The Columbus Blue Jackets announced today that they have re-signed goaltender Curtis McElhinney to a one-year contract extension.
McElhinney was selected 176th overall in the 2002 NHL Draft by the Calgary Flames, but played from 2001-2005 for Colorado College where he registered a 2.32 GAA and nine shutouts in 91 career games. He was named First Team All-American in the 2004-2005 season after winning the MacNaughton Cup. He was traded to Columbus from the Phoenix Coyotes in February of 2012 and signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Jackets that same July. He spent the 2012-2013 season with the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League, where his .923 SV% and 9 shutouts set franchise records. He won the Ross Lowe Memorial Award as Falcons MVP and was a Second Team AHL All-Star.
In the 2013-2014 season, McElhinney played a career-high 28 games for the Blue Jackets, posting a 2.78 GAA and .909 save percentage, with two shutouts.
The Tampa Bay Lightning announced that they will play six preseason games in 2014. Their preseason will start on September 23 against the Nashville Predators in Tampa. They will play the Predators, Dallas Stars, and Florida Panthers twice during the preseason.
Two days after they play in Tampa, the team will make their first road trip to Nashville for a September 25th game at Bridgestone Arena. Ticket on-sale dates are TBD. The Lightning are 20-8-3 during the preseason since 2008.
The following is the schedule of games for the Lightning’s 2014 preseason:
DATE
TIME
VENUE
OPPONENT
Tuesday, September 23
7:30 P.M.
TAMPA BAY TIMES FORUM
NASHVILLE PREDATORS
Thursday, September 25
8 P.M.
BRIDGESTONE ARENA
NASHVILLE PREDATORS
Friday, September 26
7:30 P.M.
TAMPA BAY TIMES FORUM
DALLAS STARS
Tuesday, September 30
8:30 P.M.
AMERICAN AIRLINES CENTER
DALLAS STARS
Thursday, October 2
7:30 P.M.
BB&T CENTER
FLORIDA PANTHERS
Saturday, October 4
7 P.M.
TAMPA BAY TIMES FORUM
FLORIDA PANTHERS
The Lightning will start their season on October 9th when they play the Florida Panthers at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
At last year’s home opener they rocketed past the Cats, thanks to the help of a Stamkos hat trick, beating the team 7-2. The seven goals in that game were the most registered by the Bolts in a game all season long.
The Lighting have an all-time record of 11-7-1 with two ties in home openers, and have won three of four past openers. They also swept the Cats in all four games last season, including one win by shootout.
The Tampa Bay Lightning announced on Thursday that they had resigned forward Alex Killorn to a two-year contract.
The Halifax, Nova Scotia native was one of only three players to appear in all 82 games this season. He tallied 17 goals and 41 points along with 63 penalty minutes over the course of that time. Six of those forty-one points came in the first five games, one of which was an overtime winner in Buffalo on October 8th.
The twenty-four year old made his NHL postseason debut in 2014, playing in all four games against the Montreal Canadiens. He had a goal and an assist in Game 1 and had six shots on goal in Game 4.
Standing at 6’1″ and weighing in at 200-pounds, he has skated in 120 games with the Lightning over two seasons. In that time he’s had 24 goals, 60 points, and 77 penalty minutes.
Killorn was drafted 77th overall at the 2007 NHL Draft and made his NHL debut on February 10, 2013 against the New York Rangers, where he got his first NHL assist.
Killorn’s Career Stats
Regular Season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG S GP G A P PIM
The NHL has announced the home opening games of the 2014-2015 season for all 30 teams. The full league schedule is set to be released later today. This season will kick off on October 8, 2014, with 4 games – including a 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs rematch between the LA Kings (who will be hoisting their Stanley Cup championship banner) and inner-state rivals, the San Jose Sharks at Staples Center.
The following evening, October 9, will feature 12 more home openers, including that of the newly christened Arizona Coyotes, whose name change goes into effect on draft day. They will host the Winnipeg Jets at Jobing.com Arena.
FULL LIST OF HOME OPENERS, 2014-15 SEASON Anaheim Ducks: Friday, Oct. 17 vs. Minnesota * Arizona Coyotes: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Winnipeg Boston Bruins: Wednesday, Oct. 8 vs. Philadelphia Buffalo Sabres: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Columbus Calgary Flames: Wednesday, Oct. 8 vs. Vancouver Carolina Hurricanes: Friday, Oct. 10 vs. NY Islanders Chicago Blackhawks: Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. Buffalo Colorado Avalanche: Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. Minnesota Columbus Blue Jackets: Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. NY Rangers Dallas Stars: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Chicago Detroit Red Wings: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Boston Edmonton Oilers: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Calgary Florida Panthers: Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. New Jersey Los Angeles Kings: Wednesday, Oct. 8 vs. San Jose Minnesota Wild: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Colorado Montreal Canadiens: Thursday, Oct. 16 vs. Boston Nashville Predators: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Ottawa New Jersey Devils: Saturday, Oct. 18 vs. San Jose New York Islanders: Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. Carolina New York Rangers: Sunday, Oct. 12 vs. Toronto Ottawa Senators: Thursday, Oct. 16 vs. Colorado Philadelphia Flyers: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. New Jersey Pittsburgh Penguins: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Anaheim San Jose Sharks: Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. Winnipeg St. Louis Blues: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. NY Rangers Tampa Bay Lightning: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Florida Toronto Maple Leafs: Wednesday, Oct. 8 vs. Montreal Vancouver Canucks: Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. Edmonton Washington Capitals: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Montreal Winnipeg Jets: Friday, Oct. 17 vs. Nashville
* Franchise’s name officially changes on Friday, June 27, at 2014 NHL Draft
“Tough last few days,” Richards said. “I loved being a Ranger and living in New York and playing at Madison Square Garden in front of great fans. I’ve met many new friends, excellent teammates and staff, and I have memories that I will cherish for a lifetime.”
Richards had 20 goals and 31 assists in 82 games in the regular season, and he was third on the team in points with 51. But he struggled in the playoffs, putting up 5 goals and 7 assists in a 12-point effort over 25 games, and he dropped to the fourth line in games 4 and 5 against the LA Kings. He has played three seasons with the Rangers, coming over from the Dallas Stars in 2011.
“We would like to thank Brad for everything he has done for our team on and off the ice during his time here,” said Rangers President and GM Glen Sather. “This was an extremely difficult decision to make because of how much respect I have for him. Brad’s leadership and guidance for our young players was invaluable to the organization. We are grateful to have had the professionalism and experience he brought as an example for our team to follow. Brad has been a very good player for us and an even better person. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”
Under the NHL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, each NHL team is allowed two compliance buyouts before the start of the 2014-15 season. The first window for compliance buyouts was from June 26-July 4, 2013, and this second window began on June 16, 2014, and will end in two weeks on June 30 at 5pm ET. If a player receives a compliance buyout, he is granted unrestricted free agency and receives two-thirds of his remaining contract over a period of time that is twice the remaining term of the deal. The salary-cap charge to his team, however, is erased.
Richards had six years left on a nine-year, $60 million contract, and his contract held a $6.67 million NHL salary-cap charge for the Rangers. He will receive two-thirds of the remaining money over the next 12 years, approximately $12.6 million. This is the second and final compliance buyout for the Rangers, who used their first buyout on defenseman Wade Redden last January.
“Glen Sather, the management and owner, Mr. [James] Dolan, are all class acts,” said Richards. “I want to thank them for letting me be a part of New York life and the Rangers family. With this decision finalized, I can now look forward to starting the next chapter of my career.”
The Bruins released their preseason schedule today and unlike last year (which included trips to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and Winnipeg, Manitoba) the team faces a much more familiar task at hand.
The preseason schedule includes an anticipated road opener against the Montreal Canadiens on Sept. 23, and two games against their other playoff opponent from this past spring- the Detroit Red Wings.
Preseason or not, you can expect emotions to run high, especially when Boston makes it’s return to Montreal for the first time since being ousted by their top rival in a heated seven-game second-round series- one in which Boston was the heavy favorite.
The schedule also includes two games against the Washington Capitals (recently named host’s of the 2015 Winter Classic)- at home on Sept. 24 and in D.C. on Sept. 26- and a game against the New York Islanders to be held at the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut on Oct. 3.
The regular season schedule is expected to be released on Sunday.
FULL BRUINS PRESEASON SCHEDULE:
Bruins at Canadiens, Tuesday, Sept. 23 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Capitals at Bruins, Wednesday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. ET
Bruins at Capitals, Friday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. ET
Bruins at Red Wings, Saturday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. ET
Islanders at Bruins, Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. ET
Islanders vs. Bruins, Friday, Oct. 3 (Webster Bank Arena, Bridgeport, Conn.) at 7:30 p.m. ET
Red Wings at Bruins, Saturday, Oct. 4 at 5:30 p.m. ET
Both teams do, however, have a strong following. They also have some of the league’s top stars. Jonathan Toews, Alex Ovechkin, and Patrick Kane were ranked third, fourth, and fifth in NHL jersey sales for 2013.
The Blackhawks have also lifted two Stanley Cups since 2010 and were one goal away from winning the Western Conference Division this year, losing to the eventual 2014 Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings.
They finished this season with 277 consecutive sellouts at the “Madhouse on Madison” United Center, with an average of 22,623 fans each home game.
While the Caps didn’t make the playoffs this year, they have a loyal fanbase and went to the quarterfinals and semifinals twice each before being eliminated the prior four seasons.
They have steady TV numbers and they have some of the highest ticket prices in the league–costing more, on average, to see a “premium” game than anywhere outside of New York.
This in mind, the NHL can maximize profits with attendance, viewership, and, in particular, merchandising. The Winter Classic includes the release of a unique new (typically throwback) sweater and other memorabilia.
HBO also features a special 24/7 behind-the-scenes program of the event including live-mic’d players, which should be particularly interesting with the likes of Kane and Corey Crawford. We get to see how colorful things get uncensored.
While the actual site of the event is yet to be announced, contenders include:
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium.RFK formerly hosted Redskins football, has historic value, and seats more than 45,000.
FedEx Field, in Maryland, which could host 92,000 fans. However, the Redskins host the Cowboys Dec. 28., making setup very difficult.
M&T Bank Stadium, which hosts the Baltimore Ravens. Unfortunately they, too, have a game Dec. 28, when they host the Cleveland Browns.
Camden Yards, a baseball field, where the Baltimore Orioles play. The Blackhawks’ last Winter Classic was at Wrigley Field in 2009.
The most likely candidate, and the location suggested by ESPN, is another baseball field–Nationals Park. It’s relatively new, located in D.C., and has a nearly 42,000 capacity for baseball.
The Blackhawks and Capitals met twice last season, finishing 1-1, with the home-ice team the victor.
In 2009, however, the Blackhawks lost to the Redwings at Wrigley.
In fact, “home” teams have lost all but one Winter Classic since they began in 2008, when the Boston Bruins defeated the Philadelphia Flyers at Fenway Park in 2010.
The only teams to participate in the annual Winter Classic so far are the Blackhawks, Redwings, Bruins, Penguins, Flyers, Capitals, Buffalo Sabres, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs. The Heritage Classic and Stadium Series brought more team diversity to the mix, but with fewer outdoor games in the schedule now, the NHL will likely stick to higher-profit markets and Original Six teams as they’ve done so far.
More information will likely be released when the full NHL schedule comes out. These tidbits along the way will hopefully help fans survive the offseason.
Forget Auld Lang Syne. Sing the Star-Spangled Banner and drop the puck.
The Colorado Avalanche and forward Jamie McGinn have agreed to a two-year contract. McGinn was set to become a restricted free agent on July 1.
The 25-year-old forward had 19 goals and 19 assists for 38 points in 79 games played for the Avalanche last season. He was also a minus three, and averaged about 15 minutes of ice time per game. He had a career high with three game winning goals last season and was fifth on the team with 140 hits.
In the playoffs, McGinn had two goals, three assists, five points, and was a minus one in seven games played. The Avalanche lost in seven games to the Minnesota Wild in the opening round of the playoffs.
McGinn was originally drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the second round of the 2006 Entry Draft. The Sharks sent McGinn, Michael Sgarbossa, and Mike Connolly to the Avalanche in exchange for T.J. Galiardi, Daniel Winnik and a draft pick during the 2011-12 season.
In 347 career games, McGinn has 65 goals, 57 assists for 122 points. He is a minus 34 with 166 penalty minutes in his career. McGinn has two goals, four assists and six points in 29 career playoffs games.
USA Hockey has a Tier III junior league called the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) and a ‘new’ team — The Nashville Junior Predators based in Franklin, Tennessee (28 minutes/22 miles from Nashville). The Junior Predators have been around since 2009, however, it is new to the NA3HL.
What is not only just an adorable name is also a very important part of USA Hockey as the expansion of hockey to so-called “non-traditional” markets like in the Predators backyard can only lead to good things for Middle Tennessee and the South. With the Atlanta Thrashers leaving (but never our hearts), St. Louis being way too Midwestern to be considered Southern and Florida being Florida and Texas being Texas, this is a great moment for Southern hockey (at least until Louisville gets a NHL team or my forever favorite dark horse Alabama does).
And adding to this excitement, former Predator JP Dumont is going to part owner of the team. According to the announcement written by Justin Bradford of Penalty Box Radio:
Dumont knows that there are different roles to ownership, even in the NA3HL. Will he be a hands-on owner or one that lets the staff do what is necessary?
“It’s not something I just put my name in and didn’t want to be involved,” said Dumont. “I want to make sure it goes well, not just for me. We want to do that for all of the kids here so they have a chance to go further. I take this really seriously. I just hope the kids work hard and have fun. I played junior and it was the best time of my life.”
It was 2006 when Dumont came to the Predators organization. Over those years, youth hockey has completely boomed in Nashville and he’s been here to witness it and be a part of it.
“When I came here, I was jumping on the ice and I was supposed to teach them hockey and I was putting my stick on the board and showing them how to skate,” said Dumont about youth skaters when he first arrived. “I had to hold them so they could skate one lap around. Now, hockey is growing so much, it’s definitely fun to be around.”
The Junior Predators will be playing in the Southern Division against the Dallas Jr. Stars (not as fun to say as the ‘Nashville Junior Predators’ in my opinion), the Sugar Land Imperials (Texas, home of the band with the same name), the Topeka Capitals (Kansas, forever either/and/or Southern/Midwestern) and the other two new teams; the Point Mallard Ducks (Decatur, Alabama) and the Texas Brahmas (North Richland Hills, TX [seriously, click it just for the awesome front page of their website]).
If you would like to try out for the Nashville Junior Predators you can do so here and if you are a female hockey player between the ages of 8 – 19 in the Middle Tennessee area — please check out the Nashville Girls Hockey website!
The Philadelphia Flyers will open up the preseason with two games in one night on Monday, September 22. One half of the roster will go to Budweiser Gardens in London, Ontario to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs. It will be the Flyers’ 10th visit to London, Ontario and the Budweiser Gardens. The other half of the roster will stay in Philadelphia to face the Washington Capitals at the Wells Fargo Center.
The preseason continues on Tuesday, September 23, when the Flyers go to visit the Maple Leafs in Toronto. The Flyers then have a home-and-home with the New Jersey Devils on Thursday, September 25 and Sunday, September 28. The Flyers will round out the preseason with two of their final three games on the road.
The New York Rangers will host the Flyers on Monday, September 29. The Flyers will return the favor on Tuesday, September 30, when they host the Rangers at the Wells Fargo Center. Both games against the Rangers will take place at 7 p.m.
The Flyers wrap up the preseason with the Washington Capitals on Thursday, October 2 at 7 p.m. in Washington, DC.
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