With the NHL preparing for a 24-team playoff, theScore will be counting down the top 50 players who will be taking part in this unique event. We'll reveal 10 players every day until the top 10 is unveiled on June 6.

50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1

50. Johnny Gaudreau, Flames

Gaudreau wasn't nearly as efficient this season as he was in years past. After a slow start to the campaign, though, the dynamic winger caught fire in the second half. He potted eight goals and added 19 assists in 28 games after Jan. 1. Even during an inconsistent season, the 26-year-old still possesses the raw talent to dominate his opponents in elimination play.

49. Matthew Tkachuk, Flames

Few players offer Tkachuk's unique blend of scoring touch, physicality, and two-way play. The 22-year-old winger is blossoming into the face of the Calgary Flames, and it would be hard to design a player better equipped to endure the grind of playoff hockey.

48. Dougie Hamilton, Hurricanes

Hamilton was playing the best hockey of his career before he suffered a broken fibula in January, and he'll be hungry for the chance to return to form. The 6-foot-6 defenseman is a gifted skater for his size, which is one of the main reasons he's able to dominate the possession game. Hamilton ranked in the top 10 in both Corsi For and expected goals this season, and he was 17th in high-danger scoring chances (minimum 600 minutes played).

47. Kyle Connor, Jets

You have to watch Connor on more than one occasion to fully appreciate him. He doesn't have the blazing speed or rocket shot that other elite goal-scorers possess, but he knows how to put the puck in the net. It seems he buries every chance he gets down low. Connor is a highly intelligent, hard-working player with very soft hands around the net.

46. Claude Giroux, Flyers

Giroux cooled off a bit this campaign after posting more than a point per game in 2018-19 and a career-high 102 points the season prior. However, he's still among the game's most dependable centers at age 32, and he's one of the biggest reasons the Philadelphia Flyers played so well before the break.

45. Shea Weber, Canadiens

When Weber is healthy, he's still one of the most dominant defensemen in the league. With months to rest some nagging injuries, a recuperated Weber will be extremely valuable for the Montreal Canadiens. His ability to log significant minutes and contribute on both offense and defense will make him a lethal threat in playoff-style hockey.

44. Mathew Barzal, Islanders

An offensive wizard on arguably the NHL's most defensive-minded team, Barzal stands out among his peers. He's one of the best skaters in the league and his vision is off the charts. He's also up for a new contract after this season, so he'll want to prove his worth with a strong playoff showing.

43. Seth Jones, Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets are a completely different team when Jones is in the lineup. Columbus won just three of 14 outings and allowed 3.57 goals per game after the 6-foot-4 rearguard injured his ankle in early February. Jones, an agile skater with a strong hockey acumen, ranked seventh in average ice time this season while often paired against opponents' top talents.

42. Ben Bishop, Stars

Bishop is arguably the best goalie in the NHL when healthy and on his game, though he wasn't even the best goalie on his own team this season, as Anton Khudobin led the league with a .930 save percentage. However, it'll almost certainly be the three-time Vezina finalist getting the call in the postseason.

41. Cale Makar, Avalanche

If not for a certain Vancouver Canucks blue-liner, Makar would be the clear Calder Trophy favorite. Nevertheless, he has a strong case in his own right and is already one of the NHL's best defensemen. The 21-year-old ranked second in the rookie points race and led all qualified first-year players in points per game. The Colorado Avalanche phenom has looked more than comfortable in the league since debuting during last year's postseason, and his future looks exceedingly bright.

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Vancouver Canucks pending unrestricted free-agent defenseman Chris Tanev is hopeful he can iron out a new contract with the only NHL team he's ever suited up for.

"I've been here now for 10 years and I've loved every minute of it," Tanev told Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre. "There's definitely a trust between me and management and the ownership group, which has been awesome to me.

"Whether it's one year or many years (on the next contract), I'd love to play my whole career here. Who knows what's going to happen? But I love it here, I want to stay here, I think the team is going in the right direction, and if we come back to play this year, I think we're going to have a real good shot at competing and going far. I'd like to be part of that in the future."

Due to this season's lengthy layoff and the uncertainty surrounding next year's salary cap, Tanev admitted there's a possibility that UFAs around the league take less term on new deals this offseason.

"I definitely could see a lot of guys signing a one-year deal and then hoping the league gets financially better next summer," he said.

Tanev, 30, has played 514 games for the Canucks since joining ahead of the 2010-11 season. He's developed into a veteran presence on a young, up-and-coming team, which is something general manager Jim Benning sees plenty of value in.

"There are guys who really help other players along, and I would say Chris Tanev is one of those guys," Benning said. "I'd like to try to figure out a way to bring Chris back because I think he's a good leader and our younger players look up to him."

The Canucks have just over $20 million in projected cap space with 14 players signed to the roster. Tanev's current deal pays him $4.45 million per season.

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The NHL is creating four committees to help address diversity issues across all levels of the sport, executive vice president for social impact, growth initiatives, and legislative affairs Kim Davis told ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.

The committees were first discussed at the Board of Governors meeting in December after multiple players shared stories about racial and physical abuse from their coaches.

With so many NHLers recently making public statements condemning racism in the wake of George Floyd's death in police custody last week, Davis believes it's imperative to uphold the same message in the future.

"We know how unprecedented this is for our sport," Davis said. "How we capture that and keep that momentum going is really what I've been focused on. Two weeks from now, two months from now, two years from now ... how do we have this same feeling? How do we ensure that everybody feels that they can be a part of our sport?"

The Executive Inclusion Council - made up of five team owners, five team presidents, and two general managers to be named publicly at a later date - will take action on the recommendations from the other committees.

The Players Inclusion Committee will feature former and current players, as well as Canada and USA women's national team members. It will bring ideas to build "stronger pipelines" for youth in the sport.

The Fan Inclusion Committee will consist of chief marketing officers from NHL teams and a variety of partners to improve reaching out to underrepresented groups.

Lastly, the Youth Inclusion Committee will be made up of representatives from Hockey Canada and USA Hockey to make youth hockey more welcoming to children of color.

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Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane is fighting racial injustice in the United States with both his words and his actions.

"Racism and injustice in our country must end," Kane tweeted Friday. "As a white male in this society, I will never truly understand. But I want to help in this fight for change - and I know I cannot do that in silence."

He announced he was contributing to Chicago charity My Block, My Hood, My City and the Chicago chapter of the national nonprofit All Stars Project, and he encouraged people "to learn more about the many inspirational and impactful organizations serving the black community."

Protests across the country began last week after George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was killed in Minneapolis while in police custody.

Kane said he was inspired by My Block, My Hood, My City founder Jahmal Cole, who challenged those looking to denounce racism and spark change to think about "something simple I can do that will have a positive influence on my block."

The 31-year-old winger also shared a video explaining systemic racism that Kane credited for helping him begin to understand the problem.

Former NHL defenseman Mark Fraser, who is black, urged the hockey community to go beyond the internet in order to create true change.

"Social media posts are great, but it can't end there," Fraser wrote Friday. "Don't let an Instagram story be the only thing you did. That's not enough. We need more. George Floyd needs more! Trayvon Martin needs more! Breonna Taylor needs more! Eric Garner needs more! Ahmaud Arbery needs more!"

Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin joined a protest in Dallas on Thursday.

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Hall of Fame forward Igor Larionov has been named head coach of Team Russia for the 2021 World Junior Championship, the International Ice Hockey Federation announced Friday.

"This appointment is a great honor for me," Larionov said. "The task of replacing a coach such as Valeri Bragin, who headed the U20 national team for many years, is very difficult."

Larionov was an assistant under Bragin at the 2020 world juniors. Bragin, who served as Russia's bench boss at the event for the last six years, will instead coach the national team at the 2021 World Championship, which is set for May 7-23, 2021 in Belarus and Latvia.

"A difficult task gives me additional energy," Larionov said. "We have many good players who are on the radar of the U20 national team. I see that our team has very big potential. ... I am optimistic about entering a new position and want to help our hockey become a leader on the world stage."

Larionov, 59, captured three Stanley Cups (1997, 1998, 2002) while playing for the Detroit Red Wings. He was a member of the "Russian Five," a nickname given to the group of Russian players from the Soviet Union that played for the club in the 1990s.

The 5-foot-9 pivot won two Olympic gold medals for the Soviet Union in 1984 and 1988 and was an integral member of the Soviet squad that captured the 1981 Canada Cup.

Russia earned silver at the 2020 world juniors, losing to Canada in the final. The 2021 tournament is scheduled for Dec. 26 to Jan. 5, 2021 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta.

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Mark Fraser is encouraging those involved in hockey to continue speaking up about racial injustice and bigotry.

"Please don't stop making noise," the former NHL defenseman wrote in The Players' Tribune on Friday. "Please don't go silent. Silence is violence in this case. Be proud to know that you are not only standing on the right side of the fence, but you are also actively using your voices and letting yourself be heard in support of our cause and our fight for justice and equality. Show us your love. Show us you love us. To quote (U.S.) Senator Cory Booker, 'What does love look like in public? It looks like justice.'"

Fraser urged the hockey community to go beyond merely expressing support online.

"Social media posts are great, but it can't end there," he wrote. "Don't let an Instagram story be the only thing you did. That's not enough. We need more. George Floyd needs more! Trayvon Martin needs more! Breonna Taylor needs more! Eric Garner needs more! Ahmaud Arbery needs more!"

Fraser added, "Police are shooting peaceful protestors in the face with rubber bullets and tear gas. Whites and blacks alike. Encourage people to vote and get real leaders in positions of influence who actually want to see change happen. Educate yourself on our struggle. Try to disarm your privilege to better understand. Educate your children about equality. ... But please don't go back to being silent. That will only hurt us in the end."

The 33-year-old played parts of seven NHL seasons and suited up for 219 career games, more than half of which he spent with the New Jersey Devils. Fraser last played in the league in 2014-15, but he's been plying his trade overseas for the last three campaigns, appearing in 50 games for the German league's Schwenningen Wild Wings in 2019-20.

His grandfather, Cecil Fraser, immigrated to Kingston, Ontario, from Kingston, Jamaica, in 1954, and became a lawyer. His father, Hugh, was also a lawyer and competed for Canada as a sprinter in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.

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The Ottawa Senators Foundation will no longer be associated with the NHL club as of Aug. 1, the charity announced Thursday.

"On July 31, 2020, the agreement between the Ottawa Senators Foundation and the club, which grants the foundation the right to use club trademarks, including the Ottawa Senators name, expires," the foundation said in a statement.

"As a first priority, we will look to fulfill our current operational, legal, and charitable obligations by July 31, 2020, after which we will focus on the Foundation's future," the foundation added.

The Senators responded Thursday by announcing the club would begin a request-for-proposals process to consider other philanthropic options.

The organization claimed it informed the foundation "months ago" it planned to initiate that process, and that "foundation leadership protested" and told the team it wouldn't comply.

The Senators Foundation has been primarily dedicated to youth programs in the Ottawa community.

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