Some of the greatest to ever play in the NHL will be enshrined in the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame this year.
Teemu Selanne, Joe Sakic, and Saku Koivu were announced as part of the 2017 class on Tuesday, and joining them will be Uwe Krupp, American 1998 Olympic gold medalist Angela Ruggiero, and builder Dieter Kalt.
A six-time Olympian, Selanne's a Finnish legend. His career began in incredible fashion with the Winnipeg Jets, when he scored 76 goals as a rookie. He finished with 684 goals and 1,457 pionts in NHL 1,451 games. He won a Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007.
Sakic scored 625 goals and recorded 1,641 points in 1,378 regular-season NHL games. He was a monster in the playoffs, scoring 84 goals in 172 postseason games, winning two Stanley Cups with the Colorado Avalanche. He represented Canada on numerous occasions internationally, and is a card-carrying member of the Triple Gold Club.
Koivu was part of Finland's first gold-medal-winning team at the world championships in 1995, after winning a bronze at the 1994 Olympics. He captained the Montreal Canadiens for 10 years, and finished his NHL career with 832 points in 1,124 games.
The class will be honored and inducted on May 21 in Cologne, Germany, on the final day of the 2017 World Championship.
Nobody expected the youthful Maple Leafs to be in playoff position through 41 games. Buffalo Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma didn't. But he's well aware Toronto's a bit ahead when it comes to the two rebuilding franchises.
"You can hear the excitement across the border with where they're at," Bylsma said Tuesday, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox, ahead of the second meeting between the clubs and first featuring Jack Eichel.
It's hard not to be impressed by the Maple Leafs, led by first overall pick Auston Matthews.
"He looks so much older out there," Ryan O'Reilly - who watched Matthews' exploits at the Centennial Classic - said of the 19-year-old. "So calm in the plays he's making."
Eichel missed Buffalo's first game against Toronto due to a high ankle sprain, and Matthews is looking forward to playing against one of his close friends in the Sabres' franchise player.
"He's a great guy," Matthews said. "He's been someone I've been able to lean on, especially last year during my draft year, going through similar things. He's definitely been a nice sounding board for myself."
All pleasantries will be put aside Tuesday.
"I'm happy to see him have success and look forward to playing against him," Eichel said of Matthews. "The teams don't really like each other."
The Lightning began a very crucial stretch of their schedule Monday, defeating the Kings 2-1 in Los Angeles, the first of six games on the road that will take them through California, Arizona, to Chicago, and back to Florida to face the Panthers. And Bishop was stellar, ensuring the trip began on a high note, even though All-Star Victor Hedman was forced to miss the game with an illness.
Playing in his second game since returning from a lower-body injury, Bishop stopped 31 of 32 shots. He's 2-0 in the new year and has stopped 55 of 58 shots, good for a .948 save percentage. The strong games have Bishop back at .910 on the season.
Tampa Bay went into Monday's game ranked 25th in the league with a .903 team save percentage. The Lightning's goaltending must be better for Tampa Bay to get back into the playoffs.
Last year's Eastern Conference finalists are 21-20-4, and their 46 points trail the Toronto Maple Leafs' 48 for third place in the Atlantic Division. Problem is, Toronto has four games in hand.
With the Metropolitan Division on another level, and both wild-card teams likely to come from the division, Tampa Bay must catch Toronto or the Boston Bruins, who have 51 points but have played a conference-high 47 games.
Headed to the All-Star tournament in Los Angeles as 19-year-old, and as the NHL's third-leading goal-scorer, the Toronto Maple Leafs phenom can't say his success - and Tuesday's news of a trip to Hollywood - has come as a shock.
"Honestly, not really," Matthews told TSN's Kristen Shilton. "I know what I'm capable of. Going into the season, you just want to soak it all in, learn as much as possible, and that's exactly what I've tried to do so far."
The kid from Scottsdale, Ariz., has certainly been learning, while also teaching the opposition a thing or two.
Matthews called his first All-Star selection "a huge honor," adding that he's looking forward to playing with stars he grew up idolizing in Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews.
With Toronto on its bye week, Matthews is enjoying some down time, but knows he's got a playoff push to look forward to once the Maple Leafs hit the ice again Friday at Madison Square Garden.
Wayne Gretzky was in the house. Bobby Orr was at the Air Canada Centre, too. They came to watch Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid face off for the first time, but left having witnessed The Nazem Kadri Show.
A first-round pick, seventh overall of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2009, Kadri signed a big-money, six-year contract over the summer. He's in for the long haul, deemed part of the solution in T.O. Yet over the first month of the season, the center has become the forgotten man, with Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Mitch Marner making headlines.
On Tuesday, Kadri sent notice: He's still a Maple Leaf. An important one, at that, at 26 a veteran on the NHL's youngest team. A player who will, along with the kids, bring Toronto out of the darkness.
Motivated
"I'm not here to just be a role player," Kadri told TSN's Mark Masters after scoring the game-winner Tuesday - his second goal of the game - in overtime on an impressive individual effort, fighting off McDavid before deftly putting the puck past Cam Talbot to give Toronto a 3-2 decision. "I want to help this team win."
Born in London, Ontario, Kadri clearly wears the blue and white with pride.
"I don't want people coming in here thinking it's easy to play against the Leafs," he added.
Shutting down McDavid
Kadri meant trouble for McDavid, specifically, who was playing at home - he was born just north of the city - for the first time.
From the opening faceoff, Kadri was matched up against McDavid, giving him shot after shot - a cross-check or two here, a slash there - whenever he could, doing his best to get under the skin of one of the NHL's most talented players. And it was all orchestrated.
"You don't want (McDavid) to walk all over you and he's a player capable of doing that," Kadri said.
After shoving McDavid after a whistle in the first period, Kadri not only had the attention of No. 97, but also his linemate, Milan Lucic. And when Kadri's irking numerous guys on the opposition, that's when he's at his best.
Edmonton, as a team, took notice. Head coach Todd McLellan double-shifted McDavid, trying him on different lines, in an effort to get him away from Kadri.
"He was awesome out there," Matthews said of his teammate. "He was creating havoc, making it tough on that big line."
Kadri was a two-way force Tuesday, playing the type of game that got him noticed, showing skill, two-way prowess, and a ton of emotion. And he did it all in only 14:05 of ice time.
Maturity, and production
Kadri made strides last season, his first with Mike Babcock as his head coach. Almost from day one behind the bench, Babcock raved about how much Kadri impressed him, in all facets of the game. Kadri cares - he's made that clear in his time with Toronto.
But the 2015-16 season came with its frustrations, despite a career-high 18:16 in ice time per game and a whopping 260 shots. Kadri finished with 17 goals and 45 points in 76 games, but his 6.5 percent shooting percentage was the lowest of his seven-year career - and it wasn't close.
Last year is in the past, though, and so is Kadri's team-imposed three-game suspension in 2015 for missing a team meeting, his future in Toronto appearing somewhat in doubt.
Kadri's matured. And he's quietly off to an impressive start in 2016-17, even though he's seeing much less ice thanks to a much deeper crop of Toronto forwards. He's got five goals and eight points in 10 games. He's shooting 23.8 percent. He didn't hit the five-goal mark until Dec. 5 last year, and went into 2016 with only six goals in 36 games. If anyone deserves some puck luck, it's No. 43.
Kadri won't be flying under the radar much longer, especially as Matthews finds himself in the first slump of his young career.
The Maple Leafs are Matthews' and Nylander's and Morgan Rielly's team, of that there's no doubt. But Kadri will undoubtedly be influential in Toronto's rise out of the basement. He made that clear Tuesday night.
LOS ANGELES - Rickard Rakell had a goal and two assists in his season debut, and John Gibson stopped 30 shots to earn his seventh career shutout in the Anaheim Ducks' 4-0 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night.
Antoine Vermette and Ryan Kesler scored power-play goals 31 seconds apart in the second period before Joseph Cramarossa scored his first NHL goal for the Ducks, who emphatically won the first Freeway Faceoff rivalry game of the season.
Vermette and Kesler scored two points apiece, and Corey Perry added two assists. The Ducks have earned points in five of six after an 0-3-1 start to the season.
The Kings have been shut out in three straight games for the first time since 1968-69, their second NHL season.
Los Angeles is on its second three-game skid of the season, with a four-game winning streak sandwiched between them.
Peter Budaj made 12 saves in his seventh straight start for Los Angeles before Jack Campbell replaced him in the third period.
The Kings and Ducks have been Stanley Cup contenders for the past half-decade in a golden age of Southern California hockey. Both veteran-laden clubs showed signs of age during slow starts to this season, but the Ducks appear to be hitting their stride.
Anaheim went ahead late in the first period when Kesler won a faceoff to Rakell, who alertly shot the puck through the legs of two Kings. The Swede missed training camp and the first nine regular-season games while holding out for a new contract and recovering from surgery related to appendicitis. He agreed to a six-year, $22.8 million deal on Oct. 14.
The Ducks added two more shortly after Jake Muzzin took a double minor for high-sticking. Vermette got his first goal for his new team on a setup from Rakell, and Kesler tipped home a pass from captain Ryan Getzlaf.
Cramarossa scored on a wraparound that deflected off two Kings midway through the period. The 24-year-old former third-round pick got his first goal in his fifth NHL game.
Campbell made five saves in his second career NHL appearance. He was the No. 11 pick in the 2010 draft by Dallas.
The rivals had a prolonged brawl midway through the third after Getzlaf held the stick of Jordan Nolan, who responded with a punch. Three players from each team got major penalties for fighting.
NOTES: Rakell's three points were more than he scored in his first 10 games last season (2). ... Kings D Drew Doughty doesn't turn 27 until next month, but the Norris Trophy winner pulled even with Mark Hardy for the 10th-most games played in Los Angeles franchise history with his 616th appearance. ... Anaheim LW Nick Ritchie went to the dressing room in the second period after a big hit from Los Angeles D Tom Gilbert. Ritchie spent the third being evaluated for an undisclosed injury.
The Los Angeles Kings center won the Selke Trophy on Wednesday night at the NHL Awards. It was his sixth time nominated, and the first time he won. He finished second in Selke voting in 2014, and third last year.
After a slow start to his season offensively, Kopitar found his groove and finished with 74 points, his most since the 2011-12 season.
The 28-year-old led all NHL forwards in ice time, averaging almost 21 minutes a game. He took the fifth-most faceoffs, and ranked seventh in the league in faceoff wins. He finished with a beastly 56.6 percent Corsi For rating, according to Hockey Reference.
Kopitar was named the Kings' 14th captain in franchise history last week, taking over for teammate Dustin Brown. The Slovenian is the first Kings forward to ever win the Selke.
Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano won the NHL Foundation Player Award for community service at the NHL Awards on Wednesday night in Las Vegas.
The NHL detailed Giordano's service in a press release:
Giordano's leadership and dedication on the ice only are paralleled by his various initiatives away from the rink. For the past two seasons, Giordano and his wife have partnered with the Calgary Board of Education to create a unique community program called Team Giordano - which provides resources to four low-income Calgary schools. Funding from Team Giordano supports the purchase of computers, journals and other school supplies as well as floor hockey equipment. Students in the program are encouraged to achieve their goals using the "5 G's" Giordano believes are the keys to success. Since its inception, Team Giordano has donated $200,000 to its four schools, impacting the lives of 1,400 students.
On the ice, Giordano had the best season of his career in 2015-16, setting career highs in goals (21) and points (56). But it's his work off the ice that clearly defines him as a person.
Giordano's been captain of the Flames since the 2013-14 season.
Florida Panthers forward and NHL legend Jaromir Jagr won the Masterton Trophy for perseverance and dedication to hockey at the NHL Awards ceremony.
Jagr, who turned 44 on Feb. 15, led the Panthers in scoring with 66 points (27 goals and 39 assists). The rink rat helped the club to its best season in franchise history (103 points) and a playoff spot for the first time since 2012. He wasn't in Vegas to accept the award due to the ailing health of his father.
"I am honored to receive the Masterton Trophy," Jagr said in a statement. "Many great players in the NHL with dedication to the game of hockey have earned this award and it is a privilege to be considered one of them. Hockey is my passion and it's why I am motivated every day to play it at the highest level that I can. I would like to thank my teammates, coaches, the entire Panthers organization, the PHWA and the NHL for this honor."
Signed to another one-year contract, Jagr was instrumental in the development of Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau, who are 20 and 23 years old respectively - or younger than Jagr combined.
Ahead of the NHL draft and free agency - which opens July 1 - we're looking at three teams from each division facing integral summers. First up, the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division.
Florida Panthers (103 Points)
Needs: Scoring forward, big-minute defenseman
The Panthers are deep up front, with six players scoring 50-or-more points last season. Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau are only getting started, and another high-scoring forward could keep the Panthers atop the Atlantic table.
On the blue line, the club's got to fill the minutes Brian Campbell - an unrestricted free agent - and Erik Gudbranson swallowed in 2015-16. Mike Matheson appears ready for full-time NHL duty, but the free-agent crop on the blue line isn't deep. Luke Schenn posted the best possession numbers of his career in 43 games with the Los Angeles Kings - though the Kings always have the puck - and could be a guy to look at for a short-term deal .
With the 23rd pick in the draft, the Panthers are in "best player available" territory, but adding a defensive prospect to the system would be ideal.
Drouin's pulled his trade request, and if Stamkos leaves, he and Kucherov are the future. The Lightning can forget about the free-agent market - they essentially must decide who of their own they're going to commit to long term - and just make the money work. Other than Stamkos - who still may not leave - the core of the 97-point 2015-16 club is returning.
The Lightning will draft 27th overall in the first round. With Jason Garrison, Braydon Coburn, and Matt Carle all 31 years old, a bunch of young, controllable talent up front, and solid prospects in goal, a defensive prospect should be the target.
Pavel Datsyuk is going home to Russia, leaving the Red Wings with a gaping hole up front. While Dylan Larkin impressed as a rookie, only one Detroit player hit the 50-point mark last season: Henrik Zetterberg. He'll be 36 on Oct. 9 and is signed through 2019-20. He needs help.
Detroit was the lowest-scoring playoff team in the East, managing only 211 goals. The Red Wings allowed 224, making the club the only playoff team with a negative goal-differential.
Brad Richards' $4 million is off the books, and Darren Helm has an offer to stay, but Detroit will have to clear Datsyuk's $7.5-million cap hit in order to sign Stamkos, who they're rumored to be interested in. Shedding Kyle Quincey and his $4.25 million will help, too, so Detroit could make this work, especially if Ken Holland can find someone to take Jimmy Howard off his hands.
Petr Mrazek is 24 and the answer in goal moving forward. He's also a restricted free agent. Howard's signed through 2018-19 at a cap hit of $5.292 million, and that's far, far too much for a backup.
If Stamkos can't be had, the Red Wings could look to Kyle Okposo or Jamie McGinn, who are yet to turn 30 and both scored 22 goals last season. Somehow, someway, they must add goals, even if Anthony Mantha's in the NHL come the fall.
With the 16th overall pick in the draft, the Red Wings should continue to target offensive talent. Evgeny Svechnikov, a left winger selected 19th overall last year, is coming off back-to-back 30-goal seasons in the QMJHL and will cut his teeth in the AHL next season; so he's still years away, based on Detroit's player-development patterns.
Talent is in the system in Mantha, Tomas Jurco, Andreas Athanasiou, and Riley Sheahan, but another offensive prospect injected into the system is a must, because Zetterberg's decline has begun.
Another option - especially considering Howard isn't long for Detroit - is to draft a goalie to solidify depth at the position.
