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Snapshots: Vegas No Longer Hub Frontrunner, Wild, Soucy, Coyotes, Kessel

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Hold onto your hats: the NHL’s hub cities saga is taking yet another turn. Las Vegas is no longer a presumed selection for one of the NHL’s hub cities, per Frank Seravalli of TSN Sports. Veteran NHL Reporter John Shannon notes that increasing cases of COVID-19 in 36 states across the United States – including Nevada – are among the reasons the NHL has started to look more seriously at letting Canada host both the Eastern and Western Conference playoff bubbles. Toronto and Edmonton would be the presumed frontrunners now, though still, nothing is official. It’s surprising that it took the NHL this long to move off Vegas as their top choice, but if the delay amounts to the league doing their due diligence, the process is working as intended. Still, we continue to wait for the final word from the league. In the meantime, let’s check in on some player health notes…

  • Minnesota Wild defenseman Carson Soucy has recovered from a mid-season upper-body injury and he’s ready to participate in the Stanley Cup Qualifier, per Pete Jensen of NHL.com. Soucy, 26, missed the final nine games of the season after scoring 14 points in the first 55 games. Soucy averaged over 15 minutes of ice time per game when he was healthy. He’ll be an option in the third pairing for Minnesota if indeed he’s back to full strength. Ryan Suter, Jared Spurgeon, Mathew Dumba, and Jonas Brodin figure to make up the top two defensive pairings for the Wild.
  • Mercurial forward Phil Kessel told reporters today that he’d never been more banged up in a season than this year, his first with the Arizona Coyotes, tweets Coyotes’ beat reporter Craig Morgan. In 70 games with Arizona, Kessel managed just 14 goals, the lowest total since his rookie season in 2006-2007. His 24 assists somewhat salvaged the campaign for the 32-year-old Kessel, but it’s still a far cry from the 75 points per season he racked up in four years with the Penguins. Kessel is a typically strong postseason performer, but he’ll have to come out the gate hot to push the Coyotes past the qualifier stage. This very well might be a case of a player putting a positive spin on a down year, but Kessel at full-speed is a big enough difference-maker that it’s worth tracking.

Snapshots: Dave Andrews Retirement, Hub Elimination, Flames, Gritty

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Dave Andrews is serving his final day as President and CEO of the AHL. Congratulations have filtered in throughout the day. Former player and current TV analyst Mike McKenna wrote via Twitter, “…You always had time for the players and considered us in league decisions when possible…then you’d beat us on the tennis court and share a drink after. Enjoy retirement, you’ve earned it!” It’s unfortunate that Andrews has to end his tenure with a season cut short, but it’s a testament to his impact on the game that many people thought first of him when the season was canceled, per Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press. Andrews has served as the President of the AHL since 1994. The longtime executive will remain involved in helping the AHL forge a return-to-play plan. Patrick Williams, AHL beat writer for NHL.com, will be tracking congratulations to Andrews throughout the day. Let’s check-in elsewhere around the hockey world…

  • Los Angeles appears to be out of the running for the NHL’s hub cities, tweets TSN’s Bob McKenzie. It’s unclear if this decision was inspired by the recent uptick of coronavirus cases in Los Angeles and California, though it’s safe to assume it was a factor. Vegas, Chicago, Edmonton, and Toronto are the four remaining options to host the NHL’s 2020 postseason.
  • There will be a new face in camp as the Calgary Flames prepare for their potential Stanley Cup Qualifier with the 9-seeded Winnipeg Jets. The Flames extended an invitation to prospect Adam Ruzicka, who plans to join the club next week, per The Athletic’s Scott Cruickshank. The 21-year-old Slovak was a fourth-round pick of the Flames in 2017. Ruzicka notched 27 points (10 goals) for the Stockton Heat in 2019-2020.
  • In undoubtedly the most important NHL news of the day, Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty has a new look. The notoriously unkempt Philly native received the Queer Eye treatment, per NHL.com. Given the level of global fear amid health concerns and civil unrest, Gritty will perhaps face some criticism for leaning into this public pampering – but with the Queer Eye crew in Philadelphia for their fifth season on Netflix, Gritty found himself nominated for a makeover by none other than his close confidant and mentor, the Philly Phanatic. Luckily, Gritty took the nomination in stride, a testament to his character, given that the 43-year-old Phanatic started dying his hair last year –  a rather embarrassing display of public vanity from the Hall of Fame mascot.

NHL Players Concerned About Return To Play

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NHL Players might be more concerned about returning to play than they’ve let on, according to Sportsnet’s Eric Engels.

In a series of tweets, Engels shines a light on some of the discussions he has had with players, revealing a dichotomous relationship between players and the possibility of returning to play. On the one hand, players are concerned for their safety and frustrated with the lack of transparency and attention being paid to those details in their discussions with NHLPA representatives.

On the other hand, one player suggests that the culture is such in the NHL that no player will choose to opt-out if given the choice. A few NBA players have made the decision to opt-out of the NBA’s return to play, and four MLB players made the decision not to participate in the 2020 season yesterday, citing health concerns. A culture of toughness and grit permeates the hockeysphere, making it considerably more difficult for a player to simply elect to abstain from play – even amid heightened health concerns.

The player culture makes the NHL’s decision about hub cities all the more imperative. Some confusion has surrounded the presumed decision for Vegas to host one play hub, considering Nevada does not appear to be the most prepared environment in terms of containing coronavirus outbreaks. Cases of COVID-19 have been surging in Nevada, peaking with 1,041 new cases on June 27th.

For the NHL, however, Vegas brings a lot to the table when it comes to providing accommodations for players and staff in their quarantine bubbles. Importantly, the final decision has not yet been made, and the NHL has insisted that the five remaining cities are all still very much under consideration.

Columbus Activates Alexandre Texier From Injured Reserve

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The Columbus Blue Jackets activated center Alexandre Texier from Injured Reserve, per NHL.com. The 45th overall selection of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Texier appeared in 36 games for the Blue Jackets this season, notching 13 points (6 goals, 7 assists).

Texier, 20, had his season cut short due to a lumbar stress fracture suffered in a December game against the Panthers. He’ll presumably take the ice when Columbus confronts the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Stanley Cup Qualifier. As the number 9 seed, the Blue Jackets will be slight underdogs in the five-game series with 8-seeded Toronto. Assuming Texier is back to full strength, he figures to see some time on the fourth line between Eric Robinson and Devin Shore, though in these uncertain times, there’s very little lineup certainty until the puck hits the ice.

Coach John Tortorella looks to lead the Blue Jackets back to the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season since he took over the bench. Last season was the worst regular-season record in Tortorella’s three full seasons helming the club, but they finally got over the first-round hump in a big way with a surprise sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Texier made his NHL debut late last season, even earning ice time in the postseason. He notched 11:25 ATOI, highlighted by scoring a pair of goals in the 7-3 series clincher versus Tampa Bay.

Snapshots: Hurricanes’ Roster Decisions, Avalanche’s Rantanen

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The Carolina Hurricanes are going to be deeper and healthier than they’ve been all season for the Stanley Cup Qualifier matchup with the New York Rangers, assuming the NHL reboot kicks off on time. In particular, the Canes should be well-positioned to defend the goal. Coach Rod Brind’Amour, however, isn’t sure which particular bodies he’ll position in front of the net, per Dan Rosen of NHL.com. Petr Mrazek will most likely be in goal, but Brind’Amour needs eyes-on before he can set the lineups. Per Rosen, Brind’Amour said of starting Mrazek, “He may be in rough shape. I don’t know until I get to see them and see what they’re like.” 

  • The Hurricanes will also get the benefit of a beefed-up defensive unit. Dougie Hamilton was expected to be out for the year, prompting the acquisitions of Brady Skjei and Sami Vatanen. Thanks to the extended layoff, Hamilton will have the chance to play alongside his replacements. Rosen notes that Brett Pesce, who was also out for the season, is also expected to be ready for camp. Carolina has upwards of nine viable blueliners to deploy across three lines, per Rosen. Vatanen has yet to appear with the Hurricanes, and given their depth, it may be late to break him into the rotation. That said, the entire process will be an exercise in on-ice chemistry in fast-forward, so roster decisions could very well come down to who looks game-ready when the time comes. As our own Brian La Rose wrote recently, “When you add them to a back end that also features veterans Jaccob Slavin, Joel Edmundson, Trevor van Riemsdyk, and Jake Gardiner, you get a very deep back end. “
  • Mikko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche took to the ice today with teammates for the first time since sustaining an upper-body injury on February 17th against the Tampa Bay Lightning, per NHL.com. Rantanen, 23, was well on his way to another 30-goal season when he was placed on IR. The Finish winger ended the year with 19 goals and 22 assists across 42 games. The Avalanche will return to the ice via a round-robin tournament to determine playoff seeding with other Western Conference stalwarts the St. Louis Blues, Vegas Golden Knights, and Dallas Stars.

15 Players Test Positive For COVID-19 After Reporting To Training Camp

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The NHL has released a statement reporting that 15 players tested positive for COVID-19 after reporting to training camp. More than 1,450 total tests were administered to the 250+ players in camp. These tests have all been administered following the start of Phase 2 of the return to play initiative, which began on June 8.

What’s more, 11 additional players have tested positive for coronavirus outside of NHL training camps. All players who tested positive have been quarantined.

It’s hard to know exactly what to make of these test results. It’s not entirely clear right now how many of these players were asymptomatic at the time, nor is it clear if there was any additional spread to staff or families. Assuming the best, a 6% rate of infection wouldn’t threaten the season’s reboot – especially if some portion of these positive tests prove to be asymptomatic. Positive tests are an inevitability, and part of returning to play is recognizing as much.

Latest On Negotiations Between NHL, NHLPA

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We’ve been awaiting the announcement for hub cities for almost a week now, and the wait for the NHL’s final decision will continue until tomorrow at the earliest, per TSN’s Bob McKenzie. Two hub cities will be chosen from the group of Las Vegas, Edmonton, Toronto, Chicago, and Los Angeles. The decision, however, cannot be made in a vacuum, hence the delay. The NHL and NHLPA are also discussing the logistics of phases 3 and 4 of the return to play initiative, as well as particulars of the CBA, tweets Louis Jean of TVA Sports.

Coming to terms on an extension for the Collective Bargaining Agreement is a particularly daunting task given the short timetable and potential long-term impact of any accord. The escrow cap and revenue sharing are significant fiscal negotiations that could hold up a swift agreement between the league and the players. Some players, such as the Rangers’ Artemi Panarin, have been vocal about needing to fix escrow before players report to camp.

There is some cause for urgency, especially with the impending July 1 date for when teams are supposed to pay out signing bonuses. There’s talk of deferment, but nothing conclusive. As it stands today, over $300MM in bonuses are scheduled to be paid out by Wednesday. There is also the issue of the salary cap, which is likely to remain at $81.5MM for the next two seasons, per McKenzie (Twitter links). These issues are not supplemental. Rather, they are some of the most crucial points of negotiation between league owners and the Players’ Association, and it’s far from a done deal that the two sides can compromise.

Red Wings Cancel NHL Prospects Tournament

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The Detroit Red Wings are done playing hockey for the year, and after a disappointing draft lottery night, they will be eager to turn the page on the 2019-2020 hockey season. In more disappointing news, the club announced the cancellation of the 2020 NHL Prospect Tournament, NHL.com announced.

The 8-team tournament typically takes place in September in Traverse City, Michigan to showcase some of the game’s top young talent. Last year’s tournament field included the Stars, Blackhawks, Wild, Red Wings, Rangers, Blues, Blue Jackets, and Maple Leafs. Detroit defeated Dallas in the final 6-5.

The tournament takes place annually at Centre Ice Arena where the Red Wings also typically hold their preseason training camp. Next season, however, Red Wings training camp has been moved from Traverse City to Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit, per Ansar Khan of mlive.com. Both events are set to return to Traverse City in 2020-2021. It’s unclear at this time when training camp for the 2020-2021 season might take place, but the decision to move camp to Detroit was made with player safety in mind.

Khan provides an explanation via GM Steve Yzerman, who released a statement: “The health and safety of our fans, players and staff is our top concern. Based on discussions with local health experts, we have decided to hold our 2020-21 training camp at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. We look forward to returning to Traverse City next year. The Traverse City community is extremely hospitable to our organization, and Centre I.C.E. Arena is an ideal location for us to hold our events each September.”

Wasserman Acquires Acme World Sports

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Wasserman announced the acquisition of Acme World Sports this morning, giving Wasserman hockey one of the largest stables of pro hockey stars in the world, per The Athletic’s Scott Powers. Wasserman now reps close to 75 NHL players.

Wasserman already represents some of the NHL’s brightest young stars, including franchise cornerstones like Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid. But by teaming with Acme World Sports, they’ve broadened their reach and greatly expanded their foothold in Europe, writes Powers. Tuukka Rask, Teuvo Teravainen, Esa Lindell, and Mikko Koskinen are some of the more lucrative contracts secured by Markus Lehto, co-founder of Acme World Sports. His clients now join Wasserman, a global brand with a more comprehensive portfolio. Lehto and much of his team will continue to rep their clients but under the Wasserman umbrella.

Practically speaking, we can expect Wasserman to make continued inroads into NHL representation. With such a broad and diverse stable of NHL stars, the appeal of the agency only grows, and young players looking to make their first agency decision will have to consider Wasserman when given the opportunity.

A look at their client list shows Wasserman’s international aspirations – presumably one of the primary motivations behind this acquisition. Wasserman represents stars across the global sports landscape, from basketball stars like Russell Westbrook, Klay Thompson, Domantas Sabonis, and Derrick Rose, to baseball stars like Giancarlo Stanton, Yu Darvish, and Javier Baez, to soccer stars like Jordan Henderson, John Stones, and Jamie Vardy.

They’ve been active in recent years acquiring agencies like Acme World Sports. These mergers are huge for an agency like Wasserman because they not only remove a competitor from the landscape but in doing so, Wasserman quickly and broadly expands their client base and opens new markets. They also add to their collection of agents, garnering years of experience and industry connections by joining forces with – in this case – Markus Lehto and his team.

In the announcement released on Wasserman’s website, Lehto provides his thinking on the merger, saying, “I am extremely excited about this opportunity to be part of Wasserman’s hockey group. My goal has always been to offer the best possible representation for each individual client. Over the past decade, our clients have had tremendous success and we have had steady and continuous growth with them. During the lengthy and thorough transaction process, Jason, Jeff, Dave and Judd assured all of us that, together and united, the expanded Wasserman Hockey group will provide the best service any player or prospect can ask for.”

Latest On Hub City Announcement

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While there was some hope that the NHL might make a final decision on the two hub cities for Phase 4 and the upcoming 24-team tournament by Friday, that didn’t come to pass. Others have suggested the league might make the announcement on Monday, but a TSN report suggests that the decision might take even longer.

“Every relevant consideration will be fairly evaluated before decisions are made and announced,” said Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly (via Ryan Rishaug).

Those comments came after reports came that the NHL might be considering moving past Las Vegas, previously considered a lock to be one of the two hub cities, due to rising cases of COVID-19. However, Daly made it clear that none of the five remaining city candidates have been ruled out yet. The league is still considering Las Vegas, Toronto, Chicago, Edmonton and Los Angeles. Vancouver recently took themselves out of the running due to the number of positive tests that would delay/end the return and the flow of people inside/outside the bubble.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman notes that Vegas still remains the frontrunner and believes that Toronto and Edmonton are the next two cities likely to win one of the remaining bids. The scribe also notes that it’s likely East teams will stay in the East, while West teams will stay in the West.

Time is running out for a decision, however, as Phase 3 (training camp) is expected to start on July 10.

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