Let no one say Connor McDavid is dogging it during the NHL's hiatus.
The Edmonton Oilers superstar shared a video Thursday in which he showed off an unconventional workout routine, doing bodyweight squats with his rather large pup named Lenny.
Lenny made an appearance alongside his best friend last week (albeit in a less active role) when McDavid offered well wishes to fans amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Hey everyone, just a quick message from Lenny and I. Please stay safe out there pic.twitter.com/SsjNsldPIS
The dynamic forward always comes to camp in shape, but if he keeps using Lenny for body squats, he's going to be downright gigantic by the time hockey comes back.
The Montreal Canadiens will get to host an NHL draft one way or another.
Steve Mayer, the league's chief content officer, seemingly said as much to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun on Thursday.
"We went to Montreal and they were awesome," Mayer said. "Nowadays, everyone understands that this is the way of the world (with the coronavirus)."
The Canadiens will likely get a traditional draft in 2021 or 2022, the executive added, as those events haven't been awarded to another franchise yet. However, he cautioned that it depends on the logistics of holding an event in Montreal at that time.
The NHL postponed several events, including the draft and the awards show, Wednesday. The league was paused March 12 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mayer - who's the "all-around NHL events guru," according to LeBrun - outlined three draft options the league is exploring. Firstly, despite its unlikelihood, Mayer said there could still be a full draft event in Montreal later this year if the season can resume early enough.
Secondly, the league could hold a scaled-down event featuring fewer team personnel and prospects. Thirdly, Mayer revealed that a virtual draft is being considered.
"We're looking at that as well," he said. "(It) is probably ... one of the more likely (scenarios) at this point, given where we are in the world. We'd have cameras set up in every war room, bring in as many prospects as we can, (and) have a team representative (from each club)."
Mayer cautioned that the NHL hasn't decided on any of the potential plans and will continue to look into them.
Montreal was originally scheduled to host the 2020 NHL Draft on June 26-27.
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"The player has been at home in isolation since the first symptoms appeared, has recovered, and is back to normal. The Avalanche have notified anyone who has had known close contact with the athlete," a statement said.
Two Ottawa Senators players testedpositive for the virus last week.
The NHL initially instructed players to self-quarantine through March 27 before extending that directive to April 4.
The league paused its season on March 12 amid the outbreak.
Sean Tierney, the man behind ChartingHockey.ca and the director of hockey analytics for the OHL's Hamilton Bulldogs, joins the show to discuss a variety of topics, including:
Simulating the rest of the NHL season using mathematical models
Missing playoff pushes for the Canucks, Rangers, and Blue Jackets
Hellebuyck and the Vezina, Matthews and the Rocket Richard
Duties and challenges for a junior-level hockey analytics director
Hockey players are getting creative with their home workouts and practice routines, and New York Rangers forward Ryan Strome shared a difficult one of his own Thursday.
Just finished working on my game...went 7/7 today! Back to Call of Duty. Goodbye Twitter👋🏼😂 pic.twitter.com/0CB3laNC9R
Strome has been enjoying the best season of his career in his second campaign with the Rangers, tallying 18 goals and 41 assists before the league halted play. He's spent a lot of his time on the ice with teammate Artemi Panarin, who's amassed 32 goals and a team-leading 95 points.
It wasn't long until Arizona Coyotes forward Taylor Hall took a jab at Strome's routine, jokingly asking if playing with the dynamic Panarin left little need for a more diverse regimen.
The closure of team facilities has forced NHL players to get creative with their workouts, and the Columbus Blue Jackets' captain is no exception.
"You're kind of going back to that 'Rocky' mentality where you're doing push ups and sit ups and punching the cow," he said on a video conference call Thursday, according to Stephen Whyno of The Associated Press.
If you're unfamiliar with 1976 film, unknown heavyweight challenger Rocky Balboa punched raw meat as part of his training routine. While Foligno is obviously exaggerating, other players around the league have also had to alter their training methods.
"I haven't gotten that creative," Sidney Crosby said, according to Pens Inside Scoop's Sam Kasan. "You do the best that you can. I have a bike. Push ups. It's old school at this point. Whatever you can get done you get done. That's what I've been doing."
Devils star P.K. Subban relocated from New Jersey to Los Angeles to better his workout regimen.
"In New Jersey I didn't have much equipment there. I'm just so used to doing all my working out at the rink," he told Devils reporter Amanda Stein. "Here in L.A. I have more gym equipment at my place. I'm trying to stick to as close a routine as I can."
Each player is in a different spot when it comes to knowing what lies ahead. Even if the NHL goes straight to the playoffs, Crosby's Penguins are guaranteed a postseason berth, sitting third in the Metropolitan Division. Foligno's Blue Jackets own the second wild-card spot by points, but would be on the outside looking in if seeding's determined by points percentage. Subban, whose Devils sit third-last in the Eastern Conference, may have played his last game of the season already.
Of course, an expanded playoff format and/or a tournament for lottery teams would change things.
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.
Sidney Crosby was among several players to share his thoughts on the paused season in video conference calls Thursday, and for his part, the Pittsburgh Penguins star hopes to play as much as possible.
"You try to get in as many games as you can. I wouldn't mind starting right at the playoffs," Crosby said, according to Pens Inside Scoop's Sam Kasan. "But there are a lot of guys in different situations. The more games you can play, the better (the) integrity of it."
On a separate call, Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin admitted he would hope to go straight to the postseason, although Anders Lee, who was on the same call, sits right outside of a playoff spot with the New York Islanders.
"For us it is better for playoffs to start right now. We don't want to play extra games," Ovechkin said, according to the Washington Post's Samantha Pell. "I would rather play playoffs right away. Sorry, guys."
Philadelphia Flyers forward Giroux was on a similar page as Crosby in hoping to get in more regular-season games.
"It would be good to get a few games before playoffs," Giroux said. "Especially for teams fighting for a spot. Whatever is most fair for everyone.”
The Capitals occupy the first spot in the Metropolitan Division, the Flyers the second spot, and the Penguins the third. If the league does decide to go straight into the playoffs, it would potentially set up a first-round matchup between the Flyers and Penguins.
Over the coming days, every team will have a player represent it on a media conference call, according to The Hockey News' Matt Larkin.
Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.
A day before the 2019-20 NHL season began, we gave out 12 fearless value bets for the campaign. It was essentially a "bold predictions" article.
Let's revisit all of those predictions, working our way from the worst of the bunch to the best.
Sharks to win the Stanley Cup (25-1)
Not only were the Sharks NOT going to win the Cup this season, but they were in pole position to finish last in the Western Conference.
Erik Karlsson to win the Norris (8-1)
A broken thumb cut Karlsson's season short, but he wasn't anywhere near the Norris conversation through 56 games.
Panthers to win the Eastern Conference (9-1)
Why do I get the feeling that while Sergei Bobrovsky struggled on the ice, his handicap drastically improved away from it?
Blues to miss the playoffs (5-2)
I led this section off by writing, "I have nothing but respect and admiration for Blues coach Craig Berube." I proceeded to bet against him. That was foolish.
John Gibson to win the Vezina (26-1)
Show this pick to the next person who tells you to bet on talent over opportunity.Gibson is one of the most talented goalies in the world, yet the Ducks made him look like Robert Esche.
Penguins to miss the playoffs (8-5)
I mean, it still could have happened, right? This is all Tristan Jarry's fault.
Coyotes to make the playoffs (6-5)
The Coyotes were on track for the playoffs before a trade for Taylor Hall curiously derailed their season. Something tells me Hall and Phil Kessel could be joining Bobrovsky on the PGA Tour soon.
Hurricanes to win the Metro Division (4-1)
The Hurricanes weren't on track to win the division, but if the season eventually resumes, I still think they're capable of big things.
Canucks to make the playoffs (9-5), Flames to miss the playoffs (2-1), Jets to miss the playoffs (10-13)
I think at least two of these bets would have cashed if the season wasn't suspended, but the point of this was to show I was higher on the Canucks and lower on the Flames and Jets than most, and I'm feeling pretty good about all of that right now.
Nathan MacKinnon to win the Hart (14-1)
MacKinnon was having an MVP-caliber season and was all the way down to +250 in the Hart Trophy odds. If not for Leon Draisaitl, he would have been a lock.
Devils to miss the playoffs (10-11), Islanders to miss the playoffs (1-1), Rangers to miss the playoffs (2-3)
The Islanders could still have thrown a wrench in this, but for the first time since 1965-66, it was looking like no New York-area team was going to make the playoffs.
Matthews to win the Rocket Richard (14-1)
Matthews had closed the gap behind David Pastrnak and Alex Ovechkin to just one goal, and given the recent pace, I think he would have claimed this honor over the final 12 games.
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.