The series begins Saturday night at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida.
Monthly Archives: June 2024
Stars’ Pavelski not planning to play any more after 1,533 games over 18 NHL seasons
Joe Pavelski says he has no plans to play any more in the NHL after 1,533 games over 18 seasons, and never getting to raise the Stanley Cup.
Report: Habs, Flyers among teams to inquire about Necas
Martin Necas' market is starting to heat up.
Half the teams in the NHL have inquired about the Carolina Hurricanes forward, including the Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers, sources told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.
Necas is a pending restricted free agent who can become an unrestricted free agent in 2026.
The Hurricanes have several pending free agents, including Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teravainen, Brady Skjei, and Brett Pesce (UFAs) and Seth Jarvis (RFA).
Necas recorded 24 goals and 29 assists in 77 games this past season as a winger. He produced a career-high 71 points in 82 games in 2022-23 while splitting time between center and wing.
Necas also helped Czechia win gold at the 2024 World Championship, contributing seven points in five games as a late addition.
He's projected to earn $8.8 million annually on an eight-year contract, per Evolving-Hockey.
Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes said he intends to be aggressive this offseason.
"If we can get a player, if we can trade up in the draft, we have to look at any way that we can improve this team," Hughes told LeBrun. "We won't be limited to something that has to make us better next season. But if it does, call that icing on the cake."
Montreal has also reconnected with the Anaheim Ducks about Trevor Zegras, LeBrun notes. The Ducks are reportedly listening to offers for the 2022 Calder Trophy runner-up.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, doesn't appear to be as aggressive as Montreal, but general manager Daniel Briere is keeping an open mind.
"Don't expect much movement from us, as far as free agency," Briere said. "But we're always open to hockey trades if there's something that makes sense to help our team, both in the future but also in the short term if it fits our timeline."
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Report: Habs, Flyers among teams to inquire about Necas
Martin Necas' market is starting to heat up.
Half the teams in the NHL have inquired about the Carolina Hurricanes forward, including the Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers, sources told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.
Necas is a pending restricted free agent who can become an unrestricted free agent in 2026.
The Hurricanes have several pending free agents, including Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teravainen, Brady Skjei, and Brett Pesce (UFAs) and Seth Jarvis (RFA).
Necas recorded 24 goals and 29 assists in 77 games this past season as a winger. He produced a career-high 71 points in 82 games in 2022-23 while splitting time between center and wing.
Necas also helped Czechia win gold at the 2024 World Championship, contributing seven points in five games as a late addition.
He's projected to earn $8.8 million annually on an eight-year contract, per Evolving-Hockey.
Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes said he intends to be aggressive this offseason.
"If we can get a player, if we can trade up in the draft, we have to look at any way that we can improve this team," Hughes told LeBrun. "We won't be limited to something that has to make us better next season. But if it does, call that icing on the cake."
Montreal has also reconnected with the Anaheim Ducks about Trevor Zegras, LeBrun notes. The Ducks are reportedly listening to offers for the 2022 Calder Trophy runner-up.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, doesn't appear to be as aggressive as Montreal, but general manager Daniel Briere is keeping an open mind.
"Don't expect much movement from us, as far as free agency," Briere said. "But we're always open to hockey trades if there's something that makes sense to help our team, both in the future but also in the short term if it fits our timeline."
Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
Report: Ducks listening on Zegras offers
Anaheim Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek is listening to trade offers for star forward Trevor Zegras, sources told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.
Verbeek reportedly brought up Zegras in trade talks this season, and discussions have resurfaced with the offseason around the corner, LeBrun notes.
Zegras notched 15 points in just 31 games this campaign. The supremely skilled 23-year-old is under contract for two more seasons at a cap hit of $5.75 million before hitting restricted free agency for a second time.
Although he wasn't specifically talking about a potential return for Zegras, Verbeek recently revealed he's looking to add experience to a young Ducks team next campaign.
"I'd like to add a couple more veteran pieces to the group," Verbeek said. "I'd like to find a top-six winger, and I'd like to find a top-four defenseman. You know, 31 other teams could say the same thing, right?"
Verbeek added: "I'm trying to make our lineup deeper while having the younger kids gain more experience, learn from veteran players, and not have to bear the burden of producing offensively."
The Ducks finished 30th in the league standings this season with 59 points and missed the playoffs for a sixth consecutive year.
Zegras has been considered a cornerstone of Anaheim's rebuild since being drafted ninth overall in 2019. The New York native has 154 points in 211 games with the Ducks and placed runner-up for the Calder Trophy in his rookie season before notching a career-high 65 points in 2022-23.
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Report: Ducks listening on Zegras offers
Anaheim Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek is listening to trade offers for star forward Trevor Zegras, sources told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.
Verbeek reportedly brought up Zegras in trade talks this season, and discussions have resurfaced with the offseason around the corner, LeBrun notes.
Zegras notched 15 points in just 31 games this campaign. The supremely skilled 23-year-old is under contract for two more seasons at a cap hit of $5.75 million before hitting restricted free agency for a second time.
Although he wasn't specifically talking about a potential return for Zegras, Verbeek recently revealed he's looking to add experience to a young Ducks team next campaign.
"I'd like to add a couple more veteran pieces to the group," Verbeek said. "I'd like to find a top-six winger, and I'd like to find a top-four defenseman. You know, 31 other teams could say the same thing, right?"
Verbeek added: "I'm trying to make our lineup deeper while having the younger kids gain more experience, learn from veteran players, and not have to bear the burden of producing offensively."
The Ducks finished 30th in the league standings this season with 59 points and missed the playoffs for a sixth consecutive year.
Zegras has been considered a cornerstone of Anaheim's rebuild since being drafted ninth overall in 2019. The New York native has 154 points in 211 games with the Ducks and placed runner-up for the Calder Trophy in his rookie season before notching a career-high 65 points in 2022-23.
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Knoblauch downplays championship experience: ‘Ask the Buffalo Bills’
Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch fired a stray at the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday when asked if the Florida Panthers had an advantage due to reaching the Stanley Cup Final in consecutive seasons.
"Yeah, experience is good," Knoblauch said, per Sportsnet. "I don't know how much experience is beneficial. You can ask the Buffalo Bills how important Super Bowl experience is. But I think the biggest thing is just having confidence in playing. When our guys are playing their best, they should have a lot of confidence."
The Bills went to four consecutive Super Bowls in the 1990s but lost each time. The Panthers fell short of hockey's ultimate prize last spring, losing to the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Oilers are back in the final for the first time since 2006. Their roster is short on championship pedigree, with veteran Corey Perry the only player to have a Stanley Cup ring. Mattias Ekholm and Adam Henrique have each reached the final but came away empty-handed.
Florida is the first runner-up to reach the Stanley Cup Final the following year since the 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins. After eliminating the New York Rangers to close out Round 3 last week, the Panthers made it clear a shot at redemption was their primary goal from the start of training camp.
"We wanted to get back to this moment, and we're here," said winger Matthew Tkachuk after the series-clinching win. "Hopefully, we can keep this thing going."
Game 1 is scheduled for Saturday in Sunrise.
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June 4 2024 – John Shannon
The Oilers-Canucks rivalry seems to be growing, long after the series has ended, as Matt and Blake react to a scathing rant by HNIC analyst Luke Gazdic. The guys get into the role of national media versus regional, and what fans look for in their hockey coverage. Also, they guys kick around the Martin Necas rumours, and how the Canucks stack up vs the teams that are supposedly involved.
Just by chance, it happened to be the usual day for longtime HNIC executive producer John Shannon to join the show, and he gets into what the expectations are for guys like Gazdic, how he guided former coaches and players in those roles, and how he sees the role today. The guys also talk about the Stanley Cup matchup as well, and how it might play out.
All that, plus an update on the Lions' season opener on the road this weekend, and a whole lot more! Presented by Applewood Auto Group.
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2024 Conn Smythe Trophy Favorites
The 2024 Stanley Cup Final is officially set for June 8. On that date, the Edmonton Oilers will visit the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena as each team tries…
Luke Gazdic’s Controversial Remarks: A Call for Decency Among Canucks Fans
Is Luke Gazdic Wrong to Call Out Canucks Fans?
The Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers playoff series may have ended over two weeks ago, but the heated exchanges have spilled over from the ice to social media. This time, it’s not the players making headlines but the fans and a former player turned media personality. Luke Gazdic, a 34-year-old former Oilers player and current Sportsnet analyst, has found himself at the center of a social media storm, sparking outrage among Canucks fans and raising questions about the civility of online discourse.
During a recent appearance on the OilersNation Everyday podcast with Tyler Yaremchuk, Gazdic didn’t hold back in his response to the barrage of negative comments he received from Canucks fans. With an old Oilers jersey hanging in the background, Gazdic began with what seemed like a slip of the tongue, “I don’t know if Canucks fans listen to this, when they were trolling when we… when the Oil absolutely dusted them.”
This comment, combined with his subsequent rant, didn’t do much to dispel the perception of him as an Edmonton homer, particularly among the already irate Canucks fanbase. Gazdic, who played 136 games with the Oilers, expressed his frustration openly, stating, “My account still will not stop with Canucks trolls. I’m going through Instagram message requests and the amount of hate… It’s the most garbage gibberish trash I’ve ever seen. Canucks Twitter, you are an absolute joke. Your team’s a joke. You’re a bunch of losers.”
Gazdic went further, taunting Canucks fans about the Oilers’ success and their own team’s struggles. “The Oilers are going to the Stanley Cup Finals, and I hope you guys are having fun watching it on TV and watching me on the panel because you guys are not there. So have fun with your little whining tweets, tweeting at me I’m a homer, the Edmonton Oilers are going to the Stanley Cup Final.”
His comments have undoubtedly escalated the situation, leading to even more backlash on social media. Canucks Twitter, or Canucks X as it’s now referred to, can indeed be a volatile space. The anonymity afforded by social media platforms often emboldens individuals to behave in ways they might not in person. However, this incident calls for a moment of reflection among the Canucks faithful.
Luke Gazdic: A Plea for Respect and Decency From Canucks Fans
As passionate as Canucks fans are, it’s important to remember that there’s a line between fervent support and outright hostility. The hateful messages directed at Luke Gazdic are not representative of the true spirit of Canucks Nation. While it’s perfectly normal to feel disappointed and frustrated after a tough playoff series loss, resorting to personal attacks and vitriol does nothing to uplift the community.
Gazdic is relatively new to his role as a media presenter, and while his comments about Canucks fans were certainly provocative, he does not deserve the level of hate he has received. His loyalty to the Oilers is understandable given his history with the team, much like Kevin Bieksa’s unwavering support for the Canucks. It’s natural for former players to have biases, but these should be acknowledged and managed professionally, which Gazdic will likely learn with more experience.
However, as Canucks fans, we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard. The negative behavior of a few should not overshadow the genuine passion and respect the majority of fans have for the game and each other. It’s crucial to address these issues within our community and ensure that we foster an environment of respect and positivity.
A Call to Action for Canucks Fans
It’s time for the real Canucks fans to step up and say enough is enough. Let’s reclaim our reputation as a passionate yet respectful fanbase. Here are a few steps we can take to improve the situation:
- Promote Positive Interaction: Engage in discussions that are constructive and respectful. Disagreeing is fine, but personal attacks are not.
- Report Abuse: If you see inappropriate behavior, report it. Social media platforms have mechanisms in place to handle abuse.
- Support Constructive Criticism: Offering feedback is essential, but it should be done in a manner that is helpful and not harmful.
- Encourage New Voices: Welcome new fans and voices in the community. Diverse perspectives can enrich our understanding and appreciation of the game.
- Lead by Example: Be the change you want to see. Show that Canucks fans can be passionate without being disrespectful.
What I Think About Luke Gazdic’s Remarks
The clash between Luke Gazdic and Canucks fans on social media is a reminder of the power and pitfalls of online interactions. While Gazdic’s comments were certainly inflammatory, they should not justify the level of hostility directed towards him. As Canucks fans, we must strive to embody the true spirit of sportsmanship, supporting our team with pride and treating others with respect.
Let’s turn this incident into an opportunity for growth and improvement within our community. After all, hockey is more than just a game; it’s about camaraderie, respect, and the shared love for the sport.
Go Canucks Go!