2021-22 NHL Season Thread

[JGibson]

This thread focuses on the happenings of the 2021-22 NHL season. The Tampa Bay Lightning repeated as defending Stanley Cup champions.  Owen Porter went #1st overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, selected by the Buffalo Sabres. Jérémy Lauzon was selected 1st overall in the Expansion Draft from Boston by the Seattle Kraken.

After a COVID-shortened season of 56 games that were confined to division-only play that necessitated realignment of the divisions due to the US/Canada Border closed to non-essential travel for most of the season, the full 82-game schedule and normal divisional alignments are back. Also, arenas are expected to open to full capacity. Certain arenas could be under mask mandates. Certain arenas will likely have a COVID vaccine and/or negative test mandate to gain entry. 


The NHL will have a Winter Olympic pause from February 7th to 22nd in 2022.


The NHL All-Star Game, which was cancelled last year due to the COVID pandemic, is back on in Vegas as the last event prior to the Olympic break, to be held on the weekend of February 4th and 5th. 


The Winter Classic is back after a one-season hiatus due to the COVID pandemic, with the same opponents that would've played the 2021 game: the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild at Target Field. 


The Seattle Kraken make its debut in the NHL, making it a 32-team league. As a result of the Kraken's arrival, the Arizona Coyotes head to the Central Division, meaning each division has 8 teams. 

What teams do you support? Who do you see winning Lord Stanley's Cup?



2020-21 Thread:  https://talkelections.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=419611.0

[JGibson]

The NHL on Turner Sports team has been assembled: Kenny Albert and Eddie Olczyk will form the main announcing team, with Darren Pang and Brendan Burke as the 2nd team.

Awful Announcing:

Ahead of the Oct. 12 start of the 2021-22 NHL regular season, Turner Sports has revealed its full lineup of commentators for its NHL coverage. They had previously announced the hires of Kenny Albert and Eddie Olczyk as their lead announcing team, and Wayne Gretzky as a studio analyst, and there had been reports of them adding other figures like Anson Carter. Now, we have the full details of who else they’ve brought in, including an announcing team of Brendan Burke and Darren Pang, Keith Jones providing ice-level analysis, Jennifer Botterill, Jackie Redmond and Tarik El-Bashir also contributing to telecasts, and a full studio team of host Liam McHugh and analysts Gretzky, Carter, Rick Tocchet, and Paul Bissonette.

[The Dowager Mod]

As long as we don't get stuck with Pierre McGuire.

[JGibson]

The 2022 Winter Classic game between the Blues and Wild will move to an evening timeslot from its traditional noon slot on New Year's Day, at 7PM EST/6PM CST on TNT in the USA and Sportsnet in Canada.

NHL.com:

MINNEAPOLIS - The NHL® announced today that tickets to the 2022 Discover NHL Winter Classic® between the St. Louis Blues and the Minnesota Wild at Target Field, home of Major League Baseball's Minnesota Twins, will go on sale to the public on Wednesday. The 2022 Discover NHL Winter Classic® will be the first NHL Winter Classic® scheduled to be played in primetime and will start at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT on Jan. 1. The game will be televised on TNT, Sportsnet, and TVA Sports.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

No Crosby. No Malkin.  No hope. 

[KaiserDave]

Rangers to the playoffs this year!

[The Dowager Mod]

I'm glad the guy in front of me drafted Cary Price before I could. 

[AndyHogan14]

All I know is that my Ducks are going to be terrible, so I guess I'll jump on the Seattle Kraken bandwagon to see if another expansion team will shock the world.

[JGibson]

TNT and ESPN broadcasts:
TNT felt like the better of the two, despite not being previously involved in NHL coverage.

[JGibson]

NHL issued a 21-game suspension for Sharks player Evander Kane for blatantly circumventing the league's COVID protocols by submitting a fake vaccine card.

Sportsnet:

The NHL has suspended San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane for 21 games for submitting a fake COVID-19 vaccination card.

[...]

Kane had previously been cleared by the NHL in an investigation into allegations made by Deanna Kane that he bet on hockey games, including some against the Sharks.

But the league did determine that Kane violated the COVID-19 protocols. A person familiar with the investigation said earlier this month that the league was looking into allegations that Kane submitted a fake vaccination card. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because details weren't made public.

Using a fake vaccination card is illegal in both the United States and Canada, as well as against NHL rules.

[Never Made it to Graceland]

NHL issued a 21-game suspension for Sharks player Evander Kane for blatantly circumventing the league's COVID protocols by submitting a fake vaccine card.

Sportsnet:

The NHL has suspended San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane for 21 games for submitting a fake COVID-19 vaccination card.

[...]

Kane had previously been cleared by the NHL in an investigation into allegations made by Deanna Kane that he bet on hockey games, including some against the Sharks.

But the league did determine that Kane violated the COVID-19 protocols. A person familiar with the investigation said earlier this month that the league was looking into allegations that Kane submitted a fake vaccination card. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because details weren't made public.

Using a fake vaccination card is illegal in both the United States and Canada, as well as against NHL rules.

What a f**king dipsh**t. The team should just release him, he can try his hand at the KHL.

[Grumpier Than Thou]

Goddamn Devils need to figure out their goaltending. 4 goals in the first period ain't gonna cut it.

[NewYorkExpress]

Major scandal going on in Chicago as a former Blackhawk accused former video coach Brad Aldrich of sexually assaulting him in 2010.

[JGibson]

Joel Quenneville resigns as Panthers head coach in the fallout of the Chicago Blackhawks sexual assault scandal.

WBEZ:

Joel Quenneville, the once-revered Chicago Blackhawks coach who led the team to three Stanley Cup titles, became the latest casualty Thursday from a burgeoning sexual-misconduct scandal from nearly a decade ago involving a former assistant on his Chicago coaching staff.

He resigned his position as head coach of the Florida Panthers after revelations in a Blackhawks-commissioned investigation by the Chicago-based Jenner & Block law firm that outlined his role in suppressing the 2010 sex-abuse allegations by ex-Blackhawk Kyle Beach.

Beach’s claims were directed at Quenneville’s ex-assistant, Brad Aldrich, during the team’s historic march to the Stanley Cup. “After the release of the Jenner & Block investigative report on Tuesday afternoon, we have continued to diligently review the information within that report, in addition to new information that has recently become available,” Panthers President and CEO Matt Caldwell said in a statement late Thursday night.

[NewYorkExpress]

Joel Quenneville resigns as Panthers head coach in the fallout of the Chicago Blackhawks sexual assault scandal.

WBEZ:

Joel Quenneville, the once-revered Chicago Blackhawks coach who led the team to three Stanley Cup titles, became the latest casualty Thursday from a burgeoning sexual-misconduct scandal from nearly a decade ago involving a former assistant on his Chicago coaching staff.

He resigned his position as head coach of the Florida Panthers after revelations in a Blackhawks-commissioned investigation by the Chicago-based Jenner & Block law firm that outlined his role in suppressing the 2010 sex-abuse allegations by ex-Blackhawk Kyle Beach.

Beach’s claims were directed at Quenneville’s ex-assistant, Brad Aldrich, during the team’s historic march to the Stanley Cup. “After the release of the Jenner & Block investigative report on Tuesday afternoon, we have continued to diligently review the information within that report, in addition to new information that has recently become available,” Panthers President and CEO Matt Caldwell said in a statement late Thursday night.

Hopefully the NHL places him on their equivalent of the permanently ineligible list.

[Badger]

Joel Quenneville resigns as Panthers head coach in the fallout of the Chicago Blackhawks sexual assault scandal.

WBEZ:

Joel Quenneville, the once-revered Chicago Blackhawks coach who led the team to three Stanley Cup titles, became the latest casualty Thursday from a burgeoning sexual-misconduct scandal from nearly a decade ago involving a former assistant on his Chicago coaching staff.

He resigned his position as head coach of the Florida Panthers after revelations in a Blackhawks-commissioned investigation by the Chicago-based Jenner & Block law firm that outlined his role in suppressing the 2010 sex-abuse allegations by ex-Blackhawk Kyle Beach.

Beach’s claims were directed at Quenneville’s ex-assistant, Brad Aldrich, during the team’s historic march to the Stanley Cup. “After the release of the Jenner & Block investigative report on Tuesday afternoon, we have continued to diligently review the information within that report, in addition to new information that has recently become available,” Panthers President and CEO Matt Caldwell said in a statement late Thursday night.

 Is there anything indicating that JQ actually was was reckless or even negligent in his oversight? Or is it just sort of a it happened on his watch therefore he must be somehow responsible?

[sting in the rafters]

https://twitter.com/friedgehnic/status/1456226350356893697?s=21

1) RIP Vegas cap

2) For all the hype and Eichel’s proven scoring ability a 1st, 2nd, a prospect, and career middle 6 forward is underwhelming. Not as bad as the Ottawa Duchene trade but man, you gotta feel like Sabres coulda gotten more.

[NewYorkExpress]

Anaheim Ducks GM Bob Murray will resign, enroll in alcohol abuse program.

Bob Murray has resigned as executive vice president and general manager of the Anaheim Ducks, the team announced on Wednesday. The move is effective immediately, and Murray will enroll in an alcohol abuse program.

The decision was made one day after the Ducks placed Murray on administrative leave pending an internal investigation into allegations of improper professional conduct. Anaheim has not specified when these complaints were made, or how many people have come forward.



Assistant general manager Jeff Solomon has taken over as interim GM, as the franchise prepares to begin a search.

[JGibson]

Due to COVID, the 2020 Hockey Hall Of Fame class will finally be inducted​​​​​​​.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

There's not much fighting going on due to Pandemic, sport was on the decline anyways when Bad Boys Red Wings all retired

I even watched Hockey from 20002/2006 era

[JGibson]

Scott Perunovich will be called up by the St. Louis Blues.

[JGibson]

Blues are regressing badly recently.

[Obama-Biden Democrat]

If the Leafs win tonight, they will be 1st in the division and 2nd in the league. They have been on fire this month and have gone 11-2 in their last 13 games. 

[JGibson]

Evander Kane, the Sharks forward who is currently suspended for using a fake vaccine card, got placed on waivers.

https://www.nhl.com/news/san-jose-sharks-place-evander-kane-on-waivers/c-328428688

[sting in the rafters]

Fletch blaming the players instead of Therrien for lack of success on the PP at the press conference today is an absolute joke. Who chose the players? You thought getting Yandle would solve this team's woes from the point? Nobody respects Provy's shot and it shows.