The Ontario Hockey League will reinstate Montreal Canadiens prospect Logan Mailloux from his indefinite suspension, effective Jan. 1, 2022, the league announced Wednesday.Mailloux, a defenseman for the London Knights, was suspended on Sept. 2, 2021, due to an incident that occurred in November 2020 while he was on loan to SK Lejon in Sweden. He was charged for invasion of privacy and defamation after taking an offensive photo of a woman without consent during a sexual encounter and distributing it."Since the time of suspension, with the support of the London Knights, Logan Mailloux has participated in therapy and counseling with Dr. Lindsey Forbes, and a personal development plan under the leadership of Wendy Glover. Ms. Glover is a London-based, experienced holistic athlete development practitioner, academic and personal development advisor, teacher, and member of the Ontario School Counsellors Association," the league said in a statement."After reviewing the program, speaking with the player and Ms. Glover, and receiving a commitment from the player to continue with his personal development program, the league is satisfied that Logan Mailloux has undertaken the necessary steps and will reinstate him, effective Jan. 1, 2022."Mailloux announced prior to the 2021 NHL Draft he was withdrawing himself from the selection process because he hadn't "demonstrated strong enough maturity or character to earn that privilege."The Canadiens drafted Mailloux with the 31st overall pick anyway.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Hockey's return was kind to our shot props. We backed Erik Karlsson and Victor Hedman to record three or more shots each, and both defensemen came through for us.Our shot totals record now sits at 82-65 for +15.33 units. We'll look to build on that during tonight's six-game slate.Tage Thompson over 2.5 shots on goal (-135)Thompson has been one of our favorite targets this year, especially when he plays in Buffalo.The Sabres pivot benefits from home-ice advantage as much as almost any NHL player. Don't believe us? Get a load of these splits:On the road, Thompson averages 2.2 shots on goal per game and has exceeded the number in just four of 14 games (29%). In Buffalo, he averages a whopping 3.9 shots on goal, registering at least three shots in 13 of 16 games (81%).The Devils rank 24th in shots against per game on the road this season, so we shouldn't be afraid of targeting them.Alex Tuch over 2.5 shots on goal (+105)We're double-dipping with the Sabres.Tuch is a shoot-first player who averaged 2.58 shots on goal per game last season with the Golden Knights. He did that while logging fewer than 17 minutes per night as a second fiddle to Max Pacioretty, Mark Stone, Jonathan Marchessault, and other star wingers.Tuch will definitely play a larger role in Buffalo. He's expected to make his season debut Wednesday on the top line at even strength and as a featured shooter on the man advantage.He'll likely see around 19 minutes per game with the Sabres. If he shoots at the exact same rate as he did last season, that'll equate to about three shots on goal per contest. As the focal point of the offense, it's very possible he'll shoot even more.I like him to start his season on a high note against a Devils team that gives up quite a bit of volume.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL and NHLPA agreed Wednesday to modify the COVID-19 protocol for vaccinated players and personnel, shortening the isolation period for those who have tested positive from 10 days to five days if certain conditions are met.If people don't have symptoms or their symptoms are resolving, and they don't have a fever, they can leave protocol by producing one or two negative test results (depending on test type) or a positive lab-based PCR with a cycle threshold (CT) that suggests they aren't contagious.Players also need medical clearance from the team physician and can only exit isolation after five days if that is in compliance with local health regulations.The NHL noted that health and safety mandates may be stricter than the protocol in certain jurisdictions. The Canadian government has imposed more rigid pandemic-related regulations than the U.S. and the league has already postponed nine Canadian games because of attendance limits in certain cities.Individuals who are experiencing a fever must isolate until the fever resolves.The day of the positive test isn't part of the five-day isolation period. Players can test out of isolation on or after the fourth day.After exiting protocol, players must wear a mask for five days except for during games and practices. All other aspects of the protocol remain in place, including cardiac screenings.The league's protocols were updated in response to this week's new guidelines from the CDC.The NBA and NFL made similar changes earlier this week to reduce isolation periods for players who test positive.The NHL has been dealing with mass postponements of games as COVID-19 cases rise across North America, and the league just returned to action from an extended holiday pause on Dec. 28.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The United States forfeited Tuesday's World Junior Championship preliminary matchup against Switzerland due to COVID-19 issues, the IIHF announced.Team USA must undergo a mandated quarantine following the positive test result of two of its players."We're extremely disappointed, especially for our players," U.S. national junior team general manager John Vanbiesbrouck said in a statement. "We've followed the tournament protocol from the outset and will continue to do everything we can to ensure our players have the opportunity to compete at the World Junior Championship."Their quarantine status will be further evaluated to determine if they can play against Sweden on Wednesday.The game will be recorded as a 1-0 victory for the Swiss and the team will be rewarded three standings points.Efforts were initially made to postpone the matchup and reschedule it at a later date, according to Bob McKenzie of TSN.Team USA postponed its pregame media availability earlier on Tuesday, according to TSN's Gord Miller.The United States beat Slovakia 3-2 in their first preliminary contest. The Swiss dropped their tournament opener against Russia 4-2.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Even as a 35-year-old coming off offseason knee surgery, Evgeni Malkin believes he has plenty left in the tank."I want to play maybe like three-to-four years more, and I don’t want to worry every game about my knee," the Pittsburgh Penguins superstar said Wednesday, according to team reporter Michelle Crechiolo. "Now my knee is like 200% stronger."Malkin has yet to play this season. He was a full participant in practice on Wednesday, but he already ruled himself out for Pittsburgh's next game on Sunday against the San Jose Sharks. He did give himself an optimistic timeline, though."I hope next week, maybe 10 days," he said. "When we have the long west coast trip, maybe one of those games, for sure."While returning after such a lengthy absence isn't easy, Malkin is confident he can return to form based on his past experiences."One positive thing is the last time I had a knee injury I came back and had my best year," Malkin said, referring to his ACL and MCL tear in March 2011. He followed up that injury with a sensational campaign that resulted in 109 points, a Hart Trophy, an Art Ross Trophy, and a Ted Lindsay Award in 2012.Malkin is in the final season of an eight-year, $76-million contract. However, his looming unrestricted free-agency status doesn't bother him."I’m not thinking about my contract right now, I'm not thinking about money. I'm a pretty rich guy," he joked.Malkin has amassed an estimated $116 million in career earnings, per CapFriendly.The 2009 Conn Smythe Trophy winner recorded 28 points in 33 games last season.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We split our best bets in the NHL's return to action.The Vegas Golden Knights comfortably took care of the Los Angeles Kings. However, our under in San Jose was over - no pun intended - before it started as the teams combined for four goals in the opening frame en route to a *checks notes* 15-goal explosion.We'll aim for better in our first six-game slate in nearly two weeks on Wednesday.Rangers (+145) @ Panthers (-170)This is undoubtedly the marquee game of the night in the NHL, featuring two of the nine teams to have 40 points or more.While both teams have more than their fair share of firepower, it is the under that appeals to me. The Florida Panthers are playing strong defensive hockey. Over the last 10 games, they sit second in attempts against and fifth in expected goals against per 60 minutes of five-on-five play. They're not giving up many dangerous looks and Sergei Bobrovsky (.917 save percentage) has shown he's still capable of cleaning up the occasional mess made in front of him.New York's defensive metrics aren't as promising as Florida's. Even so, the club is still top half of the league in limiting shots and expected goals over the last 10 games.And, to be frank, it doesn't much matter how the Rangers defend when Igor Shesterkin is between the pipes. He owns a ridiculous .937 save percentage and ranks second in goals saved above expected.If he can shake off the rust following a few weeks of inaction, this game should stay under the number.Bet: under 6 goals (-110)Canucks (-110) @ Ducks (-110)The Vancouver Canucks are 6-0-0 since Bruce Boudreau took over behind the bench. It's not all smoke and mirrors, either.At five-on-five, they rank 11th in expected goal share - sandwiched between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins - and only seven teams have generated more scoring chances.They have shown clear improvement on the penalty kill as well, conceding just twice in six games. That's a stark contrast from the 29 they allowed in 25 games with Travis Green behind the bench.The Anaheim Ducks are not the pushovers many expected them to be. But they are expected to be without a few key cogs on Wednesday.Trevor Zegras is by far the most impactful absence, but injuries to Adam Henrique and Max Comtois are also worth noting. The Ducks are now paper thin up front.Expect the Canucks to take advantage of that and keep the hot streak going.Bet: Canucks (-110)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Connor Bedard scored four goals in Canada's dominant 11-2 victory over Austria at the World Junior Championship on Tuesday.The 16-year-old matched a Canadian tournament record for goals in a single game, and he's the youngest player in the country's history to accomplish the feat.Wayne Gretzky is the only other 16-year-old Canadian to record a hat trick at the world juniors, doing so twice in 1977.Canada wasted no time taking the game to Austria. Kent Johnson opened the scoring roughly five minutes into the contest, and Canada jumped to a 5-0 lead before the end of the first period.Forwards Mason McTavish, Cole Perfetti, and Elliot Desnoyers followed Bedard's lead offensively, recording three points apiece in the victory.Canada now owns a 2-0 record at the tournament after dispatching Czechia 6-3 in its opener on Boxing Day. The hosts return to the ice Wednesday for a clash against Germany.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

IIHF president Luc Tardif addressed recent criticism over the organization's decision to cancel the U18 Women's World Championship for a second consecutive year.The tournament was set to take place in Sweden in January but was nixed last week with no rescheduling plans."This is not a gender issue, this is a COVID-19 issue," Tardif said, according to Adam Steiss of the IIHF's website. "I would ask in turn how is it fair to postpone all the time the top divisions and always to simply cancel the lower divisions? These cancellations have affected six tournaments, not just one, including two men's U20 events that critics seem to conveniently forget."In a normal season, we are not canceling anything. The IIHF is not in the business of canceling tournaments, we are here to play tournaments. But we are battling circumstances that are out of our control, and to be perfectly honest we have to think of the future too."The IIHF is currently hosting the world juniors in Edmonton and Red Deer, but Tardif said that tournament is different from the U18 Women's World Championship."Is there an economic incentive to host the men's world championship and world juniors every year no matter what? Absolutely. But people misunderstand that this is because we favor men's hockey over women's, which is completely false," Tardif said."The revenue generated from these two events enables our federation to survive and support the operation of all other IIHF world championship events. So if I have to make every effort to host a specific tournament to ensure the survival of other events, then it is my responsibility as IIHF president to do this."Many prominent women's players called out the IIHF following the cancellation of the U18 Women's World Championship. USA Hockey asked the IIHF on Monday to reschedule the event.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tampa Bay Lightning star forward Brayden Point returned to the lineup against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night.Point, who last played on Nov. 20, has missed the last 14 games with an upper-body injury.The 25-year-old sustained the ailment after being tripped on a breakaway against the New Jersey Devils. He collided with the boards and appeared to be in pain but was able to stay in the contest.The next day, Point was a late scratch for the Lightning's clash against the Minnesota Wild.Despite a long stretch without Point's talent in the lineup, Tampa Bay sits atop the league with a 20-6-4 record. The Bolts have gone 11-2-1 since Nov. 21 - the first game of Point's absence.Point has seven goals and six assists in 16 contests so far this campaign.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL has postponed nine upcoming games involving Canadian teams due to attendance restrictions throughout the country, the league announced Tuesday.The NHL wants to avoid playing in empty arenas to protect revenue, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Makeup dates haven't been announced yet but will be played when spectator limits are eased or lifted. Here are the affected games:DateMatchupDec. 31Senators-PenguinsDec. 31Jets-FlamesJan. 3Maple Leafs-HurricanesJan. 4Canadiens-CapitalsJan. 6Canadiens-Maple LeafsJan. 8Canadiens-SabresJan. 8Jets-KrakenJan. 10Canadiens-Blue JacketsJan.10Jets-WildTeams across Canada have implemented capacity limits in recent weeks as COVID-19 began to surge again. The Montreal Canadiens played one game in an empty Bell Centre before the league went on pause.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The return of hockey means one thing and one thing only: Shot totals are back!We're in the midst of a nice season and own an 80-65 record for +13.24 units. We'll look to pick up where we left off and hit the ground running as hockey ramps up again.Victor Hedman over 2.5 shots on goal (-125)Hedman is riding a hot streak. He registered at least three shots on target in seven of his last 10 games and eight of his last 10 at home.That trend should continue against the Montreal Canadiens for a few reasons. The Habs rank 32nd in five-on-five shots against per 60 over the last 10 games. They also struggle on the penalty kill, sitting 30th. Hedman plays a key role in all situations so he's as likely as anyone to take advantage of Montreal.Beyond that, the Lightning have a cluster of injuries on the back end. Top-four defenders Erik Cernak and Mikhail Sergachev will both miss tonight's game, which should increase Hedman's workload.He's a good bet to play 25 or more minutes in one of the best matchups he could ask for. Back him to hit three shots.Erik Karlsson over 2.5 shots on goal (-105)Karlsson is firing on all cylinders - literally. He recorded at least three shots in seven of his last nine games and averaged 6.1 attempts per contest over that span.I like his chances of staying hot here. The Arizona Coyotes are a poor defensive team that gives up the most volume to defenders in the NHL. Arizona allows 10.76 shots on goal per game to defenders - music to the ears of big-minute, volume-shooting defensemen like Karlsson.The Sharks are expected to be without key players like Tomas Hertl and Kevin Labanc tonight, which could also give Karlsson more offensive responsibility.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

League journeyman Devante Smith-Pelly has signed a professional tryout with the Montreal Canadiens' AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket announced Tuesday.Smith-Pelly last suited up for the Ontario Reign, the Los Angeles Kings' AHL team, during the 2020-21 season.The 29-year-old forward won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Washington Capitals in 2018. He put up seven goals and one helper in 24 contests while averaging 12 minutes of ice time per game.Smith-Pelly last played in the NHL in 2018-2019 with the Capitals, recording four goals and four assists in 54 games.The Ontario native has previously spent time in the Canadiens organization between 2014-2016. He scored 15 points in 66 games across parts of two campaigns as a Hab.Smith-Pelly, the Anaheim Ducks' 42nd overall selection in the 2010 draft, has 44 goals and 57 assists in 395 career NHL contests.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL is back from its extended holiday break, which means our daily best bets are back as well.Although we only have three games to comb through tonight, there's plenty of value on the board. Let's get into it.Golden Knights (-150) @ Kings (+130)The Golden Knights were playing their best hockey of the season heading into the break, winning eight of their final 10 games. At five-on-five, Vegas controlled a league-best 59% of the expected goals and outscored opponents 28-14.The Knights consistently ran up the score while limiting what they gave up in the defensive zone.It's no coincidence they're playing their best hockey now because they're finally getting healthy. Alex Pietrangelo and a couple of others are currently in COVID-19 protocol, but Vegas is closer to full strength than it's been since the season started.William Karlsson, Mark Stone, and Max Pacioretty all returned to the lineup recently and are playing well. The latter two are listed as game-time decisions tonight, but even if only one of them plays, I'm very comfortable backing the Knights here.They're firing on all cylinders and have proven to be more than capable of getting results while missing key players.Not to mention, the mediocre Kings will be without a handful of regulars. Their forward depth is hurting with Dustin Brown and Phillip Danault in COVID-19 protocol, and Andreas Athanasiou banged up. Defensemen Olli Maatta, Sean Walker, and Alexander Edler are also out, so L.A. is shallow on the blue line as well.Back the Golden Knights to pick up where they left off.Bet: Golden Knights (-150)Coyotes (+180) @ Sharks (-220)The Sharks are rightfully heavy favorites, but it's the total that intrigues me here. I don't expect a lot of action in this game.San Jose is a top-heavy side, with six or seven quality forwards creating the bulk of the team's offense. Unfortunately, the Sharks will be without two of those players - Tomas Hertl and Kevin Labanc - leaving them thin up front. They're expected to trot out Matt Nieto, Nick Bonino, and Noah Gregor on the second line. That doesn't exactly scream goal-fest, does it?I don't see the Coyotes contributing much on the scoreboard either. They severely lack quality finishers and struggle mightily to generate chances with any regularity. Only the Kraken have averaged fewer expected goals per 60 over the last 10 games.On the rare occasion that the Coyotes do get a good look at the net, they have to beat James Reimer, which has proven to be a surprisingly difficult task this season. Among all goaltenders to appear in 15 games or more, Reimer ranks sixth in Goals Saved Above Expected per start. He is sandwiched between Andrei Vasilevskiy and Sergei Bobrovsky; that's good company to keep.Bet: Under 5.5 goals (-115)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Nashville Predators placed captain Roman Josi and forwards Thomas Novak and Colton Sissons in COVID-19 protocol, the team announced Monday.Nashville removed Nick Cousins, Mikael Granlund, Philip Tomasino, Mark Borowiecki, Ben Harpur, Ryan Johansen, Matt Luff, and Michael McCarron from protocol. The latter two were placed on the team's taxi squad while the rest were moved to the active roster.The Predators had one of the league's biggest outbreaks prior to the season pause on Dec. 22. Head coach John Hynes and multiple members of his coaching staff were also in protocol but have since been cleared, according to The Athletic's Adam Vingan.Nashville, which is riding a seven-game winning streak, is slated to take on the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Seattle Kraken forward Brandon Tanev suffered an ACL injury and will miss the remainder of the season, the team announced Monday.He was hurt during the Kraken's 5-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 18.Details on the 29-year-old's surgery and recovery will be provided at a later date.Tanev got off to a hot start with Seattle, notching six goals in his first eight contests. Though his production cooled, he currently has the third-most goals on the team with nine, trailing only Jared McCann and Jordan Eberle.A fan favorite in Seattle, Tanev scored two goals in the Kraken's first franchise win on Oct. 14 against the Nashville Predators, then potted another pair against the Montreal Canadiens in the team's first home victory later that month.He will end the 2021-22 campaign with 15 points in 30 games.Tanev was the Kraken's pick from the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2021 expansion draft.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand isn't pleased with the NHL's decision to opt out of the 2022 Beijing Olympics."I think guys have worked their entire lives to put themselves in a position to compete at that level and that opportunity. It should be guys' decisions whether they choose to go or not, regardless of what's happening in the world," he said, per Conor Ryan of the Boston Sports Journal. "The Olympics are on and they're playing and the best players in the world should have that option."Marchand has never suited up for Canada in the Olympics. If NHL players are allowed at the next Winter Games in 2026, he will be 37 years old.The NHL committed to allowing players to go to the Olympics as part of the new collective bargaining agreement signed in summer 2020. However, in light of the opt-out, Marchand believes the league never wanted its players at the games."It almost felt like they were trying to get out of it for a while and they didn't want us to go," he said.Marchand added: "I know at the end of the day, they don't care about the Olympics, they don't make money on it, and that's ultimately what this is. It's a business and we're an asset. Let's just call a spade a spade."The league, NHLPA, IIHF, and IOC confirmed players could return to the Olympics in September, but the deal included an opt-out clause that would allow the league to back out if the regular season was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We're approximately a third of the way through the 2021-22 NHL season, and while that's enough time to get real indications of teams' positions in the league hierarchy, the sample size is still small enough that luck plays a factor in a club's standing.Let's take a look at which teams have benefited - or been hurt - most by luck thus far.Lucky Washington CapitalsThe Capitals are a very good team. They consistently outperform expected numbers - elite shooting talent allows for that - and they've found ways to pile up wins despite dealing with as many injuries and COVID-19-related absences as almost anyone. They deserve credit.That said, their results to date are a little extreme. At five-on-five, Washington's high-danger chance differential through 31 games is plus-7. The team has controlled 50.64% of the high-danger chances and 52.94% of the expected goals. Good numbers, but nothing to write home about.Yet the Capitals lead the league in five-on-five goals, having scored 78 on 64 expected goals. They've also conceded 51 despite giving up nearly 57 expected goals. Those numbers suggest they should be roughly seven goals up. Instead, they rank first in the NHL with a plus-27 differential (78 for, 51 against). Normally, that would be attributed to the shooting ability of Alex Ovechkin and his fellow stars. But Washington has dealt with absences of many of its top guns - and journeymen and unproven prospects have helped maintain top-tier results. I'm skeptical that can continue at this pace.St. Louis BluesThe Blues have been one of the league's biggest surprises thus far. They own a strong 17-9-5 record and rank just outside the top 10 in points percentage. It's hard to argue they're deserving of such a record.St. Louis has controlled just 47% of the expected goals at five-on-five. That's good for 24th in the NHL, sandwiching the Blues between the Kraken and Blue Jackets. Not overly impressive, is it?Even after accounting for special teams, the Blues sit below a 50% share in almost every key metric. They've gotten by on high shooting and save percentages.I don't expect the wheels to fall off. But I'd be surprised if St. Louis is still in the mix for first in the Central Division by the end of the year.UnluckySeattle KrakenYou can't spell unlucky without the Kraken ... or something like that. Seattle has enjoyed the success - or lack thereof - you'd generally expect from an expansion franchise. The team has won just 10 of 30 games thus far, and on many occasions, its chances of winning disappeared by the end of the opening frame.Part of that is because the Kraken lack high-end talent, especially up front. But extremely poor luck has played a major role as well.Philipp Grubauer's contract was always a bit of a gamble; future performance is hardest to predict in goaltenders. Betting big on someone who will be on the wrong side of 30 for the entirety of a deal is risky, to say the least. But nobody could have foreseen Grubauer's struggles thus far.Before this season, he had logged at least 17 appearances in seven NHL seasons. His save percentages in those years: .925, .918, .926, .923, .917, .916, .922. Those are sparkling numbers.Even after accounting for a move from a juggernaut Avalanche squad to an expansion franchise, nobody could have envisioned an .882 save percentage through 23 games. Those are numbers you'd expect from a mediocre AHLer called up due to injuries.Is poor performance really luck? In this case, I'll say it is, at least for Seattle. The team had every reason to expect - at the very least - average goaltending. Grubauer has never provided less. And yet he's cost the Kraken game after game, even contests they've played well in.Seattle might not be a good team, but it's unlucky to be this bad.New Jersey DevilsThe Devils have plenty of problems. Their power play is the worst thing I've ever seen, and they lack true finishers. Those two problems were always going to limit what this team could accomplish.But a quick glance at some key numbers suggests New Jersey is better than 10 wins in 30 games. The Devils are above 50% in expected goals share at five-on-five and look very good in terms of high-danger chances. They've generated 290 high-danger opportunities, tying them with the Panthers for sixth in the NHL. That has amounted to no success.New Jersey sits fifth in high-danger chance share (54%) at five-on-five. Actual goal share? The club is at 44.35%, good for 27th.Again, a lack of true finishers hurts. Losing Jonathan Bernier - whom the team added to split starts with Mackenzie Blackwood - hurts. Having both Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier healthy for just eight of 30 games hurts.Even after accounting for those issues, the Devils' underlying performance is closer to that of a fringe playoff team than one expected to contend for a top pick.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL and NHLPA formalized a number of CBA exemptions to give teams battling COVID-19 cases some roster relief.Teams that would dress fewer than two goalies, six defensemen, or 12 forwards for a game will now be permitted to make emergency recalls as long as the cap hit of the player does not exceed $1 million.If a team's two regular goaltenders are not available, the club will be allowed to add an additional netminder.Teams will also have the option to use taxi squads until the All-Star break, which is slated for Feb. 5. The taxi squad can have a maximum of six players on it at once and players can only be on it for 20 days or less.The NHL postponed three more games Sunday, temporarily calling off Tuesday's Chicago Blackhawks-Columbus Blue Jackets tilt as well as Wednesday's contests featuring the Pittsburgh Penguins versus the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins against the Ottawa Senators.The league began its holiday break early by pausing all games on Dec. 22 amid an outbreak of COVID-19 cases across the league. Games are expected to resume Tuesday.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Tampa Bay Lightning placed forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, and goaltenders Andrei Vasilevskiy and Brian Elliott in the NHL's COVID-19 protocol, according to team reporter Bryan Burns.Assistant coach Rob Zettler also entered protocol, joining head coach Jon Cooper, who was placed on the list earlier this week.The Lightning had no players in protocol prior to Sunday. The club is scheduled to play the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night when the NHL resumes.With Vasilevskiy and Elliott both potentially unavailable, the club will turn to Maxime Lagace, Amir Miftakhov, or Hugo Alnefelt in net.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Florida Panthers placed forwards Jonathan Huberdeau, Eetu Luostarinen, and Owen Tippett, as well as defenseman MacKenzie Weegar into the NHL's COVID-19 protocol, the team announced Sunday.The club previously placed Sam Bennett, Radko Gudas, Ryan Lomberg, Brandon Montour, Carter Verhaeghe, Aaron Ekblad, and Frank Vatrano on the COVID-19 list before the season paused on Dec. 22.Huberdeau leads the Panthers with 33 points in 29 contests this season. Weegar ranks second on the team with 23:55 minutes of ice time per game.The Panthers are slated to take on the New York Rangers on Wednesday night. Florida last played on Dec. 16 against the Los Angeles Kings.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have placed defenseman Jake Muzzin in the NHL's COVID-19 protocol, the team announced Sunday.The club now has 14 players and several staff members - including head coach Sheldon Keefe - in the protocol.Maple Leafs captain John Tavares, starting goaltender Jack Campbell, and top defenseman Morgan Rielly are all in the protocol. William Nylander, Alexander Kerfoot, Ilya Mikheyev, Jason Spezza, Wayne Simmonds, David Kampf, TJ Brodie, Travis Dermott, Rasmus Sandin, and netminder Petr Mrazek have all received the designation as well.Toronto has the second-most players in protocol among NHL teams, trailing only the Calgary Flames as COVID-19 cases continue to spike around the league.The NHL originally postponed three Maple Leafs contests from Dec. 16-19 and eventually paused all games from Dec. 22-26. It announced Friday that all games on Dec. 27 have also been postponed.Toronto last played on Dec. 14 and is next scheduled to face the Pittsburgh Penguins on Dec. 29. The Maple Leafs have had five games postponed so far.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL is delaying the resumption of its schedule by a day, postponing the 14 games that had been slated for Monday, Dec. 27.Here are the matchups that will now take place at a later date:AwayHomePittsburgh PenguinsBoston BruinsNew York IslandersBuffalo SabresDetroit Red WingsNew York RangersOttawa SenatorsWashington CapitalsFlorida PanthersCarolina HurricanesToronto Maple LeafsColumbus Blue JacketsNew Jersey DevilsSt. Louis BluesNashville PredatorsDallas StarsMinnesota WildWinnipeg JetsLos Angeles KingsArizona CoyotesEdmonton OilersCalgary FlamesSeattle KrakenVancouver CanucksColorado AvalancheVegas Golden KnightsSan Jose SharksAnaheim DucksThese are the four games scheduled for Tuesday:AwayHomeMontreal CanadiensTampa Bay LightningBlue JacketsChicago BlackhawksGolden KnightsKingsCoyotesSharksThe NHL started its holiday break - which normally runs Dec. 24-26 - two days early amid a slew of postponements and players landing in COVID-19 protocol.The league has now temporarily called off 64 games this season.The NHL said it expects to provide another update by the end of Sunday.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

In the lead-up to the 2022 World Junior Championship, we're looking back at the 25 best players to wear the Canadian jersey at the tournament. Rather than evaluating entire careers, these rankings are based solely on performances during the world juniors. We have revealed five players each day, culminating here with the best of the best.25-21 | 20-16 | 15-11 | 10-6 | 5-1Honorable mention: Toews' epic shootout (2007)Jonathan Toews may not have cracked the list after notching just nine points in 12 games while taking home two gold medals, but he did deliver one of the most memorable moments in Canadian world junior history in 2007.With Canada facing the archrival United States with a crop of immensely talented players on both sides, the semifinal game went to a daunting shootout. The lengthy duel went seven rounds, and Toews came up clutch by scoring on all three of his attempts - including the game-winner. Those heroics created a memory that will last a lifetime for most Canadians.5. Ryan Ellis (2009, 2010, 2011)GPGA19520Ellis medaled in all three world junior tournaments he played in, collecting one gold (2009) and two silvers (2010, 2011). He's one of four players in Canadian world junior history to win three or more medals, and he did so while scoring at a ridiculous rate for a defenseman.He was named Canada's captain in 2011 and was eventually named the best defender at the tournament. With 25 points across three events, he remains the highest-scoring blue-liner in world junior history.4. John Tavares (2008, 2009)GPGA13128Tavares helped lead Canada to its fourth and fifth consecutive gold medals, playing a major role in both triumphs. He produced four goals and an assist across seven games in 2008 before piling up eight markers and six helpers over six contests the next year. Tavares set up Jordan Eberle's dramatic tying goal in the 2009 semifinal and scored in the shootout to help Canada advance to the gold-medal game.The dynamic center was named MVP and top forward at the 2009 tournament. Tavares is one of three players tied for second among Canadian skaters in all-time world junior goals and sits seventh on the country's all-time world junior points list.3. Wayne Gretzky (1978) Denis Brodeur / National Hockey League / GettyGPGA689Gretzky only appeared in the tournament once, but he put on an incredible show. He led the 1978 event with 17 points despite being the youngest player and still holds the record for most points in a world junior tournament for a 16-year-old.Canada settled for a bronze medal that year, but Gretzky couldn't have done much more to help the team. He was named the tournament's best forward but never returned to the world juniors. Imagine what he could have accomplished if he played another year or two.2. Eric Lindros (1990, 1991, 1992)GPGA211219Lindros was one of the most highly touted prospects in NHL history, and his world junior performances did nothing but skyrocket his stock. "The Big E" won two gold medals, first cracking the Canadian roster as a 16-year-old in 1990 and registering four goals in seven games. Lindros recorded a combined 27 points in the following two events to become Canada's all-time leading world junior scorer.1. Jordan Eberle (2009, 2010)GPGA121412"Can you believe it!?"That epic call by TSN's Gord Miller is arguably the most iconic moment in world junior history. With Canada trailing 5-4 against Russia in the 2009 semifinal, Eberle scored the game-tying goal with just five seconds left in regulation. After Tavares shoveled the puck toward the net, Eberle showed incredible poise in front, going to his backhand and elevating the puck rather than trying to jam it in.It's often forgotten that the game-tying tally was Eberle's second goal of the contest. He also scored the shootout winner for good measure. Eberle then registered a goal and two assists in the final against Sweden, helping Canada win its fifth straight gold medal at the tournament.Eberle nearly pulled off similar heroics a year later. With Canada trailing 5-3 with under three minutes left in the gold-medal game against the United States, Eberle scored not one, but two goals to force overtime. It was not to be, though, as John Carlson won it for the U.S. in the extra frame. Despite falling short of another gold medal, Eberle was named tournament MVP.While the clutch moments alone make him an easy choice for No. 1 on this list, Eberle also has the stats to back up his ranking. He sits second on Canada's all-time world junior scoring list and fifth in points per game. Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

In the lead-up to the 2022 World Junior Championship, we're looking back at the 25 best players to wear the Canadian jersey at the tournament. Rather than evaluating entire careers, these rankings are based solely on performances during the world juniors. We'll reveal five players each day, culminating with the best of the best Dec. 25.25-21 | 20-16 | 15-11 | 10-6 | 5-125. Marc Denis (1996, 1997)RecordGAASV%7-0-21.67.939Denis won a gold medal with Team Canada in consecutive years, though he took a back seat to Jose Theodore in 1996. He still played in two games and registered a .962 save percentage, but his time to shine came in '97.That squad wasn't the favorite entering the tournament and lacked the star power Canadians have since grown accustomed to, but Denis stood tall. He hung tough in a 3-2 victory against a dangerous Russian team in the semifinals and pitched a 35-save shutout against the United States the following night to lead Canada to a fifth straight world junior title. Denis was named goaltender of the tournament for his exploits.24. Marty Murray (1994, 1995)GPGA14712Murray helped Canada win back-to-back gold medals in 1994 and '95, and he was stellar in his second stint with the junior team. Murray was named the latter tournament's best forward after tying teammate Jason Allison for the overall points lead with 15 over seven games.He also ranked second among all skaters in goals after producing a goal and three assists across seven contests in the previous year. Murray is tied for sixth on Canada's all-time world junior points list.23. Marc-Andre Fleury (2003, 2004) MARJA AIRIO / AFP / GettyRecordGAASV%8-2-01.69.924Fleury was unable to get his hands on a gold medal in his two world juniors but still nabbed back-to-back silvers in 2003 and '04. Despite the heartbreak of coming up just short in both years, Fleury's legacy at the tournament is remembered to this day.In his first go, he led Canada to the championship game with his stellar play before falling 3-2 to Russia. Despite the loss, Fleury was named top goaltender and tournament MVP. The Pittsburgh Penguins then loaned the prized No. 1 pick to Canada the following year, and he once again led the team to the finals. However, his mistake in the dying minutes against the U.S. cost his country the gold.With the game tied 3-3 and time winding down, Fleury left his net to play a loose puck. His clearing attempt hit teammate Braydon Coburn and bounced back into his own net. The Americans held on to win 4-3. Despite the blunder and two failures to capture gold, Fleury remains one of the best goalies to suit up for Canada at the world juniors.22. Devon Levi (2021)RecordGAASV%6-1-00.75.964Levi and Canada's 2021 outfit looked impenetrable for the majority of last year's tournament. The 19-year-old netminder started all the games and posted three shutouts, two of which came in the quarters and semis.His numbers were undeniably great, but he and his compatriots ultimately fell short, stumbling to a 2-0 loss to the U.S. in the gold-medal game. It's safe to say Levi would be higher on our list if Canada had clinched the championship.21. Shayne Corson (1985, 1986)GPGA14910Corson was a key supporting member on Canada's gold-medal winning squad in 1985 but was truly a man among boys in '86, sharing the tournament lead in both goals (seven) and points (14) while wearing the "C." Canada was unable to repeat in '86 but did bring home silver due in large part to Corson's efforts.Familiarity may have played a part in Corson's dominant performance in '86. The tournament took place at a brand new Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, where Corson played his junior hockey with the OHL's Hamilton Steelhawks."It's one of the greatest moments I've had in my hockey career for sure," Corson told the Hamilton Spectator in 2014. "I would put the world juniors right up there with anything in my career."The tournament wasn't as popular in the '80s as it is now, but Corson almost certainly would've been a fan favorite today due to his punishing style of play and offensive touch. Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

In the lead-up to the 2022 World Junior Championship, we're looking back at the 25 best players to wear the Canadian jersey at the tournament. Rather than evaluating entire careers, these rankings are based solely on performances during the world juniors. We'll reveal five players each day, culminating with the best of the best Dec. 25.25-21 | 20-16 | 15-11 | 10-6 | 5-120. Manny Legace (1993)RecordGAASV%6-0-01.67.955The 1992 world juniors was a rough one for Team Canada. Despite boasting a talented roster that included Eric Lindros, the squad stumbled to a sixth-place finish. Legace was at the heart of Canada's gold-medal-winning rebound the following year.Legace put up a gargantuan 58-save effort in a must-win victory against Finland after handing silver-winning Sweden its only loss of the round-robin tournament. (Between Peter Forsberg, Markus Naslund, and Niklas Sundstrom, the Swedes had three of the tournament's top five scorers.) Legace was deemed the best goaltender and named to the All-Star team.19. Jarome Iginla (1996)GPGA657Iginla only played in one world junior tournament, but he made it count. The recently inducted Hockey Hall of Famer tied for the overall lead in goals and points at the 1996 tourney as Canada claimed gold for a fourth straight year. He was named the event's best forward and remains tied for seventh all time among Canadian junior skaters with his rate of two points per game.Like many superstars before and after him, Iginla's world junior experience was limited because he was good enough to stick in the NHL afterward. He would later shine on the international stage at the World Championship, the World Cup of Hockey, and three Olympics.18. Justin Pogge (2006) Dave Sandford / Getty Images Sport / GettyRecordGAASV%6-0-01.00.952If you ask Canadian hockey fans to name the most memorable goaltending performance at the world juniors, chances are many will mention Pogge's. He was barely on Canada's radar entering the 2006 tournament but managed to make his way into the selection camp and ultimately got himself the starting role.He put together one of the most dominant tournaments ever seen by a goalie, posting three shutouts in six contests, which included a 35-save shutout against an Evgeni Malkin-led Russian team in the gold-medal game. Pogge may have ultimately been a one-hit wonder as he went on to appear in just seven NHL games, but what a hit he was.17. Dale McCourt (1977)GPGA7108McCourt certainly isn't the most renowned name on this list, but his efforts in a silver-medal showing in 1977 are among the greatest put forth by a Canadian at the event. His 18 points are the sixth-most in tournament history, and his 2.57 points per game are the third-most by anyone to don the red and white.McCourt's dominant tournament helped him go first overall to the Detroit Red Wings the following spring.16. Cody Hodgson (2009)GPGA6511Hodgson is in the conversation for best individual performance at the world juniors. His 2.67 points per contest are second all time among Canadians (minimum five games played), trailing only Wayne Gretzky, who played in a much higher-scoring era.The dynamic center didn't just beat up on weak countries in the round robin, either, as he potted two goals and added an assist in Canada's 5-1 win over Sweden to clinch gold.Hodgson was eligible to play in 2010, but a back injury forced him to miss out. Canada lost to the United States in overtime in the gold-medal game, and it's fair to wonder if Hodgson's presence would've made the difference.Unfortunately, Hodgson's pro career was cut short after being diagnosed with malignant hyperthermia. But his dominant '09 world juniors will always serve as a reminder of his potential. Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

In the lead-up to the 2022 World Junior Championship, we're looking back at the 25 best players to wear the Canadian jersey at the tournament. Rather than evaluating entire careers, these rankings are based solely on performances during the world juniors. We'll reveal five players each day, culminating with the best of the best Dec. 25.25-21 | 20-16 | 15-11 | 10-6 | 5-115. Sidney Crosby (2004, 2005)GPGA1286One of the few players to make Canada's world junior team as a 16-year-old, Crosby didn't have an especially stunning debut at the 2004 tournament. He put up just five points in six contests en route to the Canadians' heartbreaking loss to the United States in the gold-medal game.Crosby returned with a vengeance in 2005, pummeling the competition with six goals - good for second on an extremely deep Canadian team. The budding star played a key role in helping Canada steamroll its way to its first world junior gold since 1997.14. Ryan Getzlaf (2004, 2005)GPGA12612Getzlaf followed up a strong showing in his first world junior tournament with a dominant performance in his second. The skilled center produced three goals and three assists over six games in 2004 as Canada settled for silver. He racked up three goals and nine assists across six contests the following year en route to gold.Getzlaf led all skaters in assists and ranked second in points at the 2005 tournament as Canada iced arguably its best world junior roster ever. He punctuated his performance with a goal and two assists in the gold-medal game. He's tied for seventh on both Canada's all-time world junior assists and points lists.13. Jeff Carter (2004, 2005) Jeff Vinnick / Getty Images Sport / GettyGPGA12125Carter has scored goals at an incredible rate practically every step of his career, and the world juniors were no different. He managed five goals and two assists in his debut tournament as Canada claimed silver. He stepped up his game during his second tournament, notching seven goals and three assists in six contests.At the time, his 12 total goals across two tournaments tied him with Eric Lindros for the world junior record despite the fact that Lindros played in three events. Carter was a two-time tournament All-Star and one of the team's best snipers of all time.12. Alex Pietrangelo (2009, 2010)GPGA12411Pietrangelo is unquestionably one of the greatest defensemen in Canadian world junior history. After capturing gold in 2009, he was named the top blue-liner at the 2010 tournament with a dominant showing that culminated in a silver medal for Canada. The gold-medal game was one of the most memorable the tournament has ever produced - capped by John Carlson's dramatic overtime winner for the United States.Pietrangelo's 15 points across two tournaments are the second-most by a Canadian rearguard, and his performances were a precursor for his accomplishments in the NHL.11. Thomas Chabot (2016, 2017)GPGA1249Chabot is one of the greatest defensemen ever to wear the maple leaf at the world juniors, ranking third in points and fifth in points per game among Canadian blue-liners.The smooth-skating Chabot never guided Canada to a gold medal, but he did just about everything he could in 2017, leading his country with a dominant 10-point performance en route to tournament MVP honors.Canada fell 5-4 to the U.S. in a shootout in the gold-medal game in 2017, but Chabot was terrific with a goal and an assist in the losing effort. Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

In the lead-up to the 2022 World Junior Championship, we're looking back at the 25 best players to wear the Canadian jersey at the tournament. Rather than evaluating entire careers, these rankings are based solely on performances during the world juniors. We'll reveal five players each day, culminating with the best of the best Dec. 25.25-21 | 20-16 | 15-11 | 10-6 | 5-110. Patrice Bergeron (2005)GPGA658It's one thing to be the most valuable player, but to be the MVP on a team that contained astronomical talent with stars like Sidney Crosby and Ryan Getzlaf is another achievement altogether.Bergeron outshone his peers during the 2005 world juniors and led the entire tournament in scoring with 13 points. The Canadians didn't face much adversity en route to slaughtering Russia 6-1 in the gold-medal game, and Bergeron was the face of his team's unwavering dominance.9. Dylan Cozens (2020, 2021)GPGA141015Cozens' contributions to Canada's world junior program were commendable. "The Workhorse from Whitehorse" served as co-captain in 2020 following Kirby Dach's injury and played well, notching a pair of goals and seven assists over seven games while helping his country win gold.Canada settled for silver in the following year, but Cozens broke out from an individual standpoint. The center led the 2021 tournament with eight goals and ranked second behind American star Trevor Zegras with 16 points. Cozens earned a media all-star nod as one of that year's best forwards, and his totals place him among the most productive Canadian junior players of all time.8. Jason Allison (1994, 1995) S Levy / Bruce Bennett / GettyGPGA14618Allison's one of the most well-rounded players Canada has ever seen at the world juniors. His 24 points are good for sixth on the team's all-time scoring list, and he helped lead the country to gold twice.After posting a modest nine points in seven contests during his first tournament in '94, Allison exploded for 15 points in seven games in '95 - including a whopping 12 assists. Allison barely knows what it felt like to drop a game at the world juniors, going 13-0-1 across his two stints.7. Brayden Schenn (2010, 2011)GPGA131016Schenn was a force to be reckoned with as a junior. He dominated his opponents physically and lit up the scoresheet with 26 points across two tourneys - the second-highest total ever by a Canadian.The energetic winger's individual success is unquestionably worthy of a top-10 spot on our list, but his brilliance didn't yield any gold medals for Canada. In fact, the lasting image of Schenn's world junior career for many is a heartbreaking loss to Russia in the 2011 gold medal game, with Canada surrendering a 3-0 lead in the third period.6. Carey Price (2007)RecordGAASV%6-0-01.14.961Price is best remembered for one specific moment in his world junior career: The seven-round shootout in the semis against the United States.While Jonathan Toews was the hero of that game, scoring three times for the Canadians in the shootout, Price was excellent as well. He turned Patrick Kane away twice and made the shootout-winning stop on Peter Mueller, which is easily one of the most memorable moments for Canada in the event's history.But Price was sensational the rest of the tournament, too, recording two shutouts, allowing just seven total goals, and earning tournament MVP for his efforts.While Price is now better remembered for his Hart Trophy-winning season with the Montreal Canadiens and his performance at the 2014 Olympics, the 2007 World Junior Championship was his first big moment on the national stage. Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The IIHF canceled the U18 Women's World Championship on Friday.This marks the second straight year the event has been axed due to the pandemic. The January tournament, one of seven canceled by the IIHF due to recent COVID-related developments, was supposed to take place in Sweden beginning Jan. 8."These are hard facts to have to face, and as with last year, we must take the difficult decision to cancel men's and women's IIHF events, including the women's U18 top division now for the second year in a row," said IIHF President Luc Tardif."It is the consensus of the IIHF Medical Committee that the organizers would not have the capability to manage an outbreak of the virus, especially with the rapid transfer of the omicron variant that we have seen in the NHL and other leagues."Plenty of prominent professional women's players expressed their displeasure in the outright cancelation of the tournament despite the fact that the U20 men's championship is slated to begin this week.

Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk didn't really support the idea of sending NHL players to the 2022 Beijing Olympics - mainly because of a haunting memory involving Dominik Hasek in 2006."You don’t want your players to go over there and get hurt," Melnyk told Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch. "It’s a nightmare, I’ve lived it, and it cost us the chance of winning a Stanley Cup."I don’t want to get caught again because doing it once was enough."The Senators were one of the NHL's most dominant teams during the 2005-06 season, with a 41-year-old Hasek in the crease. During the first half of the campaign, he recorded a stellar .925 save percentage and 2.09 goals against average in 43 contests.The club allowed Hasek to suit up for the Czech Republic at the 2006 Turin Olympics. While playing for his country, he suffered an adductor muscle tear less than 10 minutes into his first game of the tournament.Hasek remained sidelined for the remainder of the season while Ray Emery took over as the team's starter. Ottawa finished first in the Eastern Conference but bowed out of the playoffs in the second round."The thing that happened, that we all feared, actually happened (with Hasek getting hurt)," Melnyk said. "You don’t have a lot of chances to win a Stanley Cup. That was our year, and that was our chance, and it was taken away from us."Hasek went on to sign with the Detroit Red Wings during the offseason, concluding his only campaign with the Senators. The club made it to the Stanley Cup Final the following year but lost to the Anaheim Ducks.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL not going to the Beijing Olympics sucks. Flat-out sucks.Sucks for young players like Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews, who are in their prime. Sucks for older players like Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, whose careers are starting to wind down. Sucks for fans everywhere. Sucks for the NHL's image. Sucks for the sport, plain and simple.But we've had a few days to dwell on it. Time to look ahead. Andre Ringuette / Getty ImagesWhat the NHL and NHL players' association should be turning their collective attention to in the near future is the big picture. Because withdrawing from Beijing was a letdown in a series of letdowns. Hashing out a long-term international calendar is imperative to not only the growth of the sport but also to cultivating tradition beyond the Stanley Cup. And if that means prioritizing the World Cup of Hockey, so be it.There needs to be a best-on-best international event and, as painful as it is to type this, it's become abundantly clear the Olympics aren't that event in the current climate. (Check back after commissioner Gary Bettman and PA executive director Donald Fehr have retired.) The league and PA can leave the door open for Winter Games participation while satisfying the international hockey itch by targeting non-Olympic years for the World Cup. How about starting a new era in 2023? A second event in 2025? Third in 2027? Peter Power / Getty ImagesLock it in and get to work on making the World Cup standardized and meaningful. No Team North America. No Team Europe. Leave the gimmicks for All-Star Weekend. The World Cup should be eight of the best hockey countries competing for shiny medals and that strange-looking trophy.It'll take a few cycles to build up momentum and tradition, of course. But if by 2027 the World Cup is the hockey event worldwide, well, everybody wins.Doing it properly involves proper timing, too. September didn't quite work in 2016 - the tournament had serious preseason vibes. Try January or February, when the players are in fine form. Yep, it'll require shutting down the season for two or three weeks, but, again, you're investing in building a sustainable future of thrilling international hockey under the NHL/NHLPA banner.Do it right and, eventually, the Olympics will just be the cherry on top.Flames' Lindholm for Selke? Bruce Bennett / Getty ImagesElias Lindholm has received 15 votes for the Selke Trophy over his career - 14 in 2018-19 and one in 2019-20. None of those were for first place.That may change by season's end.Lindholm has been fantastic for Calgary through 28 games - a chief reason the Flames are fifth in the Western Conference in points percentage. He's been particularly effective on the defensive side of the puck, and if Selke ballots were due today, I might have the 27-year-old Swede in the No. 1 spot.Everybody has their own process for evaluating a forward's defensive impact, so the strength of Lindholm's Selke candidacy is far from bulletproof, especially with so much of the season remaining. That said, he checks a lot of boxes.The Flames are a juggernaut when Lindholm is on the ice at five-on-five. His on-ice goals for and expected goals for rates - 82.8% and 61.0%, respectively, according to Evolving Hockey - are elite. Looking strictly at defense, Calgary's five-on-five numbers with Lindholm are still fabulous - a mere five goals against in 389 minutes and a 2.0 xGA/60 rate.Some forwards rank higher than Lindholm in certain on-ice metrics, but most of them play sheltered roles or bottom-six minutes against relatively weak competition. Lindholm is incredibly important to the Flames' entire operation; no-nonsense head coach Darryl Sutter leans on him for 20:15 of ice time a night, usually against the opposition's top talent.Lindholm spends 2:15 a game playing shorthanded. It's not a deal-breaker for Selke consideration if a player doesn't see the ice in penalty-kill situations or while the opponent has its goalie pulled. But it's certainly a huge plus that Lindholm is a key member of the league's third-best penalty kill.Also of note: Lindholm is solid in the faceoff circle with a 52.5% success rate. He's on the right side in penalty differential (plus-1). And he both steals pucks (20 takeaways) and eats pucks (16 blocked shots) on a regular basis. Anybody who's watched a Sutter-era Flames game knows each player benefits from Sutter's defensive structure and emphasis on responsible hockey. But Lindholm goes above and beyond with his consistent attention to detail.On top of the defensive work, Lindholm's accumulated 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points, just shy of a point per game. The definition of the award doesn't require the winner to be competent offensively, but I believe a good offense can be a good defense (and vice versa). In other words, while I don't automatically exclude defensive specialists from the Selke evaluation process, players who crush it in all three zones get bonus marks.Four others with strong early season Selke cases (according to my personal parameters): four-time winner Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand in Boston, Anthony Cirelli in Tampa Bay, and Mark Stone in Vegas.Paul Maurice, hockey savant Jeff Vinnick / Getty ImagesPlenty of digital ink has been spilled over Paul Maurice's resignation. And rightfully so - Maurice is well-respected as both a hockey coach and hockey philosopher. Plus, the timing of the resignation itself was notable.Let's rewind for a moment ...It's a decade ago. Rod Brind'Amour has recently transitioned into coaching after a highly successful playing career. Brind'Amour, then just a wide-eyed assistant in Carolina, walks into the coaches' room excited to tell Maurice, his boss, about a tiny detail he'd noticed in a practice or game. You know, something 99.9% of the population would never notice.Maurice, who was in his second stint as the Hurricanes head coach, simply nods in response. "Damn," Brind'Amour thought to himself, "there's nothing this guy doesn't catch." This happened time and time again."There's a shit-ton going on in a game. I mean, so much," Brind'Amour told theScore during an interview in September, recalling the impression left by Maurice. "All the way down to every fine detail, there's a lot, and he doesn't miss any of it." Darcy Finley / Getty ImagesBack then, Brind'Amour figured this savant-level intelligence was typical of NHL head coaches. He became discouraged and started questioning himself. Was he smart enough to climb the ranks? Could he ever become a head guy?"I was amazed," Brind'Amour said. "(Maurice) would have four assistant coaches talking to him as he was walking to the locker room, like down the hallway between periods. He'd go, 'What do we need to do? What's the adjustment?' And he'd have four different things thrown his way. 'We've got to do this, this, this, this.' As he's walking in, he'd go, 'OK.' Then he'd get to the front of the room and go, 'Duh, duh, duh, duh.' Everything at once."Brind'Amour notes he's the opposite now that he's the boss in Carolina. The reigning Jack Adams Award winner needs to know ahead of time exactly what he's going to relay to his players between periods. And then Brind'Amour delivers it in a short burst."But he can just spit it all out and make sense of it clearly," he said of Maurice."Everybody plays basically the same way," Brind'Amour continued, talking generally about the influence of NHL coaches. "Honestly, there's such subtle differences. That's not where the differences lie. The differences lie in how coaches talk to players and get the most out of their players."Ultimately, Maurice believed he was no longer able to get the most out of his Jets players. But that doesn't mean the hockey savant can't pull off the trick elsewhere. Maurice will be back soon. Count on it.Don't sleep on Slovakia Codie McLachlan / Getty ImagesSlovakia could easily lose three of four round-robin games at the world juniors in Alberta over the holidays. After all, they've been placed in a stacked Group B that also features the United States, Sweden, Russia, and Switzerland.Regardless of the win-loss record, intrigue around the Slovaks will be exceptionally high. Slovakia is icing a handful of legitimate NHL prospects, including LA Kings pick Martin Chromiak and three projected 2022 first-rounders in Simon Nemec, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Filip Mesar.Nemec, an all-situations right-handed defenseman, could potentially go in the top five next July. (Marian Gaborik, drafted third overall in 2000, is the country's highest NHL draft pick.) Scouts love Nemec's mobility and hockey sense. Named MVP at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in August, he's excelled in Slovakia's pro league this season, collecting 13 points in 22 games.Up front, keep an eye out for the big-bodied Slafkovsky and speedy Mesar. Slafkovsky, a potential top-10 pick, is a playmaker who can really shoot the puck. He plays in Finland's Liiga. Mesar, who plays in Slovakia, is smaller in stature but possesses quick hands and feet, and a motor that doesn't quit.Parting thoughtsTank update: The 6-21-2 Arizona Coyotes are on pace for just 17 wins. GM Bill Armstrong is reportedly "gauging the market" on Jakob Chychrun. The star defenseman is worth a first-round pick and much more. Incredibly, Arizona already owns three first-rounders and five second-rounders in 2022.

We're still roughly three months away from the 2022 NHL trade deadline, but it’s never too early to look at who could be dealt. Below, we explore five high-profile players who could find themselves on the move.Jakob Chychrun, Coyotes Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images Sport / GettyPosition: LD

Chicago Blackhawks superstar Patrick Kane is predictably disappointed the NHL had to back out of the 2022 Olympics but seems to be particularly upset he can't join forces for the United States with Toronto Maple Leafs sniper Auston Matthews."We stay in touch throughout the season and got a lot of respect for him as a player, how good he is at scoring goals, his shot, just his overall game," Kane said of Matthews, NBC Sports Chicago's Charlie Roumeliotis reports."He’s become one of the best players in the league, so would’ve been huge to have that type of player on the U.S. team and maybe get a chance to play with him as well. Hopefully, we can get a chance to play together in the future, another big tournament, and have that opportunity."Team USA would've sent arguably its deepest roster ever to Beijing to capture its first gold in men's hockey since the Miracle on Ice in 1980. Kane represented the stars and stripes at the 2010 and 2014 games, but he knows the younger generation of American stars, led by Matthews, had a strong chance to do something special."I just think in general, for USA Hockey, we would’ve put together a pretty competitive team, and that’s disappointing," Kane said. "I don’t think that’ll change four years from now, but would’ve been fun to have that opportunity and welcome the next generation of USA hockey players and be able to be part of that."Matthews hasn't had the chance to play an international tournament since breaking into the NHL in 2016. He suited up and dazzled for Team North America at the World Cup of Hockey before his rookie season, but there hasn't been a best-on-best tournament since.The reigning Maurice "Rocket" Richard winner was a virtual lock to be Team USA's top center, and Kane was a shoo-in for a top-six role on the right wing in what may have been his final chance to compete at the Olympics. The three-time Stanley Cup winner will be 37 if the NHL is able to go to Milan in 2026.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Doug Armstrong's time as general manager of Canada's Olympic men's hockey team was cut short after the NHL confirmed players wouldn't be competing at the 2022 Beijing Games.The 57-year-old executive, who also serves as general manager of the St. Louis Blues, stepped down from his post earlier on Wednesday, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.Armstrong revealed that he had 70% of Canada's roster set, per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.The full 25-man roster was going to be announced on Jan. 12."This last month was gonna be a big scouting month for all of us to round out the group and get our coaches involved," Armstrong told Thomas. "We probably had eight or nine more players to pick out of 14 or 15 (candidates). So it was getting down to the nitty-gritty."Though Armstrong didn't get to see these Olympics through, he added that Canada's selection process "evolves (with) watching young players get better. It evolves with watching veteran players fight off Father Time."While acknowledging that the NHL's decision to not send its players to the best-on-best tournament is disappointing, Armstrong said he understands the league's thinking."With the latest surge and the cancellation of games, the uncertainty of what's ahead of us - I certainly support and understand both the (NHL)PA and the league's decision," he said.Armstrong also confirmed that Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby would have been named team captain, according to LeBrun."When we got our management staff named, the first decision we made was to reach out to Sidney and let him know that we would love him to be our captain; this was well over a year ago," Armstrong said.Armstrong was named general manager of Canada's Olympic squad back in February.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Zach Senyshyn's NHL career hasn't quite gone to plan with the Boston Bruins.A first-round pick in 2015, Senyshyn has spent the majority of his career with the team's AHL affiliate in Providence. Looking for a larger opportunity, he's asked GM Don Sweeney for a trade through his agent, according to team beat writer Mark Divver."Obviously, I'm super thankful to everyone in Providence for all of their help in the development of my game, but I want to play in the NHL," he said. "I feel like I haven't been given that opportunity in the Bruins organization."I feel like my game has gotten to that level where I'm ready to play and I'm ready to make an impact. With the way the Bruins organization has been going, it just doesn’t seem like I'm in the mix."The 24-year-old forward has played in just 14 games with the Bruins across three seasons and last suited up in an NHL contest on May 11. He's scored just one goal and tallied two assists.Senyshyn added that a fresh start would be best for him moving forward."With all of the backlash with the media, considering where I was drafted and everything going on there, it's just been a lot emotionally," he said. "I'm not being used at all."Senyshyn has logged 48 goals and 44 assists in 213 career AHL games.He isn't the only Bruins 2015 first-rounder to request a trade this season. Jake DeBrusk's agent confirmed he asked to be moved back in November.Their third consecutive first-round pick that year, defenseman Jakub Zboril, went 13th overall and has since played in 54 NHL games across three campaigns. The blue-liner will miss the rest of the 2021-22 season with a torn ACL.DeBrusk and Senyshyn went 14th and 15th overall, respectively.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We're not yet at the halfway point of the 2021-22 NHL campaign, but this break presents a good time to reflect. Below, we dive into the five biggest surprises of the season thus far.Ducks flying ahead of schedule Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images Sport / GettyShow us someone who seriously thought the Anaheim Ducks would make the playoffs, and we'll show you a liar.While there's still plenty of hockey left to play, the Ducks are sitting pretty. They're third in the Pacific Division and seventh in the Western Conference with a .625 points percentage. They have a sizable lead over teams currently outside the postseason spots, such as the Dallas Stars (.552), Winnipeg Jets (.550), and Los Angeles Kings (.550).In August, Anaheim's odds of making the playoffs were +1500 - tied with the Arizona Coyotes, Buffalo Sabres, and Ottawa Senators as the biggest long shots.While the Ducks have attempted to rebuild on the fly over the past few years, they haven't finished above sixth in the Pacific since 2017-18. Fans had every reason for pessimism considering captain Ryan Getzlaf is 36 and coming off his worst year and the team's next wave of young talent is still, well, really young.However, Getzlaf has enjoyed a bounce-back campaign, as has goaltender John Gibson, who's coming off two poor seasons. Youngsters Trevor Zegras, Troy Terry, Sonny Milano, Isac Lundestrom, and Jamie Drysdale have made great strides. A solid veteran supporting cast of Cam Fowler, Hampus Lindholm, Kevin Shattenkirk, Adam Henrique, and Rickard Rakell was already in place. A lot had to go right to get to this point. So far, so good.Maurice resigns out of nowhere Jonathan Kozub / National Hockey League / GettyThis one came out of left field. Paul Maurice, who was in his ninth season as head coach of the Jets, suddenly announced his resignation Friday."This is a good team, I'm a good coach. ... But sometimes you can only push so far," Maurice said. "Sometimes a team needs a new voice. They haven't quit on me but need a different voice. It's the right time for it, and I know that."He might be correct. The Jets made some much-needed additions to their blue line this offseason, bringing in Brenden Dillon and Nate Schmidt. That seemed to shore up the club's last remaining key weakness, yet Winnipeg currently sits outside the playoff picture.Maurice, 54, gives incredibly thoughtful, candid, and witty answers in his press conferences, making him one of the league's most likable coaches. We applaud him for leaving on his own terms after a stellar run in which he brought the Jets to the playoffs five times, including a trip to the conference finals in 2018. If Maurice wants another NHL head coaching job, he'll surely get one.Canadiens come crashing down Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images Sport / GettyOn the heels of their miracle run to the Stanley Cup Final, the Montreal Canadiens find themselves dead last in the Eastern Conference. No NHL team has finished last in its conference the season after reaching the final since the 2002-03 Carolina Hurricanes, who were the league's worst team.The Habs crashing down to earth shouldn't come as a surprise. After all, they weren't good in the regular season last year, either - they just happened to get hot at the right time. They lost their No. 1 center Phillip Danault (signed with the Kings), No. 1 defenseman Shea Weber (potentially career-ending injury), and No. 1 goalie Carey Price (player assistance program). Few teams could handle three absences of that magnitude.However, it's still surprising just how bad this team is. Nobody expected the Canadiens to be worse than the Sabres, who appear to be actively trying to tank. The Habs are even worse than the Senators, who remain bottom-feeders.Heck, even the Coyotes - who are icing arguably the worst roster of the salary-cap era - are just two games back of Montreal. Nobody saw that coming.Kadri cashing in Mark Blinch / National Hockey League / GettyIt's never too late for a career year, right? Just ask 31-year-old Nazem Kadri. The Colorado Avalanche center is in his 13th NHL season yet playing the best hockey of his life.Kadri has taken the league by storm, ranking fourth with 38 points in 24 games and third in points per game at 1.58. His career-high point total is 61 in 2016-17. His career-high points per game was 0.92 during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign.While Kadri may level off a bit, his 11 goals aren't a fluke. He's only shooting 14.7% - the fourth-highest mark of his career and a mere 3.3% higher than his average.Kadri's 27 assists appear slightly less sustainable, as his 16.01 on-ice shooting percentage is his best ever. The helpers shouldn't disappear altogether, though. He has a career-high 4.19 on-ice expected goals per 60 minutes, averages a career-high 18:27 per game, and he's surrounded by an excellent, offensive-minded supporting cast with the Avs.The London, Ontario, native is in the final season of a bargain six-year contract that pays him $4.5 million annually. Given how coveted centers are and how infrequently they hit the open market, Kadri is bound to cash in this summer.Boudreau returns triumphantly Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyBruce Boudreau was working as an analyst for NHL Network when the season began. Now, he's becoming a favorite for the Jack Adams Award.The Vancouver Canucks were reeling before he arrived. Head coach Travis Green and general manager Jim Benning both got fired. Fans booed and threw jerseys onto the ice. It looked like another year spent wasting the dynamic core of Brock Boeser, Thatcher Demko, Bo Horvat, Quinn Hughes, J.T. Miller, and Elias Pettersson. It was ugly.However, the Canucks are a perfect 6-0-0 under Boudreau weeks after the season looked like a lost cause. Now, the team's within striking distance of a playoff spot.During his stops with the Washington Capitals, Ducks, and Minnesota Wild, Boudreau always seemed to get the most out of his star players, so it shouldn't come as a surprise he's doing the same in Vancouver. The team adopted an up-tempo, aggressive style of play, which suits its personnel far better than what Green was preaching.While the blue line is still a major cause for concern, if Boudreau can somehow will the Canucks to the postseason, he'll be a lock for his second Jack Adams.(Analytics source: Natural Stat Trick)Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The holidays are just around the corner, and you know what that means: The return of the World Junior Hockey Championship.The annual tournament gets started in a few days, with four games kicking things off on Sunday.Let's get you set for several weeks of what should be high-action, drama-filled hockey.TEAM ODDSCanada+140USA+330Russia+550Finland+650Sweden+650Czech Republic+1000Germany+4000Switzerland+5000Slovakia+5000Austria+18000Canada (+140)Team Canada enters this tournament as favorites, and for good reason. Its lineup is stacked, especially at forward. Up front, they have a plethora of highly skilled first-round picks in Kent Johnson, Cole Perfetti, and Mason McTavish, among others, and the latter two already have some NHL experience. There is quality depth throughout the forward group, including wild cards like Shane Wright and Connor Bedard - two youngsters expected to go first overall over the next couple of drafts.More question marks lie with the defense. The Canadians shockingly left Brandt Clarke off the team despite him finding success in Slovakia's pro league last season, being the eighth overall selection, and producing at better than a point per game pace with the Barrie Colts this year. Canada expected Clarke to be a key cog on the backend, so his absence is questionable, to say the least - particularly with zero right-handed defensemen on the roster. Even so, it probably won't matter. Owen Power is more than capable of heading the defense, Olen Zellweger is quickly rising in the ranks in terms of top defense prospects league-wide, and Kaiden Guhle's brunt style should provide some stoutness to the blue line.This squad seems destined to play for gold.USA (+330)Team USA looks like a very balanced side. Its forward group isn't loaded with future offensive stars, but there's enough talent to win a lot of games. Matty Beniers, Matt Coronato, and Sasha Pastjujov are the team's most skilled weapons and should cause problems, especially on the power play. I don't see a ton of firepower beyond those guys, but Team USA might not need it since its defense should be extremely stout. All eight defenders on the roster are on NHL teams, so there's a nice mix of high-end talent (Luke Hughes, Jake Sanderson) and experience (Tyler Kleven, Scott Morrow, etc.) that should neuter opposing attacks.The big question for me: Can they keep up? USA should give up very few shots/chances against soft competition, thus winning handily. But against top teams, their goaltending could be problematic. There's only one drafted goaltender on the roster (Drew Commesso), and he has a .900 save percentage in the NCAA this year. If he can't hold up, I'm not sure USA can outscore its problems against top-end opponents.I'll likely fade USA against other heavyweights, especially if favored.Russia (+550)Russia builds its lineup the same way every single year. The team has a few star players and surrounds them with a ton of veterans. Forget 16 and 17-year-olds - Russia even carries very few 18-year-old players. The Russians like to bring bigger, stronger, and more mature players who have been in the system longer. This year is no different, with 17 players on its roster who are 19 years old.I expect Russia to make a lot of noise in this tournament. Minnesota Wild prospect Murat Khusnutdinov is one of the best-kept secrets in hockey. Khusnutdinov and Alexander Pashin will head the offense and no doubt pile up the points throughout. The defense, headlined by returnee Shakir Mukhamadullin, should be good as well, and Yaroslav Askarov is more than capable of masking any of the squad's mistakes and stealing games.This team is going to give up very little to opposing offenses and rely on its stars for a push across the finish line. I think Russia's a legit contender in this tournament. Unders could be especially appealing when the side reaches the elimination round.Finland (+650)Finland is following the same model as Team Russia this time around, littering its lineup with 19-year-old players and having 10 returnees from last year's squad. Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Topi Niemela is going to head what should be one of the tournament's best blue lines, and Finland's goaltending should be good as well. This team really won't concede many goals.My worry is Finland struggle to score against high-end competition. While the roster does have seven drafted forwards, there isn't much in the way of high picks or top-end talent.Finland's goal will be to beat up on the soft competition and hope to bleed offenses dry when playing against the best teams. Like Russia, this could be a side to target with unders when games matter most.Sweden (+650)I think Sweden is the most underrated team in the tournament by far. The team's not getting nearly enough respect on the betting market. There simply aren't many - or any? - holes.We'll start with the forwards. The Swedes have 12 NHL-drafted players, including first-rounders like William Eklund, Alex Holtz, and Oskar Olausson. That trio expects to play together on what might be the best and most dynamic line in the entire competition.Simon Edvinsson should play 25 minutes a night on the backend and absolutely dominate at both ends of the rink every time he's out there. Sweden doesn't have another defender close to his caliber, but they do have five other drafted players who should nicely compliment Edvinsson.In the crease, Sweden has not one, not two, but three 19-year-old netminders on NHL franchises. If Jesper Wallstedt falters as the team's No. 1 goalie for any reason, the Swedes have the talented depth to pick up the slack.I see value on Sweden to take the tournament outright, and I'll no doubt be looking to bag them as underdogs against other prominent countries.The long shotsI don't think much of this Czech Republic side. They have a few nice pieces on the roster but none capable of dominating against high-end opponents. The Czechs could beat up on some weaker clubs - and potentially hang in some low-scoring affairs against a defense-first team like Finland - but there isn't much hope to claim a medal. The most value you'll get betting Czech Republic games might come after potential blowout wins, thus having the market overreact about its chances of hanging with a powerhouse team.Germany made some noise in the past by playing their stars into the ground, which helped mask depth issues. Unfortunately, that's not an option this year. Tim Stutzle, J.J. Peterka, and Co. are all playing pro hockey in North America and were not released to play for their country, so Germany only has two drafted prospects rostered and no high draft picks. The Germans' ceiling - as in best case scenario - is likely stealing a game against the Czech Republic in which the former will get outshot 15-20.It feels like every year, Switzerland upsets a squad far out of its weight class or at least comes close to doing so. I don't see that happening this year. The Swiss just don't have the horses to keep up with USA, Russia, or Sweden - all of whom they'll face in group play.That leaves Slovakia as the only hope for a win, and I think the chances of pulling even that off are slim. Don't let just three drafted prospects fool you - this Slovakia team has talent. Behind two projected 2022 first-round picks in Filip Mesar and Simon Nemec, this team has quite a few budding stars poised to hear their names called in a few months. I think Slovakia could be a great value if remotely close to even money against Switzerland, and the side might be a puck line play against a team like USA due to potential issues in goal.Lastly, we have Austria, an emerging hockey country that still has a way to go. The team doesn't (yet) have a drafted player, and structure can only take teenagers so far. Players this age are prone to being sucked into the emotions of the game, which can lead to missed assignments, bad penalties, and more. It's easy to get distracted into the lows, and unfortunately, there will probably be many for Team Austria.Best bet to win the tournament: Sweden (+650)The odds imply Sweden has a 13.5% chance of winning the World Junior Championship. I think that is well short. The Swedes have what could be the most prolific line in the tournament, an elite defender in Edvinsson, a top-tier goaltender, and a ton of depth at every position.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Wayne Gretzky is ready to cede the all-time goal-scoring throne to Alex Ovechkin, saying it's only a matter of time until the ageless Washington Capitals superstar eclipses 894 career tallies."It’s not even a question that he will pass me, and I think it’s great," Gretzky told The New York Times' David Waldstein. "He’s well on his way to 40 or 50 goals this year, maybe more. There is no doubt that ultimately, he will break the record."Ovechkin signed a five-year contract with the Capitals this offseason with Gretzky's once-unthinkable record in mind, and he's already made tremendous progress to kick off the 2021-22 campaign. The 36-year-old ranks second in the league with 22 goals in 31 games, putting him on pace for 58 tucks over a full season.Gretzky has long supported Ovechkin's chase for goal-scoring immortality, saying it's great for the game."I'm his biggest fan," Gretzky said.Ovi currently sits at 752 goals, good for fourth in NHL history behind only Jaromir Jagr (766), Gordie Howe (801), and Gretzky (894). He's already moved past Marcel Dionne and Brett Hull this campaign and has recently tied Dave Andreychuk for the all-time power-play goal record (274).Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman is saddened his Olympic dream is once again on hold.The 31-year-old was set to make his debut on the biggest international stage in February as one of the first three players named to Sweden's roster, but the NHL officially withdrew from participation in the Beijing Games over COVID-19 concerns."That's sad," Hedman said, per The Athletic's Joe Smith. "It's something we have been looking forward to for a very long time. It's out of our control what's going on in the world. We were preparing for a battle in February in China but, like I said, it looks like it's not going to happen, so it's a bummer to us to not be able to go. It's going to hurt for a while, but, at the end of the day, you know, safety and everything."We’ll go for another Stanley Cup. That will be a good make-up for us."Despite being one of the league's top defenders for much of the past decade, Hedman has never been to the Olympics. He was surprisingly left off the 2014 team that captured a silver medal, and then the NHL didn't go to PyongChang in 2018. If the league is able to attend Milan in 2026, Hedman will be 35 and on his next NHL contract if he's still playing.Hedman won a gold medal with Sweden at the 2017 world championship, and he's also represented the country at the world juniors and World Cup of Hockey.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL and its players' association have agreed to withdraw their participation in the 2022 Beijing Olympics as COVID-19 runs rampant across the league, the league confirmed Wednesday."The National Hockey League respects and admires the desire of NHL Players to represent their countries and participate in a 'best-on-best' tournament. Accordingly, we have waited as long as possible to make this decision while exploring every available option to enable our Players to participate in the 2022 Winter Olympic Games," commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement."Unfortunately, given the profound disruption to the NHL’s regular-season schedule caused by recent COVID-related events - 50 games already have been postponed through Dec. 23 - Olympic participation is no longer feasible."We certainly acknowledge and appreciate the efforts made by the International Olympic Committee, the International Ice Hockey Federation, and the Beijing Organizing Committee to host NHL Players, but current circumstances have made it impossible for us to proceed despite everyone’s best efforts. We look forward to Olympic participation in 2026."The league had until Jan. 10 to opt out without facing any financial penalty.The NHL initially committed to allowing players to go to the Olympics as part of a new collective bargaining agreement signed during the summer of 2020. In September, the league struck an agreement with the NHLPA, IIHF, and IOC to return to the Games after sitting out the 2018 event. The deal included an opt-out clause contingent on the regular-season schedule proceeding without any COVID-19 disruptions.As cases across the league began to spike earlier this month, commissioner Gary Bettman said the decision to participate in the Games will be up to the players. The NHL's COVID situation has worsened drastically since then, as several teams have been shut down through the holidays and cross-border matchups are temporarily on hold.The league is planning to use the Olympic break, scheduled for Feb. 6 to Feb. 22, to make up games that have been postponed.Bettman previously stated several players had expressed concerns about the quarantine rules in Beijing. Chinese authorities also required any player who tested positive at the event to undergo a three-to-five week quarantine period in China.A best-on-best hockey tournament hasn't occurred since the 2016 World Cup.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Calgary Flames are pulling the plug on a project that would've brought the city a new NHL arena.The Flames announced late Tuesday night that the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC) and the city of Calgary have become unable to resolve issues surrounding the Event Centre Project that would have served as the team's new home."As the City and CSEC have been unable to resolve these issues, CSEC has determined that there is no viable path to complete the Event Centre Project," the statement said."While not ideal for Calgarians nor competitively for the Flames, the people of Calgary should understand that nevertheless, CSEC's intentions are to remain in the Scotiabank Saddledome."The announcement comes after Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said earlier Tuesday that CSEC's primary shareholder Murray Edwards informed her of the franchise's intention to terminate the new arena deal.CSEC and the city originally reached an agreement in July 2019 for an arena that would cost $550 million split equally between the two parties. The city was also to provide additional funds, including covering 90% of the cost to demolish the Scotiabank Saddledome. Gondek, who wasn't elected mayor until October 2021, said she supported the initial deal.The project hit some snags from there. In April 2021, the City council put things on hold over budget concerns. They agreed to a new deal in July, with the cost increasing by over $50 million. Gondek, however, said she didn't support this.Calgary Municipal Land Corporation was removed as the development manager as part of the new pact. Both the city and the NHL franchise added $12.5 million for cost overruns plus an additional $10 million from the city in event management costs. The two parties had set a target date of early 2022 for construction to begin before this most recent complication.In the statement, CSEC pointed to the growing disparity in costs between itself and the city as the reason for the move, as the price tag had expanded to $346.5 million for CSEC and $287.5 million for the city.Gondek claimed the Flames were backing out of the deal due to an additional fee of about $9.7 million concerning climate mitigation and road/sidewalk right-of-way issues."On a project worth over $650 million, to have one party walk away for 1.5% of the value of the deal is staggering," Gondek wrote, adding that she's "disappointed."However, according to CSEC, the failure to find a way forward didn't simply come down to "'the last dollar" on the table but was instead based on the accumulated increase in CSEC's share of the costs, including the "infrastructure and climate costs, the overall risk factors related to the Project, and the inability of CSEC and the city to find a path forward that would work for both parties."Before Gondek was elected mayor, she served as a city councilor and a member of the city's planning commission. Former Mayor Naheed Nenshi was in office during the original negotiation of the deal.Scotiabank Saddledome has been the home of the Flames since 1983. Excluding the Seattle Kraken's Climate Pledge Arena, which underwent extensive renovations before the club debuted this year, the Saddledome is the second-oldest building in the NHL, trailing only Madison Square Garden.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL's last game prior to the season's break didn't disappoint.The Tampa Bay Lightning reigned supreme in Tuesday night's 4-3 slugfest against the Vegas Golden Knights, a battle that featured the No. 1 teams in the Atlantic and Pacific Divisions.The Golden Knights entered the contest on a five-game win streak.Lightning captain Steven Stamkos potted Tampa Bay's third unanswered goal to secure the victory and passed Martin St. Louis as Tampa Bay's all-time game-winning goal leader in the process, according to team beat writer Bryan Burns.Golden Knights captain Mark Stone scored twice in his return to the lineup before exiting midway through the second period. He saw just 7:46 of ice time. The 29-year-old winger was a late scratch in Sunday's shootout victory against the New York Islanders.Both teams were dealing with substantial absences. Defensemen Alex Pietrangelo and Nicolas Hague, forward Evgenii Dadonov, and goaltender Robin Lehner were all sidelined on the Golden Knights' end.The Bolts, meanwhile, were without head coach Jon Cooper.Lightning rookie Gabriel Fortier drew first blood with his first-ever NHL goal in his eighth career game, beating Vegas netminder Laurent Brossoit on his blocker side. Stone responded just three minutes later by redirecting the puck home.Golden Knights forward Nicolas Roy scored a beauty to give Vegas a two-goal lead before the Lightning struck twice in 43 seconds at the end of the second period.Tampa Bay never looked back after Stamkos buried the game-winner on a power play in the final frame. Star goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made several key saves in the last minute.Stone got clipped in the first period by Lightning forward Mathieu Joseph and had to crawl to the bench. He initially stayed in the game and scored his first goal of the contest shortly after.Vegas head coach Pete DeBoer said postgame the team pulled Stone from the game because of the issue that held him out of Sunday's matchup, according to The Athletic's Jesse Granger.DeBoer added that he didn't think it would be worth it to leave Stone in the contest due to the upcoming break.The Lightning improved to 20-6-4 on the season, while the Golden Knights fell to 20-12-0.Tampa Bay's 44 points leads the NHL heading into the pause.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Tampa Bay Lightning placed head coach Jon Cooper in COVID-19 protocol before Tuesday's game against the Vegas Golden Knights, according to The Athletic's Joe Smith.Assistant coach Derek Lalonde will run the forward lines in tonight's game.The Bolts' clash with the Golden Knights ended up being the only game on Tuesday's slate due to a rise in positive tests around the league. It will also be the last NHL game played before the holiday break.The Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers were initially scheduled to play Tuesday, but their matchup was postponed earlier in the day due to COVID-19 issues impacting the Caps.The NHL and NHLPA announced Monday that the league will pause all operations from Dec. 22-25 in an effort to combat the spread of COVID-19 within teams.Cooper has helped guide the Lightning to a 19-6-4 record to start the season. The Bolts sit at the top of the Atlantic Division.Earlier this month, the 54-year-old became the fastest NHL coach ever to notch 400 wins.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

That escalated quickly. With the NHL on pause over the holidays, we have an opportunity to catch our breath and evaluate where teams stand through the first third of the season.I've rated each team based on analytics I value, which are heavily weighted toward even-strength play and therefore don't account for factors like injuries or illnesses. I then use the ratings to create my weekly projected moneylines, as explained here.The following ratings measure a team's strength relative to average, which holds a rating of 1.00. The greater the number, the stronger the team.TEAMRATINGPanthers1.17Lightning1.14Wild1.12Maple Leafs1.11Oilers1.10Capitals1.08Flames1.08Kings1.08Avalanche1.07Penguins1.07Bruins1.05Stars1.04Golden Knights1.04Jets1.04Hurricanes1.03Predators1.03Blue Jackets.99Rangers.98Devils.98Canucks.98Ducks.97Blues.96Sharks.96Red Wings.95Flyers.92Islanders.92Sabres.88Kraken.87Senators.84Coyotes.83Blackhawks.82Canadiens.81The Panthers have played the best hockey this season and can be considered 17% better than an average team, despite being three points behind the Hurricanes for first in the NHL standings. At 18-11 on the moneyline, Florida has played better than its betting record indicates.On the other end of the spectrum, the Canadiens are the worst-rated team at 19% below league average. This isn't a shock if you've bet on the Habs, as they're 7-24 on the moneyline.The Kings are the biggest surprise. With their 14-11-5 record, they're on pace to surpass their projected 84 points. If they keep performing - and win more in overtime - they can be even more profitable on the moneyline.The Islanders are the biggest disappointments relative to the point total market. However, the Isles may have an excuse for their 8-18 moneyline record: They started the season with an extended road trip while awaiting a move to their new arena.We can use these ratings, along with our preseason priors, to create a predictive model that'll help us make positive expected value bets for the remainder of the season.Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pittsburgh Penguins superstar and Team Canada hero Sidney Crosby feels bummed about losing his chance to represent his country at the Olympics for a third time.The NHL's participation at the Beijing games in February is reportedly off the table, as the league and players' association agreed to withdraw and are in the process of finalizing the decision with the International Olympic Committee."It would be disappointing, that’s the best way I can describe it," Crosby said Monday, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. "Obviously, I know from experience how special and unique the Olympics are. And not only thinking about my experience but thinking of the guys that haven’t had the opportunity to be part of it."And knowing what they could potentially miss. Yeah, I think just 'disappointing' would be the best way to describe it."After missing out on the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, the NHL and NHLPA negotiated 2022 participation as part of a new collective bargaining agreement signed in 2020. This past September, all sides finalized a plan to send the world's best players to China, but it was contingent on the pandemic's effect on the NHL schedule.Crosby was one of the first three players named to Canada's 2022 roster, along with Connor McDavid and Alex Pietrangelo. Before the NHL's COVID situation drastically worsened, Sid the Kid worked to convince his potential teammates to find the positives in playing overseas this winter."Just trying to be part of the solution was kind of how I looked at it and understanding from talking to guys just the fact that everyone really wanted to be a part of the Olympics and understandably so," Crosby said."It’s a unique experience, there’s nothing like it as an athlete. It’s very special. I think trying to relay that and also trying to work through the issues and understand what they are, and how we can try to make it work, it’s a complex situation, you know, this isn’t the same as the issues leading up to the Olympics in the past."Crosby, 34, is aware the 2022 games would likely be his last as a player. He's won two Olympic gold medals in his storied career, and his overtime clincher on home soil in 2010 still lives on in Canadian lore.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is disappointed that the NHL has paused the season due to COVID-19 concerns.The league announced a schedule freeze from Dec. 22-25 on Monday."I can't speak for everyone, but the feeling for myself, it's a little overkill. You see leagues like the NFL who are adapting and I think doing things right," Hellebuyck told reporters Tuesday."It sucks, but you know, it's Christmas time, so we're enjoying the break. Going to use this as a little mental reset, see family, and enjoy the holidays."The NFL also dealt with postponements recently. It's implemented new protocols that no longer require weekly testing for fully vaccinated and asymptomatic players.Only one NHL player isn't fully vaccinated, and many players have received booster shots. Earlier this week, the league reintroduced last season's stricter COVID-19 protocols, including daily testing for players and coaches.The NHL is scheduled to return with a 14-game slate on Dec. 27.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

You know those teams who get smoked every time you bet them, and they crush every time you fade? Yeah, you're not alone.We all have those teams and players we can't seem to peg down - the ones who have no regard for our bankrolls - and that's why we have the naughty list.The following teams and players were especially bad to us in 2021 and deserve nothing but coal in their stockings.Alabama Crimson Tide, Illinois Fighting Illini (NCAAB) Ben Solomon / NCAA Photos / GettyIf you're betting responsibly, no one game should hurt your bankroll. Ideally, we'd like to avoid a bad run with a team as well. So I'll focus on a pair of great futures bets that needed epic failures when it mattered most to somehow prove unprofitable.In the depths of the COVID-dominated summer of 2020, I made two NCAA Tournament champion bets: Alabama 125-1 and Illinois 110-1. I watched both teams excel over the season, march hand-in-hand up the rankings, and find themselves with No. 2 and No. 1 seeds, respectively. Based on seeding, the basic expectation was a Regional Final for both, at which point it would be an easy hedge to lock in a profit. If only it were that easy.First, Illinois fell victim in Round 2 to Loyola-Chicago, which was painful to watch. At least the Tide survived through the first weekend in what was perceived as the easiest region.I watched in horror the following Thursday as Cinderella UCLA hit every mid-range shot while Alabama's best player battled foul trouble. In one last tease of hope, the Tide hit a buzzer-beater to force overtime, only for the Bruins to pull away for the victory.Would Alabama have beaten Michigan like UCLA did? I think so. Would it have given Gonzaga the game the Bruins did in the Final Four? There's no way to know - though the irony is not lost on me that the Tide beat the Bulldogs handily in Seattle this season. Either way, I'd have liked to find out.Two of the best futures bets I will ever make in my life resulted in zero profit. Naughty, indeed.- Matt RussellAtlanta Braves Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyYou know that one team you just can't believe in, no matter how many times they spite you? That was the Braves for me after they clawed their way back from a below .500 record in August to somehow win the NL East despite losing their best player in Ronald Acuna Jr. in July.I didn't believe in them when they entered the playoffs as 12-1 long shots. In fact, I bet against them in every round and told you to make a bet, as well. This team couldn't really pull it off with a contact-heavy rotation and strikeout-happy lineup, right? The fluky power surges had to end at some point ... right?Of course not. It felt almost personal when Atlanta torched my World Series tickets on the Brewers (50-1) and Astros (20-1) en route to one of the most uninspiring title runs in recent memory. I refuse to acknowledge that the Braves actually won the World Series this year, even if my wallet knows differently.- C Jackson CowartBoston Bruins Boston Globe / Boston Globe / GettyThis is so gross I don't even want to relive it. The Bruins were a wagon down the stretch of the 2021 season after acquiring Taylor Hall, and I was all in. This team profiled as legitimate Cup contenders, and I didn't see them running into much trouble until at least the third round. I hit them at +1300 to win the Cup and doubled down on them to come out of the East at +165 and +200.After comfortably beating the Capitals in five, I think I blacked out. As if I didn't already have enough to gain from Boston beating the Islanders, I decided to push in all my chips. I loaded up on the Bruins as big favorites in Round 2, betting their series price of -204 and -1.5 (+100) series handicap. A huge mismatch is what I dubbed it. In fact, I wrote: "It's hard to see New York charting a path to Round 3 without Sorokin significantly outplaying Tuukka Rask." You know where this is going.Up 2-1 in the series, Rask tore his hip labrum - kind of significant for a goalie, I guess - and Boston thought it was a good idea to keep playing him! And because this isn't a Disney movie, he didn't put in a miraculous performance to lead his team to victory. No, the Bruins dominated the remainder of the series but lost three straight with Rask unable to make a save. The Isles won in six, and I got more rinsed than a dishrag.- Alex MorettoDallas Cowboys Richard Rodriguez / Getty Images Sport / GettyThe 2021 NFL season was a bloodbath for survivor pool players. With a little luck, and even more strategy, I was still alive heading into Thanksgiving with 137 entries left competing for a $6-million prize from a field of 4,000.It wasn't the first time. I know it's cheating, but I'm counting Thanksgiving 2020 along with Thanksgiving 2021 as part of this exercise. Since this contest requires a Thanksgiving Day selection, I planned to have the biggest favorite available: the Cowboys. Sure, their blow-out loss to Washington in 2020 knocked me out, but as 7-point favorites against the hapless Raiders this year, it was a no-brainer to go back to the well ... only to fall in.You saw the game, you know what happened; Missed kicks, a strangely effective Raiders offense, and a parade of flags, including a dubious pass interference on third-and-18 in overtime that would have otherwise forced a punt with plenty of time for Dallas to drive for a field goal.Last season I won the rest of our mapped-out games, and this season my plotted path remains undefeated so far. There's a very good chance my record will be 36-2 over two seasons, with the two eliminating losses being the Cowboys on Thanksgiving. Naughty? Sure. Just plain gross with a $6-million prize pool up for grabs? Definitely.- RussellDallas Stars Jamie Sabau / National Hockey League / GettyThe Stars were an absolute roller coaster during the 2021-shortened season, and for all the wrong reasons. It seemed like they were on the wrong end of the most crushing defeat possible every night. Up 3-0 heading into the third period? Dallas would find a way to blow it in the dying seconds and lose in extra time. Down 3-0 heading into the third? Fear not, this team will fight. The Stars would erase huge deficits with ease, getting my hopes up before losing 15 seconds into overtime.In hindsight, I should have avoided betting on a team whose best player - arguably, anyway - in Roope Hintz was a game-time decision every night. To this day, I remain scarred from the emotional trauma this team put me through.- Todd CordellGonzaga Bulldogs (NCAAB) Andy Lyons / Getty Images Sport / GettyMuch like Russell's NCAA Tournament horror story, I entered this year's tourney well-positioned for a big payout thanks to well-timed futures bets. Except I wasn't banking on two massive long shots: I was invested in half the field.That's right, I had a title ticket on 32 of the 64 teams in the tournament - including 14 of the top 16 seeds - and the value increased for 25 of those tickets after I bought them. That included ridiculous values on No. 1 Michigan (80-1), No. 2 Iowa (50-1), No. 2 Alabama (80-1), No. 6 USC (100-1), and No. 8 Loyola-Chicago (300-1).The elephant in the room was top overall seed Gonzaga, which blitzed its way to a perfect season and looked like the biggest (only?) threat to my perfectly crafted portfolio. So I placed a sizable futures wager on the perennially disappointing mid-major giant at short odds and picked the Bulldogs to win every office pool, auction, and tournament game thereafter.You know how that went. My entire portfolio went up in flames by the Elite Eight except for Gonzaga - which miraculously survived its Final Four test against UCLA on one of the greatest shots I've ever seen - before Baylor demolished the Zags on a sad Monday night in April. I've never felt so smart going into a sporting event and so dumb after it.- CowartNajee Harris Ronald Martinez / Getty Images Sport / GettyI don't know whether to blame Harris, offensive coordinator Matt Canada, or the Steelers' offensive line. Frankly, it's not Harris' fault. However, this is a results-driven business, so he'll have to shoulder the blame regardless of the underlying issue because I'm hurt, and someone needs to hear about it.Harris was coming off a three-game stretch in which he produced 98 yards per contest when Derrick Henry went down with an injury. Harris looked primed to have a monster second half. Volume is king, and he was getting a ton of it. With an opening in the rushing leaders market, I scooped up all the Najee I could. Turned out he peaked early. Hampered by predictable play-calling and a miserable offensive line, Harris hasn't generated much since, including a 12-carry, 39-yard game against the Chargers' league-worst run defense in which I bet the over on both his attempts and rush yards.Those are two of the many Harris props I seem to have lost this year. I've been as useless betting his anytime TD props as a urinal in a nunnery. He had scored in five straight ahead of a mouth-watering matchup against the Lions, where I unloaded on him to find the end zone. He did, only for it to be called back for holding. That was fun.There are some players you just can't seem to win on, no matter what, and Najee is clearly one of them for me. Good thing he's got another 10-plus years in this league.- MorettoSeattle Kraken Christopher Mast / National Hockey League / GettyThe Kraken gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling as a new NHL franchise, one with plenty of forward-thinking minds in the front office and - more importantly - beautiful jerseys! The feeling disappeared very quickly.I saw the Kraken had an edge in most of their games for about the first month of their inaugural season. How did they repay my faith? By losing significantly more often than not. It wasn't necessarily because they played poorly and were overmatched. No, that'd be too easy to accept. They continually lost due to horrifically bad goaltending from Philipp Grubauer. Seattle's big-money star and supposed backbone of the team - months removed from a Vezina nomination - couldn't stop a beach ball. He routinely got shredded early, which is problematic considering the Kraken have won just one of the 14 games they've trailed after 20 minutes.- CordellCopyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A couple of days before the MLB lockout started, Jordan Romano logged on to a mid-afternoon Zoom call. He was unshaven and wore a trucker cap. Smiling, he reminisced about his year.Romano is the Toronto Blue Jays' homegrown closer. He recorded saves in three home venues in as many months last season, the club's travels mirroring his ascent through the minors. Playing in Florida and Buffalo at Toronto's Single-A and Triple-A fields, respectively, the Blue Jays scratched out a combined home record of 22-22, achieving adequacy while in limbo.Romano likes Buffalo. He knows the restaurants and was already familiar with Sahlen Field, the single-deck park downtown. But he wanted what he couldn't have. The Canadian border was nearby - 10 minutes from the field by car - but impassable."It's a great city," Romano said of Buffalo. "But it's not home." Vaughn Ridley / Getty ImagesHome as they know it eluded Toronto's teams for much of 2021. COVID-19 vaccination took time to become ubiquitous, so the NHL's North Division teams played in empty rinks from January to May, welcoming fans back only as the Montreal Canadiens bounced the Maple Leafs from the playoffs. Denied government permission to play at Scotiabank Arena, the Raptors decamped to Tampa for a season. They weren't far from the Blue Jays' Dunedin base.Toronto's experience was unique even as the pandemic nixed sports spectatorship everywhere. In 2020, most of the fans at baseball games were cardboard cutouts. Floating heads were beamed electronically into the NBA bubble. Normalcy was promised when the calendar turned - and it happened for most people. But Canadians had to be patient for longer.Players compete at a remove from their adoring onlookers. Walls, plexiglass, and sidelines uphold this divide. But what happens when the distance between a team and its fans becomes much greater? What does it feel like to play a season on shaky footing - living out of suitcases, having no one there to cheer you on - and then go home?"It's been a blessing for us, man, to get that love back in the arena," Raptors guard Fred VanVleet said last week - before COVID-19 cases surged and Ontario halved venue capacity."It's light-years better than playing in front of nobody on the road," Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said recently. "Playing in Tampa in front of nobody or playing in front of 3,000. Going to San Francisco last year, there was nobody in the streets at all. It's so far away from all that stuff." Vaughn Ridley / NBA / Getty ImagesWhen the pandemic struck in 2020, the Raptors trained in Orlando for the month preceding the bubbled postseason. They returned to Florida last December - the first NBA team displaced from its market since Hurricane Katrina forced the then-New Orleans Hornets to relocate to Oklahoma City from 2005-07. The Raptors took over the fourth floor of the JW Marriott hotel next to Amalie Arena. They practiced in a ballroom with chandeliers overhead.At the arena, the locals admitted under strict attendance limits tended to root for the opposition. A midseason COVID-19 outbreak sidelined VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, and the coaching staff. The Raptors went 1-13 in March, presaging a final record 18 games below .500 and their first losing season in eight years. Kyle Lowry barely took the court from that point forward.Up north, the Maple Leafs holed up for consecutive days in Montreal, Vancouver, and Canada's NHL cities in between, playing baseball-style series to minimize travel. They won 18 of 28 home games and 17 of 28 on the road. Barren and sanitized, no rink conferred much of a home advantage. Scotiabank Arena was eerie, not electric."It kind of sucked," said Maple Leafs forward Wayne Simmonds, the 14-year NHL veteran from the suburb of Scarborough, who signed with Toronto in the fall of 2020."Toronto being my hometown, I wanted to play for the Leafs. Part of that was the experience of having fans in the stands. Having my friends and family be able to come watch me. My wife and my daughter. Unfortunately, last year, it just wasn't reality." Mark Blinch / NHL / Getty ImagesThis season began differently. Before the Omicron variant prompted 50% capacity, the Maple Leafs and Raptors had returned to filling almost every seat."I felt like my first real game was when we stepped on the ice this year," Simmonds said last week. "The building was buzzing. I've played in Toronto before, obviously, on the visiting side. I didn't think the fans were that loud, particularly. But when we stepped out on the ice, and we did those (player) introductions, it sent chills down my spine."Romano grew up in Markham, Ontario, close enough to run the bases on kids' days at what was then the SkyDome. Drafted out of college in 2014, he stuck with the big club in 2020 for the 60-game season the Blue Jays spent based at Sahlen Field. Players were grateful Buffalo accommodated them. Blue Jays fandom is common there, though New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox fans - just as they did in Dunedin in April and May - swarmed Sahlen on some nights in June and July. Joshua Bessex / Getty ImagesNothing excuses Toronto's middling start to 2021, Romano said. Once the team received approval to return home, though, "everyone got rejuvenated." Allowed to host 15,000 fans starting on July 30, the Blue Jays reeled off 25 wins in 37 games at the Rogers Centre. They finished with 91 wins and stayed in the American League wild-card chase until the season's last at-bat."We are human. You try to tune (the noise) out as much as you can when you're on the field," Romano said. "But it does make a difference having your hometown crowd really cheering for you. As opposed to when you're going on the road and everyone wants to see you do bad."Before Toronto's teams could return home, silver linings became discernible as each squad's season went on. Simmonds enjoyed the extended stopovers in opponents' cities, a novelty in the NHL. Facing the same six Canadian clubs also fanned the flames of new and dormant rivalries."Winnipeg, we wouldn't have maybe as much animosity between the two of us if we hadn't played 10 times last year," Simmonds said. "We got the opportunity to play teams from the west that we don't usually play and reignite some of the passion - some of the fire - that the guys have." Darcy Finley / NHL / Getty ImagesAt the end of the Raptors' Tampa sojourn, VanVleet told reporters that the city was great. The residents and arena staff were welcoming. He'd spotted an alligator from his rented house's back porch. It didn't snow. But he described the season as inconsistent - logistically, medically, emotionally. He spent weeks in the spring wishing it was over, pining for familiar routines and for "where we're supposed to be."A couple of weeks ago, Nurse shared his perspective on the homecoming."This is the first time in ages that I feel like I'm back in a rhythm. I come to practice, go to work, go home, play with the kids, put them to bed, and then get in front of my TV and start locking in on watching games," he said."I was just enjoying game-surfing last night. I haven't had much of a chance to do that, for whatever reason, in the environment that I'm used to."Beyond Toronto, one lamentable trend emerged when fans returned to games: Fewer of them could control their impulses to misbehave.A pattern emerged during the opening week of the NBA playoffs. In Utah, three people in the stands made racist remarks to Ja Morant's parents. In Philadelphia, a season-ticket holder poured popcorn on Russell Westbrook's head. One Madison Square Garden patron spat on Trae Young as he waited to inbound the ball. At TD Garden, one spectator hurled a water bottle at Kyrie Irving, triggering assault and battery charges.Then someone ran onto the court midgame in Washington to slap the backboard. He came up short, and security tackled him.Less serious misadventures included the New York Mets' tiff with boobirds. Emboldened by a couple of wins that snapped a 2-12 skid, some players aimed thumbs-down gestures at the Citi Field crowd. Second baseman Javier Baez outlined his logic: "When we don't get success, we're going to get booed, so they're going to get booed when we're a success." Dustin Satloff / Getty ImagesThat same Sunday in August, Bryson DeChambeau walked uphill to the clubhouse at the PGA TOUR's BMW Championship, sour after missing birdie putts on three straight playoff holes. "Great job, Brooksie!" one heckler yelled, staking out a side in DeChambeau's feud with Brooks Koepka. DeChambeau spun and shouted at the fan to "get the f--- out!"These scenes coalesce and present a dilemma to Daniel Wann, a Murray State psychology professor who studies sports fandom. Scientists don't draw definitive conclusions from small samples. But it sure seems clear this friction was a product of the times."Look at it this way: These fans, for the previous 12 months or so, all of their interactions were via online communities and social media. It's pretty easy to be, let's say, less than civil in those scenarios," Wann said.He added: "Maybe some of them got used to the freedom that you have and the anonymity that you have when you're online. ... But now we see (this misconduct) dying down. Maybe people realized, 'Oh, yeah, I should behave myself. I can't just hide behind my computer screen.'" Tim Nwachukwu / Getty ImagesAt many more games and tournaments, good manners have prevailed. The same goes for the thrill of having fans back in the action.Simmonds feels this in warmup when his wife and daughter tap on the glass. In October in Chicago, during the Maple Leafs' first U.S. trip since March 2020, he bounced on his skates as fans cheered Jim Cornelison's operatic national anthems. Games crackle because people watch them live, he said. They add oomph.Romano agreed."The fans definitely mean more," he said. Before the first pitch on July 30, avid Blue Jays supporters welcomed players back in a video that aired on the Rogers Centre jumbotron. They thanked the ballclub for enlivening the city, diverting their attention, and giving them cause to jump off the couch."You don't think of that sometimes when you're playing," Romano said. "Some people use sports as their outlet to escape." Cole Burston / Bloomberg / Getty Images Vaughn Ridley / Getty Images Vaughn Ridley / Getty ImagesSome fans haven't raced back to the stands. Piped-in crowd noise is a 2020 relic, and Wann said arenas have looked and felt as they're supposed to. But they are a little emptier than usual. As of last week, attendance in nine NBA markets and 13 NHL cities was down by more than 10% compared to 2018-19 - the last uninterrupted season. There are other factors, but not everyone is comfortable thronging indoors as the pandemic continues.Wann shared a rosier counterpoint: All things considered, 10% isn't much of a drop."If I was in charge of putting rear ends in those seats, I might be concerned," Wann said. "(But) to say that your attendance is 90% of what it was before a global pandemic - I mean, doesn't that tell you just how important fandom is to people?"Last week, COVID-19 outbreaks upended the NBA and NHL seasons. Health protocols sidelined dozens of players in each league, including Van Vleet, Simmonds, and other members of their respective teams. Some NBA games and cross-border NHL matchups were postponed, and the NHL is pausing early for the holidays. The end of the year feels like the beginning.The Maple Leafs blew Game 7 against Montreal last spring, but as their season pauses, they again rank high in the NHL in points, goal differential, and home wins. Lowry's departure has forced the Raptors to retool. Half the team didn't experience the Tampa season. Half the team is under 24. To try to climb the standings is to weather growing pains - pains like starting this season 2-8 at home before improving to 7-9."These young guys are understanding what it takes to use the crowd and get the crowd into it," VanVleet said last week."When we're at our best, this is probably the best home court you can find in the NBA. I just want these guys to be able to experience that. We've got to be a good team to experience it at its best. I think we're getting there." Cole Burston / Getty ImagesWith baseball on hold, the Blue Jays wait. Before the lockout, the 91-win team that missed the playoffs moved on from Robbie Ray, the departed AL Cy Young winner, by extending Jose Berrios and agreeing to pay Kevin Gausman $110 million over the next five years. The front office has signaled, as Romano puts it, that 2022 is "go time."As he made the point, his mind wandered to 2016. Romano's minor-league season was over that October when he took in the Blue Jays' ALDS finale against the Texas Rangers. Capitalizing on an errant double-play throw in the 10th inning, Josh Donaldson scampered home to secure Toronto's series victory. The crowd erupted, and Romano saw the rubber beads dance on the Rogers Centre turf.He wants to witness that in uniform. He got a glimpse in September when the playoff chase crescendoed and capacity for Toronto's last homestand doubled to 30,000 people."It felt like 50," Romano said. "But I can only imagine what 50,000 will feel like again."Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The lone game on Monday's slate provided some pop.The Dallas Stars came out hot against the Minnesota Wild and kept the offensive onslaught coming for a 7-4 victory.Jamie Benn, Denis Gurianov, Jason Robertson, and Miro Heiskanen all tallied a pair of points as the Stars handed their Central Division rivals a fourth straight loss.Joe Pavelski built on his four-point night against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, opening the scoring less than two minutes in. Defenseman Esa Lindell made it 2-0 by striking shorthanded for his first goal of the season.Minnesota was able to claw back, with Ryan Hartman and Kevin Fiala each scoring to tie it up, but Tyler Seguin fired off a wrister late in the opening frame to regain the lead.The Stars punished the Wild for a couple of turnovers in the final period, with Jacob Peterson and Miro Heiskanen scoring one minute apart to seemingly deliver the dagger into Minnesota's comeback hopes.The Wild pulled Talbot with 9:20 left in the contest and Fiala scored his second to bring them to within two goals, but they would get no closer as Benn scored on the empty net with a minute-and-a-half left.Wild forward Joel Eriksson Ek left midway through the second period after taking a hit from Stars blue-liner Jani Hakanpaa in the corner. Eriksson Ek was unable to return to the contest with an upper-body injury.Talbot made 22 saves on 28 shots, while Jake Oettinger fared a bit better for the Stars, making 19 stops on 23 shots against.The Wild fell to 19-9-2 on the season, while the Stars improved to 15-12-2.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With a 6-0-0 record since moving on from head coach Travis Green and general manager Jim Benning, life under the Vancouver Canucks' new regime has been pretty good.Before the management change, the Canucks toiled in the Pacific Division's basement with an 8-15-2 record.For captain Bo Horvat, better communication between the players, new head coach Bruce Boudreau, and new president of hockey operations and interim general manager Jim Rutherford is at the heart of his team's massive improvement."They listen to what we have to say and are willing to change things or do things to help us not only off the ice but on the ice as well," Horvat said to the media Monday, per Sportsnet. "I think that's a good thing to have, communication between everybody and not have any disconnect."The Canucks owned a dreadful minus-20 goal differential prior to the organizational changes. In the six games since the shakeup, Vancouver has outscored its opponents 19-10. The team has also tightened up defensively, allowing just 1.67 goals per game during that span.The Canucks' special teams have also come alive. They've bid farewell to their horrific 64.6% success rate on the penalty kill, and it's been operating at an 83.3% clip since Dec. 6."(Boudreau and Rutherford) have been great ever since they stepped in. I think the biggest thing is they've been really willing to do whatever it takes to help us win hockey games," Horvat said. "They know what it takes to win. ... Obviously, things have been going really well so far, and we gotta keep that going."Vancouver is expected to defend its unbeaten record under Boudreau on Dec. 27 against the Seattle Kraken.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.