Canucks AM Skate, Olympic Story Confirmed, Free Agents

The last long holiday weekend of summer begins. Enjoy it Vancouver Canucks fans; hockey life will start to get busy next week and new material will continue to flow here. For now …

Let’s Skate! …

Oh my gosh! Look! The Canadian Press and TSN are reporting that the NHL is returning to the Olympics! Does that make it news? I guess so.

Ummm, Hockey Wanderlüst broke that story and we shared it here at VHN five days ago. But who’s counting. Actually, fair enough, the NHL and NHLPA made that story official today.

There is another story on the TSN site that is indeed noteworthy and interesting today (Friday). Travis Yost‘s round-up of the UFA’s hanging around looking for jobs. It’s a pretty substantial group of names that includes one-time Vancouver Canucks villian Zdeno Chara and all-time NHL games played leader Patrick Marleau. Dare I say “old timers”. Chara is 44, Marleau is (only) 41.

Logan Mailloux, the controversial next-to-last first-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens in the 2021 NHL Draft is suspended from Ontario Hockey League play indefinitely. His case will be reviewed again at the end of the calendar year reports Sportsnet via the Canadian Press.

It’s no wonder that Lou Lamoriello is presently the back-to-back award winner for NHL General Manager of the Year. He’s quickly turned the New York Islanders around since arriving, the Toronto Maple Leafs re-construct has faltered since they showed him the door, while his already-in-the-Hockey-Hall-of-Fame credentials stand alone these days. Last week his club announced a rash of signings. He doesn’t mess around. It’s as if Lou says to the player agents, “OK, time to get this contract done. We’re getting it done now. Yeah, we’re not ending the call or the meeting until the deal is done.” And the deal gets done.

The Ottawa Senators announced that they’ve signed 23-year-old forward Drake Batherson, one of the key characters in their young core, to a six-year, $29.85-million contract.

The KHL (Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League) and the CHL (Europe’s Champions Hockey League) have begun their seasons.

Enjoy the hockey action!