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Devils Links
“The Hockey Hall of Fame said it will not give Jack Hughes the puck from his gold-medal-winning goal for Team USA in the Milan Cortina Olympics. ‘Unfortunately, in the easiest words, it was never Jack’s puck to own,’ Philip Pritchard, vice president of the resource center and curator for the Hockey Hall of Fame, told ESPN on Wednesday.” [ESPN]
Jack Hughes tallied a goal and two assists and helped to push the Devils to a glorious 6-3 win over the Rangers on Wednesday.
[Devils NHL]
“Dougie Hamilton is still the closest thing (the Devils) have to a true No. 1, but he is not the player he was in his prime. That’s why the Devils need Luke Hughes to take a step forward in his development. He has not had the best season, but these final 15 games offer him a chance to build some momentum heading into the offseason.” [Devils on the Rush ($)]
FWIW: “Teams that showed serious interest in Matthew Knies included Anaheim, Chicago, Montreal, New Jersey and Utah. Everyone has denied that the Canadiens went far down the road, but … we’ll see. There were some teams who didn’t believe the Maple Leafs were serious about it, but now recognize the possibility.” [Sportsnet]
Hockey Links
“As if we needed more proof that Matthew Schaefer is well on his way to becoming a generational talent, he just etched his name in the NHL history books. With his game-opening goal against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday, the New York Islanders blue-liner became the youngest defenceman in NHL history to record 50 points at 18 years, 195 days.” [Sportsnet]
“NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, the league’s chief decision maker when it comes to, well, everything, has long been the most vocal proponent of the current playoff system, which doesn’t seed teams 1 through 8 in each conference. After this week’s three-day general manager meetings wrapped up on Wednesday, Bettman maintained his satisfaction with the current format.” [The Athletic ($)]
“Eric Tulsky declined comment, but it was Carolina’s general manager who had an exchange with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman about head contact during this week’s GMs meetings. (Bettman wouldn’t comment, either.) It happened Tuesday. According to several sources, Bettman raised the topic, saying there is an owner who feels strongly the league needs stronger enforcement on this issue. He asked the GMs if they agree with the current standard/interpretation of Rule 48: Illegal Check to the Head. There was a second or two of silence before Tulsky said he supported the owner’s position, leading the commissioner to say something along the lines of, ‘Well, I guess we know which owner this was.’” [Sportsnet]
Ryan Johansen heads to retirement: [Daily Faceoff]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
