While there is still no set timetable on when (or if) the NHL will resume play this season, there was some news from around the hockey world which is featured in the top stories of the week.
Hlinka-Gretzky Cup Cancelled: There have been many cancellations over the past couple of months pertaining to the current hockey season but until now, there hadn’t been any for the upcoming year. The first tournament of note to kick off next year’s hockey calendar, the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, has been cancelled. This event is a popular one for scouts as it represents the first chance to get a look at the upcoming draft class but they won’t get that chance now. The decision isn’t too surprising for a couple of reasons. Fans likely won’t be allowed to attend games during the time period it was scheduled for (August 3-8) while the location of the event – Edmonton – is vying to be one of the centralized hub cities if NHL action resumes.
Latest On Return Plans: Speaking of the potential for games getting back underway, the NHL and NHLPA released a joint memo with an update on their current plans. While there remains no firm timetable for play to resume, there appears to be some that team workouts could resume at some point this month. Meanwhile, the league sent another memo to teams to discuss their reasoning for wanting to move the NHL draft up and hold it in early June. There doesn’t seem to be much support from teams for the idea but the league will have the final say, one that should come early in the week ahead.
Extension For Halak: One of the top backup goalies in the upcoming unrestricted free agent class is off the market at the Bruins signed Jaroslav Halak to a one-year contract extension. The deal will give him the opportunity to earn more than his current $2.75MM AAV although it is structured in a way to give Boston some short-term cap flexibility as it carries a base salary of $2.25MM with a $1.25MM bonus to be paid out if he plays in ten games. Considering how Halak has been used in his two years as Tuukka Rask’s backup/tandem partner, that’s pretty much a guarantee barring injury. By putting some of the money as bonuses, it gives the Bruins the ability to defer the cap charge for that by a year by using the bonus cushion. With the salary cap expected to level out or potentially even decrease, that may prove to be quite important while Halak gets a raise for his efforts.
McDonough Fired: Shortly after the stoppage in the schedule began, Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz gave a vote of confidence to his front office (president/CEO John McDonough, GM Stan Bowman, and head coach Jeremy Colliton). Evidently, he has changed his mind as the team fired McDonough after thirteen years with the team. A search has already started for his replacement with Wirtz’s son Daniel taking over on an interim basis. The move also presents some questions about Bowman and Colliton’s status with the team although it’s possible that Bowman could move up after spending more than a decade in his current role.
New Transfer Agreements: The NHL reached an agreement on one-year extensions on its agreements with a dozen countries (including Sweden, Finland, and the Czech Republic), paving the way for a wave of international signings over the past few days. They also reached an agreement with Switzerland after not having one for the past several years which means players drafted from there this summer won’t see their NHL rights be held indefinitely by the team that picks them. On top of that, they also extended their agreement with the Canadian Hockey League, consisting of the OHL, QMJHL, and WHL. Of note, that means that players from that league under the age of 20 will continue to be ineligible to play in the minors.
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