Category Archives: Hockey News
NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 7, 2020
Team USA replaces trio of players on preliminary world junior roster
Team USA announced multiple changes to its preliminary world junior roster on Sunday.
The roster remains at 29 players, but defensemen Tyler Kleven and Hunter Skinner, along with netminder Logan Stein, will replace forwards Robert Mastrosimone, blue-liner Alex Vlasic, and goaltender Drew Commesso, who have each been deemed "not available to participate."
Vlasic, Commesso, and Mastrosimone all play at Boston University. The school suspended all activities for the men's hockey team Thursday and canceled its season opener after someone associated with the program tested positive for COVID-19.
"It’s certainly heartbreaking for Robert, Alex, and Drew to not have the chance to make our team and we feel for them," general manager John Vanbiesbrouck said.
"But it’s great to have the depth we do and we’re pleased to welcome Tyler, Hunter, and Logan. We’re excited to get our camp underway and continue to work with our medical staff, the IIHF, and the government of Alberta to help provide the safest possible environment for everyone associated with our team."
Team USA started its week-long camp Sunday at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan. The 2021 world juniors are slated to begin on Dec. 25 in Edmonton.
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Team USA replaces trio of players on preliminary world junior roster
Team USA announced multiple changes to its preliminary world junior roster on Sunday.
The roster remains at 29 players, but defensemen Tyler Kleven and Hunter Skinner, along with netminder Logan Stein, will replace forwards Robert Mastrosimone, blue-liner Alex Vlasic, and goaltender Drew Commesso, who have each been deemed "not available to participate."
Vlasic, Commesso, and Mastrosimone all play at Boston University. The school suspended all activities for the men's hockey team Thursday and canceled its season opener after someone associated with the program tested positive for COVID-19.
"It’s certainly heartbreaking for Robert, Alex, and Drew to not have the chance to make our team and we feel for them," general manager John Vanbiesbrouck said.
"But it’s great to have the depth we do and we’re pleased to welcome Tyler, Hunter, and Logan. We’re excited to get our camp underway and continue to work with our medical staff, the IIHF, and the government of Alberta to help provide the safest possible environment for everyone associated with our team."
Team USA started its week-long camp Sunday at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan. The 2021 world juniors are slated to begin on Dec. 25 in Edmonton.
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Cooper: Attention you get with Stanley Cup ‘like walking in with Mick Jagger’
Jon Cooper is living his best life as a Stanley Cup champion.
The Tampa Bay Lightning head coach likened his experience with the prestigious trophy to walking around with a famous rockstar.
"Honestly, I can't explain the feeling," Cooper said earlier this week on the "Two-Man Advantage" podcast.
"People say, 'Well, what's it like?' I was like, 'You know what? Nobody really wants to see Jon Cooper or really cares, but as soon as you're with the Stanley Cup, it's like walking in with Mick Jagger.' It is such a remarkable trophy."
The 53-year-old coached the Lightning to the franchise's second Stanley Cup victory in September. The club spent over two months in the NHL's playoff bubble before knocking off the Dallas Stars in six games.
Cooper says he never gets tired of looking at what he and his club accomplished, as the trophy has remained in Tampa throughout most of the pandemic.
"At times I've had it in my house where it was just me or maybe my son, or my wife and it's the girls. You just look at it with that sense of accomplishment, but understanding it just exudes history," Cooper said.
"And you look at it and look at the names on it and the people that have won it and you know the sweat and tears and everything that went into winning it, and to think 100 years before that's happened."
Despite spending their offseason navigating an extremely tight salary cap, the Lightning have the majority of their core intact next season and are in a strong position to make another title run.
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Hall of Fame linesman, father of Blues GM Neil Armstrong dies at 87
Neil Armstrong, Hall of Fame NHL linesman and father of St. Louis Blues general manager Doug, died Sunday at the age of 87, the team announced.
Armstrong officiated 1,744 regular-season NHL games from 1957 to 1978. After retiring as a linesman, he became a scout with the Montreal Canadiens. The Hall of Famer was inducted in 1991.
Armstrong was in an assisted living home in Ontario battling dementia and Parkinson's disease. When his son Doug won the Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019, he was able to bring the trophy to share with his father.
"Being able to share the Stanley Cup with him, to share the ring with him, we did it 20 years ago and to be able to share some of the experiences I've been through the past two decades with him, well, that's pretty special," Doug Armstrong said in 2019 according to NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger.
"He gets a big smile out of it and those are few and far between for him. So it's been great."
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Boston TV station appears to unknowingly interview Jarome Iginla in snowstorm
A local TV station in Boston has drawn some attention after casually interviewing Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla during its coverage of a snowstorm this weekend.
The segment caught the eye of a Twitter user when Iginla suddenly appeared on screen:
Is it just me, or was this Jarome Iginla being interviewed at a rest area during storm coverage and Ch. 25 might not have realized it? @NicoleOliverio pic.twitter.com/F43BCYeqg2
— Jim Clark (@In_The_Slot) December 6, 2020
Iginla has surely seen his fair share of snow after growing up in Edmonton and spending the majority of his NHL career with the Calgary Flames.
"I like the snow, I like the winter, but not necessarily this," Iginla said, according to Boston 25 News' Litsa Pappas. "May be a little too much."
The two-time Olympic gold medalist also shared his thoughts on driving in such conditions.
"Pretty tough, we're from Canada, so it's not too crazy," he said. "I mean, we got some winter tires. Used to this growing up so, it's not great, I'll tell you, you get some tough stretches. But if you don't go too fast, it's doable."
Iginla played one season with the Boston Bruins and decided to call the city home after he retired in 2018.
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Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – December 6, 2020
NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 6, 2020
Canucks’ Benning couldn’t find trade partner for Loui Eriksson
Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning tried to find a new club for forward Loui Eriksson this offseason but failed to do so.
"We tried to get him a new team, a new opportunity, a fresh start. That didn't happen," Benning said Thursday on Sportsnet 650's "Starting Lineup."
"As of right now, Loui is under contract with us. When he plays he can still kill penalties for us, he's a good defensive player.
"We wanted him to score more when we signed him, that hasn't happened. But he's still part of our team, part of our group. He's an experienced guy."
Since signing a six-year, $36-million contract with the Canucks in 2016, Eriksson has failed to find his footing and produce at the level that he did earlier in his career.
Eriksson was a six-time 20-plus goal-scorer before joining the Canucks, including two seasons where he notched 30 or more goals. He's totaled just 38 goals in 245 games during the four seasons he's spent in Vancouver.
The 35-year-old was a healthy scratch on numerous occasions during the 2019-20 season and managed six goals and seven assists in 49 games. Last offseason, Benning confirmed he would look into trading Eriksson after the forward said he and head coach Travis Green "don't really get on 100 percent."
Eriksson has two years remaining on his contract, carrying an average annual value of $6 million.
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