Welcome back hockey fans! Welcome to Week 12 of our news from around the world of hockey and around the league. We’ve had a busy time in the world of hockey, so lets jump right in:
- As noted in the wonderful article by Grant Cummings, the Boston Bruins have fired Head Coach Jim Montgomery after the team failed to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets and having a very weird start to the season of 8-9-3 this season. Assistant Joe Sacco will take over as interim head coach as the Bruins face off against the Utah HC on Thursday. Montgomery is a good coach and had a 120-41-23 record in the three seasons he coached the Bruins, making the playoffs twice but falling to the Panthers in both years. We hope to see him in the future and it will be interesting to see how the Bruins respond to this and if Don Sweeney and Cam Neely make any other moves to shake up the roster.
- It is being reported that Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews is reportedly going to be in Germany, to see a former specialist doctor with whom Matthews has worked with before, to assess an undisclosed injury for the superstar as he has been out of the lineup for a few weeks now. Not much was shared by GM Brad Treliving, but that he is still scheduled to return soon to the lineup. The good news for Leafs fans is that Toronto has been playing well without their captain and winning games (beating the Edmonton Oilers over the weekend in 4-3 in OT). We hope to see Auston back soon, but also hope he has a good recovery from whatever is nagging him.
- It was also announced by the NHL Department of Player Safety that Ryan Reaves got a 5 game suspension after his dangerous head hit against Darnell Nurse. Reaves has been suspended 3 times in his NHL career and has also been fined on two occasions. According to Head Coach Kris Knoblauch, Nurse will be out for 8 to 10 days before he will return, and we hope things are okay, given that he is on concussion watch. We wish Nurse all the best, and hope to see less of these types of hits moving forward.
- Speaking of the Edmonton Oilers, they have picked up Kasperi Kapanen off the waiver wire, after St. Louis Blues putting him on it. Kapanen, 28, has played in 10 games this season, putting up scoring one goal in that time. The veteran right winger has played in 470 NHL games, between Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, and more recently the St. Louis Blues and has scored 85 goals and 124 assists. It will be interesting to see how he fares with a very dynamic Oilers line up.
- The New York Islanders have announced that defenceman Mike Reilly will be out for the remainder of the season due to a pre-existing heart condition that was found during a recent routine test. He will undergo surgery soon, but there is also no timeline for his return. He has played 11 games this season without any points, but is a good defensive defenceman, and we wish him all the best in his surgery and recovery. The good thing for the Islanders is that they have some good depth on the blueline so they can continue to be competitive.
- The Vancouver Canucks have also announced that J.T. Miller will be taking an indefinite leave of absence for personal reasons and we will respect his privacy. Miller, is a big part of the Canucks leadership team and a top 6 player, and has 6 goals and 10 assists in 17 games as the team sits at 9-6-3. The team has recently struggled winning at home and so Head Coach Rick Tocchet apologizing to the fans for the team’s effort. We will be monitoring how the team is moving forward as they continue to try to replicate last season’s success.
- There was a scary incident in the game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Philadelphia Flyers, where defenceman Josh Manson awkwardly collided with NHL referee Mitch Dunning, leaving him to be moved off the ice off a stretcher. Reports are that Mitch Dunning is at home doing well now after going to the hospital and recovering, but it goes to show you how dangerous the game is, along with the job of being an official in the game. The game finished with only 1 ref and 2 linesmen, like back in the day, but we are glad to hear that Mitch Dunning is doing well.
- The Winter Classic jerseys for both the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues have been revealed online (you can check it out) for the upcoming outdoor game, and again it showcases a unique take on each of the franchises. It should be a fun game again to watch.
- We also have learnt that Alexander Ovechkin will be out week to week due to a leg injury (looked like his ankle) when he collided with Jack McBain with the Utah HC where the team won 6 to 2 win. Oveckhin is chasing Gretzky’s scoring record and is 27 goals away, and has 15 goals in 18 games this season showing that the 39 year old hasn’t slowed down this season. The team is firing on all cylinders and are 13-4-1 and are first in the Metro Division. We hope to see him back soon and have him beat the record this season (as that would be very memorable).
- As always, there is a lot more news so make sure to tune in for our aired Season 6, Episode 12 of Two Guys & Hockey Talk. We dive into some great topics and much more.
Thoughts? Questions? Suggestions? Then remember to tune in each week to get all the latest news in the world of hockey. For more hockey news, different takes or if you want to chat about anything hockey give me a follow @hockey_two on TWITTER and give us a follow on YouTube, or at https://twoguysandhockeytalk.com/.
- Pawel ‘The Cat’
