Running NHL 2023-24 regular season thread

Only took one guy telling Bettman to fuck off.

 

Why it ever needed to come to this.

League can never get out of its own way.

 

Trying not to make any sweeping judgements after just one week, but man, this is shaping up to be an extremely grim season for the Caps. And they really have no recourse to make any real changes with the roster as presently constructed. Joyless so far.

 

Shane Pinto of the Sens has been an unsigned RFA as they are up against the cap, to the extent that they only dressed 19 on opening night.

Now he been suspended for gambling, 41 game suspension starts immediately. Not sure on the substance and extent of his actual wagering.

 

American hockey player Adam Johnson dies after 'freak accident' during game in England

NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — American hockey player Adam Johnson, who appeared in 13 NHL games with the Pittsburgh Penguins, has died after a “freak accident” during a game in England on Saturday, his club said.

The 29-year-old Minnesota native was playing for the Nottingham Panthers in a Challenge Cup game against the Sheffield Steelers when he suffered a slashed neck during the second period of the game at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena.

 

This is my coverage area. We found out about the incident around dinner time Minnesota time and we had spent much of the evening expecting the worst but not getting much information on the record. Minnesota Duluth men's hockey was playing a rare non-conference series at Cornell this weekend. We still travel to all UMD men's games, so my beat writer was actually up and at 'em driving to catch a plane when the club finally released at 3:50 a.m. Minnesota time that he died. I would have much rather they had been more prompt about it, but they were understandably concerned probably for family notification purposes and because they didn't want to do a release in the middle of the night UK time (so they did a release in the middle of the night Minnesota time).

I rolled out of bed as soon as I could on Sunday morning to try and get the update on the web only to find that I had no power at my apartment, a phenomenon that lasted from just after I went to bed to exactly four minutes before I had to get up to get ready for church. I can edit basic things in our CMS on a phone but given my level of sentience at the time, I was relieved that one of our news editors, an early riser, had my back.

I didn't know the young man, but there's already some pretty good journalism floating around out there and many people lining up to pay tribute.

 

There are some racist assholes who say it was intentional and the other player needs to be arrested.

 

Well, you all know how much I hate complaining about the refs in Ducks games, but check out the Ducks-Pens near the end of the second period. Ducks get a goal by Ross Johnston for a 3-1 lead. Referee Frederick L'Ecuyer immediately waves it off for goalie interference, Sam Carrick next to Erik Karlsson. Ruling is Carrick pushed Karlsson into goalie Tristan Jarry. Carrick looks to be skating away from the crease, and nobody bumped into Jarry. Ducks challenge. Call is upheld. Ducks coach Greg Cronin shouting "No way, that's bullshit. No way, that's bullshit." L'Ecuyer gives the Ducks a bench minor. So, no goal and two minor penalties on the Ducks. Pens score on the 5-on-3 advantage. 2-2 tie. They still have 20 seconds left on a 5-on-4 to start the third period. Ducks announcer Brian Hayward levels into the ref, criticizing him for giving the Ducks a penalty because the coach cussed at him. At the intermission, Hayward said he hopes L'Ecuyer gets over having his feeling hurt and makes better calls in the third period.

ADD -- After the goal, Cronin must have said something else. He got a game misconduct.

ADD 2 -- I love hockey. Ducks win, 4-3, with a SHG by Mason McTavish coming out of the penalty box off a Pens' two-man advantage (both penalties deserved). Ducks sweep a four-game road trip for the first time since 2013.

 

Meanwhile in the minors: