Latest news with #ClarkCup
Chicago Tribune
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Who did the Chicago Blackhawks select in the 2025 NHL draft? Here are the latest picks.
The Chicago Blackhawks made three first-round selections Friday in the 2025 NHL draft. The Hawks drafted the top-ranked international player with the No. 3 pick in the NHL draft — Swedish forward Anton Frondell. They also selected Czech winger Vaclav Nestrasil with the No. 25 pick. Shortly after choosing Nestrasil, the Hawks traded with the Carolina Hurricanes to acquire another first-round pick at No. 29. They gave up two second-round picks, Nos. 34 and 62, plus a fifth-round pick in the 2027 draft. They used the No. 29 pick on Mason West. All told, the Hawks have had 11 first-round draft picks over the last four years. Hawks general manager Kyle Davidson said that it hasn't happened by chance — it's intentional. 'The more you pick early … you're more likely to succeed,' Davidson said. 'And so we've taken that philosophy and tried to hit it with volume. 'But I also believe that some of these players are getting to the NHL, some of them are on their path. But from our assessment, an objective assessment, we feel their development so far, we are ahead of the odds in some way — I think we are beating the odds and getting a few more players out of drafts than you know, the odds may dictate.' Blackhawks' 2025 draft picks It all started with a pair of pink figure skates. 'It was the first time I stepped on the ice,' Swedish forward Anton Frondell, 18, said on Friday's ESPN broadcast of the NHL draft. 'Dad just found some pink figure skating skates. I actually skated with them for a year until he (found) out, (and said) 'Oh, Anton, he loves the sport. He wants this.' 'Then he bought me my real first skates. He really wanted me to be a tennis player when I was younger. But I didn't fall for the sport.' NHL Central Scouting regards Frondell as a skilled player with strong legs and a quick stick. '(He) has a nifty wrist shot and his release is solid and accurate. His hockey IQ shines with intelligent moves, with or without the puck. Likes to set up teammates using small moves and tricky passes.' Frondell said he'd like to play in the NHL next season, but it's more likely he'll return to Sweden to play in the men's league. However, Davidson said he'll be able to play in the Hawks' training camp. Davidson said of Frondell, 'He's a really smart hockey player. He uses his body very effectively, especially in battles along the wall. He just has a really projectable game to the NHL.' 'Barkov's probably a few inches taller. … I would say he's probably between a Barkov and an Anton Lundell … he's a big, detail-oriented center with a brain.'—Blackhawks scouting director Mike Doneghey on Anton Frondell and comparisons to Aleksander Barkov — Phil Thompson (@ 2025-06-28T04:16:41.753ZWinger Vaclav Nestrasil is a 6-foot-5, 187-pound native of Praha, Czechia, who produced 19 goals and 23 assists in 61 games for UHSL Muskegon en route to this year's Clark Cup championship. NHL Central Scouting calls the 18-year-old 'a very skilled power forward. Has a nose for the net and when he uses his size, he's tough to handle. (He) possesses a hard shot and quick release, making him a scoring threat every time he enters the offensive zone.' 'You like the physical attributes where (he's a) big, athletic guy that can really move. I think he's got some talent, and some really good hockey sense. And again, a raw package,' Davidson said of Nestrasil. Mason West is a 6-foot-6, 220-pound rising senior at Edina (Minn.) High School. A Division I college football recruit, he has committed to play college hockey at Michigan State — but not until he finishes his final season as a high school quarterback. 'He's behind the curve; he's not quite dedicated himself 100% to hockey,' Davidson said of West, who will turn 18 in August and is one of the youngest players eligible for the 2025 NHL draft. 'But at that size, that athleticism, that skating ability, that talent, the sky is the limit. … I just really wanted to get back into the first round and take what I thought was a Grand Slam hack. I was swinging for the fences and figured, why not?'
New York Times
11-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
How will Penguins' style of play change under new head coach Dan Muse?
Dan Muse has won wherever he's been. The new Pittsburgh Penguins head coach got his start as an assistant coach for Yale University, where he piloted the defense and focused on team structure. Yale's 2013 national championship win propelled him to become head coach for the USHL's Chicago Steel. The Steel won the 2017 Clark Cup, the first in their history, by playing a dynamic, fluid style focused on speed and puck support. That was enough to make Muse the first-ever USHL head coach to jump directly to an NHL assistant coach. Under Muse, the Nashville Predators penalty killing finished sixth in the league in back-to-back seasons. Muse then landed with the United States National Team Development Program, where his 2023 U18 squad ripped off a record 16 wins against NCAA Division I opponents and won gold over Sweden at the 2023 U18 World Championship. That landed him back in the NHL with the New York Rangers, whose penalty kill finished third in the league under Muse. Though we won't know exactly how Muse's Penguins will play until training camp, let's look back at Muse's time as a head coach in the USHL and U.S. NTDP for some common threads in his coaching philosophy. This has been Muse's specific focus in the NHL. The Rangers scored 18 short-handed goals last year, leading the second-place Florida Panthers by six. That was due, in part, to the Rangers' aggressive diamond structure, seen in this screenshot: The diamond features one forward high, one forward and one defenseman on each flank, and one defenseman in front of the net to protect the crease. The formation is particularly effective against the league's most popular power-play formation, the 1-3-1 umbrella. In the diamond penalty kill, the high forward acts as a sort of spear, having the freedom to attack the lone defenseman at the top of the 1-3-1. The flank players cover the half-walls and inner seams for protection against high-danger slot passes and one-timers. Having a player low means you don't have to sacrifice the net front for pressure. I noticed Muse's U.S. NTDP teams ran the same penalty kill as the Rangers did last season. In the next video, take a look at the Americans' diamond alignment on the PK: Muse's U.S. team allowed only two power-play goals on 22 total opportunities en route to the 2023 gold medal, finishing the tournament with a 90-plus-percent success rate on the kill. The structure wasn't the entire reason for that success. Muse's high-energy, tandem forecheck allowed forwards to work off of each other in waves to disrupt the opponent's breakout. In the tandem system, the first forward (F1) pressures the puck carrier hard, often forcing the carrier to rim the puck around the boards or rush a defenseman-to-defenseman pass behind the net. The second forward (F2) reads the F1's angle and mirrors it, cutting off the first outlet or engaging in a secondary puck battle. The forwards interchange depending on the read, which means F2 can become F1 on the fly — this keeps puck-pressure high and reactive. Tandem forechecking allows for quick counterpressure if the first wave doesn't force a turnover, essentially trapping teams in a sequence of poor exits. Muse taught this with a layered-support mindset: Each action has a coverage fallback (such as a defenseman filling in when F2 overcommits). In those clips, you can see the forwards working off of each other to align themselves in the most annoying way possible. These same tendencies exist as far back as Chicago's run through the Clark Cup in 2017. You can see what's important on the penalty kill for a Muse-coached team: layers of puck support, read-based attacks that aim to make the second and third pass difficult, and structural alignment that permits aggression without sacrificing important real estate. The breakout reveals another common thread between Muse's teams. Both the U.S. NTDP and Chicago Steel worked the puck laterally to shift the forecheck and create space in the middle of the ice. Rather than relying on static wing support or long stretch passes, Muse's breakouts favor a five-man approach — defensemen hinge behind the net, forwards collapse low in layered routes, and outlets are built through short, high-percentage reads. It's a system designed to beat pressure with poise. When the defensemen hinge behind the net, the lead forechecker becomes trapped on an island in the middle of them. The forwards are back exceptionally deep, and an easy transitional pass is made. There is so much runway to attack, and the Steel blaze down the ice for a scoring chance. I noticed similar themes from the U.S. NTDP with Muse at the helm. The focus is on the middle of the ice. Muse doesn't ask young defensemen to make hero stretch passes or wingers to win 50-50 wall battles under pressure. He designs exits with predictable layers of help. Rather than sending the wingers high and risking a turnover at the line, Muse's teams pull their forwards deep, functioning like mobile outlets. As you'll see in the next clips, this setup beats the forecheck not with a single-thread pass but by offering sequential support — every move creates the next option, and as we saw in the penalty kill, tandem work is key. All of their forwards operate under the same center-like mindset. Being so deep at the genesis of the breakout gives faster forwards the opportunity to use a lot of runway to gain speed and burn through the middle of the ice, making easy lateral passes when necessary to layered support that can carry the torch. Advertisement Let's talk about Muse's pièce de résistance. In the 2023 U18 World Championship gold medal game, Muse's Americans faced a 2-0 deficit in the third period. Sweden utilized its speed and support along the wall to beat the U.S. forecheck and exploit the American defense in transition. The Swedes exhibited frustrating control over the neutral zone and seemed to be coasting their way to gold. Until they weren't. Halfway through the third period, the U.S. stopped trying to force possession-based zone entries. Instead, the Americans started simply dumping the puck into the Swedes' zone and punishing their defense. It worked. The U.S. overwhelmed Sweden and started creating intentional chaos in the zone by springing toward dumped pucks with speed. Muse's change worked. With a faceoff deep in their own end, the Americans crashed and banged their way to a goal. Off the ensuing faceoff, the Americans made it clear they'd heard their coach's message. They went straight north, dumped the puck in and kept applying the pressure. But this was a well-coached, mobile Sweden team that began to use the Americans' overzealousness on puck pursuit against it. Utilizing the wall, Sweden made short, strong-side passes that bypassed the U.S. forecheck. The pendulum swung back in favor of the Swedes, courtesy of some tactical work in the face of the Americans' fury. The U.S. tied the score with a power-play goal off an offensive-zone penalty by Sweden, but the Americans remained under duress. So, seeing that his team's pressure was risky, Muse called off the dogs and forced Sweden to try to knife its way through a U.S. trap. Muse put forth a token forechecker to apply feigned pressure while the rest of the team sat behind the red line, ready to pounce. The decision cooled the Swedes' jets and allowed the U.S. to make some possession-based zone entries off turnovers. In this clip, notice how much the U.S. changed its forechecking approach to sit back and allow Sweden to try to navigate the mess of bodies in the neutral zone. The strategy shift got the U.S. into overtime, where Ryan Leonard took over to cap the comeback and win gold. The Penguins needed a coach who could be a builder and developer without sacrificing the tactical side. Muse may be a first-time NHL head coach, but it's very clear why he reached this point. He's shown he prefers intentional puck support in all three zones and structured systems. Crucially, though, he also has shown he can adapt on the fly. How well will that philosophy translate to an NHL roster? We'll see, but Muse's foundation is clear. That might be exactly what's needed as the Penguins enter a new phase.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tampa Bay Lightning Re-Sign Defenseman Max Crozier To Three-Year Contract
The Tampa Bay Lightning announced they have re-signed defenseman Max Crozier to a three-year contract. The contract is a two-way deal for the 2025-26 season and transitions to a one-way contract for the remaining two seasons. Advertisement Crozier served as an assistant captain and recorded 34 points in 52 games with the Syracuse Crunch this season and went pointless while averaging 16:41 of ice time in five games with the Lightning. The 25-year-old had a strong season and will take on even more responsibility moving forward. He has two assists in 18 career NHL games and 58 points in 110 career NHL games. Originally a fourth round selection of the Lightning in 2019, Crozier won the USHL's Clark Cup in 2018-19 with the Sioux Falls Stampede and was a two-time Hockey East Third Team All-Star. The North Vancouver, B.C., native had 17 goals and 71 points in 119 career games with the NCAA's Providence College, he also served as captain in 2022-23 before joining the Crunch. Advertisement Check out The Hockey News' Tampa Bay Lightning team site for more updates. Tampa Bay hired Colorado Eagles associate head coach Dan Hinote as an assistant coach earlier today. Make sure you bookmark The Hockey News' AHL Page for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Pittsburgh Penguins hire new head coach to replace Mike Sullivan, 23rd in history
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (WTAJ) — The Pittsburgh Penguins have named Dan Muse as the 23rd head coach in franchise history, aiming to turn the page with a leader known for developing talent and leading elite special teams in the NHL. Muse, 42, brings two decades of coaching experience to Pittsburgh, including five seasons as an NHL assistant with the New York Rangers and Nashville Predators. During his tenure, his teams won three division titles and earned two President's Trophies. Team officials cited Muse's success in player development and his ability to drive strong special teams performance as major factors in the hire. While in Nashville (2017-19), his penalty kill ranked fourth league-wide. He matched that consistency in New York from 2023 to 2025, helping the Rangers reach the NHL's top-tier in penalty kill success and net percentage. Muse has coached at nearly every level, winning championships in the NCAA, USHL, and with the U.S. National Team. He led Yale to a national title in 2013 and captured the USHL's Clark Cup with the Chicago Steel in 2017. He later headed USA Hockey's U18 program, guiding the team to gold at the 2023 World Championship. Originally from Canton, Massachusetts, Muse played four years at Stonehill College before transitioning to coaching. He and his wife, Maureen, have four children. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
NBC Sports
04-06-2025
- Business
- NBC Sports
Penguins hire Rangers assistant Dan Muse to replace Mike Sullivan as head coach
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins are trying to navigate their way through the twilight of the Sidney Crosby era to the dawn of whatever comes next. It's a transition general manager Kyle Dubas repeatedly has said will not be easy, or particularly quick, and would require a coach who can connect with veterans while simultaneously developing young talent. Enter Dan Muse, who has spent the last two decades dabbling in the former and excelling in the latter. Dubas hired the 42-year-old Muse as Pittsburgh's coach, tasking the former New York Rangers assistant with helping the Penguins find their way back to relevance after three straight springs spent with their noses pressed to the glass while the Stanley Cup playoffs went on with them. Muse replaces Mike Sullivan, who split with Pittsburgh in April after a nearly decade-long tenure that included back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. The Rangers scooped up Sullivan in early May. Sullivan's departure was amicable. He even took out a billboard in Pittsburgh thanking the city. In New York, Sullivan will find a more experienced roster ready to win now. That won't be the case for Muse in Pittsburgh. The seventh of the eight coaching vacancies filled this offseason — Muse's hiring leaves the Boston Bruins as the only club still searching — is walking into a job that will require patience, prodding and maybe a bit of politicking to thrive. Dubas said the team met with 'many candidates' before deciding on Muse, who has spent the last half-decade as an assistant at the NHL level. Muse also has a track record as a cultivator of talent and served as the head coach of USA Hockey's National Team Development Program from 2020-23. 'What separated Dan was his ability to develop players, win at all levels where he has been a head coach and his consistent success coaching special teams in the NHL,' Dubas said. 'From his success in developing college and junior players, to his impactful work with veteran players during his time in the NHL, Dan has shown a proven ability to connect with players at all stages of their careers and help them to reach their potential.' Muse has been part of coaching staffs that have won titles at multiple levels. He was an assistant at Yale when the Bulldogs claimed the NCAA championship in 2013. He served as the head coach for the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League — the top junior league in the U.S. — when the Steel captured the Clark Cup in 2017 and helped the U.S. under-18 and under-20 teams win world titles. When Muse reached the NHL in 2017 with Nashville, he oversaw a penalty-kill unit that was among the league's best. He produced similar results when he took over a similar role with the Rangers in 2023. 'His overall body of work, attention to detail and vision for our group showed us that he is the best coach to take our team forward,' Dubas said. The list of players Muse has worked with during his time at USA Hockey includes forward Rutger McGroarty, a 21-year-old now considered the top prospect in the Penguins' system. Muse's job will be to find a way to mesh McGroarty and the rest of what likely will be a substantial youth movement with a team that for now remains defined by franchise icons Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. Crosby signed an extension last fall that could keep him in Pittsburgh for two more seasons. Letang is signed through 2028. Malkin, who turns 39 in August, is about to enter the final season of his contract, with retirement perhaps not far behind. Dubas has long known this day was coming and has spent a significant chunk of the last 16 months stockpiling draft picks. The Penguins have 30 selections over the next three drafts, including 18 over the first three rounds, though Dubas is likely to turn some of those selections into packages designed to acquire NHL-ready players. While Pittsburgh should have a little more room under the salary cap to fill out the roster, Dubas is focused on trying to build something sustainable for the long haul rather than a quick fix. Muse will inherit a team that has serious questions in net, where Tristan Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic struggled last season, and is in urgent need of depth scoring to complement Crosby and linemates Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell. The last time the Penguins hired a coach without NHL head coaching experience, Mike Johnston was fired just over two months into his second season. He was replaced by Sullivan, whose fiery persona — along with significant help from heady moves made by then-general manager Jim Rutherford — made Pittsburgh the first team in nearly 20 years to win consecutive Cups. Sullivan's mandate was clear: Wake the Penguins up. Muse's is, too: Help the franchise successfully navigate the bridge from one generation to the next.
