NHL pushes puck up ice in bid to reach Latino communitiesVideo
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Scott Gomez grew up among the diverse cultures that amalgamate around Anchorage, Alaska. Race was something he never really thought about, particularly on the ice. The son of a Mexican American father and Colombian mother, Gomez heard a few disparaging remarks while coming up through the junior...
Kucherov leads Lightning to verge of back-to-back Cup titlesVideo
It is impossible for Nikita Kucherov to fly under the radar while leading the Tampa Bay Lightning to the verge of a second consecutive Stanley Cup championship. Just how much he is producing still can come as a surprise. “I didn’t even realize he had 32 points,” coach Jon Cooper...
Lightning on cusp on sweeping Canadiens, winning back-to-back CupsVideo
MONTREAL — Tyler Johnson and the quick-strike Tampa Bay Lightning moved a victory away from successfully defending their title, beating the Montreal Canadiens, 6-3, on Friday night in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. The Lightning caught the Canadiens flat-footed by scoring twice in the opening minutes of each...
2 for 2: Lightning trades for Coleman, Goodrow pay off
Two trades in an eight-day span in February 2020 could deliver two Stanley Cup championships for the Tampa Bay Lightning. General manager Julien BriseBois paid the hefty price of two first-round picks and a blue-chip prospect to acquire Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow, figuring they would be able to help...
Sean McDonough on his new NHL play-by-play role, the league’s move to ESPN and hockey broadcasting history
When news broke in March that the NHL was heading to ESPN and Turner Sports next season, many hockey fans had two consistent questions: • How will broadcasts change, if at all, from NBC’s approach? • Will ESPN really prioritize hockey coverage more in its highlight-intensive sports news shows and...
Canadiens, Lightning get rugged in Stanley Cup FinalVideo
Corey Perry walked into the locker room after his 164th career NHL playoff game and 19th with the Montreal Canadiens and told his teammates to savor the experience. “This is hockey,” Perry said. “It’s fun. Enjoy it.” It would have been far more enjoyable for the Canadiens had they won,...
L.A. Kings acquire Viktor Arvidsson from Nashville for 2 picks
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Kings have acquired forward Viktor Arvidsson from Nashville in exchange for two draft picks. The Predators get a second-round pick this year and a third-round pick in 2022 in the trade announced Thursday. The 28-year-old Arvidsson is a two-time 30-goal scorer who has spent...
Heroic goal by Coleman, dominant effort from Vasilevskiy put Lightning up 2-0 in Stanley Cup FinalVideo
TAMPA, Fla. — Just when the Montreal Canadiens found another gear to show they can hang with the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final, Blake Coleman singlehandedly kept the series from being tied. Coleman scored a one-armed, diving buzzer-beater, and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy was the best...
Stanley Cup notes: Canadiens await Dominique Ducharme’s return
TAMPA, Fla. — When the Stanley Cup Final shifts to Montreal for Games 3 and 4, the Canadiens expect to have coach Dominique Ducharme back behind their bench. Ducharme was required by provincial protocol in Quebec to isolate for 14 days after testing positive for the coronavirus. That two-week period...
Blackhawks’ Jonathan Toews back skating after missing season with immune disorder
CHICAGO — Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews revealed Wednesday that he missed this past season while dealing with what he described as chronic immune response syndrome. Toews revealed his diagnosis for the first time in a video released on social media. The video showed him skating at the team’s practice...
Tim Benz: Numbers from Tampa Bay Lightning postseason run are replicating Penguins’ Stanley Cup success
As the Tampa Bay Lightning march through their Stanley Cup title defense, they are clipping along at a rate reminiscent of past Pittsburgh Penguins achievements. Coach John Cooper and his team are up 1-0 over the Montreal Canadiens in the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final. That’s the result of a 5-1...
Sean McDonough, Steve Levy to lead ESPN’s NHL coverage
Mark Gross has sought out and fielded plenty of calls since ESPN won the rights to the NHL in March. On Tuesday, the network’s Senior Vice President of Production and Remote Events saw the first major step accomplished as the announcers and analysts for the upcoming season were announced. The...
Marc-Andre Fleury gets 1st Vezina Trophy; Connor McDavid is unanimous MVP
Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid ran away in the voting to win his second Hart Trophy as NHL MVP on Tuesday, much like he blew away the competition while leading the league in points. McDavid became just the second unanimous Hart selection — joining Wayne Gretzky in 1982 — in...
Canadiens need bounce-back from best players in Cup Final
TAMPA, Fla. — The loser of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final has won the championship each of the past three years. The Tampa Bay Lightning likely will end that streak if the Montreal Canadiens do not get a better showing from their offensively talented line of Cole Caufield,...
Oilers sign forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to 8-year extension
EDMONTON, Alberta — The Edmonton Oilers signed forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to an eight-year extension on Tuesday with an average annual value of $5.125 million. Nugent-Hopkins’ previous deal for seven years and $42 million expired after this season. He had 16 goals and 19 assists in 52 games this year. Nugent-Hopkins...
Veteran Wayne Simmonds signs 2-year deal with Maple Leafs
TORONTO — Veteran forward Wayne Simmonds signed a two-year contract extension with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday. The team says his contract has an average annual value of $900,000. Simmonds played in 38 regular-season games with the Maple Leafs during this past season, with seven goals and two assists....
First Call: New home for Steelers’ Paxton Lynch; a look at NHL TV plans for drafts on ESPN
Tuesday’s “First Call” gives Steelers fans a Paxton Lynch sighting. We get one more look at Jack Leiter before the Pirates pass on him. A local guy goes yard in the NL Central. And we get our first glance at ESPN plans for the upcoming NHL drafts. Lynch looks north...
Tampa Bay outclasses Montreal in Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final
TAMPA, Fla. — Playoff scoring leader Nikita Kucherov had two goals and an assist and Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 18 saves to outplay Carey Price and lead the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 5-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night....
Gary Bettman casts doubt on NHL players going to Beijing OlympcsVideo
TAMPA, Fla. — NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said time is running out to reach a deal to send players to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, casting doubt on the league’s return to that event after skipping it in 2018. The league, players’ union, International Olympic Committee and International Ice...
Son of Bruins star David Pastrnak dies 6 days after birth
BOSTON — Boston Bruins star David Pastrnak says his son has died six days after birth. He did not disclose a cause. Pastrnak posted on Instagram that girlfriend Rebecca Rohlsson gave birth to Viggo Rohl Pastrnak, who died June 23. “We have an Angel watching over us and we call...
Blackhawks hire outside firm to investigate allegations
CHICAGO — The Chicago Blackhawks have hired a former federal prosecutor to conduct an independent review of allegations that a former player was sexually assaulted by a then-assistant coach in 2010. CEO Danny Wirtz announced the move in an internal memo Monday morning. It also was confirmed by a person...
First Call: Will David DeCastro file a grievance over his release? What’s Marc-Andre Fleury’s future in Las Vegas?
Monday’s “First Call” features a question about David DeCastro’s release by the Steelers. A former Pirates pitcher shines. Considering Marc-Andre Fleury’s future. And the Browns backs are hand-in-glove. Done with DeCastro One reason why the Steelers may have tagged David DeCastro’s release as related to a non-football injury is in...
Ellwood City native Stephen Johns spotlights mental health in hockeyVideo
Stephen Johns worked out at the rink, trying to get back to playing after a concussion. Dallas Stars teammates asked how he was doing but never quite understood. “They kind of went on about their days not really knowing what was really going on, kind of the thoughts I was...
NHL royalty vs. Hockey Bay as Canadiens take on Lightning in Stanley Cup FinalVideo
TAMPA, Fla. — Brian Engblom sat in the lower bowl at Amalie Arena with the Tampa Bay Lightning’s two Stanley Cup banners to his right and the team looking to add a third skating on the ice in front of him. Reflecting on his days playing for the Canadiens and...
Canadiens’ Joel Armia in covid-19 protocol day before Stanley Cup FinalVideo
Montreal Canadiens forward Joel Armia was placed in the NHL’s covid-19 protocol and didn’t travel with the team to Tampa Bay on Sunday, a day before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. General manager Marc Bergevin made the announcement after Armia was not at practice in Montreal before the...
