Category Archives: Hockey News

Agent: Interest in Hoffman ‘very strong’

Mike Hoffman's representative says his client isn't lacking suitors 11 days into free agency.

Interest in the productive forward "has been very strong," Robert Hooper told The Athletic's Adam Vingan on Monday.

Hooper revealed that 13 teams have inquired about Hoffman, five or six of which he described as having serious interest. However, the agent cited teams' financial limitations and the general uncertainty about next season as reasons for the winger still being available.

“I think teams are a little paralyzed at this point in time by the flat cap,” Hooper said. “I think some of the teams that would love to add Mike Hoffman to their roster have had difficulty moving pieces around in order to make room for a guy like Mike. The feedback on him has been very positive. It’s just a matter of making it fit.

“It’s just a situation where until we know when the puck’s being dropped, there’s no pressure on either side to really do anything.”

Last week, it was reported that Hoffman was considering signing a one-year contract, much like the one Taylor Hall inked with the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 11. Hooper confirmed Monday that his client isn't ruling that out.

“There’s no issues on a one-year deal,” Hooper said. “Obviously, if you’re going to take a one-year deal, you want to put yourself in a good situation, because you’re going to be back in the market next year again.”

Hoffman is arguably the best UFA remaining on the market. The nine-year veteran, who'll turn 31 in November, racked up 29 goals and 59 points in 69 games this past season. He's notched 0.364 goals per game since becoming an NHL regular in 2014-15, which equates to 29.9 per 82 games over that span.

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

2021 world juniors to begin Christmas Day

The upcoming 2021 World Junior Championship will kick off on Christmas Day for the first time since 2005.

The tournament, which will take place in a bubble in Edmonton and use only Rogers Place to play games, will run from Dec. 25 to Jan. 5.

Here's the schedule:

Teams Date Time (ET)
Switzerland vs. Slovakia Friday Dec. 25 2 p.m.
Germany vs. Finland Friday Dec. 25 6 p.m.
Russia vs. United States Friday Dec. 25 9:30 p.m.
Sweden vs. Czech Republic Saturday Dec. 26 2 p.m.
Germany vs. Canada Saturday Dec. 26 6 p.m.
United States vs. Austria Saturday Dec. 26 9:30 p.m.
Finland vs. Switzerland Sunday Dec. 27 2 p.m.
Slovakia vs. Canada Sunday Dec. 27 6 p.m.
Czech Republic vs. Russia Sunday Dec. 27 9:30 p.m.
Austria vs. Sweden Monday Dec. 28 6 p.m.
Slovakia vs. Germany Monday Dec. 28 9:30 p.m.
United States vs. Czech Republic Tuesday Dec. 29 2 p.m.
Canada vs. Switzerland Tuesday Dec. 29 6 p.m.
Austria vs. Russia Tuesday Dec. 29 9:30 p.m.
Finland vs. Slovakia Wednesday Dec. 30 2 p.m.
Switzerland vs. Germany Wednesday Dec. 30 6 p.m.
Russia vs. Sweden Wednesday Dec. 30 9:30 p.m.
Czech Republic vs. Austria Thursday Dec. 31 2 p.m.
Canada vs. Finland Thursday Dec. 31 6 p.m.
Sweden vs. United States Thursday Dec. 31 9:30 p.m.
Quarterfinals Saturday Jan. 2 12 p.m.
Quarterfinals Saturday Jan. 2 3:30 p.m.
Quarterfinals Saturday Jan. 2 7 p.m.
Quarterfinals Saturday Jan. 2 10:30 p.m.
Semifinals Sunday Jan. 3 6 p.m.
Semifinals Sunday Jan. 3 9:30 p.m.
Bronze Tuesday Jan. 5 5:30 p.m.
Gold Tuesday Jan. 5 9:30 p.m.

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

Dadonov ready to mentor young Senators players

Evgenii Dadonov has only a handful of NHL seasons under his belt, but he's set to find himself in a veteran role with the youthful Ottawa Senators.

"They told me I would have a good role on the team because there's not a lot of veterans on the team," Dadonov said, according to Sportsnet's Wayne Scanlan. "It's time for me to step up, as one of the most experienced guys on the team. I'm ready for that."

The 31-year-old inked a three-year pact with the Senators as a free agent. He's set to join a club undergoing a massive overhaul, with seven forwards who are 25 years old or younger.

Dadonov went overseas to play in the KHL for five seasons from 2012 to 2017 before rejoining the Panthers ahead of the 2017-18 campaign.

Over the past three seasons, Dadonov scored 25, 28, and 28 goals, respectively. He'll bring a much-needed goal-scoring presence to the budding Senators lineup, and he hopes the team will compete for the Stanley Cup while he's there.

"I'm really excited to play for this team," Dadonov said. "It wasn't a decision made because of the contract - I hope this team is going to have success and be in the race for the Cup for the next few years."

Dadonov also expressed his confidence in franchise cornerstones Brady Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot, saying they "have a chance to be superstars in the league."

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

Sharks GM: Young players ‘need to step up to the next level’

With the departure of franchise cornerstone Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks general manager Doug Wilson is calling on his young players to take the team to the next level.

"Tomas Hertl, Timo Meier, Kevin Labanc, it's their time," Wilson said, according to NHL.com's Tracey Myers. "They need to step up to the next level.

"We have to be the sum of all our parts. There are teams around this league that have lost some good players. Some teams lost their best players in their prime and they found their team game, they found their collective connection and had a lot of success. We need everyone to bring something to the table, learn from what happened last year, re-establish our game and bring that love and juice and energy that 'Jumbo' brought to the rink."

Thornton's departure marked the second straight offseason in which a key veteran player moved on from the Sharks. Last year, Joe Pavelski opted to sign with the Dallas Stars after spending 13 years in San Jose.

The Sharks have only two forwards on their active roster who are at least 30 years old: Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau. Wilson expressed his confidence in his team's young lineup and sees the potential for players to step up and take on bigger roles next season.

"We have five top-six forwards, guys who have scored 30 goals or close to 60 points, we need someone to come in and compete for that (sixth) spot," Wilson said. "I like our defense. I want to leave a spot open for some competition for some of the younger guys. We think we have the bones of a good team. We have some competition. We have some young guys coming in."

The Sharks finished last in the Western Conference this past season with a 29-36-5 record.

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

Hockey world honors ‘Doc’ Emrick’s memorable career

Legendary broadcaster Mike "Doc" Emrick announced his retirement Monday, and the hockey world is celebrating the 74-year-old's storied career and already missing his distinct voice.

Here are kind words from the many people Emrick impacted over his 47-year career, along with some of his most memorable calls.

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

Canucks re-sign Gaudette to 1-year pact

The Vancouver Canucks signed forward Adam Gaudette to a one-year contract worth $950,000, the team announced Monday.

"Adam has been an excellent young player for us and we are happy to have him continue his progress for another year in Vancouver," said general manager Jim Benning. "We look forward to his intensity and compete level continuing to be a great source of energy for our team."

The 24-year-old recorded career highs with 12 goals and 21 assists over 59 games during the final year of his entry-level deal in 2019-20.

Vancouver selected Gaudette in the fifth round of the 2015 draft. The 6-foot-1 pivot has amassed 17 goals and 45 points through 120 career contests.

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

Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick announces retirement

Mike "Doc" Emrick is signing off after a legendary career in the broadcast booth.

Emrick finished his journey with NBC while working from home this postseason, and the 74-year-old expressed gratitude as he reflected on his career.

"I hope I can handle retirement OK, especially since I’ve never done it before," he said Sunday, according to the New York Post's Phil Mushnick. "But I’ve just been extremely lucky for 50 years. And NBC has been so good to me, especially since the pandemic, when I was allowed to work from home in a studio NBC created.

"Now, into my golden years, this just seemed to be the time that was right."

Emrick began his career in sports broadcasting in 1973 with American radio station WHLS. The Indiana native then became the first voice of the New Jersey Devils when the club joined the league prior to the 1982-83 season. He's been the lead voice for NHL games on NBC and NBC Sports since moving to the network full time in 2011.

In 2004, Emrick became the first of now five media members to receive the NHL's Lester Patrick Award. He also received the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award from the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2008.

Emrick has won six national Emmy Awards for excellence in sports broadcasting, and he became the first media member to be inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011.

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