J.T. Brown was presented with another chance to meet Willie O'Ree prior to Monday's game in Los Angeles.
The Tampa Bay Lightning forward, who was not in the lineup due to injury, shared a few words with the man who broke the NHL's color barrier almost 59 years ago after O'Ree dropped the puck in a ceremonial faceoff to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Earlier in the day, Brown talked about how O'Ree impacted his life, and how he can keep his legacy going.
"He broke so many barriers, made it possible for me to play the game that I love," Brown said, per Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. "Anything I can do to keep growing the game, keep doing the things he did to help, that's something I'm willing to do."
Brown currently plays an active role in the Lightning's "Guide the Thunder" program, helping mentor local at-risk youths.
The Los Angeles Kings marked Martin Luther King Jr. Day by having Willie O'Ree drop the puck in a ceremonial faceoff prior to Monday's game against Tampa Bay.
O'Ree, 81, made history by breaking the NHL's color barrier as a member of the Boston Bruins on Jan. 18, 1958.
In a fit of rage as the Stars trailed the Sabres 3-1 in the second period Monday, Benn took out his frustration on his misfiring weapons, snapping one stick over his knee on the ice before heading to the bench for more catharsis, and Bo Jackson-ing a couple more.
It's a been a tough season for Benn, the leading point producer in the previous two seasons combined. He's scored one goal in his last 10 games for a Stars team on the outside of the postseason bracket after earning the No. 1 seed in the West last year.
It's Maroon's second season in Alberta since arriving on a quiet deal from the Anaheim Ducks at last year's trade deadline. At the time, eyes were focused elsewhere. Mikkel Boedker was dealt to Denver, Lee Stempniak was off to his ninth team in Boston, and the Dallas Stars sent three pieces to Calgary for hard-nosed blue-liner Kris Russell.
In Edmonton, there was once again disappointment, as the Oilers extended their playoff drought to 10 seasons, matching an NHL all-time record of postseason futility. In the midst of it all, the Oilers shipped AHL defenseman Martin Gernat and a fourth-round pick to the Ducks to bring Maroon to Edmonton.
The deal barely garnered a headline, as Maroon seemed like a project for the Oilers. He had a lowly 13 points on the season, after averaging 32 points over the previous two campaigns.
Season
Team
GP
G-A-Pts
Pts/GP
G/GP
12-13
ANA
13
2-1-3
0.23
0.15
13-14
ANA
62
11-18-29
0.47
0.18
14-15
ANA
71
9-25-34
0.48
0.13
*15-16
ANA
56
4-9-13
0.23
0.07
*15-16
EDM
16
8-6-14
0.88
0.50
16-17
EDM
45
18-7-25
0.56
0.40
That all changed once he arrived in Edmonton, where he played out the remaining 16 games of 2015-16, and where this year he has lined up alongside alongside phenom Connor McDavid.
Fans of the Philadelphia Flyers will recall when fellow left-winger John LeClair came to town following a deal with the Montreal Canadiens. In Philadelphia, LeClair teamed up with dominant center Eric Lindros and Swedish winger Mikael Renberg to form hockey's Legion of Doom line.
The trio made instant magic. During the 1995-96 season, Renberg, Lindros, and LeClair combined for 257 points - a preview of what was to come when the Flyers advanced to the Stanley Cup Final a year later.
Season
Team
GP
G-A-Pts
Pts/GP
92-93
MTL
72
19-25-44
0.61
93-94
MTL
74
19-24-43
0.58
*94-95
MTL
9
1-4-5
0.55
*94-95
PHI
37
25-24-49
1.32
95-96
PHI
82
51-46-97
1.18
96-97
PHI
82
50-47-97
1.18
*LeClair was traded to the Flyers midway through the 1994-95 season.
LeClair virtually doubled his production following his trade to Philadelphia. Through his final 155 games in Montreal, he recorded 92 points, or 0.59 points per game. That number grew to 1.21 in his first 201 games with his new club.
Maroon has seen a similar uptick. After posting 0.39 points per game through his time in Anaheim, that number has climbed to 0.64 through his early goings with the Oilers.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been showered with praise in recent weeks, particularly since defeating New York and Ottawa in consecutive nights over the weekend.
So, in an effort to manage expectations and alleviate pressure from his rookie-laden team, head coach Mike Babcock worked to pacify the excitement swelling around his club when he met with media Monday afternoon.
Babcock added that plenty can change from one half season to the next, saying, "Let's not get carried away here."
Alas, it might be too late.
The thinking has shifted from progress to postseason-or-bust for many people who follow the Maple Leafs closely. The numbers that support them as a viable top-three team in the Atlantic Division are too strong to ignore.
This is a club on an 8-1-1 stretch, and which now has the 12th-best points percentage in the NHL and rising. Toronto has outscored the competition 40-26 over that span.
And, the Leafs have displayed positive signs over course of the season: Just one of their 20 wins has come in the shootout. They're one of seven teams averaging more than three goals each night. Six teams have a better goal differential in the East. Two teams average more shots in the NHL. They're a top-10 score-adjusted possession team. And only the Capitals and Blue Jackets have held the lead for longer.
These are positive signs worth talking about for the Maple Leafs.
Backstrom was named the NHL's weekly first star with three goals and 10 points as the Capitals won all four of their games. He moved into the top 10 in league scoring with 42 points.
Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand also vaulted into the top production tier, scoring four goals and eight points. He matched a career-high with five points in his 500th career game Saturday.
Finally, Brock McGinn of the Carolina Hurricanes was recognized as the NHL's third star. He had four goals and three assists, helping the Hurricanes to three wins in as many outings. He has 12 points total on the season.
It's believed he suffered a left knee injury while being tangled up with Thomas Vanek.
Letang exited the ice in distress, unable to bear weight on his leg. He took one short shift a little later on, but did not return after that.
Staying healthy has been a challenge for Letang throughout his career. He's made 70-plus starts once in the last five 82-game campaigns, and has wound up on injured reserve twice already this season.
We should have a clearer idea of whether the Tampa Bay Lightning will live up to expectation this season in, oh, 10 days.
The Lightning, seated seventh in the wild-card race in the Eastern Conference with 44 points from as many starts, are in California to begin a critical six-game road trip Monday afternoon against the Los Angeles Kings.
They'll meet the Anaheim Ducks on a back-to-back Tuesday before completing the California gauntlet Thursday versus the San Jose Sharks. From there, the Lightning travel to Arizona and Chicago before making a pit stop in Sunrise on the way home, closing out the road trip versus the Panthers, who are up four points on their in-state rivals.
The Lightning failed to take advantage of five home dates in the first six games of the new year, winning once as they officially crossed the halfway point on the season.
They've felt the absence of befallen sniper Steven Stamkos, collecting 10 wins from 27 games, but keeping pucks out of their own net has been the greatest concern to this point. Tampa Bay's 130 goals allowed - nearly three a game - is sixth-worst in the NHL.