- Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo missed Friday’s second game against Montreal and it appears he’ll miss at least a couple more. Head coach Paul Maurice told reporters, including Postmedia’s Ted Wyman, that the blueliner is dealing with a soft tissue injury and will be out for at least a week. Jordie Benn replaced DeMelo in the lineup last night although youngster Ville Heinola could get a look at some point as well.
Jets Rumors
Still No Decision On Border Exception For NHL Postseason
The Montreal Canadiens head into Game Two of the North Division Finals on Friday with a chance to go up 2-0 in the series on the Winnipeg Jets. In fact, the series could be over as early as early as Monday if the Habs continue to win. There might be just one business day left between now and Montreal advancing to the NHL’s postseason final four. Yet, they still have no idea whether or not they will be playing any home games beyond that point.
Reporting for Sportsnet late last night, David Morassutti relays word from Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly that the league and the Canadian government still do not have any agreement on an exception to current border policies. With Canada behind the United States in Coronavirus vaccinations, the country and each of the provinces still have strict border restrictions and tight health regulations. Those are not going away any time soon, so if the NHL wants Montreal or Winnipeg to be able to host home games in the next round or two, they need to negotiate an exception to the rules. Daly notes that conversations with Canadian officials are ongoing and “increasing in frequency” and there is an understanding that the NHL needs a decision as soon as possible. However, Canada is already late on a ruling; the NHL had previously announced that they hoped to have the border exception hammered out by the end of the first round.
Morassutti reports that what is being discussed is a “national interest exemption” that would allow both NHL and MLB teams – with the Toronto Blue Jays currently calling the U.S. home – to cross the border without facing quarantine time. However, a new set of policies would need to be put in place to safeguard against COVID transmission from these visitors and public health officials would need to approve. Daly feels confident that a solution can be reached soon, but phrases like “rigorous due diligence” from the Canadian side cast some doubt on just how quickly this can be done. With the next round arriving no later than June 13, will “soon” be soon enough for the Stanley Cup Playoffs?
If no deal is reached, meaning American clubs cannot cross the border and the Canadian champ cannot return once they cross into the U.S. either, the alternative would be that the North Division winner would have to adopt a home south of the border for their remaining games. In all likelihood, these plans have already been made in the event that a border exception is not reached in time. However, there has been no indication by the NHL of what this Plan B might be. The closest American cities to Montreal that could host NHL postseason play include Portland, ME, Manchester, NH, and Rochester or Syracuse, NY, all current or former AHL homes. Boston is the closest NHL city, but seems unlikely due to the Bruins’ potential inclusion in the next round. Buffalo would likely be the next-best choice. As for Winnipeg, options are few and far between. The club is located very close to Grand Forks, ND, home of the University of North Dakota and a location that was considered as hub city for the 2020 postseason. However, it likely isn’t an ideal spot for the NHL. Minneapolis is the only NHL city even remotely close for the Jets, though Seattle has also been mentioned as possibility.
There is still a lot of unknowns about this situation and time is running out. Hopefully the Canadian government can work with the NHL to come to a quick solution on an amended border policy. If not, the North Division champ will face the disadvantage of playing in a strange city as their reward for advancing on in the postseason.
Mark Scheifele Suspended Four Games
June 4: Speaking with the media today, Scheifele explained that though he had the option to appeal, he has decided not to.
June 3: The Department of Player Safety has reached a verdict in the case of Mark Scheifele, handing out a four-game suspension to the Winnipeg Jets forward. Scheifele will miss games two through five of the Jets’ second-round series against the Montreal Canadiens with his team already down 1-0.
As the accompanying video explains:
Scheifele, moving with excessive momentum gained from travelling a considerable distance, finishes his check violently and with excessive force into Evans, making significant head contact in the process and causing an injury.
The league also acknowledged Scheifele’s argument that the distance was travelled with the idea of trying to break up Jake Evans’ empty-net goal attempt but felt that him not attempting to make a play on the puck meant that he was conceding the goal, leading to the following:
Instead, it is apparent to our department that his intention on this play is to deliver a hard, violent check to an opponent with the outcome of both the play and the game already having been decided. In short, this is a player who has travelled a considerable distance, is moving with exceptional speed, and is fully aware of his momentum who chooses to charge into a vulnerable opponent with a high, predatory hit that causes an injury.
The incident occurred at the very end of the game as Evans scored a game-clinching empty-net goal, and resulted in the Canadiens’ forward lying on the ice unconscious. Evans was eventually stretchered off the ice but did not require hospitalization. According to Montreal head coach Dominique Ducharme, the young forward (who turned 25 last night) suffered a concussion but is recovering.
For Scheifele, it means that he will miss a good chunk of this series should the Jets fail to come out victorious without their star center. Now 28, he recorded his fifth consecutive point-per-game campaign in 2020-21, scoring 63 in 56 during the regular season. In the first-round sweep against the Edmonton Oilers, Scheifele recorded five points but was kept completely off the board by Phillip Danault and company last night.
He received a five-minute major and game misconduct for the hit on Evans and also did not have a history of supplementary discipline. Still, he’ll now miss four games in the North Division deciding series.
TSN’s Darren Dreger was the first to report the suspension.
Mark Scheifele To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety
The Winnipeg Jets lost game one of their second round series against the Montreal Canadiens and now will be losing one of their most important players. Mark Scheifele will have a hearing with the Department of Player Safety to determine the supplementary discipline for his hit on Canadiens forward Jake Evans at the end of last night’s game. It is important to note that it is not an in-person hearing, meaning the suspension will not be greater than five games.
With Montreal defending a lead, Evans raced to collect a loose puck in the Winnipeg zone and deposit it for the game-clinching empty-net goal. As he did, Scheifele skated nearly the entire length of the rink, first appearing to be backchecking to prevent the score. Instead of trying to poke the puck off Evans stick as he wrapped it into the net, Scheifele instead stopped his stride and prepared for a hit. The resulting contact was forceful and left Evans down and unconscious on the ice. He would need to be stretchered off, and Scheifele would receive a five-minute major and game misconduct.
There are very few in the league who consider Scheifele a dirty player, but almost everyone can agree that this hit did not need to happen. The DoPS obviously believes it as well, as the Winnipeg center will be sitting down for a while.
Winnipeg Jets Sign Jeff Malott
It was an impressive rookie campaign with the Manitoba Moose for undrafted forward Jeff Malott, and he’s going to get rewarded for it. The Winnipeg Jets have agreed to terms with Malott on a one-year entry-level contract for the 2021-22 season. The two-way deal will carry an NHL salary of $780K.
Malott, 24, played four seasons at Cornell University period to this year but never experienced anything quite like the offensive success he had for the Moose. In 34 games playing on an AHL contract, he recorded 14 goals and 20 points while also bringing a level of physicality every night. The 6’3″ forward had one fighting major and 35 penalty minutes in his debut season.
A teammate of Cale Makar with the Brooks Bandits of the AJHL, Malott went undrafted despite dominating the league in 2015-16. He scored 25 goals in 46 games that season but failed to record more than six goals in any of his four years at Cornell. It seems that scoring touch has returned to Malott and it brings the promise of an NHL deal.
NHL Making Progress On Olympic Participation
The 2022 Olympic Winter Games are coming quickly and there is no definitive answer yet on whether the NHL will participate. That could be changing soon, as hockey insider Frank Seravalli reports that the league has received a verbal commitment from the IOC to fund travel and insurance, one of the biggest sticking points in previous negotiations. Seravalli notes there is still a lot of work to be done, including negotiating whether the NHL will be allowed to use game footage and other promotional material, something the Olympic committee has long been against.
Progress is progress though and it will be welcome news to hockey fans all over the world. Best-on-best hockey always creates a memorable event, whether at the Olympics or World Cup, and the lack of NHL participation in the 2018 Games robbed some of a chance to compete for their country. Players like Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid who are now five and six years into their NHL careers still haven’t had a chance to represent their nations on the Olympic stage.
The 2022 Games are scheduled to begin on February 4, 2022, meaning there would need to be a stoppage to the NHL schedule while the league’s best go to Beijing. In 2014, the last time the NHL participated, Canada took home the gold in a 3-0 win over Sweden. The U.S. finished off the podium entirely, downed in the bronze medal game by tournament MVP Teemu Selanne of Finland.
In 2018, without the NHL involved, the Olympic Athletes from Russia took home gold, defeating Germany in the gold medal match. That Russian team included several former NHL talents like Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk along with several names who would make their debuts in the coming years, like Ilya Sorokin, Igor Shesterkin, and Kirill Kaprizov.
North Notes: Weber, Oilers, Tkachuk, Hamonic
The Department of Player Safety announced that they have fined Montreal Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber $5,000, the maximum fine allowable in the CBA, for cross-checking Toronto’s Wayne Simmonds Saturday during Game 2 of the playoffs.
The veteran forward was not assessed a penalty against Simmonds on the play, but did receive a two-minute minor for cross-checking on Toronto’s Pierre Engvall during the third period and later received a 10-minute misconduct. Montreal received seven minor penalties during their 5-1 loss to Toronto.
- The Edmonton Oilers look to be making several lineup changes after falling 2-0 to the Winnipeg Jets in their first-round matchup, according to Oilers insider Bob Stauffer. With the hope of being faster on the ice, the team is scratching James Neal, Dominik Kahun and Alex Chiasson, while bringing Tyler Ennis, Gaetan Haas and Devin Shore. The team has also split up defensemen Tyson Barrie and Darnell Nurse, while demoting forward Kailer Yamamoto to the third line.
- Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk, who is eligible to sign an extension with the team, tells Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg that he hasn’t spoken to Flames’ management about a new contract. The 23-year-old has one more year remaining at a $7MM AAV, but also will have a qualifying offer of $9MM when he becomes a restricted free agent. That’s a lot of money for a player that hasn’t taken that next step the team was hoping for. Tkachuk scored 34 goals and 77 points during the 2018-19 season and looked to be developing into a star player. However, those numbers have dropped to 23 goals and 61 points in 69 2019-20 and then 16 goals and 43 points in 56 games this season. There’s even been talk of Calgary making major changes this year, which could, in theory, include Tkachuk as well.
- The Vancouver Canucks have high hopes they can re-sign defenseman Travis Hamonic to a new contract for the upcoming season. Hamonic, who will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, played 38 games for Vancouver, mostly pairing with Quinn Hughes and fared well, despite dealing with injuries and rust. However, The Province’s Ben Kuzma reports that general manager Jim Benning said that there is interest in bringing back Hamonic, assuming the two sides can reach a reasonable deal. The 30-year-old signed a one-year deal worth $1.25MM in hopes of staying in Western Canada, suggesting a deal is legitimately possible.
Nikolaj Ehlers Ready To Return To Winnipeg’s Lineup For Game 3
Already up two games in their first-round playoff game with the Edmonton Oilers, the Winnipeg Jets got some more good news Sunday when it was learned that winger Nikolaj Ehlers would return to the lineup for Game 3, according to Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe.
Ehlers, who has been out since April 24 with an upper-body injury and has missed a total of 11 games during that time, will move onto the right side of the team’s second line. Pierre-Luc Dubois is expected to move to the other side of that line, while Andrew Copp will drop to the third line. Dominic Toninato will come out of the lineup.
The return of the 25-year-old Ehlers will be welcome news to the Jets and its fans. Ehlers has been a consistent goal scorer throughout his career, tallying 20 goals or more for the last five years. He looks to have turned a corner this year, scoring at almost a point-per-game pace. Ehlers tallied 21 goals and 46 points in 47 games this year.
Nikolaj Ehlers Out Rest Of Regular Season
The Winnipeg Jets lost two important games against the Toronto Maple Leafs, but have suffered an even greater blow than the two points in the standings. Nikolaj Ehlers will miss the rest of the regular season according to head coach Paul Maurice, after taking several big hits, including one from Jake Muzzin in Saturday’s game. Maurice remains confident that Ehlers will return for the playoffs, but the team won’t have him for the last few weeks of the regular season.
The Jets have now lost three in a row and are in danger of losing the second seed in the North Division. The team sits just a single point ahead of the Edmonton Oilers despite having played two additional games and will now be operating without one of their most important forwards.
Ehlers, 25, had reached an entirely new level of production his season, with 21 goals and 46 points in 47 games. That put him 13th in the NHL in goals and 18th in points, meaning the Jets are not only losing a strong performer but one of the league’s emerging stars.
The timing couldn’t be worse for Winnipeg, who will welcome in the Oilers for a two-game series starting tonight.
North Notes: Senators Goalies, Scheifele, Oilers
The Ottawa Senators seem to be running short on goaltenders. That became apparent Saturday when scheduled starter Anton Forsberg suffered an injury during warmups, forcing Matt Murray into net against the Canucks. However, Murray got tangled up with Jake Virtanen early in the second period and was forced to leave the game himself, leaving Marcus Hogberg as the only remaining goaltender.
In a unusual scare, Hogberg and Nikita Zaitsev collided within 10 seconds of Hogberg’s appearance in the game, scaring the coaching staff. Hogberg was OK and finished out the game, but with no emergency backup goalie in place due to COVID-19 restrictions, who would have taken Hogberg’s place had he been injured?
The Athletic’s Ian Mendes (subscription required) writes that while the team did consider goaltending coach Zac Bierk, but the team settled on putting the pads on Artem Anisimov, who was on the taxi squad, instead.
Murray is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
- Much of the Winnipeg Jets season could find itself in the reaction of center Mark Scheifele, who was benched in the middle of Saturday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Scheifele was benched for 17 minutes during the second and third periods while being on the ice during John Tavares’ goal, which gave the Maple Leafs a two-goal advantage. Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe writes that the team needs Scheifele to be at his best and the benching on national TV was meant to make a point. However, it is up to Scheifele and how he will respond. He was given a chance to return to the ice in the third period and performed well, according to Wiebe, although the star did not speak to the press after the game.
- Edmonton Oilers head coach Dave Tippett said that defenseman Dmitry Kulikov is expected to make his Oilers’ debut on Monday, according to Sportsnet’s Jack Michaels. Kulikov was acquired at the trade deadline for a conditional 2021 fourth-round pick and has sat out the mandatory quarantine period. Tippett added that rookie Ryan McLeod has also completed his quarantine period since being recalled from the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL. The coach said McLeod was likely to play on Monday as well at the center position. The 21-year-old had 14 goals and 28 points in 28 AHL contests.