Nathan Horton, forward for the Columbus Blue Jackets, will be sidelined for roughly six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair an abdominal injury, reported Blue Jackets General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen.
Horton signed a seven-year contract with the Blue Jackets this season after choosing not to renew his contract with the Boston Bruins. Over the course of his 10-year NHL career, he has recorded five 20-goal seasons, one 30-goal season, and five 50-point seasons. He won the Stanley Cup with Boston in 2011, where he scored the series-clinching goal in both the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals and the Conference Finals.
Horton was expected to be a big player for the Blue Jackets, once he recovered from a shoulder injury sustained in the 2012-2013 season. Though continued injuries have hindered his ice time, in 36 games he has scored five goals and tallied 14 assists.
Okay, hockey fans. It’s time for a family meeting.
I know that things have been tense lately. We’re all getting a little snappy as we head out of the regular season and head into “That Time of The Year,” as our teams band together to make us proud or fizzle out with the kind of sad whine your dog makes when he doesn’t get to eat any of your bacon.
In the hockey season of life, friends, the last games of the regular season are like being at a bar after 2 a.m. on a Wednesday: you probably know if you’re getting laid, you probably know if you’re not, and at this point you’re mostly just doing your best to avoid a hangover.
As the season ends and we stumble blearily into the playoffs, let’s all do our best to keep the lights low and our voices down. Remember that seasons are long, and if your team didn’t make it, well, there’s always next year, buddy.
Anyway, with that in mind, here is a friendly list of conversation topics to avoid AT ALL COSTS, no matter what team your friends may be fans of.*
Be nice to fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs: Do your best not to use the word “leaf” as a verb meaning “to make a small mistake.”
Be nice to fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins: It’s probably best not to use the words “Marc-André Fleury” and “choke” in the same sentence unless the words between them are “will definitely NOT.”
Be nice to fans of the Phoenix Coyotes: Do you know a Coyotes fan that’s feelin’ down? Under no circumstances should you say, “It’s okay, buddy! I’m sure they’ve got a goal in their back pocket.”
Be nice to fans of the San Jose Sharks: Lay off the Sharknado jokes. C’mon, guys. It’s too easy. You can do better than that.
Be nice to fans of the Los Angeles Kings: Don’t ask a Kings fan what it’s like living in a city that cares about its hockey team. They don’t know the answer.
Be nice to fans of the Montreal Canadiens: Man, it’s crazy how many Cups the Habs have won. (Only ’90s kids will get this.)
Be nice to fans of the Edmonton Oilers: Don’t try to tell an Oilers fan what went wrong this season. They know what went wrong this season. You know what, let’s just avoid talking about the playoffs altogether. Hey, who wants to go out for ice cream?
Be nice to fans of the Winnipeg Jets: Just remind your Jets fan friends that no matter how close they get to 30th in the league, at least they never have to relive the 2006-2007 playoffs.
Be nice to fans of the OttawaSenators: At absolutely no point should you claim that the stress of watching your hockey team is “giving you a hernia” in front of a Sens fan. Frankly, it’s just insensitive. Bobby Ryan seems really nice.
Be nice to fans of the Calgary Flames: Please refrain from “up in flames, just like your Stanley Cup dreams,” jokes. It’s low-hanging fruit, and you can do better.
Be nice to fans of the Boston Bruins: Between the months of April and October, there is no number between 16 and 18.
Be nice to fans of the Philadelphia Flyers: Follow the golden rule with fans of the Flyers: assume that they treat everybody the way they want to be treated. No. Wait. That’s not what I meant. Do the opposite of that.
Be nice to fans of the Columbus Blue Jackets: Kindly refrain from making a joke about the All-Star Game being held in a city whose team has never, in fact, been the NHL’s actual Stanley Cup All Star. It’s rude.
Be nice to fans of the Dallas Stars: Here’s a mean game not to play with Stars fans. It’s called What Bad Choices Will Tyler Seguin Make and Document On Instagram If The Stars Don’t Win the Stanley Cup?
Be nice to fans of the Carolina Hurricanes: “How many Staals does it take to win a Stanley Cup? All of them, except for Marc.” (#SorryJared)
Be nice to fans of the Chicago Blackhawks: No matter what happens to this year’s defending champs, remind them that at least nothing will ever be as bad for Patrick Kane as the loss against Finland.
Be nice to fans of the St. Louis Blues: You know what they say, sports fans! 4th trip to the Stanley Cup finals is almost certainly the charm.
Be nice to fans of the Tampa Bay Lightning: It’s especially important to be nice to Lightning fans, who’ve been through a lot of upheaval lately, ever since their Dad went on an Olympics run and never came back.
Be nice to fans of the Colorado Avalanche: If anyone asks, Matt Duchene is just on a hard-earned vacation and has never felt better in his life.
Be nice to fans of the Nashville Predators: Don’t ask Preds fans who won the breakup with Ryan Suter. They’re doing fine, okay? Who cares that Suter has 100 pictures up on his Facebook of him with his new team winning games and going to the playoffs? The Preds are doing just fine with tears and sad Carrie Underwood songs.
Be nice to fans of the Florida Panthers: There are Panthers fans, okay? Robert Luongo and his whole family are really happy to be out of Vancouver.
Be nice to fans of the New York Islanders: Remind Islanders fans that hey, moving to Brooklyn won’t be so bad. You’ll fit in just fine with all the other hipsters who haven’t won a slam poetry contest in 30 years.
Be nice to fans of the New Jersey Devils: A good way to avoid being mean to Devils fans is just to remember that they have Jaromir Jagr on their team. Go ahead, try to be mean about Jaromir Jagr. Try it. You can’t, can you? Can anybody?
Be nice to fans of the Anaheim Ducks: Under no circumstances should you cheer, “QUACK. QUACK. QUACK. QUACK,” at Ducks games. They’re not the Mighty Ducks anymore. They, like Lil’ Romeo, are no longer Lil’.
Be nice to fans of the Buffalo Sabres: At this point, is there anything that you can say to a Sabres fan about the Sabres that Sabres fans haven’t already said themselves?
Be nice to fans of the Detroit Red Wings: The reason you shouldn’t talk badly about Detroit is because the city of Detroit will probably stab you and take your wallet.
Be nice to fans of the New York Rangers: “How many Staals does it take to win a Stanley Cup? All of them, except for Marc.” (#StillSorryJared)
Be nice to fans of the Washington Capitals: Honestly, if you’re not a Caps fan, and you can make a joke that’s about any Caps player that’s not Ovi–in fact, if you can name a Caps player that’s not Ovi, you’ve earned it.
Be nice to fans of the Minnesota Wild: Don’t forget that the Wild have Captain America. For … as good as that went. For America.
Today the ECHL announced the players selected for the 2013-2014 All-Rookie team. Those who made the list were determined by a vote of ECHL Coaches, broadcasters, media relations directors and the media.
A rookie is defined as a player who has played in less than 25 professional games prior to the start of the current season.
2013-14 ECHL All-Rookie Team
G –Laurent Brossoit, Bakersfield Condors (36 gp, 24-9-2, 2.05 GAA, .924 save pct.) D – Michal Cajkovsky, Reading Royals (63 gp, 13g, 22a, 35 pts., +5) D –Brad Richard, Alaska Aces (59 gp, 6g, 24a, 30 pts., +21) F –Matt Caria, Kalamazoo Wings (63 gp, 24g, 30a, 54 pts., Even) F –Jeremy Langlois, Stockton Thunder (53 gp, 17g, 39a, 56 pts., +3) F –William Rapuzzi, Idaho Steelheads (58 gp, 16g, 41a, 57 pts., +1)
Since the ECHL began naming the All-Rookie Team in 2000-01, 15 players selected have gone to play in the National Hockey League:Richard Bachman(2009-10), David Desharnais(2007-08),Cedrick Desjardins(2006-07), Kevin Doell (2003-04), Brian Fahey (2003-04), Vern Fiddler (2002-03), Simon Gamache (2001-02), Mike Glumac (2002-03),Philipp Grubauer(2011-12), Adam Hauser (2002-03), Jason Jaffray (2002-03),Anton Khudobin(2007-08),Ben Street(2010-11), Joey Tenute (2004-05) and Zenon Konopka (2002-03).
The ECHL will announce its First-Team All-ECHL and Second-Team All-ECHL teams on Thursday.
Laurent Brossoitof the Bakersfield Condors is 24-9-2 and has tied the ECHL single-season record with eight shutouts. His three consecutive shutouts from Nov. 2 through Dec. 18 tied the league record and his 211:17 shutout streak ranks fourth all-time. Brossoit, who is under an NHL contract with the Edmonton Oilers, ranks second in the league with a 2.05 goals-against average and is tied for second with a .924 save percentage. He is the fourth Condor to make the ECHL All-Rookie Team. His stellar in-net performance has garnered him ECHL Goaltender of the Week on 3 occasions this season (Nov 3, Dec 29, Jan 19)
Michal Cajkovskyof the Reading Royals leads rookie defensemen, and is tied for 10th among blueliners, with 35 points (13g-22a) in 63 games while his 13 goals are tied for third among league defensemen. Under contract to the American Hockey League’s Hershey Bears, Cajkovsky’s four game-winning goals are tied for second among defensemen and tied for fifth among rookies.
Brad Richard, Alaska Aces photo: Alaska Aces
Brad Richardof the Alaska Aces is tied for third among rookie defensemen with 30 points (6g-24a) in 59 games and is third among rookies in plus-minus with a +21 rating.He leads the Aces in scoring among defencemen and has 11 power play points (3g-8a). Richard is the sixth Alaska Aces player to make the ECHL All-Rookie Team and the first defenceman since Mark Isherwood did so in 2010-11.
Matt Cariaof the Kalamazoo Wings is tied for second among first-year players with 24 goals and is fourth with 54 points. His eight power-play goals are third among rookies, he is tied for third with 15 power-play points and he is tied for second with five game-winning goals. Jeremy Langlois, under an AHL contract with Bridgeport, started the season with Evansville before his contract rights were traded in March and he was reassigned to Stockton. He ranks second among ECHL rookies with 56 points (17g-39a) in 53 games with the IceMen and Thunder. He is second among first-year players with 17 power-play points and third with 185 shots on goal.
William Rapuzzi, Idaho Steelheads photo: Nate McIntyre/ Idaho Steelheads
William Rapuzziof the Idaho Steelheads is an Anchorage, Alaska native and leads all rookies with 41 assists, 57 points, 15 power-play assists and 21 power-play points. His four game-winning goals are tied for fifth among first-year players and he is second among rookies with a .778 shootout shooting percentage (7-for-9). His 57 points are also good for tops among all Steelheads players.Rapuzzi is the fifth Idaho player to earn All-Rookie honors, joining Kael Mouillerat (2011), Evan Barlow (2010), Richard Bachman (2010) and Frank Doyle (2005).
On Wednesday, April 9th, the Boston Bruins announced the recall of Ryan Spooner on an emergency basis from Providence. He will join the Boston Bruins in Winnipeg, which will make him eligible for Thursday’s game against the Jets. This recent recall is most likely a result of Chris Kelly being listed as day-to-day after playing through only one shift of the third period during the Bruins loss in a shoot out against the Minnesota Wild.
This year, Spooner has previously appeared in 22 games with the Boston Bruins, amassing 11 assists. His last recall was just this past week, when he traveled with the team to Detroit and then to Toronto before arriving in the early hours of Friday, April 4, in Boston from which he drove back to Providence. Though he did not play on this recall, he was in a number of time zones and then played with the Providence Bruins that Friday evening against the Worcester Sharks.
The Pink Puck had an opportunity to chat with Spooner after the Providence Bruins cannon-balled the Portland Pirates on Sunday, April 6. It was the third of three games in three days in which the team won in the shoot out on Friday night against the Sharks; lost in the shoot out on Saturday night to the Hartford Wolf Pack; and won in regulation on Sunday against the Pirates.
The Pink Puck: Speak to the whirlwind travel with Boston this past week and then slotting in and playing with Providence on Friday night?
Ryan Spooner: Yah, I got in at 2:15 about and I drove [to Providence] and got to bed about 3:15. Got up and played [Friday] night. When you’re excited to play it’s easy to have that energy.
TPP: So, could you say you were feeding off the adrenalin of that excitement?
RS: Yah, that kind of makes it a lot easier.
TPP: How about your thought processes. Is it harder to think through plays when you’re tired?
RS: If you have the mind set going in that it’s only two-and-a-half hours of work you kinda get through it a little easier.
Ryan Spooner
TPP: On Friday night after the game [head coach Bruce Cassidy] had this to say about you: “He certainly had his legs and that’s what we want out of him. He needs to have that every night; that’s his strength. You gotta play to your strength in this game.” What are your thoughts on this?
RS: I think the thing that makes me the player that I am is the fact that I can skate. And when I’m not skating I tend to get myself in a little bit of trouble. I think when I can skate out there and use my speed, I think I can, I guess, create a [few] more chances for myself and it makes the players that play on my line better too.
TPP: You spent a lot of time with the Boston club this season. Tough to be sent back down?
RS: Yah, I was a little bit upset, but at the same time I’m still young and being down here, I still have a lot to learn. So I just kinda try to look at the positives with it and just kinda move forward with it.
TPP: While every hockey player wants to make it to “The Show” permanently, does the amount of time you spent with Boston this season make you more determined?
RS: Yah, just being up there, you kinda see how good that they treat you; how fun it is to play there. So definitely something I want to do is get back up there as soon as I can and stay there. So this summertime I’m going to really try to bear down and get better.
TPP: Your most recent recall you were a healthy scratch. What learning experience do you take from a game when you watch, rather than play?
RS: Just seeing how guys look after themselves before the game and after the game. You sit back and look at that and just try to learn from it.
TPP: Do you find it harder to sit out when the team is winning or losing?
RS: Obviously you want them to win. When they’re winning you can see things they are doing right out there and just pick up on things.
TPP: What do you think is the biggest aspect of your game you have to work on this summer?
RS: Probably just strength; something I’ve been trying to get better at. I’ve always been a smaller guy, but I think if I can put on some size I think it will help me out a lot.
Spooner’s latest recall will find him in Winnipeg, but depending on how Jarome Iginla and Kelly progress, will determine if he sees any ice time against the Winnipeg Jets and if he has another early morning arrival back in Boston and ice time in Providence on Friday night when the Providence Bruins host the Norfolk Admirals. Or he may still find himself up in Boston on Saturday when the Boston club, hosting the Buffalo Sabres, play their last home game of the regular season.
In 45 games for Providence this season, Spooner has tallied 11 goals and 34 assists (second on the team) for 45 points (fourth on the team) with a plus-13 (third on the team).
Drafted by the Boston Bruins in the second round (45th overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, the 21-year-old pivot has played for Providence since 2010 in a total of 112 AHL games accruing to date 31 goals and 78 assists for 109 points. He was named to the 2014 AHL All-Star team on January 9, 2014, but he was with the Boston club so did not participate.
The Kanata, Ontario native, if he plays, will undoubtedly do his best to “play to his strength,” as his Providence Bruins head coach refers to his speed. Coupled with the speed, depth and all-around hockey smarts of the Boston Bruins during this one game—and undoubtedly in the future—just offers another option for the Bruins organization.
It has been a busy couple days for hockey fans in Vancouver. Yesterday, the team fired Mike Gillis from his position as General Manager for the Vancouver Canucks, and today franchise player Trevor Linden was named President of Hockey Operations.
The announcement, breaking on Twitter today and closely followed by a news conference, marks Linden’s return to a team where he spent 16 seasons – including seven seasons as team captain. Linden is arguably best known for his role in the Canucks’ 1994 playoff run where the team came one game shy of winning the Stanley Cup, falling to the New York Rangers. In recent times, Linden has become known for his philanthropy and also his business ventures including his line of gyms. Despite quashing rumours during a live interview yesterday, his heart has always been with the team and its city. He expressed his goal to bring the Stanley Cup to Vancouver, something he narrowly missed as a player.
“Today is a real honour. I came to Vancouver 26 years ago and I have never left. I love this city. It is my home and the Canucks have always been part of my family. I’m passionate about the Canucks and I want to win – just like our fans. I believe in this team and share the organization’s commitment to excellence on and off of the ice. I am looking forward to getting started – getting to know everyone in the organization, and working together to win the Stanley Cup for this great city and province.”
Even with his experience as President of the NHLPA for eight years, a small selection of cynical ‘fans’ in Vancouver (and I use that term loosely) questioned Linden’s suitability for the role and marked the announcement as a public relations move on the back of dissatisfied fans and alleged struggling season ticket renewals. Linden addressed those statements in today’s news conference.
“I was in the game professionally for 20 years, 15 years with the NHLPA and I’ve always felt I have a great passion for the game and love for the game. I feel I’ve got a very common sense approach, I’m able to understand things quickly and I think at the end of the day, I’m not perfect, but I’ve got pretty good judgment. Those things are going to serve me well, I’ve never spent a day in an NHL office as an executive, so I’ve got a lot to learn, but I’ve always felt that I’m a good learner.”
Linden remembers his rookie years and those who helped him early on in his career, specifically former Vancouver Canucks President and General Manager, Pat Quinn. Shortly after he called his parents prior to today’s announcement, Linden dialed Quinn with the news.
“I’m thankful that when Pat walked to the podium in 1988 that he said my name, and 26 years later I’m still enjoying this drive across the Burrard street bridge with the sun coming up. It’s pretty cool,” said Linden at today’s news conference.
“That’s why I never wanted to play anywhere else and that’s why I never wanted to work anywhere else in hockey; Vancouver, any way you cut it, is one of the great cities in the world to live. For me, I’ve always felt that I was so lucky to be here for as long as I was and I really mean that. Most players, if they spend three or four years in a city, they’re lucky. I had 16 of the 20 years as a professional here. I’m grateful.”
Linden retired as a Vancouver Canuck on June 11, 2008 – the 20th anniversary of his draft day. His number was later retired to the rafters. Linden holds Canucks playoff records for most games played (118), goals (34), assists (61) and points (95). He has represented Canada at various levels, winning two silver medals and a gold medal. Linden was appointed into the Order of Canada in 2010 and in 2008 he received the NHL Foundation’s Player Award for his commitment to hockey and his involvement in the community.
On Thursday, April 10, SunSports, regional home of the Tampa Bay Lightning, will premiere the next episode of “Inside the Lightning.” The episode will air at 10:30 PM, after the conclusion of the Lightning/Flyers game.
The episode, to be titled, “The Captain and The Cup,” will focus on former Bolts captain Dave Andreychuk. The current Lightning Vice President of Corporate & Community Affairs, skated in 278 games with the team over the final four seasons of his NHL career. He also captained the team to its first Stanley Cup during the 2003-2004 season. The Hamilton, Ontario native signed with the Lightning in 2001, giving instant veteran leadership to the team.
The episode will be hosted by Kelly Nash, and will feature an on-ice interview with Andreychuk. He’ll reminisce about being in the penalty box for the final moments of the game, and being the first on the team to touch the cup and hoist it over his head. It’s a moment that is now eternally celebrated with a statue located in Thunder Alley outside of the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
This episode features insight from:
Lightning Vice President of Corporate & Community Affairs Dave Andreychuk
It was a big day for another Steve with the Tampa Bay Lightning organization as the team’s chief operating officer, Steve Griggs, was promoted to team president on Monday afternoon. Officially Griggs has been named president of the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Tampa Bay Times Forum. He will now be responsible for all business units of the organization.
“Steve has done a wonderful job for us over the past three-plus years, working with CEO Tod Leiweke and our leadership team to transform the business and develop the brands of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa Bay Times Forum and the Tampa Bay Storm,” said Vinik upon making the announcement. “I am very pleased to name him president today and I look forward to our continued growth as a company and a leader in the Tampa Bay community. The development of our Lightning team on the ice, in conjunction with the growth of our business, undoubtedly positions our organization for a very bright future.”
Griggs has managed a leadership team with the Lightning that has rebranded the organization. It has lead to revenue growth, and created a guest experience that has become nationally recognized. He helped the Forum with their $60 million renovation, as well as the doubling of season ticket sales. This ultimately led to a ranking of #2 among 123 major sports franchises by ESPN the Magazine in 2011.
“I graciously accept this new role and thank Jeff Vinik and Tod Leiweke for giving me the opportunity,” said Griggs. “We have a great management team and very dedicated employees and I truly believe all of us in the organization work for the best owner in professional sports. I look forward to continuing on his mission of developing a world class organization on and off the ice.”
Prior to joining Tampa Bay, he worked with the Orlando Magic (Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing-3 years), the Minnesota Wild (Vice President of Sales and Marketing-8 years) and Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment (various roles–6 years), leading sales and marketing initiatives and strategies for each, while also opening a new arena in each locale.
Anyone attending last night’s game in Vancouver heard the chants echoing throughout the arena. They also saw fans leaving their seats and the arena falling empty as the Canucks’ playoffs hopes ended in an uninspired effort against the Anaheim Ducks. The game ended 3-0 in favour of the visitors and officially eliminated the Canucks from this year’s playoffs. The Canucks will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2008.
What fans attending last night’s game may not have expected was their chants to come to fruition a little over 12 hours later.
Shortly before noon today, the Vancouver Canucks announced that Mike Gillis had been ‘relieved of his duties’ as President and General Manager. A decision that – some say – has been brewing since the team’s downward spiral started in January.
The Vancouver Canucks broke the news via a news release posted to @VanCanucks (www.twitter.com/VanCanucks).
Earlier this morning – several hours before the news broke – rumours were rife surrounding Trevor Linden, who coincidentally had a morning news spot on GlobalBC to discuss his line of gyms, Club 16. During the interview, Linden quashed any rumours and confirmed that while the city and hockey will always have a place in his heart, he is currently focusing on his fitness business. He maintained that he has always said he would consider returning to hockey if the opportunity and the time was right, but he confirmed he has not been approached by the Canucks and there are no imminent announcements relating to his involvement with the team. Good timing, as the GM post was open just two short hours later.
Francesco Aquilini, Chairman of Canucks Sports & Entertainment, said in a statement issued by the team today, “On behalf of my entire family, I would like to sincerely thank Mike Gillis for his hard work and the many contributions he made on and off the ice during his tenure. The Vancouver Canucks had success under Mike’s leadership, and we nearly reached our ultimate goal; but I believe we have reached a point where a change in leadership and new voice is needed.”
It is hard to fathom the sheer extent of the Canucks’ downward spiral within such a relatively short space of time. From Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals in June 2011, to missing the playoffs and teetering on a full implosion of the leadership team and roster in April 2014, it is a long fall from grace and fans have voiced their frustrations in a number of ways. From the ‘Fire Gillis’ chants last night, to the rumours that season ticket holders are not renewing their tickets – a deadline that is due next week.
Francesco Aquilini addressed the team’s fans in today’s statement.
“I also want to thank our fans for their support for the Vancouver Canucks through a difficult and frustrating season. We haven’t met their expectations or ours. We are committed to bringing the Stanley Cup to Vancouver for our fans and we will continue to do everything possible to reach that goal.”
The Canucks won several titles under Gillis’ leadership –including two Presidents’ Trophy wins in consecutive seasons – but anything short of the Stanley Cup in a rabid hockey town like Vancouver is simply not enough. I remember those chants of ‘We want the Cup’ back in 2011, cheers ringing through the streets as the entire city hummed with excitement – the atmosphere was electric. Frankly, it’s sad to remember it now. I attended a game recently on March 19 and, while I personally enjoyed my time at the game with my hockey-obsessed friend and we were fortunate to have seats in the club section, the Canucks struggled through two goal-less periods before finally lighting the lamp in the third and moving on to win the game 2-0. But before the two third period goals, the team and the crowd were lackluster at best, and completely checked-out at worst.
The tenth General Manager in the franchise’s history, Gillis was named President and GM of the Canucks in 2008, replacing Dave Nonis. During his tenure, he led the team to Northwest Division titles every season since joining the organization (excluding 2013-14) and assembled the 2010-11 and 2011-12 Presidents Trophy winning teams, setting a franchise record with 117 points in the regular season, and winning the Clarence Campbell Bowl as the Western Conference playoff champions in 2011. He received the General Manager of the Year Award at the 2011 NHL Awards.
However, this record was fractured by two disappointing early playoff exits in 2012 and 2013, and questionable decisions including the trade of two number one goaltenders, Cory Schneider and Robert Luongo. Gillis also famously traded fan favourite Cody Hodgson for Zack Kassian back in the 2011-12 season.
Francesco Aquilini will address the media tomorrow at 10:30am PDT.
The Tampa Bay Lightning announced on Monday that they have signed vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman to a four-year contract extension, chairman and governor Jeff Vinik announced.
“Since the day Steve agreed to serve as our vice president and general manager, he has worked tirelessly to transform our hockey department and establish the groundwork for sustained success”, said Vinik in making the announcement. “We are very pleased with Steve’s job performance thus far, and I am fully confident Steve remains the right person to continue to lead us.
Organizationally, we remain committed to playing at the highest levels each season – regularly competing for the Stanley Cup – and I am very pleased that Steve has elected to be our leader for the next several years.”
Yzerman, 48, joined the team on May 25, 2010, as the franchise’s sixth general manager. In the past four years he has transformed the team, making it one of the league’s model franchises for drafting and developing players.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue the process we started four years ago and would like to thank Jeff Vinik for entrusting me with the responsibility of leading the Tampa Bay Lightning,” Yzerman said. “I’m very excited about what lies ahead for our organization and truly enjoy working with a fantastic group of people in Tampa Bay.”
Since bringing on the former Detroit Red Wings captain, the Lightning have reached the NHL playoffs two of his four years with the team. In 2011 they were in the Eastern Conference Final where they lost to Boston. The Lightning’s minor league affiliate, as the Norfolk Admirals, won the American Hockey League’s Calder Cup in 2012. The win came with current Lightning head coach Jon Cooper behind the bench. Many players from that roster are now part of the Lightning’s success in the 2013-2014 season.
Only four games remain in the 2013-2014 regular season, and the Lightning are 42-27-9 with 93 points. This puts them in third place in the Atlantic Division. Under Yzerman the team is 144-114-32.
Prior to joining the Lightning, Yzerman spent 27 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings as a player, captain and front office executive. He is a four-time Stanley Cup Champion, winning three as a player in 1997, 1998 and 2002 and another as a member of Detroit’s management team in 2008. Yzerman ranks sixth in NHL history for points with 1,755, seventh in assists with 1,063, eighth in goals with 692 and 13th in games played with 1,514.
In 2009, Steve Yzerman was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame during his first year of eligibility. After retiring from hockey he joined Hockey Canada’s management team. He was executive in charge for both of the country’s gold medal wins at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics.
Often hockey and country music go glove and glove — as in, players and fans alike enjoy the genre. The 2014 Country Music Awards (CMA’s), featured a stacked list of performances including one from Florida Georgia Line, featuring Luke Bryan. When the country duo took the stage, we did a double take.
Band member Tyler Hubbard bears a strong resemblance to Chicago Wolves‘ forward Christian Hanson. Hubbard will soon take center stage as Florida Georgia Line joins Jason Aldean for the upcoming “Burn it Down” tour. In the opposing look-a-like corner, Hanson takes center ice as part of the St. Louis Blues organization, netting 4 goals and 10 assists so far this season. While Hanson will enjoy an upcoming off-season, Hubbard will hit the road. Perhaps these two can find time to meet up and discuss hair tips, after all, it’s really all about the flow.
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