVID-19 DISRUPTED SPORTS</b> in 2020, Izzy Daniel could have left Cornell to take advantage of an extra year of NCAA eligibility. But Daniel felt such a deep loyalty to the school, program and her teammates that she opted to sit out the Big Red&rsquo;s cancelled 2020-21 season instead.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cornell_big_059/10310329-1-eng-US/cornell_big_0592.jpg" title="cornell_big_059" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>Three years later, the captain leaves Cornell as one of the program&rsquo;s most decorated players and its first to win the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as the top NCAA women&rsquo;s hockey player. &ldquo;There have been so many amazing players that played at Cornell,&rdquo; Daniel said. &ldquo;To be the first one to win it, I&rsquo;m really proud of that. It&rsquo;s a privilege and such an honor, and I hope there are many more to come.&rdquo;</p><p>The Minneapolis native, who also earned Player of the Year honors in both the Ivy League and ECAC, finished 2023-24 with 59 points (21 goals and 38 assists) in 34 games. Daniel ranked second nationwide in assists per game (1.12) and third in points per game (1.74) while playing in fewer games than fellow Kazmaier finalists Kirsten Simms (five fewer) and Casey O&rsquo;Brien (seven fewer), both of Wisconsin. The two-way workhorse not only led the Big Red in scoring, she posted 25 more points than her next-closest teammate.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Big Day for Big Red

<div class="byline">BY UFFE BODIN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="champs_shl1_081" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_shl1_081/10310388-1-eng-US/champs_shl1_0812.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>BACK UP OFF LE MAT</b></p><p>Skelleftea players could have dwelled on their loss in the final last year, but instead they rose to redemption.</p><p></p> <span class="photo-credit">(PHOTOS BY JORGEN BERGKVIST/SKELLEFTEA AIK)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HEN ANDREAS</b> Johnsson finally decided it was time to leave North America, there seemed to be only one natural choice for him. That was to return home to Gothenburg and suit up for Frolunda, with whom he had won a Swedish League championship back in 2016.</p><p>However, much to the chagrin of his former team&rsquo;s fans, Johnsson chose another path, moving north to play for Skelleftea. There, he would have the chance to play alongside his older brother, Jonathan, for the first time since their junior days.</p><p>It proved to be a golden decision for the brothers.</p><p>Despite reaching the final four times since its last title, Skelleftea had not won a Swedish championship since 2014. But this spring, things finally fell into place, and Skelleftea took home the Le Mat Trophy for the fourth time in team history. Skelleftea&rsquo;s path to the final saw them sweep Linkoping in the quarters before besting Frolunda in seven games in the semifinal, setting up a showdown with surprise finalist Rogle. Skelleftea quickly ended the Cinderella tale, dispatching Rogle in five games.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/skelleftea__0822/10310381-1-eng-US/skelleftea__0822.jpg" title="skelleftea__082" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>Getting Johnsson signed in November, after he had terminated his contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins, was the final piece of the puzzle.</p><p>The 29-year-old left winger &ndash; who potted 20 goals playing on Auston Matthews&rsquo; wing in Toronto in 2018-19 &ndash; had a few tough seasons in North America before moving back across the pond. Last year, the New Jersey Devils sent him to the AHL before eventually trading him to the San Jose Sharks.</p><p>Johnsson seemingly got a chance to kick-start his NHL career again last summer when his old Toronto boss, Kyle Dubas, brought him to Pittsburgh. But it didn&rsquo;t work out. After Johnsson failed to make the team out of camp, he started to look for an exit. &ldquo;The last few years weren&rsquo;t very fun,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I felt like there were more enjoyable and meaningful games to be played than in the AHL, where there are no spectators and no one cares about the team.&rdquo;</p><p>He certainly got what he wanted.</p><p>Johnsson took some time to get going, scoring just six times in 30 regular-season SHL games. But once the playoffs began, Johnsson elevated his game. Despite missing time due to both injury and suspension, he proved himself very valuable. In 11 playoff games, Johnsson scored five times. Four of those goals were game-winners, two of which came in overtime.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_shl2_084/10310374-1-eng-US/champs_shl2_0842.png" title="champs_shl2_084" width="1367" height="832"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>MARTINS DZIERKALS & SIMON ROBERTSSON</b></p></figcaption></div><p>In the semifinal series, Johnsson saw many familiar faces, going up against his former squad in Frolunda. He became the focal point of the hard-fought seven-game series and was booed by the unforgiving fans in Gothenburg. He quieted them by scoring the OT-winner in Game 4, giving his squad a 7-6 victory. But he also found himself in hot water after Game 6 when he was ejected because of a hit to the knee of Frolunda center Linus Nassen. That hit resulted in a two-game suspension, preventing Johnsson from playing in the winner-take-all Game 7.</p><p>Skelleftea got by without their star forward, and once he was eligible to return, he wasn&rsquo;t going to be denied. In Game 4 of the final, Johnsson again struck in overtime to give his squad a 2-1 victory, and he followed that up by scoring what proved to be the game-winner in the decisive Game 5.</p><p>When the final horn sounded in Skelleftea Kraft Arena on April 29, Andreas and Jonathan Johnsson got to celebrate something that few brothers before them have had the chance to celebrate together: a Swedish title. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s amazing,&rdquo; Jonathan said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s like a bonus, getting to win the first time we play hockey together as adults. It&rsquo;s pretty sick, actually.&rdquo;</p><p>The younger Johnsson brother was probably the most emotional player that evening. With tears in his eyes, he proclaimed his gratitude for the organization. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been such a weird season,&rdquo; Andreas said. &ldquo;Kind of a mess. I&rsquo;m forever grateful that Skelleftea brought me in as late as they did. We created this family feeling on the team, and it&rsquo;s been a great environment for me.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_shl3_083/10310367-1-eng-US/champs_shl3_0832.png" title="champs_shl3_083" width="1461" height="935"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>ZEB FORSFJALL, MANS FORSFJALL, AXEL SANDIN PELLIKKA & RICKARD HUGG</b></p></figcaption></div><p>Even though Johnsson played a huge role for the Swedish champions, goalie Linus Soderstrom was named the unanimous winner of the Stefan Liv Memorial Trophy as playoff MVP. The 27-year-old posted three shutouts in the post-season and finished with a .944 save percentage. It was sweet revenge after he&rsquo;d been outplayed by Finnish goalie Emil Larmi of Vaxjo in last year&rsquo;s final. &ldquo;It means a lot because Stefan Liv&rsquo;s name is on this award,&rdquo; said Soderstrom, referring to the legendary Swedish goalie who died in the 2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash. &ldquo;He was always best when it mattered. This is one of the most honorable prizes in Swedish sports.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Fifth Comes Before Fourth

<div class="byline">BY UFFE BODIN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="champs_hock_085" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_hock_085/10310433-1-eng-US/champs_hock_0852.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(OSCAR LARSSON/FOTOOSCAR)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span>T WAS SUPPOSED TO</b> be a battle between two iconic Swedish hockey clubs, the two teams with the most titles in Swedish hockey history. But it never turned into a battle. One year after being relegated to the second-tier Allsvenskan for the first time in club history, Brynas found their way back to the SHL by sweeping Djurgarden in a lopsided final series.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/brynas_if4/10310426-1-eng-US/brynas_if2.jpg" title="brynas_if" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>After last year&rsquo;s demotion, several of Brynas&rsquo; veterans decided to stay with the club. Among the returnees was captain Johan Larsson, who has close to 500 NHL games on his resume. The team also brought in defenseman Jordie Benn, a veteran of more than 600 NHL games, who proved to be a key cog on the back end.</p><p>Up front, American right winger Tyler Kelleher was the big star. The 29-year-old former NCAA standout earned MVP honors after posting 15 points in 13 playoff games. This was actually the second time Kelleher helped a team get back to the SHL. In 2022, he played a vital role in HV71&rsquo;s promotion to the top Swedish league, a year after losing their top-tier status. &ldquo;It was a special year,&rdquo; Kelleher said. &ldquo;Such a fun group of guys. It&rsquo;s just sad it&rsquo;s over.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

champs_hock_085

Bringing Back Brynas

<div class="byline">BY RISTO PAKARINEN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="champs_liig_027" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_liig_027/10310485-1-eng-US/champs_liig_0272.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(PHOTOS BY JOOEL HILDEN/TAPPARA)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HEN YOU&rsquo;RE A</b> newly hired coach whose squad has made the league semifinal 10 times in a row and has won four titles in seven completed seasons &ndash; including back-to-back championships &ndash; you find yourself in something of a lose-lose situation. If you win it all, you&rsquo;re only doing what is expected of you. If you don&rsquo;t, well, you&rsquo;re a loser.</p><p>The only way out is to win &ndash; and win with style.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/tappara8/10310478-1-eng-US/tappara2.jpg" title="tappara" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>That was the task at hand for former Team Sweden and ZSC Lions (Sui.) coach Rikard Gronborg, who took over the dynastic Tappara in the Liiga this season. The Tampere-based club had been led by just two bench bosses &ndash; Jukka Rautakorpi and Jussi Tapola &ndash; in those 10 semifinal seasons.</p><p>Tampere has quickly regained its position as the No. 1 hockey town in Finland thanks to the new Nokia Arena and the re-emergence of Tappara&rsquo;s fellow Liiga squad and cross-town rival Ilves as a challenger. This year, for the second season in a row, Tappara won the regular-season title and Ilves came in as the runner-up.</p><p>While Tappara had become synonymous with winning in the past decade-plus, they had also become synonymous with &ldquo;boring.&rdquo; Club management, led by chairman of the board and former New York Rangers player Mikko Leinonen, felt it was time for a change.</p><p>Once Leinonen identified Gronborg &ndash; who led Sweden to consecutive World Championship golds in 2017 and 2018 &ndash; as the person for the job, he pitched the idea to him in Zurich, where Gronborg coached in 2022-23. Gronborg signed on the dotted line. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s easy to see this is a well-oiled machine,&rdquo; said Gronborg to the Finnish newspaper <i>Ilta-Sanomat</i>. &ldquo;So I&rsquo;ll do my best not to mess things up.&rdquo;</p><p>In the past, Tappara was known for their disciplined, impenetrable defense, in which all five players moved in unison. Gronborg let the players loose, preaching more aggressive forechecking and pushing them to never back away.</p><p>For Gronborg &ndash; one of the top candidates to become the first European NHL coach since Ivan Hlinka was fired by Pittsburgh in October 2001 &ndash; taking over a team in the Liiga wasn&rsquo;t a simple decision. &ldquo;It was a new culture for me,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But that was also one of the biggest reasons I wanted to join Tappara. They have a winning culture, and I wanted to see it and learn.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_liig_028/10310471-1-eng-US/champs_liig_0282.png" title="champs_liig_028" width="1367" height="1308"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>HEIKKI LIEDES</b></p></figcaption></div><p>Tappara took over the top spot in the standings by the 10-game mark, and they never let go. And the players enjoyed the new style. In 2022-23, Tappara scored 187 goals and allowed 140. This season, they scored 200 goals while allowing 141.</p><p>Whatever Gronborg was preaching, it worked. &ldquo;We played a little different style from what teams are used to in Finland,&rdquo; said right winger Nick Halloran on a team video. &ldquo;Teams aren&rsquo;t ready for our speed and how little time and space they have with the puck. It has been entertaining to play that style, and you see more odd-man rushes and 1-on-1s, whereas in the past, playing the trap, you don&rsquo;t see those fast breaks or quick plays. It&rsquo;s been great for us, and it&rsquo;s fun to play using your instincts.&rdquo;</p><p>In the playoffs, TPS pushed Tappara to six games in the quarterfinal, but after that, Tappara never lost more than once in a series. In the semifinal, Tappara&rsquo;s veterans showed why they can never be counted out. In Game 2, leading scorer Anton Levtchi &ndash; who returned to Tappara after a season split between Florida and AHL Charlotte &ndash; had a goal and an assist in a 5-4 comeback victory. Tappara roared back to score three goals in 73 seconds late in the third to take the game in regulation. While KalPa won Game 3 of the set, Tappara took the series 4-1.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_liig_029/10310464-1-eng-US/champs_liig_0292.png" title="champs_liig_029" width="1461" height="852"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>ENCORE PRESENTATION</b></p><p>Tappara beat Lahti in a five-game final for the second year in a row to clinch a third consecutive Canada Bowl.</p></figcaption></div><p>In the final, Tappara faced the Lahti Pelicans for the second year running. Unfortunately for the Pelicans, it turned out to be a movie they&rsquo;d seen before, and Tappara won in five games, just as they did last season.</p><p>Levtchi&rsquo;s nine playoff goals led the circuit, and he tied for first in post-season points with 14. For his part, Halloran added two goals and seven points in the five-game semifinal. Tappara goalie Christian Heljanko recorded a shutout in the decisive game, posting a .933 save percentage and 1.72 goals-against average in the post-season, earning the Jari Kurri Trophy as playoff MVP. &ldquo;I think us winning with a little different style is good for Finnish hockey and makes the game more dynamic,&rdquo; Gronborg said. &ldquo;Tappara is a much bigger thing than a coach or some players.&rdquo;</p><p>He came, he saw, he won &ndash; with style. Mission accomplished. Now do it again.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

champs_liig_027

Another Title On ‘Tap’

<div class="byline">BY RISTO PAKARINEN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="champs_mest_030" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_mest_030/10310530-1-eng-US/champs_mest_0302.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>ALEX BERARDINELLI</b></p><p></p> <span class="photo-credit">(SAIMI AIRAKSINEN/IPK)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span>EFORE THE SEASON, ALL</b> eyes were on Finland&rsquo;s second-tier Mestis because Jokerit returned to the Finnish league system after withdrawing from the KHL during the 2021-22 playoffs and not icing a team at all last season.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/iisalmen_pe_031/10310523-1-eng-US/iisalmen_pe_0312.png" title="iisalmen_pe_031" width="993" height="993"></div><p>Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Helsinki club also lost its home arena, which is owned by Russian oligarchs, and had to split its home games between the old Helsinki arena and a 1,200-seat rink in the suburbs.</p><p>Regardless, Jokerit finished third, 14 points behind a mighty IPK squad that won the regular-season title and then went all the way in the playoffs. Based out of Iisalmi, 250 miles northeast of Helsinki, IPK went the full seven games in the semifinal against Hermes (who ousted Jokerit in six games). The final was another seven-game affair, this time against Kettera. The 2024 Mestis runners-up won the league in 2019, 2021 and 2022 and were finalists last year as well.</p><p>Leo Ring, who won the regular-season scoring title, was traded to IPK just before the playoffs. He added another 12 points in 14 games with his new team, but he didn&rsquo;t lead the way in the post-season. IPK teammate and Livonia, Mich., native Austin Alger took that honor, setting a Mestis record with 23 points in 20 games and earning playoff MVP honors.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

champs_mest_030

No Joking Matter

<div class="byline">BY GILLIAN KEMMERER</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="champs_khl1_032" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_khl1_032/10310582-1-eng-US/champs_khl1_0322.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(PHOTOS BY YURY KUZMIN/KHL)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>M</span>ETALLURG MAGNITOGORSK</b> coach Andrei Razin forgot to pack his suit for the KHL&rsquo;s closing ceremony in Moscow &ndash; a fashion emergency recorded in detail by his wife, Tatyana Razina, who became something of a social-media celebrity for her unwavering support and colorful commentary.</p><p>While Magnitogorsk had long been a Russian hockey powerhouse, Razin earned his first-ever playoff series victory, Gagarin Cup and KHL coach-of-the-year nod this season. Those pre-ceremony jitters &ndash; a reflection of the newness of the experience, a sense of anticipation that felt almost youthful in its awkward exuberance &ndash; encapsulated Razin&rsquo;s Metallurg club all season. The youngest team ever to win the Gagarin Cup, with an average age of 26 years and 34 days, Magnitogorsk showcased a daring creativity that had fallen out of fashion in Russia in recent years, as coaches trended toward conservative, defensive play and favoring veterans over the perceived risk of youth. Razin&rsquo;s showdown against Igor Nikitin&rsquo;s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl &ndash; with iron-clad systems and an experienced roster &ndash; was one not simply of teams, but of coaching dogmas.</p><p>A Philadelphia Flyers sixth-round pick in 2001 &ndash; though he never made the jump to the NHL &ndash; Razin played for Magnitogorsk at the peak of its Russian Superleague prowess in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Much of his early coaching career was spent with youth teams, which laid the groundwork for his defining ethos as a KHL bench boss. Razin&rsquo;s multi-year stint with beleaguered Severstal Cherepovets caught the attention of many pundits who were impressed with his optimization of a shoe-string budget. Emphasizing speed and offensive creativity, a stable of youngsters took perennial contenders CSKA and Dynamo Moscow to Game 7s in the first round of consecutive playoffs. A cohort of Severstal players later followed Razin to Magnitogorsk, including left winger Daniil Vovchenko, who notched title-clinching goal.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/metallurg9/10310575-1-eng-US/metallurg2.jpg" title="metallurg" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>The elevated role of youth on Razin&rsquo;s roster was perhaps best demonstrated in the rise of homegrown goaltender Ilya Nabokov, who took home the Alexei Cherepanov Award for rookie of the year. Prior to this season, the 21-year-old had logged a total of four-and-a-half minutes at the KHL level in a game versus Kunlun Red Star. Nonetheless, Nabokov&rsquo;s competitive poise sharpened as the season progressed. He credited Slovenian goaltending coach Klemen Mohoric for refinements to his skating and stance, which earned him a permanent spot on Magnitogorsk&rsquo;s roster. The Chelyabinsk native logged 16 wins in 23 games in his KHL playoff debut, including four shutouts and a sparkling save percentage of .942. He became the youngest playoff MVP in league history, a record snatched from New York Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_khl2_033/10310568-1-eng-US/champs_khl2_0332.png" title="champs_khl2_033" width="1367" height="924"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>TRICKS ARE FOR KIDS</b></p><p>The KHL has featured veteran players and defensive play in recent years, while Razin bet on youth and creativity.</p></figcaption></div><p>But Metallurg&rsquo;s young guns weren&rsquo;t the only headline generators. One of the most compelling storylines of the playoffs was the metamorphosis of captain Yegor Yakovlev, who began the post-season on the ice and ended it behind the bench. The 2018 Olympic gold medallist took a shot from Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg&rsquo;s Stephane Da Costa that ruptured his lung in the semifinal. Taking inspiration from Torpedo coach Igor Larionov, who added injured forward Alexei Kruchinin to his staff, Razin had Yakovlev join him on the bench as an assistant for the rest of the playoffs. It was an illuminating, albeit at times maddening, endeavor. &ldquo;I could almost feel the appearance of each new grey hair with my entire nervous system,&rdquo; Yakovlev said. &ldquo;I felt firsthand how difficult the job of a coach really is.&rdquo;</p><p>After the blistering, seven-game series with Avto that sidelined Yakovlev, few expected Magnitogorsk to sweep the clinical and battle-tested Nikitin, who had previously coached in the KHL final three times and won once. Nikitin&rsquo;s triumph came in 2019, when he delivered CSKA Moscow their first title since the fall of the USSR. After two tight victories where scoring was limited to the third period, Magnitogorsk edged past Yaroslavl with a fluke goal in overtime to take Game 3, as a shot by Alexander Petunin bounced off the boards and found the back of the net via Yaroslavl goalie Daniil Isayev&rsquo;s skate. With momentum in their favor, Magnitogorsk delivered a come-from-behind victory in Game 4 to cap the sweep. Although the playoffs did not end as Nikitin and Yaroslavl fans might have hoped, they, too, achieved an emotional milestone. The series marked Lokomotiv&rsquo;s first appearance in the KHL final since the 2011 plane crash that killed nearly the entire roster and staff.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_khl3_034/10310561-1-eng-US/champs_khl3_0342.png" title="champs_khl3_034" width="1367" height="1841"></div><p>At the outset of the season, Metallurg executives laid out a plan for Razin to deliver a title in two years. He reached the summit in Year 1 and leads the club as a new hockey academy takes shape in Magnitogorsk &ndash; befitting of a coach who has always bet on youth. Razin may not have remembered his suit en route to Moscow, but he delivered an unexpected victory that Russia will be hard-pressed to forget.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Youth, Mettle Powers Metallurg

<div class="byline">BY&#xA0;GILLIAN KEMMERER</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_vhl1_036/10310627-1-eng-US/champs_vhl1_0362.png" title="champs_vhl1_036" width="592" height="862"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(PHOTO BY NEFTYANIK ALMETYEVSK)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span>N DANGER OF BEING</b> swept in the VHL final, AKM Tula Region entered Game 4 of the Petrov Cup fighting for survival. It was a surprising predicament for a team that placed fourth in the regular season in Russia&rsquo;s second-highest league, then swiftly disposed of three-time champion Toros Neftekamsk, SKA-Neva and Yugra in five games or fewer. Neftyanik Almetyevsk, meanwhile, finished ninth in the regular season and struggled through tight playoff series versus Kurgan and Tyumen, but found their footing early in the VHL final aided by strong goaltending from Artur Akhtyamov.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/neftyanik_a_035/10310620-1-eng-US/neftyanik_a_0352.png" title="neftyanik_a_035" width="510" height="510"></div><p>The emotionality of AKM&rsquo;s players trumped discipline in the final contest, as the team was whistled for 33 penalty minutes in the first period of Game 4 alone. Defenseman Pavel Medvedev accrued the lion&rsquo;s share for a violent collision that knocked Almetyevsk&rsquo;s Kirill Krutov unconscious. (Krutov returned to watch the end of the game.) The period ended scoreless, but the brutality left its mark. &ldquo;We must punish (AKM), and punish with goals,&rdquo; said Almetyevsk center Alexander Loktev at intermission. Almetyevsk sought its retribution with two goals in the second period, while a cooler-headed AKM answered with two goals in the third. The game went to overtime, where revenge for Krutov&rsquo;s wounding was served cold. Artur Brovkin scored after 11 tense minutes, sealing the second VHL title in club history.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Fireworks In VHL Final

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="champs_uspo_097" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_uspo_097/10310686-1-eng-US/champs_uspo_0972.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>TOTAL DOMINATION</b></p><p>The UNB Reds played 43 games in 2023-24 &ndash; and they won every one of them, usually by a lopsided score.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(CURTIS MARTIN/TMU ATHLETICS)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span>T WAS THE SPRING</b> of 2002 and Craig Mahon had just spent the day installing pools in his hometown of Windsor, Ont. Through his final season of junior hockey as captain of the OHL&rsquo;s Windsor Spitfires, Mahon had done a good job of ducking this Gardiner MacDougall character, who wanted him to play at the University of New Brunswick, of all places. As if.</p><p>After one exhausting day at work, Mahon relented and took the phone from his sister. MacDougall started his sales pitch before Mahon told him to call back the next night. MacDougall said he&rsquo;d come in person, and Mahon laughed, thinking there was no way this guy was going to drive more than 1,000 miles through three provinces to meet him in person.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/unb_reds3/10310679-1-eng-US/unb_reds2.png" title="unb_reds" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>&ldquo;I told my parents, &lsquo;Hey, I have no idea whether this Gardiner MacDougall guy is going to show up, but he says he&rsquo;s coming here tomorrow night,&rsquo;&rdquo; Mahon recalled. &ldquo;The next night, there was a knock on the door at dinner time, and it was him. By the time he backed out of the driveway to leave, I called him back and told him I would be going to the University of New Brunswick.&rdquo;</p><p>When Gardiner MacDougall recruits players two decades later, often all he has to do is answer the phone. He doesn&rsquo;t have to drive across the country to beg anyone to play for him, because players who want to advance their hockey careers and get an education tend to call him. That&rsquo;s what happens when you win as much as MacDougall and the UNB Reds do. They&rsquo;re a modern-day dynasty is what they are. And they put a massive exclamation mark on it this season with the most dominant performance in Canadian university hockey history.</p><p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s an old saying,&rdquo; said MacDougall after his team defeated the University of Quebec in Trois-Rivieres 4-0 in the University Cup final in March. &ldquo;It says that consistency is the mother of excellence and incremental improvement is the father.&rdquo;</p><p>Sure. Whatever you say, boss. You get to be quirky when your team racks up a regular-season record of 30-0-0, then sweeps through the playoffs and wins a national championship without giving up a single goal in the tournament. In 38 games this season, the Reds outscored their opponents 207-53. Dating back to last season, when the Reds were also national champions, they have now won 47 straight games and have not lost a game in a calendar year. Including pre-season games, they went 43-0-0 in 2023-24. The title win in 2024 was the ninth national championship of MacDougall&rsquo;s career, which goes nicely with the Memorial Cup he won when he pinch-hit as coach of the QMJHL&rsquo;s Saint John Sea Dogs in 2022. That came in one of the few seasons the Reds had been beaten out early, and MacDougall let the school&rsquo;s administration know he wouldn&rsquo;t be around for a month or so.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_uspo_098/10310672-1-eng-US/champs_uspo_0982.png" title="champs_uspo_098" width="1367" height="1572"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>GARDINER MACDOUGALL</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(EVAN RICHTSFELD/UNB ATHLETICS)</span></figcaption></div><p>You want eclectic? MacDougall was the youth horseshoe champion in his native Prince Edward Island in 1972 and represented his province at the Canada Summer Games. He played a lot of hockey as a youngster, but his sport in university was soccer, where he was the varsity goalie for St. Francis Xavier in Antigonish, N.S. He&rsquo;s a master innovator and motivator. When the Reds eliminate an opponent in either the playoffs or the national tournament, they place a plastic figurine painted in the opponent&rsquo;s colors in a tiny casket, and the player of the game gets to smash it to pieces with a sledgehammer.</p><p>&ldquo;You should see our practices,&rdquo; said Reds goalie Samuel Richard. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what separates us. We work incredibly hard. Probably harder than any team in the sport. Our habits are just so good from that that it shows up in our games. Gardiner is an incredible motivator, and he&rsquo;s never satisfied. Of all the guys on the whole team, he&rsquo;s the guy who will work his ass off the most.&rdquo;</p><p>And the seeds for all of it were sown more than 20 years ago when the then-unknown MacDougall was driving thousands of miles in his Dodge Caravan to recruit players. That incremental improvement continued, and the Reds started winning. After failing to close out teams early in MacDougall&rsquo;s tenure, they started piling up championships, and the success became a self-fulfilling prophecy.</p><p>&ldquo;This group just finds new standards and new ways to win,&rdquo; MacDougall said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s just such a family unity here. The first word we talked about with the group this year was the word &lsquo;love.&rsquo; A week after we won last year, these guys were back on the ice. I teach a class that a lot of these guys are in, and I said, &lsquo;It&rsquo;s going to start at 4 o&rsquo;clock,&rsquo; and they were still on the ice at four, playing cross-ice 3-on-3. They love the game, and they love being around the rink. They&rsquo;re just really special.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_uspo_099/10310665-1-eng-US/champs_uspo_0992.png" title="champs_uspo_099" width="1681" height="1017"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>NINE IS NICE</b></p><p>MacDougall has won nine national titles in two-plus decades at the University of New Brunswick.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(CURTIS MARTIN/TMU ATHLETICS)</span></figcaption></div><p>Given their accomplishments this season, there was legitimate talk this might be the greatest team in Canadian college hockey history. McMaster University is the only other national championship team to go undefeated, but back in 1962-63, they played only 12 games. It would seem like a no-brainer after the season the Reds had in 2023-24, but MacDougall isn&rsquo;t so sure. He maintained that the team that played in 2019-20, which went 24-6-0 and won a league title before the University Cup was cancelled, might have been as good as this one.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_uspo_100/10310658-1-eng-US/champs_uspo_1002.png" title="champs_uspo_100" width="920" height="929"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>SAMUEL RICHARD</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(CURTIS MARTIN/TMU ATHLETICS)</span></figcaption></div><p>It gets difficult to pick a best one when you&rsquo;ve won nine times, as MacDougall has. He talks about maintaining a legacy, both in terms of producing students and hockey players, and he&rsquo;s proud of what the program has accomplished on both fronts. MacDougall said the 1997-98 team, which won the school&rsquo;s first championship and was the only title team he didn&rsquo;t coach, &ldquo;has been the target for all our teams since.&rdquo;</p><p>With respect, the 2023-24 iteration of UNB is the one that now has the target on its back.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

The Big Reds Machine

<div class="byline">BY DILLON COLLINS</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="champs_echl_120" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_echl_120/10310731-1-eng-US/champs_echl_1202.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(PATRICK ONUFER/FLORIDA EVERBLADES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>IF THERE WAS DEBATE</b> remaining on the true dynasty in the ECHL, the Florida Everblades have surely squashed it.</p><p>The 2023-24 Everblades ran the gauntlet, defeating the regular-season champion Kansas City Mavericks in a Game 5 overtime thriller to win their third straight Kelly Cup, becoming the first team to three-peat in the 36-year history of the ECHL. Their fourth overall league title (2012, 2022, 2023, 2024) marks a new ECHL record, as do their 12 consecutive series wins.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/florida_eve_119/10310724-1-eng-US/florida_eve_1192.jpg" title="florida_eve_119" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>More than 7,900 fans propelled the home team to rally after falling behind 3-1 in the second period of Game 5 of the final, with a pair of goals from Mark Senden tying the score heading into overtime. With the tension mounting in Hertz Arena, Matt Wedman potted the Cup-clinching goal at 3:38 of OT.</p><p>Oliver Chau was named playoff MVP, tying teammate Bobo Carpenter for the post-season scoring lead with 23 points, and tallying an impressive six goals and nine points in the final. Two-time playoff MVP Cam Johnson stopped 29 shots in the deciding contest, improving his ECHL career playoff record to a stunning 47-16 while becoming the first netminder in league history to win 12 games in the Kelly Cup final. Carpenter led the playoffs in goals (12), and Josh Ho-Sang led in assists (17).</p><p>Coach-GM Brad Ralph &ndash; who surely has drawn the attention of clubs in need of leadership and a winning acumen &ndash; extended his own ECHL record with his 95th post-season victory, becoming the second ECHL coach to win three league titles.</p><p>Florida&rsquo;s road to immortality bore with it no shortage of struggle. The club finished the season with a 40-23-9 record, good for 89 points, third place in the South Division and fifth in the Eastern Conference.</p><p>In the division semifinal, the Everblades were pushed to the limit against state-mates Jacksonville, eking out a hard-fought Game 7 victory before a smoother transition in the division final, ousting Orlando in five games. From there, they&rsquo;d edge the North Division-winning Adirondack Thunder in six games in the conference final.</p><p>The historic win even earned the attention of NHL bench boss Paul Maurice, father of Everblades play-by-play broadcaster Jake Maurice. &ldquo;Kid&rsquo;s been in pro hockey for two years, and he has two rings. It&rsquo;s going to be positively unbearable in my house,&rdquo; Paul joked, before offering sincere congratulations. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t care what league you&rsquo;re in or what level you&rsquo;re at. If you&rsquo;re going to win a championship three straight years, that&rsquo;s darn impressive. Well done, lads.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Sunshine State Success Story

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="champs_ushl_113" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_ushl_113/10310828-1-eng-US/champs_ushl_1132.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(MARISSA SHIOCK/FARGO FORCE)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>U</span>SUALLY, WHEN A TEAM</b> talks about playing &ldquo;playoff hockey&rdquo; before the playoffs have actually begun, it&rsquo;s because they were scratching and clawing their way to a post-season berth. This was not the case for the Fargo Force, who set a USHL record with 59 wins (regular season and playoffs) en route to a Clark Cup title.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/fargo_force/10310821-1-eng-US/fargo_force2.jpg" title="fargo_force" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>But first-year coach Brett Skinner still saw value in the lead-up to the playoffs, because there was a target on Fargo&rsquo;s collective back. &ldquo;We were playing playoff-type hockey for a few months,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Once we established ourselves in the standings, we noticed we were getting every team&rsquo;s best, and they would have a little more preparation when they came to town. We were used to playing at that level, though the playoffs go up a notch.&rdquo;</p><p>For a team that finished first in the standings last year but fell in the final to Youngstown, the Force needed to forge a a new identity. A tough early schedule helped &ndash; especially when Fargo won its first 10 games. &ldquo;We started really hot and kept the momentum going,&rdquo; said left winger Mac Swanson. &ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t easy, but it was fun. We were on the road for three straight weeks, playing six or seven games. Definitely a good time to get to know the new guys.&rdquo;</p><p>Swanson, in his second year with the Force, was one of the most important pieces on the team along with the two-headed goalie monster of 21-year-old Anton Castro and 18-year-old L.A. Kings pick Hampton Slukynsky. After finishing third in USHL scoring during the regular season, Swanson hit the jets in the playoffs with 17 points in 12 games, earning Clark Cup MVP honors in the process. &ldquo;His hockey sense is off the charts,&rdquo; Skinner said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a very driven kid, and as the season went on, he continued to evolve and add new ways to generate offense. As we went down to the stretch and into the playoffs, his game only seemed to elevate. As the games got harder, he stood out as someone who could manage that anxiety and tension with his talent and his intangibles. He&rsquo;s a special player for sure.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_ushl_114/10310814-1-eng-US/champs_ushl_1142.png" title="champs_ushl_114" width="1367" height="1462"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>BRETT SKINNER</b></p></figcaption></div><p>Born and raised in Alaska, Swanson comes in at just 5-foot-7 and 157 pounds, which is one of the reasons he likes to model his game after Jaden Schwartz. The fact Schwartz is an undersized forward who proved himself at every level to become a solid NHLer is a story that Swanson can believe in. Swanson, who&rsquo;s off to the University of North Dakota in the fall, is eligible for the 2024 NHL draft, and while he should be picked at some point, he recognizes the bias he faces. &ldquo;Obviously, there are concerns about my size, and I understand that,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But if you look at what I&rsquo;ve done this year, especially in the second half, I think I proved some of those doubters wrong.&rdquo;</p><p>And Fargo has its latest championship because of it.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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A Force To Reckon With

<div class="byline">BY&#xA0;RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="champs_nahl_116" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_nahl_116/10310873-1-eng-US/champs_nahl_1162.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(CANDICE BRYAN/LONE STAR BRAHMAS)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>S</span>EVEN YEARS AFTER THE</b> franchise&rsquo;s last title, the Texas-based Lone Star Brahmas clinched another Robertson Cup with a win over the Maryland Black Bears.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/lone_star_b_115/10310866-1-eng-US/lone_star_b_1152.jpg" title="lone_star_b_115" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>An empty-netter by Brock James sealed the deal with 34 seconds remaining in the one-game showdown, as Maryland had refused to go away all night. But the Brahmas, who finished first overall in the regular season, wouldn&rsquo;t be denied in an eventual 4-2 victory.</p><p>The MVP of the playoffs was Jacob MacDonald, a UMass-Lowell commit and a hometown product. A playmaker who can line up at either center or the wing, MacDonald was born in Fort Worth and came up through the Dallas Stars Elite youth-hockey program. The Brahmas play out of North Richland Hills, a suburb of Fort Worth. MacDonald tied for the team lead in playoff scoring and tied for second overall with 14 points in 11 games. He was first with 10 assists. His biggest offensive contributions came in the semifinal against Anchorage, when he put up five points in two games.</p><p>The final pitted two of the top teams against each other. Maryland finished first in the East Division, while Lone Star ruled the South. The Brahmas gave nothing away to their opponents this year, surrendering just 109 goals in 60 games. They scored almost twice as many (206).<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Homegrown Star Leads Lone Star

<div class="byline">BY DENIS GIBBONS</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="champs_alla_038" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_alla_038/10310918-1-eng-US/champs_alla_0382.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>TWICE AS NICE</b></p><p>The Dundas Real McCoys became the first back-to-back Allan Cup champs in nearly 30 years.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(PHOTO COURTESY OF PAUL WRIGHT)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HE RULES SAY THAT</b> players must be 35 years of age to qualify for old-timers hockey. With an average age of 34.6, this year&rsquo;s Allan Cup champions fell just short of that mark in an age category that is wide open.</p><p>The long-in-the-tooth Dundas Real McCoys (Ont.) captured their second straight Canadian national senior championship with a 6-1 victory over Newfoundland&rsquo;s Southern Shore Breakers.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/dundas_real_039/10310911-1-eng-US/dundas_real_0392.png" title="dundas_real_039" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>Captain Simon Mangos, who did not play in the final game, is 44 and would have boosted Dundas&rsquo; average age to over the 35 mark. By comparison, the average age of the 1967 Stanley Cup-champion Toronto Maple Leafs, the oldest title-winning team in NHL history, was just 31.</p><p>Slater Doggett, Jake Goldberg, Cam Fergus, Nathan Longpre, Igor Gongalsky and Mac Wood scored for Dundas. Ryan Dawson netted the only Southern Shore goal late in the third period with the score already 6-0 and the outcome practically decided.</p><p>Dundas netminder Ryan DeMelo made 33 saves on 34 shots in the championship game and was named MVP of the tournament. &ldquo;Mike Mole, our goalie who was the MVP of last year&rsquo;s tournament, got injured in the league playoffs,&rdquo; said Dundas GM Don Robertson. &ldquo;Clearly, you want him available, but when it happened, we were confident we had a good enough replacement to have a chance to win.&rdquo;</p><p>The Newfoundland team plays out of Witless Bay, a fishing village with a population of just 1,600 that is located 20 miles south of St. John&rsquo;s. The team was allowed to add players from other clubs in the Avalon East Senior League to strengthen its roster.</p><p>Prior to the semifinal game between Southern Shore and the Stoney Creek Tigers (Ont.), in a farewell salute to Bob Cole, the <i>Hockey Night in Canada</i> play-by-play man and proud Newfoundland native, the PA announcer delivered a tribute to the legendary announcer, and a minute of silence was observed. The moment of quiet reflection ended with a recording of Cole&rsquo;s signature call, &ldquo;Oh, baby!&rdquo; Coach Josh Lunden said Cole knew several of the Breakers players. Southern Shore won the game 4-1.</p><p>Going into the final game of the preliminary round, Stoney Creek still had a chance to place first and secure a bye to the final but needed to beat Dundas by at least two goals. In the end, the Real McCoys pulled out a 3-2 overtime victory to clinch first place.</p><p>Dundas finished third in the Ontario League, which was won by Stoney Creek, but they received an automatic berth to the tournament as the host team. The Real McCoys also hosted &ndash; and won &ndash; the Allan Cup in 2014 and 2023. Dundas is the first team to win back-to-back Allan Cup titles since the Warroad Lakers (Minn.) won three straight between 1994 and 1996.</p><p>Tournament scoring leader Phil Brewer of Dundas made the all-star team at forward alongside teammate Brad Bonello and Stoney Creek&rsquo;s Cordell James. Justin DaSilva of Dundas and Travis Randell of Southern Shore were named all-stars on defense, along with DeMelo in goal.</p><p>Brewer is the grandson of Dean Prentice, who scored 391 goals in an NHL career that spanned 22 seasons and saw him play for five clubs. Bonello is a screen star of sorts, playing the role of the dirtiest player in the league in the Crave comedy series <i>Shoresy</i> about a Northern Ontario hockey team.</p><p>The Dundas roster included two former NHL players in Chris Campoli and Darren Haydar, who continues to play at 44 despite being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.</p><p>The tournament was held at the J.L. Grightmire Arena in Dundas, which opened in 1950 and was refurbished in 2010 with the aid of a Kraft Hockeyville grant of $100,000. The Innisfail Eagles (Alta.), who will host the 2025 Allan Cup, also took part in the four-team event but failed to win a game.</p><p>Canada&rsquo;s best senior teams have been competing for the Allan Cup since 1909.</p><p>Rod Black and former Maple Leafs star Rick Vaive called the final game for CHCH-TV Hamilton, just three days before Black flew to Milwaukee to see his 23-year-old son, Tyler, collect two hits in his first MLB game with the Brewers.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

champs_alla_038

Real Old & Real Good

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="uth_guenthe_112" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/uth_guenthe_112/10310977-1-eng-US/uth_guenthe_1122.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JAMES CAREY LAUDER-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>E</span>ARLIER THIS SEASON,</b> not long after he had earned the privilege of permanent housing, Dylan Guenther had his water shut off. It seems that teammate and roommate Jack McBain, who invited Guenther to live with him after Guenther had been told the words every young athlete craves to hear, thought he had paid all of his utilities in one go. And when you&rsquo;re a dude in your early 20s, you don&rsquo;t really think about who pays for stuff like that. The vets had a lot of fun ribbing them over that one. They sure did.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/utah_hc/10310970-1-eng-US/utah_hc2.jpg" title="utah_hc" width="1366" height="1366"></div><p>Another lesson learned. Another rite of passage overcome. When Guenther moves to Utah this summer, you can bet he&rsquo;ll be as inclined to keep up with his utility payments as he is to keep his head up while carrying the puck through the neutral zone.</p><p>The thing that has to be a kick in the gut for hockey fans in Arizona is knowing that one of the youngest teams in the NHL could go on to accomplish some fantastic things soon after its desert departure. And Guenther, who played all of 78 NHL games over the past two seasons, will almost certainly be leading the way.</p><p>Among the ridiculously talented young players who populate the NHL, you could make the case nobody is better positioned for a big breakout season than the 21-year-old Guenther. It has taken a minute, but Guenther has arrived as an impact player. And much of it has to do with the way the organization handled him this season. He didn&rsquo;t make the team out of camp &ndash; which was something of a surprise &ndash; but by the time the team called him up from AHL Tucson on Jan. 6, he was ready. Guenther scored 18 goals and 35 points in 45 games for the big club. From the time Guenther was recalled through to the end of the season, only Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz had more points for Arizona.</p><p>And of the 11 players taken in the 2021 draft who have played at least 75 games, only Wyatt Johnston of the Dallas Stars has averaged more points per game than Guenther. Of the 34 who have appeared in more than one game, only Johnston and Josh Doan &ndash; who exploded for nine points in 11 games at the end of the season in Arizona &ndash; have averaged more points per game. When it comes to goals per game, again, only Doan and Johnston were more productive.</p><p>A pretty good showing for a player who was only supposed to fill in for three games when Jason Zucker was suspended in January. For the record, Guenther has never heard of Wally Pipp (and you might not have either, but he was the player who Lou Gehrig replaced in the New York Yankees&rsquo; lineup before going on to play 2,130 consecutive games), but like Gehrig, Guenther wasn&rsquo;t about to let an opportunity go to waste. &ldquo;I was just ready,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I was hoping I was going to get the call. I knew I was going to have to prove it. I had that little window, and I said to myself, &lsquo;No matter what happens, just go out there and play your best.&rsquo; And it worked out well for me.&rdquo;</p><p>Guenther is like countless young players who think they&rsquo;re going to transition from junior hockey to the NHL with no hiccups. But many veteran hockey professionals believe the biggest transition a player makes is from junior to the AHL. There, young men get a jarring lesson on what it takes to be a pro player against veterans who are playing to feed their families. They quickly find out it&rsquo;s not quite as easy as they think. And the route isn&rsquo;t quite as direct as they might expect.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/uth_guenthe_110/10310963-1-eng-US/uth_guenthe_1102.png" title="uth_guenthe_110" width="1646" height="1019"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>SHOOTING STAR</b></p><p>Guenther can make an impact from almost anywhere in the offensive zone thanks to his world-class shot.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(JAMES CAREY LAUDER-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p>Last season, Guenther started with the Coyotes, then was sent to the World Junior Championship, where he&rsquo;ll forever be remembered for scoring the overtime goal in the gold-medal game in Canada&rsquo;s 3-2 win over Czechia. He also finished tied with Utah teammate Logan Cooley for second in goals at the tourney, behind only Connor Bedard. From there, it was a second straight trip to the Memorial Cup, where his Seattle Thunderbirds lost the title game to the Quebec Remparts.</p><p>Guenther might not have been overripe to play in the NHL, but his experiences over the past two years, coupled with his success in the AHL, prepared him this time to play in the best league in the world. &ldquo;I often refer to players as an &lsquo;if player&rsquo; or a &lsquo;when player,&rsquo;&rdquo; said Utah coach Andre Tourigny. &ldquo;With an &lsquo;if player,&rsquo; it depends on if he gets faster, if he gets stronger&hellip;if, if, if. With a &lsquo;when player,&rsquo; it&rsquo;s just a matter of time. Dylan Guenther is a &lsquo;when player.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p><p>One reason why Guenther and the organization believe he&rsquo;s poised for a big season in 2024-25 is that, for the first time in three off-seasons, Guenther will be healthy and able to singularly devote himself to getting stronger. Last season, Guenther was injured late in the campaign but played through the Thunderbirds&rsquo; Memorial Cup run and didn&rsquo;t really feel comfortable until November. The year before, playing for the Edmonton Oil Kings, Guenther hurt his knee in the playoffs, which forced him to miss the 2022 Memorial Cup and hindered his summer training.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">I WAS JUST READY. I KNEW I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO PROVE IT. I HAD THAT LITTLE WINDOW<br>&ndash; Dylan Guenther</blockquote><p>Much of Guenther&rsquo;s lethality in the offensive zone comes from his shot, which is dangerous from just about anywhere. As is the case with many players coming up these days, he developed an NHL-caliber shot as a teenager. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve talked to our goalies in practice, and they can&rsquo;t believe he can shoot the puck that way,&rdquo; said Utah GM Bill Armstrong. &ldquo;They don&rsquo;t even have time to react, and it&rsquo;s already past them.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/uth_guenthe_111/10310956-1-eng-US/uth_guenthe_1112.png" title="uth_guenthe_111" width="1367" height="1780"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BRETT HOLMES-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p>Guenther gives a lot of credit for his shot to a man by the name of Ray Podloski, who was his shooting coach growing up. Podloski played eight games for the Boston Bruins in 1988 before embarking on a long and productive career in Germany, Italy, Denmark and Austria. Sadly, Podloski died of a heart attack in May 2018. But Guenther listened well to his teacher and shot more pucks than he&rsquo;d care to remember. &ldquo;I have pretty good rotational strength,&rdquo; Guenther said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m able to kind of put my whole body into it when I&rsquo;m shooting.&rdquo;</p><p>As much as Tourigny is aware that the young right winger has made his name with his shot, Guenther has earned his coach&rsquo;s trust with his play away from the puck. That&rsquo;s always a challenge for young players. Once they prove they can contribute offensively without being a liability defensively, they get more quality ice time, which leads to more offensive opportunities. In fact, by the end of the season, Guenther and McBain were the forwards on the second penalty-killing unit, and Guenther was playing the right point on the top power-play unit. &ldquo;What I like about Guenther is what people don&rsquo;t see,&rdquo; Tourigny said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a hell of a hockey player when he doesn&rsquo;t have the puck. He has a great stick, great reads, and he&rsquo;s really good defensively. And with the puck, everyone sees what he can do. His hockey IQ is really good, and his decision-making is unbelievable.&rdquo;</p><p>It seems Guenther has paid his dues, both in life and in hockey. And now that he has, he&rsquo;s ready for NHL stardom.</p><div class="sidebar"><h4>For up to the minute coverage, visit</h4><h3><a href="http://THEHOCKEYNEWS.COM">Thehockeynews.com</a><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></h3></div>

‘WHEN’ IS NOW

<div class="byline">BY JARED CLINTON</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="eastern_rev" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/eastern_rev44/10311123-1-eng-US/eastern_rev2.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/bos_centenn_106/10311116-1-eng-US/bos_centenn_1062.jpg" title="bos_centenn_106" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>A</span>fter two seasons at Ohio State, <b>MASON LOHREI</b> split the 2023-24 campaign between the AHL and NHL. But Lohrei&rsquo;s playoff performance with the Bruins made it clear the 23-year-old is in line for full-time big-league duty next year, perhaps in the top four and as the quarterback of the second power-play unit. Lohrei was solid throughout the NHL post-season, and his offensive upside &ndash; whether that entailed creating a one-pass breakout, reading and joining the rush or finding lanes to get pucks on net &ndash; was on full display.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0089-01112/10311109-1-eng-US/f0089-012.jpg" title="f0089-01" width="1367" height="1366"></div><p>Between off-season Achilles surgery and a subsequent lower-body injury shortly after he returned, <b>JACK QUINN</b> was limited to just 27 games this season. Still, the No. 8 pick in 2020 managed career-best per-game production, scoring at the equivalent of a 27-goal, 57-point pace. And the upcoming changes in Buffalo should help Quinn, 22, take the next step. He&rsquo;s one of only eight forwards under contract for next season, and he&rsquo;s tentatively pencilled into the Sabres&rsquo; top six, not to mention consistent power-play time.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0089-0270/10311102-1-eng-US/f0089-022.jpg" title="f0089-02" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>That <b>SIMON EDVINSSON</b> wasn&rsquo;t in Detroit sooner this season was a point of contention among some Red Wings fans. He&rsquo;s certain to be a fixture on the blueline next season, however. The knock on the smooth-skating distributor was that he&rsquo;s too casual in his own-zone play, but the offensive ability he possesses has never been in question. He&rsquo;s collected 13 goals and 57 points in 106 AHL games in two AHL seasons. The 21-year-old will benefit from a veteran, stay-at-home partner and some careful deployment.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0089-0348/10311095-1-eng-US/f0089-032.jpg" title="f0089-03" width="1367" height="1366"></div><p>Candidates are limited on the veteran Panthers, but keep an eye on D-man <b>TOBIAS BJORNFOT</b>. He didn&rsquo;t play often after being claimed on waivers for a second time in 2024 &ndash; just one regular-season game &ndash; but the 23-year-old, drafted 22nd overall in 2019 by L.A., has 120 games of NHL experience. The Cats will look to stretch the budget, and Bjornfot will get a chance for that reason. Florida has done well with reclamation projects in recent years, getting Gustav Forsling on waivers and Brandon Montour for a third-rounder.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0089-0425/10311088-1-eng-US/f0089-042.jpg" title="f0089-04" width="1367" height="1366"></div><p>A pragmatist might suggest <b>JURAJ SLAFKOVSKY</b> repeating his sophomore performance &ndash; a 20-goal, 50-point campaign &ndash; will constitute an excellent season for the 20-year-old. Fair enough. But why cap expectations? Slafkovsky&rsquo;s output across the back half of the season was downright deadly, enough to believe he could be a 30-goal, 70-point player. In the Canadiens final 41 games, the 2022 first-overall pick registered 16 goals and 35 points, and he cemented a spot on the top line and the first power-play unit.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0089-0515/10311081-1-eng-US/f0089-052.jpg" title="f0089-05" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>A violation of the NHL&rsquo;s gambling policy and subsequent 41-game suspension delayed the start of <b>SHANE PINTO&rsquo;S</b> season, but his play in the second half of the year was inspired, with his 27 points from Game 42 onward the fourth-best mark among all Sens forwards. As importantly, Pinto further showcased his two-way acumen and formed a solid one-two punch playing with Brady Tkachuk. It&rsquo;s not unreasonable to set the baseline expectation for a healthy Pinto at 20 goals and 50 points next season.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0089-0614/10311074-1-eng-US/f0089-062.jpg" title="f0089-06" width="1367" height="1366"></div><p>The cap crunch is considerable in Tampa Bay, and <b>EMIL LILLEBERG</b> stands to benefit from the Bolts&rsquo; need for low-cost reinforcements. The 23-year-old, originally drafted by Arizona in 2021 but signed by the Lightning as a free agent in 2023, battled his way to the NHL by way of his AHL performance and became a blueline mainstay in the second half of the season. Will he post big numbers? Unlikely. But he plays a physical, substance-over-style game that makes him a useful cog on Tampa Bay&rsquo;s back end.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0089-0711/10311067-1-eng-US/f0089-072.jpg" title="f0089-07" width="1367" height="1366"></div><p>If the logjam in the top six clears up, <b>NICK ROBERTSON</b> will be in line for more minutes. If that&rsquo;s the case, all signs point to an offensive surge. This season, averaging less than 12 minutes per game across 56 contests, Robertson chipped in 14 goals and 27 points. At five-a-side, only Auston Matthews, Max Domi and Mitch Marner produced more points per 60 minutes, and only Matthews exceeded Robertson&rsquo;s 1.34 goals-per-60 rate. Depending on the changes, Robertson, 22, could see more power-play time, too.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

eastern_rev

READY TO BREAK OUT: ATLANTIC DIVISION

<div class="byline">BY MICHAEL TRAIKOS</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="clb_fantill_017" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/clb_fantill_017/10311168-1-eng-US/clb_fantill_0172.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>TIME WAS NOT ON HIS SIDE</b></p><p>Fantilli averaged less than 16 minutes per game this season. Expect that number to rise significantly in &rsquo;24-25.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(SERGEI BELSKI-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>O</span>N MAY 3, NEARLY</b> four months after his calf was lacerated by a skate blade, Adam Fantilli finally got some good news when he was officially named to Canada&rsquo;s roster for the World Championship. A week later, however, after flying from Columbus to Czechia, he was dropped from the team to make room for some last-minute additions from NHL teams.</p><p>For the 19-year-old, it was nothing new.</p><p>Though Fantilli was the No. 3 overall pick in 2023, the highly touted center spent most of the season watching from either the bench or the press box as the Blue Jackets leaned on more experienced players. Call it a learning experience, if you want. But for Fantilli, it has made him even hungrier for what he hopes is a breakout year next season. &ldquo;I definitely want to come out of the gates flying next year and get off to a great start,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I know what everyone says about the sophomore slump, so I&rsquo;m trying not to go through that. I also know in the back of my mind that because I&rsquo;m a year older doesn&rsquo;t mean I&rsquo;ll be one year better. It&rsquo;s up to me to take that next step.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/columbus127/10311161-1-eng-US/columbus2.jpg" title="columbus" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>Sophomore slump? It&rsquo;s difficult to have one of those when you miss nearly half of your rookie season. &ldquo;I only played 49 games this year,&rdquo; Fantilli said. &ldquo;I have to get my game going. That&rsquo;s my concern.&rdquo;</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">I DEFINITELY WANT TO COME OUT OF THE GATES FLYING NEXT YEAR AND GET OFF TO A GREAT START<br>&ndash; Adam Fantilli</blockquote><p>Not only did Fantilli have his season end early, but it was plagued by off-ice issues beyond his control. The Blue Jackets fired their coach before the season began, then parted ways with their GM and had star winger Patrik Laine take a personal leave of absence. &ldquo;There was a lot going on,&rdquo; Fantilli said.</p><p>Despite the distractions, he did his best to remain positive. &ldquo;I was really happy with how much I was able to learn and how much I was able to play,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It was an eye-opening experience. There&rsquo;s stuff you can&rsquo;t teach yourself. It helped me get better as a player.&rdquo;</p><p>Even when was in the lineup, Fantilli spent most of the season stapled to the bench. Looking back, it was a curious move. It&rsquo;s not like Columbus was competing for a playoff spot. The Blue Jackets, who were at one time considered a dark-horse team, ended up with the worst record in the East. Only San Jose and Chicago had fewer wins.</p><p>And yet, you wouldn&rsquo;t know it based on the lineup decisions made by coach Pascal Vincent.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/clb_fantill_018/10311154-1-eng-US/clb_fantill_0182.png" title="clb_fantill_018" width="1367" height="1198"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>ADAM FANTILLI</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(SERGEI BELSKI-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p>Fantilli averaged just 15:43 in ice time. That was four minutes less than what No. 1 pick Connor Bedard received in Chicago. That might explain why Fantilli, who finished with 34 fewer points than the rookie scoring leader, had only 12 goals and 27 points. Things only got worse on Jan. 28, when Fantilli went to deliver a hit on Seattle&rsquo;s Jared McCann and ended up getting sliced by his skate blade. &ldquo;I just went to finish my check,&rdquo; Fantilli said. &ldquo;It was a pretty routine play. I was feeling a lot better and playing my game and not worrying too much. I was gaining some confidence. And then, this happens.&rdquo;</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">WE DEFINITELY HAVE A GREAT GROUP OF YOUNG GUYS. THERE&rsquo;S SUCH A BRIGHT FUTURE IN COLUMBUS<br>&ndash; Adam Fantilli</blockquote><p>There was nothing routine about the injury &ndash; or the recovery time. Initially, Fantilli was supposed to be out for a couple of months. But the injury dragged on and on, and he didn&rsquo;t make it back in time to finish the season. &ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t painful,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;My foot just wasn&rsquo;t working like it should have been. It was difficult because it&rsquo;s different than a tear. It takes a lot of time. Maybe we misread it and it took longer than it should have.&rdquo;</p><p>The hope was Fantilli would get to test out the injury at the World Championship, where he won a gold medal the previous year. But like his NHL season, things didn&rsquo;t go as planned.</p><p>Either way, with former Carolina Hurricanes GM Don Waddell now hired as the Blue Jackets GM and a new coach also coming, there is once again optimism in Columbus. It&rsquo;s unclear whether the Blue Jackets will be able to make the jump and contend for a playoff spot. But Fantilli, who briefly played with Johnny Gaudreau, would like a shot at becoming the top-line center. If he accomplishes that, a big bump in production will surely be in the offing. &ldquo;Playing with Johnny is so much fun,&rdquo; Fantilli said. &ldquo;We definitely have a great group of young guys. There&rsquo;s such a bright future in Columbus. There&rsquo;s so many guys around the same age as me, just waiting to take that next step.</p><p>&ldquo;Hopefully, I will have a breakout season. That&rsquo;s my goal. That&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;m working towards.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

SOPHOMORE SLUMP? HOW ABOUT A BUMP

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0091-09" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0091-094/10311262-1-eng-US/f0091-092.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0091-01100/10311255-1-eng-US/f0091-012.jpg" title="f0091-01" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>O</span>nce again, the Canes fell short of expectations in the playoffs, and while their style of play may have been a culprit, the goaltending didn&rsquo;t help. Frederik Andersen finished the post-season with an .895 SP, and it feels like his ceiling has long been established. The time is right for <b>PYOTR KOCHETKOV</b> to take over. While the affable 24-year-old had his own ups and downs, he has the highest ceiling. If Carolina doesn&rsquo;t want to miss its Cup window, Kochetkov will get more than the 40 starts he made this season.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0091-0259/10311248-1-eng-US/f0091-022.jpg" title="f0091-02" width="1367" height="1366"></div><p>When <b>ADAM BOQVIST</b> was drafted by Chicago, he was seen as the prototypical modern-day NHL blueliner: a great skater with poise, vision and dynamic puck skills. Since arriving in Columbus three years ago, Boqvist has needed that poise because injuries have limited his action. When healthy, he&rsquo;s proven himself capable of playing on a top pairing and worked well with Zach Werenski. It&rsquo;s just a matter of hoping Boqvist can stay healthy. So far, the 23-year-old&rsquo;s best output was 24 points in 46 games in 2022-23.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0091-0339/10311241-1-eng-US/f0091-032.jpg" title="f0091-03" width="1367" height="1366"></div><p>After being drafted seventh overall in 2020, <b>ALEXANDER HOLTZ</b> had some pretty high expectations placed on him. Holtz played all 82 games for New Jersey this year, and he started to show the goal-scoring prowess he was drafted for, lighting the lamp 16 times. The Devils largely sheltered him, and if they want to return to the post-season, overall improvement from Holtz would help. This is a player who could easily hit 30 goals if he reaches his full potential, and there&rsquo;s no time like the present.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0091-0416/10311234-1-eng-US/f0091-042.jpg" title="f0091-04" width="1367" height="1366"></div><p><b>ALEXANDER ROMANOV</b> quietly had an impressive showing in his second year with the Islanders. The physical defenseman tied a career high with 22 points and established a new, albeit modest, personal best with seven goals. But he did so while playing difficult minutes, starting less than 40 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. Despite that, he was on the ice for 16 more 5-on-5 goals for than against (though playing some with Noah Dobson didn&rsquo;t hurt). Romanov could easily beat his offensive numbers again.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0091-0511/10311227-1-eng-US/f0091-052.jpg" title="f0091-05" width="1367" height="1366"></div><p>There&rsquo;s nothing quite like being a folk hero in Manhattan, and few have made a name for themselves faster than <b>MATT REMPE</b>. The &lsquo;Rempire State Building&rsquo; burst onto the NHL scene in the second half, fighting veteran NHL heavyweights and crushing opponents with hits that sometimes landed him in hot water. While much needs to be accomplished before the youngster is considered a full-time threat, with a little bit of time and teaching, the 6-foot-7, 241-pound Rempe will be a unique beast.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0095-069/10311220-1-eng-US/f0095-062.jpg" title="f0095-06" width="1367" height="1366"></div><p>The Flyers had a much more successful season than most anticipated, and one of the bright spots was rookie right winger <b>TYSON FOERSTER</b>. Drafted 23rd overall in 2020, Foerster has always been known for his wicked shot. And sure enough, he potted 20 goals, good for fourth on the team. But more importantly, Foerster earned the trust of coach John Tortorella thanks to his play without the puck, and he ranked third among Flyers forwards in average ice time at 17:16. Look for another uptick in 2024-25.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0091-076/10311213-1-eng-US/f0091-072.jpg" title="f0091-07" width="1367" height="1366"></div><p>With an aging roster, the Penguins should be more concerned about players breaking down rather than hoping they will break out. A new face in net is the possible exception. The team&rsquo;s top goalie prospect, <b>JOEL BLOMQVIST</b>, is ready to take on some starts in prime time. On a pretty good Wilkes-Barre/Scranton squad, Blomqvist sparkled with a 2.16 GAA and .921 SP. At 6-foot-2, he has NHL size, and he&rsquo;s been lauded for his lateral movement and smarts. Now, it&rsquo;s time to get the 22-year-old some big-league reps.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0091-084/10311206-1-eng-US/f0091-082.jpg" title="f0091-08" width="1367" height="1366"></div><p><b>CONNOR MCMICHAEL</b> spent all but six games in the AHL with Hershey in 2022-23. But a Calder Cup championship run may have just been the tonic for the smart and talented pivot. McMichael was back full-time with the Caps this season, ringing up a commendable 18 goals and 33 points while mostly playing with Anthony Mantha and Aliaksei Protas. With the 2018 Cup core falling away, there&rsquo;s a lane for McMichael and other youngsters to pick up the slack. And the Caps need them in order to stay relevant.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0091-09

READY TO BREAK OUT: METRO DIVISION

<div class="byline">BY CAROL SCHRAM</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="nsh_evangel_101" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/nsh_evangel_101/10311321-1-eng-US/nsh_evangel_1012.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>RISING STAR</b></p><p>Evangelista has gone from the OHL to the AHL to the NHL the past three years &ndash; and he&rsquo;s scored at every level.</p><p></p> <span class="photo-credit">(BOB FRID-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HEN ARTURS SILOVS</b> suddenly landed on the scene for Game 4 of the Nashville Predators&rsquo; first-round playoff series against the Vancouver Canucks, Luke Evangelista was one of the few NHL players who already had a read on the lanky Latvian.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/nashville20_103/10311314-1-eng-US/nashville20_1032.jpg" title="nashville20_103" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>On March 6, 2023, in Vancouver, Evangelista was playing his fourth career NHL game, and Silovs his fifth. With the Predators trailing 3-1 in the third period, Evangelista grabbed a rebound off Silovs, then skated around the fallen stopper and slid the puck into the gaping net for his first NHL goal. About eight minutes later, Evangelista tipped a shot past Silovs from close range for the tying tally that earned Nashville a comeback point.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/nsh_evangel_104/10311307-1-eng-US/nsh_evangel_1042.png" title="nsh_evangel_104" width="1366" height="1355"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>JAROMIR JAGR & LUKE EVANGELISTA</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(PHOTOS COURTESY OF NASHVILLE PREDATORS)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/nsh_evangel_105/10311300-1-eng-US/nsh_evangel_1052.png" title="nsh_evangel_105" width="1367" height="1084"></div><p>&ldquo;I can remember that day, that game, those goals like it was just a few months ago,&rdquo; Evangelista said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a great ride so far.&rdquo;</p><p>When he was drafted in Round 2 (42nd overall) by Nashville in 2020, Evangelista was primarily known as a smart, playmaking right winger. The following season, he saw limited action while the OHL was shut down, getting into just 14 games with the AHL&rsquo;s Chicago Wolves.</p><p>In the fall of 2021, he returned to the London Knights as a 19-year-old and was named captain. Then, he unveiled a new-found nose for the net, scoring an OHL-best 55 goals to go along with 56 assists. From there, he made a smooth transition to the AHL, logging 41 points in 49 games with Milwaukee in 2022-23.</p><p>Evangelista&rsquo;s first NHL call-up came in February 2023 as the Predators started cleaning house ahead of the trade deadline. He staked his claim on a full-time roster spot for 2023-24 by finishing with 15 points in 24 games &ndash; a stretch that started with those two goals against Silovs.</p><p>And while there was change on the roster and behind the bench, Evangelista had no trouble convincing first-year Preds coach Andrew Brunette that he had the physical and mental tools to be an effective NHLer. &ldquo;Luke is a big-time player,&rdquo; Brunette said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think he&rsquo;s intimidated by anything. He wants the moment, and you love that about him.&rdquo;</p><p>Raised in Toronto, Evangelista caught the hockey bug early. His aspirations were juiced by his mom&rsquo;s cousin, Brendan Shanahan. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s been a cool influence,&rdquo; Evangelista said. &ldquo;Someone you look up to, who makes you realize the dream is possible.&rdquo;</p><p>As a preschooler, Evangelista was thrilled to get behind-the-scenes access and a photo with Jaromir Jagr after his family was invited to attend a morning skate when Shanahan&rsquo;s New York Rangers visited the Leafs.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">HE&rsquo;S SOMEONE YOU LOOK UP TO, WHO MAKES YOU REALIZE THE DREAM IS POSSIBLE<br>&ndash; Evangelista on Shanahan</blockquote><p>By then, Evangelista was already a true-blue fan of his hometown team. The first jersey he ever owned was that of a rookie defenseman who shares his first name and is now a teammate &ndash; Luke Schenn.</p><p>When Schenn broke into the league at 18, his 33-year-old teammate Jamal Mayers offered some prescient advice. &ldquo;He said, &lsquo;Always be nice to the five- and six-year-olds. One day, they&rsquo;re going to be your teammates,&rsquo;&rdquo; Schenn said. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t really know what he meant by that at the time, but now I understand.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/nsh_evangel_102/10311293-1-eng-US/nsh_evangel_1022.png" title="nsh_evangel_102" width="1367" height="976"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>LUKE EVANGELISTA & JUUSE SAROS</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(BOB FRID-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p>Evangelista and Schenn met for the first time at the Predators&rsquo; camp in September, after Schenn signed with Nashville. It&rsquo;s said that you should never meet your heroes, but the thoughtful and engaging Schenn did not disappoint. &ldquo;He exceeded my expectations,&rdquo; said Evangelista, 22. &ldquo;He was way cooler than I thought.&rdquo;</p><p>Early on, the revamped Predators went through some growing pains. But Evangelista was a steady contributor all season, finishing sixth in rookie scoring with 16 goals and 39 points.</p><p>He was scratched for just the second time all year for the infamous 9-2 loss to Dallas on Feb. 15 that triggered the cancellation of the team&rsquo;s outing to see U2 in Vegas. But through the 18 games without a regulation loss that followed, he was a key part of the success story with six goals and 10 points, and he carved out a regular spot on the first power-play unit.</p><p>Prior to Nashville&rsquo;s first-round series against Vancouver, Schenn invited Evangelista to his home for dinner and some mini-sticks with his kids. The gesture was a highlight for a talented player whose NHL story is just beginning. &ldquo;I remember calling my mom,&rdquo; Evangelista said. &ldquo;I was like, &lsquo;If you told the six-year-old me that I&rsquo;d be playing mini-sticks with Luke Schenn, I&rsquo;d be freaking out.&rsquo;&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

OPPORTUNITY SEIZED

<div class="byline">BY JARED CLINTON</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="western_rev" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/western_rev44/10311415-1-eng-US/western_rev2.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0093-0262/10311408-1-eng-US/f0093-022.jpg" title="f0093-02" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>here have been easier jobs for NHL rookie defensemen than top-four duty on a shudderingly bad roster, but that didn&rsquo;t stop the Blackhawks from throwing <b>KEVIN KORCHINSKI</b> into the deep end. That Korchinski managed to keep his head above water is commendable, and the Hawks hope that the hard lessons he learned this season will allow him to flourish as a 20-year-old in 2024-25. His puck-moving acumen is an incredible and exploitable asset for a team short on out-and-out offensive skill.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0093-0332/10311401-1-eng-US/f0093-032.jpg" title="f0093-03" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>Though only four of <b>JUSTUS ANNUNEN&rsquo;S</b> 14 games this season came against playoff clubs, the Avs must be salivating at the thought of a cost-controlled keeper sliding into 1B duty. Annunen, 24, posted a 2.25 GAA and .928 SP, much better marks than starter Alexandar Georgiev (3.02, .897) or waiver pickup Ivan Prosvetov (3.16, .895). With Georgiev locked in for one more season, Colorado has the benefit of not heaping the pressure on Annunen, instead allowing him to organically begin his push for the top job.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0093-0414/10311394-1-eng-US/f0093-042.jpg" title="f0093-04" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>As disappointing as Joe Pavelski&rsquo;s Cup-less departure is for Dallas, it does make way for 21-year-old <b>LOGAN STANKOVEN</b> to slide onto one of the Stars&rsquo; top two lines, not to mention assume steady power-play duty. This season&rsquo;s AHL rookie scoring leader &ndash; and the second-highest per-game scorer among all AHLers (min. 40 GP) &ndash; he was also excellent in his 43 total games with the big club this season, scoring nine goals and 22 points across the regular season and playoffs. He&rsquo;s still Calder eligible next season.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0094-057/10311387-1-eng-US/f0094-052.jpg" title="f0094-05" width="1367" height="1366"></div><p>It seemed for some time that <b>MARCO ROSSI</b> was doomed to be a victim of circumstance; he wasn&rsquo;t a fit for bottom-six duty and he wasn&rsquo;t yet ready for top-six minutes. But Rossi shone after being elevated to the top half of the Wild roster this season, and he looks ready to become one of Minnesota&rsquo;s best offensive weapons. The 22-year-old, drafted ninth in 2020, popped off for 21 goals and 40 points and worked his way onto the second power-play unit. He has the potential for 30 goals and 60 points next season.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0093-054/10311380-1-eng-US/f0093-052.jpg" title="f0093-05" width="1367" height="1366"></div><p>During his NHL stints, <b>PHILIP TOMASINO</b> has produced at close to a half-point-per-game pace. Trouble is, those stints have been on and off since 2021-22, when he netted 11 goals and 32 points in 76 games as a rookie. A log-jammed top six led to the 22-year-old spending extended stints in the AHL in 2022-23 and 2023-24, but Tomasino has the kind of high-end playmaking skill that the Preds sometimes lack. While there are still questions about his two-way game, it&rsquo;s clear he can produce when given the opportunity.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0093-064/10311373-1-eng-US/f0093-062.jpg" title="f0093-06" width="1367" height="1366"></div><p>After tearing up the QMJHL, center <b>ZACK BOLDUC</b> didn&rsquo;t miss a beat in the AHL, posting eight goals and 25 points in 50 games to start the year. That got him called up to the NHL, and Bolduc made sure he didn&rsquo;t go back down. Though a statline of five goals and nine points in 25 games doesn&rsquo;t leap off the page, Bolduc saw time with top-six fixtures and a smattering of power-play minutes. That&rsquo;s a good indication he&rsquo;s part of St. Louis&rsquo; plans. As a team in transition, the Blues can afford to give Bolduc some opportunities.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/uth/10311366-1-eng-US/uth2.jpg" title="uth" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>A deep prospect pool and oodles of draft capital are among the reasons the former Arizona Coyotes are primed for success upon their arrival in Utah, but the biggest reason is <b>LOGAN COOLEY</b>. His 20-goal, 44-point rookie output flew under the radar, but that only means the 20-year-old enters his sophomore season without quite as much expectation. A 17-goal, 24-point second half saw Cooley come into his own and start driving the offense. He was Arizona&rsquo;s top goal-scorer from Game 42 onward.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0093-082/10311359-1-eng-US/f0093-082.jpg" title="f0093-08" width="1367" height="1369"></div><p>Another year older and wiser, and with a full NHL campaign under his belt, <b>COLE PERFETTI</b> will have every opportunity to be a significant offensive contributor. Despite flitting in and out of the top six &ndash; and the lineup &ndash; the 22-year-old managed to post 19 goals and 38 points. Depending how roster changes shake out, Perfetti is in line for a significant ice-time boost, not to mention a more regular role on the power play. Pair that with natural progression and there&rsquo;s reason to feel hopeful about what comes next.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

western_rev

READY TO BREAK OUT: CENTRAL DIVISION

<div class="byline">BY JARED CLINTON</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="ana_zellweg_095" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/ana_zellweg_095/10311460-1-eng-US/ana_zellweg_0952.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>ZEL-F CRITICAL</b></p><p>Zellweger impressed the Ducks brass in his rookie pro season, but his own assessment was less enthusiastic.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(SERGEI BELSKI-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span>Y ALL ACCOUNTS, OLEN</b> Zellweger is precisely the type of young player every team would be thrilled to have. He&rsquo;s dedicated to his craft, receptive to coaching and even has those intangible, take-him-home-to-meet-the-folks qualities that clubs seek when they talk about drafting the player <i>and</i> the person.</p><p>But it&rsquo;s our unfortunate duty to report that, in one particular area, the Anaheim Ducks prospect is not to be trusted. Asked to evaluate his own adjustment to the professional game, Zellweger offered that he was &ldquo;just OK&rdquo; in the early part of the season. And it&rsquo;s here that Zellweger must be admonished, because &ldquo;just OK&rdquo; is a lie.</p><p>While readily acknowledging there&rsquo;s more to the game than what appears in the summary, and especially so for a blueliner such as Zellweger, it&rsquo;s difficult to accept his assessment. The ho-hum attitude about his performance suggests he struggled or outright failed to display the attributes that saw him twice named the WHL&rsquo;s top defenseman. Neither is true. Matter of fact, the evaluation is particularly challenging to square considering Zellweger opened his pro career with a two-point night for the San Diego Gulls and proceeded to notch four goals and 17 points in his first 20 AHL games.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0094-01110/10311453-1-eng-US/f0094-012.jpg" title="f0094-01" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>This is, though, who Zellweger is: an inexhaustibly driven youngster whose goal isn&rsquo;t to be good but great. So, perhaps it makes sense he&rsquo;s critical of his near-point-per-game production to start his pro career. Anything less than out-and-out excellence doesn&rsquo;t seem to pass muster. &ldquo;I was definitely having a lot of highs and lows throughout that time,&rdquo; he said.</p><p>By Zellweger&rsquo;s measure, he really started to come into his own by January. That&rsquo;s when he started to feel like he was moving his feet and making dangerous plays with the puck, akin to his days in major junior. That this period culminated with being called up to the NHL for the first time was no surprise.</p><p>Despite registering an assist and averaging 16 minutes per game, Zellweger had his big-league stay end after four games and without promise he&rsquo;d be back before the season was up. The Ducks wanted him to focus on his two-way game and defending, which are the most difficult adjustments for young blueliners. But the taste of the NHL motivated the 20-year-old. &ldquo;I was just really hungry and determined to be my best and get called back up,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I really found confidence in my game.&rdquo;</p><p>In part, that manifested itself in his 1-on-1 play, which he felt steadily improved throughout the season. It also bled through into his team defense, an area he had made a point of zeroing in on. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve gotten better at that,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I communicate with guys on the ice more, and I&rsquo;m in the right position more often than not. It&rsquo;s definitely still something I&rsquo;m trying to improve on every game and throughout the season, but I feel a lot more confident in it now.&rdquo;</p><p>Zellweger&rsquo;s dedication to being the best version of himself continued to shine brightest on the scoresheet, where he posted four goals and 12 points in the 10 AHL contests following his return to the Gulls. In all, that performance brought him to 12 goals and 37 points for the year in San Diego.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/ana_zellweg_096/10311446-1-eng-US/ana_zellweg_0962.png" title="ana_zellweg_096" width="1367" height="1254"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>OLEN ZELLWEGER</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(PERRY NELSON-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p>Rest assured, he would have built on those totals &ndash; numbers that ultimately tied Zellweger for fifth in Gulls scoring, as well as giving him the sixth-highest point-per-game production among AHL rookies who played more than 15 games and the second-best mark among all AHL defenders to appear in at least 40 games &ndash; but Zellweger&rsquo;s output put him on the fast track back to Anaheim. And once the Ducks recalled him in March, he didn&rsquo;t look back. Zellweger played in all but one of Anaheim&rsquo;s final 23 games, averaging the third-highest ice time among Anaheim skaters and chipping in two goals and eight points. &ldquo;It was great to be able to have some trust, for them to be able to watch me and see how I handle playing back-to-back high-minute games,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The last 10 games of the season were really good, and I felt like I was really starting to play more confidently.&rdquo;</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">I WAS JUST REALLY HUNGRY AND DETERMINED TO BE MY BEST AND GET CALLED BACK UP<br>&ndash; Olen Zellweger</blockquote><p>Zellweger&rsquo;s play caught the eye of Team Canada brass, with his strong end to the campaign earning him a spot on Canada&rsquo;s squad at the World Championship. But that&rsquo;s nothing new for him. He previously suited up for Canada at the U-17, U-18 and U-20 levels, twice winning gold at the WJC and earning another at the under-18s. Though that meant his early post-season focus was on giving it all for Team Canada in Prague, Zellweger kept his off-season sights firmly set on doing whatever was necessary to become an NHL mainstay next year. &ldquo;I want to continue to grow on the skill aspect of the game,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and separate myself that way.&rdquo;</p><p>That&rsquo;s not all, of course. Zellweger said he also intends to get stronger and faster and improve his overall fitness. He wants to ensure he&rsquo;s the same player from his first shift to his last. These are things he feels will translate well to life in the NHL. Heck, they might even help make him a standout as soon as next season. And if he&rsquo;s the one doing the evaluation, the Ducks would gladly settle for a Zellweger who&rsquo;s &ldquo;just OK.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

A LOT BETTER THAN ‘JUST OK’

<div class="byline">BY BRIAN COSTELLO</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0095-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0095-01104/10311554-1-eng-US/f0095-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0095-0257/10311547-1-eng-US/f0095-022.jpg" title="f0095-02" width="1367" height="1366"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>M</span>ASON MCTAVISH</b> occupied this space a year ago, and things didn&rsquo;t quite come to fruition. But we&rsquo;re going to double down. While we were correct in forecasting McTavish would improve upon his 42.3-percent efficiency in the faceoff dot in 2022-23 &ndash; he soared to 51.7 percent this season &ndash; his offensive totals were flat. He went from 17 goals to 19 and from 43 points to 42. McTavish will surely top 50 points next season and eventually 60 down the road when the Ducks&rsquo; rebuild takes shape and the rising tide raises all boats.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0095-0340/10311540-1-eng-US/f0095-032.jpg" title="f0095-03" width="1367" height="1366"></div><p>The final goaltending stats for <b>DUSTIN WOLF</b> weren&rsquo;t anything to write home about. Among the 70 goalies who started 15 or more games, Wolf ranked 57th in save percentage at .893. But break it down into duty before and after his permanent recall from the AHL, and you can see the growth. He won just one of five starts before March 11, with a .878 SP, then won six of 10 starts with a .902 SP afterward. With Jacob Markstrom traded, Wolf will get a good chunk of the workload in tandem with Dan Vladar.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0095-0415/10311533-1-eng-US/f0095-042.jpg" title="f0095-04" width="1367" height="1366"></div><p><b>PHILIP BROBERG</b> is no longer waiver-exempt next season, which means the well-trodden three-year shuttle between Edmonton and AHL Bakersfield is over. Contract status aside, Broberg showed in the third and fourth playoff rounds that he&rsquo;s worthy of regular duty on Edmonton&rsquo;s blueline. The No. 8 pick in 2019 replaced Vincent Desharnais midway through the Dallas series and even stepped into top-four duty in the Cup final. With four &lsquo;D&rsquo; regulars aged 29 or older, Broberg is part of Edmonton&rsquo;s future.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0095-078/10311526-1-eng-US/f0095-072.jpg" title="f0095-07" width="1367" height="1366"></div><p>We nailed it on the Quinton Byfield call last year, so take our word on it that <b>BRANDT CLARKE</b> will burst at the seams in 2024-25 and become a top-four defenseman on the Los Angeles blueline. The eighth-overall pick in 2021 has been knocking on the door for a while and has actually used up his Calder eligibility due playing to at least six NHL games in each of the past two seasons. He&rsquo;s a crafty right-shot &lsquo;D&rsquo; like Drew Doughty, so playing with stay-at-home type Mikey Anderson seems like a good pairing to begin with.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0095-085/10311519-1-eng-US/f0095-082.jpg" title="f0095-08" width="1367" height="1366"></div><p>Big things have been projected from <b>FILIP ZADINA</b> since he was drafted sixth overall by Detroit in 2018. But he failed to gain traction in almost 200 games with the Wings over five seasons and had his contract terminated last summer. Zadina got off to a sluggish start with the Sharks, scoring just five times in 46 games leading up to the All-Star Weekend. But in the final third of the season, he scored at a 25-goal pace (eight goals in 26 games), giving hope a 20-goal, 40-point season is on the horizon.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0095-094/10311512-1-eng-US/f0095-092.jpg" title="f0095-09" width="1367" height="1366"></div><p>The Kraken have big money committed to Philipp Grubauer for the next three seasons, but it&rsquo;s <b>JOEY DACCORD</b> who is delivering the mail. It might surprise some fans that, for a four-month stretch starting in December &ndash; when Daccord stole the crease from the high-priced veteran &ndash; through to the end of March, when an injury sidelined him, Daccord led the NHL (minimum 20 games started) with a .926 SP and 2.21 GAA. At 27, Daccord is five years younger than Grubauer, so expect more breakout.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0095-103/10311505-1-eng-US/f0095-102.jpg" title="f0095-10" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>One could easily make the case that more than half the Vancouver roster had breakout seasons as the Canucks won the Pacific Division. So, who&rsquo;s left to break out in 2024-25? How about <b>VASILY PODKOLZIN</b>? With the Canucks likely to part ways with UFA forwards Elias Lindholm, Teddy Blueger and Sam Lafferty, there&rsquo;s an opening for Podkolzin to step in and make an impact the way Nils Hoglander did this season. The 23-year-old Russian has 137 NHL games under his belt across three seasons, so he&rsquo;s not a greenhorn.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0095-112/10311498-1-eng-US/f0095-112.jpg" title="f0095-11" width="1367" height="1366"></div><p>When the Golden Knights picked up Tomas Hertl and Anthony Mantha at the trade deadline, and Mark Stone returned in time for the playoffs, <b>PAVEL DOROFEYEV</b> got pushed from third-line duty to sitting in the press box for all but one game in the post-season. That&rsquo;s a shame, because the 23-year-old Russian had become something of a revelation. His 0.51 points per game ranked eighth among regular Vegas forwards, not including deadline acquisitions. He&rsquo;s sure to be in Vegas&rsquo; top nine next season.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0095-01

READY TO BREAK OUT: PACIFIC DIVISION

<div class="byline">BY RONNIE SHUKER</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="opinion_kar_079" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/opinion_kar_079/10311585-1-eng-US/opinion_kar_0792.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>BLOCKBUSTER BUSTS THROUGH</b></p><p>Try as one might, some breaking news, like the trade that sent Karlsson to the Pens last summer, is too big to evade.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(BOB FRID-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span>T IS OFTEN SAID</b> of the greatest players that they don&rsquo;t chase the game. They don&rsquo;t need to. It just comes to them. In a sport set apart from all others for its sheer speed, the best to have ever played it are able to slow the game down.</p><p>Those of us who follow it, however, whether as fans or as media, we ceaselessly chase the game, like a throng of Wile E. Coyotes after a select few Road Runners on blades. Insiders fall all over themselves trying to chase down the latest scoop, while we fans fall all over ourselves chasing down the chasers to be the first to hear about it. It is a mug&rsquo;s game. We&rsquo;re all outsiders looking in on the game&rsquo;s greats.</p><p>Like most fans, I&rsquo;ve spent a lifetime chasing the NHL. From free-agent signings, to training-camp rumblings, to regular-season slumps and streaks, to daily injury updates and game-day line combinations, to mid-season analysis, to the trade-deadline frenzy, to the stretch run, to the playoffs, to the Stanley Cup, to the NHL awards, to the draft, then back to free agency, it&rsquo;s a cycle that never stops.</p><p>By the summer of 2023, after decades on hockey&rsquo;s hamster wheel, I was exhausted. I needed a change of pace. I needed to slow the game down. So, for 2023-24, like a season-long Lent, I decided to stop chasing the game and just let it come to me. For one year, from June 27, 2023, the day after the NHL awards were handed out, until the end of this year&rsquo;s Stanley Cup final, I got my hockey news only from The Hockey News. More than that, I got it only from the print magazine.</p><p>Once the 2022-23 hardware was handed out, I got to work filtering out any possible sources of electronic media that could contaminate the purity of print. Not being on social media gave me a head start, but there were still many holes to plug. I had to resist checking the interweb, stop listening to podcasts and cease watching SportsCentre and Sportsnet Central. I continued to watch games but had to either mute or change the channel during intermissions.</p><p>In a country where &ldquo;hockey&rdquo; has become synonymous with &ldquo;NHL,&rdquo; it felt good to slow the game down. Knowing another issue was on its way &ndash; that I could soon catch up with the rest of the hockey world &ndash; my walk to the mailbox became heightened with anticipation. Most times, I unlocked it only to collect bills and junk mail. But once every month, I opened it to see a new issue waiting for me, the compounded thickness of the pages folded in half to fit the small slot in the neighborhood&rsquo;s community mailbox. It was a glorious sight and a tactile pleasure. Delayed gratification at its finest.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">WE CEASELESSLY CHASE THE GAME, LIKE A THRONG OF WILE E. COYOTES AFTER A SELECT FEW ROAD RUNNERSON BLADES</blockquote><p>I was all smiles on the walk back to my house. Once inside, I&rsquo;d chuck the junk mail into the recycling bin, fling the bills onto the counter and sit down to read the magazine, front to back. Before I&rsquo;d do anything, though, I&rsquo;d straighten out the fold and stare at the cover. What magazines give away in speed to radio, TV, the internet and social media, they retain in the static effect of the cover. Nothing online or on-screen can match it.</p><p>My rigid filtration system wasn&rsquo;t perfect. Sometimes, info found its way through. I laughed hard when I heard the Pittsburgh Penguins had traded for Erik Karlsson and facepalmed when I was told the Toronto Maple Leafs had signed John Klingberg. But even when something did slip through, it came to me organically, from actual real-life human-to-human contact. I didn&rsquo;t try to avoid it. Whether it was family and friends wanting to engage in some hockey talk, fellow pickup players bantering in the dressing room or overhearing strangers talking in a restaurant, I let the game come to me.</p><p>I&rsquo;d hoped slowing the game down off the ice would translate to doing so on the ice, but my afternoon pickup games north of Toronto remain a frenetic chase. Will is much easier to generate than skill. Yet, my year away from instant info did change the way I look at the game. I read more hockey books, learning about players of the past who paved the way for today&rsquo;s pros. I also did something too few fans and media members do anymore: I actually played more hockey.</p><p>I don&rsquo;t begrudge any fan for wanting to stay on top of the game minute by minute, nor will I tell anyone how or how often to consume their hockey news. There is no right way or wrong way to follow the sport. But for me, slowing the game down for a year has made me a better fan.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

opinion_kar_079

Opinion

TAKING IT SLOW

<div class="byline">BY RANDY BOSWELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="hartat100_t_002" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/hartat100_t_002/10311686-1-eng-US/hartat100_t_0022.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(CHARLES LECLAIRE-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HE NHL&rsquo;S OLDEST AND</b> most important individual award turns 100 this season. And a fresh probe of the origins of the Hart Trophy &ndash; bestowed annually since 1924 to the player judged most valuable to his team but often thought of as the prize for the NHL&rsquo;s best player &ndash; has revealed an unexpected twist: that its donor originally intended for it to go to the player who scores the most goals or points every season.</p><p>It also appears the most popular player in MLB in the 1920s &ndash; legendary New York Yankees slugger Babe Ruth &ndash; played a key role in the fledgling NHL&rsquo;s decision to redefine the Hart as an MVP accolade rather than a scoring prize.</p><p>The Hart centennial arrives in a year that has featured a lively debate around the top contenders. Finalists Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado), Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay) and Connor McDavid (Edmonton) waited until the NHL Awards show, held June 27 in Las Vegas, to see who took home the honors. Kucherov and McDavid are both previous winners, with Kucherov taking it in 2019 and McDavid in 2017, 2021 and 2023. MacKinnon, meanwhile, was seeking his first MVP award.</p><p>But others were part of the Hart conversation. In the early going, Vancouver Canucks defenseman and Norris Trophy finalist Quinn Hughes looked well on his way to Hart candidacy. The sublime playmaker led NHL blueliners with 92 points, which was good for 15th overall, and he sat top 10 in time on ice. Lights-out goaltenders Connor Hellebuyck of Winnipeg and Thatcher Demko of the Canucks (both Vezina Trophy finalists this year) were also discussed as early Hart contenders.</p><p>But, ultimately, the NHL&rsquo;s top three point-getters finished as the three Hart Trophy finalists. Kucherov&rsquo;s 144 points led the way, followed closely by MacKinnon&rsquo;s 140 and McDavid&rsquo;s 132. The fact each finished far ahead of the second-highest scorers on their teams only strengthened their claims to league-MVP status.</p><p>Speculation about who might win the Hart is an annual hockey-talk staple from about December to June, when the league&rsquo;s trophies are awarded at its year-end banquet.</p><p>Scoring prowess has always been a major factor in determining the NHL&rsquo;s MVP over the past century. Wayne Gretzky, the NHL&rsquo;s all-time leader in goals and points, also won the Hart an unmatched nine times.</p><p>But the fact goalies and defensemen sometimes take the trophy means other measures of excellence are also at play. Of the 99 names engraved on the prize since its inception, eight belong to goaltenders and 13 belong to defensemen. The other 78 names belong to forwards. That includes players at each position who have won the Hart more than once.</p><p>One of those repeat winners is other-worldly blueliner Bobby Orr. In 1969-70, the Boston Bruins legend won not only the Hart but also took home the Norris Trophy as the league&rsquo;s top defenseman, the Art Ross as its top scorer and the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP. Orr remains a glaring outlier in discussions about positional advantage when selecting the NHL&rsquo;s MVP.</p><p>Orr was also the first player to win the Hart three times in a row (1970, &rsquo;71 and &rsquo;72). He remains the only defenseman to have won the NHL scoring race, and he did that twice (1970 and &rsquo;75).</p><p>But all this was in a distant future on Nov. 29, 1923. As initially proposed at a Montreal banquet that evening by its namesake donor, Dr. David A. Hart (1844-1925), the Hart Trophy was meant to be a way to honor the NHLer exhibiting the greatest offensive prowess.</p><p>This revelation about the Hart Trophy&rsquo;s origins comes from articles published in the <i>Montreal Gazette</i> and <i>Montreal Star</i> newspapers on Nov. 30, 1923, about a birthday bash held the night before to honor Dr. Hart&rsquo;s son Cecil, then an executive with the Montreal Canadiens.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/hartat100_c_007/10311679-1-eng-US/hartat100_c_0072.png" title="hartat100_c_007" width="1461" height="519"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(PHOTO FROM MONTREAL GAZETTE)</span></figcaption></div><p>This was the moment when the idea of a Hart Trophy first came to public attention. The account of the event provided in the <i>Gazette</i> described Dr. Hart announcing his plan to donate a trophy for the league&rsquo;s leading goal-scorer &ndash; something the NHL didn&rsquo;t actually get around to until the 1999 creation of the Maurice &lsquo;Rocket&rsquo; Richard Trophy.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/hartat100_d_003/10311672-1-eng-US/hartat100_d_0032.png" title="hartat100_d_003" width="665" height="1087"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>DR. DAVID A. HART</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(PHOTO FROM MONTREAL STAR )</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/hartat100_b_004/10311665-1-eng-US/hartat100_b_0042.png" title="hartat100_b_004" width="1640" height="753"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>HART RATE</b></p><p>It was at this November 1923 banquet, covered by Montreal&rsquo;s <i>La Presse,</i> Dr. Hart announced his plan to donate a high-scoring trophy to the NHL.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(ANDREW ROSS/LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA)</span></figcaption></div><p>The <i>Star</i>, meanwhile, reported that Dr. Hart&rsquo;s proposal was to donate a trophy to be given to the NHL&rsquo;s top point-producer. The league began honoring that achievement in 1948, when the Art Ross Trophy was first presented.</p><p>But between the time Dr. Hart announced the planned trophy in late November and the league&rsquo;s formal acceptance of the offer in early February 1924, the proposal had transformed into the most valuable player prize that now marks its 100th season.</p><p>Cecil Hart was a seminal figure in pro hockey in Montreal, serving as a director of the Canadiens in 1923 and later as the team&rsquo;s coach for Cup-winning seasons in 1930 and 1931. At the November banquet celebrating his birthday, Hart&rsquo;s elderly physician father, proud of his son&rsquo;s association with the NHL, announced he planned to donate the six-year-old league&rsquo;s first trophy for individual achievement.</p><p>The <i>Gazette</i>&rsquo;s report on the celebratory dinner, held at the dishy Montreal Reform Club on Sherbrooke Street, appeared in the next day&rsquo;s paper under the headline, &ldquo;Dinner to Cecil Hart &ndash; Cup Offered for Leading N.H.L. goal scorer.&rdquo; According to the <i>Gazette</i>, &ldquo;enthusiastic cheers greeted the offer&hellip;to donate a cup to the N.H.L. for the leading goal scorer.&rdquo;</p><p>That didn&rsquo;t happen for another 76 years. The inaugural winner of the Rocket Richard Trophy was Anaheim&rsquo;s Teemu Selanne in 1998-99, who had 47 goals that season.</p><p>It&rsquo;s a safe bet that Dr. Hart, who was 79 at the time of his generous donation, would have been bewildered if he&rsquo;d known the NHL would take another three-quarters of a century before handing out its first prize for its top goal-scorer. That&rsquo;s not even to mention that prize would go to a sharpshooter from <i>Finland</i> playing for a team in <i>California</i> that went by the name <i>Mighty Ducks</i>. Say what?</p><p>But according to the <i>Star</i> in its account of Dr. Hart&rsquo;s speech, he promised to gift the NHL a total-points trophy for which &ldquo;not only the scorers but the assistants will be counted.&rdquo;</p><p>That&rsquo;s the definition of the Art Ross Trophy, which the NHL first presented to the Canadiens&rsquo; Elmer Lach in 1947-48 for his league-leading 61 points (30 goals, 31 assists).</p><p>In early January 1924, it still appeared Dr. Hart&rsquo;s plan was to donate some kind of NHL scoring trophy. According to a <i>Hamilton Spectator</i> story from Jan. 4, 1924, the promised hardware was being touted as a prize for the player &ldquo;having the best record of goals and assists for the 1923-24 season.&rdquo;</p><p>But that didn&rsquo;t stay the plan for long, says Andrew Ross, president of the Society for International Hockey Research and an archivist at Library and Archives Canada. &ldquo;There is evidence the original donation idea changed, and that baseball was a benchmark,&rdquo; Ross said. &ldquo;As it often was for pro hockey.&rdquo;</p><p>An update published by the <i>Spectator</i> on Jan. 19 brought news from NHL president Frank Calder that the league&rsquo;s first individual award would, after all, be a &ldquo;most valuable player&rdquo; prize, or, as the Hamilton paper put it, a &ldquo;trophy for the best.&rdquo;</p><p>A well-known letter from Dr. Hart to Calder may help explain how the donor&rsquo;s original plan for a scoring trophy morphed into becoming a league MVP award. The letter, dated Jan. 14, 1924, and published in 2003&rsquo;s encyclopedic <i>Total Hockey</i> &ndash; begins: &ldquo;I understand that both (Canadiens coach) Mr. Leo Dandurand and my son have spoken to you in reference to a proposed Trophy to be donated to your League for its most valuable player.&rdquo;</p><p>It seems Cecil Hart, Dandurand and Calder had chatted about Dr. Hart&rsquo;s trophy offer and decided an MVP award was preferable to either a goal-scoring or total-points prize. Evidently, the logic was that it would give all NHL players, including defensemen and goalies, a decent chance to win it. And a comparable trophy in professional baseball appears to have influenced the decision to revamp Dr. Hart&rsquo;s original proposition. &ldquo;If acceptable to yourself and associates, I have much pleasure indeed in offering a Trophy for this purpose, as no doubt it will create a new line of interest and help your League in many ways,&rdquo; Dr. Hart&rsquo;s letter to Calder continued. &ldquo;I understand the American League of Baseball Clubs have a Trophy under similar lines, and it has proved a huge success.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/hartat100_r_005/10311658-1-eng-US/hartat100_r_0052.png" title="hartat100_r_005" width="1366" height="1308"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>COLOSSUS OF CLOUT</b></p><p>A 1924&nbsp;<i>Windsor Star</i>&nbsp;headline captured how Ruth was synonymous with &lsquo;MVP&rsquo; when the NHL adopted its Hart Trophy.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(PHOTO FROM WINDSOR STAR)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/hartat100_r_006/10311651-1-eng-US/hartat100_r_0062.png" title="hartat100_r_006" width="1366" height="2083"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(PHOTO FROM BOSTON GLOBE)</span></figcaption></div><p>In 1922, the American League had created a &ldquo;League Award&rdquo; to honor &ldquo;the baseball player who is of the greatest all-around service to his club.&rdquo; The 1923 winner was a certain New York Yankees outfielder named George Herman &lsquo;Babe&rsquo; Ruth. News of the slugger&rsquo;s individual triumph on top of the Yankees&rsquo; AL pennant and World Series victories that fall catapulted both Ruth and the sport of baseball to new heights of popularity.</p><p>Ruth&rsquo;s 1923 MVP win was viewed as especially meaningful because he had experienced such a dismal 1922 season. That season, in addition to a terrible on-field start and a disappointing World Series loss, Ruth frequently found himself at the center of controversy for his bad-boy behavior on and off the field. He vowed to turn things around in 1923, the year that Yankee Stadium &ndash; &lsquo;The House That Ruth Built&rsquo; &ndash; was erected as the team&rsquo;s new home. And the &lsquo;Sultan of Swat&rsquo; did just that, transforming himself from being a pure power hitter to an all-around contributor with his bat, glove, work ethic and team leadership.</p><p>The buzz generated by baseball&rsquo;s new MVP prize and the meaning it conveyed about an athlete&rsquo;s character and capacity for leadership, not just their offensive productivity, didn&rsquo;t go unnoticed in Canada.</p><p>As news of Dr. Hart&rsquo;s trophy donation spread through the hockey world, the <i>Montreal Daily Star</i> applauded the award&rsquo;s intended purpose: &ldquo;Qualifications on which the award will be made do not take into consideration goal-getting ability only,&rdquo; the paper stated. &ldquo;A goalkeeper stands just as good a chance of being reckoned the most valuable player to his side as the leading goal-scorer of the league. All-round ability is the object aimed at.&rdquo;</p><p>The NHL formally approved the creation of the Hart Trophy during special meetings in Montreal on the weekend of Feb. 9-10, 1924. The award was the first of the now-dozen prizes for individual players presented annually by the league. It was known as the Dr. David A. Hart Trophy until 1960, at which time the original silver cup was retired to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto and was replaced with the current, much larger, flaming-torch-styled Hart Memorial Trophy.</p><p>One wonders what Dr. Hart would have thought about the influence of goal- and point-scoring in the awarding of his prize to the NHL&rsquo;s most valuable player.</p><p>Ottawa&rsquo;s Frank Nighbor was the first to take home Hart honors in 1924. That season, he finished 10th in the league scoring race, with 11 goals and 17 points. That was well behind the NHL&rsquo;s top scorer, Nighbor&rsquo;s Senators teammate Cy Denneny, who had a Cy Young-worthy 22 goals and 24 points.</p><p>It is often the case that the league&rsquo;s No. 1 point-getter at season&rsquo;s end and the MVP winner are one and the same. Prior to this season, the Hart Trophy winner had also been the NHL&rsquo;s top scorer 14 out of 23 times since 1999-2000. And since the Hart was first awarded in 1924, it has been presented to the player who was also the NHL&rsquo;s top point-getter 47 out of 99 times.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/hartat100_n_008/10311644-1-eng-US/hartat100_n_0082.png" title="hartat100_n_008" width="752" height="1136"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>FRANK NIGHBOR</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(THOMAS PATRICK GORMAN/LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA)</span></figcaption></div><p>On fewer occasions (27 out of 99 times), the Hart has been awarded to the NHL&rsquo;s leading goal-scorer. In the 21st century, the Hart-Richard double has occurred only six times. Connor McDavid (2023), Auston Matthews (2022) and Corey Perry (2011) did it once each, and Alex Ovechkin did it three times (2008, &rsquo;09 and &rsquo;13).</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/hartat100_o_010/10311637-1-eng-US/hartat100_o_0102.png" title="hartat100_o_010" width="1461" height="1394"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>GREAT (IN OH) EIGHT</b></p><p>No doubt, Ovechkin taking home the Rocket Richard and Art Ross Trophies helped his Hart candidacy in 2007-08.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(TOM SZCZERBOWSKI-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p>One thing is clear, however. When mega-stars such as McDavid (2023) and Ovechkin (2008) &ndash; not to mention pre-Rocket Richard Award players such as Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Guy Lafleur, Gordie Howe and others &ndash; have led both the league&rsquo;s point-scoring and goal-scoring races, it&rsquo;s helped their cases for the Hart. Faring well in those objective measures of stellar performance weigh heavily when members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association choose the subjectively identified MVP.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/hartat100_m_009/10311630-1-eng-US/hartat100_m_0092.png" title="hartat100_m_009" width="1367" height="2221"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>CONNOR MCDAVID</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(CHRISTOPHER HANEWINCKEL-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p>All in all, it&rsquo;s likely Dr. Hart would have approved of the strong correlation between winners of the MVP trophy that bears his name and the players who led the NHL&rsquo;s point- and goal-scoring races in those seasons. The Hart Trophy&rsquo;s genesis story makes clear the fact the doctor especially wanted to reward the league&rsquo;s most offensively gifted stars, even while he agreed &ndash; thanks, in part, to the Great Bambino &ndash; for a more nuanced and robust definition of &ldquo;the best.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Hart At 100

Hart’s In the Right Place

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="retiringref_019" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/retiringref_019/10311745-1-eng-US/retiringref_0192.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>RYAN GALLOWAY</b></p><p></p> <span class="photo-credit">(JAMES CAREY LAUDER-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span></b><b>HEN THE</b> original Winnipeg Jets left Manitoba for the desert back in 1996, Ryan Galloway lamented the loss of the team along with all the other good folks who live in Winnipeg. Little did he know at the time, though, that the Jets&rsquo; departure would set into motion a series of dominos that would ultimately lead him to an officiating job in the best league in the world.</p><p>Galloway was a 23-year-old massage therapist and aspiring official who was working junior games in Brandon and high-level games in Winnipeg. When the Jets flew off to Arizona, they were replaced by the Manitoba Moose, who had moved from Minnesota in the defunct International League. The IHL was seeking local officials for Moose games, and Galloway got on the roster. Then, when the IHL folded, and six of its teams joined the AHL in 2001, he was hired by the league. That led to the NHL hiring him as a trainee, Galloway subsequently working his first NHL game as a linesman at 30 and a career that would last 21 seasons.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/retiringref_020/10311738-1-eng-US/retiringref_0202.png" title="retiringref_020" width="1367" height="2095"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>RYAN GALLOWAY & ADAM LOWRY</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(JAMES CAREY LAUDER-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;Without (the Jets leaving), I probably would have been one of the many officials to fall through the cracks,&rdquo; Galloway said. &ldquo;I was probably the only person here who was happy the Jets 1.0 left, because it opened up a bunch of opportunities for me.&rdquo;</p><p>Twenty-eight years and more than 1,000 games later, Galloway worked his last NHL game on April 1 when the Jets hosted the Los Angeles Kings. As the players from both teams lined up to shake his hand and wish him the best after the game, Galloway reflected on his good fortune and the fact that there are so many good people in hockey. And he was fortunate to be able to work his last game on his terms, because the two other officials who retired after the 2023-24 season, referees Kevin Pollock and Justin St-Pierre, didn&rsquo;t get that luxury.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/retiringref_022/10311731-1-eng-US/retiringref_0222.png" title="retiringref_022" width="1644" height="1125"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>JONATHAN TOEWS, DYLAN LARKIN & JUSTIN ST-PIERRE</b></p> <span class="photo-credit">(RAJ MEHTA-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p>Pollock was due to retire at the end of this season but was forced to the sidelines with a knee injury after a collision with Jordan Greenway of the Buffalo Sabres in February. That ended a career of more than 1,600 games and two Stanley Cup finals. St-Pierre was injured all of this season before retiring, completing a career that spanned almost 1,200 regular-season games. Their exits will leave room for three younger officials to move up the ranks just the way the outgoing trio did. And if the newcomers have the good fortune of having careers as long as Galloway, Pollock and St-Pierre did, they will have done well for themselves.</p><p>For Galloway, it was a matter of better late than never. He was hired by the league at 30, which is a few years older than most NHL hires. The good thing about being an on-ice official, though, is those who stay in good physical condition can work well into their 40s and early 50s. At 51, Galloway was beginning to feel the years, and all the travel was taking a toll. &ldquo;The window was definitely closing for me, and it&rsquo;s not often you see someone hired at my age,&rdquo; Galloway said. &ldquo;The reality is it&rsquo;s a young man&rsquo;s game. The players are getting faster, and it hasn&rsquo;t been the easiest the past couple of years trying to keep up to these guys. It&rsquo;s understandable why the league has gone in a younger direction (with officials). But there&rsquo;s still some opportunity with the older guys.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/retiringref_021/10311724-1-eng-US/retiringref_0212.png" title="retiringref_021" width="1367" height="984"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>RESPECTED REFEREE</b></p><p>Pollock officiated more than 1,600 NHL games as well as two Stanley Cup finals, a World Cup and the Olympics.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(CHARLES LECLAIRE-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p>Along with his regular-season work, Galloway officiated 23 playoff games, four outdoor games and the 2019 NHL All-Star Game in San Jose. Pollock refereed 219 post-season games, along with the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and three outdoor games &ndash; including the 2003 Heritage Classic. St-Pierre worked eight playoff games and the 2020 All-Star Game.</p><p>Like players, on-ice officials know they have a great job. But also like players, there is constant travel during the season and long periods away from family. Pollock and St-Pierre are living proof that there are occupational hazards to the lifestyle as well. Galloway, for one, is looking forward to staying put during the winter months. He moved to Minneapolis with his wife and plans to live there for a few more years, but he also wants to do some work with officials who are part of Hockey Manitoba.</p><p>And as much as he tries, Galloway can never really get away from his craft. He spent the first part of the off-season at his cottage on Betula Lake in Whiteshell Provincial Park, which is about an hour-and-a-half northeast of Winnipeg. One day in May, the temperatures dipped, and each of his three dogs was wearing little referee sweaters to keep warm. Apparently those exist. &ldquo;My wife thinks they can be referees,&rdquo; Galloway joked. &ldquo;You know, you try to get out and they drag me back in.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

The Final Whistle

THE FINAL WHISTLE

<div class="byline">BY IAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="champs_div._071" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_div._071/10311790-1-eng-US/champs_div._0712.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>PERFECT ENDING</b></p><p>Ukraine went undefeated on its path to glory and will move back up to Div. I-A for the first time since 2017.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(PHOTO COURTESY OF ICE HOCKEY FEDERATION OF UKRAINE)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span>S MEMBERS OF THE</b> Ukrainian national team lined up along the blueline to hear their anthem as champions of the 2024 Div. I-B men&rsquo;s World Championship, there was no denying the significance to the athletes. As people, they&rsquo;d lost so much since Russia invaded the country in February 2022.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/ukraine5/10311783-1-eng-US/ukraine2.jpg" title="ukraine" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>Ukraine went a perfect 5-0-0, outscoring opponents 31-2 to earn promotion to the 2025 Div. I-A tournament. According to Georgii Zubko, president of the Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine, however, the win meant more. &ldquo;This is an important victory not only for our hockey community but for the entire country,&rdquo; Zubko said. &ldquo;We continue to fight for our independence at a very high cost: the cost of human lives. Therefore, victories under the Ukrainian flag are particularly precious to us today.&rdquo;</p><p>It will be Ukraine&rsquo;s first appearance in the Div. I-A tournament since 2017. The nation is on the rise in hockey, with its U-18 men&rsquo;s team earning promotion in 2022, and the women&rsquo;s team winning the Div. III-A event this year.</p><p>While the promotion out of Div. I-B is a crucial step forward, it&rsquo;s not the ultimate goal. The goal for Ukraine is to one day find itself playing in the top division of the world championship against the likes of Canada, Finland, Sweden and the U.S. According to Alexander Godynyuk, a European scout for the Vegas Golden Knights who serves as a vice-president of the Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine, winning the Div. I-B tournament was another step on that path to the top. &ldquo;Ukraine played six years in that division of the worlds, and for the last couple years, we were close to clinching it to get to a higher division, but we couldn&rsquo;t do the last push,&rdquo; Godynyuk said. &ldquo;This year, everything came together, and the team got more mature and, at the same time, more relaxed. The team was solid. There was no doubt in my mind we were going to make it.&rdquo;</p><p>At the 2024 tournament, Ukraine was led by Igor Merezhko, who was named the event&rsquo;s top defender for the third straight time. The 6-foot-4 blueliner is headed to Czechia next year after scoring 48 points in 49 games from the blueline in Slovakia&rsquo;s top league this season. At the worlds, the former WHL Lethbridge Hurricanes alternate captain had nine points in five games. The only player with more points was Alexander Peresunko, who also skated in Slovakia this season and played a year of major junior with the QMJHL&rsquo;s Victoriaville Tigres in 2019-20. Peresunko led Ukraine in scoring in the tournament, with 11 points in five games.</p><p>Ukraine&rsquo;s promotion, despite its lopsided goal-scoring differential, came down to the final game of the tournament against host Lithuania, who was also undefeated to that point. The winner would be promoted; the loser would stay in Div. I-B for another year. Daniil Trakht scored the first two goals of the game to give the Ukrainians a 2-0 lead they would not relinquish, and Peresunko had a goal and two assists to seal a 4-1 victory. Netminder Bogdan Dyachenko made 17 saves in the win, resulting in a spectacular 0.67 goals-against average and .957 save percentage in the three games he played in the tournament.</p><p>For members of Ukraine&rsquo;s national team competing domestically, the triumph comes despite disruptions and often an inability to train over the past two years. At times, games and practices were cancelled or delayed due to bombings and air strikes, some of which caused the destruction of arenas. The war has displaced Ukrainian citizens and players across Europe, with others fleeing to North America to play hockey. But as Zubko says, hockey has not been stopped in Ukraine, and while &ldquo;at the beginning we talked about preserving the game, now we are already talking about development.&rdquo;</p><p>That development is occurring at all levels, including Ukraine&rsquo;s men&rsquo;s national team&rsquo;s victory at the Div. I-B worlds. That win served as both inspiration to the nation and motivation for Ukraine to continue climbing the world hockey ranks.</p><p>&ldquo;Any victory these days means more than it used to,&rdquo; Godynyuk said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s more pride to be called Ukrainian. It&rsquo;s a unity, a nation&rsquo;s unity, that transferred to a sport as part of it. Everyone was happy. For that single championship, it was a goal to get promoted. But as far as I see in the players&rsquo; faces, they&rsquo;re ready to take the next step; they&rsquo;re ready to fight for the highest spot in Div. I-A in order to get promoted to the elite division.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

champs_div._071

Uplifting Win For Ukraine

<div class="byline">BY DILLON COLLINS</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="champs_div._068" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_div._068/10311835-1-eng-US/champs_div._0682.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(PHOTOS COURTESY OF CASEY COOK)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>L</span>OVE FOR THE GAME</b> of hockey defies borders, creeds or colors. For Casey Cook, a Montreal native who recently coached Thailand to its first gold medal in an IIHF World Championship, his own love affair with the game has time and again taken him across the globe and back. &ldquo;I always say hockey is hockey,&rdquo; said the 32-year-old. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve coached in, I think, probably 15 countries. Women, men and kids. All ages. There are five skaters on each team. There&rsquo;s a goalie in each net. There&rsquo;s a puck, and the game is the game. The fundamentals and the basics are still there. You have to trust your instincts.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/thailand/10311828-1-eng-US/thailand2.jpg" title="thailand" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>Cook played junior hockey, but his career was derailed by injuries. With his natural leadership tendencies on and off the ice, the transition to coaching was a no-brainer. &ldquo;When I was playing, I always felt like a bit of a coach,&rdquo; Cook said. &ldquo;Oftentimes, I was the captain or was looked at by teammates as the guy to step up and say something. As I got older, I finished my junior career, and I had some injuries and sort of had to make a decision.</p><p>&ldquo;I started coaching very young, right out of junior hockey. I was 21 coaching an elite high-school team in Montreal, and it sort of built up that way. Right now, I&rsquo;m 32. I&rsquo;m pretty young to be a national-team coach, but I started coaching young, so I still have the experience.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/champs_div._069/10311842-1-eng-US/champs_div._0692.png" title="champs_div._069" width="661" height="1087"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>CASEY COOK</b></p></figcaption></div><p>Under Cook, Thailand&rsquo;s national team ran the table at the Div. III &ndash; Group A championship in Kyrgyzstan in March, going 5-0-0 in the tournament with a whopping plus-29 goal differential, earning a promotion to the 2025 Div. II-B bracket.</p><p>Cook has seen the game grow by leaps and bounds in Thailand, and he believes the historic gold-medal run will be felt with the next waves of Thai players. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s huge,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The success is cool, but you move on and come down from the high and move forward. But what really lasts is all the kids that watched, all the families that watched. For me, one of the most special parts of the whole thing was coming back to Thailand and seeing the respect towards me and our players. They&rsquo;re genuinely and sincerely grateful, saying thank you for coaching this team and bringing history or glory to Thailand. But it&rsquo;s about the kids. The true benefit of this success is not the gold medal or trophy; it&rsquo;s all those kids and families who got a taste of it. It&rsquo;s not just the present. You&rsquo;re galvanizing or inspiring the future generations.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

champs_div._068

Big Now, Bigger In The Future

<div class="byline">BY CRAIG DOLCH</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="fromthearch_090" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/fromthearch_090/10311911-1-eng-US/fromthearch_0902.png"></div><p><b>THE FLORIDA PANTHERS DON&rsquo;T</b> have to look far to see contrasting styles on how &ndash; and how not &ndash; to build an expansion franchise.</p><p>All they have to do is look back to last season when the Tampa Bay Lightning became competitive, while the Ottawa Senators seemed more concerned with other matters than winning games.</p><p>Securing the first draft pick won&rsquo;t be an on-ice concern since the Panthers have already won the right to choose first overall in 1994.</p><p>So the big question being asked of the Panthers is an obvious one: will they be as good as the Lightning or as bad as the Senators?</p><p>&ldquo;Obviously, you try to go the way of Tampa,&rdquo; said Florida GM Bob Clarke. &ldquo;But then you try to be better than that.&rdquo;</p><p>Clarke made that point clear during his first team meeting when he said the club&rsquo;s aim is to become as competitive as possible. He doesn&rsquo;t want the players to adopt an attitude that they&rsquo;re supposed to lose just because this is an expansion club.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to have patience because we have players developing,&rdquo; Clarke said. &ldquo;We understand the game, but it&rsquo;s not our intent to get our rear ends kicked.&rdquo;</p><p>Clarke showed strong commitment during the expansion draft when he didn&rsquo;t flinch at taking goalie John Vanbiesbrouck and his $1.15-million contract. The club also drafted several costly high-priced veterans in Brian Skrudland, Joe Cirella, Scott Mellanby, Dave Lowry, Mike Hough, Randy Gilhen and Mark Fitzpatrick.</p><p>The Panthers didn&rsquo;t sit on the sidelines in the free-agent market, either, signing defenseman Brian Benning to a three-year deal worth $1.3 million. Clearly, this is not an organization trying to save money before it moves into its new home in three years.</p><p>With Benning and Cirella expected to start on the blueline and Vanbiesbrouck and Fitzpatrick in goal, the Panthers have a credible defense.</p><p>Still, the Panthers will be hard-pressed to match Tampa Bay&rsquo;s 9-8-2 start last season. In their first 19 games, the Lightning came within one victory of matching Ottawa&rsquo;s season total before finishing with a 23-54-7 mark.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/fromthearch_091/10311904-1-eng-US/fromthearch_0912.png" title="fromthearch_091" width="1367" height="1826"></div><p>But veterans such as Skrudland don&rsquo;t want to get into a guessing game on measuring where the Panthers will finish. He&rsquo;s more interested in style, not substance. Playing hard is almost as important as playing well.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">WE&rsquo;RE GOING TO HAVE PATIENCE BECAUSE WE HAVE PLAYERS DEVELOPING. <b>BUT IT&rsquo;S NOT OUR INTENT TO GET OUR REAR ENDS KICKED</b><br><b>&ndash; BOB CLARKE</b></blockquote><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not going to say we&rsquo;ll be as good as Tampa Bay or as bad as Ottawa,&rdquo; Skrudland said. &ldquo;But I know we&rsquo;ll be as competitive as any other 20 players. Maybe there are nights when we will be outfinessed. But we should never be outworked.&rdquo;</p><p>Of course, Skrudland knows it&rsquo;s easier to show this determination at the start of camp than it will be when the losses start to mount in December.</p><p>&ldquo;We shouldn&rsquo;t kid ourselves,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to be a hard year for us. We&rsquo;re going to have to go above and beyond the call of duty every night just to be competitive. That&rsquo;s not a fantasy.&rdquo;</p><p>The team&rsquo;s biggest weakness is its scoring. With Mellanby the only player who has scored 20 goals in a season in the NHL, the Panthers&rsquo; goal might be to first surpass the NHL-low 202 goals scored by Ottawa last season.</p><p>But if young players such as Jesse Belanger, Tom Fitzgerald, Scott Levins, Bill Lindsay, Patrick Lebeau and No. 1 pick Rob Niedermayer develop into 15- to 20-goal scorers, the Panthers should get their wish of being competitive on most nights.</p><p>Discipline and belief are points that coach Roger Neilson has been trying to hammer home since the start of camp. He has a history of getting the most out of teams with a lack of talent and that&rsquo;s the case here.</p><p>But the Panthers also know what happens in the standings this season is secondary to the development of the franchise. That&rsquo;s why young defensemen such as Milan Tichy and Paul Laus also have to get plenty of ice time.</p><p>The Panthers may not be able to catch the Lightning&rsquo;s formula in a bottle. But if intentions translate into results, they certainly won&rsquo;t be as bad as the Senators. But then again, even that would be tough.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not the Pittsburgh Penguins or the Montreal Canadiens right now,&rdquo; Clarke said. &ldquo;But we do expect to battle and fight and scratch and do what&rsquo;s necessary to try and win. We&rsquo;re an NHL team now.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

fromthearch_090

From The Archives

EXPANSION CATS HUNT FOR GOALS

<div class="byline">BY LARRY HUMBER</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="crossword_h_093" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/crossword_h_093/10311963-1-eng-US/crossword_h_0932.png"></div><h2><b>CROSSWORD</b></h2><h3><b>ACROSS</b></h3><p>1 Kempe, who led L.A. in points in 2023-24</p><p>4 His iconic equalizer against Russia at the 2009 WJC helped Canada to later win gold</p><p>9 The S and O in SOG</p><p>10 Charge: 2 words</p><p>11 Is first to &ldquo;bulge the twine,&rdquo; ___ the scoring</p><p>12 The E in EHL, a Tier III prep league</p><p>13 Nickname of the team that calls D.C. home</p><p>15 &lsquo;Jake the Snake&rsquo; was first NHLer to wear one</p><p>18 Bruins rookie Poitras</p><p>21 Freezes, as in relieves pain</p><p>23 Home of the QMJHL Huskies, ___-Noranda</p><p>24 Beat badly</p><p>25 Saginaw is home of this OHL team</p><p>26 Works hard (but seldom scores)</p><h3><b>DOWN</b></h3><p>1 First name of the Leaf who wears No. 34, as inspired by &lsquo;Big Papi&rsquo;</p><p>2 Hintz with Dallas, pictured</p><p>3 &lsquo;Gretz&rsquo; once racked up 163 in an NHL season</p><p>5 Pat ___ coached both the Leafs and Habs</p><p>6 Another of the Original Six teams</p><p>7 Gordie Howe was once sports advisor to this large Canadian department store</p><p>8 Kopitar, the Kings&rsquo; all-time leader in assists</p><p>14 First name of Cup-winning goal-scorer in 2022</p><p>15 Panther blueliner who exploded for 73 points in 2022-23</p><p>16 Nickname of Rochester&rsquo;s AHL club</p><p>17 They show you to your seat</p><p>19 Richard dubbed &lsquo;Pocket Rocket&rsquo;</p><p>20 He was NHL coach of the year in 1982</p><p>22 Rheaume, who famously played in two NHL pre-season games</p><h2><b>Word</b>&nbsp;<b>SEARCH</b></h2><p>These nine players are the only defensemen to have three or more Norris Trophy wins</p><h3><b>Norris Hat Trick</b></h3><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/wordsearch__092/10311956-1-eng-US/wordsearch__0922.png" title="wordsearch__092" width="1367" height="1600"></div><p>BOURQUE</p><p>CHELIOS</p><p>COFFEY</p><p>HARVEY</p><p>KARLSSON</p><p>LIDSTROM</p><p>ORR</p><p>PILOTE</p><p>POTVIN</p><h2><b>Hockey</b>&nbsp;<b>TRIVIA</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/trivia_heis_094/10311949-1-eng-US/trivia_heis_0942.png" title="trivia_heis_094" width="1367" height="1435"></div><h3><b>&gt; BEGINNER:</b></h3><p>The player above, picked No. 1 in the 2023 PWHL draft, is one of four women to win both the Patty Kazmaier and world championship MVP. Who is she?</p><h3><b>&gt; INTERMEDIATE:</b></h3><p>Two players have won MVP at both the Memorial Cup and in the NHL playoffs. Brad Richards is one. The other joined the club in 2007 at age 33. Who is he?</p><h3><b>&gt; EXPERT:</b></h3><p>No goalie in history has more Cup final saves than this Hall of Famer. But those stops couldn&rsquo;t save his teams, which won just once in seven finals. Who is he?</p><h2><b>PUCK PUZZLE</b></h2><p>Can your hockey brain bring its A-game? The challenge is on!</p><p>Fill in the blanks to find 12 NHL plus-minus leaders from the past 20 years. But only one outdid the player whose name will appear in the red boxes and who posted a plus-60 in 1995-96. Yet, his career ended tragically soon after.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0113-0197/10311942-1-eng-US/f0113-012.jpg" title="f0113-01" width="1387" height="1709"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(TRIVIA: DANIEL DELOACH/UTICA OBSERVER-DISPATCH; CROSSWORD: SERGEI BELSKI-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>CROSSWORD SOLUTION: ACROSS</b> 1. ADRIAN, 4. EBERLE, 9. SHOTS ON, 10. RUN AT, 11. OPENS, 12. EASTERN, 13. CAPS, 15. MASK, 18. MATTHEW, 21. NUMBS, 23. ROUYN, 24. TROUNCE, 25. SPIRIT, 26. GRINDS <b>DOWN</b> 1. AUSTON, 2. ROOPE, 3. ASSISTS, 5. BURNS, 6. RANGERS, 7. EATON&rsquo;S, 8. ANZE, 14. ARTTURI, 15. MONTOUR, 16. AMERKS, 17. USHERS, 19. HENRI, 20. WATT, 22. MANON <b>TRIVIA ANSWERS:</b> TAYLOR HEISE, SCOTT NIEDERMAYER, GLENN HALL PUCK <b>PUZZLE SOLUTION:</b> KREJCI, TOFFOLI, GIORDANO, DATSYUK, PACIORETTY, GAUDREAU, VANEK, SUTER, ST-LOUIS, RANTANEN, LINDHOLM, GRAVES (FINAL ANSWER: KONSTANTINOV)<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

crossword_h_093

Timeout

CROSSWORD/HOCKEY TRIVIA/WORD SEARCH/PUCK PUZZLE

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="lastword_mc_067" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/lastword_mc_067/10312001-1-eng-US/lastword_mc_0672.png"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>SEVENTH HELL</b></p><p>Losing the last game of the season is no fun &ndash; but McDavid&rsquo;s Oilers have the talent and fortitude to return to the Cup final.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(SAM NAVARRO-USA TODAY SPORTS)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HERE&rsquo;S A STORY WAYNE</b> Gretzky has told over the years about the first time he and the Edmonton Oilers got to the Stanley Cup final. The year was 1983, and those firewagon Oilers had blazed a path to the final series, where they faced the three-time reigning Cup champions, the New York Islanders.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0114-0248/10311994-1-eng-US/f0114-022.jpg" title="f0114-02" width="1367" height="1367"></div><p>As you may know, those Islanders quickly became the four-time champions, sweeping Edmonton in that final to cement the Long Island dynasty led by Bryan Trottier, Mike Bossy, Denis Potvin, Billy Smith and a host of others.</p><p>And the story Gretzky tells is informative: No. 99 recalls walking out of the arena with Kevin Lowe and Mark Messier, on a path that necessitated going right past the Islanders&rsquo; dressing room. The young Oilers girded themselves for what they expected to be a raucous celebration, but instead found a subdued group &ndash; the physical and mental toll that such a championship requires had overcome the exhausted Isles players. This was a pivotal moment for Gretzky and his teammates as they realized there was another level for them to climb if they wanted that Cup themselves. Sure enough, the very next year, the Oilers returned to the final and smashed those very Islanders in five games to begin their own path to immortality. But here&rsquo;s the funny thing: a few years ago, I was talking to one of those Islanders, who had remembered Gretzky&rsquo;s fateful walk past their dressing room in &rsquo;83. The way he remembered it, he and his Isles mates knew the Oilers were walking past and didn&rsquo;t want to show them up by celebrating &ndash; so they paused long enough to let their opponents pass by. It sounds like there were beers that night after all.</p><p>So there&rsquo;s a bit of Rashomon here, but the lesson Gretzky took from that night was still true: it is very hard to win the Cup. And the current captain of the Oilers, another phenom center whose individual trophy case is already filling up and who just broke Gretzky&rsquo;s playoff record for assists in a single post-season, undoubtedly took lessons from his team&rsquo;s loss to the Florida Panthers in this year&rsquo;s final.</p><p>These, of course, were the same Cats (give or take, as there was some roster turnover) who went to the Cup final last year and were taught a lesson by the Vegas Golden Knights. Florida was mashed in 2023 by a heavy Knights squad, but came back this year with resolve and &ndash; luckily for them &ndash; a cleaner bill of health.</p><p>Now, this is not to say Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the rest of the Oilers were unaware of what a slog the NHL playoffs are. But until you experience it, you just don&rsquo;t know how to react. In their maiden voyage to the Cup final, the Oilers lost the first three games of the series, and even though coach Kris Knoblauch believed his team played well enough to win two of those contests, the reality was a 3-0 deficit. The fact Edmonton climbed back into the series was a testament to their willpower but also to the whims of the hockey gods: two straight goalposts on an early Florida power-play in Game 4 could have been the difference. Instead, the Oilers got a shorthanded goal moments later and ran that momentum to a shocking 8-1 victory.</p><p>The comeback also came with a strong dose of McDavid, who posted four points in each of Games 4 and 5. He put his team on his back, which was even more crucial than usual since it looked like Draisaitl was playing through injury and wasn&rsquo;t at his best.</p><p>McDavid ended up winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, becoming just the sixth player ever to do so while not winning the Cup. McDavid was a force in the series, and even though he was held off the scoresheet in Game 7, he created numerous chances that just happened to not go in. Heck, I&rsquo;m still not sure how some of them didn&rsquo;t go in. But that&rsquo;s the game.</p><p>I have no doubt McDavid will recover from this setback, and it will not surprise me when he lifts the Cup over his head someday. He looked absolutely gutted after the game. And it was understandable; this is the dream, and he is a top-notch competitor.</p><p>But just like Gretzky &ndash; and just like Sidney Crosby, the generational player who more recently preceded McDavid in the NHL &ndash; there was no victory right away. It&rsquo;s going to take another run, and it could happen as soon as next year. It worked for Gretzky, and it worked for Crosby &ndash; so let&rsquo;s see what happens next for McDavid.</p><p><b>Ryan Kennedy</b><br><b><a href="https://www.X.com/THNRYANKENNEDY">@THNRYANKENNEDY</a></b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Going Out On Top

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