Thursday morning marked the beginning of the annual Boston Bruins Rookie Camp. This is that week devoted to the rookies before training camp for all players gets underway. After off-ice workouts and a quick meet with the media, the 28-man roster hopped a bus to begin their journey to Buffalo, where they will again participate in the Prospects Challenge for their third straight year.
Throughout the next four days, the Bruins rookies will play three games, taking on the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday (9/8; 3:30pm); Buffalo Sabres on Saturday (9/9; 7pm); and the New Jersey Devils on Monday (9/11; 12pm). On game days they will still have a morning skate, and then on Sunday they will have a full practice.
Before their getting involved in the Prospects Challenge, the week of rookie camp looked a lot more like traditional camp, with emphasis on drills and the occasional scrimmage. And while drills are essential to things like muscle memory, knowing where teammates will be, the perfecting of puck handling and skating, it is after all the game itself that the players enjoy the most. During scrimmages, although the rookies are striving to convince management that they have improved and deserve a look and perhaps even a roster spot with the big club, there is a need to not hurt your teammates.
Rob O’Gara
“You don’t want to hurt any of your guys, so it’s playing with that game intensity, but you’re not going to hit someone in a questionable position, or something like that,” said second-year rookie camp defenseman Rob O’Gara. “It’s looking out for your teammates, but making sure that you are at the level you need to be when it comes to a game.”
During their morning skates and their practice on Sunday, concentration is still on the skills that got these players to the camp and to the Bruins attention in the first place. Game action cannot be simulated during practice, even a scrimmage. So the games these rookies will play during the Prospect Challenge introduce them to the next level of hockey, but with peers on other teams in the same position regarding level of experience. The addition of some “veterans” who are on their second rookie camp and may have seen AHL games or even an NHL game ensures that the pace of the games is definitely faster and more intense than the level these players were at before. And of course there is always the feelings that are experienced when seeing an opposing team.
“At least for me when you see another jersey, the compete level rises. In my life as a hockey player it was always like practice was one thing, and then I kind of have to flip the switch for the game. It’s a different animal,” O’Gara shared. “But still I think that’s in the back of everyone’s mind, like okay now we’re going against New Jersey or Pittsburgh, Buffalo, so now it’s a real game. Now it’s obviously different from a practice. But it’s that next level that really gets everyone going I think. And it’s more fun. It’s more fun to play.”
Of the roster of rookies gearing up for Friday’s afternoon game against the Penguins, there are ten players who were involved in the 2016 Prospects Challenge, in which the Bruins won both of their games. For the first-timers, this gives them a level of comfort.
“We have six players that have actually played in NHL games that will be playing in rookie games. So, I think that we’re tilted more towards what I would call a veteran group going in with some experience” stated Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney. “And we’re excited about the group and the competition. I think Bruce [Cassidy] laid it out pretty succinctly [Wednesday] night with this group, that the competition and evaluation for opportunity begins today and throughout the next four or five days before we get to main camp and the auditions take place to how many games they get to play in in preseason. It’s an important time for the organization. I think the players recognize the opportunity and are excited about it, as are we, to start our evaluation process.”
For those who are interested in watching these games, at least two of them are going to be streamed. Friday’s 3:30 pm game against Pittsburgh will be streamed on penguins.nhl.com. And the Monday noon game against the Devils
will be streamed on NewJerseyDevils.com.
In the past week, the Boston Bruins have announced the signing of three players to contracts. Goaltenders Zane McIntyre and Malcolm Subban were given two-year, two-way contracts worth $650,000 at the NHL level. Forward Austin Czarnik was given a one-year, two-way contract worth $675,000 at the NHL level.
Goal by Austin Czarnik celebrating with Matt Grzelcyk
Czarnik played 49 games with the Boston club this past season, notching five goals and eight assists. He played 22 games with the Providence Bruins during the 2016-17 season tallying six goals and 17 assists, bringing his career totals with Providence to 93 games, 26 goals and 60 assists.
The Washington Township, Michigan native spent four seasons playing with the University of Miami (Ohio) RedHawks. During his time there, the 24-year-old collected 46 goals and 123 assists for 169 points in 159 games. The 5-foot-9, 160-pound forward served as team captain in his junior and senior years. He was a finalist for the 2013 Hobey Baker Memorial Trophy. He also represented his country twice, earning a gold medal with Team USA at the IHF World U18 Championships in Minsk, Russia in 2010.
Like Czarnik, goaltender McIntyre went the collegiate route. He played for three years at the University of North Dakota, where he compiled a 58-24-9 record, tying him for UND’s all-time record in career wins. His career goals against average (2.08) and save percentage (.927) currently stand as UND’s all-time record. He backstopped his team to two Frozen Four tournament appearances, losing in the semifinals in 2014 and 2015. He was awarded the USHL Goaltender of the year award in 2011-12 and the NCHC Goaltender of the Year award in 2014-15. He was also one of the three finalists for the 2015 Hobey Baker Memorial Award.
During the past season, the Thief River Falls, Minnesota native, dressed for 31 games with the Providence Bruins, amassing a 21-6-1 record with a 2.03 goals against average (2nd in the AHL) and a .930 save percentage (1st in the AHL). He also dressed for the Boston Bruins in eight games, most of them at the beginning of the season, where he posted a 0-4-1 record with a 3.97 goals against average and a .858 save percentage.
Malcolm Subban
At one point during the start of the 2016-17 season, both McIntyre and Subban were dressing for the Boston club while Tuukka Rask and Anton Khudobin suffered from injuries.
Subban played in 32 games during the 2016-17 season with the Providence Bruins, where he compiled an 11-14-1 record with a 2.41 goals against average and a 0.917 save percentage. This marked his fourth season with Providence, and brought his career totals in the AHL to 127 games, with a record of 56-45-15.
The Toronto, Ontario native played four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League with the Belleville Bulls where he posted an OHL career record of 64-42-6 with a 2.53 goals against average and a .939 save percentage. He also represented Canada during the 2011 IIHF World U18 Championship held in Dresden, Germany. Team Canada came in fourth in the tournament. He stood between the pipes, wearing a Team Canada jersey, during the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championships at Ufa, Russia, where again Canada came in fourth.
All three players will certainly be working hard at training camp in September as they try to prove to management that they deserve a permanent spot on the Boston roster.
From the moment he took to the ice on Thursday during the Boston Bruins’ annual Development Camp, their fourth round pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Jeremy Swayman, appeared calm and focused. The 18-year-old goaltender from Anchorage, Alaska, looked unfazed by the most recent step in his hockey career.
In the past four years he has spent time between the pipes representing four different teams, and this coming season, as he begins his collegiate career, he will be with yet another team. This team is about as far away from his hometown as possible, while still be in the United States, as he undertakes his freshman year at the University of Maine. Moving so frequently as he endeavors to improve and grow as a netminder speaks to a level of commitment not often seen in one so young.
“It’s been a lot of sacrifices and I think every sacrifice I’ve made has been completely worth it and turned out in the best way possible,” Swayman shared after that first day of development camp. “I think moving out at a younger age got me the maturity a lot of kids didn’t get maybe living at home for a little more time. Molding to the society around [me] definitely separated myself from other guys staying back home and getting to the next level.”
Jeremy Swayman
Perhaps it was this number of moves and his experience with the various billet families as he went from team to team that has infused him with the calmness that he displayed at his first professional development camp, despite understanding that the coaches and Bruins management were watching him.
“I got a lot of shots and it’s not easy out here. The quality of players are obviously extremely good and, you know, just having the opportunity to be with these kind of players and having that competitiveness and being with a good group of guys is just really amazing and so I’m just going to take every opportunity I can and capitalize on it,” he shared, smiling as he talked.
Swayman played with the USHL Sioux Falls Stampede during the previous season, suiting up in 32 games where he had a .914 save percentage and a 2.90 AAG. According to the NHL Central Scouting he was ranked 12th among North American goalies. And while he was the 12th goaltender drafted overall, he was actually just the eighth North American goaltender drafted.
“Being taken in the fourth round is [an] extremely humble feeling I get and that means that they wanted me and they knew another team could have gotten me,” he said of the draft. “The fact that they chose me that high, I think I have a lot to prove and I’m completely willing to do it.”
Coming into his first development camp, he had no illusions that the days would be easy.
“I expected a high compete level and a lot of competition and that’s exactly what’s played in front of me and I completely thrive off of that kind of energy,” Swayman said of the camp. “And I think, you know, having the teammates around here pushing each other is going to make me better and them better as well and so having that kind of team environment already is pretty special to me.”
Jeremy Swayman
Talking with Swayman, it is easy to forget that he has only been on this earth for 18 years. He speaks clearly and thoughtfully with a refreshing enthusiasm that is not at all naïve. Perhaps his savviness is the product of his many moves in the past four years, but he also attributes it to the support of his team in those situations.
“Just having to make more relationships with complete strangers and even, I think, it’s a better situation going with a team,” he said. “It definitely would have been harder if I was a single high schooler going in but having the teammates around you being that immediate family, it’s definitely an incredible experience and the situations I was in, just molding with the brotherhood was pretty cool.”
Development camp for most players is about learning and growing. Unlike training camp in September where players are vying for jobs, players come to development camp to learn about the culture of the team and to understand the areas in which they need to grow or improve. This is the emphasis of the coaches and management. For the players, who listen and appreciate the guidance, they also are hoping to prove to the team that management made a good choice in either drafting or inviting them.
“My high competitiveness. How I separate myself on and off the ice,” Swayman said honestly about what he hopes to show. “Just how I focus and can kind of treat everything like a professional, putting in the extra time and the extra hours. I hope that separates myself and what they’ll see.”
It is likely that come hockey season Sawyman will be suiting up in the Maine blue, white and navy blue of the University of Maine Black Bears, but his commitment and willingness to work will undoubtedly serve him well in the coming season. His return to the Bruins’ development camp next year should reveal an even more focused and improved player with additional experiences to aid him in his quest for a job in the NHL.
By: Cathy Cuff Coffman
I’m a Philly girl, born and bred, and I’ve been an ice hockey aficionado since…1967.
That started with my Dad.
Ice hockey has always been around Philadelphia in one form or another—several minor league teams trekked their way through Billy Penn’s town, and my dad would frequent the games. If there was play-by-play on the radio, you can be sure our transistor was tuned to the game.
But when Ed Snider gambled and brought the Flyers—one of the first ice hockey expansion teams—to Philadelphia, my dad was one of the first to purchase season tickets. The year was 1967. I was five years old. And so began, in earnest, our family’s love affair with ice hockey.
I’m the oldest of four, and grew up as a rough and tumble tomboy. I was, in essence, my dad’s first born son. Sports brought us together. I played softball at a competitive level, and also played field hockey and lacrosse. A rival school had a girl on the field hockey team that also played ice hockey. I wanted to do that. “Learn to skate backwards,” said my Dad. And so I spent my allowance at the local rink, skating and working on cutting “C’s” in the ice to skate backwards.
I told him I learned—and he still wouldn’t let me sign up for the local team, the Sprinfield Quakers (named after the Philadelphia Quakers, one of the minor league teams that briefly made Philadelphia their homestead). Later on—as an adult—I realized that ice hockey was just too expensive for a truck driver’s salary.
But I digress.
So after a few years of season tickets my Dad and his friend worked their way into the Flyers organization—literally. They shared the job as Ed Snider’s bartender in the Spectrum’s Superbox. The gig came with two season tickets in Section X.
So while my Dad tended bar just 10 rows away, my siblings and I got to watch Flyers hockey from the opposing players’ blue line.
After the games we would go to the Superbox and clean glasses while my dad entertained the players and radio commentators after the game.
It just didn’t get much better than that.
My Dad’s love for the game was infectious in our family—even my Mom, the most non-sporty person ever, watched with intent and knowledge. One of my favorite pictures of my Dad is one where he’s in his recliner, covered by an afghan, watching the Flyers on TV. His hands are raised above his head, and when I look at that picture I can here him yelling “Score!”
Fast forward to 1991. My four-year old son, Tim, decides to trade in all the birthday presents he received for roller blades and a stick. I obliged. No kiddie rollerblades—inline wheels with no brake pad.
The little guy—who had seen enough hockey on TV, transferred what he viewed to his feet. The boy could skate. The next year, he was on the ice with the Pottstown Penguins, skating as if he had been doing it all his life. He went right to the Mite A team. And my Dad couldn’t be prouder.
My parents came to as many of Tim’s games as they could. One particular match was against a team coached by Ed “Boxcar” Hospodar—a former Flyer who my Dad had served in the Superbox. Tim’s team was down by two goals, with a minute left to play. Tim, in quick succession scored three goals to put the game away. Dad didn’t have much to say—he was pretty modest— but he did comment, “That boy is fast.”
The next year Tim made a Tier I AAA team (Valley Forge Minutemen) team and the realization of travel set in. We had two other children at home and I was afraid the travel would be too much. Not to worry. Dad went out and bought a conversion van and said he’d take Tim to as many games as he could.
That never happened. That summer Dad suddenly passed away. My Mom sold the van. And then, our daughter Kelly was bitten by the hockey bug, and she turned into a fine Tier 1 boys’ goaltender. Our youngest, Joe, eventually laced up the skates as a happy recreational player.
But it’s my Dad and his infectious love of the skill and effort put out by hockey players that turned my family into a hockey family.
My husband is from West Virginia and knew nothing of the game. When he took a job in Philadelphia, my Dad welcomed him to our town with the tickets in Section X.
Dad was tending bar, and snuck us a bread bag filled with jumbo shrimp. My husband felt the energy in the Spectrum. I don’t remember who the Flyers were playing. But I remember the feeling of passing something along to my husband that colored the fabric of my life for as long as I could remember.
Our involvement in hockey continues. Tim went to Utica College in New York, holds most of the schools scoring records. After Utica, he played four seasons in the ECHL with the Alaska Aces, a team which sadly had to cease operations after the ’16/’17 season. He recently signed with Slovakia team HKM Zvolen.
A corner of our basement is filled with used hockey gear. And every once in a while, one of the kids would say, “I wonder what GrandDad would think?”
And we picture him with his hands raised above his head, shouting “Score!”
On Wednesday, June 28, 2017, the Boston Bruins General Manager, Don Sweeney, announced the first of his RFA signings. On Monday, Noel Acciari, and seven others were given qualifying offers, as a result of their RFA status, and Acciari was the first of those to have a deal in place and signed.
“I’m very excited. I just wanted to thank Donny [Don Sweeney] and Cam [Neely] and the Jacobs family for giving me the opportunity to be a part of it for another two years and I’m excited about where this team is headed. So I’m glad I can be a part of it,” exclaimed Acciari after the announcement was made.
Big impact from Acciari (Photo: Alan Sullivan)
The Providence College Friars alum played 29 games with the Boston club during the 2016-17 season. The Johnston, Rhode Island native went undrafted, signing with Boston as a free agent on June 8, 2015, a couple months after he and his Friars took home the much coveted Frozen Four Championship, which coincidentally was played at TD Garden—home arena to the Boston Bruins—that year.
The 25-year-old plays a physical game, not afraid to hit someone or take a hit. Most of those who do end up hitting him are surprised to find out it is like hitting a giant block of cement.
“I can’t help that I’m solid and they don’t know it, but, you know I just kind of… be aware of if a hit’s coming and kind of be able to brace myself,” Acciari said of how opponents often underestimate his strength. “Just throw hits when I can, but anyway to get to the puck; go through them or around I’ll pretty much do it.”
Playing such a game can take a physical toll on the body of any player, and given the speed of today’s hockey, can sometimes cause damage that players in the past would not have experienced. While Acciari has assured that he will not change his game, he is mindful of injury, but approaches it from a cogent point of view.
“I don’t like to think about if I’m going to get hurt, or if this is going to hurt me, if this blocked shot is going to hurt me. I think when you’re thinking too much when that happens, that’s when you start to get hurt,” he said. “But, like you said, my type of game, it could happen. But, I don’t want to think about it too much where well, if I throw this hit, this will potentially hurt, because I think that will… I’ll start playing mind games with myself and I don’t want to take myself out of how I’m playing and pretty much focus on what I need to do and play the game I know how to play and I think I’ll be fine.”
Of course, while he is a force to be reckoned with in the checking department, he admitted that he has an area that he needs to concentrate on and improve.
“I think for me, holding onto the puck a little more and being able to possess it down low and just making sure it’s tough to get pucks from me and when to make the play at the net and when not to and just have a little bit more confidence with the puck on my stick rather than just dumping it and throwing it away,” Acciari spoke honestly.
The two-year, one-way contract is worth an average annual value of $725,000 against the Bruins’ cap. The one-way aspect of the contract speaks to the confidence Bruins management has in the 5’11” 205-pound forward, as he would be paid that whether he is playing in Boston at the NHL level or with the Providence Bruins at the AHL level. It suggests that the front office expects him to spend the season with the Boston club.
Over the past few seasons, rumors surrounding the trade of New York Islanders defenseman, Travis Hamonic have been plentiful. In 2015 the player himself had asked to be traded to be closer to his family as his Mother was sick, though he ultimately rescinded that request. However, this morning it was announced that the 26 year old St. Malo, Manitoba, Canada native was dealt along with a 4th round draft pick in 2019 or 2020 to the Calgary Flames.
Hamonic has been part of the Islanders’ core since he was brought up from the team’s AHL affiliate, Bridgeport Sound Tigers after just 19 games in 2010. Serving as an alternate captain in the 2016-2017 season, this past season was not his best coming away from the year with a +/- rating of -21.
The defenseman had just been honored this past week at the 2017 NHL Awards in Las Vegas. Hamonic received the NHL Foundation Player Award. Each year the award is given to a player “who applies the core values of (ice) hockey—commitment, perseverance and teamwork—to enrich the lives of people in his community”. Hamonic had partnered with the New York Islanders to bring children, who like Hamonic had lost a parent to games as part of his D-Partner Program.
In exchange for Hamonic and a 4th round pick in either the 2019 or 2020 draft, the New York Islanders received three draft picks. The team will receive the Calgary Flames’ 1st round and 2nd round picks in the 2018 draft as well as a 2nd round pick in the 2019 or 2020 draft. In most trades there is a “winner” and a “loser”, with this trade however, it will all depend on what Islanders’ General Manager, Garth Snow can do with these draft picks.
In the past, Snow has been criticized by fans and writers alike for his lack of skill when it comes to draft picks as well as his lack of deal making during the season as well as during the off-season. A trade like this could very well work in the Islanders favor as the team is very strong defensively, having chosen to protect more defenseman than forwards during the Vegas Golden Knights Expansion Draft this past week, so it is possible that some of the younger defensemen on the team such as Ryan Pulock, Scott Mayfield, and Adam Pelech will be able to step up and fill the role that Hamonic had done for the last 7 years. However, many of the Islanders draft picks in the past have done little to nothing for the team due to poor picking or poor player development. The outcome of this trade as far as how well it fares for the Islanders will remain to be seen in the coming NHL seasons.
Having not made any significant moves since February of 2016, one could say that the New York Islanders were long overdue. Oft-criticized General Manger, Garth Snow finally made a move that could end one of the Islanders’ many long-term problems.
Since trading leftwinger, Matt Moulson to the Buffalo Sabres in October of 2015, the Islanders have had trouble filling the spot next to star center and captain, John Tavares. However, with the acquisition of Jordan Eberle from the Edmonton Oilers, it appears that the Islanders may have found their solution. The team posted a quote from Garth Snow in which he explains a bit of what he hopes to see from their newest Forward. “We’re excited to add a proven offensive weapon like Jordan to our lineup, he brings speed and a knack for scoring not only consistently, but scoring big goals, in big games. Jordan brings leadership and experience into our room, qualities that will continue to help us build towards our goals of being a consistent playoff contender and winning the Stanley Cup.”
In exchange for Eberle, the Islanders sent 23 year old Forward, Ryan Strome to Edmon
ton. As a straight one-for-one trade, the Islanders may have gained more than they gave up. Last season, Eberle had 20 goals, 31 assists, and a +/- rating of +3. The 27 year old has 2 years left on his 6 year, 36,000,000 contract. Strome on the other hand had only 13 goals and 17 assists with a +/- rating of -8. He also only has one year left on his contract meaning that at the end of this coming season, the New York Islanders may have parted ways with him at end of the 2017-2018 season anyway.
Jordan Eberle and John Tavares have a history of playing together, and as Eberle noted, the two had good chemistry. The team quoted Eberle when asked about Tavares, “Obviously John is a generational player I’ve had previous chemistry with John. He’s a very intelligent player and the way that he plays suits my game. If that’s where I end up, our games suit each other well.” The two were linemates in 2009 for gold medal winning Team Canada at the World Juniors earning 28 points combined.
Eberle trains with John Tavares as well as Thomas Hickey, Andrew Ladd, and Travis Hamonic during the off-season so he is familiar with some of his new teammates already, making the adjustment that much easier. Eberle is excited to join the New York Islanders as noted in a quote posted by the team, “From a fan of hockey and the game, the Islanders are a storied franchise. There’s a lot of winning past there and obviously as part of the team now, I want to bring that back.” Eberle will switch from wearing number 14 as he did in Edmonton to his old juniors number, 7.
This move is one that has both, players and fans alike excited as this may be one of the moves needed to finally bring the Islanders to a more elite level.
The Nashville Predators obviously had the best season of their franchise history. They made it to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time and their general manager David Poile could be said to have a lot to do with that. The biggest trade of last offseason saw Predators captain Shea Weber going to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenseman P.K. Subban. The trade payed off big time and the Preds went to the playoffs for the 10th time in 13 seasons. Poile’s win for the General Manager of the Year is no surprise.
John Tortorella is one of the most entertaining coaches in hockey. He’s notorious for his temper and he is also well-known for his success in the NHL. The Columbus Blue Jackets were able to really take full advantage of Tortorella’s knowledge and they had the best season in their franchise history. The team was able to earn 108 points, set franchise records for wins, points, home wins (28) and road points (51). They were just one win away from tying the best-ever 17 game win streak that the Pittsburgh Penguins accomplished in the 1992-93 season. His success in Columbus earned him his 2nd Jack Adams Award for the most outstanding head coach.
The Bill Masterton Trophy goes to the player who showed the most perseverance and dedication to hockey. If you’ve followed the story of Craig Anderson and his wife Nicholle, you know that they went through a lot this season. With a devastating cancer diagnosis in the fall, Anderson stood by his families side and took some much needed time off. When the Ottawa Senators needed their goalie, though, Nicholle pushed Craig to play the sport he loved and to get back on the ice. Anderson had one of the best seasons of his career winning 25 of 40 starts and helping the team get to the third round of the playoffs. Nicholle is now cancer free and there couldn’t have been a better ending to their playoff run.
“The support we had was outstanding. It was pretty much the only reason I could come back and play. The support from the organization allowing me to take a leave of absence, to take as much time as I needed,” said Craig Anderson in regards to what his family went through. “To my teammates battling through, making me feel welcome when I came back. The fans, the opposing players who would reach out. It was a very emotional time and thats a lot to be grateful for, the people that mean so much to us. That went through thick and thin with us and allowed us to get to this point.”
Johnny Gaudreau was in Vegas nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy when his old teammate Jiri Hudler won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for outstanding sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct. This season, Gaudreau came here nominated for the same award. With just two minor penalties and four penalty minutes all season, it’s no wonder that Gaudreau was the obvious choice for the Lady Byng. Johnny Hockey is an all around gentleman. He’s always in great spirits and he makes a huge impact on his team with this. His Lady Byng Memorial Trophy win just two years after going home empty-handed is surely appreciated by the New Jersey native.
The Vezina Trophy goes to the top goaltender every season. Every year, the competition is fierce and there’s so many different goalies that are deserving of the award. Sergei Bobrovsky was one of the main reasons that the Columbus Blue Jackets had as phenomenal of a season as they did. Bobrovsky collected 25 of the 30 first place votes for the Vezina Trophy at the 2017 NHL Awards. Bobrovsky had a career and franchise high 41 wins during the regular season as well as 14 and 16 game win streaks. This honor is no surprise, especially to head coach John Tortorella who told media with confidence before the award was given that Bobrovsky would be the winner.
It seems easy for the National Hockey League Awards to become quickly overshadowed by the Vegas Expansion Draft. Combining the two events can be tricky, since most of the focus easily could’ve gone to the newest NHL team, the Vegas Golden Knights. The NHL did a good job at keeping the Awards special for the players, but still allowing the Golden Knights to have their moment. The players who were nominated for awards this year knew that they were a part of something special and that’s the coolest part for a lot of them. Johnny Gaudreau said on multiple occasions, that it’s “exciting” to be apart of something like the Expansion Draft.
“It’s kind of history. It’s exciting to be a part of it and to watch it live.”
The real reason that these players were in Vegas, though was to celebrate their individual and group accomplishments throughout the season. It’s a special experience for both the players who have attended before and the first-time NHL Award honorees.
The first award of the night was the Ted Lindsay Award for the most outstanding player voted for by the NHLPA. This award was given to Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid. At the young age of 20, McDavid was named the captain of the Oilers in just his second year in the league. This is a phenomenal feat and it just shows the impact that he has on his team. He helped the Oilers make it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since the 2005-06 season. McDavid also took home the Hart Trophy for the league MVP. His value to his team is incredible having 30 multi-point games this season. He becomes just the third player ever to win the Hart before his 21st birthday. He is only behind Wayne Gretzky and Sidney Crosby.
Patrice Bergeron knows the NHL Awards well. He tied the record for the most Frank J. Selke Trophy for the forward who best excels defensively at four wins. Bergeron is not just a big part of the leadership on the Bruins, but he is also such an incredible all-around player. He led the league this season with 1,089 face-off wins.
The James Norris Memorial Trophy was awarded to Brent Burns of the San Jose Sharks who is one of the best defenseman in the league. This past season he set records in both points and goals for a defenseman with 29 goals and 47 assists. He also became the first defenseman to record back to back 75+ point seasons since 1997. His impact on the ice is not even close to when he’s off. He’s one of the nicest people in the league and he continues to be rewarded for it.
The Calder Memorial Trophy for the rookie of the year went to Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews who scored 40 goals in 82 games during the regular season. Matthews won by a landslide and that’s no surprise. His rookie year was full of franchise-breaking records and spectacular performances. He finished tied for second in goals, only four goals behind Sidney Crosby.
The expansion draft has been on the hockey world’s mind for almost a year now. With the chance that each team would lose at least one player, there was hysteria for some and rejoice from others. The list of players that was announced last weekend available for the Vegas Golden Knights to draft was full of quality players that would make any expansion team great. The Golden Knights had luck on their side, with many teams not wanting to let go of some of their key players they had to expose. This in turn allowed the Golden Knights to not just acquire players, but also draft picks for the upcoming draft and several years to come.
There was a huge amount of buzz surrounding the players that seemed to be an obvious choice for the team. One of the most talked about picks for the Golden Knights was the recent Stanley Cup Champion, Marc-Andre Fleury. His success with the Pittsburgh Penguins over 14 seasons led him to be an obvious choice for a new team. It came as no surprise when he was the final pick for the Golden Knights in the Expansion Draft. Fleury has played in nearly 700 NHL games over the course of his career and his veteran net presence is expected to be a huge asset for a team just starting out. With the addition of Calvin Pickard from the Colorado Avalanche and Jean-Francois Berube from the New York Islanders, they already have a great set of goaltenders to start out the season.
Fleury walked on to the stage at the Expansion Draft and into the media room with the same bright smile. It never left his face and the excitement for him was obviously there. Though the adjustment might be big, there’s still a chance for him to be the face of the franchise. He doesn’t necessarily see himself as the “face of anything”, but that’s truly what he’s going to become.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity. I’ll wear it [the jersey] with pride,” said Fleury.
Some other notable picks for the Golden Knights is the Nashville Predators James Neal. Neal has experience playing with Fleury in his four seasons with the Penguins. This chemistry is just one of the examples of why the team could mesh easier than many may think. James Neal had a huge impact on the ice during the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the Final against his former team. In 22 games, he recorded 6 goals and 3 assists but his presence was always noticed. Neal is a fairly consistent player averaging at least 20 goals a season and will be a huge player for the new team.
The players mentioned before are only a few of the many great assets that the Golden Knights added to their roster. Though I would expect that there might be some potential trades to happen at or before the draft. The team picked 15 defenseman and it’s likely they will not keep them all.
Below is a list of all of the players acquired as well as the draft picks that they will receive.
ROSTER BY POSITION
Forwards:
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare
Connor Brickley
William Carrier
David Clarkson
Cody Eakin
Mikhail Grabovski
Nikita Gusev
Erik Haula
William Karlsson
Brendan Leipsic
Oscar Lindberg
Jonathan Marchessault
James Neal
Tomas Nosek
David Perron
Teemu Pulkkinen
Reilly Smith
Chris Thorburn
Alex Tuch
Defensemen:
Jake Bischoff
Deryk Engelland
Alexei Emelin
Jason Garrison
Brayden McNabb
Jon Merrill
Marc Methot
Colin Miller
Luca Sbisa
David Schlemko
Griffin Reinhart
Nate Schmidt
Clayton Stoner
Shea Theodore
Trevor van Riemsdyk
Goaltenders:
Jean-Francois Berube
Marc-Andre Fleury
Calvin Pickard
VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS DRAFT PICKS ACQUIRED THROUGH THE EXPANSION DRAFT
Five in 2017
One in 2018
Three in 2019
One in 2020
VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS DRAFT PICKS TRADED DURING EXPANSION DRAFT
Conditional third round pick for either 2017 or 2018 to MIN
Fourth round pick in 2018 to FLA
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