The Stars have Covid, Crawford Retires, News and Notes from around the NHL
The Dallas Stars are the first team to deal with Covid-19 related issues, but they will be far from the last. The Stars reported late last week that 6 players and 2 coaches had contracted the virus. This comes as the NHL is set to open the regular season on Wednesday night. Dallas was scheduled to play the Florida Panthers on the 13th and 14th, but these games have already been postponed without an announcement for make-up dates yet.
Additionally, 3 other teams have been forced to cancel their practices due to potential Covid-19 exposures. The Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Columbus Blue Jackets have all been forced to withhold players from practices or cancel practice altogether.
For the 2021 season, the NHL has realigned the divisions in order to allow for more optimal travel and game schedules. There will be 4 divisions consisting of the North, West, Central, and East.
The Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Washington Capitals will play in the East Division.
The Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, and Tampa Bay Lightning will compete in the Central Division.
The Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, and Vegas Golden Knights will be in the West Division.
The Canadiens, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, and Winnipeg Jets will play in the North Division.
In other league news, Corey Crawford, who recently signed a 2-year deal with the New Jersey Devils, has decided to retire. This comes after Crawford had missed 4 straight days of practice due to personal reasons. Ultimately, Crawford decided that he would be happiest if he stepped away from the game. Crawford said in a statement,
“I have been fortunate to have had a long career playing professional hockey for a living. I wanted to continue my career, but believe I've given all I can to the game of hockey, and I have decided that it is time to retire," Crawford said in a statement issued Saturday. "I would like to thank the New Jersey Devils organization for understanding and supporting my decision.
"I would like to thank the Chicago Blackhawks organization for giving me the chance to live my childhood dream. I am proud to have been part of winning two Stanley Cups in Chicago. Thank you to all of my teammates and coaches throughout the years. Also, thank you to the fans who make this great game what it is. I am happy and excited to move on to the next chapter of my life with my family."
Crawford, a 2-time Stanley Cup Champion with the Chicago Blackhawks, finishes his career with a record of 260 W- 162 L- 53 OTL. He ranks 3rd all-time amongst Hawks goalies, trailing only Glen Hall and Tony Esposito. Crawford does hold the club record for playoff wins as a goalie for Chicago with 52 and is the only Hawks goalie with multiple cups.
On the signing front, 23-year old centerman Mat Barzal has signed a 3-year deal with the New York Islanders. Barzal, a restricted free agent, was the Islanders leader in points last year with 60 (19 goals, 41 assists) in 68 games last season and scored 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) in 22 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He helped the Islanders reach the Eastern Conference Finals, before eventually losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Jesper Bratt and the New Jersey Devils agreed to a 2-year deal worth $5.5 Million. The 22-year old RFA had 32 points in 60 games. His 16 goals were a career-high. Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald said Bratt is still in Sweden and his time of arrival in New Jersey is uncertain. Bratt will not be available for the Devils' season opener against the Boston Bruins at Prudential Center on Thursday.
Finally, to end with some good news, goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is recovering well after having open-heart surgery to repair a condition that is preventing him from playing this season.
Per NHL.com, Lundqvist announced on Dec. 28 he was scheduled to have open-heart surgery for an "aortic valve replacement, aortic root and ascending aortic replacement to be more exact."
"A routine physical that was an early physical turned into, 'Well, we need to explore further what's going on with you,'" Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said Dec. 23. "Following along, our trainer, Jason Serbus, did an unbelievable job. Our doctors, the cardiologists, the specialists, it kept getting deeper and deeper. As we went that far, Henrik got a lot more knowledge of what his situation is and where it's going and what his risk levels are … and his risk level is not acceptable for him to continue to play, for him and his family."
It is unclear if Lundqvist will be able to play next season, or if he will even want to for that matter. The important thing is his health and safety.