Andrew Fudge, the Nashville Predators fan who missed out on free tickets to the Stanley Cup Final, received a solid consolation prize Tuesday.
Upon learning of his misfortune, the Predators invited Fudge to next season's home opener, when fans will witness the raising of the team's first Western Conference champions banner.
Fortunately this time, Fudge had turned on his Twitter notifications.
"I thought that if I can get to a game next year, if it's not a playoff game, I want to go to game one at home because I want to see the very first banner in team history," Fudge told the Predators' website. "That would be pretty awesome to see it get raised to the rafters."
The next season in Smashville kicks off Oct. 10 against the Philadelphia Flyers, and, this time, Fudge will be in attendance.
The New Rochelle, N.Y. native was this summer's most coveted free agent, and despite heavy interest from a handful of suitors, he made it a priority to play for his hometown Rangers, turning down more lucrative deals to do so.
"It's pretty surreal," Shattenkirk, who inked a four-year deal with the Rangers, told reporters Tuesday. "I think I am really privileged to play in the NHL every day. I don't take it for granted, but to have it now with my favorite team, that really hits home."
The move to New York marks the third stop in the last five months for Shattenkirk, who was traded from St. Louis to Washington at last year's trade deadline.
In joining the Rangers, Shattenkirk sees a chance to win, pointing to the team's mainstay between the pipes in Henrik Lundqvist, his potential blue-line partner in Ryan McDonagh, and an exciting crop of speedy forwards who make up the offensive ranks. But it's the opportunity to win a Stanley Cup as a Blueshirt that excites Shattenkirk most of all.
"Growing up and seeing, when teams win in New York, how well they're received from the fan base," Shattenkirk explained. "All of the pressure that you have to endure through those moments, if you can bring it home in New York, for me it's something that you can never replicate anywhere else."
Among the league's top puck-moving defensemen, Shattenkirk finished last season with 56 points, fourth-most in the NHL. It is Shattenkirk's skill set as an offensive contributor that is sure to help take the Rangers to the next level, and why there was mutual interest this summer in adding his services.
"It seems like every year (the Rangers) are making the moves to make their team a championship team," Shattenkirk said. "In that respect, it's kind of hard to see what the window is here because every year that I've been in the league (the Rangers) have been capable of winning a Stanley Cup."
This time around, Dominic Moore expects things to be different.
The journeyman pivot signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 1, marking the second stint of his career with his hometown club. Moore donned the blue and white for 101 games between 2007-2009 - a time when making the playoffs was largely an afterthought for a franchise that perennially occupied the bottom of the league standings.
But now, a decade later, the 36-year-old Moore believes he's picked a winner.
"For me, all things considered, this was a no-brainer. Not just because it's home. More so because it's a great opportunity to join a great team," Moore told Sportsnet's Luke Fox. "I'm happy with how things played out."
Moore suited up for the Boston Bruins in 2016-17, and saw firsthand how the Maple Leafs rapidly emerged as a playoff contender in the Eastern Conference.
"They seem to play the game at a speed that other teams aren't playing. That's a testament to the coaching staff, what they're trying to instill in them on a daily basis. The speed and skill of the team is at an incredible level," Moore said. "Up and down the ice, transitioning both ways. Down and back at lightning speed.
"It's more than potential right now. I think they've proven what they can do, and hopefully we can build on that."
Last season, on the strength of a rookie-led, high-octane offense, Toronto qualified for the playoffs in an 82-game season for the first time since 2004, and along with Moore, the Maple Leafs have brought in veterans Patrick Marleau and Ron Hainsey in hopes of solidifying a roster with growing aspirations of competing for a Stanley Cup.
Moore chipped in 25 points for the Bruins in 82 games last season, and is expected to fill the role of fourth-line center and penalty killer under head coach Mike Babcock.
The deal will see Aberg earn $650,000 over each of the next two campaigns.
Aberg made his NHL debut last season, appearing in 15 games. The Swedish forward spent much of the year with the Milwaukee Admirals, the Predators' minor-league affiliate, with whom he tallied 52 points in 56 contests.
The 23-year-old made a name for himself during the Predators' run to the Stanley Cup Finals, as he tallied two goals and three assists in 16 appearances, including the game-winner against the Anaheim Ducks in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final.
North Carolina is known as the birthplace of Pepsi. It's recognized for its amazing barbecue, and applauded for its zealous college basketball fandom.
The state is also home to a soon-to-be world-class hockey club.
After years in the wilderness, the Carolina Hurricanes have found their footing, slowly but surely developing into an NHL contender.
Despite finishing eight points shy of the final playoff seed in the Eastern Conference last season, expectations are rising in Carolina after a solid offseason for general manager Ron Francis and his club.
The players Carolina has added improve the team at both ends of the ice. And factoring in the Hurricanes' existing core - which is young and talented - this team won't just be knocking, but could burst through the playoff door after eight seasons on the sidelines.
Here's three reasons why:
Williams, Kruger bring winning pedigrees
The addition of two veterans with a combined age of 62 doesn't usually get a fan base fired up, but in the case of Marcus Kruger and Justin Williams, Canes supporters probably should be.
Last season, Carolina skated one of the youngest, most inexperienced teams in the league.
The pair brings a combined total of 227 career playoff games, 110 playoff points, and five Stanley Cups to a Hurricanes side which hasn't qualified for the playoffs since the year Barack Obama was inaugurated.
Tangible benefits aside, Kruger and Williams also provide the club's young stars with veteran leadership. Sebastian Aho, Elias Lindholm, Jeff Skinner, and Victor Rask are four core players under the age of 26 who will benefit immensely from playing alongside more experienced teammates.
Van Riemsdyk compliments defensive core
Trevor van Riemsdyk's acquisition didn't exactly make front-page sports news in the Tar Heel state, but maybe it should have - especially considering the Hurricanes already have a handful of elite rearguards on their roster.
Van Riemsdyk, who has a Stanley Cup ring, joins Jaccob Slavin, Justin Faulk, and former fifth overall pick Noah Hanifin on a blue line that's quickly becoming one of the most talented in the league.
Last season, Slavin recorded a career-high 34 points, Faulk buried the second-most goals in the league by a defenseman (17), and Hanifin chipped in 29 points while playing nearly 18 minutes per game in only his second NHL season.
The Hurricanes managed a respectable team goals-against average of 2.80 last season, and with Van Riemsdyk's acquisition and the young core of defensemen having another year together, that number stands to decrease in 2017-18.
Darling's ready for his close-up
Goaltender Cam Ward made a name for himself in 2006 by winning the Conn Smythe Trophy and Stanley Cup in his first year in the league. But the 33-year-old veteran of 12 NHL seasons is not the game-changer he once was.
The 28-year-old joins the Hurricanes after spending the last three campaigns as the backup to Chicago Blackhawks starter Corey Crawford. Over that span, Darling was one of the most consistent backups in the league.
Across 75 career regular-season games, Darling's registered respectable numbers. The former sixth-round pick owns a 39-17-9 record, with four shutouts, a 2.37 goals-against average, and a .923 save percentage, indicating he's ready to be the No. 1 guy.
Over the past few seasons, the Blackhawks have been an easier team to play behind than Carolina, but the Canes' blue-liners now arguably trump Chicago's. Whether it's Darling or Ward in the crease, more of the action should be taking place at the opposite end of the ice.
After coming one win short of the Stanley Cup Finals last season, it has been a relatively quiet summer in Ottawa, as the Senators appear poised to return with much of last year's successful squad.
While the Senators saw a key loss in defenseman Marc Methot, who the team was unable to protect in the expansion draft, few other significant moves have occurred during this offseason.
Forward Viktor Stalberg, added at last year's trade deadline, has since signed in Switzerland, while the Senators also walked away from longtime tough customer Chris Neil. When free agency opened July 1, Ottawa made one low-key addition, recruiting former Anaheim Ducks center Nate Thompson.
"We're very close to being the same roster that we finished the year with," Senators general manager Pierre Dorion told Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen. "We feel we're almost as good a team as we had last year, and last year we were an overtime away from being in the Stanley Cup Finals."
While Dorion didn't rule out the possibility of more moves, his roster seems mostly set. According to Cap Friendly, the Senators have just one player left to sign: restricted free agent Ryan Dzingel.
The 25-year-old, who chipped in 14 goals and 18 assists for the Senators last season, has filed for salary arbitration, although Dorion appears prepared for that possibility, as a hearing could come July 21.
"While we'd like to avoid arbitration and (Dzingel's agent) Don Meehan would like to avoid arbitration too, but, at the same time, we understand it's a process," Dorion said in a Monday conference call, according to Garrioch. "If we can't come to an agreement, we'll just go to arbitration Friday at 9 a.m."
While Dzingel's future remains up in the air, expect the Senators to take a similar approach to this coming season as they did in 2016-17.
"I think, if we can continue on the same path we were last year, I think we proved a lot of people wrong," Dorion said. "Not many had us going into the playoffs (last season). This year our goal is the same: get into the playoffs and build upon that."
After years of accumulating high draft picks and developing those talents in the minors, Arizona Coyotes owner Andrew Barroway is ready for his team to step up.
"We think we have the best young talent, and it's time to stop talking about how great our young talent is and see them produce," Barroway - the new sole owner of the Coyotes - told "NHL Tonight" on Monday. "I think they're ready. Certainly, I can tell you're they're really excited to play for (new head coach Rick) Tocchet. They're thrilled."
It's been a tough go in the desert in recent seasons, with the Coyotes sitting out the playoffs for five years running. The team's last postseason appearance came in 2012, as a veteran-laden club led by Shane Doan, Mike Smith, and Ray Whitney, among others.
But that success didn't carry through to recent campaigns, as the Coyotes haven't cracked the 80-point plateau in any of the past three seasons. The low point came in 2014-15, when the team missed out on generational talents in Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel, but still landed Dylan Strome with the third selection.
Strome, a top center with the OHL's Erie Otters, could be among the young players set to break in with the NHL club next season. As many as nine players under 23 could be part of the Coyotes' roster in 2017-18:
Player
Position
Age
2016-17 Team
2016-17 Stats
Clayton Keller
F/W
18
Boston U/NCAA
21-24-45 Pts in 31 GP
Jakob Chychrun
D
19
Arizona/NHL
7-13-20 Pts in 68 GP
Dylan Strome
C
20
Erie/OHL
22-53-75 Pts in 35 GP
Christian Fischer
RW
20
Tucson/AHL
20-27-47 Pts in 57 GP
Lawson Crouse
LW
20
Arizona/NHL
5-7-12 Pts in 72 GP
Christian Dvorak
C
21
Arizona/NHL
15-18-33 Pts in 78 GP
Brendan Perlini
LW
21
Arizona/NHL
14-7-21 Pts in 57 GP
Anthony Duclair
RW
21
Arizona/NHL
5-10-15 Pts in 58 GP
Max Domi
LW
22
Arizona/NHL
9-29-38 Pts in 59 GP
While it's unknown if the young mix - coupled with new acquisitions Derek Stepan, Niklas Hjalmarsson, and Antti Raanta, plus a new bench boss in Tocchet - will be enough to guide the Coyotes back to the postseason, it's certainly the goal.
"It's hard to win the Cup when you don't get into the playoffs," Barroway said. "We've just got to get in first. We'd like to try to get in this year."
As Friedman reports, Detroit is willing to pay Tatar $4.1 million annually. However, Tatar is seeking $5.3 million per season after leading the offensively challenged Wings in 2016-17 with 25 goals.
Last week, it was reported that Tatar's camp was also seeking a seven-year deal, with the Wings unwilling to go past five. The extra two years being sought by the 26-year-old Czech are somewhat eyebrow-raising, given his failure to live up to initially high expectations coupled with his mediocre offensive output (he's fallen short of the 50-point plateau in each of the last two campaigns).
Tatar is a restricted free agent and filed for arbitration July 5.
The St. Louis Blues and defenseman Colton Parayko reportedly have some ground to make up if they want to come to terms on a contract before an arbitration hearing slated for July 20.
Parayko is a restricted free agent and is seeking a one-year deal for $4.85 million, while the team is looking to put pen to paper on a two-year contract that would pay him $3.4 million and $3.6 million, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
The 24-year-old is coming off a two-year, $1.85-million deal, but in his first two seasons in the league he has quickly become one of the Blues' most dependable defenders.
Parayko has posted 33 and 35 points respectively - good enough for third in team scoring among Blues defensemen during that time - while averaging the fourth-most ice time. He also tallied the second-most blocked shots and the third-most takeaways.
A Thunder Bay, Ontario, native had a surprise guest show up at his lemonade stand over the weekend.
Gavin - a young goalie and fan of fellow Thunder Bay native Matt Murray - ran a lemonade stand on Sunday to raise money for Easter Seals and the local Humane Society. And as fate would have it, his hometown hero showed up.
Murray made sure to grab a cup of lemonade before signing a stick for Gavin and posing for a few pictures.
"Best day ever!" for this young Matt Murray fan running a lemonade stand to raise money for the Humane Society when guess who showed up!👀 pic.twitter.com/KsbrvhqSNu
