Dec 12, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj (72) checks Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) near the boards during the first period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images The entire situation has struck a little bit of a nerve with Pittsburgh Penguins fans, as part of their community was rudely brushed aside when the Penguins dumped their 29-year relationship with the Wheeling Nailers in favor of the Hoffmann Family of Companies-owned Florida Everblades.
Friday, the results of that switch created a little bit of a situation. PHN also answered several more questions regarding the Penguins trade talks and rebuild. Elsewhere in the Daily, the Ottawa Senators are still hunting for someone to score goals, a writer for Flames Nation dropped a stunning piece on the expensive burdens Canadian fans bear to go to games and now even to watch the games.
Connor Bedard said he was never going to sign an offer sheet while Patrick Kane talked about coming home again. I’d also like to take a moment to thank you all for your support over the last year. The website folks made a couple of fixes yesterday, so all should be functioning as to the best of their capabilities.
In terms of readership, the changing world continues to benefit us and much of the Hockey Now network as we keep getting stronger as others fall. It’s amazing how far ahead we are of “name brand” competition. And it still tickles me how triggered some people get when I post pictures of a ride or some hot dogs.
Lighten up, Francis. We’re all trying to have some fun on this rock, and it takes but a second to scroll past if you’re disinterested. To the hockey…
Pittsburgh Penguins Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Let’s start with the news we uncovered late Friday afternoon. There is a wrinkle in the ECHL rules. Every team qualifies eight players, essentially making them protected from free agency.
Of course, the Wheeling Nailers qualified eight players, but one of them was goalie prospect Gabriel D’Aigle. Friday, the Penguins organization signed 32-year-old ECHL goalie Cam Johnson, who has been the Florida Everblades’ golden boy. That’s a different sort of move than the Penguins have done before, so here’s the situation and what gives.
Could the Penguins prospect be caught up in the Penguins’ ECHL switch? Based on a few of the comments, it seems some don’t realize how much development work the Penguins put into players. They’re not in the ECHL, just on their own.
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: And PHN used the recent overflow of questions from the Live Chat/podcast to dig deeper into a few situations, including Sidney Crosby’s effect on the rebuild, a fun question on the overall rebuild philosophy, and the seriousness of the Penguins trade talks. NHL Trade Talk, News, & NHN Chicago Hockey Now: It was press conference day. Patrick Kane is back in Chicago.
Jack Bushman writes that it was expensive, but it was a good deal, and it won’t affect the Chicago Blackhawks longterm plans. TSN video: Connor Bedard joined TSN radio and admitted he told Chicago that he wouldn’t consider an offer sheet. Sure, Leo Carlsson inked one and got paid like a bandit, but Bedard was forthright with the team.
He was casting his lot in Chicago. Flames Nation: This story should make us all a little sad. Robert Munnich penned a piece on the cost of being a Canadian fan, the actual financial cost.
It’s staggering. The technology expansion has allowed for new revenue streams. The flip side of that is that owners and leagues are demanding more money from fans.
Life was so much simpler when the games were on free TV. Hopefully, the Vegas Golden Knights experiment of putting their games on over-the-air TV works… Ottawa Sun: It’s getting late in the offseason, but the Ottawa Senators are making a second push to find some goal scoring on the NHL trade market.
NHLtraderumors.me: Wi-Fi in Philly? Oh boy, that fits too well. There are reports that the Philadelphia Flyers are interested in Arber Xhekaj and are poking around to make it happen.