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Chicago Blackhawks Suspend Assistant Marc Crawford

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The Chicago Blackhawks have completed their investigation into allegations of player abuse by assistant coach Marc Crawford in previous NHL roles and have made a disciplinary decision. In a joint release with Crawford himself, the Blackhawks announced that they will not fire the veteran coach, but that he has been suspended, presumably without pay, until January 2nd. The NHL has released a statement of support for the Blackhawks’ findings and decided course of action.

The statement from Chicago reads:

The Chicago Blackhawks, and independent legal counsel, conducted a thorough review of assistant coach Marc Crawford in response to allegations of misconduct in previous coaching positions. During this process, we engaged with many of Marc’s former players, colleagues, and executive management.

We do not condone his previous behavior. Through our review, we confirmed that Marc proactively sought professional counseling to work to improve and become a better communicator, person and coach. We learned that Marc began counseling in 2010 and he has continued therapy on a regular basis since. We believe that Marc has learned from his past actions and has committed to striving to reform himself and evolve personally and professionally over the last decade. We have experienced no incidents during Marc’s coaching tenure with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Crawford adds his own honest assessment of his past actions and the steps he has taken to change his behavior:

Recently, allegations have resurfaced about my conduct earlier in my coaching career. Players like Sean Avery, Harold Druken, Patrick O’Sullivan and Brent Sopel have had the strength to publicly come forward and I am deeply sorry for hurting them. I offer my sincere apologies for my past behavior.

I got into coaching to help people, and to think that my actions in any way caused harm to even one player fills me with tremendous regret and disappointment in myself. I used unacceptable language and conduct toward players in hopes of motivating them, and, sometimes went too far. As I deeply regret this behavior, I have worked hard over the last decade to improve both myself and my coaching style.

I have made sincere efforts to address my inappropriate conduct with the individuals involved as well as the team at large. I have regularly engaged in counseling over the last decade where I have faced how traumatic my behavior was towards others. I learned new ways of expressing and managing my emotions. I take full responsibility for my actions. Moving forward, I will continue to improve myself, to listen to those that I may have hurt, and learn from their experiences. My goal is to approach all players, past and present, with empathy and understanding. My hope, as a coach and a person, is to create environments of dignity and respect.

While some may see Crawford’s 18-day suspension as a light punishment, the genuine contrition expressed in his statement is almost unheard of in the world of sports, particularly from a coach to his players. Crawford has clearly been working to right past wrongs and prevent future issues for some time now, long before these recent allegations surfaced. It should also be taken into account that Crawford has been away from the team during this investigation, which the Blackhawks took time to see through fairly and properly.

Once Crawford does return, the Blackhawks included a mandate in their statement that he continue counseling and compliance with team expectations. Beyond that, the team stated that they would have no further comment on the allegations against Crawford, a sentiment echoed by the NHL.

Rasmus Sandin’s Status For WJC In Question

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It was considered a likely scenario that the Toronto Maple Leafs intended to send defensive prospect Rasmus Sandin to join Sweden for the World Junior Championship later this month. However, after Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Tyson Barrie went down with an injury Saturday, that could change the thinking of the team.

Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston on Hockey Night in Canada late Saturday, suggested that the team’s 2018 first-rounder could get called up to the NHL club depending on the severity of Barrie’s ankle injury that he suffered in Saturday’s victory over Edmonton. Barrie blocked a shot in the first period and immediately went to the dressing room. There has been no word on the status of Barrie, other than Sportnet’s Luke Fox reporting that x-rays were negative on Barrie’s ankle. However, even an injury that might keep the blueliner out for a week could be enough for Toronto to hesitate sending the 19-year-old to Czechoslovakia.

Sandin has been impressive in his second season in the AHL, where he has posted two goals and 12 points in 18 games and would be the likeliest candidate to step in for the Maple Leafs, although the team also has 2017 first-rounder Timothy Liljegren playing well with the Marlies as well.

Not getting Sandin would be another hit for Sweden, who were just informed earlier today that they would not be getting Adam Boqvist, who the Chicago Blackhawks opted to retain in the NHL instead. Sandin played for Sweden at the WJC last season, posting two goals and four points in five games.

Coach Behavior To Be Main Topic At NHL Board Of Governors Meetings

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It has been a whirlwind few weeks in the NHL coaching ranks. After the Toronto Maple Leafs fired head coach Mike Babcock back on November 20, several former players used the opportunity to criticize the veteran coach’s tactics and the way he treated some of his players. Former NHLer Akim Aliu used these comments as a jumping off point to make his own accusations of mistreatment against former AHL coach and then-Calgary Flames head coach Bill Peters. Aliu’s recollection of racists epithets from Peters while with AHL Rockford were also echoed by stories of physical abuse from former players of Peters with the Carolina Hurricanes and confirmed by current Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’amour. Peters ended up resigning last week. The latest coach to be exposed is Chicago Blackhawks assistant Marc Crawford, who faces allegations of physical abuse from some of his former players with the Los Angeles Kings. Crawford has left the team temporarily while under investigation.

The behavior of coaches has been brought to the forefront of NHL headlines and is not going to be a conversation that disappears quickly. In fact, the NHL Coaches’ Association – which ironically includes Babcock and Peters as executive members – addressed these ongoing issues with a statement earlier today:

We believe the NHL is a league built on hard work, respect, and teamwork. It is a coach’s job to understand how best to motivate players while respecting them as individuals and valuing them as people. Coaching philosophies differ from coach to coach, and season to season, but there are lines that cannot be crossed and there is certainly no room in the NHL, or anywhere else, for abusive behavior of any kind… The NHLCA is committed to working with the NHL and NHLPA to ensure respectful working environments for everyone.

TSN’s Darren Dreger adds that coach behavior will be the biggest topic of conversation among NHL owners at the upcoming Board of Governors meeting in California next week. He believes that coach behavior has never been scrutinized to this extent and that these meetings could produce a substantive change to how coaches are governed by the NHL. Commissioner Gary Bettman has already met with Aliu, who came away from the meeting with a positive reaction and a feeling that changes are coming. One possible shift, suggested by Dreger’s colleague Bob McKenzie, is enhanced vetting when hiring coaches and deeper background checks, including interviews with former players and assistants. One way or another, these incidences and allegations have made clear that there has been an ongoing issue related to coach behavior in the NHL that has flown under the radar but now must be addressed.

Toronto Marlies Hire Greg Moore As Head Coach

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Since the promotion of former head coach Sheldon Keefe to the same position with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies have been searching for his replacement. The team has decided to go outside of the organization to tab their next bench boss, a rare move in-season, and have announced that Greg Moore has been named head coach. Moore was hired away from the USHL’s Chicago Steel midway through his second season with the team.

Moore, 35, is very familiar with developmental hockey. A young head coach, Moore was himself an NHL prospect not long ago. The Maine native played for the U.S. National Team Development Program in the early 2000’s and then played his college hockey at home at the University of Maine. He was drafted by the Calgary Flames after his freshman year, but his rights were traded to the New York Rangers before he turned pro. Moore made his NHL debut with the Rangers in 2007-08 overall made ten NHL appearances with the Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets over five pro season in North America. He also played a leadership role with nearly every AHL club he played for. Moore moved to Germany in 2011 and extended his playing career another four years before calling it quits in 2015. He immediately jumped into the coaching ranks, becoming an intern assistant coach with the USNTDP. After two seasons as an intern, he became full-time in 2017-18 only to be named head coach for USHL rival Chicago a year later.

Moore is well-regarded among young NHL coaching prospects. His Steel team went all the way to the Clark Cup in his first season and recorded a 52-25-5 record overall in 82 games with Moore behind the bench. His name had already been in the mix for possible NCAA openings this off-season, but he gets an even better deal with an AHL promotion mid-season. The Leafs organization has seemingly had an eye on Moore for some time, as they invited him to be a guest coach at development camp this summer and worked quickly to hire him just ten days after the firing of Mike Babcock and promotion of Keefe. Moore will be in the spotlight with the Marlies, but has a bright future ahead of him following this major career move.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Makar, Nugent-Hopkins

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With another month having passed, the NHL revealed its Three Stars for the month of November and no surprise that Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid heads the list. The two-time Art Ross Trophy winner dominated November in 14 games, leading the league with 13 goals, 26 points, six power play goals and 11 power play points over the month. That performance has put Edmonton at the top of the Pacific Division with a 7-5-2 record in November.

The Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon and Chicago Blackhawks Patrick Kane round out the top three. MacKinnon ranked second in the NHL in points in November with 10 goals and 25 points in 14 games and did it while being without his two linemates, Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog for most of that month. Kane, meanwhile, scored a point in all 15 games that he played, scoring 11 goals and 24 points.

  • The NHL also announced the NHL ’Rookie of the Month,’ handing the award to Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, who dominated the month of November. The 21-year-old led all rookies with seven goals, 16 points, three game-winning goals, +10 plus/minus and ATOI, averaging 21:25. Makar became the fifth rookie to score seven or more goals in a month and the last to do it since Brian Leetch did it in 1989. Makar beat out New York Rangers’ Adam Fox, Vancouver Canucks’ Quinn Hughes, Carolina Hurricanes’ Martin Necas, Buffalo Sabres Victor Olofsson and Pittsburgh Penguins’ John Marino.
  • The Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins writes that despite rumors that Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a surgical procedure last week on his hand, he did not. Instead, Nugent-Hopkins received an injection, suggesting that the injury is more pain-related than anything else. The Oilers hope to get the top-six forward back sometime later this week.

Poll: Which Teams Will Buck The Thanksgiving Playoff Trend In 2019-20?

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Just how important is playoff position in just the second month of the regular season? Very, if you look at recent results. Over the past six years, more than 70% of teams in a playoff position at American Thanksgiving have held on to their spot. While last year was slightly below the mark – 11 of 16 teams (69%) in a playoff position on November 22 qualified – the standings at the time were even more predictive than usual. The Lightning, Predators, Flames, Maple Leafs, Jets, and Sharks all finished in the same divisional seed that they occupied at Thanksgiving.

So who were the outliers in 2018-19? Obviously, the St. Louis Blues’ return from the basement of the league standings to win the Stanley Cup is a story that will stand the test of time. However, four other clubs also turned their seasons around: the Islanders, Penguins, Hurricanes, and Golden Knights. And the teams whose seasons took a turn for the worse: the Sabres, Wild, Rangers, Canadiens, and Ducks. Ironically, the Canadiens were narrowly inside the playoff window on Thanksgiving and ended up just barely outside in the spring. Meanwhile, the Ducks, Oilers, and Coyotes were all tied for the lowest playoff-qualifying record on Thanksgiving, with the Ducks getting the tiebreaker at the time, and all three failed to qualify for the postseason.

This season has gotten off to an unpredictable start, which could potentially threaten to derail the Thanksgiving trend. Several teams considered Cup contenders are currently outside the playoff picture, while multiple surprises currently occupy a spot. With Thanksgiving arriving tomorrow, this is the current status of the NHL standings (reminder – points percentage is the ideal way of viewing NHL standings):

Eastern Conference

M1 New York Islanders (.773)
A1 Boston Bruins (.771)

M2 Washington Capitals (.740)
M3 Carolina Hurricanes (.646)

A2 Tampa Bay Lightning (.619)
A3 Florida Panthers (.604)

W1 Pittsburgh Penguins (.625)
W2 Philadelphia Flyers (.604)

Outside the Playoff Picture: Montreal Canadiens (.563), New York Rangers (.545), Columbus Blue Jackets (.522), Buffalo Sabres (.521), Toronto Maple Leafs (.520), Ottawa Senators (.479), New Jersey Devils (.435), Detroit Red Wings (.327)

Western Conference

C1 St. Louis Blues (.680)
P1 Edmonton Oilers (.673)

C2 Dallas Stars (.615)
C3 Colorado Avalanche (.609)

P2 Arizona Coyotes (.620)
P3 Vancouver Canucks (.560)

W1 Winnipeg Jets (.604)
W2 Nashville Predators (.543)

Outside the Playoff Picture: San Jose Sharks (.540), Chicago Blackhawks (.521), Anaheim Ducks (.500), Vegas Golden Knights (.500), Calgary Flames (.481), Minnesota Wild (.480), Los Angeles Kings (.417)

2018-19 playoff teams jump off the page as potential candidates to disrupt the status quo. Particularly in the Pacific Division, it is hard to image none of the Golden Knights – who beat the Thanksgiving odds last year – the Sharks or the Flames will make the playoffs, especially as they look up at the Oilers, Coyotes, and Canucks.  There could also be hope in West for the Ducks and Blackhawks, who sit at .500 currently. Over in the East, the Maple Leafs stick out like a sore thumb among non-playoff teams and could be line for improvement following their coaching change. But will it be enough given their difficult start? The Canadiens will also hope for a reverse of fortunes from last year, going from first team out in the conference at Thanksgiving to in the postseason come April. The Sabres have started hot and collapsed two years in a row, but there is still time for them to turn things back around. All three Atlantic clubs see a Panthers team with plenty of problems ahead of them in the standings right now. Meanwhile, the Rangers and Blue Jackets will look to make an unlikely run to the postseason as they chase down the Flyers.

What do you think? Which of these teams will find their way into the playoff picture and which will fall victim to the Thanksgiving postseason trend? Select as many teams below as you like, but remember that for every addition, there has to be a subtraction of a current playoff team.

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St. Louis Blues Sign Troy Brouwer

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The St. Louis Blues brought in two veteran forwards on professional tryouts last week in Jamie McGinn and Troy Brouwer. While McGinn was released from his PTO this morning, Brouwer has had better luck. The Blues have revealed that forward Sammy Blais will undergo surgery on his right wrist and is set to miss at least ten weeks. Taking his spot on the roster will be Brouwer, who the team announced has signed a one-year, two-way contract worth a pro-rated $750K.

While Brouwer unofficially began his second stint with the Blues last week, the team had to decide by Thursday whether or not to sign the gritty forward. Given the absence of Blais, as well as Vladimir Tarasenko and Alex Steen, the Blues clearly felt they could use the depth up front. Brouwer brings familiarity with the organization, having suited up for St. Louis back in 2015-16. In fact, that was the last season in which Brouwer cracked 25 points and was one of the more complete campaigns of his long career. A 13-year NHL veteran, Brouwer has developed a hard-nosed, two-way game that has proved dangerous in recent years with the Calgary Flames and Florida Panthers, even as his overall offense dropped off slightly. Brouwer will be a nice depth piece for the Blues, who will take advantage of his experience and toughness in the bottom six.

However, Brouwer is not a seamless replacement for Blais. While the 23-year-old forward has a large frame and a physical style himself, Blais’ skating and offensive skill are superior to Brouwer’s at this point in their respective careers. In fact, Blais was enjoying a breakout season to this point, recording five goals and eight points through 20 games. That mark makes him a top-six scoring forward for St. Louis this season, a role than he has actually been playing more often since Tarasenko and Steen suffered injuries. The Blues will not expect Brouwer to jump in and play with the pace and scoring efficiency of Blais, but it is a convenient time for the team to be able to add a capable option to their forward corps.

NHLPA Files Grievance On Behalf Of Dustin Byfuglien

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A strange story that had grown cold over the past month is back in the spotlight once again with a new twist. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the National Hockey League Players’ Association has filed a grievance with the league challenging the suspension of Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien. The case will now go before an independent arbitrator, unless of course the two sides can come to an agreement beforehand.

Byfuglien, 34, has not played for the Jets this season and has been suspended without pay entirely thus far in 2019-20. This all began back in September, when Winnipeg announced that the veteran defender would be taking a leave of absence for undisclosed personal reasons. He reportedly was taking time to consider his playing future, despite having two years and $14MM in salary remaining on his contract. Many speculated that his absence could have less to do with wear and tear and more to do with personal issues. When training camp arrived and Byfuglien had still not reported, the Jets, in need of salary cap space, suspended him without pay indefinitely until the point that he either returned to action or formally retired.

At the time, there was no indication that Byfuglien’s leave or his sudden concern for his future were related to injury. However, the Jets may have been holding back information on his unexpected absence. Byfuglien underwent surprise ankle surgery in late October, after which the team announced that they were “aware” that he was considering the surgical option for a previously undisclosed injury. The team did add that they were not involved in the decision-making process and that Byfuglien went under the knife without any recommendation from the team’s medical staff.

Herein lies the upcoming battle between the NHL, defending the Jets, and the NHLPA, arguing for Byfuglien. The players’ association will argue that, had Byfuglien reported to camp with his injury and the team had agreed that it was a hockey-related injurythat requiredsurgery, he would be collecting his salary for this season. If his sudden consideration of retirement was fueled by injury concerns, but he chooses to work his way back into game shape and re-join the Jets, should he not have been compensated for that time? The NHLPA may also flirt with the possible punitive nature of this suspension. Byfuglien’s absence came as a shock to Winnipeg, who this summer allowed Tyler Myers and Ben Chiarot to walk as free agents and traded away Jacob Trouba, all under the impression that Byfuglien would be around for at least two more years. The team could not have been happy with his leave of absence and reportedly had been trying to convince him not to retire and return to play. However, if his injury also came as a surprise to the team, they may not have been willing to recommend surgery and end up just as short-handed on the blue line, but also paying Byfuglien’s salary. The NHL may feel that the Jets are punishing Byfuglien for blindsiding them, while still hoping that he will return. With that said, the league’s counter will simply be that Byfuglien did not abide by the terms of his contract. If he had concerns over an injury and his longevity in the game, he should have reported to camp and discussed those issues with the team. Winnipeg could also take issue with when and how the injury occurred and whether it was related to any previous injury issues. By taking a leave of absence and then undergoing unapproved surgery, the NHL will argue that Byfuglien cannot just retroactively say that his motivations are to play for the Jets again and he is thus deserving of his salary while he has kept the team in the dark on a number of matters this whole time.

Surely there is more to this story than has been revealed to the public and perhaps more will come out now that a grievance has been filed. There is no timeline as of yet for a potential arbitration hearing, though one would think it would have to come before Byfuglien has fully recovered from his ankle surgery and has the option to return to action with the Jets. In many cases, the NHLPA files a grievance on behalf of a player against his former team, making this an unusual case as Byfuglien remains Winnipeg property until he formally retires. Recent grievances related to issues with former Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Jake Dotchin and Los Angeles Kings forward Mike Richards were settled long after the initial dispute occurred. That may be different in this scenario. Stay tuned.

Overseas Notes: Olympics, Lindberg, Ozhiganov, Tikhonov

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As expected, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman met with NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr and IIHF President Rene Fasel this week in Stockholm, Sweden, the site of the NHL Global Series, to discuss another international hockey event: the Olympics. Although the next Winter Olympic Games are not until 2022, there needs to be a decision on participation in Beijing, China sooner rather than later, especially as that decision is tied into collective bargaining between the league and players’ association. However, Sportsnet’s Emily Sadler relays that Bettman told the collected media yesterday in Stockholm that he had “no news to report” on an Olympic resolution, and the NHL’s stance on participation remains pessimistic:

We had another meeting. We’ve had many, many meetings, and there is no news to report… I don’t want to sound like a broken record on the subject, but I think going to the Olympics is a challenge for us. I know the players love representing their countries, I know that the players like going, I know that the players that don’t go like having a break in the middle of the season. But from our standpoint, we have found going to the Olympics to be incredibly disruptive… I think it has some pretty material downsides in terms of what happens to our season.

  • Tobias Lindberg is ready to get his 2019-20 season started. After seemingly holding out hope for a contract in North America, Lindberg has finally opted to return home to Sweden. Timra IK of the SHL has announced a one-year deal with Lindberg, who adds another stop to a lengthy list of teams he has played for in his young career. The 24-year-old forward is most well-known by NHL fans not for his short stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but for his tendency to be traded. A fourth-round pick of the Ottawa Senators in 2014, Lindberg was dealt to Toronto in the Dion Phaneuf deadline deal of 2016. He spent a season with the Leafs organization before being traded to the Vegas Golden Knights early in 2017-18, who flipped him to the Pittsburgh Penguins later that season. The Penguins sent him back to Ottawa in December of last year, who in turn gave him back to Vegas at the deadline. In total, the capable AHLer has been involved in five NHL trades compared to just six NHL games and it could be good for his development to find some stability in Timra, at least for one year.
  • A blockbuster trade in the KHL this week featured two former NHLers. Defenseman Igor Ozhiganov, who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs just last year, was dealt by Ak Bars Kazan to SKA St. Petersburg in exchange for forward Viktor Tikhonov, who has spent multiple seasons in North America with the Arizona Coyotes and Chicago Blackhawks. Defenseman Roman Rukavishnikov will also move to Kazan. Both teams currently lead their respective divisions with Ak Bars sharing the top record in the KHL, making this a rare swap between top contenders. Tikhonov had been buried under the tremendous forward depth of SKA and should be able to play a larger role with his new club. Tikhonov, who recorded six points in 50 games between the ‘Hawks and ‘Yotes in 2015-16, is no longer a dynamic offensive talent, but plays a well-rounded game and can provide leadership and experience to a Kazan club that hopes to make a deep playoff run this year. Rukavishnikov, a physical stay-at-home defender, will also help to make up for the loss of Ozhiganov. Meanwhile, SKA lands one of the top blue liners in the KHL. Ozhiganov had eight points through 19 gamed with Ak Bars, which would put him on pace for a career high in scoring, especially with the firepower of St. Petersburg at his disposal now. Ozhiganov recorded seven points in 53 games with Toronto last season and looked like a player who could have found employment in the NHL again this summer had he wanted to stay.

League Notes: Waiver Priority, Power Play, AHL Trades

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November 1st marks an important day on the NHL calendar, but one many may not be aware of. Fortunately, CapFriendly is here for the reminder. This day marks the official change over to the waiver priority by current NHL standings. In the first month of the season, as the sample size is too small to truly judge the weak from the strong in many cases, the league uses the reverse order of the prior year’s regular season standings as the waiver priority for all of October. Up until now, the Ottawa Senators have had the first chance at available players on waivers, followed by the Los Angeles Kings, New Jersey Devils, and all the way to the Tampa Bay Lighting. But as of today, the top priority goes to… well, the Kings, who move up just one spot. The Senators slide back to third, with the Minnesota Wild occupying the second position. As of right now, it is the Boston Bruins who have the very last opportunity to claim a player on waivers. Waiver priority will now change constantly based on the reverse order of the league standings by points percentage.

However, at the current rate, waiver priority won’t matter too much this season. The Winnipeg Jets, who have occupied the 22nd waiver priority spot until today, have claimed defensemen Carl Dahlstrom and Luca Sbisa, and the Arizona Coyotes, who previously held spot No. 14, claimed goaltender Eric Comrie. Those have been the only claims thus far in 2019-20, an unusually low count even this early in the season.

  • The mark of success so far this season? Power play efficiency. As John Dietz of the Chicago Daily Herald points out, there is no stronger correlation between wins and losses this year than how a team performs man-up. The top six teams in power play percentage are all also among the top nine in points percentage. This includes the Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres at No. 1 and 2 in both statistics. Down at the bottom, five of the six worst power play teams are among the bottom the eight teams in points percentage. The only outlier appears to be the Anaheim Ducks, who have managed to overcome a 29th-ranked power play thus far to get off to an 8-6-0 start. As the skill level in the NHL improves each year and the game becomes more about using space to create offense, it only makes sense that man-up efficiency will matter more and more, with the start to this season as the perfect example.
  • A strange occurrence early on this season has also been not one, but two AHL trades. AHL trades are extremely rare, as the NHL teams that manage their farm team rosters often lack any incentive to make such a deal. In general, the only motivation to make a deal that solely impacts an AHL squad is to improve depth at a certain position, either to avoid the overexposure of prospects or, later in the year, to give the team a push toward securing a playoff spot. However, even then AHL GM’s tend to eye other players on two-way NHL contracts to swap rather than players on minor league pacts. Not so far this year, though. On Tuesday, the Grand Rapids Griffins acquired forward Marcus Vela from San Jose Barracuda for defenseman Marcus Crawford in a move that wasn’t even about addressing depth, as Vela was immediately reassigned to the ECHL. Just two days later, the San Diego Gulls acquired veteran defenseman Ryan Johnston, a player who had been a healthy scratch for every game so far this season, from the Toronto Marlies for future considerations. Perhaps this is a new trend in organizational roster management or perhaps it is simply a coincidence, but either way it is an intriguing attachment to this young season.

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