Canucks Skate: Big Trade, Sid and Ovie, WJC Set, A Tragedy

Game day information coming up shortly on the Vancouver Canucks and the Nashville Predators, a team that features Vancouver Canucks General Manager Jim Benning’s nephew, defenceman Matt Benning. The Predators come in with an even .500 record at 5-and-5. As we get prepared, let’s peak at plenty of other news and entertainment around the NHL and some sad news from Europe …

The New Knight

In case you missed it, there was some wheeling and dealing going on between the Buffalo Sabres and Vegas Golden Knights late into Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, with the relationship ultimately consummated with the trade of former Buffalo captain Jack Eichel and a conditional 2023 third-round pick in exchange for Alex Tuch, prospect Peyton Krebs, a 2022 conditional first-round pick and a conditional 2023 2nd-rounder. Owen Krepps breaks it down in a big way on Vegas Hockey Now.

Hard Luck Kid

Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby is out of the line-up again, just one game after coming back from off-season wrist surgery. Sid apparently caught the Covid bug and while sitting through NHL protocols he’s also recuperating. Many pro athletes remain asymptomatic, while Sid appears to be a bit under the weather. It doesn’t end there for the decimated Penguins; add their head coach to the long Covid list. Despite the setbacks, Pittsburgh managed to beat their bitter rivals from across Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Flyers, 3-2 on Thursday.

Sid’s Buddy in DC

They’ve been paired together in the hearts and minds of fans and media since 2005 when they first entered the NHL, Sid and Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals. While Crosby is suffering, Ovie is flourishing. Thursday night he scored his 740th career goal and now sits just one behind Brett Hull for 4th place all-time. It was the “Great Eight’s” NHL leading 10th goal of the season.

There was plenty of other news coming out of the game in Sunrise, Florida, including injuries, a first goal, and a Panthers victory. The Cats stand at 9-0-and-1 on the season, atop the Atlantic Division, six points ahead of the second place Toronto Maple Leafs. Florida’s only loss came in a shoot-out this past Saturday night in Boston against the Bruins.

Number One, Not In OUR Hearts …

… but definitely in the heart of Dixie. The Carolina Hurricanes remain the only unbeaten team, in regulation or extras, with a ledger of nine wins and zero losses. The Hurricanes have outscored their opponents 37-to-15. Every single win came in regulation thus far and only three of them have been one-goal victories. By the way, something’s gotta give on Saturday night when Carolina visits Florida. Can you remember the last time folks were excited about a Hurricanes at Panthers game in November?

WJC Schedule Announced

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) released the schedule for the 2022 World Junior Championship to be held in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta. The tournament will begin on Boxing Day, December 26th and feature Canada, Austria, Germany, Finland and the Czech Republic in Group A (Edmonton) and Russia, Switzerland, Sweden, Slovakia and the USA in Group B (Red Deer).

A Hockey Tragedy in Austria

Sad news from the ice hockey world in Austria Wednesday with the passing of 24-year-old winger Boris Sádecky of the Bratislava (Slovakia) Capitals in the Central European/Austrian ICE Hockey League. Sádecky, a native of Trencin, Slovakia, collapsed on the ice during a game last Friday night in the city of Dornbirn and was unable to recover.

Kraken History Add-on

I just happened to be watching the end of the second period and most of the third period of the Buffalo Sabres visiting the Seattle Kraken Thursday night and watched Jordan Eberle score a natural hat trick, the first trick of any kind in Seattle Kraken history. Sabres goalie Dustin Tokarski became the other half of the trivia question. The Kraken, trailing 2-1 before Eberle’s heroics, won the game 5-2 with an empty-netter, their 4th victory of the inaugural season.

The Kraken host the Vancouver Canucks on January 1st.

Enjoy the Hockey Action!!