Category Archives: Hockey News

Penguins’ 4 Stanley Cups each won with rookie head coach

For the Pittsburgh Penguins, there's something about a road barn, the 12th of June, and a rookie head coach.

The Penguins added to their championship oddity Sunday night, continuing on with a rather peculiar trend of exclusively winning their Stanley Cups with a rookie head coach at the helm, as pointed out by Corey Masisak.

Mike Sullivan joins previous winners, Bob Johnson, Scotty Bowman, and Dan Bylsma, who each claimed championships in their first seasons in charge, and also had their decisive victories come on away ice.

In addition to that, this latest title run, which came to its conclusion exactly seven years after Bylsma guided Pittsburgh to its first championship in the Sidney Crosby era, was won on the heels of an in-season coaching change.

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Stanley Cup Final was most viewed non-Original Six series in 15 years

Maybe it was the massive beards, maybe it was Sidney Crosby, but whatever it was, plenty of people tuned into the Pittsburgh Penguins' bout versus the San Jose Sharks in the Stanley Cup Final.

The NHL's concluding series was the most watched non-Original Six series in 15 years, averaging nearly 4 million viewers per game on NBC.

Sunday's Game 6 - a 3-1 Cup-clinching Penguins win - drew 5.407 million viewers, NBC's highest number for a non-Original Six Stanley Cup Final game ever.

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Burns hints he and Thornton will keep ‘lifestyle beards’

No shave. Not now, maybe not ever.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns, still heavily bearded, explained one day after they were defeated by the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final that himself and Joe Thornton hadn't been growing their facial hair for the playoffs.

This was a way of life.

It wasn't a definitive answer on whether himself and Thornton will keep their bristles, but don't be surprised when the pair show up at the World Cup of Hockey in September with another three months of length.

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Marleau wants to play out contract with Sharks

Patrick Marleau has no intention of moving on quite yet.

Back in November, the veteran San Jose Sharks center was reportedly "driving the bus" in regards to a potential trade, one he was believed to have been angling for since training camp.

A day after watching the Pittsburgh Penguins hoist the Stanley Cup in his home arena in which he has played his entire career, Marleau was asked if wants to stick with the club moving forward.

"Yeah, I have a contract for next year, so (I'm) looking forward to it," Marleau said, according to Kevin Kurz of CSN.

Marleau, who will turn 38 prior to the start of next season, has one year left on a contract that carries a $6,666,666 cap hit. He also has a no-movement clause, meaning he would have to approve the destination in order to be traded.

Marleau contributed five goals and eight assists in 24 playoff games, with perhaps another run left in the tank before his time in San Jose is up.

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Sharks’ Hertl won’t need knee surgery

The knee injury that kept San Jose Sharks forward Tomas Hertl out of Games 3 to 6 of the Stanley Cup Final doesn't appear to be serious.

Hertl spoke to reporters - a day after his team watched the Pittsburgh Penguins capture the Stanley Cup at the SAP Center in San Jose - noting that he won't need surgery on his right knee.

The 22-year-old was injured in the final minutes of Game 2 after taking a hit from Patric Hornqvist.

Hertl managed six goals and 11 points in 20 playoff games before falling to injury.

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Hurricanes sign Aleksi Saarela to entry-level contract

The Carolina Hurricanes locked up another building block Monday.

Hours after signing Sebastian Aho to his entry-level deal, the Hurricanes announced they've come to a similar arrangement with the top-end prospect's talented countryman, Aleksi Saarela.

Saarela, a third-round pick (89th overall) by the New York Rangers, was acquired as part of the Eric Staal trade.

The 19-year-old center ranked fourth in goal-scoring in the Finnish Elite League and led Assat Pori with 20 goals last season. He also helped Finland win gold at the World Junior Championship with four goals and seven points in as many games.

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