KHL - Tarasov Division Teams

Severstal Cherepovets - Founded in 1956, the club was originally known as Stroitel (Builder) Cherepovets. The name was changed to Metallurg (Metallurgist) Cherepovets in 1959. During the Soviet times Metallurg played in the low- and mid-level divisions of the ice hockey championship. But since the 1990s not without the financial support of its parent Severstal company the club joined the ranks of the major professional teams starting with the first season of the newly established International Hockey League. The club eventually changed its name after the owner in 1994. The biggest success of Severstal to date is the 2002-2003 Superleague season when they advanced to the final with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.

Arena: Ice Palace 6,064 Stalevarov st. 43, Cherepovets, Vologda Region, Russia, 162626
Nickname: Steelers

HC Sochi - Хоккейный клуб Сочи On May 23, 2014, it was reported that Detroit Red Wings' pending restricted free agent center Cory Emmerton had signed with HC Sochi to begin play in the Kontinental Hockey League with the 2014–15 season, becoming the first import player signed in Franchise history. The head coach is a former NHL player and former coach of CSKA Moscow Vyacheslav Butsayev. The team is owned by Gazprom.

Arena: Bolshoy Ice Dome 12,000 Olympic Park, Adler District, Sochi, Krasnodarsky Krai, Russia, 354349

Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod - (Торпедо Нижний Новгород) The first official ice hockey tournament in Gorky (the Communist era name of Zizhny Novgorod) took place in early 1947, when the team was the winner of the first Cup of Avtozavodtsev. In the 1947–48 season, the team was in the national championships.
The 1960–61 season was the most significant in the history of Torpedo, with the team winning the Avtozavodtsev cup and the Soviet Sport Cup, reaching the final of the Cup of the Soviet Union, and finally winning the silver medal in the national championship. Torpedo was the first provincial team to place in the USSR championship in 1961. Gorkovchan's success that year is attributed, primarily, to head coach of Dmitry Boginova, who managed to create a strong and cohesive team in just a few years. Goalie Konovalenko Victor was later a two-time Olympic champion and eight-time world champion.
Twice the team fell just short of the bronze in 1982 and 1985. In the 1980s Gorky twice won the Thunderstorm Authority prize. The Torpedoes players in those years were constantly being called to different teams, with some seasons including the loss of up to ten players to other teams.
In the championships of the MHL, RHL and Russia, which have been held since the Soviet collapse, the Torpedoes have not achieved significant success, with the best year in 1995, when the team placed fourth in the playoffs of the MHL championship.They used to play their home games at Konovalenko Sports Palace, named after Viktor Konovalenko - one of the most famous Soviet goalkeepers, who played for Torpedo. They now play at Trade Union Sport Palace. The team is owned by the GAZ group.

Arena: Trade Union Sport Palace 5,500 Nagorny Arena Gagarina prosp. 29, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 603950

Whitley Warriors Announce 2015-16 Season Schedule

The Whitley Warriors announced they will be taking on the Kirkcaldy Kestrels over the weekend of the 22^nd/23^rd August. Whitley will head north to Fife (Scotland) to take on the Kestrels on Saturday 22nd August (face off 6.30pm) before hosting them at Hillheads the following evening at 7pm.
The two challenge games will see player/coach David Longstaff’s long-awaited return in a Warriors jersey while summer signings Shaun Kippin, Jordan Boyle and Andre Payette are all likely to be involved too.
Whitley met Kirkcaldy last year North-of-the-border, when the Scottish National League side narrowly lost out in an evenly-contested match.

The Schedule for the 2015-16 season was also announce last week:

Date	Face off	Opposition	Venue
22 Aug	6:30pm	Kirkcaldy Kestrels	Away	Exhibition game
23 Aug	7:00pm	Kirkcaldy Kestrels	Home	Exhibition game
6 Sep	5:00pm	Solway Sharks	Home
13 Sep	6:00pm	Solihull Barons	Away
19 Sep	5:30pm	Telford Tigers	Away
20 Sep	5:00pm	Solihull Barons	Home
27 Sep	5:00pm	Telford Tigers	Home
4 Oct	5:00pm	Sutton Sting	Home
18 Oct	4:15pm	Sutton Sting	Away
24 Oct	7:00pm	Solway Sharks	Away
25 Oct	5:00pm	Billingham Stars	Home
31 Oct	3:45pm	Sheffield Senators	Away
8 Nov	5:00pm	Sheffield Spartans	Home
15 Nov	6:15pm	Sheffield Spartans	Away
22 Nov	5:00pm	Sheffield Senators	Home
29 Nov	6:30pm	Billingham Stars	Away
6 Dec	5:00pm	Blackburn Hawks	Home
13 Dec	5:45pm	Blackburn Hawks	Away
20 Dec	5:00pm	Blackburn Hawks	Home
27 Dec	5:30pm	Telford Tigers	Away
10 Jan	5:45pm	Blackburn Hawks	Away
17 Jan	5:00pm	Telford Tigers	Home
23 Jan	7:00pm	Solway Sharks	Away
24 Jan	5:00pm	Sheffield Spartans	Home
30 Jan	7:30pm	Sutton Sting	Away
31 Jan	5:00pm	Billingham Stars	Home
7 Feb	5:00pm	Sutton Sting	Home
14 Feb	2:15pm	Sheffield Spartans	Away
21 Feb	5:00pm	Sheffield Senators	Home
28 Feb	5:00pm	Solihull Barons	Home
6 Mar	5:00pm	Solway Sharks	Home
13 Mar	6:00pm	Solihull Barons	Away
20 Mar	6:30pm	Billingham Stars	Away
27 Mar	2:00pm	Sheffield Senators	Away

NHL - Edmonton Oilers Profile

The Edmonton Oilers haven't been among the top NHL teams in recent years, but they are one of the most fortunate. In April, the Oilers won the NHL Draft Lottery for the fourth time in six years. The prize was Erie Otters center Connor McDavid, who is considered the best player to enter the League since Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby a decade ago. McDavid fell into the Oilers' lap, and consequently expedited changes to the franchise, which has failed to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs the past nine seasons.
Edmonton, with an 11.5 percent chance, won the lottery after finishing 28th in the NHL standings. Shortly after NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly revealed the result, major changes took place in the Oilers organization. Two days later, Bob Nicholson was appointed chief executive officer and vice chair of the Oilers Entertainment Group. The former president of Hockey Canada was hired by Edmonton a year earlier to assess all aspects of the operation. Four days after being named CEO, Nicholson hired Peter Chiarelli as president of hockey operations and general manager, replacing Craig MacTavish. Chiarelli was fired by the Boston Bruins nine days earlier after eight years as their GM, winning the Stanley Cup in 2011. Chiarelli worked with Nicholson as a member of Canada's management team at the 2013 IIHF World Championship and 2014 Sochi Olympics.
In mid-May, Chiarelli hired Todd McLellan as coach. McLellan spent the previous seven seasons coaching the San Jose Sharks and missed the playoffs for the first time last season. McLellan signed a five-year contract, becoming Edmonton's seventh coach in the past eight seasons. Todd Nelson, who took over from Dallas Eakins 32 games into last season, was considered a candidate to take over permanently, but after the Oilers won the draft lottery and Chiarelli took over, the vacant position became attractive throughout the League.
"The lottery was something everybody was watching," McLellan said. "If you were a coach out of work and was considering a position to attain, everybody had an eyeball on where Connor was going to end up. But he wasn't the only factor that came into play; there were so many other factors that one has to consider. And I only got to make 50 percent of the decision, the other part was made by the Oilers organization."
McLellan brought assistants Jay Woodcroft and Jim Johnson from San Jose; he also hired Ian Herbers away from the University of Alberta. McLellan worked with Herbers in the International Hockey League. With the coaching staff in place, Chiarelli turned his attention to the 2015 NHL Draft, but not before making major changes to the scouting department.
After the Oilers went through the formality of drafting McDavid at No. 1, Chiarelli began augmenting the roster. He traded for goaltender Cam Talbot from the New York Rangers and defenseman Griffin Reinhart from the New York Islanders. The Oilers traded veteran center Boyd Gordon to the ambitious-less Coyotes for Lauri Korpikoski, then signed free agent defenseman Andrej Sekera and center Mark Letestu. The Oilers are hopeful the busy offseason translates into on-ice success in the final season at Rexall Place. They move into a new downtown arena, Rogers Place, for the 2016-17 season.

Reaction to the management shakeup following Edmonton's NHL Draft Lottery win was positive. Many believe the Oilers are heading in the right direction, but to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2006, the Oilers need to make up a lot of ground in what is again expected to be a very tough Western Conference. The Oilers are not the only improved team in the conference, and selecting Connor McDavid with the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft will not guarantee success. Edmonton has proven that having No. 1 picks in the lineup does not automatically translate into victories. The Oilers believed they turned the corner in the past, only to find themselves back near the bottom of the NHL standings.

Not since Sidney Crosby has a player garnered as much attention entering the NHL as Connor McDavid, who is considered a generational talent, and the focus heading into his rookie season will be on his offensive production. Crosby had 39 goals and 102 points as a rookie with the Penguins, which might be lofty goals for McDavid.
McDavid will have a strong supporting cast, including No. 1 picks Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov, which should take some pressure off him.
Todd McLellan was hired to coach the Oilers into the playoffs, something five previous coaches were unable to do. Since MacTavish was replaced after the 2008-09 season, Edmonton has not been a kind destination for coaches; Pat Quinn, Tom Renney, Ralph Krueger, Dallas Eakins and Todd Nelson did not have much success and were replaced. In fairness to Nelson, he took over from Eakins in December once the playoffs were already out of reach. McLellan signed a five-year contract after leaving the San Jose Sharks and is expected to bring stability to the job and success on the ice.
Edmonton seemed stuck in a never-ending rebuild before winning the right to select McDavid in the 2015 NHL Draft. It was a huge boost to the organization, but the Oilers have not played a postseason game since losing Game 7 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final to the Carolina Hurricanes. Edmonton finished 35 points out of the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference last season, which is a lot to make up in one year.
When the Oilers ended another disappointing season in April, there was little reason for optimism heading toward the next one. Despite three No. 1 draft picks in the lineup, the Oilers were unable to make headway in the standings and finished 13th in the Western Conference, six points ahead of the last-place Coyotes. Edmonton missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the ninth consecutive season, fired coach Dallas Eakins less than a year and a half into a four-year contract, and seemed a long way from respectability. Under general manager Craig MacTavish, the plan was to stay the course and hope the roster would come of age and lift the Oilers into contention. But the Oilers unexpectedly won the NHL Draft Lottery for the fourth time in six years, resulting in a major management shakeup. The pieces all seem to be falling into place with the four below the most important.

Connor McDavid: By virtue of the lottery, the Oilers won the right to select a player considered to be the NHL's next generational star. If McDavid lives up to his potential, he will become the latest in a long list of standouts to play for the Oilers. With McDavid on the way, Edmonton returned as an NHL destination seemingly overnight. The Oilers made changes in management and hired a new coaching staff. McDavid, 18, joins other young talent in Edmonton, including three recent No. 1 picks (Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov) and early first-round selections Jordan Eberle and Benoit Pouliot.
Peter Chiarelli: When the former Boston Bruins general manager became available, the Oilers moved quickly to hire him despite having a GM in place. Chiarelli replaced MacTavish and hired Todd McLellan as coach to replace interim coach Todd Nelson. Chiarelli identified one of the Oilers' weaknesses during their rebuilding process and fired most of the scouting staff. He addressed a need by trading for goalie Cam Talbot, and added depth to the defensemen by signing free agent Andrej Sekera and trading for Eric Gryba. With an experienced GM, the Oilers believe their young, talented players are in good hands.
Todd McLellan: The coaching carousel is likely to stop with the hiring of the experienced and successful former San Jose Sharks coach. McLellan missed the playoffs once in seven seasons with the Sharks. He is the Oilers 14th coach, seventh in the past eight seasons.
Cam Talbot: The Oilers allowed the most goals in the NHL the past two seasons, and goalies Ben Scrivens and Viktor Fasth struggled last season. In an effort to improve, the Oilers acquired Talbot in a trade with the New York Rangers at the 2015 NHL Draft in June. Talbot had an excellent season behind Henrik Lundqvist, playing an NHL career-high 36 games with a 2.21 goals against average and .926 save percentage. Talbot played particularly well filling in after Lundqvist sustained a vascular injury in his neck, going 17-4-3 with two shutouts while Lundqvist was out. The Oilers believe, given the opportunity, Talbot will be an excellent starting goaltender in the NHL. Cam Talbot is expected to win the starting goaltending job out of training camp, and while the team still has question marks defensively Talbot could end up with sneaky fantasy value. Over the past two seasons with the New York Rangers, Talbot posted a 33-15-5 record with a 2.00 goals-against average, .931 save percentage and eight shutouts in 57 games. He was arguably the best backup goalie in the NHL over the two-year span and was even more impressive when called upon as the everyday starter with Henrik Lundqvist on injured reserve last season. People might point to the Rangers defense as a reason for Talbot's success, but the Rangers allowed 29.5 shots against per game last season which ranked 14th in the NHL. The Oilers allowed 30.0 shots against per game and ranked 20th. Talbot should be Edmonton's No. 1 goalie, but whether he can handle a full workload is still up in the air. Ben Scrivens could end up with 30-plus starts, which would still make him fantasy relevant. Regardless, Talbot is the goalie you want to draft because of his upside, likely after the first 20 starting goalies are selected.Taylor Hall had arguably the least productive season of his five-year career in 2014-15 with 14 goals and 38 points in 53 games (.72 points/game). A shooting percentage of 8.9 percent could've had something to do with his low goal total, but health continues to be Hall's biggest question mark. If he can avoid injury, Hall has the potential to be one of the better fantasy performers of the future. With the possibility of playing on a line with rookie Connor McDavid and usual suspect Jordan Eberle, Hall should be in line for a big bounce-back season.

Including his breakout 34-goal, 76-point season in 2011-12, Eberle has 241 points in 287 games (.84 points/game). Those 241 points are tied for 17th most in the NHL during that stretch, and Eberle has proven to be extremely durable as well, missing seven games. Let's also not forget he had 32 points in his final 32 games last season after a tough start. Target Eberle between rounds five and six with hopes he exceeds that draft position by the end of the season.

Justin Schultz came into the NHL with high expectations prior to the 2012-13 season but has yet to live up to the hype, with last season being the worst of the three (six goals, 25 assists, minus-17). With Andrej Sekera now in the picture on the blue line, Schultz could see a smaller role offensively and on the power play. Schultz is still worth drafting, but I'm not sure he'll ever live up to the expectations placed on him coming out of the University of Wisconsin.

With all the hype surrounding 2015 No. 1 draft pick Connor McDavid, fantasy owners need to remember Edmonton's first-round pick from 2014, Leon Draisaitl (No. 3 pick). The 19-year-old forward could switch to the wing and end up in a top-six role, and that could lead to big things. While his first stint in the NHL didn't go as planned (two goals, seven assists in 37 games), he did have 53 points in 32 games after being sent back to the Western Hockey League. At 6-foot-1 and over 200 pounds, Draisaitl has the makeup to contribute right away, it's a matter of finding the right opportunity. Keep an eye on him.

Projected Lines
67 Benoit Pouliot - 93 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - 14 Jordan Eberle
4 Taylor Hall - 97 Connor McDavid - 10 Nail Yakupov
28 Lauri Korpikoski - 51 Anton Lander - 16 Teddy Purcell
23 Matt Hendricks - 55 Mark Letestu - 12 Rob Klinkhammer
Luke Gazdic - Leon Draisaitl - Tyler Pitlick

2 Andrej Sekera - 5 Mark Faye
84 Oscar Klefbom - 19 Justin Schultz
21 Andrew Ference - 62 Eric Gryba
Nikita Nikitin - Griffin Reinhart

33 Cam Talbot
30 Ben Scrivens

Prospects
Connor McDavid, C

How acquired: 1st round (No. 1), 2015 NHL Draft

Last season: Erie, OHL: 47 GP, 44-76-120
Considered a generational talent, McDavid's arrival has long been anticipated. McDavid (6-foot-1, 195 pounds) joins a roster already with three No. 1 picks: forwards Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov. McDavid, 18, gave Oilers fans a taste of things to come with an impressive performance at development camp, scoring five goals in the scrimmage. The latest piece of a rebuilding puzzle, the Oilers are hoping McDavid can help end a nine-year Stanley Cup Playoff drought, but won't put any added pressure on him.

Darnell Nurse, D
How acquired: 1st round (No. 7), 2013 NHL Draft
Last season: Oilers: 2 GP, 0-0-0; Sault Ste. Marie, OHL: 36 GP, 10-23-33
Nurse, 20, had a solid training camp with the Oilers and was kept through the first week of last season before being sent back to the Ontario Hockey League. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound defenseman had a strong season, which included winning a gold medal at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship. Extremely mobile for his size, Nurse seems ready to jump into the Oilers lineup this season, but with a logjam of defensemen, he is likely to start the year with Bakersfield in the American Hockey League. But a strong training camp could force the Oilers hand.

Leon Draisaitl, C
How acquired: 1st round (No. 3), 2014 NHL Draft
Last season: Oilers: 37 GP, 2-7-9; Kelowna, WHL: 32 GP, 19-34-53
A strong training camp and Edmonton's lack of center depth allowed Draisaitl to start last season with the Oilers. Unfortunately, the rookie was exposed defensively by more experienced centers. Draisaitl also struggled offensively, scoring two goals in 37 games. With the playoffs out of reach, the Oilers decided to send him back to junior, where his rights were traded from Prince Albert to Kelowna in the Western Hockey League. Draisaitl joined the Rockets for the second half of the season and helped them win the league and earn a berth in the Memorial Cup. Draisaitl was named Most Valuable Player at the tournament despite an overtime loss to Oshawa in the final. At 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, the 19-year-old is physically ready to make the jump to the NHL, but his skating speed has been questioned and was considered a reason for his struggles. Draisaitl was able to work on his game in juniors but could be hard-pressed to make the Oilers out of training camp with Edmonton possessing depth down the middle. A move to the wing is a possibility.

Griffin Reinhart, D
How acquired: Trade with New York Islanders
Last season: Islanders: 8 GP, 0-1-1; Bridgeport, AHL: 59 GP, 7-15-22
Reinhart, 21, played junior hockey with the Edmonton Oil Kings, making the defenseman familiar to the Oilers. Reinhart captained the Oil Kings to a Memorial Cup championship in 2014 but struggled to make the jump to the NHL last season. He played eight games for the Islanders, spending most of the season with Bridgeport in the AHL. Edmonton traded the 16th and 33rd picks in the 2015 NHL Draft for Reinhart, who was the No. 4 pick in the 2012 draft. The Oilers believe his shutdown ability at the junior level will translate to the NHL.
Reinhart is physically imposing at 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, but his skating has come into question. It's likely he and Nurse will battle for one roster spot at training camp. If Reinhart's skating hasn't improved in the offseason, he probably will start the season in the AHL.

Laurent Brossoit, G
How acquired: Trade with Calgary Flames
Last season: Oilers: 1 GP, 0-1-0, 2.00 GAA, .969 SV%; Oklahoma City, AHL: 53 GP, 25-22-4, 2.56 GAA, .918 SV%
Brossoit, 22, is another player familiar to the Oilers after helping the Oil Kings win the WHL championship in 2012, when he was named playoff MVP.
The 6-foot-3, 202-pound goaltender was acquired by the Oilers from the Flames early in the 2013-14 season; he was selected by Calgary in the sixth round (No. 164) of the 2011 NHL Draft. Brossoit played one game with Edmonton last season, making 49 saves in a 3-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks. He is expected to be the starting goaltender for Bakersfield this season, but could be an NHL regular within the two years.

Penguins Trade Sutter for Bonino

The Pittsburgh Penguins bolstered their bottom-six forward group last week by signing free agent Eric Fehr and acquiring Nick Bonino from the Vancouver Canucks along with defenseman Adam Clendening and a second-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft in a trade for center Brandon Sutter and a 2016 third-round pick. Fehr received a three-year contract with an average annual value of $2 million. Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford said he discussed a possible trade with Vancouver since about a month before the 2015 NHL Draft in late June.
"The two deals went hand-in-hand so we can add more depth," Rutherford said. "We have enough good players now that guys are going to have to compete for those spots [in training camp] and compete for them all year. If a guy falls off, there's a guy waiting to jump right in there. I like the fact that we have enough guys that each guy can push each other."

Three weeks after obtaining Phil Kessel from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Rutherford addressed a remaining offensive question. Daniel Winnik signed with Toronto as a free agent, leaving a void at fourth-line center, where it was assumed a prospect, possibly Oskar Sundqvist, would play. Bonino has 48 goals and 121 points in six NHL seasons, 15 last season with Vancouver after an NHL career-high 22 for the Anaheim Ducks the season before.
"I would imagine that I'd be in what I guess you could call a third-line center role right now," Bonino told the Penguins website. "But at the end of the day, teams have four lines that need to be able to score in this league. So I'll definitely be looking to contribute as best I can."


Fehr also could settle as the third- or fourth-line center, once Fehr returns from injury. He had elbow surgery June 3 and is expected to recover in 4-6 months. The Penguins consulted Fehr's surgeon and were informed he was in the top 20 percentile of individuals who have the injury, in regards to his recovery.
"I'm not quite back to my full training, but I've obviously been training legs and conditioning and everything," Fehr told the website. "I'm starting to feel a lot more like my normal self. I'm obviously out of the sling and cast and moving around pretty well, so that's exciting for me. This is just another motivating factor for me to continue to push hard and get ready for the regular season."


Fehr scored 19 goals and 33 points in 75 games with the Washington Capitals last season, his second-best statistical performance (21 goals, 39 points in 2009-10).
"I'm not exactly sure how the coaching staff plans on using me, but I definitely feel that I can be valuable in the middle at the center ice position and play against other teams' top lines, but also add some offense," Fehr said. "I think I've got a little bit more to give in the scoring department, and I'm hoping that I can pick that up in Pittsburgh. Depending on whether I'm playing center or wing, I'm just really looking forward to contributing on offense as well as defense."

Rutherford said he was impressed with Fehr as the Capitals third-line center last season, when he scored three goals in four games against the Penguins, and could see him filling the same role in Pittsburgh, but left the possibility for him to play as a top-six wing.
"Eric is definitely comfortable as a two-positional player. He could possibly jump up into the top six, if that situation presented itself, but he's coming off of a year where he played center. He was good on faceoffs. He was a good shutdown guy, actually a very good shutdown guy in that third center position with the Capitals. So he's a guy also, at one time he had a 20-goal season, I think 21 … but also really good on the defensive end of it and can kill penalties."


Rutherford also said Bonino could play wing, but he is likely to see a majority of time as a bottom-six center.
"Certainly his strongest position is at center. That would be the preference, but with the depth we have at forward now and the guys that are two-positional players, I guess there's a possibility he could move to the wing. Nick is a very smart player. He really has good hockey sense. He can play in all situations. He can play the half-wall on the power play. Obviously it would be hard for him to get on the first unit, but potentially a second-unit guy. He also kills penalties and he's a guy that almost got 40 points last year and 15 goals. When you look at the structure of our salaries and our cap, it's important to get those bottom-six cap hits in better shape, and that's what we were able to do with these two deals."


The trade opened salary-cap space that made it possible for Pittsburgh to sign Fehr. Rutherford, who traded Sutter to the Penguins for forward Jordan Staal in 2012 while general manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, complimented Sutter's hockey sense and character.
"He's, believe it or not, actually one of my favorite guys, and I've ended up trading him twice," Rutherford said. "I appreciate what he's done. He was one year away from being an unrestricted free agent, and I felt with this opportunity, that it was a chance that we were able to get somebody for him in Nick Bonino and Adam Clendening. [Sutter's] just a hockey guy. He's an easy-going guy. He understands how things work. He understands things aren't always going to go right. He can adjust to that. … Brandon's just one of those guys that understands the game and is such a likable guy."


Rutherford said he expects Pittsburgh's top three lines to produce in a similar fashion to when they had Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Staal centering those lines several seasons ago.
"I can't predict how guys are going to play, none of us can, but certainly based on what I've seen, we have the guys that we can put out there as a unit of three that should be able to shut guys down. Fehr's coming off a terrific year shutting down the other team's top line and he's at the point in his career where he should be able to continue doing that for several years."


The Penguins don't have much salary-cap space remaining (about $1.8 million, according to war-on-ice.com), Rutherford said, but they could add a forward if needed.
"We're up against the cap. We certainly have room if we want to add another forward. We still want to keep in mind that we have some young forwards coming. We do know that injuries are going to play a part here and those guys are going to get their opportunity. But based on what we went through last year with a number of injuries and everything, I like our depth at forward now."

NHL Expansion 2015

The NHL is one step closer to establishing expansion teams in Las Vegas and Quebec City. The league announced recently it has received applications from prospective ownership groups in both markets, a day after a deadline for submissions.
The Las Vegas bid was submitted by billionaire businessman Bill Foley, who has spent the past seven months exploring the level of interest for professional hockey in the community. A new arena is under construction on the Las Vegas strip and is set to open in the spring of 2016.
Montreal-based Quebecor, a Canadian media and telecommunications giant, submitted the bid for Quebec City to bring the Nordiques back. Quebecor manages the Videotron Centre, which will host a pre-season game between the Montreal Canadiens and Pittsburgh Penguins in September.
There are at least two more steps in the expansion process, and the bids require approval from the NHL's Board of Governors. The league doesn't anticipate adding teams before the 2017-18 season. The proposed expansion fee is at least $500 million.


Quebec City and Las Vegas are now at the forefront of the NHL expansion movement. Owners in those two cities were the only ones to submit expansion applications before the deadline, the league has confirmed. The NHL said it received requests from and sent applications to 16 different groups or individuals. Ownership groups in the Toronto and Seattle areas considered applying but ultimately did not.
The NHL said the intent of the expansion process was to "set realistic guideposts to distinguish between bona fide expressions of interest ... from those indications of potential interest which were, at best, merely hopes or aspirations. Apparently, only Mr. Foley and Quebecor have the confidence in their ability to secure an arena and suitable ownership capability to move forward with this process."

The NHL intends to focus "exclusively" on Las Vegas and Quebec now that the applications have been submitted. Quite how that will realistically work is anyone's guess. I have long been championing for NHL teams in the major markets of Seattle and Houston. Both cities would fit perfectly geographically for the seven-team divisions in the west. I am very sceptical of a bid from Las Vegas. A city built on tourism and gambling. How many of those would tear themselves away from the roulette wheel to take in a struggling hockey team in the Desert? Just look at the Phoenix Coyotes, quite possibly the worst ran franchise in the NHL, constantly struggling to get fans through the door and quality out on the ice. If Arizona has struggled with hockey over the last 19 years, what makes Nevada think they can do any better? Of course Vegas would fit in the Pacific Division easily enough but what of Quebec?
There will be few people happier than me if the Nordiques return. I think every hockey fans wants to see that. For that to happen though, will require another divisional re-alignment. Quebec would have to take their place in the Atlantic Division, meaning Detroit will probably be asked to move back to the Central Division. The Red Wings spent years pushing for a move to the east, I cant see them giving that up after just a few seasons.
I have the feeling both these are far from done deals, but a potential expansion is certainly an exciting prospect.





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Blog Update: 2015

After taking a recent summer vacation, I am back and ready for another season of Hockey posts and nerdery. It has been a tough couple of weeks, with the first anniversary of my close friend's death. For those who were following my blog last year will know, my friend, Liam Sweeney, was travelling to New Zealand to watch Newcastle United play a series of exhibition games. He was on a flight travelling between Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpar on Malaysian Airlines flight MH-17 when the plane was shot down by a Russian Rebel Missile. We still don't have answers as to what really happened and this first year without him has been tough. The only thing I can take from this is that as he was so well liked he had lots a great friends and we have all bonded over this. As bad an event this was, being around such good people makes it that little less tough.

Around this time of year, I like to take stock as to what has happened with the blog and where it might be going in the upcoming year. Firstly I cant believe it has been three years since I started the blog. No sooner had I started than we had the lockout of 2012. It couldn't really have got off to a worse start, with no actual hockey to talk about. Other those next few years I have tried to improve the format and content of the site, and this year will be no different.
The focus has mainly been on four core teams in the NHL: Pittsburgh Penguins, Dallas Stars, San Jose Sharks and St Louis Blues. That is not going to change, in fact I want to try and improve the quality of the content of these teams.
As some of you may have noticed I have started 'NHL Central' a kind of extended round-up of the remaining teams in the Central Division (Minnesota, Chicago, Winnipeg, Colorado & Nashville). The main reason for that is I am fond of all those teams to some degree and think the Central Division is the most interesting of the four in the NHL.
After that the remaining teams will be covered in a more concise round-up. The idea behind this is why spend time commenting on teams I despise like the Mighty Goons of Philadelphia when I could spend more time on more exciting events involving the Vladimir Tarasenko-lead St Louis Blues.

There is a lot of Hockey outside of the NHL and I want to try and focus on that a bit more too. You will have noticed I mention my local team the Whitley Warriors, quite a bit. Coverage should increase more this season as everything points to an exciting season ahead and I will be attending more games.
I have also decided to pick a team from each of the minor leagues in North America and focus on them too. Milwaukee Admirals & Lake Erie Monsters (AHL), Indy Fuel (ECHL), Quebec Remparts & Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL), Mississauga Steelheads (OHL) & Everett Silvertips and Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL).
After the NHL the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) is the next best league in the world. I will be aiming to focus a bit on this, mainly on five teams CSKA, Dynamo and Spartak of Moscow, SKA St Petersburg and Ak Bars Kazan. I am hoping it will increase interest in the KHL and also to a friend's excellently written-blog https://conwaysrussianhockey.wordpress.com/
Finally I am going to focus on the DEL (Deutsche Eishockey Liga). A recent trip to Germany influenced my decision and being a Pittsburgh Penguins fan there could only be one choice, the Krefeld Pinguine.

I hope these changes will prove to be popular. This does not mean my coverage of the NHL with reduce. I still aim to cover every single Regular and Post Season game.

Whitley Warriors Sign Canadian Import

The Whitley Warriors have done something they haven't done since 1997. Announced a Canadian import will be icing for the team.
Forward Andre Payette has several years experience of the British game and spent the last few seasons as the player/coach of English Premier League outfit Sheffield Steeldogs.
Payette is no stranger to the North-east of England having iced for the Newcastle Vipers. He will be familiar with a number of the Warriors, including player/coach David Longstaff, who he played alongside in the Elite League.
Now 38, Payette has a wealth of experience, having played back home in his native Canada. Born in Cornwall, Ontario, Payette started out with the same junior team as Wayne Gretzky, the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League.

From there Payette has played for the Mohawk Valley Prowlers of the UHL. The 
Philadelphia Phantoms, Rochester Americans, Lowell Lock Monsters, Manchester Monarchs, Houston Aeros, St John’s Maple Leafs & Manitoba Moose all of the American Hockey League. The AHL is just one rung down the Hockey ladder from the NHL. He has also lined up for the Ohio-based Toledo Storm of the ECHL.

Payette first arrived in Britain in 2004 playing for the Coventry Blaze in the Elite League, where he posted 490 PIM in 58 games, before spending the next four seasons with the Vipers. In 188 games on Tyneside he racked up an enormous 1,052 PIM. The following four seasons were then spent in Sheffield. While he also took in some action for the Manchester Phoenix of the EPL.
Payette was selected 244th overall in the 10th round of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers. That probably goes some way to explaining his high penalty minutes, having been exposed to a franchise that loves physical, some might say dirty, play.

Payette commented that he looks forward to linking up with David Longstaff once again.
“I’m excited to have the opportunity to sign for the Whitley Warriors and work with David Longstaff once again. I work well with Lobby and it’ll be nice to concentrate on playing again after the last few years when I have been coaching and undertaking a number of other roles during my time with the Steeldogs in the EPL."
Having been signed as a veteran, Payette feels he has a lot of experience he can pass on to his younger team mates.
“A number of the Warriors squad were younger members of the Newcastle Vipers roster when I last played on Tyneside and it will be nice to see how they have progressed in the last few years. I hope I am able to help some of the younger players in the squad improve, during my time with the club."
It's fair to say the last few years have not been the best for the Hillheads team, and Payette feels turning the Warriors home ice into a fortress will be key to a successful season.
“I think the Warriors will surprise a number of teams this season and we are aiming to make Hillheads a rink no one wants to come to as they know they will be in for a tough game for the entire 60 minutes they have out on the ice.
With four seasons worth of coaching experience also under his belt, Payette wants to put that knowledge to good use by promoting the team in the correct way.
“I am hoping I am able to promote the Warriors to sports fans throughout the north east and it would be great to see some former Vipers fans coming along to support Whitley on a regular basis in the future. I will also be working on sponsorship ventures for the Warriors and any individuals or companies who would like find out more about potential opportunities are more than welcome to contact me to discuss matters”.


Andre Payette's full career stats can be found on HockeyDB:
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=24136