The St. Louis Blues have signed defenseman Marco Scandella to a four-year contract extension with an average annual value of $3.275 million, the team announced Thursday.
Scandella, 30, was acquired from the Montreal Canadiens prior to this season's trade deadline in exchange for a 2020 second-round pick and a conditional fourth-round selection in 2021. Montreal will now receive that fourth-rounder due to Scandella re-signing with St. Louis.
The veteran defenseman dressed in 11 games with the Blues this season, recording one assist. Overall, he appeared in 62 contests during 2019-20 before play was suspended, recording four goals and 13 points.
Despite being voted both the best and worst trash-talker for the second straight year in the NHLPA's annual player poll, Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand claims he's been holding his tongue on the ice.
"I don't really trash talk anymore," Marchand said Thursday, according to Mike Petraglia of CLNS Media Network. "Too many microphones. Referees too. Too many It's just not the generation anymore. Nothing I'm really overly interested in anymore."
The longtime Bruins pest has been known for terrorizing opponents mentally and on the scoresheet throughout his 11 year NHL career. "I might have caught a couple guys with some good ones back in the day," he said, according to Mike Porter of The Boston Globe.
However, Marchand added that he's steered clear of hurling chirps at linemate and four-time Selke Trophy winner Patrice Bergeron.
"I absolutely would never - I don't bite the hand that feeds me. I'm a little smarter than that," Marchand said, according to NESN's Mike Cole. "I think the most we've ever got into it is when Pasta (David Pastrnak) and I are getting into it, and Bergy's gotta yell at both of us to stop yelling at each other."
Before the NHL suspended play on March 12, Marchand was enjoying another elite campaign with 28 goals and 87 points through 70 games for the league-leading Bruins.
The target of Bill Peters' racism released a statement after the head coach landed a KHL job on Thursday.
"Hockey is for all. I believe in second chances for everyone, that we can all find forgiveness in our heart, and that real, positive change is coming if we continue to work together," he said, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli. "I don't resent a man for finding work, but I will fight to make sure those same opportunities are available to everyone, on and off the ice, regardless of the race or ethnicity."
Aliu tweeted in November that Peters directed the N-word toward him multiple times 10 years ago while the two were members of the AHL's Rockford IceHogs. Peters was the head coach, and Aliu was an up-and-coming prospect.
Peters, who was the head coach of the Calgary Flames when the allegations surfaced, resigned less than a week later.
Aliu spoke with the NHL in December and was optimistic about the meeting, saying there's "big change coming."
"I'm also patiently looking forward to the outcome of the NHL's investigation. Only with the past behind us can we focus on the future," he continued in his Thursday statementr. "That means bringing hockey to the underprivileged youth in order to make the game more diverse, affordable, and accessible to all regardless of race, gender, and economic background. Stay tuned #TimeToDream."
Aliu said in January that he believes Peters "ruined and deterred" his career. He ended up playing seven NHL games after the Chicago Blackhawks drafted him in the second round in 2007.
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Zach Hyman expressed his desire to stick with his hometown team for the long haul on Thursday.
"I would love to stay in Toronto," Hyman said on a conference call, according to Yahoo's Justin Cuthbert. "It's where I grew up. I want to be a Leaf for a long time."
Hyman isn't scheduled to become a free agent until after the 2020-21 season, and his current deal counts for $2.25 million against the salary cap. He's eligible to sign a contract extension at the start of the new league year, which is traditionally July 1, but that date is now unclear due to the league's coronavirus stoppage.
The 27-year-old is glad he doesn't need to negotiate a new deal amid such uncertainty.
"Everything will probably be sorted out with the cap by then and whatnot," Hyman said, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.
The Maple Leafs acquired Hyman from the Florida Panthers in 2015 in exchange for Greg McKegg and a conditional seventh-round pick. He's gone on to develop into a key cog in Toronto's attack, playing an important role on both the Auston Matthews and John Tavares lines over the past two campaigns.
Hyman was in the midst of a career season before the hiatus, posting 21 goals and 16 assists in 51 games.
This week, theScore's hockey editors are evaluating the best captains from each NHL club since the 2000-01 season. The selections are based on individual and team success, as well as popularity and the character shown by the choices during their tenures in this era.
Selecting Jonathan Toews is a no-brainer. "Captain Serious" has been the Blackhawks' leader since the 2008-09 season, and no other player has worn the "C" for more than two campaigns in Chicago throughout the 2000s.
During Toews' tenure, Chicago has won the Stanley Cup three times while also rattling off nine straight postseason appearances before missing out in 2017-18. Toews doesn't put up monster offensive numbers, but he's been a steady presence and often elevates his game in the playoffs.
Colorado Avalanche
Michael Martin / National Hockey League / Getty
Joe Sakic bolstered his first-ballot Hall of Fame credentials when he captained the Avalanche to a Stanley Cup for the second time in 2001, adding the Hart Trophy to his mantle later that summer. He led the Avalanche as captain for 16 of his 20 NHL campaigns after doing the same as a Quebec Nordiques co-captain earlier in his career.
During the era in question, Colorado qualified for the playoffs in six of Sakic's eight years as captain, including a conference final appearance one season after the aforementioned title.
Dallas Stars
Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images Sport / Getty
The Stars were a powerhouse at the turn of the century, but Mike Modano was their captain then for only two seasons. As such, Jamie Benn gets the nod here over the original face of the franchise, as well as grittier predecessors Derian Hatcher and Brenden Morrow.
Benn's production has fallen off over the past two seasons, but he was one of the top left-wingers in the game at his peak. His run as leader in Dallas includes three playoff appearances, three postseason All-Star nominations, a scoring title, and a Hart Trophy nomination.
Minnesota Wild
Bruce Kluckhohn / National Hockey League / Getty
The Wild didn’t name a permanent captain until Mikko Koivu was given the honor in 2009. But Koivu still deserves the recognition, even if he was one of the easiest choices on the list.
The franchise leader in points and games played, Koivu has devoted his entire career to the Wild since Minnesota drafted him sixth overall in 2001. He’s led the team to the playoffs in six of the last seven seasons, and although the veteran hasn't been able to take Minnesota beyond the second round, Koivu has been nothing but class during his long tenure with the club.
Nashville Predators
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Not only was Shea Weber indisputably the Predators' best captain, he's also the most important player in the club's brief history. The 6-foot-4 blue-liner quickly asserted himself as one of the NHL's top defensemen, garnering attention for the team leaguewide with his dynamic play.
Weber helped lead the Predators to the playoffs during eight of his 11 seasons in Nashville, including four as captain. That came after the Predators had made the postseason just once in six prior campaigns.
Although he never won the Norris Trophy, Weber finished among the top four in voting for the award four times as a captain, and was twice a runner-up. He also holds the franchise record for games played, goals, and points by a defenseman.
St. Louis Blues
Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Plenty of worthy captains have led the Blues over the last two decades. However, Chris Pronger and Al MacInnis each only wore the “C” for two years apiece in the 2000s. Dallas Drake (two years) and Eric Brewer (four years) were noble leaders, too.
St. Louis also enjoyed plenty of success with David Backes as captain for five years, and it’s easy to forget how effective he was in his prime. However, Alex Pietrangelo is still the easy pick here after leading the Blues to a championship last season. While the impending free agent's future with the club is uncertain, he’s been a franchise pillar his entire career, and some of Pietrangelo's best seasons have come during his four campaigns as captain.
Winnipeg Jets
Elsa / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Blake Wheeler is the no-doubt choice. The Atlanta Thrashers didn't experience much success in their existence, mustering just one playoff appearance. But since the move to Winnipeg, the Jets have made the playoffs three times, and Wheeler has been the captain for two of those runs, including a trip to the Western Conference Final in 2018.
Wheeler is a selfless leader, as he’s switched from his preferred position of right wing to play center on multiple occasions for the betterment of the team, sometimes for long stretches.
Most hockey fans aren't too fond of Gary Bettman, but New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban sees a lighter side of the NHL commissioner.
"Gary and I have crossed paths many times. I know that his nephews are huge Devils fans. With red carpets and awards shows, I've gotten to interact with Gary more than a lot of players have. And Gary's hilarious, in my opinion," Subban told ESPN's Emily Kaplan and Greg Wyshynski.
He added: "He's got a great personality. It's just tough to show that sometimes when you're the commissioner of a league. I think he does a good job of balancing it, and not taking himself too seriously."
NHL fans boo Bettman during drafts, Stanley Cup presentations, and other various public appearances, though he seems to embrace it by this point.
Bettman was named the league's first commissioner in 1993 and has held the position since. Under his reign, the NHL has grown rapidly across North America, placing several teams in non-traditional hockey markets to varying degrees of success. He's also been at the helm for three work stoppages, including the 2004-05 lockout that canceled the entire season.
"He's obviously a very smart businessman, to have the NHL grow to what it is now. It was very cool to have him on the show," Subban, who's hosting "NHL Hat Trick Trivia," said of Bettman's appearance on the show. "I think he's hilarious. Compared to the other (pro sports) commissioners, I'd rank him really high."
Bettman was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Wayne Gretzky and Alex Ovechkin will do battle on April 22 in a charitable series of NHL 20 in a clash dubbed "The Great One versus The Great Eight Showcase," the two confirmed to Scott Allen of The Washington Post.
The best-of-three series will be streamed on the Washington Capitals' Twitch channel and raise money for the Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation and the Edmonton Food Bank to benefit the coronavirus relief effort.
Gretzky came up with the idea after seeing a video of Ovechkin and his son playing NHL 20.
"There's been so much talk about the goal record, so there's a nice link between Alex and myself," Gretzky told Allen. "I thought we could do something that people could watch and help raise money for those who need it."
Ovechkin has long been the front-runner to catch Gretzky's all-time goal mark of 894. The 34-year-old Capitals sniper became the eighth player to reach 700 goals earlier this season.
"We have a very good connection," Ovechkin said. "We always stay in touch. It doesn't matter if there's a milestone coming up, he's always reaching out to me and saying congrats. Before my 700th goal, I was a little down and he texted me and said, 'Don't worry about it, it will come.' It's nice of him. He's a great person, and to have a relationship like that with The Great One, it means a lot to me."
Gretzky and Ovechkin won't be alone in their battle, as the former will team up with his son, Tristan, and the latter with John "JohnWayne" Casagranda, the first esports professional signed by an NHL team.
Star KHL goalie Ilya Sorokin chose not to sign an extension with CSKA Moscow and will instead ink a deal with the New York Islanders once his contract expires on April 30, according to Sports-Express' Igor Eronko.
Sorokin's arrival has been highly anticipated by Islanders fans since the team drafted him in the third round in 2014. The 24-year-old enjoyed a decorated career in the KHL, never posting a save percentage below .929 or a goals-against average above 1.61 in five seasons as CSKA's starter.
The 6-foot-2 netminder won a Gagarin Cup with CSKA in 2019 and was awarded playoff MVP honors, sporting a .947 save percentage and a 1.19 goals-against average in 20 postseason contests. He also took home a gold medal at the 2018 Winter Games with the Olympic Athletes from Russia, though he played only one contest during the tournament.
Sorokin is expected to share the crease with fellow Russian Semyon Varlamov, who signed a four-year, $20-million deal as a free agent last summer. Thomas Greiss, who's split time with Varlamov this campaign, is a pending unrestricted free agent.
The move brings with it the potential for an intriguing Russian goaltending rivalry in New York after Igor Shesterkin shined for the Rangers in 12 games following a midseason call-up this year.
What is believed to be possibly the oldest known hockey stick in existence is up for grabs through Goldin Auctions.
The auction house's description says the stick dates back to the time period between the 1850s and 1870s, prior to the first recorded indoor hockey game in Montreal on March 3, 1875. It has been appraised at a value of $3.5 million.
The item has been dubbed the "Morse Stick" after its owners, Gary and Germaine Morse. It was gifted to the couple by Germaine's brother, Anthony Bean, who found it after purchasing their grandmother's house in Northfield, Vermont, in 1980.
International Hockey Hall of Fame board of directors member J.W. "Bill" Fitsell examined the stick twice and wrote in a letter to Gary Morse that he found "it to be a unique and most interesting artifact that fills the void in 19th century hockey history between shinny, ice polo, and ice hockey." The Hockey Hall of Fame has also expressed a desire to have the stick displayed there.
The auction has an opening bid of $100,000 and runs until May 16.
