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Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares knows there isn't an easy answer when it comes to the NHL's options for playing out the 2019-20 season.
"I'm not sure I'm completely 100% sold on any format," Tavares said, according to Sports Illustrated's Alex Prewitt. "But the biggest thing is honoring the regular season as best as we can while still giving each team that deserves the opportunity, or still has an opportunity to make the playoffs, to be a part of that."
Tavares added: "It's difficult to determine the fairest way of going about it, with so many different variables that were out of your control, in terms of games teams have played, the opponents they have left to finish the season, how many home games."
The 2019-20 campaign was paused on March 12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many ideas for a potential return to action have been floated, while a modified 24-team playoff format has reportedly gained the most traction lately.
Tavares, alongside four other players - Connor McDavid, James van Riemsdyk, Ron Hainsey, and Mark Scheifele - are part of the NHL's Return to Play Committee that's been working with the league to figure out a plan.
Tavares confirmed that players do want to resume the season but that a number of factors must be taken into account, including the issue of separating those players from their families.
"Guys understand how fortunate we are to play a game for a living, and if we have that opportunity, we would be very excited about that, especially knowing the state the world is in, and the positivity that could bring back," Tavares said. "But, at the same time, the health and safety measures have to be at the highest of standards."
While Tavares knows things can change dramatically every day, he feels a "sense of urgency" to get a concrete plan in place so that players can have a better understanding of what a return would look like if the NHL gets the green light to resume.
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While Anaheim Ducks backup goaltender Ryan Miller hopes to keep playing hockey next season, the COVID-19 pandemic could push him to call it quits earlier than expected.
"I mean the desire is there, but there's going to be a lot of factors. First of all, we're all going to have to address this new normal. What that means for sports and life - and wrapped up in that is family and how family is going to need to be taken care of during this time," Miller said to Sportsnet's Gene Principe. "There's a lot of talk here in California that schools are not going to be fully in session possibly into next year, that changes the dynamic around the house and what needs to happen and what's important."
The 39-year-old netminder has spent 17 seasons in the NHL, most recently serving as the backup in Anaheim over the past three years. Miller has performed well with the Ducks, appearing in 71 games while compiling a 29-19-12 record with a .916 save percentage and a 2.72 goals-against average.
Miller turned in the best years of his career with the Buffalo Sabres, where he spent 11 seasons from 2002-14. He took home the Vezina Trophy in 2010 and put together an impressive 284-186-57 record with a .916 save percentage and a 2.58 goals-against average with the franchise.
While he believes he still has some gas left in the tank, Miller knows the evolving situation may force his hand.
"Hockey is very important to me but I'm trying to be realistic," he said. "I'm at the tail end of a long career and I would love to play so I'm going to hum and haw for you guys. I really like to play, it's a lot of fun, but I really want to see where things end up."
Miller, who will turn 40 in July, is set to become a free agent at the conclusion of the 2019-20 campaign.
Hockey Hall of Fame member Mark Recchi believes Sidney Crosby is hockey's closest comparison to NBA legend Michael Jordan.
"Obviously, there's some great ones along the way, but in terms of the work ethic, I heard somebody say Sidney, and Sidney's probably about as close as you're gonna get, except he's not as confrontational as Michael Jordan was, it seems like," the Pittsburgh Penguins assistant coach said on Sportsnet's "Hockey Central." "Sid's work ethic is the hardest, the teammates have no choice but to follow."
Recchi has had a front-row seat to the Crosby show over the last several years. In 2014, he was hired as the Penguins' player development coach before being named an assistant coach in 2017.
One of the main reasons Recchi chose Crosby is due to the 32-year-old's desire to keep improving on his game while helping his teammates do the same.
"Our practices are unbelievably fast. When we get new guys in, they're not used to practicing at that pace and it takes them about three weeks to a month to catch up to that pace, and Sid leads the way every day," Recchi said. "After practice, he tries to get better at something every day. It's almost, like, lead by example: 'Guys you gotta stick with me and follow along and do the things I'm doing and we're gonna get there.'"
Crosby and Recchi were teammates for three seasons from 2005 until 2007.
After looking at each NHL team's biggest busts, theScore's hockey editors are examining the league's best draft steals. With some exceptions in extreme circumstances, the players included must have made significant contributions to the organization that drafted them. Today, we're focusing on the Pacific Division, excluding the Vegas Golden Knights due to their lack of draft history.
The 2003 draft was monumental for the Ducks. Anaheim went in with two late first-round picks, but ultimately struck gold. They selected Ryan Getzlaf at No. 19 and then took a shot with Perry at No. 28. Both instantly became franchise cornerstones, and helped lead the Ducks to a Stanley Cup in 2007.
Perry spent 13 seasons in Anaheim, racking up 751 points over 932 games. His tenure with the Ducks came to an end when he was bought out of the final two years of his contract in June 2019.
First-round picks aren't often seen as steals, but getting a franchise star with one of the final picks of the opening round doesn't happen often. Among all players drafted in the first round at No. 28 or later, Perry ranks second in games played and is tied for first in points.
Getting a top-pairing defenseman in the later rounds is rare. However, the Coyotes managed to snag Yandle in the fourth round in 2005.
Yandle helped the Coyotes reach the Western Conference Final in 2012, logging big minutes on the blue line while contributing nine points in the playoffs. He played in 439 consecutive games from 2009 until his departure from Arizona in 2015. In eight seasons with the Coyotes, he managed 270 points in 495 games.
The Coyotes got a good haul for Yandle at the trade deadline in 2015, shipping him off to the New York Rangers in exchange for Anthony Duclair, John Moore, and a first- and second-round pick.
Calgary Flames
B Bennett / Bruce Bennett / Getty
The pick: Theo Fleury(No. 166, 1987) GM responsible: Cliff Fletcher (1972-91) Honorable mentions: Gary Suter (No. 180, 1984), T.J. Brodie (No. 114, 2008), Johnny Gaudreau (No. 104, 2011)
Fleury dominated the WHL prior to his draft year, netting 104 goals and 237 points with the Moose Jaw Warriors. Still, teams were reluctant to grab him in the draft due to his 5-foot-6 frame. The Flames finally decided to take a shot on him in the eighth round, which was a choice they surely don't regret.
Fleury made an immediate impact, helping Calgary win a Stanley Cup as a rookie in 1989. In his third season, he set career highs in goals (51) and points (104). Overall, Fleury amassed 364 goals and 830 points in 791 games with the franchise over 11 seasons.
One of the smallest players of his generation, Fleury was doubtful to even make it as an NHL player. Against all odds, he went on to play over 1,000 games and tally over 1,000 points in his career. On top of his Stanley Cup, he also has an Olympic gold medal, and is second all time on the Flames' scoring list, trailing only Jarome Iginla. Not bad for an eighth-round pick.
Edmonton Oilers
Bruce Bennett / Bruce Bennett / Getty
The pick: Mark Messier (No. 48, 1979) GM responsible: Glen Slather (1980-00) Honorable mentions: Glenn Anderson (No. 69, 1979), Jari Kurri (No. 69, 1980), Esa Tikkanen (No. 80, 1983)
This one could have easily gone to either Kurri or Anderson, as all three are Oilers legends. The trio of players were a part of all five of Edmonton's Stanley Cups. However, Messier gets the nod due to his overall contributions to the Oilers as captain once Wayne Gretzky was no longer with the team.
After winning four Cups in five seasons from 1984-88, Gretzky was dealt. Messier was then named captain, and surprisingly helped lead the Oilers to their fifth Cup in 1990 without the help of "The Great One." Messier earned the Hart Trophy that season, leading the team with 45 goals and 129 points.
Though Messier ultimately spent less than half his career in Edmonton, his value to the franchise is nearly unmatched. He racked up 392 goals and 1,034 points across 12 seasons with the Oilers. On top of his key role in the Cup victories, he was named to seven All-Star Games during his tenure with the team and ranks third all time in franchise history in both games played and points.
Los Angeles Kings
Denis Brodeur / National Hockey League / Getty
The pick: Luc Robitaille (No. 171, 1984) GM responsible: Rogie Vachon (1984-92) Honorable mentions: Bernie Nicholls (No. 73, 1980), Rob Blake (No. 70, 1988), Jonathan Quick (No. 72, 2005)
Robitaille kicked off his career with the Kings in grand fashion, taking home the Calder Trophy in 1987. He remains the only player in franchise history to earn the honor. He didn't slow down afterward, scoring more than 40 goals in each of his first eight seasons.
Robitaille's biggest contribution to the Kings came in 1992-93, when he assumed captaincy with Gretzky injured for a big chunk of the season. He put up a career-high 125 points that season, helping lead the Kings to a playoff berth and their first Stanley Cup appearance in franchise history.
Robitaille was traded in 1994, but eventually returned for two other stints in L.A. from 1997-01 and 2003-06. He remains the franchise leader in goals (557), and is one of six players to have his number retired by the Kings.
San Jose Sharks
Don Smith / Getty Images Sport / Getty
The pick:Joe Pavelski (No. 205, 2003) GM responsible: Doug Wilson (2003-present) Honorable mentions: Evgeni Nabokov (No. 219, 1994), Marc-Edouard Vlasic (No. 35, 2005), Kevin Labanc (No. 171, 2014)
The Sharks managed to snag a franchise center at the tail end of the draft when they selected Pavelski.
He served as captain during his final four seasons with the Sharks, and was integral to the team's success over the last decade. He helped lead the Sharks to their first-ever Stanley Cup appearance in 2015-16 - his first year as captain.
Pavelski ranks second in franchise history in goals, trailing Patrick Marleau, and sits third in points, behind only Joe Thornton and Marleau. Pavelski is one of the most important Sharks players in franchise history and San Jose couldn't have asked for a better pick at No. 205 in 2003.
Vancouver Canucks
Graig Abel / Getty Images Sport / Getty
The pick: Pavel Bure (No. 113, 1989) GM responsible: Pat Quinn (1987-97) Honorable mentions: Adrian Aucoin (No. 117, 1992), Kevin Bieksa (No. 151, 2001), Jannik Hansen (No. 287, 2004)
Controversy swirled around Bure's selection at the 1989 draft. The Canucks took him late in the sixth round, while many teams weren't sure of his draft eligibility due to his age. The pick was originally deemed illegal by league president John Ziegler, but the Canucks later won an appeal to uphold the pick.
Bure ultimately fell because teams were scared off by the idea of him choosing to play in the Soviet Union instead. While the Canucks didn't take a huge gamble on him at 113th overall, it was a risk that paid off extremely well.
He took home the Calder Trophy in 1992, and helped lead the Canucks to the Stanley Cup Final in 1994, which they ended up losing in seven games. He led the team in scoring that season with 60 goals and 107 points, and posted 31 points in 24 playoff games.
His career in Vancouver didn't end all that well - he demanded a trade in 1998 and held out into the 1998-99 season. He was soon traded to the Florida Panthers for several players, including Ed Jovanovski, and a first-round pick. Bure's seven-year tenure with the Canucks ended with him tallying 254 goals and 478 points in 428 games.
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Although the return of professional sports may be looming, Toronto mayor John Tory is cautioning that his city likely won't be hosting any games in the near future.
"I would just say to people, don't hold your hopes out that you're going to see professional sports played in Toronto, even in front of an empty stadium, before sometime into the fall," Tory said on Sportsnet's "Writers Bloc" podcast.
The mayor said he's spoken recently to Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri, Toronto Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro, and the Toronto Maple Leafs organization about the possibility of pro sports returning to the city amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NHL is considering potentially using Toronto as a hub city to host multiple teams in order to finish the rest of the season. Tory added that while he's spoken to the Maple Leafs about the matter, talks haven't gone into great detail.
"They described to us about how that would work with teams staying in hotels and going back and forth in busses and all of this, and we've really not heard much more about it," Tory said. "Suffice it to say, in respect of a lot of things, we are not contemplating any situation in which there would be large crowd scenes."
Tory added that even if teams were to play in front of empty arenas, it wouldn't necessarily remove the risk of the virus spreading. Focusing on hockey, he mentioned factors such as team size, players sitting next to each other on the bench, the physical nature of the sport, and having to test everyone involved.
Still, Tory remains optimistic about the return of sports to Toronto. He added that the decision isn't ultimately his, and said that one will come with the help of guidelines from local medical authorities.
"In Toronto, in stadiums, even without spectators, there's probably a way to work it out - subject to all those questions that I asked earlier about contact between players, size of teams, arrangements on the bench," Tory added. "As time goes on, if you were saying, 'OK, in September, is there a chance we could have some of that,' I would not say no."
Whether it was a purposeful nod to Mario or not, it's surreal to see "Lemieux" plastered on a nameplate above No. 66 on a jersey that doesn't belong to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The 23-year-old previously wore No. 68 at the University of Oregon. He formed an unexpected Lemieux-Crosby connection there, playing guard next to tackle Tyrell Crosby. Crosby was drafted by the Detroit Lions, but he ultimately chose No. 65 instead of No. 87.
Lemieux was taken 150th overall by the Giants in the 2020 NFL Draft. If the stars align for him to make his NFL debut in Week 1, the Giants are scheduled to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Montreal Canadiens forward Max Domi isn't focused on his next contract at the moment, but he knows that he wants to stay in Montreal.
"All I can really tell you is that I want to be with Montreal. I want to be here," Domi said Thursday, according to NHL.com's Dave Stubbs. "I love playing in Montreal, I love my teammates, I love this team, and I love the city. My hope is to play here for a long time. That's never changed since the time I played my first game here. That's that."
Domi is in his second season with the Canadiens after being acquired from the Arizona Coyotes in 2018. In his first season with the Canadiens, he led the team in scoring with a career-high 28 goals and 72 points.
The 25-year-old is set to be a restricted free agent at the conclusion of the 2019-20 season. However, he says a new contract isn't a priority right now.
"I understand there comes a point where your contract is up, negotiations and all that stuff," Domi said. "As of right now, there's just (so) much other stuff in the world going on that's just so much more important than my contract. ...
"I couldn't care less about an NHL contract right now. I want to make sure we're doing everything we can to stay safe and get ready for whenever things come back to somewhat normal. I'm making sure I'm staying in contact with my family and my family is staying safe. That's what means most to me right now."
Domi recorded 17 goals and 44 points in 71 games before the season was paused March 12.
New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban still believes he's one of the league's top defenders despite his poor performance during the 2019-20 season.
"In my opinion, I'm still one of the top defensemen in the league," Subban said when asked how important winning a second Norris Trophy is to him in an interview with Men's Journal. "In the biggest games, in the biggest moments, I feel that I'm one of the players that teams would love to have on their team and that they can rely on, and that's always been my game."
Subban was in the midst of one of the worst seasons of his career before the NHL's current hiatus. He posted seven goals and 18 points in 68 games while averaging a career-low 22:07 of ice time in his debut campaign with the Devils.
The 31-year-old previously spent three seasons with the Nashville Predators and seven with the Montreal Canadiens. He played integral roles on both teams, reaching the Stanley Cup Finals with Nashville in 2017 and winning the Norris Trophy as a Canadien in 2013.
"The past two years, definitely, have been different experiences," Subban added. "When you're on a team like Nashville that's got one Presidents' Cup Trophy, Stanley Cup Finals, conference finals, winning divisions, and then going to (New Jersey, which) hasn't made the playoffs or has made it one year and out - and is a younger team - it's just a different situation.
"So, it's an adjustment, but I definitely believe that there's better things to come for me in my career, whether it's winning a Norris Trophy or Stanley Cup."
Subban has two seasons remaining on his eight-year, $72-million contract.
Following a trade request in December, Canucks forward Sven Baertschi knows the decision to move him ultimately rests with Vancouver with one season left on his contract.
"I don't want to be back in the minors ... It’s up to them (Canucks management) really what they’re going to do next. That’s their job and that’s what they do. I’m just going to work my ass off going forward making sure I’m ready to go to whatever camp I’m going to," Baertschi said, according to TSN's Jeff Paterson.
"I have no plans of going back to Switzerland or to Europe - I think personally I can play on any team in the National Hockey League. I can do it. I can just focus on myself and making sure I’m ready for another year. I think I’ve proved to everybody that was worried before. I'm 100% healthy, my game's going well and I'm preparing for whatever is next."
The 27-year-old was placed on waivers at the beginning of the 2019-20 season after failing to crack the Canucks' opening roster. He appeared in six NHL games this season, tallying two assists. He skated in 43 contests with the AHL's Utica Comets, recording 13 goals and 46 points.
After spending nearly a full season in the minors, he believes he's ready to be a full-time NHL player again.
"There were some moments in the AHL when I thought there are some darn good players - like really, really skilled players. Sometimes I looked at it as the best players aren’t always in the NHL," Baertschi said. "There are definitely some players in the AHL that don’t belong there. For me, it was more confirmation that I don’t belong there in many ways. I don’t want to be rude or look down on people, but the way I look at the game is a lot different than a lot of other guys."
Baertschi has appeared in 291 career games with the Canucks and Calgary Flames, recording 66 goals and 138 points.
The Florida Panthers say forward Jack Rodewald's involvement in a series of leaked messages from a private Instagram group chat has "no place in our organization or our great game," according to the Winnipeg Sun's Scott Billeck.
In a statement released Friday, the team also said it will "cooperate fully with the league, NHLPA, and PHPA to ensure that this matter is handled quickly and appropriately."
Washington Capitals forward Brendan Leipsic was also included in the group chat, and he was placed on waivers Friday with the purpose of terminating his contract.
Rodewald has appeared in 10 NHL games, all with the Ottawa Senators. He was traded to the Panthers organization midway through the 2019-20 season, and the 26-year-old skated in 43 games with the AHL's Springfield Thunderbirds.
