2020 was certainly a unique year away from the rink. However, it was also a year that featured several big trades and free agent signings, coaching changes, and much more. Over the coming days, PHR will take a look back at the top stories from around the game on a month-by-month basis. Next up is a look at March where things began to change in a hurry.
NHL Suspends The Season: Following the first confirmed COVID-19 case in the NBA, the NHL joined other leagues in suspending their season. It was intended to be a short-term measure but wound up lasting several months due to the pandemic. In the end, the regular season never resumed with the league opting for a playoff qualification round with training camps for that getting underway in July. The effects are of course still being felt and the pandemic will continue to play a big impact for years to come.
Offside Amendment Begins: Back in December, the league announced a rule change to modify the offside rule that would no longer require a skate to be touching the line to be onside but rather over the plane of the blueline. That was the end result of a process that actually began in March at the GM meetings where they voted in favor of changing the rule. It had to go to the Competition Committee as well as the Board of Governors for approval following the recommendation from this vote.
Stamkos Injury: Lightning captain Steven Stamkos underwent successful surgery to repair a core muscle injury that was expected to cause him to miss the remainder of the regular season and maybe the first few games of the playoffs. Of course, things didn’t happen that way. Although the postseason didn’t get underway until August, he wound up reaggravating the issue while practicing which held him out until the Stanley Cup Final. He suited up just once (playing less than three minutes before the injury crept up again – although he scored on his lone shot before exiting the game) and wound up having to undergo a second surgery to fully repair the injury in October.
Richard Passes Away: Longtime Canadiens winger Henri Richard passed away at the age of 84. The ‘Pocket Rocket’ is the franchise leader in games played (1,258) and spent 20 years with the Canadiens, winning an unprecedented 11 Stanley Cup titles, a record that seems unlikely to be broken. (It doesn’t include his time as an ambassador for the team either where they won more titles.) His 1,046 career points are the third-most in franchise history which helped him get into the Hall of Fame back in 1979.
Gorton/Drury Extensions: Satisfied with the progress of their rebuild, the Rangers rewarded the architects of their roster in GM Jeff Gorton and assistant GM Chris Drury with contract extensions. Gorton has been at the helm of the team since 2015 and had served in a variety of front office roles before getting the promotion. Drury, meanwhile, has frequently been speculated as a candidate for any managerial vacancies that have opened up and has been with New York since Gorton was given the GM role. In that time, he has also served as GM of the Hartford Wolf Pack as well as Team USA for their last entry at the World Championships.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.