Category Archives: Hockey News

Lightning’s Maroon suspended 1 game for unsportsmanlike conduct

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Pat Maroon will sit out one game for unsportsmanlike conduct stemming from his actions Saturday night against the Florida Panthers, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Sunday.

Maroon will miss Monday's regular-season finale against the Panthers. Florida sits in second place in the Central Division with 77 points, while Tampa Bay occupies the third spot with 75. It will be the final contest before the playoffs for both clubs. The teams will meet in the postseason for the first time ever when the first round begins.

The 33-year-old had a hearing earlier Sunday for roughing Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour. The Lightning agitator broke free from a linesman's grasp to attack the Florida blue-liner during Saturday's game.

Late in the third period of a 5-1 Panthers victory, Maroon and Montour exchanged words before being separated by the officials. Maroon then skated away from the linesman, dropped his gloves, and went after Montour, hitting his face with his bare hand.

Both players received minor penalties and 10-minute misconducts for the incident. Montour was also fined $5,000 for spearing Maroon before the altercation began.

The NHL said Sunday it agreed with Maroon's argument that he didn't forcefully hit Montour, but the league cited "the totality of the circumstances that causes this play to rise to the level of supplemental discipline." The league also pointed to Rule 46.5, which states that any player who continues a fight or altercation after being ordered by the referee to stop is subject to "a misconduct or game misconduct penalty in addition to any penalties imposed."

Maroon was previously suspended two games while with the Edmonton Oilers for a hit on Los Angeles Kings rearguard Drew Doughty in January 2018.

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Coyotes, Tocchet part ways after 4 seasons

Rick Tocchet won't coach the Arizona Coyotes next season, as he and the club agreed to part ways, general manager Bill Armstrong announced Sunday.

Tocchet's contract expires June 30. The Coyotes' season ended with a win over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night.

Arizona went 125-131-34 during Tocchet's tenure. The team eliminated the Nashville Predators in the qualifying round of the 2019-20 playoffs before bowing out at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche in a five-game first-round series. It was the Coyotes' first postseason appearance since they made it to the Western Conference Final in 2012.

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Maroon to have hearing for escaping linesman to punch Montour

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Pat Maroon will have a hearing for roughing Florida Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Sunday.

Maroon escaped the linesman's grasp to give Montour a shot while the two players exchanged words on Saturday.

Maroon then taunted the Panthers bench while being escorted off the ice.

The incident occurred with the Panthers up 5-1 late in the third period. He and Montour both received two-minute minors and 10-minute misconducts.

The Panthers and Lightning will meet again Monday in the regular-season finale before squaring off in a potentially highly entertaining first-round playoff matchup. It will mark the first-ever postseason meeting between the in-state rivals.

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McDavid reaches 100-point mark in 53 games

Connor McDavid continues to bolster his status as the world's top hockey talent.

The Edmonton Oilers star reached the 100-point mark in just his 53rd game this season when he notched his fourth point Saturday against the Vancouver Canucks.

McDavid has now totaled four or more points in seven games this season and leads the NHL scoring race by 21 points.

The 24-year-old is averaging 1.88 points per game, which is the highest mark since Mario Lemieux's 2.30 in 1995-96. He's on pace for 155 points over a full 82-game campaign.

If McDavid closes the campaign at this pace, he'll join Lemieux, Adam Oates, Bernie Nicholls, Steve Yzerman, Phil Esposito, and Wayne Gretzky as the only players to average at least 1.88 points per game over a season (minimum 50 games).

The Oilers defeated the Canucks, 4-3, and will finish the season as the North Division's No. 2 seed.

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Watch: Emotional moments from Ryan Miller’s final NHL game

Anaheim Ducks goaltender Ryan Miller played his last NHL game Saturday in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild. The 40-year-old recently announced he would retire after the season.

Miller received a standing ovation from the crowd in Minnesota to begin the game.

The Wild lined up postgame to shake Miller's hand before he stepped off the ice for the last time.

Miller also shared an emotional moment with his parents.

He finishes his career as the winningest American goalie in NHL history with 391 victories. Miller won the Vezina Trophy in 2010 while playing with the Buffalo Sabres, and he backstopped Team USA to a silver medal at the 2010 Olympics.

His 18-year career ends with a 391-289-96 record, a 2.64 goals-against average, and a .914 save percentage.

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Report: Tortorella won’t return to Blue Jackets next season

John Tortorella has informed the Columbus Blue Jackets he won't return to the club after his contract expires this summer, reports The Athletic's Aaron Portzline.

Tortorella has been the team's head coach for six seasons, compiling a 227-166-54 record while reaching the playoffs four times. The Blue Jackets advanced to the second round once under his leadership.

Columbus finished last in the Central Division with an 18-26-12 record, closing out its season with a 5-4 overtime victory against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.

Tortorella won the Jack Adams Trophy in 2016-17 with the Blue Jackets. He previously won the award in 2004 after coaching the Tampa Bay Lightning to a Stanley Cup victory.

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Predators clinch final playoff berth in Central, eliminate Stars

The Nashville Predators clinched the last postseason berth in the Central Division with a 3-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday.

The victory eliminates the Dallas Stars from playoff contention.

The Predators have now made the playoffs in seven straight campaigns, tying them with the Washington Capitals for the second-longest active streak.

The club owned an 11-16-1 record on March 15, but the team turned its season around with a 19-7-1 stretch since.

Nashville will open the postseason against the top-seeded Hurricanes. It will be the first playoff meeting between the two clubs.

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