Lindros, Clarke headline Flyers’ Stadium Series alumni game roster

A half-century of Philadelphia Flyers hockey, all on one roster.

The Flyers revealed Wednesday their alumni squad for January's Stadium Series spectacle versus in-state rival, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Hall of Famers Bobby Clarke, Bill Barber, Mark Howe, and Eric Lindros will take part, representing the various decades in which they played.

"This game is a celebration of the past 50 years of Flyers hockey," said Brad Marsh, president of the Flyers alumni association. "To bring five decades worth of players and fans together to share in the one thing we all have in common - fiercely representing the orange and black - that’s not something that happens every day."

Other players include Daniel Briere, Simon Gagne, and John LeClair.

The alumni matchup will take place Jan. 14, while the actual contest takes place Feb. 18 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.

The entire Flyers roster can be seen here.

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Seth Jones has ‘no problem’ with Tortorella’s stance on anthem protesters

Seth Jones is fine with head coach John Tortorella's stance on how to handle players that might choose to sit during the national anthem.

With the World Cup of Hockey coming up, and in light of NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick's ongoing decision to protest during the singing of the U.S. national anthem, Tortotella - coach of the American team - said he'd bench any player that sits out the pre-game tradition.

Jones, who will suit up for North America at the World Cup, and who plays for Tortorella's NHL team in Columbus, doesn't appear to have a problem with the coach's comments.

"I think it's, obviously it's fair," Jones said on Sportsnet's 590 The FAN on Wednesday. "That's obviously his way of doing it. Obviously they're comparing it to the whole Colin Kaepernick thing, but, you know, he's got a right to believe whatever he wants. Obviously, I have no problem. You're not going to see anything from any of us with Torts, so I think I have no problem with that. I'm sure none of the guys do either."

Tampa Bay Lightning forward J.T. Brown offered a different perspective.

Tortorella, for his part, didn't soften his stance when asked about it again Wednesday after USA's practice.

"It is probably the most disrespectful thing you can do as a U.S. citizen is to bring that in," Tortorella said of sitting during the anthem, according to Scott Burnside of ESPN.

"Because that's our symbol. All for express(ing) yourself. That's what's so great. Everybody does. But no chance when it comes to the flag and the anthem. No chance."

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Rangers’ Kevin Hayes does dab pushups

The dab has made its way to the gym.

New York Rangers forward Kevin Hayes gave his Instagram followers a glimpse at his workout routine Tuesday, which includes dabbing in between push-ups.

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Price to start Canada’s World Cup exhibition opener

Carey Price is ready to get back into game action.

The Canadian goalie will start Friday's World Cup of Hockey exhibition opener against Team USA, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.

The start will mark Price's first taste of competition since falling to what became a season-ending injury in a game between the Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers on Nov. 25.

It will also give observers a small glimpse into whether Price is indeed on track to recovering the fine form that earned him Vezina and NHL MVP honors back in 2014-15.

Price backstopped Canada to a gold medal at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, posting a brilliant .972 save percentage over five games.

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USA names Pavelski captain, Kane, Suter to serve as alternates

Team USA's leadership group is set.

Rumored to have earned the nod in an August report, San Jose Sharks forward Joe Pavelski was officially named team captain on Wednesday, with Hart Trophy winner Patrick Kane and Minnesota Wild defenseman Ryan Suter serving as alternates.

David Backes, Ryan Kesler, Ryan McDonagh, and Zach Parise are also part of the team's leadership group, which head coach John Tortorella thinks will help the American's on their quest to a title.

"The great news for us is that we have plenty of leaders in our room," Tortorella said.

"In the end, in addition to our captain and alternate captains, we also selected four other players and those seven guys will form an overall leadership group for our team. Our goal is simple and that’s to win the World Cup."

Pavelski, Kane, and Suter have all represented the U.S. at the past two Olympic games, earning a silver medal in 2010 under Tortorella in Vancouver.

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George Parros joins Department of Player Safety

Former NHL enforcer George Parros has joined the league's Department of Player Safety and will serve as part of the core group that handles disciplinary decisions, it was announced Wednesday.

"I am very pleased that George is joining us and excited about what he will bring to our department," said Player Safety head Stephane Quintal. "While he was widely known as a physical player, his coaches, teammates, and opponents also knew him as a student of the game.

"He will add another unique perspective to our group and the fact that he only recently retired means that he has a keen understanding of today's game."

Parros, who announced his retirement back in 2014, appeared in 474 games after being drafted in the eighth round by Los Angeles at the 1999 NHL Draft, amassing 18 goals, 18 assists, and 1,092 penalty minutes.

"It's an interesting opportunity to not only watch a lot of hockey and remain in the sport, but kind of affect what's going on in the sport in a way that things move forward," Parros said.

"You're trying educate the players, and the thing that best suits me for the job is that I've played the game for a long time and played as physical as anybody else, perhaps more so, and never once got fined or suspended."

The Princeton University graduate won the Stanley Cup with Anaheim in 2007.

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Projecting Team USA’s lines at the World Cup

The United States is hoping to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its title in the first World Cup of Hockey with another triumphant performance in the 2016 tournament.

This year's edition of the American squad may not prevail like their 1996 brethren, but the versatile, experienced group should be competitive.

Here's how we envision the lines shaping up for the United States:

Forwards

Phil Kessel's absence will be felt no matter how deep the U.S. is on the right wing.

The Pittsburgh Penguins sniper's snub was shocking, considering he ranks second among all American-born scorers and point producers over the last six seasons.

Related: Phil Kessel's omission from Team USA makes zero sense

Kyle Palmieri steps in for the injured Ryan Callahan, which is a significant upgrade, but it will still be tough to replace Kessel's speed and scoring touch.

This projected top line is scary good and there's no denying the talent on the top three units, but if the forward group does have a weakness, it's a little thin on the left side.

LW C RW
Max Pacioretty Joe Pavelski Patrick Kane
Zach Parise Ryan Kesler Kyle Palmieri
James van Riemsdyk Derek Stepan Blake Wheeler
Justin Abdelkader David Backes T.J. Oshie
Brandon Dubinsky  

Defensemen

Ryan Suter and Dustin Byfuglien give the U.S. a durable, intimidating top pairing capable of logging heavy minutes and controlling play at both ends.

Two Washington Capitals crack our top six, with John Carlson providing some offensive punch on the second pairing and Matt Niskanen plying his trade as a solid shutdown blue-liner on the third unit.

LD RD
Ryan Suter Dustin Byfuglien
Ryan McDonagh John Carlson
Jack Johnson Matt Niskanen
Erik Johnson

Goaltenders

Ben Bishop could get the first crack at the crease, but the American squad might be better served with Cory Schneider as the No. 1 netminder for the tournament - he's outplayed Bishop and Jonathan Quick at five-on-five over the last three seasons, and he's done so with much less in front of him.

Related: Devils' Schneider deserves to start for USA at World Cup

Bishop will need to prove that he's fully recovered from the injury that forced him to leave Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final on a stretcher. Quick can still steal a game, but he's too inconsistent at this point in his career to be the No. 1.

G
Ben Bishop
Cory Schneider
Jonathan Quick

Power Play

Parise clicked with Patrick Kane on the man advantage in at the last best-on-best international tournament in Sochi and the two dynamic wingers have a long history together in the U.S. program, so the Minnesota Wild forward should receive PP1 minutes to begin the tournament.

Unit LW C RW LD RD
1 Parise Pavelski Kane Suter Byfuglien
2 Pacioretty Kesler Palmieri McDonagh Carlson

Penalty Kill

Ryan Kesler contributes to both aspects of special teams for the Anaheim Ducks, and he'll be counted on to replicate that versatility in this tourney.

The U.S. penalty killers will be a physical group that thrives on getting under the skin of opponents.

Unit C F LD RD
1 Kesler Abdelkader McDonagh Niskanen
2 Dubinsky Backes J. Johnson E. Johnson

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Pavelec bumped to 3rd on Czech Republic’s goalie depth chart

Ondrej Pavelec will have a good seat for the World Cup of Hockey, at least.

The Winnipeg Jets goalie and Czech Republic native will sit back and watch Petr Mrazek and Michal Neuvirth battle it out for the starting gig at the upcoming international tournament, coach Josef Jandac has disclosed.

"The tournament is short and there is no time to let all three goalies play," Jandac said, according to Michael Langr of NHL.com. "We are planning to have only two goaltenders in the games and Pavelec will be the third one."

It makes sense, seeing as Pavelec posted the lowest save percentage of the three in five-on-five situations in 2015-16.

Player Team Games 5-on-5 SV%
Petr Mrazek Red Wings 54 93.07
Michal Neuvirth Flyers 32 93.03
Ondrej Pavelec Jets 33 91.84

(Courtesy: Corsica Hockey)

Pavelec played in four games for the Czech Republic at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, posting a save percentage of .889.

However, he rebounded at the 2015 World Championship, leading his country to a bronze medal game appearance - a loss to the United States - while finishing the tournament with a .912 save percentage in nine games.

Clearly that performance wasn't enough, and while he's the most experienced of the three goalies on the World Cup roster, clearly it's time to hand the reins to one of the younger, more talented options.

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Crosby, MacKinnon team up for another Tim Hortons run

Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia's favorite sons are at it again.

Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon joined forces to deliver Tim Hortons' treats across their home town, making stops at a road hockey game and a visit to the local fire hall.

You'll never read a more Canadian story, folks.

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3 questions facing Team USA at the World Cup

The United States has traditionally performed well at the World Cup of Hockey, but the American squad has a few concerns this time around.

Team USA won the first World Cup in 1996 and finished fourth following a semifinal appearance in 2004, but they have their work cut out for them in 2016.

From compensating for an egregious snub to a dilemma in the crease, as well as the pressure of celebrating the anniversary of their title with another, the U.S. brain trust has plenty on its plate.

Here are three questions facing the American contingent at the World Cup:

How will Phil Kessel's absence be mitigated?

There's no sugarcoating it. The fact that Phil Kessel isn't on this team is ridiculous.

The Pittsburgh Penguins' star forward wasn't named to the roster despite ranking second in goal scoring and points among American-born skaters over the last six years. Barring a last-minute injury, it's unlikely the Stanley Cup champion will be called upon.

The U.S. is deep on the right wing with Patrick Kane, Kyle Palmieri, Blake Wheeler, and T.J. Oshie, but Kessel's speed and pure scoring ability won't be easily replicated.

Palmieri - who replaced the injured Ryan Callahan - is coming off a 30-goal season, but Kessel's done that five times, and he's shown he can produce when it counts, with 43 points in 46 career playoff games.

Team USA will need consistent and timely scoring from more than just Kane, Zach Parise, Joe Pavelski, and Max Pacioretty if it hopes to make a deep run.

Who's the No. 1 goaltender?

The U.S. certainly has options between the pipes in Ben Bishop, Cory Schneider, and Jonathan Quick who will battle it out for playing time.

Bishop will likely get the first crack at the No. 1 role given his recent track record, but he'll need to be 100 percent healthy after the concerning injury he suffered in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final.

Cory Schneider has outplayed both of his American netminding teammates at even strength over the last few seasons. He's done it on teams with weaker rosters and is the most technically sound goalie of the three.

Quick has two Stanley Cups, but his play has dropped off in recent years, and he didn't show enough in the Los Angeles Kings' first-round loss to the San Jose Sharks.

20 years later, can they win it all again?

The USA's World Cup victory in 1996 was a watershed moment for American hockey, which has undergone a major period of growth in the 20 years since Brett Hull, John LeClair, and Mike Richter claimed the championship.

Related: 5 reasons American hockey is on the rise

Canada won gold in Sochi and is favored to defend the title it won at the last World Cup in 2004. Sweden, Russia, and even Team North America could also stand in the way of the United States' quest to bring home the trophy for the first time since that landmark occasion two decades ago.

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