Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid is ready to embrace the future after another disjointed season resulted in his team missing the playoffs for the third time in four years."There was a lot of moving parts, a lot of things going on," McDavid told TSN's Gino Reda on Tuesday. "Fire a coach, fire a GM - that's a lot of change for one season."It was an emotional ride, and I'm looking forward to a little stability."The Oilers fired former head coach Todd McLellan in November and replaced him with Ken Hitchcock, who assumed the role on an interim basis. General manager Peter Chiarelli was then relieved of his duties two months later in his fourth season with the club.The Oilers hired Dave Tippett last Tuesday, making him the third head coach employed during McDavid's tenure in Edmonton. The 22-year-old is excited about what the veteran bench boss brings to the table."He's been around for a long time and has had lots of success and coached different styles of hockey - coached offensive, coached defensive," McDavid said. "He has all the tools."After Keith Gretzky finished the season as interim GM, the Oilers brought in legendary executive Ken Holland, who helped guide the Red Wings to Stanley Cup victories in 1998, 2002, and 2008."He comes with lots of experience (and) is a guy that's been wildly successful," McDavid added. "I'm really happy with that and really looking forward to working with him."Despite the team's lack of success, McDavid became just the fifth player in NHL history to record at least three seasons of 100-plus points by age 22 and has collected two Art Ross Trophies, two Ted Lindsay Awards, and a Hart Trophy over four seasons.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The ECHL championship has gone to the dogs.With a 4-3 victory over the Toledo Walleye in Game 6 on Tuesday night, the Newfoundland Growlers captured the Kelly Cup in their very first season.

Zdeno Chara suffered a significant injury during Monday night's loss to the St. Louis Blues in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.The Boston Bruins captain broke his jaw, a source familiar with the situation told The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford on Tuesday.Chara left the game after Blues forward Brayden Schenn took a shot that deflected off the defenseman's stick and up into his face early in the second period.The 42-year-old blue-liner returned to the bench for the third period wearing a full face shield, but he didn't play another shift.Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy said postgame he wasn't sure if Chara would be available for Game 5 on Thursday, and that the rearguard would be evaluated in Boston.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vancouver Canucks have checked in with the Toronto Maple Leafs regarding the cost of acquiring defenseman Nikita Zaitsev, a source told Sportsnet's Rick Dhaliwal.Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas announced last week that the team and Zaitsev are working together to find a fresh start for personal reasons.Toronto originally signed Zaitsev from the KHL on a one-year deal in May 2016. He parlayed a solid rookie showing into a seven-year, $31.5-million extension awarded by then-general manager Lou Lamoriello.Zaitsev's current contract carries a $4.5-million cap hit until 2023-24 and includes a 10-team no-trade clause that kicks in on July 1. The 27-year-old contributed three goals and 11 assists over 81 games with the Leafs last season while playing primarily in a shutdown and penalty-killing role.Vancouver enters the summer with just over $30 million in cap space, according to CapFriendly, and has plenty of holes to fill on the blue line with just one defenseman under contract beyond next season.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pending unrestricted free agent Erik Karlsson hopes to receive competitive offers from the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens this summer, a source told the Ottawa Sun's Don Brennan.One of the reasons Karlsson is reportedly eyeing either the Senators or the Canadiens is because his wife, Melinda, a native of Ottawa, would like to live closer to her family again, according to Brennan.Karlsson is officially a UFA as of July 1 and just finished his first season with the San Jose Sharks after being traded from Canada's capital to the Bay Area in September.The 29-year-old had a long, dramatic departure from the Senators after spending the first nine seasons of his career with the organization. Karlsson was on the trade block for most of the 2017-18 campaign and was reportedly offered an extension worth $10 million per season to remain in Ottawa before he was traded.Karlsson battled injuries during his stint with the Sharks but still managed to produce 45 points in 53 games before adding 16 more during the postseason on the club's run to the Western Conference Final.The Senators finished dead last in the NHL in 2018-19 but have over $35 million in projected cap space to potentially bring back their former captain. The Canadiens, on the other hand, fell just short of qualifying for a wild-card berth this year and head into the summer with just over $11 million available to spend.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

BUFFALO - All 31 teams and more than 100 draft-eligible players descended upon Western New York this past week for the 2019 NHL Scouting Combine, which includes face-to-face interviews and off-ice testing.Spencer Knight, a blue-chip goaltending prospect, stole the show during Saturday's fitness gauntlet inside the Harborcenter facility, collecting top-10 scores in eight of 18 testing categories. He notably finished atop the class in the FMS Score category, which measures functional movement.Bill Wippert / Getty ImagesBut while the combine is largely geared toward helping teams make decisions, it's also an opportunity for us to identify the odd trend and learn a thing or two ahead of the draft, which will take place June 21-22 in Vancouver.Here are four takeaways from Saturday's festivities:All eyes on the KingsEvery spring, as the draft approaches, the hockey world just can't help itself.When will the intrigue really begin in Round 1? Is it the first selection? The second? At which point will we be on the edge of our seats, anticipating the announcement of a particular pick?!At events like the combine, that noise is amplified and consensus gains momentum. And this week, the fifth overall selection - which is owned by the Los Angeles Kings - commanded the most attention. Why? Well, it's believed that pick is when the draft will become must-see TV.Bill Wippert / Getty ImagesThe way it stands now, the New Jersey Devils will almost certainly use the first selection on American sensation Jack Hughes. The New York Rangers, picking second, won't think twice about choosing Kaapo Kakko, who's being hailed as the Finnish Auston Matthews. At No. 3, the prevailing sense is that the Chicago Blackhawks will go one of two ways - Bowen Byram, the dynamic Vancouver Giants defenseman, or Alex Turcotte, a two-way center from the U.S. National Team Development Program. Then, the Colorado Avalanche will most likely fall into line and select whomever Chicago passed on.From there, relative certainty will go out the window, as Kings GM Rob Blake will have a helluva decision to make at No. 5.There's a traffic jam of worthy players - many believe seven or eight - creating an unpredictable second wave of draftees. It could be Dylan Cozens, or Vasili Podkolzin, or Kirby Dach, or Cole Caufield, or Trevor Zegras, or Peyton Krebs … the list of possibilities is long, and each selection will heavily influence the next.Expect chaos on June 21 once the first four players are off the board.Long journeysSpeaking of Cozens, he and fellow projected first-rounder Alex Newhook share something heading into the draft. Both hail from remote areas of Canada, and both went to great lengths to find elite-level hockey at an early age.Cozens grew up in Whitehorse, Yukon, skating mainly on outdoor rinks against uneven competition in makeshift leagues before moving to the Vancouver area as a young teenager.In terms of leaving Yukon, the tipping point came when Cozens, who was only 5-foot-8 and 12 years old at the time, broke his leg during a game against men in what he described as a beer league."We're like, 'This isn’t real hockey. We've got to get out of here,'" Cozens said Saturday, recalling a conversation with his parents. "'I want to play in the NHL and it’s not going to happen if we stay up here for much longer, so I've got to get out.'"Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesSo, Cozens moved at age 14 to suit up for Delta Hockey Academy. Leaving his family and territory behind was a difficult decision, but was "what I needed to do to chase my dreams," he said.Now 18 and fresh off an 84-point season as a member of the Western Hockey League’s Lethbridge Hurricanes, Cozens is primed to become not only the first Canadian drafted in 2019, but also just the third Yukon-born draftee ever. Peter Sturgeon, who dressed for six career NHL games, went 36th overall to the Boston Bruins in 1974."It always seemed far away," Cozens said of the NHL. "It just seemed like a dream, not a reality, to be honest. I always wanted to make it come true and be that guy who came from a remote place and had a cool story.""Lots of people don't know what it’s like up there," he added with a smile when asked to name the biggest misconception about Yukon. "They think it's some little community with igloos and stuff, but it’s just a normal place, a normal little town. We've got working electricity, houses, wifi."As for Newhook, his pre-draft journey has taken him from coast to coast - all the way from St. John's, Newfoundland, to the Greater Toronto Area (York Simcoe Express minor hockey and St. Andrew's College prep school), to British Columbia (Victoria Grizzlies junior hockey).And starting this fall, he's relocating once again, shipping off to Massachusetts to play for Boston College."'Tell us your story.' ... It's a pretty common question," Newhook said of his interviews with NHL teams. "I've been on a pretty cool journey so far."These super athletes are humanThe combine is a whirlwind event.Teenagers from all over the world travel to Buffalo, and over the course of a few days, every single one of them stands in front of representatives from NHL teams to plead their case, interview-style. Then, on the Saturday, they power through rigorous fitness tests before meeting with the media. Later that day, it's all over. They fly out to resume their life ahead of the draft.Leaving Buffalo in one piece is impressive, yet the combine always emphasizes a truth about this whole draft process - these teenagers are, well, just teenagers. They're not immune to growing pains, no matter how silly or serious the challenges may be.Martin Rose / Getty ImagesFor instance, Moritz Seider, a highly touted defenseman who fancies himself a fashionable guy, shared a fun story about a packing snafu. Back home in Germany, the 18-year-old wondered whether he should bring dress clothes for the interview portion of the combine, but ultimately packed only casual wear.But since every other prospect was dressed to the nines, it ended up being a decision that followed Seider everywhere he went in Buffalo, and one that became a fun, slightly awkward conversation piece with NHL executives and scouts. Seider, who met with all 31 teams, rocked a business-casual look with sneakers in his interviews. "I'm famous for that, maybe," the 6-foot-4, 207-pound blue-liner said with a grin, eliciting laughs from a small group of reporters.A few hours earlier, Egor Afanasyev of the USHL's Muskegon Lumberjacks settled into a chair in the media section and fielded questions about his journey to the NHL draft. He was rather chatty after posting a combine-best score of 62 in the dreaded VO2 max test.It turns out the native of Tver, Russia, knew very little English when he and his mother first arrived in the United States three years ago for private school and junior hockey. He was an outsider who struggled to fit in. "First three months, I kind of hated it," said Afanasyev, who comes from a Russian military family. "I wanted to communicate, talk to guys like we were friends, but I just couldn't."Imagine that. Barely a teenager, you move across the world for all the right reasons, but can't muster anything resembling a proper conversation for a few months. With the benefit of hindsight, though, Afanasyev shakes it off, saying the situation was a necessary sacrifice. Kids these days.Psychologist runs the show for HabsTrevor Timmins always offers a unique perspective from Buffalo. Every year at the combine, the Montreal Canadiens assistant general manager will hold court with the media, shining a light on the organization's draft prep.Here are a few things Timmins shared Saturday, which help paint a picture of what happens behind closed doors during these one-on-many player interviews:

Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara will be re-evaluated when the club returns home before his status for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final is revealed, head coach Bruce Cassidy said on Tuesday."I don't know his status for Game 5," Cassidy said, according to Tara Sullivan of The Boston Globe. "He'll have to be re-evaluated at home. I can't say whether he'll play ... The conversation (Monday) was short."He was getting work done, we were going on the ice, the trainers come to me and said, 'Done for the night.' The question was asked that he'd like to sit with his teammates. I'm like, 'If medically he's able to do that, then that's fine.'"Chara took a puck off his face early in the second period of Game 4 on Monday night. Brayden Schenn's shot deflected off his stick and upward, drawing blood from the towering defenseman and sending him to the ice.

New Jersey Devils general manager Ray Shero and agent Darren Ferris denied a report Monday suggesting superstar winger Taylor Hall currently isn't interested in signing an extension with the club."No idea where (the website) got that aside from a 'source,'" Shero told NHL.com's Mike Morreale in a text. "Nothing on our end has changed and I have never heard differently from Taylor or Darren Ferris."Hall's agent said, "I'm not going to speak to it because it's all fictitious and I'm just not going to respond to any of those questions out of respect to the conversations and discussions that are going on."The 27-year-old is an unrestricted free agent as of July 1, 2020, and is eligible to sign an extension at any point as of the same date this year. Shero said in March that the organization planned to begin talks with the former MVP well before that.Hall just wrapped up his third season with the Devils but was limited to 33 games due to a knee injury that required surgery in February. He still managed 37 points, which was good for fifth on the team.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St. Louis Blues got a boost to their blue line Monday night in Game 4 against the Boston Bruins with defenseman Vince Dunn making his return.Dunn took a puck to the face in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final and hasn't played since, but he confirmed Monday afternoon to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston that he returns despite not feeling 100 percent.

Zdeno Chara's status ahead of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final is unclear after taking an errant puck to the face during the Boston Bruins' Game 4 loss Monday, head coach Bruce Cassidy said following the contest.As St. Louis Blues forward Brayden Schenn attempted a shot from the faceoff circle, the puck deflected off Chara's stick, caught him up high, and left him bloodied.

Ryan O'Reilly scored twice as the St. Louis Blues responded to a 7-2 drubbing in Game 3 by defeating the Boston Bruins 4-2 in Game 4 on Monday night.O'Reilly opened the scoring 43 seconds into the game and added the eventual winner midway through the third period as the Blues tied the Stanley Cup Final at two games apiece.St. Louis outshot the Bruins 38-23 in the contest, including a 13-4 edge in the third period.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Winnipeg Jets have traded forward Kevin Hayes to the Philadelphia Flyers for a fifth-round pick in the 2019 draft, the clubs announced on Monday night.Hayes is a pending unrestricted free agent, so the Flyers will have until July 1 to work out a new deal with him before he goes on the open market.The 27-year-old notched 13 points in 20 games this past season after the Jets acquired him from the New York Rangers before the trade deadline.Teams can begin negotiating with other clubs' pending UFAs on June 23.The Flyers have already spoken to Hayes' camp, although the conversation was only an introductory chat, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers signed forward Brad Malone and goaltender Shane Starrett to one-year contract extensions on Monday, the team announced.Malone, 30, played 23 games with the Oilers over the past two seasons and has yet to register a point. Prior to his time in Edmonton, he notched 30 points and 188 penalty minutes in 189 contests with the Carolina Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche.Starrett, 24, took over the starting goaltender role with the AHL's Bakersfield Condors this past season. He left the Air Force Academy after the 2017-18 NCAA campaign to pursue a professional career.Both players logged significant minutes in 2018-19 for the Condors, who won their division before being eliminated in the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Brad Marchand believes the Boston Bruins were fortunate to take a 2-1 series lead over the St. Louis Blues in the Stanley Cup Final."We got lucky (Saturday night)," the Bruins forward told reporters, including The Athletic's Steve Buckley, postgame after the Bruins dismantled the Blues 7-2. "We'll take that one. Hopefully, we're good next game."The Bruins broke through for four goals on four man-advantage opportunities in Game 3 but did so while managing just four total shots on goal across those powerplays."Sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesn't," Marchand continued. "We knew we could be better. That's just one of those nights where things just start to bounce your way."You can't expect that to happen every night. We still have areas we can clean up. It's nice that the power play came together. We were good on special teams, but gotta follow it up next game."St. Louis outshot Boston 29-24 in the contest, though that can be attributed in part to the Bruins establishing a four-goal lead early in the second period."They came at us pretty hard in the second and third, and we didn't have a ton of pushback, so we can be better than that when we have the lead," Marchand said. "We can be better than we were at the tail end of the game."Game 4 is scheduled for Monday night in St. Louis.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Arizona Coyotes have reportedly spoken with the Toronto Maple Leafs about veteran winger Patrick Marleau, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.The 39-year-old is entering the final year of a three-year deal that carries an annual cap hit of $6.25 million and a full no-movement clause.Arizona has a projected $8.61 million in cap space, with restricted free agents such as Josh Archibald, Nick Cousins, and Lawson Crouse in need of new deals. Veteran forwards Richard Panik and Mario Kempe are also set to become unrestricted free agents on July 1.Marleau's name also surfaced in talks between the Leafs and the Los Angeles Kings earlier this week.The 21-year veteran hasn't missed a regular-season or playoff game for the Maple Leafs since joining the team ahead of the 2017-18 campaign.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jordan Binnington owned up to his lackluster performance following a 7-2 defeat at the hands of the Boston Bruins in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final."I've got to be better," the St. Louis Blues goaltender told the assembled media, including FOX Sports Midwest, postgame Saturday after being pulled for the first time in his NHL career."I've got to do a better job of giving the team a chance to win," he continued. "(The Bruins) got three goals in the first (period and) that's never good. It is what it is. They're a good hockey team. We've got to get back to our game and stay focused."Binnington gave up five goals on 19 shots and was replaced by Jake Allen after Torey Krug scored to give Boston a 5-1 lead midway through the second period.The rookie hadn't been removed due to performance from any of his 33 regular-season games nor his 21 previous playoff contests this spring.Binnington is 6-2 with a .935 save percentage in games following a loss in this postseason, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen. The 25-year-old Calder Trophy finalist is 13-9 with a .909 save percentage in these playoffs.The Blues will host Game 4 against the Bruins on Monday night. Boston leads the series 2-1.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins winger David Backes wasn't a fan of the hit thrown on teammate Matt Grzelcyk in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night.Grzelcyk was visibly shaken up after being run into the glass from behind by St. Louis Blues winger Oskar Sundqvist in the first period. The Bruins defenseman didn't return to the contest, and Backes wasn't pleased with the situation."I don't think that's a hit we want in our game," Backes told The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford. "It's from behind, elevated, into his head, into the glass. If that's a two-minute penalty, I think there's going to be a shortage of defensemen in this series by the end of it."Sundqvist was given a minor penalty on the play, but the league is reviewing the incident for potential supplemental discipline, according to Pierre LeBrun of TSN, which Backes thinks he'd receive if he was the player who'd thrown the hit."I think if I'm making that hit, I'm probably watching from the bleachers for a few, but we'll see what happens with their player," he said.Backes has already received two suspensions since joining the Bruins in 2016.Overall, Game 2 was a thoroughly physical affair, with the Blues outhitting the Bruins 50-31.St. Louis also won the game in overtime to tie the series at 1-1.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand is taking responsibility for his line's slow start to the Stanley Cup Final after the team's 3-2 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues in Game 2 on Wednesday.“We need to be better,” Marchand said of his line, according to The Athletic's Fluto Shinzawa. “Personally, I wasn’t good the last two games. We can’t be playing like that.”The Bruins' top line of Marchand, David Pastrnak, and Patrice Bergeron has been productive this postseason, but through two games against the Blues, the trio has combined for just one empty-net goal, one assist, and a minus-7 rating.Boston's top line has fallen off against the Blues at five-on-five compared to its production against previous opponents.OpponentTOICF%SCF%Maple Leafs45:0153.8554.35Blue Jackets44:1352.2243.24Hurricanes37:2861.1964.71Blues14:4637.5033.33TOI= Time on ice

St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist has been suspended one game for his hit on Boston Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final.Sundqvist, who was assessed a two-minute minor for boarding on the play, has proven to be an integral depth forward for the Blues. Despite playing primarily on the fourth line of late, the 6-foot-3 center has four goals and five assists in 21 postseason contests.Grzelcyk left the game and did not return. He did not travel with the team to St. Louis on Thursday, per head coach Bruce Cassidy. The speedy, puck-moving blue-liner has seven points in 19 postseason games. He'll likely be replaced in the lineup by either John Moore or Steven Kampfer.This marks the first suspension in the Stanley Cup Final since Aaron Rome in 2011, according to The Athletic's Cristiano Simonetta.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jordan Binnington's night ended earlier than he was expecting on Saturday.The St. Louis Blues goaltender was yanked from Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final after a tally from Torey Krug made it 5-1 for the visiting Boston Bruins midway through the second period.It's the first time Binnington has been pulled in his NHL career, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli. He was replaced by Jake Allen.Binnington faced 19 shots before being removed from the contest.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Craig Berube knew the Boston Bruins' lethal power play would eventually make his St. Louis Blues pay in Game 3, considering the opportunities his club has given its opponents so far in the Stanley Cup Final.The Blues head coach acknowledged that the Bruins benefited from some deflections in a 7-2 victory Saturday night, but knows his club's penalty kill needs to be better."We do have to limit the penalties, for sure," Berube told reporters postgame. "We know they have a dangerous power play. We've been flirting with danger here the whole series and it burned us (Saturday). But in saying that, we've got to do a better job killing (the penalties). We didn't, and that's why they won the hockey game."The Bruins went 4-for-4 with the man advantage in Game 3, after going 1-for-5 in a Game 1 victory and 1-for-5 again in an overtime loss in Game 2.St. Louis had five power plays on Saturday night but scored on only one of them. The Blues had five opportunities combined over the first two games of the series.The Bruins took a 2-1 series lead with the win. Game 4 is scheduled for Monday night.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Torey Krug had a game for the history books Saturday night.The Boston Bruins defenseman scored a goal and added three assists in a 7-2 thumping of the St. Louis Blues in Game 3, establishing a franchise record for points in a Stanley Cup Final game.Krug and teammate Patrice Bergeron both matched the previous record of three prior to Krug's fourth point of the night.Milan Lucic collected two goals and an assist for the Bruins in Game 1 of the Cup Final in 2013.Krug set up Bergeron's goal that opened the scoring in the first period, collected another primary assist on David Pastrnak's marker early in the second, scored the goal that chased Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington later in the frame, and fed Marcus Johansson for a one-timer that made it 7-2 late in the third.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

St. Louis Blues head coach Craig Berube isn't happy with the amount of penalty calls that have gone against his team in the Stanley Cup Final so far."We were the least-penalized team in the league in the first three rounds and now all of a sudden we've taken 14 penalties in one series … I don't agree with all the calls," Berube said according to The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford.The Bruins' power play - which has been lethal throughout the postseason - connected on all four opportunities with the man advantage in their Game 3 victory.When looking at the amount of penalties the Blues took in each of the first three rounds, they've spent just as much time in the box through three games of the Stanley Cup Final.RoundOpponentGPPenalties against1Jets6142Stars7143Sharks6134Bruins314Though he may not agree with the officiating, Berube did hold his team accountable following the loss for their inability to execute on the penalty kill.When asked if he would consider replacing forward David Perron, who has been responsible for three penalties in the series, Berube implied that his winger will be more careful in Game 4."He'll be more disciplined tomorrow. I don't need to discuss if I'm going to take him out of the lineup," he said.Boston will have an opportunity to move within one win of the Stanley Cup when the two sides meet in Game 4 on Monday night.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Boston Bruins went up 3-0 against the St. Louis Blues in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final thanks to a tally by Sean Kuraly in the dying seconds of the first period.The Blues believed the scoring play was offside but were unsuccessful in their challenge.Here's a closer look at the zone entry:

The main event on the final day at the NHL scouting combine did not include the presumptive first overall pick.Jack Hughes opted to skip the fitness testing portion of the combine on Saturday, citing a long season in which he represented the United States in both the Under-18 World Championship in April and the World Championship in May."I think I knew coming into the combine I wasn't going to do the testing because I really haven't trained for it, playing hockey the past two months," Hughes told reporters, including NHL.com's Mike Morreale. "I really haven't had a break. It just didn't make sense to do the testing. My body needed a bit of a break. That said, I'm a competitive kid and I felt like I could have done well in some of this stuff."Hughes did take his mandatory medical exam earlier this week and it showed that he was at less than 100 percent, according to Morreale, who noted that a specific injury wasn't disclosed.The dynamic forward has long been considered the favorite to be chosen No. 1 at the draft later this month, but projected second overall pick Kaapo Kakko did his best to make the New Jersey Devils' decision difficult with a strong showing of his own at the worlds.Kakko, who helped Finland defeat Canada for gold at that tournament, skipped the combine entirely to celebrate the victory.Hughes took part in other portions of the combine. The 18-year-old was interviewed by 10 clubs, including the Devils, who won the draft lottery in April. The New York Rangers hold the second overall selection.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The ECHL says the hardware that's been handed out for more than 20 years was never given back by the league champs last winter."As stated by ECHL commissioner emeritus Patrick J. Kelly yesterday morning, the tradition of returning the championship trophy to the league was not honored by the Colorado Eagles," the ECHL said in a statement Saturday. "Despite a confirmed plan with Eagles’ management to return the Kelly Cup to the ECHL in December 2018, the arrangement was not fulfilled."Eagles owner Martin Lind said in a statement Friday that his club has tried unsuccessfully to return the trophy."The management of the ECHL has full knowledge of the situation with the Kelly Cup," the team claimed. "We have made numerous attempts to return it. They have chosen to ignore our requests, therefore the Kelly Cup remains in Colorado. This is all that will be released regarding this matter."The ECHL says it was forced to create a new Kelly Cup, inscribed with the names of champions for the past 30 years, and that the latest trophy is the fourth in league history.Kelly told AM 1230 in Toledo, Ohio, earlier this week that Lind simply decided the team would keep it, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.Game 5 of the Kelly Cup Finals between the Newfoundland Growlers and the Toledo Walleye is scheduled for Saturday night. The Growlers lead the series 3-1 and can win the championship in their inaugural campaign.The Eagles won back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018 before being promoted to the AHL as the top affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche for the 2018-19 season.The Kelly Cup is named after the commissioner emeritus and has been awarded since 1997. Prior to that year, the ECHL gave its champions the Riley Cup, named after former AHL president Jack Riley.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas is bound to be a busy man this offseason.Following recent news that defenseman Nikita Zaitsev is on the trade block and rumors of trade talks between the Leafs and Los Angeles Kings involving winger Patrick Marleau, TSN's Bob McKenzie reports Toronto has more players potentially available this summer, some of whom are garnering significant interest."The guys the Toronto Maple Leafs are getting the most action on right now: Kasperi Kapanen, Nazem Kadri, and Connor Brown. Anything and everything outside of (the) untouchables will be considered," McKenzie said Friday on "Insider Trading.""There are really only four untouchables on the Toronto Maple Leafs: John Tavares, Auston Matthews, Morgan Rielly, and as long as he signs, Mitch Marner," McKenzie explained. "The two that fall into the 'highly not likely to be traded' category: that would be William Nylander and goaltender Freddie Andersen. After that, it is wide open."Dubas and the Maple Leafs are up tight against the salary cap this summer and need new contracts for Marner, Kapanen, and Andreas Johnsson - all of whom are restricted free agents.The club also has just five NHL defenseman, including Zaitsev, under contract for 2019-20. One of those defensemen, 22-year-old Travis Dermott, underwent shoulder surgery in early May and is expected to miss six months while recovering.Kadri, Kapanen, and Brown would all fetch solid returns on the trade market, and a deal involving any of them could help ease the Leafs' cap constraints heading into next season.Player (Position) GP P Cap hit Years remainingKadri (C)7344$4.5M3Kapanen (RW)7844RFAN/ABrown (RW)8229$2.1M1Toronto is currently projected to have $8.79 million in cap space for next season, according to CapFriendly. The team can gain additional breathing room, if necessary, by stashing Nathan Horton and his $5.3-million cap hit on LTIR.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Former Buffalo Sabres forward Patrik Berglund doesn't regret his decision to walk away from the NHL, and from millions of dollars, to focus on his mental health."That was my decision and I haven't regretted one second after I made it so from there on I've just been hanging out with family and friends," Berglund said on the Hockey Sense Podcast with Andy Strickland.There were three seasons remaining on the 30-year-old's contract at $3.85 million annually. After not reporting to the team in mid-December for personal reasons, Berglund was suspended, then placed on unconditional waivers before the Sabres terminated his contract."I don't think the contract and the money is the most important thing," Berglund said. "It's cliche, but for me, hockey is something that I love and that I am passionate about, and in the end what happened last summer and walking into the season I wasn't happy with it."I had a hard time adjusting to it, and just the situation overall in Buffalo. I didn't agree with a lot of things about how they wanted to play me and wanted to do things, and in the end I wasn't enjoying hockey anymore."After taking the needed time to recuperate, the Swede says he's staying active and plans on returning to the game he loves next year."I'm doing really well, back home in Sweden and just kind of hanging out right now, getting back to work through working out and doing all that and I'm looking forward to playing hockey next year somewhere, so it's all good," Berglund said.The 6-foot-4 forward also says he never completely lost the desire to play and had a feeling he'd be back."To be honest I kind of knew. When everything that went down with me happened I knew that I wanted to play," he said. "I think that the situation I ended up in wasn't very good for me, and I had to make a decision about that and my decision was to step away from hockey for a while and regroup."Berglund played 10 seasons with the St. Louis Blues before being traded to Buffalo last July. In 717 NHL games, he's recorded 170 goals and 326 points.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ahead of his first full season as general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers, Chuck Fletcher is looking to put his stamp on the team.Fletcher was hired Dec. 3 to replace Ron Hextall and the 52-year-old is determined to explore the market this offseason."I think we're going to be very aggressive in the trade and free-agent markets in the sense of looking into every possible situation that can help us," Fletcher said, according to NHL.com's Adam Kimelman.The Flyers missed the playoffs by 16 points this season, and Fletcher understands the team must improve in all areas. Philadelphia finished 18th in goals for, 29th in goals against, and 28th in save percentage."We need help everywhere. We need help on defense, at center, and on the wing," Fletcher said. "And obviously, we need another goaltender, at least, if not two."Carter Hart emerged as the Flyers' No. 1 netminder Dec. 18, compiling a 16-13-1 record with a .917 save percentage the rest of the way. The rookie still has two years remaining on his entry-level deal, but there's no guarantee he'll get the starting nod come opening night."In the short term, can he be our No. 1 goalie coming out of camp next year? He certainly could be. I don't mean this as a threat, but like everybody else, he's going to have to earn that. It's a tough league for 20- and 21-year-old kids."We'll let his play dictate it and we'll hopefully have some other good options in goal so we have great depth, and that's the way we want to approach it."Alex Lyon is the only other Flyers netminder currently under contract for next season, with Cam Talbot, Michael Neuvirth, and Brian Elliott all scheduled to become unrestricted free agents July 1.The Flyers have $33.4 million in projected cap space, but Fletcher faces some in-house business to take care of as well, with young forwards Ryan Hartman, Travis Konecny, and Scott Laughton, along with defensemen Travis Sanheim and Ivan Provorov, all set for new deals as restricted free agents.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jack Hughes is ready for the spotlight.The projected No. 1 pick in June's NHL Draft met with media at the scouting combine Friday, and while his draft position has been a virtual lock all year, it's top spot or bust in the mind of the young phenom."It would be unbelievable to be chosen No. 1," Hughes said, according to NHL.com's Mike Morreale. "I mean, you always dream of being No. 1 ... you don't dream of being No. 2, No. 3, or No. 4 when you're a young kid. I want to be the first overall pick and I feel like that'll be a dream come true if it happened."Hughes enjoyed a massive draft year, putting up 112 points (35 goals, 78 assists) in 50 games with the U.S. National Team Development Program. The 18-year-old center also represented the U.S. at the world juniors and world under-18 tournament, as well as at the IIHF World Championship alongside some of the NHL's biggest American stars.Though Hughes has always been the biggest name in the 2019 draft class, Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko has done his best to generate debate around the top selection. Kakko set a Finnish league record for goals by a player aged 18 or younger and bested Hughes in the gold medal game at the world juniors before winning another title at the World Championship in May.Whether that's enough to usurp Hughes in the top spot remains to be seen.This year's draft begins Friday, June 21 in Vancouver with the New Jersey Devils owning the top overall pick.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's no secret that the Pittsburgh Penguins have made an effort to move Phil Kessel, but a trade out of the Steel City doesn't seem as certain as it once did.The Pens have let Kessel know that they're "more than happy" to keep him if a trade can't be worked out, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reports.Kessel's name has been surfacing on the rumor mill since a reported rift between him and head coach Mike Sullivan made headlines last offseason. The Penguins tested the market for him before this year's trade deadline. He recently used his modified no-trade clause to nix a deal to the Minnesota Wild that would've sent Jason Zucker the other way.The 31-year-old played an integral role in Pittsburgh's two Stanley Cup victories in 2016 and 2017. He followed up back-to-back stellar playoff performances with the most productive two-year stretch of his career, tallying 174 points in 164 games over the last two seasons.Kessel has three years left on his contract at a $6.8-million cap hit.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Columbus Blue Jackets restricted free-agent forward Lukas Sedlak has signed a two-year contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL, his agent J.P. Barry told The Athletic's Aaron Portzline.Sedlak spent the last three seasons with the Blue Jackets, serving primarily as the club's fourth-line center. In 162 career NHL contests - all with Columbus - he tallied 15 goals and 12 assists while averaging 9:24 per game.The 26-year-old was a sixth-round pick by the Jackets in 2011 and was one of the team's many pending free agents.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Los Angeles Kings appear interested in adding another veteran to their squad.Los Angeles has discussed a trade for winger Patrick Marleau with the Toronto Maple Leafs, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.Marleau is entering the final season of his three-year contract, which carries an average annual value of $6.25 million and includes a full no-movement clause.The Kings have $11.73 million in projected cap space for next season and would need to free themselves from at least one contract to make a deal possible. They currently roster six players who are at least 31 years old and scheduled to make north of $5 million next season.Marleau is still looking for his first Stanley Cup and the Kings represent an aging club that finished last in the Western Conference this past season.The 39-year-old could reunite with a familiar face, though, as the Kings hired former San Jose Sharks bench boss Todd McLellan in April.Marleau tallied 16 goals and 37 points for the Leafs this year, which represented his worst statistical output since his rookie campaign.The Leafs have been active lately in exploring ways to improve their club, as they reportedly put defenseman Nikita Zaitsev on the trade block Thursday.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Right-handed defensemen with size and offensive upside in their mid-20s are rarely made available for trade, but Jacob Trouba appears to be an exception.The Winnipeg Jets have engaged in trade talks with multiple teams about the restricted free agent blue-liner, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.Trouba is coming off a breakout 50-point season in 2018-19. The 25-year-old logged nearly 23 minutes per game while racking up 171 blocked shots, 112 hits, and a career-high 48 takeaways.Trouba's camp and the Jets have never seen eye to eye in contract negotiations, which could lead to the end of his tenure in Winnipeg.After his entry-level contract expired prior to the 2016-17 campaign, Trouba didn't sign his next pact until over a month into the season, agreeing to a two-year bridge deal. Once that expired, he and the Jets needed arbitration to settle on a one-year, $5.5-million deal this past summer. The two sides were reportedly $3 million apart before the hearing.The Jets hold a projected $25.4 million in cap space, but RFA forwards Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor are due for significant raises. Andrew Copp, Nathan Beaulieu, and Joe Morrow round out the team's list of RFAs. Winnipeg also faces a glut of pending UFAs, including forwards Brandon Tanev and Kevin Hayes, and defensemen Tyler Myers and Ben Chiarot.Dustin Byfuglien and Tucker Poolman are the Jets' only right-handed shooting defensemen under contract for next season.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly released a statement on Friday regarding Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov after a video circulated online appearing to show the Russian beside two lines of cocaine.

The National Women's Hockey League is canceling its plans to add two Canadian expansion teams with a long-term goal of a sustainable league in mind."As we said in April, we secured the investment required to add at least two teams. However, to expand properly, as we did in Minnesota, time, cooperation, and preparation is required. We would love to have more teams in 2019-20 and will make it happen if there is a spirit of partnership from all sides. Unless there is a change of heart soon, we will revisit expansion for the 2020-21 season," the league said in a statement Thursday.Just two days after the Canadian Women's Hockey League announced it was folding after a 12-year run, the NWHL said it was expected to add teams in Toronto and Montreal.However, a lot has changed since.Earlier this month, over 200 women's hockey players announced they will be boycotting professional hockey this season until a plan for a viable league is in place.While there is uncertainty surrounding the rosters for the upcoming season, the NWHL is open to the creation of a new league."If any individuals or groups come forward and declare they are ready to start and invest in a new league where women can receive a substantial full-time salary and medical insurance, we would be ecstatic to have a conversation about a partnership or passing the torch."Professional women's hockey players were making as little as $2,000 a season with no health benefits.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With multiple players to sign and limited cap space with which to work, Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas might face some competition from other clubs looking to poach one of his young stars.Leafs forwards Mitch Marner, Kasperi Kapanen, and Andreas Johnsson are all set to become restricted free agents July 1. As RFAs, all three would be eligible to sign offer sheets from other clubs should they be presented with them.Dubas is prepared for that eventuality."You have to be realistic. You have to look around and identify which teams have the (draft) capital, which teams have the cap space, and which teams have the combination of both," Dubas told Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com.Any team that submits a successful offer sheet for an RFA must provide compensatory draft picks to the player's original club based on a predetermined league-wide scale, with larger salaries carrying heavier draft-pick compensation."We want to be prepared as much as we possibly can," said Dubas, adding that some teams are non-factors due to a lack of cap space, lack of draft picks, or both. "We don't want to leave ourselves exposed to the actions of an irrational actor in the marketplace, another team that has the ability to do something that's crazy."The young GM hopes to prevent any such situation by signing his players in an efficient manner."As a management group, our focus has been on finding contract resolutions with Mitch and Johnsson and Kapanen," he said.Marner, Kapanen, and Johnsson all had career years in 2018-19. Marner led the Leafs with 94 points, while Kapanen and Johnsson each reached the 20-goal mark.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and defenseman Nikita Zaitsev are working together to find the 27-year-old a fresh start "for his own personal and private reasons," general manager Kyle Dubas said Thursday, according to The Athletic's Jonas Siegel.There have already been multiple inquires regarding Zaitsev since the rest of the league was made aware of his availability Thursday morning, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie.Zaitsev was originally signed by the Maple Leafs on a one-year deal as an undrafted free agent out of Russia on May 2, 2016. He proved to be quite a find in his rookie campaign, tallying 36 points in 82 games while logging over 22 minutes per night. He managed a respectable 49.4 Corsi For percentage despite being deployed primarily in a defensive role.After his rookie season, the Maple Leafs - with Lou Lamoriello still serving as the general manager - inked Zaitsev to a seven-year contract with a cap hit of $4.5 million. He's failed to meet expectations since the deal, registering just 27 points in the last two seasons while also proving to be a puck-possession liability.He did, however, help form an admirable shutdown pairing alongside Jake Muzzin in the postseason, despite the club's early exit.With key restricted free agents Mitch Marner, Kasperi Kapanen, and Andreas Johnsson in line for significant raises, the Maple Leafs are facing a significant cap crunch, which could ultimately spell the end of Zaitsev's tenure in Toronto.Zaitsev has a 10-team no-trade list that kicks in July 1.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist will have a hearing with the league after boarding Boston Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced on Thursday.The hit occurred with 2:03 to play in the first period, and Sundqvist was given a two-minute minor for boarding.Grzelcyk was injured on the play and didn't return after logging 4:29 of ice time in the opening frame. The blue-liner is in concussion protocol and will not travel with the team to St. Louis on Thursday afternoon, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy confirmed.The 25-year-old Sundqvist has not previously faced supplementary discipline through two full NHL seasons.Following the contest, Bruins forward David Backes said he doesn't think the collision was "a hit that we want in our game."Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk was shaken up and forced to leave the game after a hard hit from behind by St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist late in the first period of Game 2 on Wednesday night.Grzelcyk was helped to Boston's dressing room by a trainer and his teammates and didn't return.After the game, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters Grzelcyk was taken to hospital but didn't have any further update on his condition, according to The Athletic's Fluto Shinzawa.Sundqvist was assessed a two-minute minor, but the league is reviewing the incident with a potential hearing being announced on Thursday, reports TSN's Pierre LeBrun.Grzelcyk has been a steady piece on the Bruins' third defensive pairing this spring, averaging just over 17 minutes per night and chipping in seven points so far in the postseason.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Carl Gunnarsson wasn't kidding.The St. Louis Blues defenseman ran into head coach Craig Berube in the bathroom between the third period and overtime and told his bench boss that he just needed one more chance, Berube told reporters postgame, according to The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford.Berube shared the story with the team in the dressing room, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.Gunnarsson scored the winner less than four minutes into the extra frame Wednesday night to give the Blues a 3-2 victory, squaring the Stanley Cup Final at one game apiece and handing St. Louis its first-ever win in the championship round.The blue-liner clanged a slap shot off the post with two minutes left in the third period.Game 3 of the series is scheduled for Saturday night in St. Louis.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St. Louis Blues are without forward Robert Thomas and defenseman Vince Dunn for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday, head coach Craig Berube confirmed.Robby Fabbri entered the lineup to make his Stanley Cup Final debut in Thomas' place, according to the official roster report.Thomas was on the receiving end of a heavy hit from Bruins defenseman Torey Krug in the third period of Game 1, but Berube insists the injury isn't connected to that collision.The skilled forward has scored just once this postseason, but his strong two-way play on a line with Patrick Maroon and Tyler Bozak has been instrumental to the Blues' success. In 177:12 of ice time at five-on-five, that line has owned 55.74 percent of the high-danger scoring chances, according to Natural Stat Trick.Dunn, meanwhile, took a puck to the face just two minutes into Game 3 of the Western Conference Final against the San Jose Sharks, and he hasn't played since.The 22-year-old blue-liner has been a key piece for the Blues throughout the playoffs, averaging 15:40 of ice time while contributing seven points in 16 games.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Anaheim Ducks will interview Dallas Stars assistant Todd Nelson for their head coach vacancy this week, reports TSN's Bob McKenzie.With the Oilers, Senators, Sabres, Kings, Flyers, and Panthers all hiring new head coaches since the conclusion of the regular season, the Ducks are the only remaining team with a spot to fill.Nelson isn't the only coach on Anaheim's radar, however.

Projected top-two pick Kaapo Kakko is not attending this week's NHL Scouting Combine.The 18-year-old's agent, Mike Liut, said his client is missing the combine in order to celebrate his gold medal victory with Finland at the 2019 IIHF World Championship."Kaapo is not skipping the combine, but circumstances such as a late World Championship schedule and country celebration prevent him from attending," Liut said, according to NHL.com's Mike Morreale."It's important to understand the World Championship is the Stanley Cup for countries outside North America."The combine started Monday and runs through Saturday at the KeyBank Center and HarborCenter in Buffalo, N.Y., where 103 prospects are participating in interviews and fitness testing.Kakko is widely expected to be the second overall pick - which is held by the New York Rangers - behind American center Jack Hughes.The winger led TPS Turku with 22 tallies this season, setting a Liiga record for goals by a player 18 years old or younger. Kakko also scored the golden goal at the world juniors in the dying minutes of the championship game and notched six tallies at the worlds this month in Slovakia.Kakko is the top-ranked European skater heading into June's draft. His NHL fate will be determined June 21 in Vancouver, British Columbia.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Chicago Blackhawks and forward Dominik Kubalik agreed to a one-year contract worth $925,000, the team announced Wednesday.The 23-year-old Czech was acquired Jan. 24 from the Los Angeles Kings, who drafted him in the seventh round (191st overall) in 2013.

The San Jose Sharks have brought back a familiar face behind their bench.Bob Boughner, who left the Sharks in 2017 to take over head coaching duties for the Florida Panthers, will return to the club as an assistant coach, the team announced Wednesday.Rob Zettler, who replaced Boughner on the Sharks' coaching staff in 2017, won't be returning.The 48-year-old Boughner served as an assistant coach for bench boss Peter DeBoer from 2015-17."I'm extremely excited that Bob has chosen to re-join our staff in San Jose," DeBoer said. "He and I have known each other for more than 20 years and we're very familiar with all the intangibles that he brings to our team."In 164 games as the Panthers' head coach, Boughner posted a record of 80-62-22, missing the 2018 playoffs by a single point.Before getting his chance at the NHL level, Boughner led the OHL's Windsor Spitfires to consecutive Memorial Cup championships in 2009 and 2010.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Betting in the futures market can be a slow burn.It's difficult enough to correctly pick a winner on any given night. Now, try picking three teams, across three different sports, to win their respective championships, and going on a seven-month roller-coaster ride to see if your passion for a single city can win you a boatload of money.Chris Brockman, a lover of Boston sports, strapped himself in for that ride when he placed a wild prop bet in October."Basically, a buddy and I - both die-hard Boston sports fans - were talking about futures bets before the World Series last year," Brockman told theScore on Tuesday. "So we both went in together and bet Red Sox and Patriots (to win a championship), Red Sox and Celtics, and then a prop of three or more (Boston teams to win a title) for 40-1."With two-thirds of that prop bet complete, Brockman's attention is now directly on the Boston Bruins, who are up 1-0 in the Stanley Cup Final against the St. Louis Blues.The first leg of the three-team wager cashed with relative ease shortly after Brockman placed it. The Red Sox were -135 favorites to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series and won in five games."We assumed the Red Sox would beat the Dodgers," Brockman admitted. "But even when we made the bet, the Patriots weren't looking like a Super Bowl team."Indeed, as we've so often seen in recent years, the Patriots - and a 41-year-old Tom Brady - faced increased skepticism. New England was 5-2 when the Red Sox celebrated their championship at Dodger Stadium, but the market soon cooled on the Patriots following three losses over a five-week span, and their Super Bowl odds fell to 10-1.The Patriots righted the ship with two straightforward victories to close out the regular season and then proceeded to crush the Los Angeles Chargers in the divisional round.It wasn't until the AFC Championship Game that Brockman really started to sweat, as New England was down 31-24 on the road to the Kansas City Chiefs."So the guy who I have the bet with, we go back and forth about nearly every Boston game," he said. "So, needless to say, there was lots of cursing and wishing we had hedged before the game since it was such a long shot. But once the game started, we knew how it was ending. We have Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. Being a spoiled Boston fan is fun."The two friends were right, as Brady orchestrated a textbook two-minute drill to tie it up. The Patriots then won the coin toss in overtime and marched down the field to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl, which they emerged from victorious by a score of 13-3 against the Los Angeles Rams.Now, this months-long wager comes down to the Bruins, an outcome Brockman certainly wasn't expecting in October."The thing is, I don't even really follow the Bruins," he said. "I'm definitely someone who only pays attention when they're in the playoffs. My buddy and I didn't think they'd be the ones to have a shot in this bet. We were banking on the Celtics getting their stuff together and make a Finals run where we could hedge big with the Warriors."But as the Bruins mowed down their postseason opponents and other Eastern Conference contenders began to fall, Brockman realized the epic long shot may actually pay off."When all the top dogs in the Eastern Conference got upset early on, (Tampa Bay Lightning) especially, and (Washington Capitals), we knew the Bruins had a real shot at winning the Cup and making this insane 40-1 shot a possibility," he said."It's insane. Never thought it would be the Bruins who would be the ones to make this happen, but here we are."Perhaps the most incredible part of it all is that Brockman - an on-air producer for "The Rich Eisen Show" - rarely mixes betting with fandom."I'm not one to normally bet on my teams," he said. "It was more of a, 'Hey, these are crazy odds, what if it happened and we didn't bet it?' So we did."After breaking his habit for those crazy odds, Brockman is just three Bruins wins away from getting off the roller coaster and cashing in on his all-Boston bet.Alex Kolodziej is theScore's betting writer. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 11 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AlexKoIodziej.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand offered his colorful two cents on what the NHL needs to do to fix its problems surrounding video reviews."Get rid of video reviews, that's the problem," Marchand told ESPN's Emily Kaplan. "When you start bringing in all the video reviews, the refs are getting crucified. They're out there to do a job. Start taking it away from them, little by little, then it's going to escalate. Now they're going to want video reviews for pucks hitting the net or hand passes, so how much are you going to take away from the refs?"The only way to do it is to do all of it with video review or none of it."Reviews have been a hot topic around the league as a number of missed calls have created controversy during the playoffs.Commissioner Gary Bettman said at his annual State of the Union address on Monday that the NHL will look to expand the video review process, but only in a way that will maintain consistency and avoid affecting the flow of the game.Changes could be coming swiftly, too, as Bettman revealed that reviews will be among the topics discussed when the league's general managers meet on June 20.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers have parted ways with skills and development coach Paul Coffey, according to Sportsnet's Mark Spector.The report came shortly after Dave Tippett was introduced as the new head coach.This is one of several management changes the team has made after finishing 14th in the Western Conference this season while missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year.The three-time Norris Trophy winner was hired in January 2018 by former general manager Peter Chiarelli and joined former teammates Wayne Gretzky and Kevin Lowe - the current vice chairs of the Oilers. The trio won three Stanley Cups together in Edmonton during the 1980s dynasty.Wayne Gretzky, Glenn Anderson, Paul Coffey and Kevin Lowe at the 1986 NHL All-Star Game B Bennett / Bruce Bennett / GettyCoffey was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Alex Pietrangelo says the St. Louis Blues have only themselves to blame after their collapse in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final."It was more us," Blues captain Pietrangelo said, according to Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. "I think we got away from our game. We got spread out, allowed them to play the way they wanted to through the neutral zone."The Blues held a two-goal lead early in the second period before Boston Bruins defenseman Connor Clifton opened up the scoring for the home side.