NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly isn't loving the recent trend of players skipping out on the league's All-Star weekend.
"I do believe that there has to be a little more urgency among the players to make this a priority, because I think it should be a priority," Daly said, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "It is, in fact, one of the job responsibilities when it comes to being a professional ice hockey player.
"When you're honored to be selected in an All-Star event, it's in every player's contract that he has an obligation to perform in that All-Star event."
Alex Ovechkin and Marc-Andre Fleury, two of the league's most prominent stars, have already announced they will sit out this year's All-Star Game, even though fans elected Ovechkin as the Metropolitan Division's captain. The Washington Capitals superstar also skipped last season's festivities.
"I was the first to defend Alex Ovechkin's decision last year to take a year off, because he's fabulous in terms of helping the league in promoting the sport, including the All-Star event every year," Daly added. "Last year, I was much more willing to look the other way on something like this.
"But two years in a row is probably something we need to address with the players' association, so it doesn't become a trend."
Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin recently stated he'd rather have the weekend off than have fans vote him into All-Star events. His comments drew ire around the league, including from Sportsnet's Brian Burke.
According to NHL rules, a player who is named to the All-Star Game but chooses not to participate is suspended for one regular-season game.
"What we want to do is make sure everybody understands that it is an important event, not something that should be bypassed lightly," Daly continued. "We'll seek help with the (NHLPA) in instilling that sentiment with the players."
The All-Star weekend takes place Jan. 24-25 in St. Louis.
Williams spent the last two seasons with the Hurricanes, but the 38-year-old spent the first half of the 2019-20 campaign mulling over his future. He captained Carolina to the Eastern Conference Final last year, registering 53 points in 82 regular-season games.
Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill had asked the team's former head coach to change his behavior and stop with his excessive public drinking episodes prior to relieving him of his duties, sources told Mac Engel of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Montgomery was fired for "unprofessional conduct" Dec. 10. He announced Jan. 3 that he'd entered rehab for alcohol abuse and called his firing "appropriate."
The Stars never revealed what Montgomery did to lose his job, but sources told Engel there was a specific incident that got him fired. However, no one in the organization has disclosed the particulars out of respect for the coach and his family.
Montgomery's after-hours behavior and relationship with alcohol was an issue during his first season as the team's head coach in 2018-19. During the playoffs last spring, Montgomery was frequently seen "drinking a bit too much" at the bar Moxies, which is owned by Stars owner Tom Gaglardi, according to Engel. That behavior reportedly led to Nill essentially issuing a warning to the 50-year-old.
The club knew Montgomery had struggled with drinking before he became the Stars' head coach in 2018, and was also aware when he was hired that Montgomery was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated in Florida back in 2008.
Montgomery was previously the head coach at the University of Denver, where he won a national championship in 2017.
Dallas has gone 7-3-1 under Rick Bowness since Montgomery's dismissal.
There have already been six head coaching changes in the NHL this season, and it's not even the All-Star break yet.
Peter Laviolette became the latest to go when the Nashville Predators fired him Monday night, with John Hynes stepping in on Tuesday.
It's rare to see a half dozen coaching changes before the unofficial midway point of a campaign, but there were some extenuating circumstances. While most of the moves were made because of on-ice performance, two were necessary due to conduct issues.
Nevertheless, it's worth exploring how each club is faring under new stewardship. Following Laviolette's dismissal, here's how the five other teams with new head coaches have performed since the in-season changes:
5. New Jersey Devils
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Record Since Move
G/GP
GA/GP
Shots/GP
SA/GP
xGF%
SCF%
6-7-2
2.6
3.07
31.7
32.2
46.82
44.35
Head coach: Alain Nasreddine Move: Fired John Hynes on Dec. 3
The Devils haven't been atrocious since replacing Hynes with Nasreddine on an interim basis, but they remain close to the NHL's basement while being decidedly mediocre.
It's somewhat encouraging that New Jersey hasn't completely bottomed out after trading Taylor Hall (although some Devils fans would probably prefer that route), but only the Detroit Red Wings hold a worse overall record.
The coaching change has invigorated prized trade acquisition Nikita Gusev, who has racked up 12 points in 15 games since the move, and goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood has produced a .922 save percentage over that span. However, New Jersey is still dealing with significant holes, and this team hasn't yet shown enough improvement to avoid getting high draft-lottery odds.
4. San Jose Sharks
Kavin Mistry / National Hockey League / Getty
Head coach: Bob Boughner Move: Fired Peter DeBoer on Dec. 11
Record Since Move
G/GP
GA/GP
Shots/GP
SA/GP
xGF%
SCF%
4-5-2
2.73
3.09
29.4
29.7
48.41
49.59
It hasn't been easy for Boughner. In late December, the new Sharks head coach publicly called out some of his players after they blew a late two-goal lead, losing to the lowly Los Angeles Kings in overtime. San Jose let another win slip away Sunday, coughing up a two-goal advantage again in the final minute and losing to the Washington Capitals in the extra frame.
Despite continuing to possess a subpar offense, the Sharks remain one of the NHL's best shot-suppressing clubs, ranking fifth in shots against per game under Boughner, and seventh in that department for the season.
Backup goaltender Aaron Dell has outperformed Martin Jones while gobbling up a significant chunk of the struggling starter's playing time, winning three games and boasting a .921 save percentage in six appearances under Boughner. Meanwhile, Jones has managed only one win while authoring an .887 save percentage in five games for his new bench boss.
Like Dell, underperforming forward Timo Meier has shown some life, responding to a benching with a hat trick the very next night and collecting six points over his last five games. However, the Sharks still have their work cut out for them to turn a disappointing campaign around.
3. Calgary Flames
Christian Petersen / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Head coach: Geoff Ward Move: Bill Peters resigned on Nov. 29
Record Since Move
G/GP
GA/GP
Shots/GP
SA/GP
xGF%
SCF%
11-5-1
3.23
3
30.1
32.8
49.87
48.6
Ward hadn't officially taken over for Peters as the Flames' head coach on Nov. 27 against the Buffalo Sabres, but he nonetheless guided Calgary that night to its first of seven straight wins. The team handed the then-associate coach the reins for that contest amid an investigation into the current head coach, and the Flames promoted Ward two days later following Peters' resignation.
While Peters' departure wasn't due to on-ice performance, Calgary clearly responded to the move. The Flames ranked 30th in goals per game before Ward took over, and the team has risen to 14th during the 17-game span since he unofficially began his tenure. They rank a lowly 24th overall on the season, but that's still progress.
Johnny Gaudreau has been a big part of that offensive resurgence. The club's brightest star has notched six goals and 15 points in 17 games under Ward after registering only five markers and 20 points over the first 27 games with Peters at the helm.
However, Calgary has gone 4-5-1 since its seven-game win streak, and the Flames will need to find consistency if they hope to clinch a playoff spot and make a prolonged postseason run.
2. Dallas Stars
Richard Rodriguez / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Head coach: Rick Bowness Move: Fired Jim Montgomery on Dec. 10
Record Since Move
G/GP
GA/GP
Shots/GP
SA/GP
xGF%
SCF%
7-3-1
2.91
2.54
29.7
33.5
49.85
49.46
Much like the Flames' situation, the Stars' didn't make a coaching change because of the team's play, as Dallas dismissed Montgomery for "unprofessional conduct." However, the Stars have played well under Bowness.
Their .682 points percentage across the 11 games since Bowness took over ranks seventh in the league (up from 13th). The club also sits second in goals against per game in that span - a slight improvement from third before the move - while ranking first over 42 games this season.
The latter development can be mostly attributed to the Stars' rock-solid goaltending duo of Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin, but the team's offense has improved marginally, too. Dallas had posted the league's sixth-worst goals per game rate (2.61) before Dec. 10, but since that night's win over the Devils, the Stars are up to 22nd.
Interestingly, Dallas' five-on-five numbers have dipped. Sure, it's a relatively small sample size, but the Stars rank 17th and 18th in Expected Goals For percentage and Scoring Chances For, respectively, during Bowness' tenure after sitting fifth in both categories under Montgomery.
Still, Dallas has remained competitive since this unplanned coaching move.
1. Toronto Maple Leafs
Christian Petersen / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Head coach: Sheldon Keefe Move: Fired Mike Babcock on Nov. 20
Record Since Move
G/GP
GA/GP
Shots/GP
SA/GP
xGF%
SCF%
15-5-1
4.09
2.86
33.8
32.2
52.52
52.71
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the Maple Leafs have been much better under Keefe than his predecessor, but this coaching change has clearly made the biggest impact.
We all know Toronto boasts myriad offensive weapons and can fill the net like few other clubs. However, this team wasn't doing that under Babcock to start the season while ranking 13th in goals per game. Since his dismissal, the offense has awoken, leading the NHL in markers per contest and ranking sixth in shots per game (up from 10th).
There are also encouraging signs for Keefe and Co. on the defensive end. The club owns the 11th-best goals against rate and sits 21st in shots against per contest in 21 games under Keefe, after ranking 24th and 25th in those areas under Babcock.
Toronto's vast improvement is evident at five-on-five, too. The team ranks ninth in Expected Goals For percentage during the 21-game span under Keefe, compared to 22nd in the 23 contests under Babcock in 2019-20. The squad is also the NHL's eighth-best in Scoring Chances For percentage, a position Keefe has maintained since taking over.
Throw in a much more effective penalty kill as well as backup goaltender Michael Hutchinson's improved play, and it's easy to understand why the Leafs are so much better now.
Hynes succeeds Peter Laviolette, whom the Predators fired Monday night.
The Devils dismissed Hynes on Dec. 3, following a 9-13-4 start to the season. He spent four-plus campaigns with New Jersey and went 150-159-45 while guiding the team to a single playoff appearance, a five-game loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2018.
Hynes is the third head coach in Predators history. Barry Trotz guided the team for 15 campaigns beginning with the franchise's inaugural season in 1998-99, and the club hired Laviolette to replace him in 2014-15.
Nashville general manager David Poile is familiar with Hynes due to their USA Hockey ties. Hynes spent nine years on the U.S. National Team Development Program coaching staff. Poile, who's long been associated with the governing body of American hockey, was an original member of the U.S. men's national team advisory group formed in 2007.
Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid lit the hockey world on fire Monday night by scoring arguably the prettiest goal of his career in a 6-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Among those blown away by McDavid's individual effort was Wayne Gretzky, who was in the building - but no longer in his chair - as No. 97 lit the lamp in his hometown for the first time.
"He brought me out of my seat," Gretzky told NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger. "I've told him before that he does that to me. And the did that tonight.
"It was one of those special moments by a special player."
McDavid's teammates couldn't believe what they had witnessed either.
"That's just Connor," Alex Chiasson added. "You could tell tonight he was playing with an edge, and that might be the nicest goal I've seen. Just pure skill."
Predictably, McDavid wasn't as enthused as his peers when asked how he pulled off the move.
"I'm not going to give up any of my secrets," he replied. "So I just tried to make a play."
The goal was the cherry on top of a dominant four-point night for McDavid, which brought his season total to a league-leading 69 points through 45 games.
