Latest news with #DougArmstrong
Associated Press
a day ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Hockey rides into offseason with full-on buzz, a threepeat bid and Olympic-size showdowns ahead
The 4 Nations Face-Off in February was meant to provide a taste of international competition a year before the Winter Olympics because it had been nearly a decade since the NHL's top players were able to represent their countries in the same tournament. Instead, the pace and quality of games captivated sellout crowds , with millions tuning in to watch. In the immediate aftermath of his team beating the U.S. i n the final in overtime, Canada general manager Doug Armstrong met up with American counterpart Bill Guerin in the hallway, shook hands and had a message that was bigger than one game. 'He said it best: Hockey was the big winner,' Guerin recalled. 'Obviously Canada won that championship, but the sport of hockey, the game, was the big winner.' Hockey is seeing a surge in popularity and buzz, fed by the 4 Nations tournament, Alex Ovechkin's stirring run to the NHL career goals record and the Florida Panthers repeating as Stanley Cup champions to set up a threepeat bid next season. Up next are the draft and free agency, with Mitch Marner and playoff MVP Sam Bennett among the top players available, and anticipation is building for the NHL's return to the Olympics for the first time since 2014. 'For all of us, I think we're just really proud of being a part of this bigger picture and growing the game and getting it more on the forefront,' Guerin said. 'The game's never been in a better spot.' 4 Nations success The NHL and NHLPA wanted to stage a World Cup but plans were pushed back until this year with a pared-down version involving the U.S., Canada, Sweden and Finland. Commissioner Gary Bettman referred to it as an appetizer, and no one knew exactly what to expect. 'We all went in hoping it was going to be a great event,' Armstrong said, 'and it ended up being better than anyone could have expected.' Canada's star-studded power play of Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Sam Reinhart connecting on a tic-tac-toe passing goal less than a minute into the opening game against Sweden served notice that the play would be at the highest level. The U.S. and Canada had three fights in the first nine seconds, and geopolitical cross-border tensions with crowds booing anthems and more put the 4 Nations in an unexpected spotlight. Fans were riveted. The final became one of the hottest tickets in Boston sports history, and more than 9 million watched in the U.S. and nearly 11 million in Canada. Not bad for a tournament that never happened before and may never happen again. The GR8 chase Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals took center stage as he chased down Wayne Gretzky's record of 894 goals, a feat that had long seemed unapproachable. Despite missing more than a month earlier in the season because of a broken left leg , he was in striking distance by late March. Still scoring at an absurd pace at 39 years old, Ovechkin went on a tear and tied the mark at home on a Friday night that became a celebration of his career. Two days later, he got No. 895 in New York against the Islanders, with Gretzky, Bettman, his mother, wife, children and more there to congratulate him. '(It is) the biggest accomplishment that the world of hockey has seen a very long time,' longtime teammate T.J. Oshie said. 'This record is going to be here for a while.' Ovechkin, now at 897 goals , is set to play his 21st NHL season and add to his total. Panthers repeat Florida had the 11th-most points out of the 16 teams that reached the playoffs and started each round on the road. Didn't matter. The Panthers got through Tampa Bay in five games, Toronto in seven and Carolina in six to reach the final for a third consecutive year. They then beat McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers again, this time in six to go back to back. 'Everybody wrote us off from the start of the playoffs,' veteran winger Brad Marchand said after becoming a two-time champion . 'They had everybody beating us in every round. We just had that fire. We knew we had something special.' Matthew Tkachuk, whose arrival in the summer of 2022 along with coach Paul Maurice coincided with Florida becoming an NHL powerhouse, went as far as to use the 'D' word. 'We've got to be dynasty now,' Tkachuk said. 'Three years in a row finals, two championships. This is a special group.' Retired goaltender Cory Schneider called the Panthers 'one of the best teams I think I've seen in my lifetime.' 'They're the epitome of depth, skill, structure,' said Schneider, who worked the final as an NHL Network analyst. 'A lot of teams have good players. but it takes the attention to detail and the sacrifice to do it all the time. Teams want to play easy hockey sometimes and get their chances, but Florida does that while also committing to playing a complete brand of team hockey.' BetMGM Sportsbook lists the Oilers as a slight favorite to win next season's championship over the Panthers. The NHL hasn't had a three-peat since the New York Islanders won four in a row from 1980-83. Draft and free agency The league is having its first in-person, de-centralized draft in Los Angeles on June 27-28. The New York Islanders after winning the draft lottery have the first pick, and new general manager Mathieu Darche could pick defenseman Matthew Schaefer, an inspirational story off the ice. With the salary cap getting the first of several big jumps thanks to record attendance and revenue (increases to $95.5 million this summer), player movement could be fast and furious. Free agency opens July 1, and teams in markets from New York and Toronto to Los Angeles, Anaheim and Utah have cap space to use. Milan-Cortina Olympics The 12 countries taking part — Russia is banned — have already unveiled the first six players on their Olympic rosters. The International Ice Hockey Federation has released the schedule of games, with the men's tournament starting Feb. 11, 'When you're growing up when you're watching as a kid, it's Stanley Cup finals and it's Team Canada,' said Reinhart, who scored four goals in Florida's Cup-clinching game the day after getting named to Canada's roster. 'Those are the two things that you dream about playing for. To have that opportunity is pretty exciting.' The NHL went to five consecutive Games from 1998-2014, then skipped 2018 and pulled out in 2022, leaving teams those years without any active league players. Milan-Cortina will be the first Olympics for players like McDavid, MacKinnon, Auston Matthews and Jack Eichel. 'Getting another opportunity to bring generations that have a Sidney Crosby and a Connor McDavid together to play internationally, it's just great for the fans and great for hockey,' Armstrong said. 'Players are so excited to be part of this. ... It's neck and neck with the Stanley Cup right now of wanting to win that event.' Tkachuk was named to the U.S. team along with brother Brady. With the two becoming household names for new fans after the fight-filled 4 Nations, it feels a little like hockey is in its Tkachuk era. Italy is the next stop on their journey. '4 Nations was good, and hopefully Olympics will be great, as well,' said Matthew after becoming a two-time Cup champion. 'I feel I've been the luckiest guy in hockey.' ___ AP NHL:
New York Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Times
How the Blues can pull off a perfect offseason, in 5 steps
ST. LOUIS — With the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday, it's time for the St. Louis Blues to become more than spectators. The NHL Draft is just more than a week away (June 27 and 28), and free agency and development camp will be the following week. The Blues have the No. 19 pick in the first round, and when I was asked by The Athletic recently to project who the club might pick, I chose University of Wisconsin right-shot defenseman Logan Hensler. Advertisement As far as free agency, the Blues have approximately $5.5 million in salary-cap space for the 2025-26 season, according to PuckPedia, but that number will grow when they place injured defenseman Torey Krug on long-term injured reserve (LTIR). And if we're talking trades, few can predict what general manager Doug Armstrong will have up his sleeve this summer. But that's what makes it fun: imagining the scenarios. Let's start by laying out what a perfect Blues offseason looks like — but before you get too excited, just know that the nightmare version is coming Friday. Wanting to make moves for the future and remain competitive now, it makes sense that the Blues wind up in the middle of the first round — and for the second consecutive year, that's where they are. In 2024, the Blues had the No. 16 pick and went with defenseman Adam Jiricek, who's had an injury-riddled couple of seasons. This year, they have the No. 19 pick, and as I mentioned, I went with Hensler in The Athletic's beat writer mock draft. I debated taking Kitchener Rangers defenseman Cameron Reid, who colleague Corey Pronman selected for the Blues when he did his mock draft. But even though Pronman and I both have the Blues calling out the name of a defenseman with their first-round pick, that doesn't mean it's their biggest need. Pronman has the center position more pressing. So don't rule out the possibility of centers Jack Nesbitt (Windsor), Cole Reschny (Victoria) or Braeden Cootes (Seattle). And Nesbitt, especially, at 6-foot-4, 185 pounds, would be a nice land. The winner of the Conn Smythe Award as the NHL's playoff MVP, Sam Bennett is going to be able to write his own price tag in free agency, and by many accounts, he wants to return to the Panthers. Some Blues fans may not be too upset by that, because Bennett will turn 29 years old Friday, and after scoring 15 goals in 23 playoff games, he could get a long-term deal with a cap hit of $9 million-plus. That may be an overpayment for a player who's certainly contributed to the Panthers' success but also benefited from the talent around him. Advertisement This article is part constructive and part fantasyland, though, so if we're going to wish for the Blues to come away this summer with the best available player at the position they need the most help, it probably has to be Bennett. To be clear, Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg each have one more season left on the two-year deals they signed with the Blues when the team lured them away from the Edmonton Oilers with a pair of shocking offer sheets last summer. They are eligible to sign extensions on July 1, though, and while it's not imperative that they're signed this summer, it sure would make fans more comfortable to know they're locked up long-term. Both are 23 years old and will be restricted free agents next summer, so the team would still retain their rights. I was a bit surprised when The Athletic conducted its Blues fan survey recently and a majority of the 1,800 responses wanted four-year extensions for both Holloway and Broberg. Perhaps I'm too excited about what I saw, but I'd be willing to give them each eight years, and I'd do it this summer before the possibility of them increasing their value in 2025-26. Cam Fowler, 33, has one more season left on his contract, and like Broberg and Holloway, is eligible to sign an extension on July 1. He's been a perfect fit on the top pair with Colton Parayko, which is perhaps why Parayko had a career year in 2024-25. A two-year extension for Fowler may be more ideal, but for a couple of reasons, I agree with 47.3 percent of those in the survey who selected a three-year deal. The Blues may be able to get a lower cap hit by giving him more term, and even if he drops off by the third year, his skating ability makes it hard to believe that he won't be able to contribute, even if it's not in the top four. The Blues have some defensive prospects in the system like Jiricek, Lukas Fischer and Theo Lindstein, who have promising futures, but that future is a few years away. So in the meantime, a player with Fowler's experience is extremely valuable. I don't want to pile on Leddy, and I know there are many fans who would trade Justin Faulk before him. But Leddy is down to just one more year left on his contract, and with a $4 million cap hit, that may be more feasible to move than the remaining two years and $6.5 million cap hit for Faulk. Either way, the Blues need to clear out a defenseman and add more toughness to a blue line that's been severely lacking it for years. Tyler Tucker needs to be a regular in the top six — not sitting at the expense of a vanilla veteran. While the Blues may not be in the market for Florida's Aaron Ekblad in free agency, there are a few defensemen available who could fit the description of what they need, and they could also look for one in a trade. (Top photo of Brayden Schenn and Sam Bennett: Jasen Vinlove / USA Today)
New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Q&A with Blues chairman Tom Stillman: State of the team, ‘McDavid deal,' rising cap and more
ST. LOUIS — It's become a tradition every offseason for The Athletic to sit down for a Q&A with St. Louis Blues chairman Tom Stillman. A year ago, Stillman spoke with us about how difficult the decision was to fire coach Craig Berube and teased us on how interesting the summer might be with general manager Doug Armstrong making moves to improve the team. Advertisement This year, after a surprising trip to the NHL playoffs, there were new topics to discuss: Armstrong's final year as GM, the transition to Alexander Steen and more. In a phone call Monday, Stillman joked that he had his own surprise. He was in his car with wife, Mary, and said, laughing, 'I've suggested that she answer the questions.' 'I'm primed and ready,' Mary said. 'I just think it's time for her …' Stillman said. 'To weigh in,' she finished. Instead, however, Mary got out of the car after a few minutes. 'She took off with our new puppy,' Stillman said of the couple's female Welsh Springer Spaniel, named Patty. 'She's a cute little dog, and it's nice having her as I'm licking my wounds because she always wants to come up and cuddle.' Stillman's wounds are a reference to the Blues' agonizing, last-second loss to the Winnipeg Jets in Game 7 of the first round of the playoffs. But months removed from that defeat, Patty is helping him turn his attention to the future. Here's what Stillman had to say this year. Note: This conversation has been edited for clarity and length. How much did the second-half surge and making the playoffs change your view of where you are in the retool, and because of it, where are you now? We took a very big step forward this year — a bigger step than we thought it might be a few months earlier. That goes back further than how well we played in the later part of the season. It goes back to the three big moves that Doug (Armstrong) made: the acquisitions of (Philip) Broberg, (Dylan) Holloway and Cam (Fowler), along with the hiring of (Jim Montgomery). When you look at that all together, Monty and the players moved us toward a different approach and different culture in the way we play, and in the end, that was a big step forward. What was your initial reaction to Armstrong wanting to bring back Jim Montgomery, and what is it about him that makes the hiring so promising? My initial reaction was, 'Yeah, that's the right thing to do, and let's do it right now.' Usually with something that big, we let it percolate, but that's not how it was. It was, 'What a great coach, and if he's available, we've got to do it.' At the same time, I have to admit that I felt bad for (former coach Drew Bannister). He was improving and that was what we expected of him, and he was doing fine. So that part is tough. But you have to remember that our job is to do the best thing we can by the Blues franchise, so then we moved ahead. Advertisement With Monty, he's got such a great combination of accountability and making sure people know their job in detail. Like, that player isn't supposed to be over there — he's supposed to be nine inches over here. At the same time, he keeps everything light. You know right away, he's one of those guys who you want to be around. He's funny, he's able to talk to anybody, and he's just one of those magnetic people. So he's able to combine being demanding with positive reinforcement, and you want to be around him. It's a unique combination in my view. A year ago, you teased us when you said it'll be an interesting offseason — 'It already is.' Did you have an inkling about the offer sheets for Broberg and Holloway at that time? If not, what were you teasing? That was last May when we spoke, and I didn't know about the offer sheets yet, but I'll say it again. I used to hear GMs say, 'We're always trying to improve the club,' and think that's a bunch of BS and they're just giving lip service to the fans. But that is actually 100 percent true. There are GMs, especially Doug, they think about doing this and doing that all of the time and they're actively being talked about. So I don't know what it was I was referring to last year when I said it was already an interesting offseason, but there's always stuff like that flying around, especially in May when the season is over way too early and people are wondering how we're going to get better. There's a lot of intrigue again this offseason within the fan base, so are there any more hints you want to drop on us? Do you think Armstrong has a big trade up his sleeve in free agency, trades, offer sheets? (Laughing) Well, I think the (Connor) McDavid deal is looking pretty good. When we deal with Edmonton, we go for two, so I think it would be (Leon) Draisaitl, too. But just keep that under wraps. Nah, I'd love to tease you with something, but I'm not going to. Speaking of the roster, the NHL salary cap is jumping to $95.5 million next season, $104 million in 2026-27 and $113.5 million in 2027-28. What is your take on the dramatic rise, and will Blues ownership continue spending to the cap? First, on the rise of the cap, we certainly understand it because it was artificially held down under the CBA that was entered into during COVID. We knew that it was going to rise. At the same time, that's not easy for a smaller middle-market team like us, so it does present challenges in developing the revenue we need to keep up and remain competitive. Will we spend to the cap? We will spend to the cap if that's what makes sense. We're not going to spend to the cap just so we can say that we spent to the cap. We will be looking at the actual facts and circumstances: where we think we are as a team, who's available, what's best in the short term and long term, and just what makes sense. Advertisement In your 13 seasons as chairman, you've worked hand-in-hand with one man: Armstrong. What are your thoughts on that relationship entering his final year as the GM before Steen takes over? We are really lucky, really blessed to have the person who I think is the best GM in the league managing the St. Louis Blues. That relationship remains solid and full of respect. While we are changing the GM next year and Steen will take that seat, we will still have Doug here. He is going to be active in doing a lot of work as president. He's not going to be somebody who suddenly, his mind goes slack, right? By the same token, Alex's process of learning how to be a great general manager doesn't end when he is designated GM. That was all part of this plan as we laid it all out. We still have a great GM there to bring Alex along and even handle some things that Alex doesn't have to take over for a while. I mean, does Alex have to be in charge of every scout's contract in his first year as GM? Does he have to be involved in our charter plane arrangements? I want Alex to learn everything in order and be learning from the best as he does it. How better have you gotten to know Steen over the past year, and what's your comfort level in him taking over compared to where it might have been when the transition was announced? He's much better prepared than he was a year ago, and he'll be a lot better prepared with another year of work like this under his belt. He's working really closely with Doug and also learning from everybody else: Peter (Chiarelli), Al (MacInnis), Keith (Tkachuk), Scott (Mellanby). He's taking it all in from all angles, plus he comes in with his views about what makes a good team and what makes a player the kind of player that we want, that puts the team first. So yeah, I'm very comfortable with the way that he's progressing. During the Stanley Cup Final, the NHL and NHLPA both made comments that they're having positive dialogue about a CBA extension before it expires in September 2026. Do you feel good about the situation, and are there any specifics you'd like to see addressed — playoff salary-cap loophole, etc.? Well, I'm going to start with something I've read from the NHL 30-40 times over my time: 'We ask that you not comment on the CBA.' There may be discipline, so I would just say we've gotten updates from the league and things seem to be moving along well, and I'm happy to hear that. In our recent Blues fan survey, 76 percent of them gave Blues ownership an A and 88 percent gave them a B or higher. It's been seen as a stable group since the day it took over in 2012, but where are you at today? Can fans expect the same leader, same group, same stability for years to come? I don't see any real changes. I don't see anything that's going to change our approach. We do have to pump up our revenue. That's really the big imperative. We talked earlier about the cap going up and that creates challenges, but that doesn't mean that we're going to start running the club differently, or we're going to have a crisis in ownership or anything like that. We're stable. (Top photo of Tom Stillman and Doug Armstrong: Scott Rovak / NHLI via Getty Images)
Toronto Star
4 days ago
- Sport
- Toronto Star
‘Anything can happen' in Milan Olympics men's hockey. A world championship shocker was the latest example
The goal is gold, of course, but Team Canada's top executive Doug Armstrong made no promises as Hockey Canada rolled out the first six players named to the men's team for February's Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. 'Gold medal, we hope,' Armstrong said Monday when asked what the Canadians will be capable of. 'Our group wants to go there and wants to put their best foot forward. There's no guarantees in sport, but I know we're going to go with the right attitude.'
Edmonton Journal
4 days ago
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid together again as Canadian Olympians
Article content General manager Doug Armstrong, assistants Julien BriseBois, Jim Nill, Don Sweeney, director of player personnel Kyle Dubas and head coach Jon Cooper made the picks with with input from player relations advisor Ryan Getzlaf and Hockey Canada staff. 'Sidney, Nathan, Cale, Connor, Brayden and Sam provide a strong foundation for a successful team,' Armstrong said in a release. '(They) have been proven winners at all levels of their professional and international careers, and we look forward to all six being key contributors to our team as we look to accomplish our goal of winning Olympic gold.' Crosby is a two-time Olympic champion in 2010 and 2014 and is a veteran of 1,352 NHL games, while Colorado Avalanche stars MacKinnon and Makar, Edmonton's McDavid, Tampa Bay's Point and Reinhart of the Florida Panthers will make their Olympic debuts at Milan-Cortina. The NHL has not participated in the Winter Games since 2014. 'I am honoured to be named,' Crosby said. 'I am grateful for the opportunity to represent Canada at the Olympics, as I know how much pride comes with wearing the Maple Leaf on the international stage.' The tournament will take place Feb. 11-22, during Days 5-to-16 of the Games at Milano Arena and Milano Santa Giulia Arena.
