The Taylor or Tyler debate began to brew ahead of the 2010 NHL Draft when Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin were neck and neck to be picked first overall. Before they had even entered the league, the two were seemingly on opposite sides of a rivalry.

Ten years later, Seguin says there's no ulterior competition between the two.

"I got to know him, we're always still nice to each other, never had any beef. Never, Taylor/Tyler massive competition," the Dallas Stars forward said, according to The Athletic's Craig Custance. "I always secretly cheer for him and watch his career."

He continued: "We're competitive pro athletes, right? I was happy as anyone else when he won the MVP, seeing what he went through, leaving Edmonton. I left Boston.

"There's so many things where we’ve gone separate ways in our career, and there are so many things that are the same in our career. "

With no consensus top prospect in the 2010 draft, it was virtually a toss-up as to who would go first on draft day. Seguin revealed that he and Hall even traveled to Edmonton and Boston together before the draft to meet with the Oilers and Bruins, who owned the first and second picks, respectively.

The Oilers ultimately selected Hall first, and the Bruins gladly settled for Seguin. But neither player's tenure with the team that drafted him went as planned.

Edmonton dealt Hall to the New Jersey Devils in 2016 after never making the playoffs in six seasons since drafting him. Seguin didn't last as long in Boston. The Bruins traded him to Dallas - where he blossomed into a star - in 2013.

While the two 28-year-olds have both enjoyed successful NHL careers so far, Seguin hasn't succumbed to outside pressure to fuel a rivalry with Hall.

"People always look for this hidden rivalry, don't like each other," he said. "I like Taylor a lot, I love his hockey game, I definitely am a fan of his and follow his career. I want him to get in the playoffs, he’s worked so hard to get there."

Hall hasn't had many opportunities to play in the postseason, making the playoffs just once since entering the league. Seguin, who won a Stanley Cup with the Bruins his rookie season, has appeared in 62 playoff games.

Seguin has managed 279 goals and 635 points in 741 career games. Hall has racked up 218 goals and 563 points in 627 career games and was named league MVP in 2018.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly says the league wouldn't undoubtedly pause the campaign again if a player tests positive for the coronavirus after the games return.

"We believe that everything depends on the facts and the entire set of circumstances, but no, one positive test - even multiple positive tests - wouldn't necessarily shut the whole thing down," Daly told TSN's Ryan Rishaug on Friday.

Eight NHL players - five from the Ottawa Senators and three from the Colorado Avalanche - have tested positive for COVID-19 since the league postponed the 2019-20 season amid the pandemic March 12.

One night before the NHL paused its campaign, the NBA did the same following a positive test by Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz.

The NHL is targeting a return in July, with one team reportedly telling its players to get ready to report for informal workouts beginning May 15.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.

The man who helped rescue the Carolina Hurricanes during a game in February is doing his part during a real-life emergency.

David Ayres is launching a fund in conjunction with the Kidney Foundation of Canada to help kidney patients amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"This time of year, and this situation that we're in, is tough for a lot of people that are going through kidney disease, whether it's dialysis or post-transplant," Ayres told 680 News' Lindsay Dunn on Friday.

Ayres, who underwent a kidney transplant of his own during the SARS epidemic in 2004, said the goal is to raise $100,000 for the campaign.

The 42-year-old became the first emergency backup netminder in NHL history to notch a victory when he helped the Hurricanes defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3 on Feb. 22.

Ayres is the operations manager at Mattamy Athletic Centre (formerly Maple Leaf Gardens) in Toronto, having formerly served in a similar role at Ricoh Coliseum, where he drove the Zamboni among other duties.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The role of general manager didn't always come naturally to Kyle Dubas.

The Toronto Maple Leafs executive admitted he was frightened when team president Brendan Shanahan first asked him to represent the club at a meeting of Dubas' contemporaries in June 2015.

"I was scared shitless when I walked into Vegas," Dubas said Friday, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox. "That was one of the most nervous times I've ever had in my life."

The Maple Leafs GM added, "I've known (then-Carolina Hurricanes GM Ron) Francis my whole life, so he was, like, the only person I felt I could talk to. I just went in, sat in my chair, and took notes at the meeting, and got up and left. But I was nervous as anything."

Shanahan tabbed Dubas and Mark Hunter as co-interim GMs following the firing of Dave Nonis and before the hiring of Lou Lamoriello, the latter of which came in July 2015.

"I really didn't feel like I belonged in (the meeting)," Dubas said. "I'd only been in the league for one year, and we were still a month away from having Lou hired. So, I just went in there, took my notes, and got on the plane."

Dubas became one of the youngest GMs in NHL history when he was promoted at age 32 in 2018. He was 28 when the Maple Leafs hired him as an assistant general manager.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.

Amid developing news of the NHL aiming to resume the 2019-20 season in July, odds have been released for potential playoff series should the league jump straight into the postseason.

Let's take a closer look.

Boston Bruins (-350) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (+280)

Before the injury bug swept through Columbus, the Blue Jackets were one of the league's hottest teams. With a healthy Seth Jones and Oliver Bjorkstrand, and the exploits of Elvis Merzlikins between the pipes, Columbus is an incredibly dangerous eighth seed. The Blue Jackets beat the Bruins twice this season, and they'd offer a ton of value at this price.

Tampa Bay Lightning (-240) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (+200)

A fascinating series between two teams with something to prove before we can truly buy-in. It's hard to lay the juice with the Lightning after last season's catastrophic first-round sweep, though they again look like the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. I'd rather take a stab with the Leafs here at this price, even if their playoff resume hardly inspires confidence.

Washington Capitals (-200) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (+175)

This is a rematch of last season's first-round matchup the Hurricanes won in double overtime of Game 7, and expect another fiercely competitive series. The Capitals were reeling before the campaign was suspended, so perhaps they'll benefit from the break. But I can't pass up the Hurricanes at +175 because they'd be getting blue-liners Dougie Hamilton and Brett Pesce back.

Philadelphia Flyers (-110) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (-110)

The battle of Pennsylvania is a coin flip, and it might be the series to watch in Round 1. The Flyers were close to untouchable in the month leading up to the season being suspended, and the hiatus could negatively impact that momentum. The Penguins were trending in the opposite direction, but getting Jake Guentzel back for the postseason might just be the difference. Take the grizzled vets in Pittsburgh by a hair.

St. Louis Blues (-180) vs. Nashville Predators (+160)

The Predators are 4-0 against the Blues this season, but St. Louis is just so much stronger all over the ice. The Blues also hold a significant edge behind the bench, are battle-tested, and they would be getting a healthy and rested Vladimir Tarasenko back from a shoulder injury that's kept him out since August. I'm laying the chalk here.

Colorado Avalanche (-160) vs. Dallas Stars (+140)

Both teams were agonizingly close to the Western Conference Final a year ago, with the Avalanche losing controversially in Game 7 to the San Jose Sharks, and the Blues ousting the Stars in double overtime of Game 7.

Dallas is loaded on the back end, but the Stars would need their big guns up front to step up against an Avs team with very few holes. This series would be a lot closer than the line indicates, but although I don't like the price, I'd still roll with Colorado.

Vegas Golden Knights (-220) vs. Winnipeg Jets (+190)

Goaltending and scoring are both major strengths for the Jets, making them a live 'dog in this spot. While there's certainly a case to be made for Winnipeg, the Knights are just such a complete team, and a chip would be on their shoulder after last season's controversial playoff exit.

Edmonton Oilers (-120) vs. Calgary Flames (+100)

This series would be an absolute treat, and given the bad blood between the Alberta neighbors, the intensity would be unrivaled. That's all we know here though, and the series can essentially be billed as a toss-up. While I'd lean toward the Flames' grit over seven games, that didn't do them much good last season, and their goaltending just doesn't inspire enough confidence to warrant backing.

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.

Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan supports the NHL's latest proposal of using up to four hub cities to host multiple teams, separated by division, for a potential return to hockey if health officials deem it safe.

"I do like the idea of four hub cities, the idea of bringing each division to that hub city. It's one of the best ideas - or most workable, I guess is a better way of putting it," Shanahan told Sportsnet's "Tim and Sid" on Thursday.

"We're not talking about doing it right now or any time right around the corner, but when the time is safe and when the proper authorities give the clearance to do so, under the right precautions, I think that it is a very workable scenario."

The NHL recently abandoned the idea of hosting games at non-NHL rinks, with commissioner Gary Bettman citing a lack of accommodations and difficulty televising the games at smaller venues.

The league is looking at cities where the coronavirus outbreak has been more contained. While no locations have been determined, ESPN's Greg Wyshynski reported that the rinks of the Edmonton Oilers, Carolina Hurricanes, and Minnesota Wild are considered the early front-runners.

Shanahan said the Maple Leafs have been contacted in regards to Toronto potentially being one of the host cities.

The NHL recently extended its self-quarantine period for players and staff until April 30. The league officially went on pause March 12.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's no secret the Los Angeles Kings' Drew Doughty and Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk aren't huge fans of each other. So when Doughty's teammate Ben Hutton got the defenseman for the team's Secret Santa gift exchange, he came up with the perfect present: a signed stick from Doughty's rival.

"I might be ruining it, saying this because he (Doughty) still doesn’t know it’s me,” Hutton said on The Athletic's "Point Breakaway" podcast. “If he listens to this, he’ll know that for Secret Santa I ended up getting him a Matthew Tkachuk stick.

“It was signed by him and everything. I wrote a little message on it. He (Doughty) was going around the locker room trying to figure out who it was. None of the boys were snitching on me. So that was pretty good.”

The rivalry dates back to Tkachuk's rookie season in 2016-17, when he was suspended for two games for elbowing Doughty in the head. The two have exchanged insults on numerous occasions, with Doughty saying he has "no respect" for Tkachuk, to which the youngster responded that he doesn't care and will still "sleep like a baby."

Hutton also revealed Tkachuk was in on the gag. Despite the beef, the 22-year-old was willing to participate.

“I got our trainers to do it,” Hutton said. “We were flying to Calgary when we were doing (the Secret Santa gift exchange), so it just clicked in my head. I asked our trainers, and once they told (Tkachuk) who it was for, he was all for it.”

Doughty may have gotten the short end of the stick by being kept in the dark, but it's still good to see two rivals knowing how to have fun with one another.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.