All posts by Brandon Maron

Auston Matthews reveals favorite players to Justin Bieber

Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews hopped on Instagram Live with his friend Justin Bieber on Sunday.

The pair initially spoke about the Netflix hits "Tiger King" and "Love is Blind" before Bieber was able to get Matthews to divulge a bit of hockey information.

"My favorite hockey player of all time ... I have so many, but I think the two that kind of stand out the most to me are Shane Doan," Matthews told Bieber. "You know he was playing for the Coyotes, that's when I first got into hockey ... I've gotten to know him over the years, he's such a good person."

For his second pick, Matthews went with a player he still faces off against today.

"Patrick Kane. Probably even still today, my favorite player to watch."

Bieber then asked Matthews who the hardest player to defend in the league is, adding that he doesn't have to answer if he doesn't want to. Matthews declined the opt-out option and offered his thoughts.

"There's so many good players, it's kind of hard to just pinpoint one. We've played against Buffalo quite a lot, (Jack) Eichel's really good - playing against him, he's really strong," he said. "A guy like (Connor) McDavid obviously, he's really, really fast and does everything ... he's hard to keep up with ... so probably have to go with him."

Bieber ended the call by complimenting Matthews' moustache, calling it "the best in the league."

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

Vegas Golden Knights to donate 7,500 meals to local hospitals

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 Vegas Golden Knights started an initiative that will provide over 7,500 meals to doctors, nurses, and employees at local hospitals, the team announced Sunday.

The initiative has been made possible thanks to donations from the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation, players, and staff.

The players who have contributed so far include William Karlsson, Deryk Engelland, and Jon Merrill. Other donations from players may be announced at a later date, the team added.

"Medical professionals throughout Las Vegas are battling this virus on the frontlines in an effort to keep our families and community safe. They are true examples of what it means to be a Knight," Golden Knights Foundation president Kim Frank said. "We're proud to show our support for those working in healthcare across the Las Vegas Valley by providing thousands of meals over the coming weeks."

Starting April 6, the team will provide 300 meals a day, five days a week for five weeks to preselected local partner hospitals.

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

Eberle is for playing into summer, but thinks cut-off date may be needed

New York Islanders forward Jordan Eberle is hopeful the 2019-20 NHL season will resume eventually, but he's being realistic about the delicate timeline.

"I'm for playing into later into the year. But that being said, I don't know at what point do you cut it off," Eberle said, according to NHL.com's Brian Compton. "You need to resume a full season next year and you need to have that time and that rest too. It's such a fine line."

He added that if the restart keeps getting pushed back and potentially into June or July, "at some point there has to be a date where you say, 'OK, the season's lost,' and we start recuperating for next year."

The Islanders, who were in the playoff hunt when the season was paused, sit just one point out of a wild-card spot.

"As of right now, I think everyone's mindset is that we do want to play the playoffs," Eberle said.

"You work all season long, all previous summer long to have a shot to win the Stanley Cup. Because of certain events that are out of all of our control, you can't do that, it's hard," he continued.

New York has played 68 games this season, while the Columbus Blue Jackets, who are one point ahead of the Islanders and occupy the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, have played 70 contests. With multiple possibilities open for what the playoffs could look like if the season resumes, New York isn't guaranteed a spot.

"I'm sure we can make a strong case for point percentage and we'd squeak into the playoffs," Eberle said. "Regardless of what's going to happen, if we do resume and we do resume with the playoffs, there's going to be some teams upset that they're not in."

Eberle recorded 16 goals and 24 assists in 58 games this season before the hiatus.

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

4 more members of Senators organization tested positive for COVID-19

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.

Four additional members of the Ottawa Senators organization tested positive for COVID-19, the team announced Wednesday. All players and staff have been self-isolating since March 13, and everyone who tested positive has since recovered.

The newly reported cases are believed to be three players and one staff, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.

With those cases factored in, there are now seven known cases among NHL players - five on the Senators and two on the Colorado Avalanche.

Meanwhile, the NHL on Tuesday reportedly extended its self-quarantine measures until at least April 15.

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

Pietrangelo: Bouwmeester doing well, ‘out and about’

St. Louis Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo says teammate Jay Bouwmeester is feeling better and has remained in St. Louis during the league's hiatus, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen.

"Bo is good," Pietrangelo said on a video conference call Tuesday. "He's still here. His plan was to be here no matter what. His kids are in school here, too, so I think once he wraps all that up he might try to get home if the doctors feel comfortable."

Bouwmeester, 36, suffered a cardiac episode on the bench in a game Feb. 11, during which he had to be revived with a defibrillator. He then underwent an implantable cardioverter defibrillator procedure to restore his heart's normal rhythm and later announced he will not return to play hockey this season.

"We all kind of live in the same area here so guys are stopping by, seeing how he's doing," Pietrangelo said. "He's out and about walking. He was at the rink pretty much every day that we were home when we were playing. That was a breath of fresh air for us knowing he was out and about, hanging out with the guys."

On Tuesday, the NHL extended teams' self-isolation periods to April 15, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.

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

Coyotes’ Chayka, Cohen donating 20% of salaries to Arizona COVID-19 relief

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.

Arizona Coyotes president and CEO Ahron Cohen and president of hockey operations and general manager John Chayka will donate 20% of their salaries "over the coming months" to support COVID-19 relief efforts in Arizona, the team announced Tuesday.

The donations will go to the Arizona Coronavirus Relief Fund and other Arizona non-profits. The fund is initially focused on paying for personal protective equipment for medical personnel, helping non-profit organizations such as food banks and homeless shelters, and assisting low-income students in accessing online learning.

Chayka, 30, is the league's youngest general manager. He says the efforts of Arizona's frontline workers inspired him to donate.

"Kathryn (Chayka) and I could not be more grateful to the health care workers, doctors, nurses, EMTs, and grocery store and food service workers who every day sacrifice so much so their neighbors can stay healthy and safe," he said.

Cohen has been with the Coyotes organization since 2015 and was named president and CEO in 2018.

"Arizona has been our team's home for nearly 25 years and this community has rallied around the Coyotes in good times and bad," said Cohen. He added, "I see this as our privilege and responsibility to help support the people of this great state. I know we will make it through this challenge as a result of all of us Arizonans rallying together."

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

Barkov: Panthers deserve chance to make playoffs if season resumes

With all scenarios on the table regarding what a potential return of the 2019-20 NHL season would look like, Florida Panthers star Alexsander Barkov believes his team should get a shot to compete for the Stanley Cup.

"I don't think it would be right if we’re left out," Barkov told The Athletic's George Richards. "We are close to a playoff spot and have 13 games left. We just started playing as well as we did before the All-Star break, the bye week. We were feeling pretty good, playing with confidence."

After sitting in a playoff position for most of the season, the Panthers currently find themselves three points behind both the second wild-card spot and third place in the Atlantic Division. However, they also had games in hand on some of the teams just ahead of them when the campaign was suspended.

When asked what he hopes would happen if the season does resume, Barkov indicated he favors one of the more creative possibilities.

"The best-case scenario is probably the (play-in) tournament," he said. "Thank God I don’t have to decide anything. I'm just here, waiting to see what the league does with the season and trying to stay healthy.”

While hockey is on his mind, Barkov also remains aware of the bigger picture and understands the severity of the situation.

"Obviously, this thing sucks and health is first. I think the league made the right decision, the world has been making the right decisions," Barkov said of the measures being taken due to the coronavirus pandemic. "We need to keep people inside, stay away from each other right now. That’s a good thing for everyone. We’ll take a little break and we can be back sooner than later.”

Before the NHL season was suspended, the 24-year-old Barkov had recorded 20 goals and 42 assists in 66 games.

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

Report: Oilers’ Broberg to remain in Sweden for 2020-21 season

The Edmonton Oilers have told defenseman Philip Broberg they want him to stay in Sweden next season rather than make the leap to North America, according to The Edmonton Sun's Jim Matheson.

The Oilers selected Broberg with the eighth overall pick in the 2019 draft. He played this season with Skelleftea AIK in the Swedish Hockey League.

"Obviously when you take a player eighth in the draft and he’s a defenseman you want some offense, but Philip was an 18-year-old playing in a men’s league this season,” Oilers general manager Ken Holland said. "We feel he’s in a good place at Skelleftea, Philip was happy this year and we’d like to see him on more specialty teams next season."

Broberg recorded just one goal and seven assists in 45 contests while averaging approximately 14 minutes of ice time per game in his first season with the Swedish club.

Holland believes Broberg's lack of production so far has been due to his role. Turning 19 in June, Broberg mainly served as one of his team's bottom-pairing defensemen. Holland also pointed to a similar situation at the world junior championship but is hoping to see more from him at next year's tournament that will take place in Alberta.

Oilers defenseman Oscar Klefbom took a similar path after being drafted 19th overall in 2011. Klefbom spent two seasons in the same Swedish league before coming over to join the Oilers' organization as a 20-year-old.

Holland added he's not in a huge rush to get Broberg into his team's lineup, and is willing to wait for him to develop adequately.

"We’re hoping Broberg can be a (NHL) player at 22 years of age. We hope he’s an impact player," Holland said. "To me that means top-four defenseman, No. 1 goalie, or one of the top seven or eight forwards. That’s what impact means to me."

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

🏒 Hiatus Diaries: Getzlaf is the king of chicken coops

With a global pandemic suspending sporting events worldwide, athletes suddenly have tons of time on their hands. In the latest installment of our weekly NHL series, we look at how they've been keeping themselves entertained - and in shape - while self-isolating.

Getzlaf's all cooped up

The Anaheim Ducks veteran was a part of a conference call with some of his Pacific Division rivals on Friday. With the animosity set aside, the four spent some quality time sharing what they've been doing and joking around with one another. Getzlaf proudly showed off his brand new chicken coop he's been busy building over the last two weeks. Very impressive stuff.

Ovechkin's a huge fan of ... Howie Mandel?

Just like Getzlaf, Ovechkin was also on a conference call with other players this past week. As they all dished on what they've been doing to keep busy and what shows they're binging to pass the time, Ovechkin shared he's been watching ... the defunct game show "Deal or No Deal." Interesting choice!

McDavid's trainer is a very good boy

As one of the league's fastest and most dynamic players, McDavid is surely missing the ice more than some. The Edmonton Oilers star shared a fun, new way to work out while he's stuck at home. With his trusty dog Lenny helping him out, McDavid may be able to stay in game shape throughout the hiatus. Lenny doesn't look like he's a huge fan of his owner's new workout routine, so it may not last too long.

Nothing but the bottom of the cup

Kadri is using some of his free time to master his trick shot game. The shot isn't necessarily the most difficult compared to some others that have surfaced on the internet recently, but it's definitely a start. Let's see what else you got, Nazem!

Marner's got game

Marner teamed up with the popular YouTube and Twitch streamer Nasher to play some NHL 20. Marner helped set up an exciting game-winning goal in the dying seconds of their game together. What else is new? The Maple Leafs forward has also begun his own stream on Twitch.

Strome takes a break from CoD

The New York Rangers forward took a quick break from playing video games to work on his slap shot. If the season suddenly resumes, expect Strome to light up opposing goaltenders thanks to this scary-looking regimen keeping him game ready.

Hampus Lindholm cooking up a storm

Lindholm revealed his hidden cooking talents to the world. Known for dishing sauce on the ice, he's still putting the blade of his stick to good use in the kitchen.

Jordie Benn isn't quite ready for the X Games

It doesn't seem like Benn has much space inside his house to be riding a BMX bike around, but that's clearly not stopping him from having a good time. Be safe in there, Jordie.

A dog horse is a man's best friend

The Coyotes captain is leading by example and practicing social distancing to the best of his abilities. If only everybody had a best friend like Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

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

Toews: Blackhawks veterans trying to adjust leadership style

With the Chicago Blackhawks a shell of the powerhouse Stanley Cup-contending clubs from much of the last decade, captain Jonathan Toews and some of the team's other veterans are trying to adjust their habits to benefit a more inexperienced club.

"It's tough because I think, No. 1, our older guys like (Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, and Corey Crawford) and myself, I think you kind of get comfortable with your ways and how you do things over the years," Toews said on the "Dropping the Gloves" podcast, which is hosted by his former teammate John Scott. "So, there's definitely been an adjustment for the veteran guys and the guys that are considered leaders as part of the core group in Chicago."

After making the playoffs for nine straight seasons and winning three Stanley Cups during that span, Toews and the Blackhawks were on pace to miss the postseason for a third consecutive campaign this season before play was suspended.

With a mix of veteran Stanley Cup winners and young players on the roster, Toews believes it's key for himself and Chicago's other core veterans to change their leadership styles in order to aid the club's more inexperienced members.

"I think you definitely have to grow and you have to adapt and part of that has just been kind of reassessing how we lead the team and what our daily approach has been like," Toews added. "Because it's this kind of separation between a lot of the young guys that come in that never played a playoff game before and have to learn a lot of the little things.

"On the other hand, sometimes, as they say, you can't teach an old dog new tricks," he continued, "so it's hard to get out of your comfort zone and be a little bit more aware of the things that you're doing, be a little bit more aware of the example that you're setting, and how you interact with some of these younger guys."

Toews, 31, has been Chicago's captain since his sophomore season in 2008-09. He's racked up 345 goals and 815 points in 943 career games and has won the Conn Smythe and Selke awards.

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