The Calgary Flames are no longer contributors to NHL revenue sharing.
In fact, the team will be on the receiving end this season, according to Flames president and CEO Ken King, who on Monday gave a speech on "The Future of the Flames" at the Calgary Chamber.
"We have now crossed the line. We are now receivers. We'll get a check this year," said King, per Robson Fletcher of CBC News. "Isn't that ridiculous, in this beautiful market?"
The NHL's top-10 revenue-generating teams pay into the program, which then funnels transfer payments to the bottom-10 clubs. Middle-ranking teams neither receive nor pay into revenue sharing.
King's comments come less than two weeks after the club walked away from negotiations with the city of Calgary to fund a new arena, talks which the Flames' executive classified as "spectacularly unproductive."
Both sides have since released their proposals for public consumption. One added wrinkle is that Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi is up for re-election Oct. 16, and the Flames' uncertain future in the city promises to be a hot button issue when voters head to the ballot box.
The Flames have played out of the Scotiabank Saddledome since 1983, the league's oldest arena behind only New York's since-renovated Madison Square Garden. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has warned the city that consequences could follow If the Flames are unable to secure a new arena.
With negotiations shelved, the Flames have stated that the club will now "strive to operate, as we have for the past 34 years, in the Saddledome for as long as we believe it is feasible."
King added Monday, "And anyone who mocks that statement, suggesting it's posturing or part of the negotiation, doesn't know us very well."
The Flames arrived in Calgary in 1980 after relocating from Atlanta.
Brian Gionta appears set to revert to the ranks of amateur hockey players.
The unrestricted free agent said things are looking good when it comes to playing for Team USA at the 2018 Olympics, according to Paul Hamilton of WGR 550 in Buffalo.
Gionta remains open to other opportunities, he added Monday, but the Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea appear to be his best option at this point.
Earlier in September, Gionta's agent said "several teams" were interested in signing his client, but the former Sabres captainis not attending any training camps, either under contract or on a professional tryout.
Gionta played at the 2006 Olympics in Italy, where Team USA finished a disappointing eighth.
Winnipeg Jets captain and Plymouth, Minn., native Blake Wheelertweeted his displeasure with President Donald Trump over the weekend and explained himself further Monday, identifying the cause as Trump's comments about NFL players and saying he'd support a teammate who protested during the national anthem.
"Some of the language that (Trump) used referencing NFL players, I think that was the last straw for a lot of guys, whichever way they feel about it," Wheeler told reporters.
Trump called for NFL owners to fire players who protest during the national anthem, referring to such a player as a "son of a bitch" on Friday. A day later, he took back a White House invite to the NBA champion Golden State Warriors because Steph Curry said he didn't want to go; however, the team had never received an official invitation.
The fact that Trump brought professional athletes into the thick of things moved Wheeler.
"I think crossing over into the sports world, it hits home a little more," Wheeler said. "I think a lot of people, similar to my wife and I, it has been kind of a slow boil. The rhetoric over and over, he has just kind of gone a little too far too many times. It just felt right to take a stance."
When asked how he'd react if one of his teammates took a knee during the anthem, Wheeler says they would have his full support.
"I'm absolutely for the first amendment. I'm a big believer that that's what makes America a special place is you're allowed to stand up for what you believe in," Wheeler said. "With just cause, if somebody were electing to do that, they would 100 percent have my support.
"Even if I don't necessarily agree with why they do it it's their right to feel that way. It's their right to behave that way. If I didn't agree with it, I would absolutely sit down and have a coffee and talk about it, try to understand why they feel that way, and maybe you become a little more sympathetic to different people."
Winnipeg Jets captain and Plymouth, Minn., native Blake Wheelertweeted his displeasure with President Donald Trump over the weekend and explained himself further Monday, identifying the cause as Trump's comments about NFL players and saying he'd support a teammate who protested during the national anthem.
"Some of the language that (Trump) used referencing NFL players, I think that was the last straw for a lot of guys, whichever way they feel about it," Wheeler told reporters.
Trump called for NFL owners to fire players who protest during the national anthem, referring to such a player as a "son of a bitch" on Friday. A day later, he took back a White House invite to the NBA champion Golden State Warriors because Steph Curry said he didn't want to go; however, the team had never received an official invitation.
The fact that Trump brought professional athletes into the thick of things moved Wheeler.
"I think crossing over into the sports world, it hits home a little more," Wheeler said. "I think a lot of people, similar to my wife and I, it has been kind of a slow boil. The rhetoric over and over, he has just kind of gone a little too far too many times. It just felt right to take a stance."
When asked how he'd react if one of his teammates took a knee during the anthem, Wheeler says they would have his full support.
"I'm absolutely for the first amendment. I'm a big believer that that's what makes America a special place is you're allowed to stand up for what you believe in," Wheeler said. "With just cause, if somebody were electing to do that, they would 100 percent have my support.
"Even if I don't necessarily agree with why they do it it's their right to feel that way. It's their right to behave that way. If I didn't agree with it, I would absolutely sit down and have a coffee and talk about it, try to understand why they feel that way, and maybe you become a little more sympathetic to different people."
Throughout the month of September, James Bisson and a cast of editors from theScore will share their rankings of the greatest players, teams, and moments in the 100-year history of the National Hockey League. Our final list focuses on the greatest players:
100-81 | 80-61 | 60-41 | 40-21 | 20-1
Voter List
James Bisson, National Sports Editor
Joe Ross, Vice-President, Content
Josh Wegman, NHL News Editor
Sean O'Leary, NHL News Editor
Esten McLaren, NHL News Editor
Craig Hagerman, NHL News Editor
Lanny Foster, Senior Social Media Editor
Michael Amato, Senior News Editor
Arun Srinivasan, News Editor
Adam Sarson, Operations Lead
100. Johnny Bower
GP
W
L
T/O
GAA
SO
552
250
195
90
2.51
37
Bower is one of the most beloved players in Toronto Maple Leafs history, racking up 219 of his 250 career wins in the blue and white. His best year came in 1960-61, when the Saskatchewan native led the league in wins (33) en route to his first of two Vezina Trophies - he also finished second in Hart Trophy voting to Montreal's Bernie Geoffrion that season.
99. Max Bentley
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
646
245
299
544
--
179
Shown above with brothers Doug and Reg, Max Bentley was the most talented of the three. The skilled center won a pair of scoring titles, was a two-time All-Star, and captured the Hart Trophy in 1946 after recording 61 points in 47 games. He would later feature on a talented Maple Leafs team that won three Stanley Cup titles in a four-year span from 1948-51.
98. Ted Kennedy
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
696
231
329
560
--
432
Kennedy was a young stud on a star-laden Maple Leafs team that dominated the late 1940s and early 1950s, twice leading the postseason in goals and finishing with a league-best 14 playoff points during Toronto's run to the '48 Stanley Cup. Kennedy won five championships in total, while taking home the Hart Trophy with a 52-point campaign in 1955.
97. Red Kelly
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
1316
281
542
823
--
327
Kelly was a consummate professional during his 21-year NHL career, earning All-Star nods in eight straight seasons while winning four Lady Byng Awards and the Norris Trophy in 1954. There's also the eight Stanley Cups - four with the Red Wings and four with the Maple Leafs. And sure, it was a different time, but just 327 penalty minutes in 21 seasons? Incredible.
96. Paul Kariya
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
989
402
587
989
31
399
Kariya peaked at an early age - finishing top 10 in Hart Trophy voting three times between ages 21 and 24 - then overcame injuries and a number of address changes to average exactly a point per game over his terrific 14-season career. One fact you might not know: The diminutive winger twice led the league in shots (1996-97, 1998-99).
95. Sid Abel
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
612
189
283
472
--
376
Before they had Gord, the Red Wings had Sid - and he was one of the most talented forwards of his generation, earning back-to-back first-team All-Star honors while capturing the Hart Trophy in 1949 on the strength of a league-best 28 goals. He helped guide the Red Wings to three Stanley Cups, the last coming in Abel's final season with Detroit in 1952.
94. Rod Gilbert
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
1065
406
615
1021
89
508
Consistency was Gilbert's calling card. He scored 25 or more goals 11 times in his career, while recording at least 75 points on eight occasions. He didn't have that one big season, and he didn't win a Cup - but as a rare player who spent his entire career on Broadway, you would have a hard time finding any Rangers fan who wouldn't rank him among the best in franchise history.
93. Patrick Kane
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
740
285
467
752
79
284
He won't turn 30 until November 2018, but Kane already has one of the most diverse trophy cases in league history. With a Calder Trophy, a Conn Smythe, a Hart, an Art Ross, a Ted Lindsay, and a Lester B. Pearson Award on his mantel, Kane has had a sensational start to his career. And let's not forget: He's also a three-time Stanley Cup champion.
92. Erik Karlsson
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
556
117
339
456
-12
280
Karlsson's inclusion on the list might rankle some traditionalists, but it's hard to argue with the 27-year-old's credentials to date: Two Norris Trophies, four first-team All-Star nods and four top ten finishes in Hart Trophy voting. His current trajectory puts him on pace to finish with well over 1,000 points, which could make him a top-30 all-time player.
91. Marian Hossa
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
1309
525
609
1134
245
628
Hossa didn't dominate like the players listed ahead of him, but he was a consistently good player for the majority of his career. There's also the three Stanley Cup titles he won with Chicago - and it could easily have been five, as he wound up on the wrong end of Cup runs in 2008 with Pittsburgh and 2009 with Detroit.
90. Chris Pronger
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
1167
157
541
698
183
1590
With Pronger out of hockey for five years and counting, it might be hard to remember just how dominant he was. It all came together in 1999-00 when he won the Hart and Norris Trophies, but he was pretty good the rest of the time, too - earning seven top-five Norris showings before concussions eventually ended his career.
89. Scott Stevens
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
1635
196
712
908
393
2785
Stevens will forever be known as one of the hardest hitters in the history of the game - but he was so much more than that. Stevens was a five-time All-Star, three-time Stanley Cup champion, and the 1999-2000 Conn Smythe Award winner. He's also the answer to the trivia question, "Who was awarded to the Devils as compensation for St. Louis signing Brendan Shanahan in 1991?"
88. Ed Belfour
GP
W
L
T/O
GAA
SO
963
484
320
125
2.50
76
From undrafted free agent to the Hockey Hall of Fame, Belfour's career trajectory is one of the most inspiring in NHL history, and the accolades are many. Belfour won the Vezina Trophy twice, the Jennings Trophy three times, and was a three-time All-Star. He was the top rookie in 1991 - finishing third in Hart voting in the process - and won a Stanley Cup with Dallas in 1999.
87. Norm Ullman
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
1410
490
739
1229
--
712
Ullman split his 20 NHL seasons between the Red Wings and Maple Leafs. While he didn't win a Stanley Cup with either team, he still forged a really good career, finishing top five in Hart Trophy voting twice while making a pair of All-Star teams. He was also one of the most durable players in the league in his prime, not missing a game from 1959-60 to 1962-63.
86. Borje Salming
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
1148
150
637
787
175
1344
It's no stretch to label Salming as the best defenseman never to win the Norris Trophy. Boy, did he come close though, finishing top five in voting each of his first seven NHL seasons. Salming's achievements were overshadowed by just how bad the Maple Leafs were in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and he just wasn't the same player after age 31. But in his prime, he was an all-timer.
85. Newsy Lalonde
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
99
125
41
166
--
183
Lalonde's NHL playing career didn't last long, but it was spectacular. He won a pair of scoring titles in five seasons with Montreal, and led the league in goals in its second season in existence. An accomplished lacrosse player prior to his time in hockey, Lalonde served as player-coach with the Canadiens and led the team to the 1919 NHL championship.
84. Michel Goulet
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
1089
548
604
1152
97
825
A handful of players who excelled in the 1980s - including Goulet - were ultimately overshadowed by Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. The 1979 first-round pick posted four 100-point seasons that decade, earning five All-Star nods but cracking the top 10 in Hart Trophy voting just once. Goulet led the NHL in game-winning goals (16) in 1983-84.
83. Pierre Turgeon
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
1294
515
812
1327
139
452
Turgeon was a truly gifted forward, and one of the most sportsmanlike of his era, finishing top 10 in Lady Byng voting 11 times - winning in 1993. He placed fifth in Hart Trophy balloting that season, racking up a career-high 132 points in a sublime effort that would have generated more attention were it not overshadowed by career years from several other players.
82. Syl Apps
Apps arrived in the NHL with much fanfare after dominating the OHA and didn't disappoint, leading the league in assists as a 22-year-old, and repeating the feat the following season. Apps went on to earn five All-Star nods while saving his best for last, leading the Maple Leafs to consecutive Stanley Cup titles in 1947 and 1948 before hanging up his skates.
81. Joe Nieuwendyk
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
1257
564
562
1126
155
677
Nieuwendyk's NHL debut was a memorable one, as he racked up 51 goals en route to the Calder Trophy. He wasn't done there, scoring 45 or more goals in each of his first four seasons. He picked up King Clancy and Conn Smythe trophies along the way, while winning Stanley Cups with three different teams. His 158 playoff games rank 73rd all-time among skaters.
Throughout the month of September, James Bisson and a cast of editors from theScore will share their rankings of the greatest players, teams, and moments in the 100-year history of the National Hockey League. Our final list focuses on the greatest players:
100-81 | 80-61 | 60-41 | 40-21 | 20-1
Voter List
James Bisson, National Sports Editor
Joe Ross, Vice-President, Content
Josh Wegman, NHL News Editor
Sean O'Leary, NHL News Editor
Esten McLaren, NHL News Editor
Craig Hagerman, NHL News Editor
Lanny Foster, Senior Social Media Editor
Michael Amato, Senior News Editor
Arun Srinivasan, News Editor
Adam Sarson, Operations Lead
100. Johnny Bower
GP
W
L
T/O
GAA
SO
552
250
195
90
2.51
37
Bower is one of the most beloved players in Toronto Maple Leafs history, racking up 219 of his 250 career wins in the blue and white. His best year came in 1960-61, when the Saskatchewan native led the league in wins (33) en route to his first of two Vezina Trophies - he also finished second in Hart Trophy voting to Montreal's Bernie Geoffrion that season.
99. Max Bentley
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
646
245
299
544
--
179
Shown above with brothers Doug and Reg, Max Bentley was the most talented of the three. The skilled center won a pair of scoring titles, was a two-time All-Star, and captured the Hart Trophy in 1946 after recording 61 points in 47 games. He would later feature on a talented Maple Leafs team that won three Stanley Cup titles in a four-year span from 1948-51.
98. Ted Kennedy
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
696
231
329
560
--
432
Kennedy was a young stud on a star-laden Maple Leafs team that dominated the late 1940s and early 1950s, twice leading the postseason in goals and finishing with a league-best 14 playoff points during Toronto's run to the '48 Stanley Cup. Kennedy won five championships in total, while taking home the Hart Trophy with a 52-point campaign in 1955.
97. Red Kelly
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
1316
281
542
823
--
327
Kelly was a consummate professional during his 21-year NHL career, earning All-Star nods in eight straight seasons while winning four Lady Byng Awards and the Norris Trophy in 1954. There's also the eight Stanley Cups - four with the Red Wings and four with the Maple Leafs. And sure, it was a different time, but just 327 penalty minutes in 21 seasons? Incredible.
96. Paul Kariya
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
989
402
587
989
31
399
Kariya peaked at an early age - finishing top 10 in Hart Trophy voting three times between ages 21 and 24 - then overcame injuries and a number of address changes to average exactly a point per game over his terrific 14-season career. One fact you might not know: The diminutive winger twice led the league in shots (1996-97, 1998-99).
95. Sid Abel
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
612
189
283
472
--
376
Before they had Gord, the Red Wings had Sid - and he was one of the most talented forwards of his generation, earning back-to-back first-team All-Star honors while capturing the Hart Trophy in 1949 on the strength of a league-best 28 goals. He helped guide the Red Wings to three Stanley Cups, the last coming in Abel's final season with Detroit in 1952.
94. Rod Gilbert
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
1065
406
615
1021
89
508
Consistency was Gilbert's calling card. He scored 25 or more goals 11 times in his career, while recording at least 75 points on eight occasions. He didn't have that one big season, and he didn't win a Cup - but as a rare player who spent his entire career on Broadway, you would have a hard time finding any Rangers fan who wouldn't rank him among the best in franchise history.
93. Patrick Kane
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
740
285
467
752
79
284
He won't turn 30 until November 2018, but Kane already has one of the most diverse trophy cases in league history. With a Calder Trophy, a Conn Smythe, a Hart, an Art Ross, a Ted Lindsay, and a Lester B. Pearson Award on his mantel, Kane has had a sensational start to his career. And let's not forget: He's also a three-time Stanley Cup champion.
92. Erik Karlsson
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
556
117
339
456
-12
280
Karlsson's inclusion on the list might rankle some traditionalists, but it's hard to argue with the 27-year-old's credentials to date: Two Norris Trophies, four first-team All-Star nods and four top ten finishes in Hart Trophy voting. His current trajectory puts him on pace to finish with well over 1,000 points, which could make him a top-30 all-time player.
91. Marian Hossa
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
1309
525
609
1134
245
628
Hossa didn't dominate like the players listed ahead of him, but he was a consistently good player for the majority of his career. There's also the three Stanley Cup titles he won with Chicago - and it could easily have been five, as he wound up on the wrong end of Cup runs in 2008 with Pittsburgh and 2009 with Detroit.
90. Chris Pronger
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
1167
157
541
698
183
1590
With Pronger out of hockey for five years and counting, it might be hard to remember just how dominant he was. It all came together in 1999-00 when he won the Hart and Norris Trophies, but he was pretty good the rest of the time, too - earning seven top-five Norris showings before concussions eventually ended his career.
89. Scott Stevens
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
1635
196
712
908
393
2785
Stevens will forever be known as one of the hardest hitters in the history of the game - but he was so much more than that. Stevens was a five-time All-Star, three-time Stanley Cup champion, and the 1999-2000 Conn Smythe Award winner. He's also the answer to the trivia question, "Who was awarded to the Devils as compensation for St. Louis signing Brendan Shanahan in 1991?"
88. Ed Belfour
GP
W
L
T/O
GAA
SO
963
484
320
125
2.50
76
From undrafted free agent to the Hockey Hall of Fame, Belfour's career trajectory is one of the most inspiring in NHL history, and the accolades are many. Belfour won the Vezina Trophy twice, the Jennings Trophy three times, and was a three-time All-Star. He was the top rookie in 1991 - finishing third in Hart voting in the process - and won a Stanley Cup with Dallas in 1999.
87. Norm Ullman
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
1410
490
739
1229
--
712
Ullman split his 20 NHL seasons between the Red Wings and Maple Leafs. While he didn't win a Stanley Cup with either team, he still forged a really good career, finishing top five in Hart Trophy voting twice while making a pair of All-Star teams. He was also one of the most durable players in the league in his prime, not missing a game from 1959-60 to 1962-63.
86. Borje Salming
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
1148
150
637
787
175
1344
It's no stretch to label Salming as the best defenseman never to win the Norris Trophy. Boy, did he come close though, finishing top five in voting each of his first seven NHL seasons. Salming's achievements were overshadowed by just how bad the Maple Leafs were in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and he just wasn't the same player after age 31. But in his prime, he was an all-timer.
85. Newsy Lalonde
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
99
125
41
166
--
183
Lalonde's NHL playing career didn't last long, but it was spectacular. He won a pair of scoring titles in five seasons with Montreal, and led the league in goals in its second season in existence. An accomplished lacrosse player prior to his time in hockey, Lalonde served as player-coach with the Canadiens and led the team to the 1919 NHL championship.
84. Michel Goulet
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
1089
548
604
1152
97
825
A handful of players who excelled in the 1980s - including Goulet - were ultimately overshadowed by Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. The 1979 first-round pick posted four 100-point seasons that decade, earning five All-Star nods but cracking the top 10 in Hart Trophy voting just once. Goulet led the NHL in game-winning goals (16) in 1983-84.
83. Pierre Turgeon
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
1294
515
812
1327
139
452
Turgeon was a truly gifted forward, and one of the most sportsmanlike of his era, finishing top 10 in Lady Byng voting 11 times - winning in 1993. He placed fifth in Hart Trophy balloting that season, racking up a career-high 132 points in a sublime effort that would have generated more attention were it not overshadowed by career years from several other players.
82. Syl Apps
Apps arrived in the NHL with much fanfare after dominating the OHA and didn't disappoint, leading the league in assists as a 22-year-old, and repeating the feat the following season. Apps went on to earn five All-Star nods while saving his best for last, leading the Maple Leafs to consecutive Stanley Cup titles in 1947 and 1948 before hanging up his skates.
81. Joe Nieuwendyk
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
1257
564
562
1126
155
677
Nieuwendyk's NHL debut was a memorable one, as he racked up 51 goals en route to the Calder Trophy. He wasn't done there, scoring 45 or more goals in each of his first four seasons. He picked up King Clancy and Conn Smythe trophies along the way, while winning Stanley Cups with three different teams. His 158 playoff games rank 73rd all-time among skaters.
Auston Matthews won't be taking a knee during "The Star-Spangled Banner" anytime soon.
The American-born Toronto Maple Leafs star told reporters Monday he's not the type to kneel during an anthem, saying he considers it a "dishonor" to those who "fight for that flag."
Here's Matthews' full answer, via TSN's Kristen Shilton:
However, Matthews clarified that he believes in the right to freedom of speech.
"Isn't that one of the Amendments? You have the right to say what you want," he said, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.
On Sunday, dozens of NFL players kneeled, locked arms, and remained in the locker room during the anthem in a widespread protest of police brutality and racial inequality given new life by the president's vulgar criticism of the movement.
Lecavalier was chosen first overall by the Lightning in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. He is the franchise's all-time leader in games played (1,038) and goals (383), and ranks second behind Martin St. Louis in both assists and points. St. Louis' No. 26 is the only other jersey the team has ever retired.
The center's career year came in 2006-07 when he netted 52 goals and tallied 56 assists for 108 points, winning the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy and finishing fourth in Hart Trophy voting.
Yet he made his most important contributions to the Bolts during the 2003-04 campaign. That year, he had 32 goals and 66 points during the regular season, and added nine goals and 16 points in 23 playoff games en route to a Stanley Cup.
Though the NHL won't be heading to the 2018 Olympics, there's still excitement surrounding the men's and women's ice hockey tournaments that begin in less than five months, and the IIHF announced the groups and schedules Monday.
On the men's side, the teams have been split up into three groups:
Group A
Group B
Group C
Canada
Russia
Finland
Czech Republic
Slovakia
Germany
South Korea
Slovenia
Norway
Switzerland
United States
Sweden
The USA will open up the tournament Feb. 14 against Slovakia, while Canada gets started Feb. 15 against Switzerland. Each country will play every team in its group once during the preliminary round. The full schedule can be found here.
Over on the women's side, the groups are as follows:
Group A
Group B
Canada
Japan
Finland
South Korea
Russia
Sweden
United States
Switzerland
Consider Group A "the group of death."
The marquee matchup between Canada and the United States will take place Feb. 15 at the Kwandong Hockey Center. The full schedule can be found here.