The NHL hands out the annual honor to the player "who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.”
Teams determine the nominees, and then a group of senior league executives led by commissioner Gary Bettman and his deputy, Bill Daly, select the winner. The three finalists will be named in early August, and this season's recipient will be announced during the conference finals.
Kane has been the leading voice among active NHL players in the fight against racial injustice and inequality. The San Jose Sharks forward is a co-head of the Hockey Diversity Alliance, which seven current and former players launched in June.
Subban has also been vocal about the cause and donated $50,000 to the fundraising campaign for George Floyd's daughter, Gianna, in early June. He then contacted the league and got them to match the amount. The New Jersey Devils defenseman has made several charitable donations in the past, most notably when he pledged $10 million to a Montreal hospital through his foundation in 2015.
John Chayka is no longer the general manager of the Arizona Coyotes, and they're not exactly thrilled about it.
The club confirmed his departure in a scathing statement on Sunday.
"John Chayka has quit as the general manager and president of hockey operations of the Arizona Coyotes," the team said. "The club is disappointed in his actions and his timing as the Coyotes prepare to enter the NHL's hub city of Edmonton, where the team will begin postseason play for the first time since 2012.
"Chayka has chosen to quit on a strong and competitive team, a dedicated staff, and the Arizona Coyotes fans, the greatest fans in the NHL."
Chayka responded by taking aim at the club's ownership.
”The past four years have been the most enjoyable of my life," Chayka wrote in a statement to AZCoyotesInsider.com's Craig Morgan. "In Arizona, I became a husband and a father, while working as hard as possible to make the Coyotes a Stanley Cup contender. I love our players, coaches, staff, and fans and I very much wish I could be with the team in Edmonton. Sadly, the situation created by ownership made that an impossibility."
Steve Sullivan, who had been one of the club's two assistant GMs, will take over as the interim general manager.
Chayka voided his contract with the club Friday, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reports. There were three years left on the former GM's deal.
It's unclear if Chayka is free to pursue other opportunities with NHL teams. He's not permitted to serve as president of hockey operations or GM of another club for the life of his now-terminated contract, a source told Morgan.
A third party had reportedly asked the Coyotes about Chayka's availability at some point during the NHL's hiatus, after which the team granted him permission to pursue the opportunity, which is apparently outside the NHL.
Chayka became the youngest GM in league history when Arizona promoted him from his previous role as an assistant general manager at the age of 26 in May 2016.
Chayka failed to lead the Coyotes to a playoff berth in his relatively brief tenure, but Arizona did qualify for the play-in round of the upcoming expanded postseason.
That doesn't necessarily mean Lindblom will play in Toronto, but it opens up the possibility.
The Flyers have real hope that Lindblom will be able to play for them at some point during the postseason. He’s been cleared by his oncologist and Flyers doctors to skate. It’s a matter of him getting up to playoff speed/physicality. https://t.co/FWFTqGkrOU
The Flyers signed the 23-year-old to a three-year contract extension Wednesday, which is when Philadelphia general manager Chuck Fletcher indicated he hadn't ruled out Lindblom returning to action.
Lindblom was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of cancer, in December. He sat out the remainder of the regular season while undergoing treatment.
The Swede was tied for the team lead with 11 goals in 30 games at the time of his diagnosis.
He's a 2019-20 finalist for the Masterton Trophy, which is awarded annually to the player who best demonstrates perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.
Steven Stamkos isn't quite ready for game action, but he remains on track to be in the lineup by the time the postseason begins.
Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper told reporters Sunday that the captain won't play in Wednesday's exhibition contest against the Florida Panthers, according to Bryan Burns of the team's official website.
However, Tampa Bay general manager Julien BriseBois reiterated that Stamkos should be good to go in the near future.
"We have all reason to believe he will be going into the playoffs fully healthy and a full participant," the GM said, according to team reporter Caley Chelios.
BriseBois said the same thing on July 18, when Stamkos was questionable to play in the exhibition game after returning to practice. The star forward sat out at the start of training camp after suffering an injury during voluntary workouts.
The Lightning begin their round-robin schedule on Aug. 3 against the Washington Capitals.
The hockey world has lost one of its most colorful figures.
Eddie Shack has died at the age of 83, the Toronto Maple Leafs confirmed Sunday.
The Maple Leafs are deeply saddened by the passing of Eddie Shack.
A three-time all star and four-time Stanley Cup champion, Eddie entertained Leafs fans on the ice for nine seasons and for decades off of it. He will be greatly missed.
Crawford then manned the crease for Team Black against Team Red in the scrimmage that followed the early portion of practice.
The 35-year-old goaltender had yet to join his teammates for an on-ice session since Phase 3 started July 13 after sitting out the voluntary workouts (Phase 2), which opened June 8.
Chicago will reportedly include Crawford on its playoff roster.
He posted a .917 save percentage and a 7.52 goals saved above average at 5-on-5 in 40 games during the regular season after missing 80 combined contests over the previous two campaigns due to concussions.
The Blackhawks held their final day of camp Saturday. They will fly to Edmonton - which will serve as their postseason hub city - on Sunday. Chicago will take on the St. Louis Blues in an exhibition game Wednesday before beginning a best-of-five play-in series against the Oilers on Aug. 1.
The Capitals expect Samsonov to be healthy for the 2020-21 campaign.
Samsonov didn't take part in Saturday's practice - the team's final session before its departure to Toronto on Sunday - and hasn't skated at all since training camp began, as Pell noted before the Capitals issued the statement.
The rookie netminder posted a .913 save percentage and a 4.34 goals saved above average in 26 games during the regular season. He outperformed veteran starter Braden Holtby. who authored a .897 save percentage and a minus-14.7 GSAA - the latter of which was third-worst in the NHL - in 48 contests.
Despite that disparity, Capitals head coach Todd Reirden said in June he expected Holtby to get the "first crack" at the No. 1 job in the postseason.
The Capitals drafted Samsonov 22nd overall in 2015. The 23-year-old spent four campaigns in the KHL before coming over to North America as one of the league's most highly touted goaltending prospects.
One of the most intriguing matchups of the play-in round pits the seventh-seeded Vancouver Canucks against the 10th-ranked Minnesota Wild.
The dynamic, upstart Canucks are the clear favorites, but the more battle-tested Wild have a couple of tricks up their sleeves that make them prime candidates to pull off an upset.
Minnesota hasn't gone far in the postseason recently, but the club qualified for the playoffs in six straight years before missing out in 2018-19. Conversely, Vancouver hasn't taken part in the postseason since it was bounced in the first round in 2014-15.
While the Canucks boast more firepower, the Wild's experience and a young game-breaker of their own could make this series more interesting than many are anticipating.
Schedule
Game
Date
Time (ET)
1
Sun. Aug. 2
10:30 p.m.
2
Tues. Aug. 4
10:45 p.m.
3
Thu. Aug. 6
TBD
4*
Fri. Aug. 7
TBD
5*
Sun. Aug. 9
TBD
*If necessary
Tale of the tape
Canucks
Stat
Wild
36-27-6
Record
35-27-7
3.25 (8th)
Goals per game
3.16 (12th)
3.1 (21st)
Goals against
3.14 (24th)
24.2 (4th)
Power play %
21.3 (11th)
80.5 (16th)
Penalty kill %
77.2 (25th)
48.43 (23rd)
5-on-5 Corsi For %
49.6 (17th)
8.6 (9th)
5-on-5 SH%
9.43 (2nd)
91.9 (14th)
5-on-5 SV%
91.5 (20th)
Season series
The Canucks took the first meeting between these clubs 4-1 on Jan. 12, but the Wild responded by winning both subsequent clashes, first by a 4-2 margin on Feb. 6 and then by a 4-3 count in a shootout less than two weeks later. Vancouver outshot Minnesota 87-59 (an average of 29-19.7) over those three games.
Key players to watch
Elias Pettersson
Jeff Vinnick / National Hockey League / Getty
Pettersson is clearly the Canucks' most dangerous weapon. The 21-year-old has proven capable of taking over games at will, tying for the club lead with 27 goals and ranking second with 66 points in 68 contests this season. He improved in his second NHL campaign after winning the Calder Trophy with as many points in three more games in 2018-19.
The Swedish center can drive possession at an impressive clip, posting favorable expected goals for (54.75), scoring chances for (53.16), and Corsi For (54.34) percentages in 2019-20.
Kevin Fiala
Bruce Kluckhohn / National Hockey League / Getty
After collecting nine goals and 28 points over the first 46 games of the season, Fiala exploded down the stretch, racking up 14 goals and 26 points across 18 contests before the league halted play. The 24-year-old finished atop the Wild's points rankings and trailed Zach Parise by only two markers for the club's goal-scoring lead despite playing fewer games than many of his teammates.
Fiala is now arguably Minnesota's best offensive player and certainly its best young forward suiting up against the Canucks. His performance will be critical for a Wild team that lacks a wealth of scoring punch.
Canucks can win if ...
Vancouver will advance if its young phenoms can rise to the challenge of heightened stakes and vanquish a team more accustomed to playoff-level competition. The Canucks were only one point better than the Wild through the abbreviated regular season, but they're the superior team and possess more skill than their play-in opponents.
They also need their elite power play to remain as effective as it was during the regular season, and goaltender Jacob Markstrom - who's been cleared to return - must pick up where he left off after an injury forced him out of action in late February.
Wild can win if ...
Minnesota can prevail if its defense manages to stifle the Canucks' young guns. The Wild were the league's best team in expected goals allowed during the regular season and ranked fourth in expected goals for percentage, so it's not completely out of the realm of possibility. Given Vancouver's potency with the man advantage, staying out of the penalty box should help accomplish that.
The Wild also need to resolve their goaltending situation. No. 1 netminder Devan Dubnyk had a difficult campaign and was ultimately displaced as the starter by perennial backup Alex Stalock. Minnesota must get reliable play in the crease from Dubnyk, Stalock, or, if necessary, rookie Kaapo Kahkonen if the team is to have a shot at defeating Vancouver.
Pearson was playing on Bo Horvat's left wing opposite Boeser before the pause, but the Canucks recently bumped him to the top line in practice. Regardless of how he's ultimately deployed, Pearson could be a difference-maker. He ranked fourth on the team with 21 goals in 2019-20, with only three of his markers coming on the power play.
Alex Galchenyuk
Jeff Vinnick / National Hockey League / Getty
Galchenyuk was starting to find his game before the hiatus after the Wild acquired him from the Pittsburgh Penguins in the trade for Jason Zucker in early February.
Held off the scoresheet in his first three games with Minnesota, Galchenyuk collected three goals and seven points in his final 11 contests. As a third-liner, he won't command the attention that Fiala, Parise, and other Wild forwards will warrant. That could present the former Montreal Canadiens and Arizona Coyotes forward with a prime opportunity to make an impact.
Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews opposed the return-to-play plan and CBA extension ratified by the NHL and NHLPA in early July.
The Blackhawks and the Carolina Hurricanes were the only teams two to vote against the league's proposal when the NHLPA's executive board took its most recent tally, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said on "31 Thoughts: The Podcast" on July 16.
Toews is the Blackhawks' player representative, and Jordan Martinook serves the same role for the Hurricanes.
"I have been told by many, many, many people that one of the most vocal players during the process of coming back to play was Jonathan Toews, that he asked a lot of questions," Friedman said.
"And other players said ... he was great, he asked relevant questions, (and) he challenged whether or not this was really safe to play. They said that when you talk about star players standing up for other people, he did that."
The Hurricanes and the Tampa Bay Lightning were the only two teams to oppose the NHL's 24-team playoff in an earlier vote in May.
The NHL and NHLPA ratified the deal to resume the 2019-20 season on July 10.
