
Kings name Ken Holland general manager
May 14 - The Los Angeles Kings named Ken Holland their new general manager on Wednesday.
Terms were not disclosed. Holland replaces Rob Blake, fired by the club last week after eight seasons.
"As we did our due diligence, we identified Ken as the absolute best option and acted decisively to make him our General Manager," Kings President Luc Robitaille said in a release. "His track record of success is undeniable and after our conversations with him, we were clearly convinced he was the right person for us at this time. He has the experience to lead us on the proper path that will help us win now and compete for the Stanley Cup."
Holland, 69, was the Red Wings' GM from 1997-98 to 2018-19, during which time Detroit captured the Stanley Cup in 1998, 2002 and 2008. He also was the team's assistant GM during a Stanley Cup run in 1997.
Most recently, Holland was the GM of the Oilers from 2019-20 to 2023-24. Last season, Edmonton lost to the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final, after which Holland left the team by mutual agreement.
Holland was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020 as a "builder." He had a brief playing career as a goalie: one game with the Hartford Whalers in 1980-81 and three with the Red Wings in 1983-84. Holland went 0-2-1 with a 4.96 goals-against average and an .825 save percentage.
Los Angeles went 48-25-9 (105 points) while finishing second in the Pacific Division this season. Coach Jim Hiller, in a season and a half on the job, has a 69-37-10 record.
--Field Level Media
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The Independent
7 hours ago
- The Independent
NHL's state income tax debate heats up with the Florida Panthers back in the Stanley Cup Final
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It's got a little something for everybody,' Commissioner Gary Bettman said before the final he 'hates the issue," and that was evident Monday night on TNT when retired player-turned-analyst Paul Bissonnette suggested tax problems should be addressed in the next collective bargaining agreement. Bettman called it ridiculous and rhetorically asked if the league should subsidize teams in places like New York and Los Angeles. The Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators and Seattle Kraken are the six NHL teams out of 32 in a place with no state income tax. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said some other franchises have raised it as a concern but added the league does not share that thinking. 'These imbalances have existed forever,' Daly said. 'There are so many reasons why a player may choose to play in a particular location for a particular team for a particular coach that have nothing to do with the tax situation in that market.' The union seems to agreed that nothing needs to be negotiated in the next CBA to mitigate varying tax levels. NHLPA assistant executive director Ron Hainsey, who played for seven teams over 17 seasons from 2003-20, cited a run of Cup winners in places like Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh over a decade-plus span as a hole in the argument. 'I'm kind of baffled at times that this is the topic it is,' Hainsey said. 'To react this way out there because Florida and Tampa are having their moment here where they have the players, good teams, took less to stay — it's the same thing that's happened the previous 12 years with all these other things. So, when we talk about, is it really an issue, I'm not certain that it is." Hainsey also pointed out that this is not a top issue in the NFL and NBA. Of course, hockey still has a ways to go to catch up with football and basketball player salaries, even with the NHL cap rising over the next few years because of revenues setting records. 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"The Canadian teams, most of them have an extremely high tax rate, and then the California teams, same thing: Those teams are going to have to pay more money to get certain players than others,' Marchand said. "When you look at a team like Montreal, what are they 52, 54%? Versus a team like here or Dallas or whatever. That's a 15% difference. When you add that up, it's a tremendous amount of money.' Of course, money isn't the only motivating factor. Success for Florida, Tampa Bay, Vegas and Dallas directly coincides with Zito, Julien BriseBois, Kelly McCrimmon and Jim Nill being some of the best executives around and knowing how to evaluate talent and manage the cap. Being able to golf in the winter does not hurt either, and some players prefer smaller markets with less pressure. Others are drawn to hockey-crazy places where fans care deeply and hockey is either the top dog or the only game in town. The Edmonton Oilers, in the final for a second consecutive year, are the perfect example of that. 'The passion obviously that this fanbase has for their team is incredible,' said Oilers forward Evander Kane, who has also played in Atlanta, Winnipeg, Buffalo and San Jose. 'Once you actually get here and get to know your way around the city a little bit more, you realize there's actually quite a bit to do and it is a good spot for families and they have great summers.' NHL players get paid in U.S. dollars, even in Canada, taking some of the tax bite out of places like Montreal and Toronto with high tax rates because of the exchange rate. But that can also get cut into based on where guys choose to live. 'It helps while you're there, but also the living costs in Canada are extremely high, too, because you're taxed through the roof on everything: what you buy, what you sell, what you make,' Marchand said. 'So, yes, at the time, the costs are a little bit different but not much, and then when you move back, you have 20, 30% less money, so it absolutely plays a part.' ___


The Independent
9 hours ago
- The Independent
Brad Marchand embraces Panthers' rat-throwing tradition, which goes back 30 years
There's a giant, gold-outlined rat emblazoned on the hat that dangles in Brad Marchand's locker. The scrappy NHL veteran has been likened to the tiny rodent for much of his career, notoriously known as 'The Rat' among hockey fans for his brash play. So when Marchand was traded from Boston to Florida back in March, it didn't take long for him to embrace Panthers fans' longstanding tradition of tossing plastic rats onto the ice after wins. 'I hope we get some rats thrown at us,' Marchand quipped at his locker on Sunday, before Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. 'I just hope it's on the ice and not outside." Marchand got his wish. After the Panthers routed the Edmonton Oilers 6-1 on Monday, those unmistakable gray pests rained down on the ice in a tradition that has lasted three decades. As they've done after most games this postseason, Marchand's teammates fired the rats at his legs before exiting the ice. For Marchand, getting the rats thrown at him is like a badge of honor — a tiny, symbolic moment that represents how the Panthers have been able to keep things lighthearted while going for their second straight championship. 'This group has a ton of fun," Marchand said. 'It's an incredible environment to be a part of. In the room, on the ice, even just in the city, there's a lot of excitement around right now.' The rat-throwing tradition goes back 30 years Before their 1995-96 season opener, Panthers players were waiting to take the ice in a cramped, makeshift dressing room at the now-demolished Miami Arena when a large rat scampered in. 'Players were jumping on top of their stalls ... big, tough hockey players,' said Billy Lindsay, Panthers left wing from their expansion season in 1993 to 1999, 'most of us were pretty scared of this big rat running around. We were ducking for cover everywhere.' Right wing Scott Mellanby then grabbed his stick and one-timed the rat into the wall. The rodent went flying across the dressing room. It died as soon as it hit the wall. Players later memorialized it by circling the small dent in the blood-stained wall and placing a rat statue there for the year. The Panthers went out and beat the Calgary Flames 4-3 that night. Mellanby scored a pair of goals with that same stick. 'Scott Mellanby didn't even have time to really tape his stick,' Lindsay said. 'So he's got a little rat and blood there on his stick and went out there and scored a couple of goals.' In his postgame news conference, goalie John Vanbiesbrouck noted that Mellanby had the NHL's first 'rat trick.' The incident was in the local paper the next day. About a week or so later, a toy rat hit the ice after a home game. The next game, there were a couple more. By the end of that season, which included Lindsay scoring the game-winning goal that clinched Florida's first ever playoff series win, the rat throwing had become such a phenomenon that the team earned a sponsorship from the pest control company Orkin. 'And funny enough, it's still around today,' Lindsay said, 'which is quite strange.' 'It's a feeling you can't replicate' Sports traditions are ubiquitous. Some are sacred. Many are quirky. And they can include just about anything. There's the Lambeau Leap at Green Bay Packers games. The 'Gatorade Bath' after a win in the NFL. LeBron James' patented pregame chalk toss. Detroit Red Wings fans occasionally celebrate wins by throwing octopuses on the ice. The Nashville Predators have their catfish toss. For the Panthers, who at the time were in just their third season as an NHL franchise, the rat throwing — buoyed by the fact that Florida made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final that year — became the first real way they got the South Florida fans in a non-traditional hockey market to embrace their team. Colin Fox, 32, a Panthers fan from Boca Raton, Florida, said it's 'a thrill' to be a part of the rat throwing at the end of games. 'Even when they weren't very good, when they weren't on these hot streaks, there were still rats on the ice," said Fox, who wore a throwback Mellanby jersey to Game 3 of the final. "It's something that has persevered through the years." For opposing teams, the rats are often a nuisance, Lindsay said, recalling how some goalies would hide in their net between goals to try and escape them. So many hit the ice after that initial season the NHL changed its rules to say such in-game celebrations could lead to penalties, though the league still allowed rats to be thrown after games. There's plenty of rat-themed memorabilia for sale at Panthers games, and the plastic rodents themselves can be purchased all over Miami. At gas stations. Party stores. Some fans order them online. The rats that Panthers fan JP Kirkpatrick, 23, tossed onto the ice after a game this season came from a fan sitting next to him who brought plenty of extras. 'It's a feeling you can't replicate,' said Kirkpatrick, an Orlando, Florida, native. 'It's something you can't get (anywhere else). You've got to be there to get it. You can't watch it on TV. You can't get it in the parking lot. You've got to be out there, be in the seat. The fans, everybody there, it's electric.' No one from that 1995 Panthers group thought they'd be a part of creating a lasting, iconic symbol for the team, but as they look back on that moment amid all the Panthers' recent success, they're proud of what it's become. "There's been enough people from back then to hang on to the tradition and pass it along," Lindsay said. "And now you get this unparalleled success where you get three Stanley Cup appearances in a row, you win a Stanley Cup championship, you're looking for a second. And that rat is just (still) going. 'It just makes me proud of what we started.' ___


Reuters
a day ago
- Reuters
Panthers cruise to Game 3 win over Oilers
June 10 - The Florida Panthers didn't pull any punches against the visiting Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night. The Panthers scored in the opening minute and didn't let up in the scrappy, penalty-filled game, cruising to a 6-1 victory in Sunrise, Fla. The result gives the Panthers a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series heading to Game 4 on Thursday night in Sunrise. Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Reinhart and Evan Rodrigues each had a goal and an assist, Brad Marchand, Aaron Ekblad and Sam Bennett also scored, and Eetu Luostarinen had two assists for the Panthers, who are trying to become the third team to repeat as Stanley Cup champion in the past 10 years. Sergei Bobrovsky made 32 saves for Florida, which went 3-for-11 on the power play and 5-for-6 on the penalty kill. "We talk about being composed," Florida forward Matthew Tkachuk said. "If you've got to take a punch in the face, a slash in the face, a cross-check, a slash in the leg, whatever the case is, you've got to it. There's a bigger picture with the win here for us. We just wanted to protect ourselves, protect our teammates when needed, but at the end of the day, you've got to be smart in a game like this, and I thought our team did that." Corey Perry scored for the Oilers, who are hoping to become the first franchise from Canada to win the Cup since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993. Stuart Skinner surrendered five goals on 23 shots before he was replaced early in the third period by Calvin Pickard, who finished with seven saves. "We didn't play very well. We have nobody to blame but ourselves," Edmonton left winger Evander Kane said. "We can definitely be a lot better." Marchand scored his fourth goal of the series 56 seconds into the game. The puck caromed to Marchand in the slot, and he brought it back to the inside edge of the right circle before scoring with a snap shot. Skinner was off balance in front of the crease when the puck hit the net to give Florida a 1-0 lead. Marchand, who turned 37 on May 11, is the oldest player to score in each of the first three games of a Stanley Cup Final, and his 11 goals in the finals are tops among active players, one more than Perry. The teams combined for seven power plays in the opening period and the Panthers scored on the last. The Oilers left room for Verhaeghe to skate into the right circle and fired in a wrist shot for a 2-0 lead at 17:45. Edmonton was on a power play to start the second period when Perry converted a rebound to cut the deficit to 2-1 at 1:40. Florida answered 1:20 later when Reinhart shot the puck between the legs of Oilers defenseman John Klingberg from the left faceoff circle and past Skinner to re-establish the two-goal lead at 3-1. "We played like a solid, veteran, older team that's been here before," Tkachuk said. Bennett and Luostarinen then sprung loose on a two-on-none break and Bennett finished it off for his fourth goal of the series and 14th of the postseason to make it 4-1 at 7:26 of the middle period. Florida added another power-play goal at 3:27 of the third period to stretch the lead to 5-1. Ekblad took a feed from Reinhart and scored with a one-timer from the inside edge of the right circle, ending the night for Skinner. Rodrigues blasted in a one-timer during a five-on-three power play with 3:50 left to make it 6-1. The teams combined for 140 penalty minutes. "I mean, it's for the Stanley Cup, you know," Edmonton defenseman Jake Walman said. "There's not an inch out there. It's a grown man's game out there. That's not for the faint of heart. Guys are putting everything on the line." --Field Level Media