RIP Jack Riley; Vegas trademark issues (Puck Headlines)
Here are your Puck Headlines: A glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media. Have a link you want to submit? Email us at [email protected].
• The Reading Royals (ECHL) will wear the glorious ugly Christmas sweater featured above against the Adirondack Thunder on December 23.
• The first general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Jack Riley, passed away at the age of 97. [Post-Gazette]
• The new Las Vegas franchise appeared to be locked into the black, grey and gold color scheme and the name ‘Black Knights’; however, trademark and trade name registration issues could put a halt to those plans and lead to a change. [The Sin Bin]
• Now former Montreal Canadiens analytics consultant Matt Pfeffer clarifies his remarks regarding the argument he made for the Habs keeping P.K. Subban. [Sportsnet]
• Arbitration isn’t a positive process for both player and team. In a really rare circumstance, Marcus Johansson and the Washington Capitals are ready to head to the meeting for a second time. [Washington Post]
• Restricted free agent Dylan McIlrath inked a new one year with the New York Rangers. [Blue Shirts United]
• The Carolina Hurricanes re-upped Ryan Murphy for two years and Dennis Robertson, Keegan Lowe, Brody Sutter and Brendan Woods on one year deals. All the contracts are two-way. [Canes Country]
• Vancouver Canucks GM Jim Benning talks about his offseason moves and the search for a left winger that will relieve some of the pressure on Sven Baertschi. [The Province]
• The Columbus Blue Jackets have had their share of significant injuries. The team looks to “bridge the gap between the medical staff and the staff of strength and conditioning coach Kevin Collins, so that players don’t get injured and injured players get comprehensive treatment that gets them back on the ice quickly.” To do so, they hired Nelson Ayotte as a “consultant to help establish a ‘high performance’ department.” [Blue Jackets Xtra]
• The Florida Panthers may have spent $200 million on roster improvements, but the team’s biggest gamble appears to be picking Tom Rowe over Dale Tallon as general manager. [Sun-Sentinel]
• Top rated Nashville Predators goaltending prospect Juuse Saros expects himself to challenge Marek Mazanec for the backup role with the team this season. [The Tennessean]
• Michal Kempny was a highly sought after KHL defenseman who signed with the Chicago Blackhawks in May. He knows now he has to prove to the team in order to secure a roster spot this fall and talks about his development. [The Athletic]
• The Rangers continue to offer bridge contracts to highly valued young talent and while giving big contracts to less than stellar players. [Today’s Slapshot]
• “Whether you believe in the merit of advanced statistics or not isn’t really the point of this discussion … not only is the game changing on the ice, the game is changing from an analysis, managerial and administrative perspective, as well … This is to say that professionals from different, and highly educated walks of life are beginning to take an interest in the game and its analysis, and I find it exceptionally alarming that the “establishment” does not want to hear what they have to say.” [Blue Seat Blogs]
• For the second consecutive years, the Stars hosted Korean hockey players during their development camp to give the players a feel of what it’s like to compete at the NHL level and to take that knowledge back to their country to help develop the game. [NHL]
• Dallas Stars: “The care and feeding of eight defensemen, or how development is a two-way street.” [Defending Big D]
• Looking at the value of having a forward with net front presence and his impact on scoring. [TSN]
• Canadian hockey super star Natalie Spooner talks about her involvement with the Champions Fund which hands out grants to women’s hockey programs, players and organization to grow the game. [Eh Game]
• Mighty Ducks podcast featuring Ty McClary who played the lassoing hockey playing cowboy Dwayne Robertson in D2 and D3. [The Quack Attack]
• Fantasy hockey grade for the offseason moves of the Anaheim Ducks. It ain’t pretty. [Dobber]
• Finally, check out the New Jersey Devils prospect camp as the kids play 3-on-3. MOTION SICKNESS WARNING for GoPro helmet cams.
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Jen Neale is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter!
