Jim Montgomery admitted himself into an inpatient residential program for alcohol abuse, he revealed Friday in a statement to the Dallas Morning News' Matthew DeFranks.
“Losing my job as head coach of the Dallas Stars last month was a wake-up call. It was also the appropriate call," Montgomery wrote in his first public comments since the firing Dec. 10.
"I let the team's front office, staff, and players down," he continued. "More importantly, I let my wife and my family down. The team's decision to end my role forced me to look into the mirror and decide whether I wanted to continue living a damaging lifestyle or get help. I decided to get help. I turned to professionals in the field of alcohol abuse for their guidance and counseling. It has been an overwhelming and very humbling experience knowing that I am not alone."
Montgomery added that he intends to "take the steps to be a better husband, father, friend, coach, and mentor," and that he's committed to the process.
Stars general manager Jim Nill said Friday that the team supports Montgomery's decision and hopes that by seeking help, the former bench boss and his family will be stronger for it.
Dallas dismissed Montgomery for "unprofessional conduct." He had more than two years left on his contract. Nill said at the time of the firing that there was no criminal investigation and that no current or former Stars players or employees were involved.
Montgomery has been attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings since he was fired, a source told DeFranks. The 50-year-old was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated in Florida back in 2008.
Ellis suffered the ailment during Wednesday's Winter Classic when he took an elbow to the head from Dallas Stars forward Corey Perry. The hit occurred just 2:44 into the game and Perry was handed a five-minute major and a game misconduct. Ellis did not return to the contest.
The 5-foot-10 rearguard won't be eligible to return off injured reserve until Jan. 8, and he'll miss a minimum of three games.
Losing Ellis long term would be a huge blow for the struggling Predators. He forms one of the most dominant blue-line pairings in the league with captain Roman Josi. Nashville owns a 61% share of high-danger scoring chances with Ellis on the ice at five-on-five, which is the best mark among all NHL defensemen. Additionally, the club's expected goals-for percentage of 58.22 with Ellis deployed ranks third among rearguards.
Ellis has also taken a leap offensively this season and is on pace for 12 goals and a career-high 58 points. The 29-year-old leads the team in blocked shots and ranks second in average ice time, logging 23:34 per contest.
The 24-year-old winger suffered the injury in the third period of Thursday's contest against the Edmonton Oilers. He left the game and did not return.
Olofsson has been arguably the league's top rookie this season, leading all first-year players in both points (36) and goals (16) through 42 games. He ranks second on the Sabres in scoring behind Jack Eichel.
The loss is significant for a Buffalo team that's struggled to find the net as of late. The Sabres are averaging just 2.3 goals per game over their last 10 contests and have just three wins during that span.
Buffalo acquired forward Michael Frolik in a trade with the Calgary Flames on Thursday in an attempt to bolster its forward depth.
In the third edition of theScore's Hart Trophy Power Rankings, a defenseman on a historic pace enters the mix for the first time.
5. Jack Eichel
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
GP
Goals
Points
ATOI
xGF%
41
26
54
21:59
49.06
Eichel showed flashes of his immense talent over his first four NHL seasons, but he's unleashed what looks to be his full potential this year. A game-changing player, Eichel is doing his best to give the Buffalo Sabres their first playoff appearance since 2011. The Sabres have started to slip after a hot start to the season, but they remain in the postseason mix. With 19 more points than the second-leading scorer on his team, the 23-year-old Eichel will need to keep his foot on the gas in the second half of the season to keep Buffalo in the race.
4. John Carlson
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
GP
Goals
Points
ATOI
xGF%
41
13
50
24:57
50.59%
Cemented as a Norris Trophy favorite since the opening weeks of the season, Carlson is generating serious buzz in the conversation for league MVP. On pace for the first 100-point season by a defenseman since Brian Leetch in 1991-92, Carlson has been a driving force for the league's top team. Averaging a touch under 25 minutes of ice time per game, he's been eating monster minutes on the blueline while leading the Washington Capitals in scoring by a whopping 11 points.
3. Brad Marchand
Steve Babineau / National Hockey League / Getty
GP
Goals
Points
ATOI
xGF%
42
20
59
19:55
54.50
Playing in the shadow of goal-scoring machine and linemate David Pastrnak, Marchand is quietly putting together a terrific season from all angles. Sitting fifth in the league with 59 points, Marchand chips in on both sides of the puck. He's one of the best defensive wingers in the game and is tasked with killing penalties night in and night out for the Atlantic-leading Boston Bruins. He leads the league with 25 drawn penalties and ranks fourth in primary assists with 24.
In 70 minutes on the ice at five-on-five without Pastrnak, Marchand boasts a stout 58.52 Corsi For rating and a 61.42 Expected Goals For percentage. And while Marchand excels without Pastrnak by his side, Pastrnak struggles without Marchand, managing a 48.47 CF% and 41.98 xGF% in 129 minutes away from him. He might not possess as much flash or charm as his Czech linemate, but Marchand is certainly the oil that keeps the machine running smoothly in Boston.
2. Connor McDavid
Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / Getty
GP
Goals
Points
ATOI
xGF%
43
22
64
22:12
48.2
After recording 51 points through his first 30 games of the year, McDavid has cooled off a tad over the last few weeks, chipping in 13 points over the last 13 games as the Edmonton Oilers have started to fall in the standings. Even so, McDavid is the league's most dynamic player on a nightly basis regardless of who lines up alongside him; he possesses a fantastic 55.09 xGF% in 197 minutes without All-Star teammate Leon Draisaitl on his wing. Despite the Oilers' lackluster performance of late, they'd be in far worse shape without McDavid.
1. Nathan MacKinnon
Michael Martin / National Hockey League / Getty
GP
Goals
Points
ATOI
XGF%
41
25
62
21:01
53.99
When the injury bug hit the Colorado Avalanche in the early goings of the season, MacKinnon stepped up to ensure his team kept on trucking. He's gone just seven games without recording a point this year, five of which resulted in a Colorado loss. He continued rolling as his team inched closer to full health during the month of December, racking up seven goals and nine assists. MacKinnon ranks second in the league in shots and drives offense at a ridiculous pace whenever he's on the ice. He's third in the league in points and has an incredible 31 more than the next-highest scorer on the Avalanche. The 24-year-old has played an integral role in Colorado's rise to sixth in the league's overall standings, and he looks to be well on his way to surpassing the 99 points he posted in a career year last season.
Honorable mentions: David Pastrnak (BOS), Auston Matthews (TOR), Leon Draisaitl (EDM)
Buffalo shipped defenseman Marco Scandella to the Montreal Canadiens earlier Thursday in exchange for a 2020 fourth-round pick, which the Sabres then used to acquire Frolik.
Frolik joined the Flames as a free agent ahead of the 2015-16 campaign and is in the final year of a $21.5-million deal that carries $4.3-million annual cap hit.
The 31-year-old has five goals and five assists in 38 games this season. He's spent the majority of the year playing in Calgary's bottom six, averaging 11:56 of ice time per game.
Scandella will aim to provide a steadying presence on the Habs' blue line. The 10-year veteran isn't flashy, but the Sabres were able to control 55% of the high-danger scoring chances with Scandella on the ice this season, according to Natural Stat Trick. Montreal ranks 18th in the league in goals against in 2019-20.
Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin could also flip Scandella, a pending unrestricted free agent, at the trade deadline if his club falls out of playoff contention.
For the Sabres, dealing Scandella helps solve the team's logjam on the back end. It also created the necessary cap space to acquire forward Michael Frolik from the Calgary Flames shortly after moving Scandella.
Buffalo used the same draft pick - a fourth-rounder in 2020 - it acquired in the Scandella deal to land Frolik, who's also a pending UFA. This essentially makes it a one-for-one trade for the Sabres.
