Alfredsson to receive honorary Doctor of Laws degree

From captain to ... doctor?

Retired Ottawa Senators forward Daniel Alfredsson will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree June 7 at Carleton University's spring convocation, according to CBC's Andrew Foote.

The 43-year-old will be one of 15 people receiving honorary degrees at the ceremony, according to Joanne Laucius from the Ottawa Citizen.

Alfredsson played 17 of his 18 NHL seasons with the Senators - 14 as captain - and has long been active in the Ottawa community, working with the Ottawa Senators Foundation and Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health.

He currently serves as the Senators' senior advisor of hockey operations.

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Stanley Cup Game 1 ratings lowest since 2012

Without a large market between the Pittsburgh Penguins and San Jose Sharks, ratings were expected to dip in this year's Stanley Cup Final.

With Game 1 matched up against an incredible Game 7 in the NBA between the Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder, the viewership was as low as anticipated.

Viewership for Monday's game on NBC dropped 36 percent from last year, receiving a 2.7 overnight rating - the lowest for a Cup Final Game 1 since the 2012 series opener between the Kings and Devils, which earned a 2.4 rating, according to Sports Media Watch.

Meanwhile, the Warriors-Thunder game had nearly five times the viewership, grabbing an 11.2 rating on the night nationally, as well as in the Bay Area, with both the Warriors and Sharks representing Northern California.

Earlier in the week, Sharks forward Joel Ward told reporters "it sucks" that the games occurred on the same night, but that won't be an issue for Wednesday's Game 2, which should provide a great opportunity for San Jose to truly rally around their hockey team.

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Stanley Cup Game 1 ratings lowest since 2012

Without a large market between the Pittsburgh Penguins and San Jose Sharks, ratings were expected to dip in this year's Stanley Cup Final.

With Game 1 matched up against an incredible Game 7 in the NBA between the Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder, the viewership was as low as anticipated.

Viewership for Monday's game on NBC dropped 36 percent from last year, receiving a 2.7 overnight rating - the lowest for a Cup Final Game 1 since the 2012 series opener between the Kings and Devils, which earned a 2.4 rating, according to Sports Media Watch.

Meanwhile, the Warriors-Thunder game had nearly five times the viewership, grabbing an 11.2 rating on the night nationally, as well as in the Bay Area, with both the Warriors and Sharks representing Northern California.

Earlier in the week, Sharks forward Joel Ward told reporters "it sucks" that the games occurred on the same night, but that won't be an issue for Wednesday's Game 2, which should provide a great opportunity for San Jose to truly rally around their hockey team.

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Hurricanes’ Wisniewski caddies for friend Jason Day

As world No. 1 golfer Jason Day looks to win his second consecutive tournament - and fourth in his last seven starts - at this weekend's Memorial Tournament, he got some help during a practice round from an old friend he met in Ohio a few years ago.

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman James Wisniewski caddied for Day on Tuesday. The two became friends during the 2012-13 NHL lockout, according to Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer, and used to golf together at Muirfield while both were living in the Columbus area.

Day and his family reside in Westerville, Ohio - less than 20 miles from Columbus - while Wisniewski spent parts of four seasons with the hometown Blue Jackets between 2011-2015.

After being traded from the Anaheim Ducks to Carolina in June, Wisniewski suffered a torn ACL in his first game with the Hurricanes, ending his season.

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Penguins’ Sundqvist, Bennett ready to play if Rust unavailable for Game 2

With Bryan Rust listed as day to day after suffering an upper-body injury in a hit to the head from San Jose Sharks veteran Patrick Marleau, a pair of Pittsburgh Penguins forwards are prepared to step in for head coach Mike Sullivan.

With either Matt Cullen or Eric Fehr likely to take Rust's spot on Evgeni Malkin's wing, Game 1 scratches Beau Bennett and Oskar Sundqvist are the most likely options to join the fourth line in Game 2.

"If I'm slotted in there, I've got to be able to make a contribution right away," Bennett said, according to Jonathan Bombulie of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "I think I was maybe playing a little too cautious my first time around there."

Bennett's lone postseason appearance came in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he posted a minus-2 rating in just over 11 minutes of action.

Meanwhile, Sundqvist appeared in one game in each of the Penguins' first two rounds, failing to register a point or a shot in just under 19 minutes of ice time.

"I'm pretty comfortable when we don't have the puck," Sundqvist said. "I'm usually a guy that's on the right side. I think Sully knows that, too."

Regular season stats

Player GP G A P +/- PIM
Bennett 33 6 6 12 -1 10
Sundqvist 18 1 3 4 0 4

Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.

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Report: Carlyle, Ducks expected to meet about head coaching vacancy

Randy Carlyle may be going back to Cali.

The unemployed head coach is expected to meet with the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday about their vacancy behind the bench, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.

Former NHLer Travis Green is also "among those in (the) mix" for the job, Dreger adds

Carlyle hasn't worked since being fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2015. He spent six seasons as head coach in Anaheim beginning in 2005, and won a Stanley Cup with the club in 2007.

The 60-year-old has a lifetime 364-260-80 record.

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Sullivan lauds Crosby’s ‘insatiable appetite’ for greatness after optional skate

Sidney Crosby could have taken the morning off following a Game 1 win over the San Jose Sharks.

Instead, he was one of a handful of Pittsburgh Penguins that participated in Tuesday's optional skate, because that's simply what he does, says head coach Mike Sullivan.

"I don't think he's as good as he is by accident," Sullivan said at a press conference. " As long as I've been associated with this league, I don't know that I've been around a player that has the same work ethic as Sid does as far as that insatiable appetite to just try to get better and be the best. I think that's why he's as good as he is.

"Everybody sees his talent. There's a lot of talented guys out there. But I think his work ethic allows him to be the player that he is. It's impressive."

Sullivan added Crosby's routine sets a standard for the rest of the team, providing an example of the type of work ethic expected from the top down.

Crosby saw 20:40 of ice time in Game 1 - most among Penguins' forwards - and recorded one assist, four shots, and a Corsi rating of 62.9 percent in all situations.

All in a day's work.

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Russia negotiating with NHL to allow Voynov in World Cup

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman put his foot down Monday, saying former Los Angeles Kings defenseman Slava Voynov won't play in the World Cup of Hockey due to his league suspension, but Russia isn't ready to give up.

The Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RHF) has an ongoing dialogue with the NHL about Voynov's participation in the tournament, according to Russian news agency TASS.

"The Russian Ice Hockey Federation is holding negotiations with the organizers of the World Cup - the NHL - concerning the issue of national team's defender Vyacheslav Voynov," the RHF's press service said Tuesday.

"The Russian Ice Hockey Federation hopes that the organizers of the international competition will make a positive decision on the issue and the defender will be allowed to be included in the roster of the Russian national team."

The RHF said Rene Fasel, president of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), is also part of the negotiations.

Voynov was charged with domestic violence, and spent two months in prison before returning home to Russia. He was suspended indefinitely, and had his contract voided by the NHL. The 26-year-old spent this season with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL.

The World Cup gets underway Sept. 17.

- With h/t to NBC Sports

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