DeBoer favors potential Vegas games in August: ‘It would be awesome’

Pete DeBoer wouldn't be opposed to playing postseason games deep into the summer.

"I can imagine playoff hockey in Vegas in August. It would be 120 degrees, it would be awesome," the Vegas Golden Knights head coach told Greg Wyshynski and Emily Kaplan on the ESPN On Ice podcast Tuesday.

"You'd have to change the dress code for the players coming to the rink, but ... I think people by that point would be starving for hockey," the bench boss added.

DeBoer also expressed how difficult it would be to not conclude this campaign with a postseason.

"I know, to a man, the players want to have an ending to this season and want to end it the right way," he said. "I know (with) our group, (when) you get this far into a year, you can taste the Stanley Cup Playoffs and you want some closure to that. So, I think whether we play in July, August, (or) September, I'm all for figuring out a way to get some closure to this season before we roll into the next."

As the NHL remains paused amid the coronavirus pandemic, deputy commissioner Bill Daly said last week the league may have the ability to play in August and would fit games in if necessary. TSN's Bob McKenzie previously reported the NHL asked its teams for available August arena dates.

Daly has also indicated the league wants to avoid anything less than a full 2020-21 campaign.

When the NHL paused its season on March 12, the Golden Knights sat atop the Pacific Division with a 39-24-8 record.

Vegas played until June 7, 2018, back in its inaugural season, losing the Stanley Cup Final to the Washington Capitals in five games.

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Dubas: Robertson will get ‘every opportunity’ to make Leafs next season

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas said Tuesday prospect Nick Robertson will be given a chance to crack the team's opening night roster next season.

"Come training camp we’ll give (Robertson) every opportunity to potentially make the team and put the ball in his court and see what he can do in the fall,” Dubas told The Athletic's James Mirtle.

The 5-foot-9 winger was selected 53rd overall by the Leafs in the 2019 draft. He led the OHL with 55 goals in just 46 games as an 18-year-old with the Peterborough Petes this season, where he was linemates with fellow Leafs prospect Semyon Der-Arguchintsev. Robertson also tallied five points in five contests with the United States at the world juniors.

The Athletic's Corey Pronman had Robertson ranked as the 11th-best prospect in hockey at the midway point of the season.

"He’s got the hands to dangle at a high level, and despite not having a lot of assists, his vision is of the highest grades," Pronman wrote back in January. "I may be biased because I’ve been in attendance for some of his highlight-reel assists, but I do think his hockey IQ is elite. He also has a great shot and can pick corners from long distance. He’s small and has an awkward skating stride, but he competes very hard and earns the praise of any coach he plays for because of his work ethic."

TSN's Craig Button compared Robertson to Pittsburgh Penguins' 40-goal winger Jake Guentzel.

“Jake was very similar (early on) - small, hadn’t physically matured, needed more time. But if you go back, all Jake did was produce," Button said. "It was going to take him a little bit of time to get that physical maturity, and now you watch Jake Guentzel, and I think Nick Robertson is like a clone."

Toronto's left wing depth chart is comprised of Zach Hyman, Andreas Johnsson, Ilya Mikheyev (pending RFA), Pierre Engvall, and Kyle Clifford (pending UFA). The emergence of Robertson, a left-handed shot, could potentially allow the Leafs to trade from their surplus of wingers in exchange for help on defense.

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Arizona State’s Brinson Pasichnuk joins Sharks

Free-agent defenseman Brinson Pasichnuk has agreed to join the San Jose Sharks, the club announced Tuesday.

Pasichnuk racked up 37 points in 36 games with Arizona State this season while serving as captain for the second straight campaign in his senior year.

The 22-year-old led the nation's blue-liners in shots on goal (121), tied for second in goals, and finished third in points in 2019-20.

He leaves the Sun Devils as their all-time leader in games played, points, and assists.

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7 takes, thoughts, trends as NHL’s hiatus enters April

Takes, thoughts, and trends is theScore's monthly spin around the NHL.

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Crosby still the players' champ

Andy Devlin / Getty Images

Last Thursday, we learned equipment giant Bauer would be producing face shields for medical professionals who are fighting the coronavirus pandemic. A day later, Ryan Getzlaf hilariously showed off his chicken coop during a video call with fellow players and reporters. This week, Zdeno Chara revealed Tuukka Rask has "awful" farts, while former goalie and social media star Eddie Lack was showered with praise after announcing his retirement from hockey.

Amid all the anxiety and tragedy surrounding COVID-19, there's been some good coming out of the hockey world. As trivial and silly as some of this stuff is, don't be afraid to soak it all in. Smile, shake your head, tweet a joke. Sports are supposed to be a vice in trying times. Just like binge-watching "Tiger King," they offer us periods of harmless diversion. They're designed to distract us from real-life problems.

The NHL Players' Association is doing its part. On Tuesday, the union released results from its players poll, an annual exercise that features a wide-ranging survey filled out by hundreds of NHLers. This year's edition included nearly 600 participants.

In my opinion, the biggest takeaway from the 2020 poll is that Sidney Crosby, at age 32, remains the players' champ. Despite Connor McDavid seemingly overtaking Crosby as the best in the world among fans and media, it appears NHLers aren't ready to go there quite yet. Reading between the lines of the poll results, it's clear Crosby continues to be the gold standard in the eyes of his peers.

Crosby won "Most Complete Player" honors over Patrice Bergeron with 45.54% of the vote, while McDavid didn't even crack the top four. Crosby, a three-time Stanley Cup champion, also won the vaunted "If you need to win one game, who is the one player you would want on your team?" category. McDavid finished second, with 30.53% to Crosby's 44.03%.

Now, McDavid did pick up "Best Forward" - and that great distinction shouldn't be dismissed. Nor should the margin of victory, as McDavid earned 68.35% of the vote to second-place Crosby's 14.93%. Clearly, the players weren't ragging on McDavid in any way. However, in their collective view, Crosby remains The Guy. The one who can do it all. And win.

Like mentor, like mentee

Icon Sportswire / Getty Images

Speaking of Crosby, it's well-known that he hails from the same hometown as Nathan MacKinnon - who finished third in "Best Forward" voting - and that the pals took similar paths to the NHL by mixing prep school with major junior.

But are there other parallels we're missing? Earlier this season, I found myself wondering just that while chatting with Avalanche defenseman Ian Cole, a rare NHLer who's played alongside Crosby and MacKinnon.

"Both are hypercompetitive, and really dialed-in, and just really searching for that next little 1%, 2% advantage," Cole said. "Whatever that is, they're willing to try it and see if it works with their life. You've got to appreciate that and I think, as a teammate, you need to look at that and, while it may be a little different, you need to let them do their thing."

Are there particular examples?

"Nutrition, eating habits," Cole replied. "You can go right down the list of all the things. (MacKinnon's) so obsessive, but in a good way. He's a fantastic player, and he's going to be one for a long time with how well he takes care of himself."

That description of MacKinnon sounds just like his mentor. Despite dealing with a handful of injuries throughout his career, Crosby was in the middle of his 15th season before the pause.

Forgetful year for Sharks

Bruce Bennett / Getty Images

Aside from the woeful Red Wings, no team endured more misery than the Sharks this season. Virtually everything that could have gone wrong went wrong.

General manager Doug Wilson fired longtime coach Pete DeBoer just 33 games in, yet San Jose's record under new bench boss Bob Boughner didn't improve. Goalies Martin Jones and Aaron Dell were both awful, finishing with save percentages of .896 and .907, respectively. Stars Tomas Hertl, Logan Couture, and Erik Karlsson missed a combined 54 games, while players who appeared in all 70 contests, such as Timo Meier, Brent Burns, and Kevin Labanc, had down years offensively. Generally, the club's trademark - a potent attack - disappeared.

All of this is to say that whenever the offseason officially begins, the Sharks sorely need a reset. The roster's old, the coach still has an interim tag, and their 2020 first-round pick is in the late 20s instead of the single digits thanks to the Karlsson trade in 2018 and the recent Barclay Goodrow deal with Tampa.

Facing a crossroads, does Wilson change directions and bail on this core group? Or does he simply chalk this season up as The Year Everything Went Sideways for a team that nearly made the Stanley Cup Final last spring?

In appreciation of Yandle

Eliot J. Schechter / Getty Images

A gap in on-ice action allows for some goofing around on Hockey Reference and the NHL's official records website. A takeaway from my recent trip down the rabbit hole: We need to do a better job of appreciating Keith Yandle.

Yes, Yandle is far from a perfect player. The Panthers blue-liner has always prioritized offense over defense, which can be an issue given that a large chunk of a defenseman's duties involves playing defense. His near-historic durability and underrated production, on the other hand, deserve serious props.

You occasionally hear about Yandle's iron-man streak, which is stuck at 866 straight games, but probably not often enough. He hasn't missed a contest since March 2009 (!) and is a year and a half away from surpassing Doug Jarvis' all-time record of 964. Still just 33 years old and under contract for at least three more full seasons, Yandle has plenty of runway to hit 1,000 games in a row.

As for his offensive output, Yandle ranks behind only Burns, Karlsson, and Duncan Keith in points by an NHL defenseman since 2006-07, a season when he appeared in his first seven games. Just eight rearguards have amassed 500 points over that 14-season span, while Yandle's 573 points in 976 games place him fourth in points per contest. The three defenders ahead of him? Perennial Norris Trophy candidates Karlsson, Burns, and Kris Letang.

By no means am I suggesting Yandle belongs in the conversation for best defenseman of the last 15 years. But maybe we should give him a little more credit.

Keep an eye on Dubois

Ezra Shaw / Getty Images

Pierre-Luc Dubois - with a 6-foot-3, 218-pound frame, a high-end skill set, and two-way smarts - possesses the tools necessary to become a legitimate star.

Dubois' development was under the microscope this season, his first without former running mate Artemi Panarin. He didn't disappoint, but he also didn't break out the way many had expected. Despite leading the Blue Jackets in scoring with 49 points in 70 games, Dubois found himself in coach John Tortorella's doghouse on multiple occasions. A few days before the pause, Tortorella said he wanted his No. 1 center to ramp up his intensity down the stretch.

Truthfully, it's difficult to judge the body of work from any Columbus player in 2019-20. The team was crushed by injuries all season while adjusting to life without Panarin, who handles the puck a ton at five-on-five, and other key departures. But for what it's worth, Dubois has blue-liner Zach Werenski's seal of approval.

"He's done awesome," Werenski said last month when asked to assess his teammate's performance this season. "He's a full 200-foot player. Big body, he can skate, he's so hard to knock off the puck. I think this year, he's really taken a step forward for us in terms of driving play. There's so many shifts where I'll see him get the puck in our zone and next thing I know I see him behind the net with the puck, shielding guys off, making plays, getting to the net. He's been huge for us."

The upcoming negotiation between Dubois and the Jackets will be fascinating to monitor. He's part of an RFA class headlined by the Islanders' Mat Barzal.

Blue-line breakdown

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A friend recently asked which defense corps I'd like to inherit if I was an NHL general manager. If you could pick one, just one, of the 31 groups to resume play with, he asked, which would it be?

It's a surprisingly tough question, especially when you consider all of this downtime for injured players. By the time hockey resumes, virtually every NHLer will be healthy and ready to jump back into the action.

There are six elite groups: those in Boston, Carolina, Dallas, Nashville, St. Louis, and Tampa Bay. Each has a different makeup, from the Blues somehow icing three All-Star-caliber D-men on the right side to the Stars' very top-heavy contingent led by John Klingberg, Miro Heiskanen, and Esa Lindell.

With a gun to my head, I would take the Hurricanes' blue line - a versatile group that's unmatched in the depth department. The Predators, anchored by Roman Josi, would be a close second. The Blues would round out the top three.

Overall, the drop-off from Carolina's stars (Dougie Hamilton, Jaccob Slavin, and Brett Pesce) to its up-and-comer (Haydn Fleury) to its role players (Sami Vatanen, Brady Skjei, Jake Gardiner, Trevor van Riemsdyk, and Joel Edmundson) is minuscule compared to that of the average NHL blue-line corps. That's the Canes' edge.

Long live Blake's Kings

Scott Audette / Getty Images

When the Kings hired Rob Blake as GM three years ago, it was difficult to see his master plan working out in relatively short order. You want to contend once again with aging stars Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty? Good luck! Blake had an old and slow lineup, a number of dead-weight contracts on the books, and a prospect pipeline that was decent but unspectacular. It didn't add up.

Well, Blake's vision really began to materialize this season. For starters, the Kings, who at the pause ranked 28th in points percentage, did everything you could ask for from a poor team by putting up an honest fight on most nights. They also produced strong underlying numbers for a bottom feeder, continued to ship out veteran pieces deemed not part of the rebuild (such as Tyler Toffoli and Alec Martinez) in exchange for future assets, and learned that 25-year-old Cal Petersen will most likely be the heir to Jonathan Quick's long-held goaltending throne.

By the way, that prospect pipeline is now brimming with potential. Alex Turcotte. Tobias Bjornfot. Arthur Kaliyev. Samuel Fagemo. Rasmus Kupari. Akil Thomas. Gabe Vilardi. Tyler Madden. And on and on and on.

Plus, L.A. owns 11 picks in the upcoming draft, including four selections in the opening two rounds. Currently, the team's lottery odds sit at 9.5% for the first overall pick and at 28.8% for a selection in the top three.

Give this franchise another two or three years, and it'll be back in the playoffs with a full head of steam. By then, Doughty will be 32 or 33, and Kopitar will be 34 or 35. Will they be washed up? Maybe. Maybe not. But that's out of Blake's control. What he's done elsewhere must be applauded.

John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer.

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Pietrangelo: Bouwmeester doing well, ‘out and about’

St. Louis Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo says teammate Jay Bouwmeester is feeling better and has remained in St. Louis during the league's hiatus, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen.

"Bo is good," Pietrangelo said on a video conference call Tuesday. "He's still here. His plan was to be here no matter what. His kids are in school here, too, so I think once he wraps all that up he might try to get home if the doctors feel comfortable."

Bouwmeester, 36, suffered a cardiac episode on the bench in a game Feb. 11, during which he had to be revived with a defibrillator. He then underwent an implantable cardioverter defibrillator procedure to restore his heart's normal rhythm and later announced he will not return to play hockey this season.

"We all kind of live in the same area here so guys are stopping by, seeing how he's doing," Pietrangelo said. "He's out and about walking. He was at the rink pretty much every day that we were home when we were playing. That was a breath of fresh air for us knowing he was out and about, hanging out with the guys."

On Tuesday, the NHL extended teams' self-isolation periods to April 15, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.

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Report: NHL extends self-quarantine period until April 15

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.

The NHL has extended its self-quarantine period for players and staff until April 15, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

On March 16, the league allowed players to fly home if they self-quarantined until March 27. That date was pushed until April 4 and has now been extended a third time.

The NHL suspended play of the 2019-20 season March 12 amid growing concerns about the spread of the coronavirus. The prolonged mandate plus local isolation guidelines make it "almost impossible" for the league to reopen team facilities, adds TSN's Darren Dreger.

Four unnamed players - two on the Ottawa Senators and two on the Colorado Avalanche - have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus to date.

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NHLPA releases 2019-20 player poll

The NHLPA released its annual player poll on Tuesday, giving players a chance to provide their input on who among their peers is tops in several categories. The poll also includes what players think about different arenas, mascots, and jerseys.

Broken into three categories - on ice, off ice, and arenas/teams - we've compiled the results for the majority of the questions.

On Ice

Best forward: Connor McDavid

Harry How / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Player - Team % of vote
Connor McDavid - Edmonton Oilers 68.35%
Sidney Crosby - Pittsburgh Penguins 14.93%
Nathan MacKinnon - Colorado Avalanche 6.65%
Nikita Kucherov - Tampa Bay Lightning 2.88%

For the second consecutive year, McDavid earns the honor, running away with the vote. The 23-year-old has racked up an incredible 34 goals and 97 points in 64 games this season.

Best defenseman: Victor Hedman

Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Player - Team % of vote
Victor Hedman - Tampa Bay Lightning 37.88%
John Carlson - Washington Capitals 21.35%
Roman Josi - Nashville Predators 9.04%
Drew Doughty - Los Angeles Kings 6.54%
Brent Burns - San Jose Sharks 6.54%

The 2017-18 Norris Trophy winner has been voted the top rearguard in back-to-back years. Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson makes his first appearance on the list amid a career-best campaign.

Best goalie: Carey Price

Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Player - Team % of vote
Carey Price - Montreal Canadiens 41.55%
Andrei Vasilevskiy - Tampa Bay Lightning 17.09%
Marc-Andre Fleury - Vegas Golden Knights 8.93%
Sergei Bobrovsky - Florida Panthers 5.63%

It's hard to believe Price has been stifling his opponents for over a decade. The 32-year-old puck-stopper continues to be among the game's elite at his position entering the back end of his career.

Choose one player to win one game: Sidney Crosby

Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Player - Team % of vote
Sidney Crosby - Pittsburgh Penguins 44.03%
Connor McDavid - Edmonton Oilers 30.53%
Nathan MacKinnon - Colorado Avalanche 4.11%
Patrice Bergeron - Boston Bruins 3.33%

With three Stanley Cups, two Conn Smythe trophies, and two Olympic gold medals, is there a better answer here than No. 87?

Most complete player: Sidney Crosby

Player - Team % of vote
Sidney Crosby - Pittsburgh Penguins 45.56%
Patrice Bergeron - Boston Bruins 25.44%
Aleksander Barkov - Florida Panthers 7.50%
Ryan O'Reilly - St. Louis Blues 5.33%

Again, after winning nearly every individual award the NHL offers, it's hard to argue anyone other than Crosby is the game's top all-around talent.

Best trash-talker: Brad Marchand

Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Player - Team % of vote
Brad Marchand - Boston Bruins 25.87%
Drew Doughty - Los Angeles Kings 13.37%
Ryan Reaves - Vegas Golden Knights 11.05%
Patrick Maroon - Tampa Bay Lightning 3.78%

The game's most infamous talent has done it again. Marchand earned top honors in this department last season, and he's clearly continued to run his mouth while dominating opponents on the scoresheet.

Worst trash-talker: Brad Marchand

Player - Team % of vote
Brad Marchand - Boston Bruins 10.59%
Drew Doughty - Los Angeles Kings 6.85%
P.K. Subban - New Jersey Devils 6.85%
Nick Cousins - Vegas Golden Knights 5.61%

You've got to be pressing the right buttons to be voted both best and worst trash-talker. Kudos to Marchand and Doughty for this hilarious achievement.

Best female player: Marie-Philip Poulin

Kevin Light / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Player - Nation % of vote
Marie-Philip Poulin - Team Canada 39.92%
Hilary Knight - Team USA 36.29%
Kendall Coyne Schofield - Team USA 15.52%
Emily Matheson - Team USA 1.41%

Known for her ability to perform in the clutch, Poulin has helped Canada capture a pair of Olympic gold medals (2010, 2014), and she served as team captain at the 2018 Games.

Off ice

Funniest player: Keith Yandle

Eliot J. Schechter / National Hockey League / Getty
Player - Team % of vote
Keith Yandle - Florida Panthers 17.98%
Drew Doughty - Los Angeles Kings 6.94%
Brad Marchand - Boston Bruins 5.68%
Phil Kessel - Arizona Coyotes 4.73%

Yandle has been voted the class clown for the second consecutive year. Please treat yourself to the 33-year-old's comedic chops:

Best bromance in the league: David Perron, Ryan O'Reilly

Brian Babineau / National Hockey League / Getty
Players - Team % of vote
David Perron & Ryan O'Reilly - St. Louis Blues 6.42%
Joe Thornton & Brent Burns - San Jose Sharks 5.05%
Auston Matthews & Mitch Marner - Toronto Maple Leafs 4.59%
Matthew Tkachuk & Drew Doughty - L.A. Kings & Calgary Flames 3.67%
Jamie Benn & Tyler Seguin - Dallas Stars 3.67%
Brad Marchand & Patrice Bergeron - Boston Bruins 3.67%

We can only imagine how much winning a Stanley Cup would strengthen the league's top bromance. Perron and O'Reilly take the cake, but it's clear players enjoyed themselves here, throwing a couple of rivals into the running.

Best social media follow: P.K. Subban

Andy Marlin / National Hockey League / Getty
Players - Team % of votes
P.K. Subban - New Jersey Devils 13.59%
Alex Ovechkin - Washington Capitals 6.31%
Brad Marchand - Boston Bruins 4.37%
Max Domi - Montreal Canadiens 4.37%

Subban has always been one of the best in the league at connecting with the fans. With 1.1 million followers on Twitter and 981,000 on Instagram, Subban is one of the most active players on social media.

Best nickname: Tomas "Tuna" Tatar

Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Player - Team % of vote
Tomas "Tuna" Tatar - Montreal Canadiens 8.08%
David "Pasta" Pastrnak - Boston Bruins 7.31%
Artemi "Breadman" Panarin - New York Rangers 5.77%
Christian "Stinky" Fischer - Arizona Coyotes 2.69%

There's nothing fishy about the production from "Tuna" this season. Tatar is enjoying a career year in Montreal, leading the club with 61 points in 69 games.

Best golfer: Joe Pavelski

Jonathan Devich / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Player - Team % of vote
Joe Pavelski - Dallas Stars 15.84%
Tyler Bozak - St. Louis Blues 5.57%
Justin Schultz - Pittsburgh Penguins 4.11%
Mark Stone - Vegas Golden Knights 3.81%
Cal Clutterbuck - New York Islanders 3.81%
Greg McKegg - New York Rangers 3.81% 

There's never a bad time to hit the links in San Jose, and Pavelski has lived there for over a decade. Known as one of the top multi-sport athletes in the NHL, Pavelski showed off his golf game at the American Century Championship a few summers back.

Arenas/Teams

Best visitor's dressing room: Rogers Place, Edmonton Oilers

Arena - Team % of votes
Rogers Place - Edmonton Oilers 38.01%
T-Mobile Arena - Vegas Golden Knights 26.47%
Little Ceasars Arena - Detroit Red Wings 23.30%
PPG Paints Arena - Pittsburgh Penguins 6.79%

Best ice: Bell Centre, Montreal Canadiens

Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Arena - Team % of votes
Bell Centre - Montreal Canadiens 31.75%
Rogers Place - Edmonton Oilers 16.75%
Bell MTS Place - Winnipeg Jets 11.00%
T-Mobile Arena - Vegas Golden Knights 8.75%

It makes sense that three of the league's coldest cities would be able to preserve the best ice, but Vegas? The Golden Knights have done just about everything right since debuting during the 2017-18 season, which is further proven in the next category.

Best jersey: Chicago Blackhawks

Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Team - % of votes
Chicago Blackhawks 28.25%
Vegas Golden Knights 6.83%
Toronto Maple Leafs 6.83%
New York Rangers 6.38%

Three original six teams with the league's newest club in the mix? It's safe to say the Vegas Golden Knights' branding department is doing a spectacular job.

Best team mascot: Gritty

Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty

Was there ever any doubt? The Flyers' mascot took an overwhelming 69.72% of the vote.

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Coyotes’ Chayka, Cohen donating 20% of salaries to Arizona COVID-19 relief

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.

Arizona Coyotes president and CEO Ahron Cohen and president of hockey operations and general manager John Chayka will donate 20% of their salaries "over the coming months" to support COVID-19 relief efforts in Arizona, the team announced Tuesday.

The donations will go to the Arizona Coronavirus Relief Fund and other Arizona non-profits. The fund is initially focused on paying for personal protective equipment for medical personnel, helping non-profit organizations such as food banks and homeless shelters, and assisting low-income students in accessing online learning.

Chayka, 30, is the league's youngest general manager. He says the efforts of Arizona's frontline workers inspired him to donate.

"Kathryn (Chayka) and I could not be more grateful to the health care workers, doctors, nurses, EMTs, and grocery store and food service workers who every day sacrifice so much so their neighbors can stay healthy and safe," he said.

Cohen has been with the Coyotes organization since 2015 and was named president and CEO in 2018.

"Arizona has been our team's home for nearly 25 years and this community has rallied around the Coyotes in good times and bad," said Cohen. He added, "I see this as our privilege and responsibility to help support the people of this great state. I know we will make it through this challenge as a result of all of us Arizonans rallying together."

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2019-20 NHL season betting review: Most profitable underdogs

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.

Yesterday, we dove into the favorites that were most kind to bettors this season. Today, we'll break down the teams that were most profitable as underdogs.

Note: Profits listed for $100 bettor

1. New York Rangers, +$1,323

The season's most profitable 'dog resides in the Big Apple. The Rangers were underdogs an overwhelming 54 times, as oddsmakers never quite believed in them. The team found success as a home 'dog, turning a profit with an 11-11 record, but did most of its damage on the road. Away from Madison Square Garden, the Rangers went 17-15 as underdogs with an average line of +150, turning a profit of $1,009 for the $100 bettor. That was largely thanks to a run of eight successive victories between Jan. 16 and Feb. 27 (+$965).

2. Edmonton Oilers, +$1,268

The Oilers sit just behind the Rangers in terms of profit despite a better winning percentage (23-18, 56.1%). Inconsistency and unpredictability were a common theme for Edmonton this season, as the team would lose to an opponent like the Sabres one night and then beat the Bruins the next. Like the Rangers, the Oilers experienced most of their success as 'dogs on the road, where they posted a 19-14 record for a profit of +$1,237.

3. Colorado Avalanche, +$701

The Avalanche didn't have nearly as many opportunities as underdogs, but they enjoyed plenty of success when given those chances. Additionally, with an average line of +120, the Avs weren't priced particularly high when they were 'dogs, but they were efficient when their price climbed. As underdogs of +130 or longer, Colorado went 3-1, including a 6-2 victory in Tampa at +179.

4. Dallas Stars, +$659

With an underdog record of 13-10, Dallas comes in fourth on this list. The Stars were decent early in the season as 'dogs, posting a 6-6 record (+$148). After firing head coach Jim Montgomery, they improved their play in this spot, embarking on a 7-4 underdog run (+$511) to close out the season.

5. Washington Capitals, +$611

No team produced a better winning percentage as 'dogs than the Capitals, who posted a 9-4 record (69.2%) in this spot. However, low volume relegates them to fifth on this list. Washington started the season on a 7-1 run when priced as the underdog.

There were nine other teams that returned profits as 'dogs in 2019-20: the Predators (+$521), Jets (+$498), Blues (+$431), Canucks (+$194), Hurricanes (+$160), Lightning (+$133), Blue Jackets (+$131), Penguins (+$69), and Panthers (+$27)

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

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2019-20 NHL season betting review: Most profitable favorites

Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.

Everyone wants to hit on that lottery ticket, or be the one at the end of the night saying "I told you so" when that +240 underdog cashes.

But there's an art to picking favorites as well, and being able to identify which ones to back. Here are the favorites that most rewarded bettors during the 2019-20 regular season.

Note: Profits listed for $100 bettor

1. Philadelphia Flyers, +$1,136

When it comes to profitable favorites, the Flyers were in a league of their own this season. No team sported a better record or return on investment than Philadelphia, who were an astounding 23-8 (74.2%) when favored. The Flyers were an even more impressive 17-4 (81%) when laying at least -130. They were consistently profitable as home favorites, posting a 19-5 (+$1,105) record in that spot, compared to just 4-3 (+$31) on the road. They closed out the season on an 8-0 run as favorites.

2. Minnesota Wild, +$494

A surprising inclusion on this list, the Wild returned the second-highest profit as favorites this season. That being said, they were barely in the plus column entering the final week of February. However, Minnesota closed out the season on a 5-1 run as favorites to thrust it into second on this list, finishing the year with a 21-12 record when laying juice.

3. Boston Bruins, +$452

The Bruins were favored 61 times through 70 games this season and were the owners of the league's second-best win percentage as favorites, posting a 41-20 record. Still, with an average line of -182, betting $100 on the Bruins every time they were favored would have only netted a profit of $452. That's a long walk for a short drink of water.

4. Los Angeles Kings, +$220

It's probably safe to assume no one expected the Kings on this list. Los Angeles was favored 11 times this season and won seven of them, but that was enough for a small profit thanks to an average line of just -128. The Kings were 4-0 when laying at least -130.

5. Pittsburgh Penguins, +$200

It speaks to the volatility that comes with backing favorites consistently that the Penguins are so high on this list despite yielding the $100 bettor just $200 in profits over 49 games as a favorite, finishing with a 31-18 record. Road deficiencies prevented the Penguins from being higher on this list. They were just 8-7 (-$261) when favored away from home, compared to 23-11 (+$461) at PPG Paints Arena.

The St. Louis Blues (+$168), Chicago Blackhawks (+$130), Florida Panthers (+$114), and Winnipeg Jets (+$42) were the only other teams that returned a profit as favorites this season.

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

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