Kukla's Korner

3/26/97

Blog: Abel to Yzerman By Paul

03/26/20 at 06:29 AM ET | Comments (5)

from Kirkland Crawford of the Detroit Free Press,

The Detroit Red Wings of the mid-1990s were labeled as soft.

Critics said they lacked the toughness to win the Stanley Cup, even though they resided atop the NHL standings for much of the decade.

On March 26, 1997, the Wings said enough was enough.

That night represented more than just revenge on Claude Lemieux of the Colorado Avalanche. It was more than just drawing blood to avenge the facial injuries Kris Draper dealt by Lemieux in  the 1996 Western Conference finals.

It was a chance to show the hockey world — and even themselves — they weren't going to be pushovers.

[ Darren McCarty: Mike Babcock cost the Wings the Stanley Cup in 2009 ]

And one could argue that the Wings got the Stanley Cup monkey off their backs, not in early June, but on this late March night at Joe Louis Arena.

With every fist that Darren McCarty dropped on Lemieux in that first-period fracas, the confidence level seemed to rise, both for the Red Wings, and for their fan base.

Let's look back at some of the finer details from that night:

continued

Below, watch 15 minutes of highlights from the game.

Continue Reading »

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The NHL Postpones The Combine, Awards Show And Draft

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

03/25/20 at 05:03 PM ET | Comments (0)

NEW YORK / TORONTO (March 25, 2020) - The National Hockey League today announced the postponements of the 2020 NHL Scouting Combine, the 2020 Bridgestone NHL Awards, and the 2020 NHL Draft, which were originally scheduled for June 1-6 in Buffalo, N.Y., June 18 in Las Vegas, and June 26-27 in Montreal, respectively, due to the ongoing uncertainty resulting from the coronavirus.

The location, timing and format of the 2020 NHL Draft (and Draft Lottery) will be announced when details are finalized. 

With respect to the Bridgestone NHL Awards, the League looks forward to returning to Las Vegas in the future. Las Vegas has been the home of the Bridgestone NHL Awards since 2009.

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Afternoon Line- Bob Wojnowski

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

03/25/20 at 04:59 PM ET | Comments (2)

If a longer pause is needed before the applause resumes, so be it. The games don’t get to rush to the front of the line. Nobody knows where this is headed, but people have forecast the decline of sports before, whether from the rise of video games, the reduction of youth participation or the unavoidable risk of injury, especially concussions.

Sports will be back, and although that’s not the prevailing concern right now, they will be needed in essential and non-essential ways. Some day it will be safe to gather again, and when it is, people will want to cheer as loudly as ever.

-Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News where you can read more on this topic.

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Jim Lites And Jim Nill Take A Pay Cut To Help Others In The Organization

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

03/25/20 at 04:50 PM ET | Comments (0)

from Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News,

Stars CEO Jim Lites and general manager Jim Nill have taken 50% pay cuts retroactive to the NHL’s suspension on March 12, in an attempt to help alleviate financial stress on the organization caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Jim and I feel a responsibility to be leaders of our team and our group,” Lites told The Dallas Morning News on Wednesday. “The Gaglardis have been really good to us, they’ve always said yes to us on things we’ve needed to do to build the franchise. I feel a personal thanks to them, they’ve been really good to both of us.”

Nill said: “This situation we’re in is affecting everybody. There’s nobody going unscathed. I just think I’m fortunate enough at my age and where I’m at in my career to able to help some other people out. First of all, Tom Gaglardi has been very supportive of me, given me all the tools I need to work with. I know that his parent company is going through a tough time. He’s in the hotel/restaurant business and it’s been hit hard.

“So I know they’ve had to make sacrifices up there and so can I help him out a little bit that way? And then for our organization. I know we’re making decisions on people, and by myself and Jimmy Lites making some sacrifices, does that help some other people down the food chain?”

read on

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Did You Expect Anything Different?

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

03/25/20 at 04:46 PM ET | Comments (2)

from Joe Haggerty of NBCSports Boston,

It’s been a bad couple of weeks for the Boston Bruins — and more importantly, it’s been even worse for their employees.

First, the Bruins were lambasted by the Massachusetts Attorney General for being the last team in the NHL to account for any kind of financial assistance for their TD Garden and Bruins employees once the regular season was put on pause by the coronavirus.

Now, Delaware North — the parent company for both TD Garden and the Bruins — is among the first NHL teams to announce sweeping layoffs and cuts to arena and hockey club employees on their payroll.

Delaware North announced that as of April 1, 2020, 68 of their full-time salaried associates will be placed on temporary leave, receiving one week of paid leave and eight weeks of full benefits.

Additionally, as of April 1, 82 of their full-time salaried associates will receive an indefinite salary reduction, while contracted employees obviously were not impacted.

It’s perhaps easier to say this when it’s not your own money, but there is no defending that kind of move with so many Americans headed for financial peril due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

continued

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  Tags: jeremy+jacobs

Video- The Playoff Goals From Tomas Holmstrom

Blog: Abel to Yzerman By Paul

03/25/20 at 04:21 PM ET | Comments (6)

All 46 of them, compiled by awood40.

 

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A Must Win To Lose Tournament

Blog: Abel to Yzerman By Paul

03/25/20 at 02:13 PM ET | Comments (8)

from Craig Custance of The Athletic,

While so much of the conversation on what an eventual NHL season might look like focuses on potential playoff formats for the teams at the top of the standings, those at the bottom might have a different focus. For those outside the playoff bubble, it’s all about the NHL Draft. And the eventual draft lottery. As it stands right now, it’s very possible the lottery looks different than what fans (and executivess) are currently refreshing on Tankathon.

According to an NHL source, the draft lottery format will likely be linked to whatever decisions are made regarding the schedule and playoff system. It’s still too early to get a full idea of what those solutions might look like, but a source said the league would consult with general managers and the board of governors before making a final call on any adjusted draft lottery process. Right now, the league is currently kicking around various concepts....

According to an NHL source, at least one team has submitted a lottery proposal that would include a tournament in which lottery teams play for the first-overall pick. At its face, the idea sounds radical but structured the right way this has the potential to be a real asset for the league.

more ($$$)

added 2:43pm,

 

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Thoughts On Dylan Larkin

Blog: Abel to Yzerman By Paul

03/25/20 at 02:05 PM ET | Comments (0)

from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet,

- One of the things I’ve wondered this year is how much Steve Yzerman discusses his early years in Detroit with Dylan Larkin. Yzerman went through tough times in Detroit and eventually was rewarded. What advice does he give Larkin on how to handle things?

“I have had very positive talks with Steve throughout the season,” Larkin wrote via email. “He has been very helpful and a mentor to me as someone who has been in this situation a few times as a player and manager. His advice has been to make sure my level of professionalism — in mindset, work ethic and leadership — is setting the tone and example for the rest of the team all the time.”

I thought that was really interesting. No matter how tough a season, there are always fun moments. What are the moments of this season that did make you smile?

“There have been a lot of bright spots. This season has had a lot of downs, but we have a great group of young players that have made it very enjoyable coming to the rink every day. I look back at our opening-night win against Nashville on the road and our home opener the next night against Dallas when Anthony Mantha scored four goals. We have played very well against top opponents in our division and that makes me excited for the future. We’ve also played better in buildings where we have struggled in the past.”

- Larkin made me laugh with this next one. Him, Connor McDavid and Mathew Barzal. Goal line to goal line. Standing start. Who wins, and by how much?...

more Thoughts from Friedman...

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Bauer Now Producing Medical Shields

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

03/25/20 at 12:10 PM ET | Comments (3)

from Emily Kaplan of ESPN.

The hockey manufacturing company Bauer had been winding down business in both of its North American manufacturing facilities due to the coronavirus pandemic. But the company figured, if it couldn't provide helmets and skates for elite athletes, perhaps it could use its resources to help doctors, nurses and other first-responders in the medical field.

Bauer is now producing medical shields that could be delivered to hospitals as soon as next week. By Wednesday morning, Bauer had orders come in to its Quebec facility for more than 100,000 units across Canada, according to Bauer CEO Ed Kinnaly.

The company is also looking to provide for the United States.

"In the U.S., honestly, the word is not out yet." Kinnaly said.

continued

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On The Detroit Prospects

Blog: Abel to Yzerman By Paul

03/25/20 at 08:56 AM ET | Comments (1)

from Max Bultman of The Athletic,

With a bit of convincing (as a condition of this article, I agreed to explicitly note Scott’s reluctance to make prospect comparisons), The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler agreed to lead our panel alongside former NHL GM and TSN director of scouting Craig Button. Then, to round things out, we asked Jokke Nevalainen, the head of European scouting at Dobber Prospects, and Will Scouch of Scouching to share their opinions on Detroit’s Europeans and North Americans, respectively.

Jared McIsaac, LHD, Moncton (QMJHL)
Wheeler: Alec Martinez. The first thing that comes to mind for me with McIsaac has always been that he’s a strong complementary player. He has been asked to be more than that throughout his career as a relatively high-end prospect, particularly in Halifax where he’s a power play-guy and relied on to produce points, but I’ve never seen a ton of skill in his game and I don’t think that’s the kind of player he’s going to be at the next level. Instead, I see a useful left-shot defender who can contribute mid-20s points, act as a safety valve for his partner and make the odd play at even-strength while not being shy physically.

Button: Jared to me is never going to be a big offensive player, but he’s going to be a really good defenseman. And by defenseman, you’re not going to hear me use “defensive defenseman.” He’s going to be a defenseman that’s going to be able to play in the defensive zone, he’s going to be able to start the play moving, break the play down defensively and get the puck in the offensive zone and in the neutral zone in transition. He reminds me a lot, in terms of competitiveness and style of game, of Ryan Lindgren (of the Rangers). Jared has got a quiet, quiet competitiveness to him. And the one thing I’ll tell you about Jared: The harder the game, the more important the game, you don’t ever have to worry about Jared shrinking, ever. He rises to that occasion. I think he’s a really quietly fierce competitor.

more (paid) players...

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