Newcastle Predators Lose Out in Fiery Encounter

The Newcastle Predators completed their Puckstop.com Northern Rec Cup Regular season with a disappointing 8-2 reverse at Sheffield last weekend.

The Tynesiders were left feeling frustrated on a night where nothing seemed to go their way, it meant they ended the league stage of the competition with back-to-back 8-2 defeats in the Steel City, following the result with the Don Valley Vikings back in June.

With one or two players unavailable for the game it meant coach Stu Davis had something of a selection headache prior to face off. He switched Derek Hodgkiss, fresh from his recent honeymoon in Jamaica, Jake Shanks and Curt Elgie back to the blue line to give him three defensive pairings and went with two forward lines.

Former Solway Sharks forward Anthony Charters started on a line with ex-Warriors import Peter Tomek and Stu Darby, while Coach Davis centered the second line with Ian Russell and Doug Penaluna. The defensive pairings began with Lee Gill partnering Elgie, Graeme Nelson and Mark Bone forming their usual formidable partnership and Hodgkiss lining up alongside Shanks.

The Predators actually had an embarrassment of riches in the goaltending department though with three of their registered shot stoppers making the trip down the A1. Michigan-born Ron Pierce got the start, with Canadian Brent Hope as back-up and Simon Barry on gate duty from the bench.

Although the overall outcome of the game counted for very little in the end given that all remaining sides in the competition will automatically qualify for the playoffs, a Newcastle win would have meant a home semi-final against the Ice Bears, rather than having to make the journey to Grimsby to play on their postage stamp-sized rink. Something Left Wing, Ian Russell was keen to point out as a reminder during the second intermission.

The Ice Tigers already knew their fate meant a ‘road game’ to face Don Valley so the pressure was off for them and they began the contest trying to disrupt the Predators free flowing game. Davis had called for his players not to match their hosts in a physical contest but to simply out-work them and out-compete them by sticking to playing hockey. Sheffield were having none of it though and were intent to drag the visitors down to their level with scrappy play and sneaky misdemeanours off the puck which went unpunished by the officials.

The opening period wasn’t even half-way complete when Doug The Thug Penaluna decided he’d had enough of the Ice Tigers shenanigans. After getting butt-ended by an opponent’s stick, he swiftly dropped the gloves and started feeding his assailant what people in Canada would call ‘the ole right to left’ leaving his victim in a heap on the ice. With Rec hockey a lot harsher in their treatment of fighting, Doug was ejected from the game and had to watch the remainder of it from the stands. The worry is he may now face a lengthy ban having already served a three game suspension earlier on in the competition.

The Ice Tigers scored early on in the opening period but the Predators had the game tied up before the session was complete.  With Doug now out of the line-up, Curt Elgie switched back to his more natural position of forward and immediately started reaping the benefits. The former ENL Vipers player was at the heart of every attacking move the Predators made and was forcing the Sheffield defensemen to turn the puck over on their own blue line, leaving him with several one-on-one opportunities. However the Ice Tigers goalie played well between the pipes and thwarted Elgie each time.

The second period was where the game started to get away from the Predators. Their hosts, happy with the damage they had caused early on in the game decided it was now time to actually play hockey. Unfortunately, the Predators found it hard to re-gain their momentum of earlier and that saw their hosts take control of the game.

With an ice cut scheduled to take place between the second and third periods it gave the players a few minutes to re-group and it seemed to work. The Predators came out and gave a much better performance in the final session and even pulled a goal back to make it 4-2. Ron Pierce, also made a string of important saves in goal, which kept his side in the game and there was a feeling that there might just be a comeback. However, Sheffield were intent on disrupting their visitors at every opportunity. Anthony Charters was assessed a second 10 minute penalty and therefore game misconduct,  after former Sheffield Steeler and GB international Alan Hague provoked him into an exchange, which eventually saw Charters wave his stick in a way Tim ‘Dr Hook’ McCraken of Slap Shot would have been proud of.

Frustration was starting to boil over as the officials refused to call penalties on the Ice Tigers. With just a few seconds left in the game, experienced defenseman Graeme Nelson also had enough and earned himself a slightly early shower when he reacted to an elbow to the head. The referee eventually did call a 2+10 penalty for elbowing but by then it was too late and three Predators players had now been sent to the dressing room for nothing more than retaliation.

By now the Ice Tigers had built up a score line which flattered them and was much to the delight of the drunk students who were sitting watching in the stands at 12:30am and hurling abuse at the Predators players.

All in all it was a very frustrating evening down in South Yorkshire and with the daunting prospect of having to travel to Humberside now for the semi-final, with suspensions potentially looming, the Predators will have to fight extra hard if they are to skate off with some silverware this season.

KHL - Restructure and the Future

A plan has been put in place to restructure the KHL over the coming seasons. With two sides having already departed, Medvescak Zagreb and Metallurg Novokuznetsk, and further cuts expected over the coming years. Thanks to my good friend Patrick Conway’s site for this update:

* The KHL will have 27 teams in the 2017-2018 season. Medveščak Zagreb and Metallurg Novokuznetsk were cut. The Zagreb club failed to submit the documentation required for admittance into the championship (KHL), because earlier Medveščak decided to come back to the Austrian-based EBEL.

* Metallurg Novokuznetsk was the lowest in the club rating after the season and now find themselves in the VHL.

* In 2018 three more clubs (the lowest in the attendance rating) will leave the KHL, so the league will have 24 clubs.

* Two more teams to go before the puck drops for the 2019/2020 season, but two new foreign clubs will replace them, so the league’s size remains at 24.

* The same will happen before the 2020/2021 season.

* Of course it is just a plan right now, but the league has been in contact with potential candidates.

“There are several possible candidates, but I will not name them yet. We are conducting a comprehensive analysis of all the relevant information presented to us. But I will say that there are clubs from traditional (European) hockey countries, and others from countries where the game does not have deep roots. We are attracting keen interest from Asia. The KHL is an international league and it is important for international development, but we are confident the Russian clubs will remain in the majority” Chernyshenko said to the league´s website.

All current KHL clubs are in danger of exclusion, including foreign sides, but it is generally expected that mainly the Russian teams will leave the league. They will end up in the VHL, second tier hockey in Russia.

So as that stands we are looking to lose five Russian-based KHL sides over the next three years. Let's take a calculated guess as to which of those sides they could be.

First of all let’s rule out the likes of CSKA, SKA, Ak Bars, Avangard, Metallurg and Salavat Yulaev Ufa as being safe given their success, finance and history.

Despite Dynamo’s recent troubles please see Patrick’s links here:  https://conwaysrussianhockey.wordpress.com/2017/06/08/a-mess-at-dynamo-moscow/#more-25326 and here: https://conwaysrussianhockey.wordpress.com/2017/07/05/clarity-on-the-dynamo-moscow-situation/#more-26194

you would have to assume they will be safe long term given their stature within Russian hockey. Likewise for Moscow neighbours, Spartak. The Red and Whites have had financial problems before which forced them to miss the 2014-15 season but once again they have a good following and historical importance.

The next band of teams; Torpedo, Lokomotiv, Traktor and Sibir are almost certainly safe too.

However the remaining teams do have some doubt surrounding them.

Vityaz surely have to be on borrowed time, they are one of the smallest sides in the competition and have been struggling to stay afloat for years now.

Severstal are competing against some bigger teams in their division and if the league decides to ‘relegate’ sides strategically for divisional balance the side from Cherepovets could be the side to go.

Likewise Sochi, who also play in the Tarasov division. Don’t get me wrong they play in a beautiful, modern new arena, built next to the Black Sea for the 2014 Winter Olympics, but realistically Sochi doesn’t have the sort of hockey heritage the likes of Chelyabinsk or Magnitogorsk holds.

The Kharlamov division might have a number of teams ready for the cut. Neftekhimik will always live in the shadows of Tartarstan rivals, Ak Bars and will always be a small fish in what is a relatively large divisional pond with Shark like predators in the cities of Kazan, Magnitogorsk and Chelyabinsk.

Yugra could be another to suffer the cull too and must feel pretty cut off away from all the other sides.

Lada and Avtomobilst can’t be counted out either, although they do have tradition and history on their side, but Avto have had problems before and it remains to be seen how much support the Lada motor company will give to their side based in Togliatti.

The just leaves the far east pair of Amur and Admiral. The former has long been seen as a small side in a distant out post although they are relatively close to Kunlun. While Admiral were only formed in 2013, however, they do have the impressive new Fetisov Arena to call upon which the league is unlikely to want to see empty.

If I was to take a guess as to who would go I would say Vityaz, Neftekhimik, Yugra, Amur and Sochi.

As for the four new sides taking their place? It seems there will be expansion out East and possibly another side from China.

There is a booming economy there right now, as evidenced by the free spending ways of the billionaire owners of the Chinese Football (Soccer) teams. Kunlun proved to be a success with the side making the playoffs in their inaugural season and despite being based in Beijing, did play some home games in Shanghai, so maybe there will be a side to play out of the financial capital of China. It would not surprise me if we saw a second Asian side, either a third Chinese team or possibly one from South Korea.

If the KHL were to expand into Europe then the usual suspects will be favourites.

Ilves Tallinn were mentioned last summer and the prospect of having an Estonian team to compliment the other Baltic cities of Helsinki (Jokerit), St. Petersburg (SKA) and Riga (Dinamo) would fit nicely.

Given the civil unrest in Ukraine it is unlikely we will get a team back there anytime soon, but the Czech Republic always remains a popular destination with Prague being an ideal location.

Teams from Sweden, Italy and Germany have all been mooted over the past twelve months or so too, but let’s not forget that the United Kingdom keeps getting a mention.

Being a huge hockey fan from those shores, I certainly would be in favour of bringing a higher level of the good 'ol game to Britain'.

Penguins - Summer Signings and Potential Trades

Czuczman

The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed defenseman Kevin Czuczman to a one-year contract, it was announced today by executive vice president and general manager Jim Rutherford. The contract is a two-way deal and it has an average annual value of $650,000 at the NHL level. Czuczman (CHUHRCH-muhn), 26, broke into the NHL with the New York Islanders as an undrafted free agent following a three-year collegiate career at Lake Superior State. He jumped into the NHL immediately upon signing in 2013-14, collecting two assists in 13 games with the Islanders. Last year, the Port Elgin, Ontario native spent the season with the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League, where he served as an alternate captain. Czuczman posted the best offensive numbers of his pro career, leading all Manitoba blueliners with 32 points (9G-23A) in 76 games. A 6-foot-2, 206-pound defender, Czuczman played the majority of the '14-15 and '15-16 seasons with the Islanders' AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. In three-plus professional seasons, Czuczman 54 points (14G-40A) in 200 career AHL regular-season games, plus AHL playoff appearances, split between Manitoba and Bridgeport. As a junior in his final year at Lake Superior State in '13-14, Czuczman was named to the All-WCHA Second Team after setting collegiate career highs in goals (10), assists (11) and points (21) in 36 games played. His 10 goals that year were tied for second-most among all NCAA defensemen. Czuczman was Lake Superior State's "Most Valuable Defenseman" as a sophomore and its "Most Outstanding Freshman" in his debut campaign.

 

 

New Signings

The Pittsburgh Penguins added further depth to their organization on Saturday with the addition of four players, it was announced by executive vice president and general manager Jim Rutherford. Signing contracts to join the Penguins were defensemen Chris Summers, Jarred Tinordi and Zach Trotman, and forward Greg McKegg. All four contracts were two-way deals with values of $650,000 at the NHL level. Summers inked a two-year deal, McKegg, Tinordi and Trotman signed one-year deals. As junior players, Tinordi and McKegg teamed with Olli Maatta to win a 2012 Ontario Hockey League title with the London Knights. Tinordi was the Knights' captain that season.

Summers, 29, played the majority of the last two years with the Hartford Wolf Pack, the top minor-league affiliate of the New York Rangers. Summers was an alternate captain for the Wolf Pack in 2016-17, when he recorded 12 points (4G-8A) in 74 AHL regular-season contests. A 6-foot-2, 207-pound Ann Arbor, Michigan native, Summers has skated in 70 career NHL games with the Arizona Coyotes and New York Rangers, tallying nine points (2G-7A). The Coyotes' first-round (29th overall) draft pick in 2006, Summers has played 386 career AHL contests with San Antonio, Portland and Hartford, notching 59 points (13G-46A). He was a 2013 AHL All-Star while skating for Portland. Summers spent four seasons of college hockey at the University of Michigan, where he was teammates with Carl Hagelin. Summers was the Wolverines' captain as a senior, and an alternate captain as a junior. At the 2008 World Junior Championship, Summers was an alternate captain for Team USA, and he was voted one of the team's 'Top Three Players.' He won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2006 Under-18 World Junior Championship. 

McKegg, 25, split this past year between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers, tallying seven points (3G-4A) in 46 contests with those clubs. He also saw action in seven AHL games for the Springfield Thunderbirds, netting four points (2G-2A). McKegg, who stands 6-foot, 191 pounds and hails from St. Thomas, Ontario, was originally chosen by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the third round (62nd overall) in 2010. He has nine points (5G-4A) in 65 career NHL games with Toronto, Florida and Tampa Bay.  At the AHL level, McKegg has skated in 244 career regular-season games with the Toronto Marlies, Portland and Springfield, totaling 135 points (62G-73A). As a junior player, McKegg was a two-year captain for the Erie Otters before his midseason trade to London in '11-12. 

Tinordi, 25, spent last season with the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL, where he had 11 points (1G-10A) and 102 penalty minutes in 64 games. He was an alternate captain for Tucson. Montreal's first-round (22nd overall) selection in 2010, the 6-foot-6, 230-pound Tinordi has split 53 career NHL regular-season games between the Canadiens and Arizona Coyotes, picking up six assists. He has one helper in five career NHL playoff contests. Tinordi was the captain of the United States' Under-18 World Junior Championship team in 2010 that won gold, and an alternate captain for the U.S. entry at the 2012 World Junior Championship. Tinordi, a Burnsville, Minnesota native, is the son of long-time NHL defenseman Mark Tinordi. The elder Tinordi competed against the Penguins in the 1991 Stanley Cup Final as a member of the Minnesota North Stars.

Trotman, 26, adds further size to the blue line as a 6-foot-3, 217-pound right-handed shooter. He spent the '16-17 campaign with the Ontario Reign of the AHL, the top affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings. Trotman was limited to just nine games played because of an upper-body injury. A native of Carmel, Indiana native, Trotman was originally a 2010 seventh-round (210th overall) draft pick of the Boston Bruins. He has 67 games of NHL experience, all with the Bruins, during which he has produced 12 points (3G-9A). At the AHL level, Trotman has put up 58 points (13G-45A) in 159 career regular-season games with Ontario and the Providence Bruins. He has five points (1G-4A) in 17 AHL playoff games. Trotman skated for three seasons at Lake Superior State, where he was an alternate captain his final year.

Center

The Pens signed two players on the opening day of NHL free agency, defenseman Matt Hunwick and goaltender Antti Niemi. While those two signings fill important needs on the team, they don't address the club's biggest hole: center. But Pittsburgh understood that free agency wouldn't be the best route to acquire a center.

"We weren't really looking at one in free agency," general manager Jim Rutherford said. "The prices were a little high on a few guys that we had talked about. I'm not surprised that we didn't get anything done today. We have a long way to go before we play. We've talked about enough different things that we're confident that we'll get somebody obviously through a trade."

The Pens lost Nick Bonino, who signed a four-year deal with Nashville, and Matt Cullen is still weighing his future plans. Currently Pittsburgh only has three centers on its NHL roster: Sidney Crosby; Evgeni Malkin; and Carter Rowney. And with the trade of Oskar Sundqvist to St. Louis, the organizational depth is slim. Rowney could fill the fourth line center role. But that means the team still needs a pivot on the third line. But Pittsburgh feels it is important not to overpay for a center. In fact, the team is willing to start the season without adding a center if it comes to that.

"It's important now not to panic and go after somebody just to say that we got a center," Rutherford said. "I've talked to the coach (Mike Sullivan) about this. He said as long as I've got my two big guys healthy (Crosby and Malkin) I can work around anything early in the season."

Sullivan would have to be very creative with his roster in that scenario, but the Pens will remain patient with their process.

"We'll move on one when we're comfortable with somebody that we like," Rutherford said. "It could be in the next day. It could take us a couple of months. It could take us early in the season before it happens."

For the first time in a long time the Pens have breathing room with their salary cap situation. The team is currently $16.5 million under the cap. That will go a long way in trying to add a center or defenseman via trades.

"We're not going to be pressured from a cap point of view. This is probably the best shape we've been in in a few years at this point in time," Rutherford said. "We'll be able to add another player and still end up under the cap, which would be a good place to be going into the season. We'll have flexibility going forward."

The Pens restricted free agents will eat up a portion of that free cap space. The most notable are defensemen Justin Schultz, Brian Dumoulin and Derrick Pouliot and forwards Conor Sheary and Josh Archibald.

Penguins - Prospects Sprong, Aston-Reese and Gustavsson Looking For Their Chance

Sprong
Pens prospect Daniel Sprong has a tendency to make scoring goals appear easy. Almost second nature. Sprong tallied 117 goals in 199 career games in parts of four seasons with Charlottetown of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. In his final campaign in 2016-17, the Amsterdam native notched 32 goals in 31 games, which included four hat tricks, one four-goal game and 10 multi-goal games. Sprong's biggest game was on March 8 against Moncton when he posted a career-high four goals and seven points.

"It was a good year personal-wise," Sprong said.

Sprong's offensive talent is obvious. But for him to make the leap into the NHL next season, he knows that it's the other side of his game that needs to be strong.

"I knew in the Q that I always had the numbers since I started at 16," said Sprong at the team's annual development camp. "But I knew this year would be my last year to develop my game one last time before making the step, hopefully to the NHL next year full time.

"I worked a lot away from the puck. I worked on a different side of my game."

The numbers prove Sprong's case. In his first three seasons with Charlottetown Sprong recorded a minus in each season for a combined minus-50. But last season, his final in the QMJHL, he was an astonishing plus-29. Sprong actually began working on his defensive game off the ice. After suffering a shoulder injury last spring that required surgery, the 20-year-old watched the Pens' Stanley Cup championship run while making mental notes.

"I remember when I was rehabbing my shoulder and watching a lot of games at home just seeing what guys were doing in the D-zone and how I could put that into my game," Sprong said. "I know what I have to do on that side of the puck and my skill will take over on the other side."

Sprong's goal for next season is to play in Pittsburgh. He's used the past year to prepare himself to make that jump both physically and with his play.

"For me, it's just having a good summer off the ice and on ice working on my skill, getting stronger in the gym," he said. "Coming into camp and playing my way, get the chances and make sure I take full advantage of it."

Sprong had a brief stint in the National Hockey League in 2015-16 after the team selected him in the second round (46^th overall) of that season's draft. He became the third-youngest player to skate for the Pens at 18 years, six months, 21 days when he made his NHL debut on Oct. 8 at Dallas. Sprong played 18 games that year and scored two goals before being returned to Charlottetown.

"It was a dream come true to make the team at 18 years old," he said. "Playing 18 games and scoring twice is something you'll never forget. I had a taste of it and got sent down."

And now Sprong wants to make a permanent place in the NHL.

"I think I learned a lot and matured a lot during that time," Sprong said. "Coming here at development camp, having a good week here, going back to Montreal and getting ready for rookie tournament and trying to earn a spot."

 

Aston-Reese

Penguins director of player development Mark Recchi watched Zach Aston-Reese a lot during his senior year at Northeastern in 2016-17, where he put together a terrific season. The numbers certainly stand out - Aston-Reese led the NCAA with 31 goals and tied for first with 63 points in 38 games - but what stood out the most to Pens management was just how good of a fit he would be in the Pens organization. So Recchi helped convince Aston-Reese, a highly coveted undrafted free agent, to sign with Pittsburgh back in March. He knows what Aston-Reese is all about, and Recchi said he's looking forward to everyone else getting a chance to see the 22-year-old forward up close this week at Pens development camp.

"I'm excited for you guys to see Zach Aston-Reese," Recchi said Wednesday. "It's good for him to come here and be around."

Aston-Reese played 10 regular-season games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League before suffering an injury that forced him to miss the entire playoffs.

"It was fun," Aston-Reese said of his experience. "The whole team down there was great and there were two really good leaders, Kevin Porter and Tom Kostopoulos. I was fortunate enough to play with them and they gave me a lot of good advice."

Aston-Reese's scoring touch translated in those 10 games, as he recorded three goals and eight points. His biggest takeaway was that the closer you get to the NHL, the harder it gets and the more work you have to put in.

"The biggest thing I noticed is that guys were a lot stronger," he said. "Guys are older and they've been doing this for years and the puck transition's a lot quicker at that level. It's not that it's much quicker, but everyone's better and everyone's making the right plays."

Moving forward, Aston-Reese wants to work on adding that quickness into his game.

"I think the biggest thing is just getting that quickness right off the block, those first three steps," he said. "You see guys get the puck on the wall in the Dzone and just being able to get up ice and keep up the pace, especially with the Penguins organization. That's one thing they key on, is playing with pace."

During his time at Northeastern, Aston-Reese worked on becoming a north-south player like Chris Kunitz.

"He was a college free agent, too, and kind of a goal scorer his last couple years in college," Aston-Reese said. "Just made a career for himself playing with good guys and being able to put the puck in the back of the net."

Kunitz is also known for being willing to go to the dirty areas, something Aston-Reese excels at. Guerin called Aston-Reese an 'honest, hard-playing player' who does his best in the ugly areas.

"That's kind of been what I've been developing the last couple of years at Northeastern, and I think that kind of showed with my production throughout my four years there," Aston-Reese said of his net-front presence.

Kunitz isn't the only Pens player on Aston-Reese's radar. He's also watched the progression of young former college players like Bryan Rust, Conor Sheary and Scott Wilson, saying their development over such a short period of time after turning pro is 'eye-opening.' But while he's impressed with how impactful they've been at the NHL level, Aston-Reese more focused on his own development and what he needs to do to get here.

"I haven't really heard too much yet as far as next year," Aston-Reese said. "I think I set my own goals, and that's for me to come in and just prove that I belong up here."

Gustavsson

Pens goaltending prospect Filip Gustavsson can only sit and watch. A knee injury has kept the second-round pick (55^th overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft from participating in the on-ice sessions of the Pens' annual development camp. 

"I've been off the ice so much you just want to get on the ice again," Gustavsson said. "The guys out there playing, it looks like fun."

Gustavsson, 19, completed his first pro season in 2016-17 with Lulea of the Swedish Hockey League. During the season he served as the club's backup behind starter Joel Lassinantti.

"I had some tough battles with the other goalie. But (Lulea) had a tough season and they focused on playing one goalie," Gustavsson said. "It's tough because you feel like you can play as good as he's playing, but you don't get the opportunity."

Since Gustavsson was making the leap to the pro game, Lulea opted to give Lassinantti, the club's starter the past three seasons, the bulk of the work. Gustavsson played 15 games for Lulea, posting a 2.70 goals-against average and .916 save percentage. He also made two appearances in the postseason.

"Last year was my first year and they didn't think I was going to play as well as I did," Gustavsson said. "So they had him as the starter from the start."

But now that Gustavsson has a year of experience and adapted to the pro game, there will be an open battle for the starting position next season.

"Now I think we'll see who is going to be the starter," he said. "I have a chance to take the first spot. Hopefully I'm going to take it."

Pens goaltending coach Mike Buckley believes that Gustavsson has a great chance to be the guy next season.

"I think he's going to make a good push for that," Buckley said. "He played one year of pro. He's going through his second year. He knows what to expect. I think he developed a lot of confidence in the coaching staff there. I think he'll be fine."

That doesn't mean there weren't some growing pains for Gustavsson during his first season in pro hockey.

"When I stepped up from junior to pro in Sweden, everything was so much faster," Gustavsson said. "I didn't have the right technique to play in the fast game. Now it's starting to slow down."

The Pens are stacked with goaltending depth in the organization. Obviously it all starts with Matt Murray's remarkable ascendance over the past two seasons, leading the team to back-to-back Stanley Cup titles. The club also has Tristan Jarry (second-round pick, 44^th overall, 2013 NHL Draft), who is scheduled to start for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this year, but could make the jump to the NHL by season's end. And Gustavsson is another top-end goaltending prospect that the Pens scouts raved about last season when he was selected. And his development and projection is right on track.

"He's got a lot of talent," Buckley said. "His trajectory is on a good path." 

Penguins - Niemi and Hunwick Sign

Niemi

The Pens shored up their goaltending depth with the signing of veteran free agent Antti Niemi to a one-year, $700,000-dollar contract. The deal made sense for both sides. The Pens wanted a veteran goaltender with a high pedigree to back up starter Matt Murray at a reasonable salary. Meanwhile, Niemi was looking to play such a role on a Cup-contending team. Out of all the goaltenders on the free agent market, Niemi was the best fit for the Pens.

"It was two-fold," general manager Jim Rutherford said of the signing. "One, we wanted to make sure we got a goalie on a one-year deal. Some of the other goalies were getting multi-year deals. That eliminated some of those guys. Two, we had to get somebody that we're comfortable with. (Goalie coach) Mike Buckley is very comfortable with Niemi."

Signing with the Pens was also an easy decision for Niemi, 33, to make. They are the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions and a perennial contender.

"It felt like a great fit to get to the top organization in the league," he told the Pens website. "It's such a good team. The organization, you always hear about how things are done right in Pittsburgh. I want to be a part of that. It was a really quick process. There wasn't a lot of time to think. There some other teams, but at the end it was an easy choice."

Niemi fits the mold of exactly what the Pens needed. He's a veteran goalie that has played eight-plus NHL seasons and over 400 regular-season games. Niemi also has a Stanley Cup title on his resume, leading the Chicago Blackhawks to the title in his first full NHL season in 2010. But the Vantaa, Finland native struggled last season with the Dallas Stars, particularly in the latter half of the season. Niemi was relegated as the team's backup and won only three games total in the final three months.

"The first half was pretty good. I felt like I had a good season," Niemi said. "But the last three months were really tough, getting pulled a lot. I had a long stretch where I didn't win a game for a month. That time was tough."

Buckley will work closely with Niemi to help him improve upon his game. The Pens are confident that Niemi can reclaim his early-career success.

"(Buckley) knows there is a little bit of work there, that (Niemi) has to have a bounce-back season," Rutherford said. "We feel very strongly that he's capable of doing that and should be able to play between 30-40 games for us."

Niemi's presence also will allow the Pens more time to develop prospect Tristan Jarry, the club's second-round pick (44^th overall) in 2013. The team's preference all along was to have Jarry start the season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, though they are confident that he can play in the NHL if needed.

"We're comfortable with the fact that we know Jarry can play games here," Rutherford said. "He's ready to do that. We also feel that extra time in the AHL playing more games is the right thing to do. He could have a real good first half and still be playing some games here toward the end of the season."

But regardless of how Jarry develops, the Pens now have some flexibility with the addition of Niemi.

"We felt it was important to add a veteran, backup goalie at this point in time," Rutherford said, "that would help Jarry's development." 

 

Hunwick

The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed defenseman Matt Hunwick to a three-year contract, it was announced today by executive vice president and general manager Jim Rutherford. The deal runs through the 2019-20 season and has an average annual value of $2.25 million. Hunwick, 32, joins the Penguins after a two-year stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he was a leader for the young club as an alternate captain both years. This year, Hunwick posted the second-best offensive totals of his nine-plus year career with 19 points (1G-18A) and a plus-8 in 72 regular-season contests. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound defender skated in all six playoff games this past spring for the Leafs, averaging 25:39 minutes, stepping up for an injury-ravaged defensive group. During the regular season, Hunwick sat fourth on the club with an average of 2:40 shorthanded minutes per game for the league's 10th-best penalty killing unit. Hunwick, who hails from Warren, Michigan, keyed Toronto's improvement on the PK from 22nd place the year before his arrival, to 13th overall his first year, and the top-10 showing last year. In his first year in Toronto in 2015-16, Hunwick's 3:43 shorthanded minutes per contest ranked first among all NHL players.

Originally chosen by the Boston Bruins in the seventh round (224th overall) of the 2004 NHL Draft, Hunwick has played nine-plus NHL seasons for Boston, Colorado, the New York Rangers and Toronto. Hunwick has appeared in 479 NHL games with those clubs, producing 21 goals, 86 assists and 107 points. He has seven assists in 26 career playoff contests. Hunwick has an extensive history representing USA Hockey, including back-to-back World Junior Championship appearances in 2004 and '05, and an appearance at the 2013 World Championship. The Americans won gold at the '04 WJC, and Hunwick teamed with Phil Kessel on the '05 squad. Hunwick and Team USA earned a bronze medal at the '13 World Championship, when his plus-9 led the entire tournament. Prior to turning pro, Hunwick played four seasons collegiately at Michigan, where he was team captain as a senior, and an alternate captain as a junior.

 

Hunwick, who grew up in Roseville, Mich., has lived in Dexter with his wife and son for the past 15 years. It's only about a four-hour drive to Pittsburgh from there, so the thought of playing so close to friends and family was one reason he signed a three-year deal with the Penguins on the first day of free agency. The other, of course, was to be part of a perennial Stanley Cup contender.

"Part of it had to do with the caliber of team they have, the championship window that they're in right now," Hunwick said Saturday. "Part of it was the opportunity that I have in terms of playing close in proximity to where I live. There's a lot of things that go into making a decision like this, and certainly you have to think about your family when you have a wife and a son and a dog and those kinds of things. You kind of couple everything together and if you have a chance to be on a really good team, it was just a no-brainer for me."

After watching Pittsburgh in the playoffs the last couple of years, Hunwick felt that his style of play would be a fit in their systems. He said the big strengths of his game are his skating, his compete level and getting back and moving the puck quick.

"I think watching Pittsburgh throughout the playoffs the last couple years, they certainly have that in their game where they like to get the puck up to the forwards," he said. "That's certainly the strength of the club. So I hope to bring that element of my game and hopefully it transitions well."

Hunwick is coming off a season where he posted the second-best offensive totals of his nine plus year career with 19 points (1G-18A) and a plus-8 in 72 regular-season contests with Toronto. While he can chip in points, he said he's not going to put up huge numbers. Hunwick said for him, it's more about skating quick and moving the puck quick. Hunwick spent the last two seasons with the Maple Leafs, and added dimension to his game during his time there. A big part of his job was killing penalties, as Hunwick ranked fourth on the club with an average of 2:40 shorthanded minutes per game for the league's 10^th-best penalty killing unit.

"It's a role I grew into and really enjoyed doing that," said Hunwick, who has also played for Boston, Colorado and the New York Rangers. "I haven't played power play in a few years. The penalty kill is something I looked to and really wanted to be good at. It was kind of a role I helped create for myself in Toronto and I'd love to be able to do that in Pittsburgh. I have no idea what will happen, but that's certainly something I've done in the past and would love to do it there."

The left-handed shot also got a lot of practice on playing the right side, something he said he feels comfortable doing. Overall, it was a unique two years for Hunwick in Toronto - where he was an alternate captain - as they went from finishing last in the league standings to taking Washington to seven games in the First Round of the 2017 playoffs. Now, Hunwick is looking forward to this new opportunity with Pittsburgh. And while he admitted that while it hasn't quite sunk in yet that he's now a Penguin, he's certainly thrilled.

"I'm excited," he said. "I've gotten a lot of calls and texts from my friends and family today and everyone's really happy with the decision to go to Pittsburgh."