The NHL sent a memo to all 32 teams stating the vast majority of clubs have voted to decentralise the draft, according to reports.
The NHL sent a league-wide memo on Wednesday detailing that the vast majority of teams have voted to decentralise the annual draft.
According to a report from Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the memo does not state whether or not this new format will be instituted as early as 2024 with the draft set to be held in Las Vegas. There are still several logistical issues to solve before anything concrete can be put in place, according to The Athletic's Chris Johnston. As Friedman reports, there had been growing interest in decentralising the draft for quite some time, with teams voicing concerns over the cost of sending all team employees and scouts to one location, the short turnaround to free agency and the potential for information to be leaked with all 32 teams situated so close together, among others. Aside from the 2020 and 2021 drafts, which were held virtually due to COVID-19, all of the NHL's drafts have been held in a single centralised location since 1963. This change in format would bring the NHL much more in line with that of other leagues like the NBA and NFL, with teams conducting draft operations remotely while top prospects attend the draft in person.
Comments
Adam Proteau discusses the Avalanche and Golden Knights looking like Cup front-runners again, recent moves of inclusivity in hockey and Devils star forward Jack Hughes. Welcome once again to Screen Shots. This is a regular THN.com feature in which we focus on a few different hockey topics and break them down into a handful of paragraphs. Straightforward and to the point. Let’s get right to it:
The past two Stanley Cup champions have looked like front-runners again this season. After Tuesday’s 16-game slate, the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights are leading their respective divisions as unbeaten teams, and they’re lighting it up on offence with 28 goals-for – only Detroit (34) has more. They're equally adept on defence, with the Avs allowing only 12 goals and Vegas allowing 13. Why are the Avs and Golden Knights looking so good? Well, their best players have been their best players: Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen have combined for 12 goals and 28 points, while Jack Eichel, Shea Theodore and Mark Stone have combined for six goals and 21 points. When your biggest talents are taking the bull by the horns and dominating play, you will be in a very good position in the standings. The Avs had a Cup hangover year last season, but Vegas is showing no signs of that, and Colorado is showing it's one of the most dangerous teams in the league, even without injured captain Gabriel Landeskog. There’s a long way for them to go, but thus far, they’ve given themselves some nice cushion in case of injuries and subpar play later on this season. The Avalanche and Golden Knights should be high-level playoff teams, and no opponent will want to face them in the opening round and beyond next spring. Hockey inclusivity has been in the news of late, with Arizona defenceman Travis Dermott being the first NHLer this season to use Pride tape on his stick. The NHL quickly followed up on Dermott’s efforts to make hockey for everyone by announcing it's adjusted its stance on players making statement moves to support LGBTQ+ rights by “voluntarily represent(ing) social causes with their stick tape throughout the season.” Meanwhile, at the grassroots level, an Edmonton-area official added the colour pink to his uniform to support breast cancer awareness and early detection. And a player with the UK-based Elite Ice Hockey League has spoken out strongly in support of progressive approaches to gatekeeping the sport. The bottom line in these instances is that we can't make every player or hockey personality buy into the notion of hockey being for everyone, but every time a notable name steps up and publicly supports inclusivity programmes and charities for worthy institutions, they force the discussion forward into a more progressive area. Time is only going to make the culture of the sport more friendly, and it will make opponents of inclusivity look more small-minded. There’s no stopping progress. It’s all just a matter of time before the game is where it should be. Finally, it’s time to recognise New Jersey Devils star centre Jack Hughes as the biggest (non-Connor McDavid) beast in the NHL thus far. Hughes has amassed 10 assists and 14 points in five games, tying him with Dylan Larkin for the lead in points this season. New Jersey is elite for many reasons, but Hughes is clearly on a different level. The relative anonymity of playing in New Jersey can no longer shield him from the spotlight and the accompanying pressure that goes along with it. He may not like the attention, but he’s earned it. As a result, Hughes is going to be the focus of the media spotlight from now on, and he's 22 years old, meaning he's going to be even better in the coming years. That should terrify opponents. The Devils are a threat to score every time Hughes steps over the boards, and he looks like a legitimate contender to chase McDavid for the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s top point producer. And he’s earning just $8 million per year through the summer of 2030, per PuckPedia. Quite the bargain.
Elliotte Friedman SPORTSNET
• Noah Hanifin extension talks trending positive despite slow Flames start
• Will Edmonton stick with its new defensive system? • What motivates Elias Pettersson This is still developing, but, according to several sources, the vast majority of NHL teams voted to decentralise the draft. Ballots were due Tuesday, and there clearly is desire to try a new format. Discussions on how to move forward will be at the GM meetings in November and Board of Governors in December. As a reporter who likes everyone being together for a change, I’m disappointed with the news. But not surprised, as there was growing opposition to the status quo for several reasons. The draft being held on June 28-29 with free agency on July 1 was a major issue. Cost is another. Some teams felt their plans were being discovered because tables were too close and things were overheard. Whatever the case, I hope the NHL finds a new and interesting way to make it exciting. The NBA now holds an annual convention with its summer league in July. I’d love a similar idea in conjunction with the draft. Coaching clinics, equipment manufacturers, hockey job fairs, fashion/style, music/parties, you name it. Paint a blank canvas. The new format is scheduled to begin in 2025, with an opening for June if necessary. If this year’s draft is indeed held at The Sphere, I can see the possibility of one final 32-team extravaganza. Go out with a bang. 30 THOUGHTS 1. After Calgary’s 3-1 loss to the Rangers, you could see the Flames trying to downplay Nikita Zadorov’s blunt commentary from the morning skate. Asked if it was concerning that some of the issues with their play were the same as last season, the hulking defender paused to consider his words and said, “Well last season was different…it was Darryl (Sutter). Now there’s no Darryl, so there’s no excuses. You know what I mean? You don’t like hard coaches, you don’t like soft coaches, you don’t like good coaches?…You play hard, you leave everything on the ice. That’s how simple it is.” Zadorov is as blunt as it gets. If you ask him a question, you’re going to get an answer, whether you like it or not. And he’s not wrong, which, no doubt, the organisation privately concedes. The concern here for the Flames is, now everyone is going to try and figure out who exactly Zadorov is talking about. That’s the headache Calgary doesn’t need. 2. Despite the rocky start, the Flames will continue closing an extension with Noah Hanifin. He turns 27 in January, still in the prime of his career. It makes sense, and it’s a major reversal from the summer, when Hanifin initially indicated he wouldn’t extend. (Another reminder people’s feelings can change over time.) The bigger question is how, if things don’t turn around, Calgary’s philosophy may adapt in some other free-agent situations. 3. There’s still time to figure out who’s good and who appeals to Patrick Kane, but I do think Dallas will be a contender for his services. 4. Edmonton really is struggling to keep leads, giving up five in the third period on Tuesday in losing 7-4 to Minnesota. The question becomes how patient they will be in sticking with their new box-and-one defensive zone coverage. Do you stay with what you think is important, or switch because of the difficult adaptation to it? The new NHL Edge stats paint an interesting picture of the difference between Boston (entering Wednesday first in goals-against-per-game) and the Oilers (31st). The Bruins are below league average in defensive-zone time allowed (40.9 per cent), while Edmonton is above average (39.4). Some of that, obviously, is getting saves. Once again, Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman are among the top six in goals-saved-above-expected, while Jack Campbell and Stuart Skinner are 54th and 65th (per moneypuck). Another factor however, is that at five-on-five, Edmonton is second-worst at slot shots allowed, fourth-worst at rebound chances and sixth-worst at forecheck chances. I don’t like to panic early and there’s lots of evaluation on what all of this means. But one of the questions becomes if you think it fits what you have. 5. Cap is tight, rosters are short and organisations like to see what they have. That said, players who teams would like to move (or the players would like it): Joel Armia (Montreal), Conor Garland (Vancouver), Kevin Labanc (San Jose), Anthony Mantha (Washington), Andrew Peeke (Columbus). 6. Morgan Frost is a little different. Philadelphia just re-signed him, have invested a lot of time in him, and he was fourth in team scoring last season. But if he doesn’t play — just two appearances so far — something will have to give. 7. Can’t help but think of Steven Stamkos when it comes to Leo Carlsson. During Stamkos’s rookie year of 2008-09, he played less than 10 minutes in three of his first four games and seven of the first 40. It was clear the Lightning didn’t think he was ready, but weren’t going to send him back to OHL Sarnia. When Rick Tocchet took over as head coach, he scratched Stamkos three times, with the purpose of using that time as a teaching/fitness tool. It wasn’t easy on the player, who eventually admitted it was a very good thing for him. (Tocchet also put Stamkos on a line with Martin St. Louis. You have to put scorers with creators.) Ducks GM Pat Verbeek was hired by Tampa Bay the following season, so he saw first-hand the aftermath. He’s made it very clear that, to start the year, Anaheim will be even more aggressive in sitting out Carlsson as he adapts to North America. Seeing Montreal’s Juraj Slafkovsky take physical punishment last season — and Toronto’s Roni Hirvonen take a massive hit during development camp — there’s such an adjustment to the NHL game for Europeans. Verbeek’s idea is very intriguing, and you know other teams are watching. Key is to have the player and agent (Matt Keator) buying in, which is the case. One thing we’re learning about Verbeek: he commits to what he believes across the organisation whether you like it or not. Head coach Greg Cronin did not like Trevor Zegras’s carelessness during Tuesday’s win over Columbus, and the talented forward did not play the final 25 minutes. 8. One executive joked that Verbeek is sitting Carlsson so he can offer a three-year, $1M extension two years from now. 9. Can finally write a bit about Elias Pettersson now that our August interview from Stockholm went to air. It’s never the best idea to base everything on a 45-minute boat tour, but it is clear that he was most emotional when discussing winning. And, the very first goal he scored in the NHL made him realise how special it would be to do it in one of the league’s most passionate markets. “It was a cool moment,” he said of that night. “The announcer (in-arena voice Al Murdoch) said my name and then the whole crowd started chanting ‘Pettersson.’ And I was like, ‘Well, this is real. This is cool. And I am getting chills.’” He won the Swedish League championship in 2018 with Vaxjo and craves duplicating that title in Vancouver. “I dream of moments like that…The whole feeling of you've been with guys for eight months, grinding hard all summer and all season…Just the euphoria. Those are the things I play for. I just want to win. I'm a big Lionel Messi fan, obviously I want him to win the World Cup. To see what it meant to all of them. And I think if that ever happened to me, it would just be happy tears.” So that’s what we’re looking at. Pettersson, who said during that conversation he hadn’t decided if his next contract would be short-term or long-term, wants to be in a position where he can win, and recognises doing it in the Lower Mainland would be very special. “If everybody has one mindset and that is to win, I think that's more than enough,” he added. 10. Pettersson on Rick Tocchet: “He wants the best for me. He wants me to be more vocal. He wants me to lead the team and just be the best version of myself. So he’s a guy I can go and talk to. He has no ego.” There’s a reason Tocchet’s very popular in the hockey world, and Pettersson encapsulates it. “I play my best when I'm comfortable. Not stressed. Go out there and do all the things I practise.” We had a good conversation about shyness. I’ve learned over my life that shyness is not a weakness, just the way some people are wired. And, too often, we mistake shyness (or reticence) to mean someone isn’t willing to compete or be, as he says, “the best version” of themselves. That’s not true, it’s just they don’t like to express themselves in words. Now, that may mean someone can’t be a captain, because being vocal — even if only in private — is part of that job, but it doesn’t mean you can’t lead in your own way. “I've always been more of a shy person and talking in front of a group hasn't been my thing,” Pettersson said. “I hated schoolwork presentations from class.” He brought up that English is his second language, which makes it more challenging. “It's just always been with me to not mess up in front of a group. I don't know if all the guys would just laugh, but it’s…one of those things that I have never been comfortable (with). But I'm trying, you know? I definitely think I can do better in that and it doesn't have to be a lot.” Right place, right time. 11. One thing he’s changed is his training. He’s bulked up, eating 5,000 calories a day. On the boat, he brought his own meal: cabbage, raddish, shrimp, edamame and white rice. There was a sauce too, but he wasn’t sure of the ingredients. Have you ever eaten like that before? “No,” but he has a new trainer and “got a few muscles. It's almost like I got brainwashed and always want to eat (properly).” 12. He wasn’t crazy discussing personal targets. “It's very selfish just talking about me,” he said. “I want to be better every year and I want to become the best player I can be. I know my career's not going to last forever, so I just want to make the most of it.” That said, after toppling 100 points last season, he admitted 50 goals would be nice. Can you do it? “Yeah, I like to think so. Got to be a little more selfish sometimes. I've always been a pass-first player… (But) I hear a lot, I need to shoot more, so I'll start listening to some people,” he laughed. Gotta hit those empty nets, Elias. (He missed two Tuesday night in Nashville.) 13. Finally, it’s very clear he values his relationships with Brock Boeser and Quinn Hughes, in particular. Pettersson’s golf handicap is down to 3.9 and “I always take money from Quinn.” He did admit Boeser is the trio’s best wakeboarder. 14. Colby Armstrong asked Connor Bedard if there was anyone he compared himself to. “I watch a lot of hockey and try to pick apart guys’ games and learn from that,” Bedard replied. “Someone I’ve said is (Kirill Kaprizov). If I was to pick one, it would probably be him. But it’s a little hard to pick one guy.” Asked about it during their trip to Toronto, Kaprizov said he was flattered Bedard would say that, but added he understood why. “The way (Bedard) opens his hips on breakouts and uses his hips when he shoots,” Kaprizov said is similar to what he does and there is video evidence here: It’s a reminder of how elite talents think the game; I don’t know how many would have recognised it like they did. Kaprizov’s advice for Bedard: “Play your game. There are going to be mistakes… turnovers. Play your game.” 15. For those of you who are “expanded playoff people” like me, I heard this year’s baseball playoffs were a bad omen for that idea. Three of the four teams who received a wild-card bye (Atlanta, Baltimore and Los Angeles) were upset once they resumed playing. (The other, Houston, lost Game 7 of the ALCS.) That’s exactly what the teams against adding teams to the NHL post-season wish to avoid, and wield it like a sledgehammer against the idea. Thank you to Carmen Ciardiello, who sent along a Fangraphs article proving that this year is an aberration and that, generally, the team with more rest wins about 70 per cent of the time in the first game back. 16. The baseball playoffs are also the reason you won’t see the start of the NHL season moved back before Canadian Thanksgiving, as it used to be. The first week of October is wall-to-wall baseball so there’s not a fit. 17. Tuesday was not the NHL’s first 16-game day, but it was the first done in such a unique #frozenfrenzy manner on ESPN. It’s harder to do that in Canada with the regional rights, but it would be fun to schedule and try. Hopefully, that’s not the last time we will see it.
18. Two early trends: after seven consecutive declining seasons of save percentages (one was flat), this year’s number is up slightly — from .904 to .905 (courtesy Hockey Reference). You know what else is up? Fighting. It’s been trending that way the past few years, 0.354 per game in 2018-19 to .509 in 2022-23. But there’s a big jump so far: 0.815. The days of the enforcer are over, so it seems counter-intuitive. Maybe it illustrates the pressure and intensity from the moment the puck drops. 19. Two things can be true: Alex DeBrincat and Pierre-Luc Dubois are free to pick where they want to play. No problem. And fans from the teams they left are free to boo. That’s life in the big city. 20. A challenge for the great people of Ottawa: Tim Stutzle had a pair of Air Jordan 1 Travis Scott mocha shoes stolen from in front of his house. Very poor form, a felony that should be corrected tout-de-suite. Another injustice that must be fixed: head coach DJ Smith does not allow a clean pair of running shoes to be worn with a suit (although, admittedly, Smith has bigger concerns right now). Senators with a strong shoe game: Thomas Chabot, Drake Batherson and Erik Brannstrom. “He always buys the same shoes that I have,” Stutzle laughed. Worst shoe game: Brady Tkachuk. Stutzle didn’t even pause on that one, saying, “He just likes wearing Crocs every time.” (What the fuck is this shit about, you stupid fat fucking jew clown). 21. Stutzle had a good tale about Claude Giroux, a very demanding team mate. “He always says he gets bad anxiety when I turn back with the puck, to slow the game down a little bit. He kind of wants me to do it, too, but then he’s like, ‘Just give me the puck.’ He’s so crazy on the bench, it’s insane. Sometimes, if I do it and we score a goal it’s all fine. But if I do it and we don’t score, he comes to the bench, he’s like, ‘Hey, come on.’ I tell him I don’t want to just give the other team the puck, but he gets anxiety because he’s scared I’ll lose it. Then he has to backcheck.” Stutzle’s the Roastmaster General. 22. Earlier this week, the NHLPA sent a memo clarifying agent rules for representing players and coaches/executives. Certified player agents are not allowed to do both, a declared conflict of interest. There was a situation last summer where Pittsburgh President of Hockey Operations Kyle Dubas was represented by Wasserman’s Chris Armstrong, who does not rep players but works for a company that does (Roman Josi, Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid among them). Some agents were upset, saying that the rule originally was created to prevent this exact scenario, while others said that was not clearly stated, pointing out it is allowed in MLB, the NBA and the NFL. Whatever the case, that is now clarified, with agents told “these regulations also bar agents from being employed by agencies that provide such services.” 23. Nashville’s Kiefer Sherwood recorded a Gordie Howe hat trick in 6:46 of the second period during Saturday’s 5-1 win over San Jose. Assist at 2:06, goal at 2:18, fight with Luke Kunin at 8:52. That has to be a record. 24. Anaheim’s 19-year-old defenceman, Pavel Mintyukov, taken 10th over all in 2022, looks like the real deal. One of his first days in North America (he played in the OHL for Saginaw and Ottawa), he attended a Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cup party. Mintyukov refused to touch the trophy or take a photo with it. Love the attitude. 25. Another good sign for growth of hockey in Seattle: the BCHL held its showcase at the team’s practice facility. Nice feather in the Kraken cap. 26. One of the fun nights on the NHL calendar is the Dallas Stars Hall of Fame. Sunday was the second edition, with players whose numbers are retired being automatic inductions. Last year recognised Derian Hatcher and Bob Gainey; this year it was Ed Belfour and Ken Hitchcock. Hitchcock effusively praised Belfour: “When Eddie was here, the NHL was a goalie-dominated league. You had Patrick Roy, you had Mike Vernon, you had Martin Brodeur, Dominik Hasek, Curtis Joseph, Grant Fuhr and Eddie Belfour. When we got into playoffs, I felt in my heart Eddie was better than them all. I got sick of listening about Patrick Roy. So when we played a playoff series, I refused to call him by his name. I did it on purpose and he’s still pissed at me. I called him ‘The goalie.’ He didn’t like that at all, but I just felt in my heart that Eddie was better and he deserved similar or more accolades than a guy like Patrick Roy. And Eddie proved me right every time.” Hitchcock added that not only was Belfour outstanding in winning the Cup in 1999, but also in getting them back to the final in 2000 (New Jersey beat them) when the Stars were out of gas. Belfour said the fans chanting, “Eddie’s better” when the Stars beat Roy and Colorado in the playoffs was his favourite. 27. Belfour initially left his notes in a different jacket, then talked for almost 20 minutes, which has to be a record. “There’s no secret in my mind to winning,” he said. “It’s whether you are committed and willing to sacrifice everything to be a winner is the difference. You train, you eat, you dream, you have faith for the mission of hoisting the Stanley Cup. What are you willing to do to be the best? This is what our 1999 Stanley Cup team had and brought to the rink every day.” He added that on the first day of training camp, then-GM Gainey would tell anyone who wasn’t on board with that “or has a different agenda, please come see me after.” Continued Belfour: “I loved every word he said.” He credited his hometown of Carman, Man., for seeding his enormous desire to win. He keeps a team photo taken after they lost a tournament championship game. “Everyone in the photo is pissed off at the world,” he said. “I carry that memory and hate-to-lose attitude in my soul today and will forever. It’s that attitude which has driven me to the successes in my career and led to this great honour I’m receiving tonight.”
28. Hitchcock told a great story about enjoying an outdoor coffee in a suburb of the city one week after the Stars’ first game in Dallas. A woman parked near him. “She gets out of the car and she’s coming right for me. We lost the night before and I thought, ‘Oh, (bleep). Here we go.’ I’m going to have to answer to this woman… she jumps out of the car and says, ‘I want to talk to you right now. Get up I want to show you something.’ I figure she’s going to want her money back or whatever. She takes me around the car, she’s showing me her wheel wells. Then she says, ‘Now you need to get this car cleaned.’ I guess I looked like the owner or the manager of the White Glove Car Wash. That’s how big the game was and that’s how much she knew about it. I offered to clean her car for nothing, but she just drove away.” He pointed out that in 1996, there were 125 kids playing minor hockey and 87 playing adult hockey in the area. Now there are 10,000 kids and 8,000 adults. But he added something else very interesting: “I was a very demanding, driven coach. And I’m very proud of that. The reason I drove and I demanded was I really believed. I believed that anything we could do, we could do special together. I really believed in my players. One of things as you get older as a coach, you start to reflect on your career. And one of the things for me that I missed out on was not saying ‘Thank you’ enough. And I’m here to do that today. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your sacrifice and your commitment towards the team and myself in general, but more important what you committed to winning. And I know it was hard… I thank you enough for what you did for me.” That was probably as much for today’s Stars as much as the ones who played for him. Saying “thank you” matters. 29. During Game 4 of the WNBA Fin ... NO ONE FUCKING CARES. 30. Wanted to send my best to Red Wings radio voice Ken Kal. He’s taking some time after getting a medical procedure following last Saturday’s win in Ottawa. Doesn’t call any attention to himself, simply does his job. (Note to self: try this approach.) Looking forward to his return. The Montreal Canadiens have three goalies in the NHL, prompting speculation on whether Cayden Primeau could be moved.
Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes isn't afraid to make bold and creative trades to acquire future assets for his rebuilding club. That has some observers wondering if he making plans for an early-season deal.
Boston Hockey Now's Jimmy Murphy included the Canadiens with the Chicago Blackhawks and Winnipeg Jets as clubs that could make some notable moves leading up to the American Thanksgiving on Nov. 23. Murphy cited a source claiming there's a market for Cayden Primeau, and the Canadiens were listening to offers for the 24-year-old goaltender. The Habs are carrying three goalies to start the season as they don't want to risk losing Primeau to waivers if they attempt to send him to their AHL affiliate in Laval. According to Murphy's source, the San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings and Philadelphia Flyers could be interested in Primeau. The Sharks could need a replacement for Kaapo Kahkonen if he departs next summer as a free agent. Some observers are concerned about the Kings' tandem of Cam Talbot and Pheonix Copley. The Flyers, however, are also carrying three goalies, with Samuel Ersson and Felix Sandstrom backing up starter Carter Hart. Given the Canadiens' injury history over the past two seasons, Hughes could be reluctant to part with Primeau. He could be an insurance policy in case Jake Allen or Sam Montembeault becomes sidelined. On Saturday, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman suggested Joel Armia could be worth watching in the trade market. The 30-year-old winger started the season in Laval, but the Canadiens recently recalled him. Armia lacks a no-trade clause but carries an average annual value of $3.4 million through 2024-25. With so many teams lacking cap space, Hughes might have to retain some salary to move him. Iain MacIntyre SPORTSNET NASHVILLE – The Vancouver Canucks travelled to the moon and back on this road trip. They flew a lot of miles, too.
One week after a desultory shutout loss in Philadelphia triggered condemnation by their coach and a direct challenge to players about their identity, the Canucks worked their way back as they travelled farther and on Tuesday played their best game so far, beating the Nashville Predators 3-2. Yes, under the circumstances, this was a better performance than even their 8-1 win on opening night two weeks ago against the Edmonton Oilers – still the only game the Canucks have played in Vancouver. All victories in the National Hockey League are worth two points (although oddly some games are still worth three). But not all games are equal, and Game 6 for the Canucks was an early mid-term on what this team is supposed to be under coach Rick Tocchet. Having responded to the 2-0 no-show against the Flyers last Tuesday with a far more noble effort in a 4-3 loss to the Lightning in Tampa on Thursday, the Canucks beat the Florida Panthers 5-3 on Saturday despite a third-period collapse. And then they came to Nashville. At the end of 12 days on the road, with a chance to finally go home, 4-2 in the standings or 3-3, Vancouver led for nearly 51 minutes of the 60, killed off consecutive Predator power plays late in the third period and held Nashville to just 17 shots – the fewest allowed by the Canucks in a road game in more than eight years. Literally and figuratively, the Canucks came a long, long way during their five-game odyssey. “I think this road trip could be very good for us,” veteran defenceman Ian Cole said. “We saw a nice cross section, almost like a little mini-season. We had some really great games, we had some not-so-great games and we had a really bad game. We had parts of good games, parts of bad games, we had leads that we blew and then got it back, and then we had a lead today that we held. There was a lot of situations that we were in over the course of the games on this road trip that we can hopefully look back at later in the season and say, 'This is what worked, this is what didn't, and we're going to stick to this.' And if we stick to this, we're going to put ourselves in good spots to win way more often than not. “We ended up having a really great road trip, and we’ve got a great blueprint on how to play to be successful.” Goalie Thatcher Demko said: “I told you guys in Philly that I thought we were going to respond. I think we got a little better each game on the road trip. In Tampa, we were better than we were in Philly, and then Florida, we were better than we were in Tampa. And then tonight was our best game. I knew that that's what this team was going to do. It's important that we go home and take advantage of home ice we have coming up.” The Canucks play five of their next six games at Rogers Arena, but the homestand starts with their first back-to-back games: Friday against the St. Louis Blues and Saturday versus the New York Rangers. The best part about the scheduling on this trip was that the five games were spread over 11 nights, with plenty of time to practise and rest. Importantly, for a team that has turned over most of its defence and nearly half its roster since the start of last season, this trip was also a chance for Canuck players to better know and understand each other. “It's a really good road trip after winning this game,” Tocchet said. “You know, if you lose the game, then it's, like, OK. But winning this game, the psyche of the players, it's like: Hey, if we stick with the process and the staples -- all the stuff I always say every day -- it works. “I give the players a lot of credit in that room. We were all pissed off at that (Philadelphia) game. And then they took the leadership, and some guys took it on their own: 'Hey, we've got to be better.' So I stayed away. They kind of ran the room a little bit and I thought that was great. We talk about a professional game; I thought there was a lot of professionalism today.” The game was about much more than the Canucks’ Fab Four – Demko, Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller – flexing their talent, although these players were all good in Nashville. The goals came from Ilya Mikheyev, Phil Di Giuseppe and Nils Hoglander, who burst back into the line up from the press box and tipped in Hughes’s point shot for what turned out to be the game-winner at 3:11 of the second period. But the win was also about the late penalty-killing by Cole and Filip Hronek, Dakota Joshua making a key block late in the third, Conor Garland diving to break up plays, and the Canucks out-battling the Predators for loose pucks. “You want to win by a large margin -- everybody does,” Di Giuseppe said. “But these are what real games are like more often than not. I think it was a good lesson for us. A lot of positives and we gutted it out. I think this (trip) was huge. It's something, I think, the whole organisation was focusing on -- getting off (mmm ... getting off) on the right foot.” “I don't like dealing in absolutes -- this was the best, that was the worst -- because it can always get better and it can always get worse,” Cole said. “It was a good game. We scored timely goals, we had energy, we checked well, played solid in the D-zone, and we were able to really hold the fort when they pushed at the end. There were a lot of good things to like about it. So yes, it was a very good game.” Kristina Rutherford SPORTSNET Luke Prokop got a phone call on Tuesday morning with some welcome news he’d been waiting for.
The 21-year-old defenceman, who two years ago became the first-ever openly gay player under an NHL contract, got the call from the co-founder of Outsports, Cyd Zeigler Jr., letting him know the NHL was going to reverse its decision to ban the representation of social causes on stick tape. “When you have guys like Morgan Rielly and Tyson Barrie and even Connor McDavid speaking up about it, you know the league’s going to take notice of that, and maybe that’s why the (ban) was reversed so quickly,” said Prokop, a third-round pick of the Nashville Predators in 2020. “The way I saw it was if Connor (McDavid) wanted to put Pride tape on his stick for a game, what was the NHL really going to do? Were they going to suspend him? No, because that’s probably not great for the game if they suspend the best player in the world. It goes to show how much of an impact the players have, and the power the players really do have in the league.” As the NHL announced Tuesday afternoon, it will no longer be against NHL rules for players to use Pride tape or military tape or any hockey tape supporting a social cause. On Saturday night, Coyotes defender Travis Dermott wore Pride tape on his stick while the ban was still in place. Prokop, who just opened his season with the ECHL’s Atlanta Gladiators, saw Dermott’s show of support via social media. “I thought it was cool because he did it in his own way. It wasn’t a lot of tape, it was just a little bit at the end of his knob (mmm ... his knob). Most people probably wouldn’t see it with his glove covering it,” Prokop said. “I respect the hell out of him for doing that.” When Prokop came out publicly in July 2021, Dermott was outspoken on social media, and sent Prokop a note of congratulations. Prokop called it “a breath of fresh air” to see Dermott sporting the previously banned tape in a game, especially after last season, when seven NHL players decided not to wear Pride sweaters for warm ups during their team’s Pride Night celebrations. Dermott’s show of support was the story on Saturday, instead of the attention drawn by players last season who refused to wear Pride sweaters. “It was actually the equivalent of one per cent of the league who didn’t wear the jerseys,” Prokop said. “I put myself in those shoes, how would I feel if I was on that team? “But hearing players speak out this year, seeing Travis go about it in his own way, it goes to show there are a lot of players out there who do care for the community and want hockey to be for everyone, who think everyone should have an equal shot at playing this game. “It definitely gave me a little bit more confidence that hockey is trending in the right direction, whether that’s coming from the players, not necessarily from the league.” Prokop feels pride tape is a better representation of support for 2SLGBTQ+ pride than warmup sweaters. “It’s a use of expression. It’s your choice to use as much or as little of the tape as you want,” he said. “I think the tape does a better job of expressing the players’ impact towards their community.” And now, it won’t be against the rules to do so in the NHL. The NHL walked back its decision to ban players from using Pride Tape in games this season, allowing players the option to represent social causes with stick tape.
Update: The NHL released a statement saying players now have the option to "voluntarily represent social causes with their stick tape throughout the season." The original story follows.
The NHL's ban on Pride Tape lasted two weeks into the season. Following backlash from fans, players and team staff alike, the league walked back its decision by agreeing with the NHLPA and the NHL Player Inclusion Coalition that players can represent social causes with stick tape throughout the season in games and practices. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman first reported the news, and The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported a league official confirmed the rumblings. LeBrun's colleague Chris Johnston also reported an official announcement could come shortly. The news comes two days after Arizona Coyotes defenceman Travis Dermott became the first player to defy the NHL's Pride Tape ban in a game, using the tape on the shaft of his stick in a contest versus the Anaheim Ducks. “You don’t really want to go against rules that are put in place by your employer, but there are some people who took some positive things from it,” Dermott told PHNX's Craig Morgan of his decision following the game on Saturday. “That’s kind of what I’m looking to impact.” After quietly instituting the ban on Pride Tape in a league-wide memo sent to teams just days before the regular season began, the NHL received criticism from a number of prominent organisations, such as the You Can Play Project and the creators of Pride Tape, with players from multiple different teams also either denouncing the ban or voicing their willingness to defy the rule altogether. Given the backlash, many expected the NHL to ultimately reverse its decision at some point in the season. And, with today's announcement, that day has now come. Arizona Coyotes defenceman Travis Dermott says he used rainbow-coloured tape on his stick on Saturday to continue to show support for the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
Dermott, 26, had the tape at the top of his stick for the Coyotes' home opener after the NHL decided to ban the use of it on Pride Nights — on the heels of banning specialty sweaters over the off season, as well. “You don’t really want to go against rules that are put in place by your employer, but there’s some people who took some positive things from it,” the native of Newmarket, Ont. told Craig Morgan of PHNX_Sports. “That’s kind of what I’m looking to impact. “You want to have everyone feel included and that’s something that I have felt passionate about for a long time in my career. It’s not like I just just jumped on this train. It’s something that I’ve felt has been lacking in the hockey community for a while. I feel like we need supporters of a movement like this; to have everyone feel included and really to beat home the idea that hockey is for everyone." Dermott, who is on a one-year, two-way contract, was the first player to defy the NHL's rules. The former Toronto Maple Leaf and Vancouver Canuck has never been shy about voicing his support for the 2SLGBTQ+ community, using the Pride tape on his stick consistently since at least 2021. “I won’t lie. From the outside, it’s easy to see that I’m putting my career on the line for something," he said. "I definitely went through some emotional ups and downs that night, not regretting anything by any means, but I’d love to have maybe done a couple of steps a little different by making sure that everyone was aware of what was going on before I did it. “I don’t want to put my team mates or my coaches or my GMs or the equipment managers in any kind of bad light when it’s their job to kind of look out for something like this happening. It was definitely something that I did just by myself and was prepared to kind of deal with whatever repercussions the league decides to push towards that. I’m not going to back off and say that this battle is won, but we’re going to find better ways to do it.” The NHL made the decision to ban Pride tape and specialty sweaters — widely seen as a promising step, if performative, to promote inclusivity in a largely insular hockey culture — after several notable players across the league publicly opted out of participating in Pride Night activities, including Ivan Proverov and Andrei Kuzmenko. Speaking on Sportsnet's Halford & Brough earlier this month, deputy commissioner Bill Daly explained the decision as not wanting to put players in a "difficult position." Dermott, on Monday, said the issue is important for him. "I’d be lying if I said I haven’t shed tears about this on multiple occasions,” he said. “So yeah, it’s something I’m definitely very passionate about. “I’ve met a lot of people that from the outside, it looks like they have everything going right in their life and they have a smile on their face every time they talk to you. But sometimes when we get closer to people and get comfortable enough for them to open up to you, you can see that there’s some pretty dark stuff happening to some good people. It doesn’t take too many times encountering something like that for it to really change someone." Daly told Morgan there is no timeline on when the league will make a decision to hand out any discipline. “No timeline, no,” he said. “Will be handled in due course.” Dermott told Morgan the Coyotes organisation has supported him. “We as an organisation, first and foremost, respect and support our players’ rights to express themselves as individuals. Second, I want to be very clear that as an organisation, we remain steadfast in our support of the LGBTQ+ community,” Coyotes president and CEO Xavier Gutierrez said. “We will continue with our efforts as an organisation to not only support, but to celebrate that community in addition to all the other communities that we have been very focused on embracing, welcoming, extending our hands to and opening our doors. “The players are very well aware of the rules by which they need to abide, and it is their decision, but we are very supportive of them as individuals doing so. You will see us continue to take organisation-wide efforts to express our support for this community within the boundaries set forth by the NHL.” Dermott told The Athletic on Monday night he will not use the tape for the team's next game on Tuesday. The Coyotes are holding their Pride Night on Friday and Dermott says he's still working on his plan for that game. ![]() It wasn't exactly a gesture on the scale of Colin Kaepernick, but the Coyotes defenceman made a huge statement by defying the NHL's ban on Pride tape KEN CAMPBELL 23 OCT 2023 In doing research for a story I’m working on for The Hockey News on the Boston Bruins’ 100th anniversary, I came across a story from 1969 in the aftermath of the famous stick-swinging incident between Wayne Maki of the St. Louis Blues and Ted Green of the Bruins in a pre-season game that almost killed Green and resulted in criminal charges to both players.
In the days after the incident, former Bruins GM Milt Schmidt showed up at practice with helmets for each player on the team and told his players that if they weren’t interested in wearing them, they could leave the ice immediately. Everyone looked to Bobby Orr (the massive, ignorant cocksucker), who quietly skated off the ice. The rest of the Bruins followed the superstar defenceman and it immediately ceased being an issue. Apropos of something, Arizona Coyotes defenceman Travis Dermott, who will never be confused with Orr, thumbed his nose at the NHL and its ridiculous ban on Pride tape by having strands of the rainbow-coloured adhesive on his stick for the team’s home opener Saturday night against the Anaheim Ducks. In doing so, he became the first player to make that bold a statement. And that’s not insignificant. Because it’s one thing for a superstar such as Bobby Orr to openly defy his employer, but it’s quite another for a 26-year-old journeyman third-pair defenceman who is on a one-year, two-way contract that pays him $800,000 in the NHL (and $450,000 in the minors). Pretty damned courageous if you ask me. Without the security of a long-term deal, Dermott could have stayed silent and cowardly, you know, the way his players’ association has through all of this. But he chose to make a statement in his team’s home opener, daring the NHL to be on the wrong side of history by punishing him for being an open ally to the LGBTQIA+ community. A guy who’s a bad week from possibly being sent to the American Hockey League didn’t have to do this. Everyone would have understood. Last season, Dermott missed all but 11 games because of injuries and isn’t exactly secure as an NHL regular. Despite that, he committed an act of civil disobedience and became a hero, not only to the marginalised, but to those of who believe the NHL turtled on this issue as soon as it became uncomfortable. But that’s just how Dermott rolls. He’s a bit of a different young man. Connor McDavid’s junior team mate is well-spoken and cerebral, but is hardly a shrinking violet on the ice. “He’s always been a free-spirited type of kid,” said Dermott’s agent, former NHLer Dave Gagner. “He plays a lot with reckless abandon. But he’s got a great personality and he’s really thoughtful. We’ll be in the middle of a conversation and he’ll say, ‘Yeah, and how are you doing?’ You don’t hear that from many young guys.” What makes Dermott’s statement so impressive is that I’m told it took the Coyotes completely by surprise. Dermott probably knew what the answer would be if he asked prior to the game, but chose to beg for forgiveness rather than ask for permission. Apparently, nobody in the organisation knew of Dermott’s intent before the game, which gets the Coyotes off the hook with the league. This was a one-man act of defiance, which makes Dermott look even more heroic. Dermott has now forced the league’s hand on the issue. It can either look like the pettiest sports organisation on the planet by sanctioning Dermott or it can risk opening the floodgates for other players to follow Dermott’s lead. As is often the case, the NHL didn’t think this through and its inability to see the unintended consequences of its own lack of vision has put it in a bad spot. And that’s good because that’s exactly where the NHL deserves to be on this. I see a strongly worded memo coming. You see, Dermott doesn’t have to worry about a fine or any other kind of punishment. What should concern him is he’s risking his livelihood, because there is a significant and critical mass of people in the game who would look at Dermott’s actions as selfish and counterproductive to a team mentality. Guys like that often find themselves ostracised and shunned by the establishment. See Kaepernick, Colin. We all wondered who the first player to defy the NHL would be. Most of us thought it would be a superstar with the security of a long-term deal. But Travis Dermott has blazed the trail. Hockey people talk about courage and toughness and grit all the time and, with one act of defiance, Dermott has displayed those qualities in abundance. And for that he should be celebrated. Came across this last night. Haven't seen it in years. Can't remember where it is from, but it's still fucking hilarious! ... and kind of hot! |
AuthorStolen from the interwebs Categories |