Two of the league's most entertaining pairs of brothers will go up against each other in a livestreamed game of NHL 20 on Wednesday for charity.
Matthew and Brady Tkachuk will take on Quinn and Jack Hughes as a part of the Hockey2Help initiative, which was started by Twitch and YouTube personality Nasher.
Hockey2Help is a two-week livestreaming series raising funds for the COVID-19 relief efforts of Second Harvest and Volunteers of America.
Streams have featured gamers hosting streaming marathons along with NHL players, alumni, and celebrities. Players who have participated so far include Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and Zach Werenski.
The stream will begin at 5:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday on Twitch.
On Easter Sunday, Shannon Skanes stood in front of a dry-erase board in the basement of his Vancouver-area home and talked into a camera for 19 minutes. The Hockey Guy, as he's called, had filmed this way countless times. However, this particular video - titled "Lessons Learned Over the Last Month" - was not part of the regularly scheduled programming.
Skanes, who makes a living covering hockey thanks to the support of 137,000 YouTube subscribers, had printed five pandemic-related topics on the board:
The channel survives
Missed hockey after a week
I like routine
Sports have a large economic role
This can bring out the best in people
Regular routine, Skanes lamented five minutes into the video, has been thrown out the window in the days and weeks since the NHL's hiatus took effect.
"This isn't like an offseason, because we don't know when anything's going to happen," Skanes told his viewers, shrugging his shoulders in a Vegas Golden Knights jersey and ballcap. "So this is complete improv. Every day I get up and I go, 'OK, I guess I'm going to talk about this today …'"
Saturday's uploads included an offseason preview of the Arizona Coyotes, a rundown of the lowest points in Anaheim Ducks history, analysis of the latest return-to-play scenarios, a livestream of Skanes playing the NHL 20 video game, a recap of the 2003 Wild-Canucks playoff series, and a ranking of Skanes' favorite and least favorite NHL clubs. In total, Skanes posted more than three hours of content to his channel in just one day.
Subscriber numbers for The Hockey Guy are up since the NHL shutdown, which is a promising sign while circumstances force Skanes to make other adjustments.
"Before this went down, we were thinking about taking trips to various locations around North America this year and next year, meeting up with subscribers who have talked about meeting with us for years," he said in a recent interview, referring to himself and his wife Yvonne. "That's all put on hold. It's taken out well over half of what we were making."
Skanes is not alone in this strange new world. He's one of several independent content creators who, although grateful for good health during the COVID-19 crisis, are grappling with life without live hockey. What differentiates them from others in the media industry is a lack of corporate backing. Independent creators are on their own.
Ian Oland holds a replica Stanley Cup
Ian Oland, who runs Washington Capitals blog Russian Machine Never Breaks (also known as RMNB), became a full-time writer last summer after years of freelancing while working in the vacation rental industry. "That was a really big moment," the 35-year-old Oland said of the career change.
Over the past month and a half, RMNB has lost roughly 40% of its daily readership, according to Oland - though it's still seeing about 20,000 unique visitors per day. The blog's business model follows a similar template to The Hockey Guy, with Oland and staff relying on a steady stream of Patreon donations, merchandise sales, affiliate marketing deals, and advertising kickback.
"The support we're getting from our hardcores is unbelievable," said Oland, who's both discouraged and encouraged by traffic numbers through the initial stages of economic turmoil. "I feel like it could be so much worse for us."
The newlandscape has allowed RMNB to double down on its mission statement, which is to "make hockey as fun to read about as it is to watch." The blog is devoting more digital ink to lighthearted content, partly out of necessity but also so fans struggling with the woes of the pandemic - including the lack of live sports - can enjoy a laugh or a smile.
For instance, last week, the daughter of Capitals forward TJ Oshie was featured on RMNB for creating an "incredible" marble run; Caps blue-liner Nick Jensen garnered a write-up for changing his son's diaper with a mask; and Captain, the Caps' team dog, earned blog love for his "immense" neck rolls.
"In situations like this, I know I need to entertain people," said Oland, who's based in Frederick, Maryland. "I've never felt more of a higher calling than right now to work my butt off 14 hours a day - write as much as possible, entertain people, provide them with things that might entertain them - during a time that's really scary."
To that end, RMNB recently created a "What Caps player are you?" Instagram filter. It was a hit. They also partnered with fan gear company FOCO earlier on in the hiatus to help sell two bobbleheads - Alex Ovechkin on top of a goal counter and Tom Wilson with his rescue dog. A portion of the proceeds from the Wilson figurine went to a D.C. animal rescue organization.
Micah Blake McCurdy in his home office.
Out in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Micah Blake McCurdy continues to operate HockeyViz.com, the hockey analytics website that marries data with visualizations and is best known for its aesthetically pleasing scatter plots and heat maps.
HockeyViz's user base consists primarily of journalists, stats-literate fans, and NHL team employees. User loyalty over the years convinced McCurdy, who has a PhD in math and is an occasional lecturer at Saint Mary's University, to dedicate the majority of his working week to the site in 2015. Since hockey stopped, the monthly payout from Patreon - McCurdy's core source of HockeyViz revenue - has dipped approximately 5%, or $300 a month.
A common message in McCurdy's inbox over the last while: "I'm so sorry. I wish I could afford to pay you. I'll be back soon." These sentiments have kept McCurdy's spirits high, along with the attention attracted by the late-March release of his latest predictive model, which brought in a flood of new users.
In the absence of day-to-day action, the 36-year-old father of two is tackling some things ahead of schedule.
"You'll have to ask me again in July and August what I'm doing because I'm doing all the work that I was going to do then, now," McCurdy said.
The common thread connecting Skanes and Oland and McCurdy is an ability to create a community strong enough to support them in good times and bad. In Skanes' case, going full time with The Hockey Guy was a dream come true. He'd been miserable in past jobs at a meat processing plant and call center.
"Even now, while things are scary, it's still better than what I had before," he said, adding that interactions with subscribers have tripled during the pandemic. Many of them see him as a friend.
Skanes, 47, is popular because he's accessible, levelheaded, and knowledgeable. He tries to give every NHL team equal attention. And he gives the people what they want.
His Twitter bio says it all: "I make YouTube videos during the apocalypse."
With the NHL season suspended, Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne is using the hiatus to recharge in the hopes that he'll have an opportunity to salvage what's been a trying campaign.
"I realize the fact that I haven't had the strongest season so far, but at the same time I try to use this time to my advantage," Rinne said, according to NHL.com's Jon Lane. "I used the first couple of weeks to wind down and reflect back on the season and then start preparing again, start preparing to be ready this season.
"If that's not happening, I feel like it's a head start for next season and training for next season."
The Predators' longtime puck-stopper is just two years removed from winning the Vezina Trophy as the league's top netminder but has struggled between the pipes in 2019-20. Rinne has posted career lows in both goals-against average (3.17) and save percentage (.895) while winning just half of his 36 appearances this season.
The 37-year-old's contract is set to expire at the end of the 2020-21 campaign, and with young netminder Juuse Saros playing his way into the starting role, Rinne hopes to see this season through as his window to win a Stanley Cup continues to shrink. Nashville owned the Western Conference's second wild-card berth when play halted.
"It is my goal, it's our goal," Rinne said. "I'm still hopeful. I'm still positive that we're going to get back playing and we have a chance to compete again. For sure, right now, we're missing out, but everybody in the league, they're in the same situation.
"Everybody is dealing with it differently but we're all in it together. Hopefully soon, we have a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup."
The league continues to explore all options for a return to action. The latest proposal would reportedly see NHL teams stationed in up to four hub cities that are not deemed to be coronavirus hotspots in order to play out the remainder of games.
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It's "quite likely" the American Hockey League will cancel its season because of the coronavirus pandemic, a person with direct knowledge of the discussions told The Associated Press on Monday.
The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because they're not authorized to discuss the league's plans.
The AHL wouldn't confirm or deny the report, stating there is "nothing imminent."
The league suspended its season March 12, the same day the NHL did.
The Chicago Blackhawks made a stunning front-office decision Monday, releasing John McDonough from his role as president and CEO, the organization announced.
McDonough was with the club for 13 years, including three Stanley Cups. He was originally hired as president before CEO was added to his title in 2011.
"Thirteen years ago, I recruited John to the Blackhawks because of his leadership, direction, and vision," Blackhawks chairman Rocky Wirtz said. "John brought all of that to the table and more. His contributions went well beyond leading the team to three Stanley Cup championships. He rebuilt the front office and helped guide the organization toward a winning vision."
Wirtz added, "As difficult as this is, we believe it was the right decision for the future of the organization and its fans."
In March, Wirtz said that McDonough, general manager Stan Bowman, and head coach Jeremy Colliton would all return next season.
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.
Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon knows fans are essential to sports and emphasized the importance of their presence in the stands.
"I think the start of next season, everybody has to be careful with (it) because I think you need fans," Dundon told 99.9 The Fan in Raleigh, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "And so if it means pushing back the start of the season for any sport, then they should consider that, because what's the point of having sports if you don't have fans, right? They wouldn't exist.
"They'd be called the YMCA."
The NHL's 2019-20 season has been on pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic since March 12. Preliminary talks are ongoing about a potential return to the ice, but chances are slim that fans will be able to attend for at least the remainder of the season.
With only a handful of regular-season games and the playoffs left to complete the 2019-20 season, Dundon thinks the 2020-21 campaign should be delayed as long as possible if fans can't be in attendance.
"I would think it's a pretty good idea to push it back as long as you need to, to make sure you can have your buildings occupied," Dundon added. "Whether that's 100% or 50%, I have no idea. (If) it's zero, I don't know why anyone would want to start a new league season with no fans, but my vote doesn't count for much."
Talks between the NHL and NHLPA have reportedly intensified regarding the exploration of using two-to-four hub cities to act as hosts to play out the remainder of the 2019-20 season.
Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin and his wife, Anna, made a monetary donation to the Ronald McDonald House of Pittsburgh to help the charity purchase supplies, food, and games, the team announced Monday.
The organization, which currently houses 20 families with hospitalized children, had a wish list of various pantry items. Malkin's donation ensured that everything on the list could be purchased and families can continue to receive hot meals.
The Ronald McDonald House of Pittsburgh had a wish list for pantry items.
Thanks to @emalkin71geno and his wife, Anna, the organization got everything on their list (and some board games too!)
"We know it is hard for everyone right now, but we couldn't imagine having a child hospitalized during this uncertain time," Malkin said. "While we are comfortable in our own homes, others are relying on the generosity of others, like the Ronald McDonald House, to open their doors."
The Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation also contributed by supplying promotional items to the house such as blankets and bobbleheads for the children.
"We are incredibly grateful for the support that Evgeni Malkin has extended to our charity," Ronald McDonald House executive director Eleanor Reigel said. "His generosity ensures that we can continue to provide our families with warm meals, essential household pantry items, and a supportive environment to call home during this uncertain time."
