NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman continues to sing a somber tune.

Bettman spoke at the Sport Business Summit in New York on Tuesday where he echoed the sentiment that as things stand it is looking more and more like NHLers will not be participating at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

"There are no negotiations ongoing," Bettman said, according to Steve Keating of Reuters. "We were open to having discussions on a variety of things that might mitigate the damage to our season but that had no resonance.

"As things stand now people should assume we are not going."

Bettman reiterated the fact that the league would have to shut down its season for two weeks in February if it were to allow players to participate in the games. He also remained adamant that the league would not benefit from doing so.

"Remember, this is February, there is no baseball, no football, it is just us and basketball and we just disappear," said Bettman. "We don't get content for the NHL Network, we don't get content for our social media platforms and NHL.com.

"Why did we do it five times? Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time but we have been unable to quantify any benefit from it."

It should be noted that no formal decision has been made and as it stands no hard deadline for a final decision exists.

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Tyler Bozak played the hero Monday night.

The 31-year-old scored a late power-play marker that propelled the Toronto Maple Leafs to a crucial 4-2 victory, and, more importantly, helped the club complete a series sweep of the Boston Bruins.

Related: Leafs earn 2 huge regulation points vs. Bruins, sweep season series

The win helped the Maple Leafs inch within a point of the Bruins for third place in the Atlantic Division, and was just another example of Bozak's importance to the team.

He has long been considered Toronto's best faceoff man. So the fact that his 56.27 percent success rate is by far the best mark on the team, and makes him one of just two Maple Leafs centers to possess a success rate of 50 percent or better, should come as no surprise.

Then there are his offensive contributions.

This year, the media frenzy caused by the Maple Leafs' rookie class has allowed Bozak to fly under the radar. While it hasn't been a topic of discussion, the longtime Maple Leaf is in the midst of a career season.

He's just three goals away from hitting the 20-goal mark for the second time in his eight-year career, a point away from tying his previous career high, and two power-play points back of his career best, and his 31 assists are his highest single-season total.

What also shouldn't be forgotten is how vital Bozak has been to rookie Mitch Marner's development. He has seemingly taken Marner under his wing, and has assisted on 11 of the 19-year-old's 17 goals.

Factor all this in with his friendly $4.2-million cap hit this season and next, and you can appreciate the Maple Leafs' return on investment.

Bozak is the longest-tenured member of the team, having dressed in 502 games since joining the league during the 2009-10 season. His 124 goals and 315 points during that span rank second only to Phil Kessel.

He has been through some tough days in Toronto, and, at times, has received criticism for failing to live up to the standard set by many of the league's top centermen, but he continues to trek on.

The Maple Leafs are on the cusp of just their second postseason appearance in the salary-cap era, and it goes without saying that much of the credit is due to Bozak.

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The Nashville Predators are no strangers to offensively-inclined defensemen.

Between former captain Shea Weber, No.4-pick turned trade chip Seth Jones, and present stars P.K. Subban and Roman Josi, the Predators have watched more than a few highlight-reel plays take shape from their blue line.

But often lost among that mix is blue-liner Ryan Ellis. Perhaps his under-the-radar status has helped him, as the 26-year-old has turned in a career-best campaign in 2016-17, showing more of the promise he teased during his junior days.

Through 62 games, Ellis has potted 14 goals and 34 points, both marks ranking as the highest he's ever posted. He broke away from his previous best point total on Monday night, tallying two goals against the Arizona Coyotes to move into previously unexplored offensive territory.

That increased production isn't simply the result of a talented cast of characters around him. He has the benefit of playing alongside the talented Josi, but given that over 40 percent of Ellis' points have been netted via his own goal-scoring rather than piling up helpers, it's fair to say he's pulling his own weight, offensively.

But that shouldn't come as a surprise.

While the young rearguard is rarely discussed in conversations of the game's next wave of great offensive defenders, Ellis' resume suggests he could be a part of that group.

This is a player who finished his junior hockey career by stockpiling 101 points in just 58 games for the OHL's Windsor Spitfires. And he tallied at a clip of 1.27 points per game over the three seasons before that.

The most intriguing aspect of that elite production? He didn't get any help in terms of natural physical gifts. Even after nearly six seasons in the professional hockey ranks, offseason training and all, Ellis measures in at just 5-foot-10, 180 pounds.

It's his skill that's gotten him this far, and 2016-17 has served as yet another indication that Ellis has plenty more to give in that department.

That's fantastic news for the Predators, as injuries and a needed time of adjustment have led to a tumultuous showing from Subban during his first go-round in Nashville.

In the meantime, Ellis has stepped up, leading all Predators defensemen in goals, while ranking third in points and average ice time (seeing a career-high 24:04 per night).

He's coming on at just the right time for Nashville. As the club heads into the home stretch, preparing for a tough playoff run that will likely pit it against the dominant Minnesota Wild, Ellis has turned it up, posting five goals and nine points through his past 10 games.

Surely a welcome turn, as the Predators will need all the help they can get come playoff time.

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Is the Rangers-Islanders rivalry waning? Judging by resale ticket demand for Wednesday’s game at Madison Square Garden, it appears so.

On TicketIQ, a search engine that pools data from over 90 percent of the resale market, the final regular-season meeting between the teams will be the cheapest of the four Rangers home games remaining this season.

As it stands now, the average price for Rangers vs. Islanders tickets at Madison Square Garden is $269. Following Wednesday’s game, the Rangers welcome the Flyers in between two games with the Penguins over the next two weeks. None of those three games averages below $300 on the resale market.

Fans looking for the cheapest tickets Wednesday can find them in Section 212 for $107 each. An April 2 matchup with the Flyers will be the second cheapest remaining game at MSG, with tickets starting from $115 each. Additional savings on tickets can be found by downloading the TicketIQ app.

The Rangers and Islanders have met in Midtown Manhattan 19 times since the 2010-11 season, when TicketIQ began tracking resale ticket data. Wednesday’s game will be the ninth most expensive matchup over that time, with a Jan. 13, 2015 meeting serving as the top-priced affair ($437 average/$163 get-in price).

The Rangers look to even their season series with the Islanders at two games apiece with a win Wednesday. The Islanders have won consecutive matchups against their crosstown rival, keeping the Rangers winless at Barclays Center since moving from Nassau County last season.

While the Rangers are poised to clinch the first wild-card spot, the Islanders will be playing meaningful hockey down the stretch. As of Tuesday night, they sit three points behind the Maple Leafs, who own the second wild card. There is little breathing room, too, as the Lightning and Flyers trail by one and three points, respectively.

TicketIQ is a leading event ticket search engine with one simple goal: providing consumers with the most transparent and affordable buying experience. We aggregate listings from hundreds of certified sellers across every major sporting, music and theater event - including deals from Ticketmaster's Official Exchanges and our Low Price Guarantee listings. Start discovering and saving now.

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In November, 93.7 The Fan host Colin Dunlap revealed that his five-year-old daughter, Darran, had been diagnosed with leukemia after complaining of hip pain.

The family has been flooded with support since, including from one of Pittsburgh's biggest sports legends, Mario Lemieux, who sent this letter to Darran on Monday along with an autographed puck:

Lemieux was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1993 while playing for the Penguins, so he knows firsthand about the toll cancer takes.

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Perspective is important.

It's no secret Minnesota Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk has struggled of late. Over his past eight appearances, he's posted a 1-7-0 record while allowing 22 goals on 176 shots, good for a save percentage of .875. As a result, his overall numbers have taken a hit, potentially removing him from the Vezina Trophy conversation.

To his credit, he's not sweating it.

"I’ve been through much worse than this," he said Monday, per Brian Murphy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "I’ve got no problems about getting out of it."

Indeed, there was a time when Dubnyk's NHL career seemed to be on the verge of an early end. He showed flashes but was ultimately unable to make his mark with the Edmonton Oilers - who drafted him 14th overall in 2004 - and was subsequently bounced around between a few other teams on the trade market.

He found his game with the Arizona Coyotes to begin 2014-15, and grew into one of the game's top goalies after being traded to Minnesota, winning the Masterton Trophy in 2015 for exemplifying qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication, and also earning a nod as a Vezina finalist.

Dubnyk's play with the Wild and the club's commitment to him has continued to be mutually beneficial over the past couple of seasons, and despite the personal slump, he's much more concerned with helping the team achieve its goals of winning when it matters most.

At this point, the Wild are locked into the second spot in the Central Division and therefore home-ice advantage in the opening round of the playoffs. Working out the kinks before then is key for Dubnyk.

"It’s a save here and there," he added. "It’s not far off."

Neither is the postseason.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed forward Jeremy Bracco to an entry-level contract, the club announced Monday.

Bracco, 20, was drafted by Toronto 61st overall in the 2015 draft, and spent this season split between the OHL's Kitchener Rangers and Windsor Spitfires, recording 83 points in 57 games - good for 12th in league scoring.

The New York native also registered three goals and two assists for Team USA at this year's world juniors en route to winning a gold medal.

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As you've probably heard by now, Brad Marchand is more than a pest. The guy can score, and he can dish, too.

Marchand's ascension this season - into tie for second place in the league scoring race (37G, 43A) - has surprised many in the hockey community, but he's showing few signs of slowing down.

In Monday's loss to Toronto, Marchand recorded the lone assist on David Backes' first-period marker, bringing his point total to 80 on the season. He's the first Bruin to reach the number since Marc Savard in 2008-09, per NHL Public Relations.

*2012-13 season was shortened by lockout

For a franchise that's made the playoffs in all but two seasons since 2009 - including a Stanley Cup title (2011) and Presidents' Trophy (2014) - it's also surprising that no Bruin has topped Marchand's 2016-17 total during their run of success.

At his current pace (1.11 P/GP), Marchand projects to reach 91 points if he suits up for each of Boston's 10 remaining games.

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A dangerous blindside headshot that resulted in former NHLer Ryan Smyth being taken to hospital has resulted in a lengthy suspension.

Kyle Sheen has been banned for 16 games by Hockey Alberta for his actions during a senior men's league playoff game, per Andrea Ross of CBC News.

The hit can be seen here:

"It's the first time I've seen a suspension this big since I've been involved in hockey," said Mike Tavaroli, head coach of Smyth's Stony Plain Eagles. "We feel the league and Hockey Alberta did their due diligence and came up with a suspension that was fair."

Smyth was hit by Sheen after releasing a shot that found its way into the back of the net, and underwent tests to make sure he hadn't suffered a skull fracture.

"Ryan is progressing and hopefully we'll know more this week. I believe he tried skating today, but I haven't heard how that went," Tavaroli said.

"We're hopeful that we can get Ryan back in the lineup before (the season) is over."

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The Calgary Flames have made a point of expressing their disappointment with the NHL's ruling on Matthew Tkachuk's elbow to the head of Drew Doughty.

The rookie forward was suspended two games for the incident involving the reigning Norris Trophy winner, and the Flames released a statement Tuesday that reveals where they stand with regards to the decision.

From general manager Brad Treliving:

While we are disappointed with the League’s verdict, we nonetheless respect the process and that the League has issued its ruling. Both the Flames and Matthew accept the decision.

Our sole focus now is on preparing for our game tonight in Washington, while Matthew will spend the next few days getting ready to return to the lineup on Saturday in St. Louis.

Tkachuk will miss Tuesday's game against Washington and Thursday's date with Nashville before being eligible to return to the lineup Saturday in St. Louis.

The club recalled forward Garnet Hathaway from the AHL to fill Tkachuk's roster spot for the time being.

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