SEATTLE—Now that he is a couple months into the job, Ron Francis has gained a little more appreciation for the task he signed up for. The easy decision for the 56-year-old Hockey Hall of Famer would have been to take a consulting or scouting gig, keep his family settled in North Carolina and avoided the
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Friedman’s 31 thoughts rumor roundup Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet: The Ottawa Senators are trying to add a forward after the injuries to Colin White and Artem Anisimov. There is going to be lots of Mike Babcock talk with the growing pressure in Toronto. He already takes a lot of heat. Before going on waivers, the
After missing 16 months of competitive hockey due to a pain-staking concussion recovery, no one expected Conor Timmins to play in the NHL straight out of his first training camp. It was believed he’d need some development time in the AHL to make up for those long months of lost time. That was the plan
4:00 PM ET After last week’s poking and prodding of the current crop of underachievers, let’s check in with those on the opposite end of the fantasy spectrum: assets presently exceeding our preseason expectations. And, more pressingly, whether managers can count on them for much of the same moving forward. Included alongside each perceived overachiever
When the New Jersey Devils drafted Jack Hughes with the first overall pick, Pavel Zacha was the center who benefited the least. Nico Hischier was asserting himself as a fixture in their top six, and there was no way Travis Zajac would be anything less than a third-line center. That meant Zacha was likely heading for a
Hockey is played hard and fast. Athletes will hook, trip, face wash and pester to gain a winning edge. Like all sports, hockey has official rules and unwritten rules. It also has a code of respect. And there are many players that blur the lines between the two. Or cross them entirely. They can be
Frustrated by what he considers a lost season last year, Brandon Sutter decided to take a different approach to training over the summer. The veteran Vancouver Canucks centre missed 30 games in 2018-2019 with a right-shoulder sprain suffered in October. He returned to the lineup only to be knocked out again in February with a
7:00 AM ET The “October surprise” is an event that can change the trajectory of a political race in the weeks leading up to Election Day in the U.S. It’s something stunning and unexpected that alters our preconceptions. In the NHL, every team has had surprises in the first month of the season. Some good,
The Florida Panthers have acquired forward Aleksi Saarela from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for defenseman Ian McCoshen. Saarela, 22, has one assist in five games with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs this season. Last year, Saarela scored a team-leading 30 goals and added 24 assists for 54 points in 69 regular-season games with the Charlotte
Today in THW’s goalie news, we wish happy birthday to a nineties great, take a look at Ben Bishop’s wild night, and see what one player got in exchange for his sweater number. Happy Birthday, Tugger Few goalies worked as hard or traveled as many miles in the 1990s as the Scarborough, Ontario native who
TAMPA, Fla. — Victor Hedman scored a power-play goal with 56.8 seconds remaining to give the Tampa Bay Lightning a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night. Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Jason Behnken) The defenceman scored from just inside the blue line off Steven Stamkos’ pass from the
No game is ever perfect, and hockey seems to tinker with its rules more and more every year. Everyone seems to have an idea of how to make the game they love just a little bit better. Even the players, who sounded off about coaches’ challenges, offside reviews, icing and the shootout in interviews with
Anthony Duclair scored twice as the Ottawa Senators beat the Detroit Red Wings 5-2 on Wednesday to snap a four-game losing streak. Chris Tierney, Mark Borowiecki and Jean-Gabriel Pageau also scored for the Senators (2-6-1.) Anders Nilsson made 34 saves for his first win of the season. Darren Helm and Tyler Bertuzzi scored for the
Babcock talks to Okulov Igor Eronko: Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock has already spoken with KHL Konstantin Okulov. Not sure if the Maple Leafs will eventually be team to sign Okulov. If Hall becomes available, would the Avs or Predators be interested? Kevin Allen of USA Today: The Colorado Avalanche have the salary cap
The American Hockey League’s development model extends beyond players. Twenty-three of the NHL’s 31 teams have a coach on staff who spent time in the AHL. Anaheim Ducks coach Dallas Eakins rejoined that group after four seasons with San Diego, the team’s AHL affiliate. Coaches for each of the past four Stanley Cup champion teams
6:56 PM ET Associated Press CHICAGO — The Blackhawks have placed defenseman Connor Murphy on long-term injured reserve. Murphy hurt his groin Tuesday night in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. He has no points in six games this season. The Blackhawks also recalled defenseman Dennis Gilbert from the minors Wednesday. Gilbert,
There hasn’t been much to complain about lately for the Carolina Hurricanes. They’re 6-2-0, tied for second place in the NHL, and their team seems to be clicking on and off the ice. The 2019-20 season is still in its infancy, but the Hurricanes are currently on a 123-point pace. While that’s probably not sustainable,
There’s been a lot of speculation of late when it comes to Taylor Hall and his future with the New Jersey Devils. Some believe it’s a matter of time, if the Devils don’t go on a winning streak, before Hall decides he’ll decline an extension and test free agency. And, as a result of that