Islanders’ Johnny Boychuk, fully recovered from eye injury, set to skate
The Islanders defenseman needed 90 stitches to repair a cut above his eyelid, which he suffered when he was hit by the skate of the Montreal Canadiens’ Artturi Lehkonen on March 3. He didn’t suffer any damage to the eye itself. “My eye seems to be almost like 100 percent,” Boychuk told Newsday. “There’s going […]
Continue readingRanking the most memorably weird hockey playoff overtime goals
He snapped a quick shot at Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Michael Leighton and circled around the net. The first player to raise his hands in victory was Patrick Sharp. Defenseman Nick Boynton joined him for a moment before briefly rejoining the play, as the referee had yet to signal a goal. Kane appeared to be cycling […]
Continue readingNHL players return to train at ‘different’ facility
The NHL announced last week that it had moved into Phase 2 of its “return to play” protocol, with teams given the green light to open training facilities for players with COVID-19 restrictions in place. A maximum of six players can train at the facilities at once. On-ice sessions are for players only, with no […]
Continue readingNHL needs actions, not words, on racial injustice
He stood at the bench, lowered his head and raised his right fist in the air, becoming the first NHL player to engage in a peaceful demonstration during the national anthem in solidarity with athletes who protested in other sports. Brown had consulted military families beforehand about what they thought were appropriate ways to protest […]
Continue readingThe NHL’s coronavirus pause: Updates to the playoff format, more questions as team facilities open
As players, executives and fans continue to adjust to the new normal, we will provide updates every week, answering all the burning questions about the various angles of the NHL’s relation to the pandemic. Although on-ice action remains on the shelf, there have been some intriguing developments since last week’s update. Get caught up on […]
Continue readingBuilding the perfect NHL goaltender: Best skills, attributes among goalies
We complete the series here by building the ultimate goaltender from 15 skills and characteristics of players around the league. Goalie guru Kevin Woodley once called Price “a living how-to-be-a-goalie” instructional video. His patience might be his best virtue, and that’s born out of the soundness of his technique. When he’s on, Price’s fluid movements […]
Continue readingAfter 5-game qualifying round, NHL playoffs to feature 7-game rounds
The sides also determined that the tournament will not be bracketed but will be reseeded after every round. These are two key details of the NHL’s return-to-play plan, but there is still plenty to hash out before games can resume. In an email to ESPN on Thursday, deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league was […]
Continue readingBuilding the perfect NHL defenseman: Best skills, attributes among blueliners
We continue the series here by building the ultimate defenseman from 16 different skills and characteristics of players around the league. (See our perfect forward here, and check back later this week for our iteration of the perfect goalie). He is only a rookie, but it’s hard to find another defenseman who is as creative […]
Continue readingNHL Viewers Club: ‘Nice Guys Finish First’ on ‘Full House’
Today, we’re turning back the clock to 1992, for an episode of “Full House” titled “Nice Guys Finish First,” which includes one of the most famous charity hockey events of that pivotal year. Emily Kaplan: Lori Loughlin briefly likable again as Aunt Becky, closet puckhead. Greg Wyshynski: College sports failure leads to adult traumatization? Cut! […]
Continue readingNHL rookie rankings: Final top 10 for 2019-20 and who should win the Calder Trophy
The margin between the two is razor thin. Makar is very deserving of consideration and will likely pick up his share of first-place Calder Trophy votes. But when it is this close, I look at which of the two players was most valuable to his team. Again, the margin in that category is so thin, […]
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