NHL category, Page 56
First Call: Sam Darnold trade idea tied to Steelers; Ex-Pirates bust tries a comeback; Sabres lose 18th in a row to Philly
Tuesday’s “First Call” features a trade idea for the Steelers to consider. It involves a young quarterback. The Buffalo Sabres found another creative way to lose. Some interesting dirt about the New England Patriots and Jimmy Garoppolo. And an infamous name from the Pirates’ past is trying to make a...
Flyers make ugly plunge from contenders to a mess in MarchVideo
PHILADELPHIA — Shayne Gostisbehere came out swinging on the state of the Flyers, and the maligned defenseman sprinkled profanities in his R-rated critique of the team. Seems appropriate these days in Philly. The Flyers are certainly NSFW: Not Suitable For Watching. A crowd of about 2,800 inside a dreary Wells...
Sabres begin overhaul by trading Eric Staal to CanadiensVideo
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres’ overhaul has begun, with the spiraling team trading veteran center Eric Staal to the Montreal Canadiens on Friday. Buffalo acquired the Canadiens’ third- and fifth-round selections in the 2021 draft. The Sabres also agreed to retain $1.625 million of the final year of Staal’s...
Blues hockey great Bob Plager dies in car accident
ST. LOUIS — Former St. Louis Blues defenseman Bob Plager was killed Wednesday in a car crash in St. Louis. He was 78. Police said Plager was alone in his vehicle when it collided with a vehicle carrying two women on Interstate 64 in St. Louis about 1:30 p.m. One...
NHL referee caught on hot mic wanting to call penalty on Predators
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tim Peel’s career as an NHL referee is over after his voice was picked up by a TV microphone saying he wanted to call a penalty against the Nashville Predators. The league on Wednesday announced that Peel “no longer will be working NHL games now or in...
NHL makes draft lottery changes, spots up for grabs cut to 2Video
NEW YORK — The NHL is instituting changes to the draft lottery that make it more difficult for the last-place team to drop out of the top three in the selection order. Beginning with the 2021 draft, only the first two picks will be subject to the lottery instead of...
First Call: Steelers in touch with 2 draft targets; tempers flare after former Penguins goalie prospect gets 1st win
Tuesday’s “First Call” features some national media types who aren’t high on the Steelers offseason. We track some Steelers scouting efforts in advance of the draft. The Baltimore Ravens aren’t giving up on their quest for a free-agent wide receiver. And a new definition of “puck battle” emerges to help...
NHL pauses Bruins after 4 players go in covid protocol
The NHL has paused the Boston Bruins after four more players entered the league’s covid protocol. Bruins games Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres and Tuesday against the New York Islanders were postponed and team facilities closed until at least Wednesday. They’re the 36th and 37th games to be postponed this...
First Call: JuJu Smith-Schuster waits; Zach Banner will play right or left tackle; humiliating loss for Flyers
As Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster waits for a new contract, another one of his receiver peers found one in Washington. Offensive tackle Zach Banner talks about the process that kept him in Pittsburgh. The Philadelphia Flyers suffered humiliation while the New York Islanders absorbed an injury. And the ties between...
Rangers hand Flyers historic beatdown
NEW YORK — Mika Zibanejad had three goals and three assists in New York’s seven-goal second period, and the Rangers beat the Philadelphia Flyers 9-0 Wednesday night. Pavel Buchnevich had two goals and two assists — all in the second period — and Brendan Lemieux, Artemi Panarin, Jacob Trouba and...
Sabres fire coach Ralph Krueger after losing streak hits 12 games
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Twelve consecutive losses — and with no indication of the skid ending — were enough for Sabres first-year general manager Kevyn Adams to determine it was time to fire coach Ralph Krueger on Wednesday. The Sabres made the move the morning after a 3-2 loss at New...
Artemi Panarin rejoins Rangers after 2-week leave of absence
Artemi Panarin rejoined the New York Rangers for practice in Boston on Wednesday after taking a two-week leave of absence. Coach David Quinn said Panarin won’t play Thursday night against the Bruins and his timeline for getting back to game action is unclear. But there’s a buzz around the Rangers...
NHL reaches 7-year agreement with ESPN
The National Hockey League and ESPN are together again: The two sides announced a seven-year agreement Wednesday beginning next season that includes four Stanley Cup Finals, the NHL All-Star game and comprehensive streaming rights. ESPN has a long history with the league, stretching back to the network’s launch, but hasn’t...
Secondary scoring proves to be pivotal for the top NHL teams
The Tampa Bay Lightning hoisted the Stanley Cup last year, leaning on their top line of Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat to produce nearly 40% of their points during the postseason run. Tampa Bay is now winning a different way, nearing the midway point of the 56-game, pandemic-shortened...
First Call: Twists as JuJu Smith-Schuster approaches free agency; Islanders stay hot atop East
Monday’s “First Call” features a few interesting twists along the way toward JuJu Smith-Schuster’s free agency. The New York Islanders stay red-hot atop the Eastern Division. Robert Morris’ women’s hockey team takes a unique route to the NCAA tournament. And Duquesne’s spring football season opener turns back the clock when...
Washington’s Tom Wilson suspended 7 games for hit
BOSTON — Boston Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo was released from the hospital Saturday after spending the night following a head hit from Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson. Later Saturday, Wilson was suspended for seven games by the NHL without pay after an Zoom hearing to discuss the incident. Wilson is...
Blackhawks’ Brent Seabrook calls it a career because of injury
Longtime Chicago Blackhawks defenseman and three-time Stanley Cup winner Brent Seabrook announced Friday he is unable to continue playing hockey because of injury. After surgeries on his right shoulder and both hips, it’s a lingering right hip issue that’s keeping the 35-year-old Canadian from getting back on the ice. Seabrook...
Walter Gretzky, father of NHL great Wayne Gretzky, dies at 82
TORONTO — Walter Gretzky, the father of hockey great Wayne Gretzky, has died. He was 82. Wayne Gretzky said in a social media post Thursday night that his father battled Parkinson’s disease and other health issues the past few years. “It’s with deep sadness that Janet and I share the...
Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin fined $5K for spearing Bruins’ FredericVideo
NEW YORK — Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin was fined $5,000 by the NHL on Thursday for spearing Boston Bruins rookie Trent Frederic, an amount that is the maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement. Ovechkin delivered a spear in an upward direction to Frederic’s groin with five minutes left...
Vengeance sweet for Zdeno Chara, James Harden in 1st trips back
Wednesday night provided fireworks for a pair of superstars returning to their longtime homes. Former Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara (now with the Washington Capitals) and erstwhile Houston Rockets guard James Harden (with the Brooklyn Nets) notched victories over their old teams. Harden had a triple-double with 29 points, 10...
No Fun NHL? Restrictions help players appreciate hockey more
Instead of going out to dinner with his fiancee after coming home from practice, Brandon Carlo takes his dogs on long walks to get out of the house and enjoy some fresh air. “It’s nice that I can still do those things,” the Boston defenseman said. NHL players and their...
First Call: Steelers show interest in high-speed WR; goalie goal, goalie fight; Marc-Andre Fleury bet
A few Steelers post on social media about free agency. The franchise appears to have an interest in a blazer at wide receiver in the upcoming draft. A goalie fight, a goalie goal and a Golden Knights goalie bet. All that in Monday’s “First Call.” Banner’s self-ban Steelers free agent...
Capitals’ Henrik Lundqvist back on ice, ‘months’ away from deciding futureVideo
WASHINGTON — Henrik Lundqvist said Thursday he is months away from making a decision about his hockey-playing future after returning to the ice less than two months since undergoing open-heart surgery. The 38-year-old goaltender posted videos to social media earlier this week of himself in goaltending gear taking shots in...
Canadiens fire coach Claude Julien amid losing stretchVideo
MONTREAL — The struggling Montreal Canadiens fired coach Claude Julien and associate coach Kirk Muller on Wednesday after a three-game skid. Assistant coach Dominique Ducharme was appointed interim coach, and Alex Burrows was added to the Canadiens’ coaching staff. After a one-week break in their schedule, the Canadiens have lost...
Robert Morris goalie’s work with veterans groups helps to earn coveted hockey nomination
For years, every game day at Clearview Arena, we had the same routine. About 90 minutes before faceoff, my broadcast partner Mike Prisuta and I would head down from the broadcast deck and make our way to ice level and go through the team entrance. On the way to the...
