Good morning Hockey fans,
Hope all is well with you. With the regular season in swing, there have been a lot of storylines happening around the league, so we wanted to update you on the latest happening.
- The Winnipeg Jets have now lost Gabriel Vilardi due to an MCL sprain he suffered in the game against the LA Kings and will miss around 4-6 weeks due to a recovery. Vilardi, who was traded in the off-season from the LA Kings, was a big piece for the Jets, and this will impact their forward depth. They will have to have other guys step up and fill in for him. There is also news around the small crowd sizes and record-low attendance number at that same game (where Vilardi got injured) and they lost 5 to 1. Although it shouldn’t be an immediate panic, there should be some worry in Winnipeg land and with upper management as to how to entice or attract people to attend games. This is something that both the NHL and we here will be monitoring to see how things develop. By having a winning team, it can make fans flock into the arena, but there is still some work that both Rick Bonus and Kevin Cheveldayoff have to do.
- Craig Anderson has announced his retirement from the game, and will end his professional career with the Ottawa Senators, as they plan to sign him for a one day deal, when they face off against the Buffalo Sabres, his final team. Anderson spent 10 seasons with the Senators, posting a 202-168-46 record, reaching the Eastern Conference Final with the team in 2017. He also won the Bill Masterton Trophy in 2016-17. He has a career record of 319-275-71 and ranks fifth among American-born goalies in wins and games played. We wish him all the best.
- Tij Iginla, son of the legendary player Jarome Iginla, is on the move to the Kelowna Rockets in a trade with the Seattle Thunderbirds in a trade Grady Lenton, along with a first-round pick in the 2024 WHL Draft and a second-round pick in 2027 back. He has been really solid, as in 48 games and put up 6 goals and 18 points. He will be eligible for the NHL 2024 draft as well.
- There has been a lot made of Connor Bedard’s start, having played 4 games, and putting up 1 goal and 2 assists in that time, and there has been wall to wall coverage for the player promoting him on almost all podcasts, and hockey shows. For some this has been off putting and think it is too much, but we believe this is the best way to promote the game and promote the young talent in the game. We love seeing young guys like Bedard, Fantilli & Hughes come out and play fun, exciting hockey. It gets people in (and out) of their seats. We need more promotions of the best players (MacKinnon, Matthews, McDavid), and we need to find ways to talk about it (just look at the NFL and the boost it got from Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. We want that in the NHL and hope to see more highlight reel goals (or plays) this season.
- It sounds like CCM has been named the official equipment supplier to the PWHL for the upcoming season that will begin in January 2024. CCM, a leading designer and manufacturer of hockey gear are excited and proud in partnering with the PWHL, in growing the game. The teams are looking for the barns to play in and it sounds like Toronto PWHL will play out of Mattamy Athletic Centre, formerly known as the Maple Leaf Gardens. Should be a fun time, once the season starts.
- The Montreal Canadiens have announced that their young centre Kirby Dach will be out for the season due to ACL and MCL tears in his right leg, in the game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Dach’s former team. Dach was off to a solid start in Montreal, with 2 assists in the first two games. This is a big loss for a young team and like in Winnipeg, they will have to have other guys step up and play hard. We wish him a speedy recovery and hope to see him back, sooner rather than later.
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- Pawel ‘The Cat’
