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Minor Transactions: 12/08/23

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It’s a busy day around the world of sports, hockey included. Not only are sports fans everywhere likely captivated by the free agency of baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani, a process that is being diligently covered by our friends at MLB Trade Rumors, but there is also player movement activity across the many leagues of pro hockey to pay attention to. Trade rumors are flying around a few quality NHL defensemen, and the waiver wire is active as well. As always, we’ll keep track of notable player movement from minor and overseas leagues here.

  • Former Philadelphia Flyer Jackson Cates, the brother of Flyers center Noah Cates, has been released from his tryout agreement with the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders. The 26-year-old University of Minnesota-Duluth product signed with the Flyers as a college free agent and ended up playing in 20 total games for the club across three seasons. He spent more time in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, including a 65-game slate with the team last year in which he managed 23 points. The Flyers elected not to re-sign Cates for 2023-24, resulting in him latching on with the Islanders on tryout agreements. After 12 games in Bridgeport Cates has only managed one point, though, and that point came all the way back on October 14th. Now he’ll likely have to look for opportunities elsewhere to continue his professional career.
  • Former Moncton Wildcats captain Nicholas Welsh has transferred from Liiga’s JYP Jyväskylä to the Augsburg Panthers of the German DEL. The 26-year-old offensive defenseman is no stranger to the DEL. He played for the Nürnberg Ice Tigers from 2021 to 2023 before electing to sign in Liiga over the summer. His 22-game run with JYP did not go well, as he managed just three points in that span and saw his ice time decline sharply from the start of the year. He’s likely to find more success with Augsburg, who are in need of defensive reinforcements after an injury to veteran David Warsofsky. Welsh last played in North America in 2020-21, when he got into 17 games with the AHL’s Rochester Americans.
  • 28-year-old Adam Brodecki, a veteran of over 300 SHL games, has signed a short-term contract with the SHL’s Frölunda HC. Brodecki spent last season with Rytíři Kladno in the Czech Extraliga, scoring 20 points in 45 games, but lingered on the free agent market before signing a short-term deal with the Växjö Lakers, helping them as injury issues struck their forward corps. Now, Brodecki will get the chance to represent Frölunda as they are set to lose a few players to Sweden’s World Juniors squad.
  • Former WHL star Jaedon Descheneau has signed a one-year deal with the DEL’s Berlin Polar Bears, according to a team announcement. The five-foot-eight former St. Louis Blues prospect heads to Germany for a second tour of duty there, as he also spent 2018-19 as a top offensive player for Düsseldorfer EG. Although began his pro career in North America, Descheneau left the AHL/ECHL circuit after just one season. He bounced from California to Switzerland, then to Germany, then Sweden, then to Finland, and now is headed back to Germany. Along the way Descheneau has generally been a productive offensive player, although he has struggled with injuries and inconsistency over the last two years. With Berlin currently sat at the top of the DEL table, they add a talented scorer in Descheneau.
  • Former WHL champion Reece Harsch, a six-foot-four right-shot defenseman, has elected to leave the EIHL’s Fife Flyers in the midst of a second campaign there. The former Seattle Thunderbirds blueliner began his pro career in 2021-22, skating in five AHL games for the Abbotsford Canucks and seven ECHL games for the Toledo Walleye. The then-23-year-old would that summer depart for Scotland, where he would play in 50 games for the Flyers. Now, after 10 games this year with Fife, Harsch has decided to leave the club and potentially look elsewhere to continue his young professional career.
  • 2022 Seattle Kraken fourth-round pick Tyson Jugnauth has decided to leave the University of Wisconsin Badgers, the number-six team in men’s college hockey, in order to join the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks. The Winterhawks acquired Jugnauth’s WHL playing rights via trade earlier this week, trading four draft picks to be able to add the player. Jugnauth had seen his role decline as a sophomore after his 15-point freshman campaign, and for the team’s last game, he was listed as a seventh-defenseman. As an offensive player who prioritizes speed and puck-carrying ability, Jugnauth’s development would be best served by having stability in terms of role and who his defensive partner is. That’s not something he was finding at Wisconsin, so he’s elected to join the Winterhawks rather than remain with the Badgers.

Snapshots: Kane, Perry, Near

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Yesterday, in a rare high-profile signing in the month of November, the Patrick Kane free agency saga finally came to its conclusion as the former MVP decided to sign with the Detroit Red Wings on a one-year, $2.75MM prorated contract for the remainder of the season. After recovering from off-season hip surgery, Kane took to the ice for the first time today with his new team, in hopes of being ready for game action in the near future.

Commenting on exactly that, Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press reports that Kane will more than likely make his Red Wings debut next Tuesday, as the team takes on his hometown Buffalo Sabres. With three games in between, Detroit will conveniently match up against both of Kane’s former teams, playing the New York Rangers tonight, and the Chicago Blackhawks tomorrow.

Even when he does begin playing in regular action, it will likely take some time for Kane to get readjusted to the speed of the game, especially against a high-flying team such as the Sabres. After appearing in 74 games last season, Kane has not skated in an NHL game in over 200 days, as his last game came with the Rangers in the 2023-24 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Other snapshots:

  • In a very mysterious and convoluted report from yesterday, the Chicago Blackhawks held a press conference regarding the team’s decision to terminate the contract of Corey Perry. After having been on unconditional waivers for the last 24 hours, Chris Johnston of TSN is reporting that Perry has officially cleared, and is now an unrestricted free agent. Although he is now free to sign with any team, it is incredibly unlikely that Perry will find a new destination given that his contract was terminated ’with cause’.
  • In June, long-time Commissioner of the Western Hockey League, Ron Robinson, announced he would be stepping down from his position at the conclusion of the 2023-24 WHL season. Seemingly having found their replacement as league Commissioner, Darren Dreger of TSN is reporting that Dan Near will be taking over the role, and the league will announce the decision tomorrow. Near, who has been serving as a Global Senior Director with Adidas since January of this year, has previously served in the NHL’s league offices from 2006-2016.

Atlantic Notes: Sabres, Minten, Senators New Arena

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The Sabres are expected to recall a forward later today, notes Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald.  They finished yesterday’s victory over Pittsburgh with just ten forwards as center Zemgus Girgensons left the game in the second period with a lower-body injury while winger Jordan Greenway was a late scratch with an undisclosed injury, resulting in Buffalo having to dress seven blueliners.  Notably, the Sabres don’t have any open roster spots – they’re one of the teams carrying three goalies as well – so any recall would require an IR placement or waiver-exempt blueliner Ryan Johnson being sent down to AHL Rochester.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:

  • Maple Leafs prospect center Fraser Minten is on the move as WHL Saskatoon announced that they’ve acquired the 19-year-old from Kamloops. Minten made Toronto’s roster out of training camp and got into four games with them before being assigned back to junior last month.  Since that re-assignment, he has been quite productive offensively, notching ten points in his first seven games.  Saskatoon moved a pair of first-round picks as part of the swap, a fairly high price tag for a one-year rental as Minten will be eligible to play in the AHL next season if he doesn’t crack Toronto’s roster out of camp once again.
  • Senators owner Michael Andlauer has received an extension on determining if LeBreton Flats is the right location for a new arena, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports. Originally, their exclusivity agreement was set to expire in the fall but will now go until next September.  This location has long been viewed as the best fit for a new building although Andlauer and his ownership group will need time to look into an assess other potential opportunities which this extension will give him a chance to do.

Sabres Assign Matthew Savoie To WHL

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Matthew Savoie’s time with the Sabres has come to an end quickly.  The team announced today that they have assigned the forward back major junior, sending him to WHL Wenatchee.

Savoie suffered an upper-body injury during Buffalo’s prospect tournament, one that kept him out through the start of the season.  Once he was cleared to return last month, he was eligible to be sent to AHL Rochester for a conditioning assignment even though age-wise, he isn’t eligible to play there on regular assignment; a request from the Sabres to give him an exemption was denied.

The 19-year-old fared well with the Americans on that assignment, picking up two goals and three assists in six games, prompting Buffalo to recall him to their active roster.  He made his NHL debut last night with Alex Tuch out of the lineup but played just 3:55, a sign that his stay in the NHL might be short-lived.

Savoie now returns to junior, a level he dominated last season with 38 goals and 57 assists in just 62 games with Winnipeg; that organization moved to Wenatchee for this year.  He will be ineligible to be recalled to Buffalo barring emergency circumstances for the remainder of his junior season; once his campaign there comes to an end, Savoie would be eligible to play for Rochester if the Americans are still playing at that time.

Savoie is in the first season of his entry-level deal which carries a $918K AAV.  That contract will now slide for a second and final time at the end of the year, meaning he should come into training camp in 2024 with three years still left on that deal at a slightly lower cap charge.

Toronto Maple Leafs Recall William Lagesson, Return Fraser Minten To WHL

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced that defenseman William Lagesson has been recalled from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies. In a corresponding move, center Fraser Minten has been returned to the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers.

The move regarding Minten, 19, is an expected one. The 2022 38th overall pick had an impressive training camp and preseason, earning Toronto’s third-line center role to start the season.

While he showed some flashes in four regular-season games for the Maple Leafs, it became clear that expecting him to hold down such an important role on a team with Stanley Cup aspirations would not only be a mistake, but also potentially be a detriment to his development.

So Minten will return to the Blazers, who are currently sorely in need of some offensive reinforcements. They’ve scored just 27 goals through 12 games this season, the fewest in the WHL, so adding a former 67-point scorer such as Minten will be a major boon to their nightly competitive chances.

As for Lagesson, the 27-year-old veteran defenseman’s recall was necessitated by the fact that Jake McCabe exited last night’s game with an injury.

The six-foot-two left-shot blueliner has so far played this season entirely at the AHL level but has 60 games of NHL experience.

Lagesson could join fellow Swede Timothy Liljegren on Toronto’s second pairing, or he could even be paired with another Swede, John Klingberg, on the team’s bottom-pairing with Mark Giordano elevated to Liljegren’s pairing.

Columbus Blue Jackets Assign David Jiricek To AHL, Make Other Roster Moves

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have their final 23-man roster in place to start the season, making a flurry of camp cuts today to do so. Those cuts are headlined by defenseman David Jiricek, who’s been assigned to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters for the second straight season after the club selected him sixth overall in the 2022 NHL Draft. Defenseman Nick Blankenburg and forward Dmitri Voronkov were also assigned to the AHL, while their other top pick in 2022, defenseman Denton Mateychuk, has been returned to the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors. Lastly, Columbus placed forwards Yegor Chinakhov and Jordan Dumais, as well as goaltender Daniil Tarasov on the season-opening injured/non-roster list. Forward Mathieu Olivier was also placed on injured reserve.

Many believed Jiricek, 19, would make Columbus out of camp thanks to a strong showing in his rookie season with the Monsters. However, after Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen added a pair of veteran bodies to his blueline this summer in Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson, the path to a roster spot muddied significantly for the Blue Jackets’ many young defense prospects. Jiricek is still looking for his first NHL point after skating in four NHL contests with Columbus last season. With Cleveland, he recorded six goals, 32 assists, 38 points, and a -11 rating in 55 games.

Blankenburg and Voronkov were also both strong candidates to make Columbus’ opening-night roster. Blankenburg, a 5-foot-9, 174-pound right-shot defenseman, joined the Blue Jackets in 2022 via free agency after captaining a star-studded University of Michigan squad. The 25-year-old immediately stuck in the NHL, thanks partially in part to the Blue Jackets’ rash of injuries on the blue line last season, but he didn’t look out of place at all. While injuries affected Blankenburg too, limiting him to 36 contests, the diminutive defender recorded four goals and ten assists for 14 points – an impressive 32-point pace over 82 games. He’s destined for a major role in Cleveland to start the season and will be one of Columbus’ first call-up options aside from Jiricek.

Voronkov, 23, will get his first taste of North American hockey in the minors. The 2019 fourth-round pick was expected to make a push for a roster spot after breaking out for 18 goals and 31 points in 54 contests with the KHL’s Ak Bars Kazan last season. Like the two others mentioned before him, expect a recall for Voronkov at some point during the 2023-24 campaign.

Mateychuk, however, will likely have to wait until 2024-25 (or at least the very end of 2023-24) to get his first taste of NHL hockey. The 12th-overall selection in 2022 returns to Moose Jaw, where he will reclaim his role as the team’s captain after registering 129 points in 128 games over the past two campaigns.

There’s nothing new regarding the injuries to the four players destined for IR. All injuries were previously reported and were expected to keep them out through at least opening night. These are paper moves to get the team’s roster compliant before tonight’s deadline.

Kevin Constantine Under WHL Investigation

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While preseason matchups are underway in the NHL, a bit of drama is coming out of the Western Hockey League this evening. The WHL announced via a press release that the head coach of the Wenatchee Wild, Kevin Constantine, has been suspended for the foreseeable future.

Without much specificity into the allegations, the WHL will investigate Constantine due to alleged WHL Regulations and Policy violations. Constantine was originally hired as the first coach in franchise history for the Wild this summer, having recently moved and rebranded away from the Winnipeg Ice.

This is not the first time that Constantine has found himself in hot water, having been suspended twice already as a professional coach. In 1996, as an assistant coach for the Calgary Flames, Constantine and fellow coach, Guy Lapointe, were suspended one game, and two games, respectively, after trying to assault a fan during a game against the Edmonton Oilers. During his first run as head coach of the Everett Silvertips, in 2006, Constantine was suspended four games and fined $5,000 USD for forcing his players to only remove their helmets, skates, and gloves, requiring them to wear their full gear to eat the post-game meal, as well as on the bus ride back to Everett.

He previously had a run as the head coach of a few NHL organizations from 1993 to 2002 with the San Jose Sharks, Pittsburgh Penguins, and New Jersey Devils. After his last head coaching stint in Everett at the conclusion of the 2016-17 WHL season, Constantine spent time being a head coach in South Korea, Poland, and Hungary, before finally returning to North America this summer.

It is important to note, that prospects for the Buffalo Sabres Zach Benson and Matthew Savoie, as well as Arizona Coyotes prospect, Conor Geekie, were all projected to start the year in Wenatchee, now leaving their head coaching situation in doubt for the upcoming season. Last season in Winnipeg, the team finished first in the Eastern Conference, losing to the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL Finals.

List Of NHL-Affiliated Prospects Expected To Play In The WHL This Season

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NHL preseason is just 20 days away, but the WHL season kicks off even sooner the day prior. One of the NHL’s largest feeder leagues is getting a new market this season – Central Washington’s Wenatchee Wild, who were relocated from Winnipeg earlier this summer. It has the largest United States presence of all three of the major Canadian junior leagues and churned out last year’s first overall pick – Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats (now of the Chicago Blackhawks). Nine teams do not have any drafted prospects projected to suit up in the WHL next year: the Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Blues, and Tampa Bay Lightning. If you’re a fan of one of the other 23 NHL teams, keep reading to find out where your team’s future players are skating next season if you’re looking to catch some WHL action.

Anaheim Ducks

F Connor Hvidston (Swift Current Broncos) – 2022 fifth round, 139th overall
F Nico Myatovic (Seattle Thunderbirds) – 2023 second round, 33rd overall
D Vojtech Port (Edmonton Oil Kings) – 2023 sixth round, 161st overall
F Yegor Sidorov (Saskatoon Blades) – 2023 third round, 85th overall

Arizona Coyotes

F Conor Geekie (Wenatchee Wild) – 2022 first round, 11th overall
D Terrell Goldsmith (Prince Albert Raiders) – 2023 fourth round, 102nd overall
D Justin Kipkie (Victoria Royals) – 2023 fifth round, 160th overall

Boston Bruins

G Reid Dyck (Swift Current Broncos) – 2022 sixth round, 183rd overall

Buffalo Sabres

F Zach Benson (Wenatchee Wild) – 2023 first round, 13th overall
D Mats Lindgren (Red Deer Rebels) – 2022 fourth round, 106th overall
G Scott Ratzlaff (Seattle Thunderbirds) – 2023 fifth round, 141st overall
F Matthew Savoie (Wenatchee Wild) – 2022 first round, 9th overall

Calgary Flames

F Parker Bell (Tri-City Americans) – 2022 fifth round, 155th overall
F Samuel Honzek (Vancouver Giants) – 2023 first round, 16th overall
F Jaden Lipinski (Vancouver Giants) – 2023 fourth round, 112th overall

Chicago Blackhawks

D Kevin Korchinski (Seattle Thunderbirds) – 2022 first round, 7th overall

Colorado Avalanche

D Jeremy Hanzel (Seattle Thunderbirds) – 2023 sixth round, 187th overall

Columbus Blue Jackets

D Denton Mateychuk (Moose Jaw Warriors) – 2022 first round, 12th overall
F Martin Rysavy (Moose Jaw Warriors) – 2021 seventh round, 197th overall

Detroit Red Wings

F Nate Danielson (Brandon Wheat Kings) – 2023 first round, 9th overall
F Emmitt Finnie (Kamloops Blazers) – 2023 seventh round, 201st overall

Florida Panthers

D Marek Alscher (Portland Winterhawks) – 2022 third round, 93rd overall
F Josh Davies (Portland Winterhawks) – 2022 sixth round, 186th overall
F Gracyn Sawchyn (Seattle Thunderbirds) – 2023 second round, 63rd overall

Los Angeles Kings

F Koehn Ziemmer (Prince George Cougars) – 2023 third round, 78th overall

Minnesota Wild

F Riley Heidt (Prince George Cougars) – 2023 second round, 64th overall
D Kalem Parker (Victoria Royals) – 2023 sixth round, 181st overall

Nashville Predators

F Kalan Lind (Red Deer Rebels) – 2023 second round, 46th overall
D Tanner Molendyk (Saskatoon Blades) – 2023 first round, 24th overall
F Austin Roest (Everett Silvertips) – 2023 sixth round, 175th overall
D Graham Sward (Wenatchee Wild) – 2022 fifth round, 146th overall

New Jersey Devils

F Josh Filmon (Swift Current Broncos) – 2022 sixth round, 166th overall

Philadelphia Flyers

G Carson Bjarnason (Brandon Wheat Kings) – 2023 second round, 51st overall
D Carter Sotheran (Portland Winterhawks) – 2023 fifth round, 135th overall

Pittsburgh Penguins

D Owen Pickering (Swift Current Broncos) – 2022 first round, 21st overall
F Brayden Yager (Moose Jaw Warriors) – 2023 first round, 14th overall

San Jose Sharks

G Mason Beaupit (Wenatchee Wild) – 2022 fourth round, 108th overall
D Luca Cagnoni (Portland Winterhawks) – 2023 fourth round, 123rd overall

Seattle Kraken

D Lukas Dragicevic (Tri-City Americans) – 2023 second round, 57th overall
F Jagger Firkus (Moose Jaw Warriors) – 2022 second round, 35th overall
D Kaden Hammell (Everett Silvertips) – 2023 fifth round, 148th overall
D Caden Price (Kelowna Rockets) – 2023 third round, 84th overall

Toronto Maple Leafs

D Noah Chadwick (Lethbridge Hurricanes) – 2023 sixth round, 185th overall
F Brandon Lisowsky (Saskatoon Blades) – 2022 seventh round, 218th overall
F Fraser Minten (Kamloops Blazers) – 2022 second round, 38th overall

Vancouver Canucks

D Sawyer Mynio (Seattle Thunderbirds) – 2023 third round, 89th overall
G Ty Young (Prince George Cougars) – 2022 fifth round, 144th overall

Vegas Golden Knights

F Jordan Gustafson (Seattle Thunderbirds) – 2022 third round, 79th overall
F Ben Hemmerling (Everett Silvertips) – 2022 sixth round, 177th overall

Washington Capitals

F Andrew Cristall (Kelowna Rockets) – 2023 second round, 40th overall
F Brett Hyland (Brandon Wheat Kings) – 2023 seventh round, 200th overall
F Alexander Suzdalev (Regina Pats) – 2022 third round, 70th overall

Winnipeg Jets

F Connor Levis (Kamloops Blazers) – 2023 seventh round, 210th overall
G Thomas Milic (Seattle Thunderbirds) – 2023 fifth round, 151st overall

Offseason Notes: Peters, Pacioretty, Voronkov

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In a surprising turn of events, controversial head coach, Bill Peters, has landed a new coaching role in North America. Making his way back to the Western Hockey League, Peters will find himself manning the bench of the Lethbridge Hurricanes for the 2023-24 WHL season. Peters had spent the last several years coaching the Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg of the KHL after an unceremonious end to his time with the Calgary Flames in 2019.

As a reminder, back during the 2019-20 season, former player Akim Aliu, accused Peters of anti-Black racism when the two had been together in 2010 with the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. More specifically, Aliu lambasted Peters’ usage of the ’N’-word, as well as writing letters to Chicago Blackhawks management tarnishing Aliu’s future career. The NHL did execute an investigation into the matter, but those results have not been released to the public up to this point.

Salim Valji of TSN reported that a current coach, who remained nameless, had attempted to broker a conversation between himself and Peters, but Aliu declined. With the negative stories now associated with his coaching career, it is more than unlikely that Peters will ever coach in the NHL again, even in spite of the shocking development that he was been hired for a role in the WHL.

Other notes:

  • Far be it from a confirmation, but the going notion is that new forward for the Washington Capitals, Max Pacioretty, will not be ready for opening night according to Jason Chen of The Hockey News. Even after suffering another Achilles tendon tear in January, Pacioretty was still able to land a one-year, $2MM contract from Washington this summer. If he is able to rebound in any meaningful way, he would certainly become a solid secondary scoring option for the Capitals down the stretch.
  • Although he spent his last four professional seasons in the KHL, a prospect for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Dmitry Voronkov, will report to the team for training camp in September (X Link). Originally the 114th selection in the 2019 NHL Draft for Columbus, Voronkov became quite the goal scorer in the KHL last year. In 54 games played, the young forward would have 18 goals and 13 assists, showing that he is ready to continue his professional career in North America next season.

Snapshots: Ducks Prospects, Ruggiero, Duhamel, Viveiros

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It’s been more than a half-decade since the Anaheim Ducks made it to the NHL’s postseason, and despite acquiring some talented players this offseason they remain likelier to finish the season outside of the playoff picture looking in. But even though Pat Verbeek’s rebuilding team may not be ready to earnestly compete for a Stanley Cup in 2023-24, Anaheim may not be far away. That’s at least according to The Athletic’s Corey Pronman, who ranked the Ducks’ prospect pool as the NHL’s best. (subscription link) Headlined by a trio of highly talented pivots in ascending star Trevor Zegras, 2023 second-overall pick Leo Carlsson, and 2021 third-overall pick Mason McTavish, the Ducks have the sort of foundation down the middle that most true contenders boast.

But even beyond those three centers is a deep group of high-upside players, including a glut of talented defensemen. Pavel Mintyukov, Olen Zellweger, and Tristan Luneau each scored at high rates in the CHL last season and all three would be in the conversation for best prospect in several other NHL systems. In Anaheim, they rank fifth, sixth, and ninth, according to Pronman. So regardless of how the Ducks ultimately perform in the standings next season, it appears fans in Orange County will have plenty to look forward to.

Some other notes from across the NHL:

  • The New York Rangers are hiring Hockey Hall of Famer Angela Ruggiero as a hockey operations advisor, according to Mollie Walker of the New York Post. Ruggiero is one of the most accomplished women’s hockey players of all time, winning four Olympic medals (one gold), four IIHF Women’s World Championships gold medals, and numerous All-Star and top defender honors. Her playing career ended in 2011-12 and since her retirement Ruggiero has built up an impressive off-ice resume, serving on the board of the IIHF and the executive board of the IOC. She’ll join Rangers GM Chris Drury’s front office in New York and have a voice in shaping the team’s quest for its first Stanley Cup since 1994.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have officially confirmed that assistant coach Mario Duhamel has been signed to a multi-year contract extension. Duhamel’s relationship with Tourigny stretches back all the way to 2005-06, when Duhamel joined Tourigny’s staff with the QMJHL’s Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. Duhamel oversees the Coyotes’ defense, and a recent breakout season for waiver claim Juuso Välimäki, the rapid rise of J.J. Moser, and the near-resurrection of Shayne Gostisbehere’s career after a trade from Philadelphia all speak to the value Duhamel brings to Tourigny’s squad.
  • The WHL’s Vancouver Giants have hired Manny Viveiros to be the team’s next head coach, according to a team announcement on X. Viveiros, 57, served as the head coach for the Henderson Silver Knights, the Vegas Golden Knights’ AHL affiliate, for the last three seasons. Although he didn’t produce overwhelming on-ice results this past season with the Silver Knights, Viveiros does have valuable WHL experience, such as from 2017-18 when he won a league title with the Swift Current Broncos and was named WHL Coach of the Year. Viveiros’ one-year stint in 2019-20 with the Spokane Chiefs was also highly successful (he went 41-18-5 in 64 games before the WHL season was scuttled by the COVID-19 pandemic) and it’s likely that the Giants are hoping for big things from Viveiros and his potential partnership with 2023 Calgary Flames first-rounder Samuel Honzek.

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