It was announced Thursday afternoon that New York Islanders center, Anders Lee will be the 15th captain in team history. This is the latest in a series of major changes the team has seen since the end of last season. During the offseason former captain, John Tavares, signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs, a move that left the majority of the fan base feeling betrayed. Lee, however, certainly has what it takes to step into this role.
The Islanders drafted Lee in the 6th round, 151st overall, in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. From there the Minnesota native played for the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL and the University of Notre Dame until being calling up to the Islanders during the 2012-2013 season. Lee scored his first NHL goal during the first period of his first game as an Islander on April 2, 2013. Lee then spent the next two seasons being sent up and down between the Islanders AHL affiliate, Bridgeport Sound Tigers and the New York Islanders. It was finally in 2015 that Lee secured a more permanent place in the big leagues.
Quickly Lee became a star player, scoring 34 goals during the 2016-2017 season, mainly playing on a line with Josh Bailey and John Tavares. It was during this season that Lee was also presented with the Bobby Nystrom Award. This award is given in recognition of an Islanders player who “represents leadership, hustle and dedication”.
Since that breakout season, Lee has remained a constant presence on the ice with 124 career NHL goals and 207 total points and has shown to be an active member of the Islanders community on and off the ice. For the past two years the player has organized the Anders Lee Kancer Jam in an effort to raise money to support the Jam Kancer In The Kan Foundation Fund. This organization supports families of children who are battling cancer. The Kancer Jam is a basketball tournament where fans get the opportunity to play with and against Anders and other Islanders while raising money for this special cause.
The San Jose Sharks hosted the Anaheim Ducks in the season- and home-opener of the 2018-19 season at the SAP Center in San Jose. The two rival teams each had a W and an L in their preseason games against each other. Newly acquired, 2-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson joined Marc-Edouard Vlasic on defense and other Shark veterans like Captain Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, and Brent Burns. But it was Ducks rookie Max Comtois who got the first goal 49 seconds in, his first career NHL goal on the first shot of the game.
This sparked the Sharks into action, and they had 4 shots on goal only 3 minutes into the game. A man-advantage on the first power play of the game gave fans the first chance to see Burns and Karlsson together on the blue line. Unfortunately, Thornton was sent to the box and 4-on-4 action extended for 1:20. The Ducks power play was cut short when Sharks netminder Martin Jones got tripped up, causing another 4-on-4 play for another minute, ending with a Sharks power play for 49 seconds, all to no avail.
The Sharks’ third line gave the team a much-needed boost of momentum when Evander Kane shot the puck through Ducks defenseman Josh Manson’s legs and then through the five-hole of goaltender John Gibson at even strength.
More speed and more chances opened up the second period and a tripping call sent Manson to the box for two minutes. San Jose was not able to capitalize on the power play, but then were short handed for two themselves when Kane tripped Manson.
It was then that Tomas Hertl lit the lamp on a shorthanded goal as he slipped a fast one past Gibson, with some fancy moves in both the neutral zone and the offensive zone. The celebration was short-lived though when Rickard Rakell answered back right away, making it 2-2 on a power play goal.
The third period began with more speed and focused determination by both teams. Anaheim added another notch to their score by way of a backhand wrister from Brandon Montour, with 12 minutes left in the game. Shots were 32-12 in favor of the Sharks, really showing the might of Gibson in being a solid wall for the Ducks while his team was capitalizing on less shots. With their one-goal lead, Anaheim drew a penalty on Logan Couture and made it a two-goal lead on a power play goal late in the game by Adam Henrique.
The Sharks finally pulled Jones, hoping the extra skater would help in playing catch-up in the remaining few minutes of the game, but Carter Rowney put the nail in the coffin with 23 seconds remaining, making it a final score of 5-2. Although San Jose had more than double the shots on goal with 33 to Anaheim’s 15, it was clearly the Ducks’ show in Sharks Territory.
The Blackhawks‘ first-round exit in last season’s playoffs may seem like a significant loss for the franchise. But, as we embark on a new season, with its clean slate and hopeful possibilities, it’s time we reflect on the real losses Chicago has suffered since last year.
Stan Mikita
On August 7, hockey and Blackhawks legend Stan “Stosh” Mikita died at 78 after a heart-wrenching battle with years-long illness. The Hockey Hall-of-Famer had been fighting the progressive illness, Lewy Body Dementia (similar to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases) for several years.
His family shared word of the illness in 2015, as the Blackhawks made their Cup run.
Mikita, whose number “21” was retired and raised to the rafters in 1980, was a center for the Hawks from 1958-1980.
He retired with 1,467 points (926 assists and 541 goals) in 1,394 games, earning the Hart Trophy as MVP in 1967 and 1968, the leading scorer Art Ross Trophy in 1964, 1965, 1967, and 1968. The Lady Byng Trophy in 1967 and 1968 made him a three-award winner for two consecutive years.
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983.
He’s credited with discovering and capitalizing the benefits of a curved stick when he accidentally bent his blade at practice in the 1960s. The noticeable change in velocity led him and other players to start curving their blades using heat.
According to LockerRoomDoctor.com, Mikita was one of few players who chose to wear a helmet in the 1960s.
“Next summer,” he said, “I want to be able to mow the lawn, not push up daisies.”
In 2011, a bronze statue of Mikita was unveiled outside the United Center.
He spent years as an official Blackhawks ambassador, and, even off-the-clock, was known for his kindness and sense of humor with fans.
Last season, the team featured Mikita’s grandsons for a special “One More Shift” ceremony.
Marian Hossa
After he left the Blackhawks in the 2017-2018 season with a debilitating skin condition, plus side effects to the medication intended to treat it, and being placed indefinitely on the long-term injured reserve, Marian Hossa‘s contract (and its $5.25 million cap hit through 2021) was traded to the Arizona Coyotes in July—officially closing the door on any remaining hopes for his return to the ice.
The team issued a statement:
“Today is another example of the leadership Marian has displayed as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks organization. When we approached him to discuss the idea of him waiving his no move clause to allow us to make this move, it became clear this was a difficult thing for him to consider.
“After the success he has had in a Blackhawks jersey, the friends he has made throughout the organization and the fact his heart will always be in Chicago, the thought of disassociating in any way from the team he has come to love was not something he really wanted to give any thought to at all. But, as the consummate team player, he did what he has always done. He did what the team needed him to do in order to succeed.
“Marian’s long-term contributions to the club will never be forgotten…On behalf of the entire organization, we would like to thank Marian—a world-class player—for all he has done for the Chicago Blackhawks.”
While he has been a valuable player on the ice since he joined the Blackhawks in 2009—with three Stanley Cups, 186 goals, and 229 assists—coaches and teammates have recognized him for his leadership presence in the locker room and on the bench.
General Manager Stan Bowman spoke about Hossa before his condition was announced:
“Marian is probably the biggest reason that (our) culture changed. When he came here, we had a lot of young players…trying to learn their way in the NHL. Here we have Marian come in, and he handles every situation with the perfect amount of humility and class.
“Off the ice he helped establish a tradition and a culture here that’s going to live on for decades and decades.”
He’s widely-recognized as one of the best two-way players in the league who never slowed down until his health required it.
In 19 NHL seasons that included stints in Pittsburgh and Detroit, Hossa accumulated 1,134 points (525 goals, 609 assists) in 1,309 regular-season games, and 149 points (52 goals, 97 assists) in 205 postseason contests. Only 44 other players in NHL history exceeded 500 goals in their career.
Captain Jonathan Toews told media how hard it was to see Hossa go:
“It’s heartbreaking what he has to go through when you know it’s too soon. He has a ton left on the table. I could almost see him being one of those (Jaromir) Jagrs that is playing for another six or seven years. It’s tough to see.”
Starting a new season seems like a big challenge with beloved legends left behind. But, the time is here.
Over the course of his career, Mark Messier spent nearly equal time playing first for the Edmonton Oilers and then for the New York Rangers. Edmonton called him “Moose” for his stature, strength, and aggressive-style, but after his trade on October 4, 1991, New York would come to see him as “The Messiah” leading them to the promised land.
When the Oilers decided they could not afford to keep Messier, they traded him for high-scoring Ranger Bernie Nicholls and prospects Steven Rice and Louie DeBrusk. The New York Times explained that Messier would continue (without renegotiating) a two-year contract for about $1.2 million each season. “No cash was involved. Just faith in a man with the jaw of Arnold Schwarzenegger and the trophy case of Robert DeNiro.” The Times proclaimed, “New York was where he wanted to be and Messier raised his hand in a victory sign today when he was first introduced.” According to the Edmonton Journal, “At the end, both sides wanted it, and got it. Neil Smith, the general manager who haggled for weeks with Oiler boss Glen Sather, called it ‘the biggest day in the 66-year history of the New York Rangers.’” The next issue of Sports Illustrated included the prediction that, thanks to the trade, the Rangers would win the next Stanley Cup.
While the Rangers did not make it that season, in 1994, Messier led the team and scored the final winning goal to end the 50-plus-year drought. He had earned his first (of five) Stanley Cups with the Oilers in 1984 and earned his last with the Rangers ten years later. Having been made captain of the Oilers in 1988 and of the Rangers right off the bat in 1991, Messier is the only captain to take two franchises to win the championship.
Upon trading Messier, the Oilers had to wait another fifteen years to make the Stanley Cup Final again. After that, they would not even make the playoffs again until 2017.
Messier’s No. 11 was retired by the Rangers in January 2006 and by the Oilers in February 2007.
The day before the Boston Bruins retired Ray Bourque’s No. 77, October 3, 2001, Paul Coffey, also No. 77, officially retired. In a twist of fate, the final NHL team Coffey played for was the Bruins. He chose not to wear No. 77 out of respect for Bourque, who had been traded to the Avalanche just four months before Coffey signed with the Bruins. Instead, Coffey would end his career wearing No. 74.
Coffey and Bourque practically followed parallel careers as defensemen. The Edmonton Oilers drafted Coffey (as the sixth pick) in 1980, the year after Bourque joined the Bruins and Gretzky the Oilers. Coffey and Bourque both wore No. 7 until 1987 and then No. 77 thereafter. That was the year, after seven season with them, that Coffey left the Oilers for the Pittsburg Penguins. He had won three Stanley Cup championships with Edmonton and then, in 1991, helped Pittsburg earn their first.
The two men sporting 7 and 77 vied for highest-scoring defenseman. Coffey took the lead early on. His 48 goals in the 1985-1986 season surpassed Bruins Bobby Orr’s record of 46 goals in one season. That record still stands for NHL defensemen, and Coffey remains the only defenseman to top 40 goals in more than one season. On October 17, 1991, Coffey broke Denis Potvin’s defenseman records for career assists (742) and points (1,052). Coffey finished his career with 396 goals and 1531 points (in 1409 games), coming in second to Bourque.
Both Coffey and Bourque retired in 2001, after 21 and 22 seasons, respectively. They were inducted together into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004. On October 19, 2005, the Oilers hoisted Coffey’s No. 7 to the rafters.
The day after No. 99 was retired, Ray Bourque, No. 77, surpassed his fellow No. 77, Paul Coffey (at that point the defenseman with the most career goals), by scoring his 386th goal. In the first game of the season, held at Fleet Center (now TD Garden), Bourque’s second-period, power-play slap shot stood as the Boston Bruins’ only goal. Although they lost to the Carolina Hurricanes 1-3, the goal made Bourque the NHL’s highest-scoring defenseman.
Two years later, Bourque retired with a career total of 410 goals and 1579 points (in 1612 games). He continues to hold the record as highest-scoring defenseman as well as having the most career points by a defenseman.
The Bruins drafted Bourque (as the eighth pick) in 1979, the same year that Gretzky joined the Oilers. Bourque would go on to play 21 seasons with Boston, requesting a trade during the 1999-2000 season in hopes of winning a Stanley Cup. He was traded to the Colorado Avalanche, who went on to win the Stanley Cup in 2001, with most hockey fans cheering for Bourque as they did it. Bourque won the Norris Trophy as best defenseman five times. He ranks fourth for repeat-winning defensemen. This is just one of the many awards and accolades he amassed.
On October 4, 2001, the Bruins retired No. 77 before their season opener. As Bourque told ESPN at his last game in Boston, “I’ll always be a Bruin. I have a lot of memories here that can’t be taken away.” The Avalanche retired No. 77 that November before they played the Edmonton Oilers.
Bourque had worn No. 7 for the Bruins until 1987, when Boston retired the number in honor of Phil Esposito. Like Gretzky, Bourque simply doubled his good fortune and made No. 77 hit the high-score jackpot.
As October approaches, players, executives and fans alike begin to bite their nails, eagerly awaiting the start of the NHL season. Many teams are releasing media teasers and promotional videos to encourage support from the fans, as well as muster a sense of excitement with their fan base.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson
The Arizona Coyotes will be taking that a step further for the second straight year. The Coyotes will host a “Red Carpet Arrival and Plaza Party” prior to their home opener against the Anaheim Ducks at Gila River Arena on October 6th. All Coyotes players including newly named Captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson, young forward Clayton Keller, as well as broadcasters Matt McConnell, Tyson Nash, Bob Heethius, Paul Bissonnette and Owner Andrew Barroway will walk the red carpet.
After arriving on the south side of the Westgate Plaza, the players, media and management will walk down the red carpeted Plaza and in through the front doors of Gila River Arena. As they trot through the plaza, they will be introduced and available for interviews, pictures and the opportunity to sign autographs for fans. The Coyotes event is reminiscent of many of the red carpet events that take place in Hollywood, garnering tremendous amounts of excitement for fans.
Clayton Keller
The players will arrive in BMW’s between 3:00-4:00 P.M., whilst fans will be invited into the red carpet viewing zone starting at 2:30 P.M. The Coyotes mascot, Howler, and members of the dancing squad, the Paw Patrol, will also be in attendance giving away prizes and interacting with fans. However, the Coyotes did not want the party to end there. DJ Ice Man will keep the plaza rocking until the gates open up for the game.
The Red Carpet event is a very strategic and clever move for the Coyotes as the organization works to build excitement and a larger following for the team. Though a part of the sports scene in the Valley for 22 years, overall attendance has declined in the last decade. With a promising group of young and talented players, the Coyotes must do all they can to encourage fan engagement and build a community of followers as the team continues to improve. Hosting a unique event such as this one before the home opener will help construct a culture and sense of family amongst Coyotes fans. Not only are the Coyotes creating awareness, buzz and building interest, but also creating a tradition that their fans can be proud of.
In addition to the Red Carpet, the Coyotes will continue the festivities inside the rink by honoring former Coyotes’ center Jeremy Roenick, as part of their “Kachina Saturdays”. Roenick will partake in the ceremonial puck drop as part of the Opening Night festivities. For each of the 13 Saturday home games this season, the Coyotes will wear their new third Kachina jerseys, as well as honor former players. On arguably hockey’s biggest day of the week, the Arizona Coyotes are creating an atmosphere that fans will not want to miss.
Wayne Gretzky, “The Great One,” became the last one in the NHL to wear No. 99. He began his NHL playing career in 1979 with the Edmonton Oilers and ended it in 1999 with the New York Rangers. On October 1, 1999, before the Oilers’ home opener against the Rangers, Edmonton retired Gretzky’s No. 99.
Wayne Gretzky’s Final Game (By Randy Stern from Minneapolis, MN, USA (HHOF 3) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons)
Having chosen the number nine as a youth, in honor of his idol Gordie Howe, when he joined the Oilers he discovered they already had that number assigned. Gretzky reluctantly allowed Coach Murray “Muzz” MacPherson to convince him that two nines were better than one.
His was only the second number retired by the Oilers. After a five-minute standing ovation from them more than 17,000 hockey fans in the stands, Gretzky commented, “Once the sweater goes up, it’s the official end,” said Gretzky, adding, “I still wish I could play. I still wish I could be out there.”
Announcer Rod Phillips’ voice broke as he introduced, “Ladies and gentlemen, we’ll now say these words for the last time ever in the building: Hockey fans, tonight’s first star, No. 99 Wayne Gretzky.”
Perhaps fittingly, the Oilers–Gretzky’s first team–and the Rangers–Gretzky’s last team–tied that night with a score of 1-1.
Gretzky had become so associated with No. 99 that the entire NHL retired the number at the 50th All-Star Game held in Toronto, February 6, 2000. Finally, on October 9, 2002, Gretzky’s second NHL team, the Los Angeles Kings, held a special retirement ceremony. True to his number, the Hockey Hall of Fame inducted Gretzky in ’99.
The Vancouver Giants took their first loss of the Western Hockey League season as they went down 3-1 to the Seattle Thunderbirds Friday night. The score makes it look like a worse game for the Giants than it truly was.
In fact, it wasn’t until 18:29 of the second period that either team managed to solve the opposing goaltender. Both David Tendeck for the Giants and Liam Hughes for the Thunderbirds made it extremely difficult to get pucks past them. Combined in the first two periods they made 41 saves. The one goal that did get past Tendeck, late in the second, was during a power play for the Thunderbirds, who were 0-3 on the man advantage at that point. Dillon Hamaliuk got the power play marker and put the Thunderbirds on the board. This was Hamaliuk’s second goal of the season, while assists were credited to Simon Kubicek and Payton Mount.
Going into the third period, the Giants would get the equalizer at 8:29, with an unassisted goal from James Malm—his third goal of the season—from the left-wing circle. And again, the goalies shut things down and it began to look like the game might go to overtime as the clock clicked under four minutes remaining. However, an odd-man rush for the Thunderbirds allowed Matthew Wedman to go high and get it past Tendeck to give Seattle the go-ahead goal, and the ultimate game winner.
Evan Patrician (Photo: Rik Fedyck)
The Giants pulled Tendeck with 42 seconds remaining in regulation and as the clock ticked down to five seconds, the Thunderbirds put a pin in it when Nolan Volcan potted the empty netter.
The Giants overall had a solid game, though they may want to work a little on staying out of the penalty box—having given Seattle six power plays. Tendeck, who was drafted by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2018 NHL Draft (6th round, 158 overall), has started in all three of the Giants games this season. He has currently stopped 82 of the 86 shots he’s seen in those three games, giving him an impressive .953 save percentage. The Giants also had two forwards making their team debuts. Combined Yannik Valenti and Evan Patrician had three shots on net and finished even in plus/minus.
The Vancouver Giants have little time to obsess over their loss as they will take on the Spokane Chiefs on Sunday, September 30, 2018, at 4:00pm Pacific Time. Both teams currently sit at 2-1-0-0, but the Chiefs are currently riding a two-game winning streak.
The Boston Bruins went into Saturday evening’s game with a 5-0-2 record in the preseason, having not lost a single game in regulation. Unfortunately, there final preseason game—a home game against the Philadelphia Flyers—resulted in a loss in regulation.
On Wednesday night, after the Bruins struggled mightily to clear the puck from their end during their overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings, Bruins Head Coach Bruce Cassidy called his players out.
“Our breakdowns were just our puck management was not where it needed to be. We just did not manage the puck as well as you need to, to be hard to play against,” he said. “A lot of it is some of the guys tonight haven’t played a lot, so I think they’re still a little bit in circling mode and not detail mode, so we’ll have to address that.”
After Saturday’s game, Cassidy talked about respecting the game; something he brought up last season when the Bruins didn’t seem to be playing the right way. And he pointed out that it was necessary for the players to get dialed in quickly since the puck drops on the season opener, Wednesday night in Washington, D.C. against the Washington Capitals.
“Our respect for the game. That means puck management, details, stopping and starting on pucks,” Coach Cassidy stated bluntly. “Some of that, you allow your veteran guys to play through in hope that their habits will come back to them quickly, but we have some guys that are second-year players that are struggling with that right now. They need to be reminded that 80-100 games under your belt is good, a good building block, but as [Zdeno Chara] pointed out you want to continue to establish yourself as a true NHLer. And I think our guys need to be reminded of the details of why they were successful last year. I think a few of them have gotten away from that, to be honest with you.”
The players understand when they haven’t respected the game. They hold themselves accountable.
Chara, Wagner and Acciari
“I think, I mean you know, working hard, taking care of the puck, and you know, we’re out there to do a job, and I think we did it for, you know, some parts of the game, but the other parts…,” explained Chris Wagner. “You know, the turnovers is what kills coaches, and you know, it’s tough to watch too. We had a power play goal, but I don’t think, you know, we executed the way we wanted to, but you know, it’s the last preseason game, so we’ve got time to fix it before Wednesday.”
One of the harder things about playing in the preseason is the number of potential line mates a player may have and the communication that becomes necessary. Chemistry is difficult to build when playing just one game with another guy. And the preseason is where players can evaluate themselves and the coaches can get a sense of who might play well on a line. If a team is going to make mistakes, the preseason is the time to do it, since those losses don’t count.
“There’s obviously stuff that happens in the preseason, stuff that you’re not really – maybe plays that you obviously want to prevent, things to look at going forward. But that’s the good thing about the preseason,” defenseman Charlie McAvoy shared. “Yeah, it sucks losing that game, and obviously there’s a lot of things we need to fix, a lot of things I need to fix personally, but the good news is we have some time. We have a couple days; we’re going to be able to look at this film, look at this video, continue to come together more and more as a team.”
Anders Bjork and Mattias Ekholm
Meanwhile, for Anders Bjork, Saturday’s game was his first and only preseason game, having come off a shoulder surgery in February. The speedy forward obviously wants to play in Boston, and while he said he felt good, he recognized that having not played for close to seven months had taken a bit of a toll on his reactions on the ice.
“You know, it’s a fast pace out there; it’s hard to prepare for it, even with our practices. I think I was lucky enough that our camp is really fast paced and pretty physical and stuff, so I think I was as ready as I could be. But, I think when you don’t play a game for seven or eight months, you’re going to be a little rusty, so definitely felt it a bit,” Bjork shared after the game.
The Bruins are off on Sunday and will get back to work Monday at Warrior Ice Arena. Depending on where the staff feels Patrice Bergeron is for Wednesday, and the outcome of the lower body injury that Torey Krug took Saturday the team may not be quite what Coach Cassidy hopes when the season begins on Wednesday.
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