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New York Times
06-08-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
How much longer will Sidney Crosby play in the NHL?: Penguins mailbag
Sidney Crosby turns 38 on Thursday, and given the number of excellent questions I received, I decided to write two mailbags for August, both about Crosby. Part 2 will arrive soon. Here's Part 1. Away we go. Best guess at how many more years Sid plays before retiring? Is passing Jagr for #2 all time and/or 2000 points important milestones for him personally if you had to guess? — @runningbeam I don't think those numbers are terribly important to him. I'm sure he'd love to reach them, but I don't think it's what drives him. How much longer he decides to play depends on many variables: To me, those will be the big questions next summer, when only one year will be remaining on his deal. I could see him retiring after the 2026-27 season if any of the above three questions don't have the desired answer. But because we're having fun here, if I had to guess, I'll predict that Crosby's final NHL season will be the 2028-29 campaign. Just a guess, though. If he goes out by winning the Cup 20 years after his first one, well, wouldn't that be just about right? Advertisement Is Sid's stance on no trade about his one-uniform legacy or does he really believe he can still win here? — @Rizzosarge Probably both, but he always thinks they can win. When I sit down with Crosby during training camp, we chat about the team. On the record, off the record, whatever. I just like to get a feel for what he thinks about the current team. He's the ultimate optimist. He always thinks they're going to win and always means it sincerely. I have no doubt he's thinking about the upcoming season and concocting a way for this team to be better than expected. Will Crosby end up in management, or coaching, or be a team owner someday? — About 40 people Many of you asked this question in various forms. Crosby has told me he isn't interested in coaching. That's probably good because great players typically don't make great coaches. There are exceptions, but that's usually how it works. I could see him being drawn to being a general manager and, let's be honest, if Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle find a way to reclaim ownership of the Penguins, Crosby would be a natural and qualified investor down the road. Assuming Sid doesn't have burners do you think he would join social media once he hangs them up? — @YaBoiVaccaro I don't think he'll ever do that. He's way too smart. Which Stanley Cup do you think meant the most to Crosby? I think you could make an argument for any of the three in achievement or difficulty. But one has to have the most value to him. — @nathan_lewy What a great question. The first one is always special because it's your first. The second one was special because I think that's the one that really solidified him as a top-five player, and it helped him and Evgeni Malkin avoid one-hit wonder territory. The third one surely means a lot because of what the Penguins overcame to win that one. Advertisement I'll ask him this at some point next season. I do think he really felt like the 2016 and 2017 Penguins were his team. He was 21 in 2009. He was 28 and 29, respectively, in the final two Cup runs. Maybe that makes some kind of impact for him. If Sid had been picked by any other team, do you think the love, devotion and culture surrounding him would be the same as Pittsburgh's? Or is our situation unique due the city's previous (and current) affection for its icons – whether they're sports related or not? — @stefdin I think he would make a profound impact wherever he was, but I do think that Pittsburgh probably was the perfect place for him. Crosby has a lot in common with Mario Lemieux — all-time greats, very well-liked by those who know them, intensely private about their personal lives, very much in love with Pittsburgh. Lemieux was able to offer Crosby a unique understanding of what life in Pittsburgh would be like, and Pittsburgh already knew how to handle someone with Crosby's desire for privacy. So it was a perfect match. But I'm sure they'd like him if he was drafted in Anaheim, too. We all know how much Sid wants to win. We all know he's not going anywhere. What then do you see as his main, realistic goal for the remainder of his time in the league? Wants to be there 'til 'they're good again' like Rusty? Thanks! — @sidearmjones I think, bare minimum, he needs to be in the postseason again before he walks away. He's played no games in the past three summers, and I assure you it stings him. This upcoming season figures to bring four non-playoff seasons in a row to Pittsburgh. Luckily for Crosby, the middle of this season will bring the Winter Olympics in Milan, which gives Crosby something to get excited about. Perhaps that will be enough to quench his competitive taste this season. Advertisement But yeah, I think he needs to be in the playoffs again. I don't know if he needs another Cup title, though he wouldn't turn that down. He knows his legacy is safe in that regard. I just think he wants to take the ice in Pittsburgh in front of a raucous crowd with that playoff feel in the air again. I think it would mean everything to him. What's the unhealthiest thing you've ever seen 87 eat? — @letangcult Nothing that I recall. Though he did tell me once that he enjoys chocolate chip cookies at Subway. Who among us doesn't? How many Cups does Sid win as the Pens GM after he retires? — @Jeffs_Penguins I don't know. I just hope he returns calls like Jim Rutherford. What's Crosby's favorite road city (excluding Montreal)? — @skiab94 I know he enjoys the California swing. In 2009, I asked him what his favorite road arena was. He told me Atlanta. I swear to God. I asked why. 'The lighting is unreal there,' he said. 'I see the ice better.' I relayed that story to Matt Cooke, who responded, 'Yeah, he sees things we don't see, so maybe he's onto something.' I reread your article on Sid for the NHL99 list and was once again struck by the thought that Sid is a better person than he is a player (which is kind of unfathomable). Are there any stories about Sid you have heard since you wrote that article that would add to that narrative? — @GrizzlyAdam930 Oh, all the time. This June, he showed up every day at the practice facility early in the morning for workouts. You know, four months before the season. At age 37. That's not normal. But he has a drive about him that is very, very different than the rest of us. With how particular Sid seems about everything, what kind of challenges does that present you as a journalist? In a funny way, not suggesting he would be rude to you or anyone else. — @Franty_N Well, he's certainly never been rude. He's polite and patient with members of the media, and I assure you we can be an obnoxious group. Advertisement He doesn't present many challenges. Just little quirks. After games, he doesn't like to talk until he has his Penguins ball cap on. So, just don't ask a question until it's on, because if you do, he'll say, 'Oh, just a moment, please. Let me get my hat. Thank you.' He's a dream to deal with. On rare occasions, he's not in the mood to talk after games. It doesn't happen often. When it does, he'll usually be walking out of the locker room and he may give you the eye contact that conveys, 'Sorry, not tonight.' That's fine. He seemingly conducts more interviews than any star athlete in the world. You'll never meet a reporter with a bad word to say about him. He makes our lives much, much easier. Thanks for all the great questions. Stay tuned for Part 2.
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rangers' most memorable regular-season games from 2000-25, including Mika Zibanejad's 5-goal night
The New York Rangers played 2016 regular-season games from 2000-01 through 2024-25. The first quarter of the 21st century included one trip to the Stanley Cup Final (2014), two Presidents' Trophy-winning seasons (2014-15 and 2023-24), three division titles (2011-12, 2014-15 and 2023-24) and 15 trips to the Stanley Cup Playoffs (including the 2020 Qualifiers). The Rangers had some of the most memorable individual performances in their history during the past 25 seasons, including the third five-goal game since they joined the NHL in 1926. There was also a sensational 42-save shutout performance by a Hall of Fame goalie, a record-breaking night by a future Hall of Famer, and memorable comeback wins — including one in the 2024 Stadium Series. Here's a look at five regular-season games from the first quarter of this century that Rangers fans won't forget for a long time. Related: March 5, 2020: Mika Zibanejad caps 5-goal night with OT winner Mika Zibanejad was in the midst of a career year when he had a career night and powered the Rangers to a 6-5 overtime win against the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden. Zibanejad joined Don Murdoch and Mark Pavelich as the only players in Rangers history to score five goals in a game. And he became the second NHL player to complete a five-goal game with an overtime goal, joining Sergei Fedorov for the Detroit Red Wings against the Capitals on Dec. 26, 1996. Zibanejad wouldn't have made all that history if it weren't for Washington's Alex Ovechkin. The Rangers center completed a hat trick 12 seconds into the third period, only to have Ovechkin tie the game at 9:22. Zibanejad put the Rangers ahead with his fourth goal of the night at 18:18, but the Caps got even again when Ovechkin scored 59 seconds later. Luckily for the Rangers, overtime is sudden death – so when Zibanejad scored 33 seconds into OT, it was all over. Zibanejad was greeted by an empty locker room when he entered after his big night — until his teammates came out of hiding and quickly mobbed him. 'The puck followed me today, I guess,' Zibanejad said postgame. 'You look at the goals, some unbelievable plays were being made. Today I was at the right spot at the right time.' March 29, 2006: Jaromir Jagr breaks Rangers points record Jean Ratelle's single-season team record for points (109) had stood since 1972 when the NHL resumed play in the fall of 2005 after a lockout wiped out the 2004-05 season. The Rangers hadn't made the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 1996-97. Both droughts ended in 2005-06 thanks to one man: Jaromir Jagr. New Rangers coach Tom Renney put Jagr on the right side of a line with Martin Straka on the left and Michael Nylander in the middle – and the trio clicked right away. Jagr, a five-time NHL scoring champion and then in his age-34 season, produced like he was in his prime again. Jagr led the NHL in scoring for much of the season, and came to the Nassau Coliseum on March 29 looking to make franchise history – after he had already tied Ratelle's record for points and Adam Graves' mark of 52 goals, set in 1993-94. He blew past Ratelle with a four-primary assist night in the Rangers' 5-1 win over their archrivals. No. 68 surpassed Ratelle's mark 7:23 into the game when he assisted on Petr Prucha's goal, then set up all three goals in Straka's natural hat trick. He could have broken Graves' record as well but missed on a third-period breakaway. However, he got goal No. 53 against the Boston Bruins on April 6 and finished with 54. Still, Jagr was elated to set the team mark for points; his season total of 123 is still a Rangers record, as is his goals mark. 'It's a big honor when you consider all the great players who've played for his organization,' he remarked postgame. 'It could have been a lot more points. We had a lot of chances. I had a lot of chances.' Feb. 14, 2012: 'The King' reigns supreme in Boston Henrik Lundqvist is the greatest goaltender in Rangers history, as well as the only 21st-century Blueshirt to earn induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. His 459 wins are sixth in NHL history and by far the most by a Ranger.s goalie His 64 shutouts are also a team record. But it was his 42nd career shutout, at TD Garden in Boston on Valentine's Day in 2012, that, perhaps, ranks as the best performance of his career. The 3-0 final score doesn't do justice to Lundqvist's play that night. After Ryan Callahan and Ryan McDonagh scored for the Rangers in the first period, the Bruins took over the game everywhere but on the scoreboard. The Bruins outshot the Rangers 14-5 in the second period and 18-3 in the third, when they had 34 shot attempts to five for the Rangers (including a goal by Artem Anisimov early in the period). They finished with 79 shot attempts to 31 for the Rangers. Boston's 32-8 margin in shots over the final 40 minutes and 42-20 for the game meant nothing on a night when 'The King' was flawless. Perhaps his best save came in the second period, when he was flat on his back but had a blast by Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara from the slot that hit the back of his helmet or between his shoulder blades and deflectt to the corner. He preserved his shutout late in the third period with a spectacular glove save on Tyler Seguin on a power-play breakaway. Related: Nov. 23, 2019: Rangers overcome 4-goal deficit to win in Montreal Facing the Canadiens in Montreal has always been a nightmare for the Rangers. They are 70-210-2 with 40 ties against the Canadiens since entering the NHL 99 years ago and have had multiple double-figure losing and winless streaks. That includes an 0-21-4 streak in the early 1950s. More recently, the Rangers were 2-13-2 at Bell Centre from October 2009 through Dec. 1, 2018. So when the Canadiens jumped to a 4-0 lead against the Blueshirts on the Saturday before Thanksgiving in 2019, the sellout crowd in Montreal was confident the night would end as it usually did when the Rangers were in town – with a Habs win. But this time was different. Down 4-0 less than three minutes into the second period, the Rangers scored three times before the midway mark of the period to cut the deficit to one. Montreal's Artturi Lehkonen and New York's Artemi Panarin exchanged goals 31 seconds apart early in the third period, but Brendan Lemieux tied it with a shorthanded goal at 8:40 before Jacob Trouba scored the game-winner at 12:10. 'It's just an unreal feeling that the guys kept at it, nobody gave up,' said Rangers goalie Alexandar Georgiev, who made 38 saves. 'It's rare that you get to come back from 4-0.' How rare? It was just the fourth time in their history the Rangers won after trailing by four goals, and the first since Dec. 26, 1991, against the Capitals. They haven't done it since. Feb. 18, 2024: Comeback win keeps Rangers perfect outdoors The Rangers will take a 5-0-0 record in outdoor games into the 2026 NHL Winter Classic against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers at loanDepot Park on Jan. 2. They're the only team that's played more than three outdoor games without losing – and the reason is their refusal to roll over in their most recent one, against the Islanders at MetLife Stadium in the 2024 Stadium Series. Eric Gustavsson gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead 1:28 into the game, but the Islanders scored the next four goals and led 4-1 just 1:03 into the second period. Vincent Trocheck scored twice to make it a one-goal game after two periods, but Alexander Romanov's goal early in the third looked like it had put the game away. But the Isles couldn't stay out of the penalty box down the stretch, and the Rangers took advantage. With Igor Shesterkin off for an extra skater, Chris Kreider's goal made it 5-3 with 4:08 left. Scott Mayfield's tripping penalty with 2:28 remaining gave Rangers coach Peter Laviolette another chance to pull Shesterkin for a 6-on-4 opportunity. The move paid off again when Zibanejad beat Ilya Sorokin for the tying goal with 1:29 to play. The reeling Islanders managed to get the game to overtime, but Panarin took the puck away from Noah Dobson and scored 10 seconds into OT for a stunning 6-5 win. 'I was flooded with emotions,' Panarin said. 'I had to hold back tears. It was so much of a spectacle.' It was the first outdoor win in five tries for Laviolette. 'These games that take place are special, I've been fortunate enough to be a part of them,' he said. 'There have been some good ones but this one has to be up there, near the top of the list.' Related Headlines Jonny Brodzinski preps for Rangers season with summer league hat trick in Da Beauty League Rangers legend 'never really had a chance to say goodbye' until Chris Drury phone call changed everything Rangers top draft pick Malcolm Spence earns praise at World Junior Summer Showcase Understanding no-trade/no-movement protection for Rangers veterans, including Mika Zibanejad
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Confirmed: Lemieux ‘Probably' Interested in Ownership; Why Jagr is Back in Pittsburgh
Shortly after the Pittsburgh Penguins had a successful introduction of new head coach Dan Muse this morning, the news changed from pleasant to bombshell. In the early afternoon, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported that former Penguins owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle, along with the former president of business operations David Morehouse, were interested in re-purchasing the Penguins. The Lemieux group sold the team and surrounding land holdings to the Fenway Sports Group in late 2021 for a reported sum of about $900 million. Advertisement The explosive report set off a social media wave of sentiment that also overshadowed what was supposed to be more happy news as Penguins great Jaromir Jagr flew to Pittsburgh and was at the arena, too. LeBrun followed that report with a small update that there is a second group also looking into the Penguins. Previously, the Penguins' current ownership group, FSG, has confirmed interest in accepting minority investors to raise capital as the group develops the uptown property surrounding PPG Paints Arena. Wednesday afternoon, sources confirmed to Pittsburgh Hockey Now that Lemieux was indeed interested in investigating some ownership of the team. It is important to note that any investiture or purchase process has not yet begun. Advertisement It should also be noted that Lemieux's absence from the arena since selling to FSG stemmed from some ill feelings that resulted from the post-sale process. Merely investing and working with FSG might seem to be, at best, a surprising turn of events. Jaromir Jagr In the social media world, Penguins fans were abuzz over the last couple of days as franchise icon Jaromir Jagr teased a visit to Pittsburgh via Instagram. In light of the extraordinary news of Lemieux's interest, speculation surrounding Jagr's arrival at PPG Paints Arena on Wednesday only grew. However, the speculation that he was in town to invest or take a job with the organization was over the top and far more interesting than the reality. Advertisement According to team sources, Jagr was at PPG Paints Arena to accept the Emmy that the team won for their documentary coverage of the days leading to Jagr's number retirement on Feb. 18. The scheduled visit was one of Kevin Acklin's final acts as team president of business operations, and well-timed to coincide with the organization's hockey operations meetings happening this week. First-hand sources confirmed there was no more to it. Acklin wanted to strengthen the organization's relationship with Jagr, which was strained for more than two decades following his 2001 trade to the Washington Capitals. The team also released social media videos of Jagr meeting Muse, and president of hockey operations/GM, Kyle Dubas welcoming Jagr to the team meetings. The visit was merely part of the increasing goodwill between the team and Jagr. The post Confirmed: Lemieux 'Probably' Interested in Ownership; Why Jagr is Back in Pittsburgh appeared first on Pittsburgh Hockey Now.
New York Times
05-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Who wins, a roster of players an NHL GM traded for or traded away?
Your favorite NHL GM probably has his hands full this week, so let's do him a favor and put him in a position where he can't lose. Specifically, let's put him in a contest against … himself. Yeah, this is going to get weird, but stick with it. Today's post will be all about one question: Who'd win, a starting six made up of the players a GM has acquired in his career, or one of the players he's traded away? Advertisement But first, a few ground rules™: • We need three forwards, two defensemen and a goalie, with no other concern for position. And to be clear, we're only looking at players acquired in trades. No waivers, draft picks, UFA signings or anything else. We're focused on the lost art of the trade. • The Sam Pollock Rule is in effect: Trading draft picks doesn't count. We all love to point and laugh when a team trades away a distant pick that gets used on a Hall of Famer, but there's way too much randomness in dealing future picks to give GMs credit or blame for how they turn out. Also, we won't be counting any salary dump trades of players who were essentially already retired. Sorry, Coyotes fans. • This one's important: If a GM has both traded for and traded away a player, that guy can't be on either roster. I've seen enough sci-fi to know what happens if two Chris Prongers end up lining up across from each other. One last thing: We're looking at active GMs today, with an emphasis on the ones who've been around longest. Spoiler alert, relative newbies such as Kyle Davidson and Pat Verbeek haven't acquired a ton of All-Stars quite yet, so they'll have to wait for the sequel in a few years. We'll do our typical 10, then hand it over to you in the comments to fill out some rosters of your own. To start with, we might as well go to the longest-serving active GM in the league … Lamoriello is one of the very few active GMs who give us three separate teams to draw from, although I'm guessing the Devils will provide most of our names. That said, he was in New Jersey for so long that he loses a lot of solid names to the both sides rule, including having traded for and traded away stars such as Alexander Mogilny, Jason Arnott and Claude Lemieux. Forwards: Joe Nieuwendyk, Ilya Kovalchuk, Bo Horvat Advertisement Defensemen: Phil Housley, Oleg Tverdovsky Goalie: Cory Schneider Not bad, and you've got names such as Frederik Andersen, Bobby Holik and aging veterans Peter Stastny and Doug Gilmour available as depth. Forwards: Jaromir Jagr, Carter Verhaeghe, Kirk Muller Defensemen: Devon Toews, Nick Leddy Goalie: Kirk McLean Jagr didn't have much left when the Devils sent him to Florida, but he was still Jagr. McLean narrowly beats out Sean Burke for goaltending duties. By the way, Verhaeghe is the lone representative of Lamoriello's time in Toronto here, although we considered also using future podcasting legend Frankie Corrado. Overall, the big takeaway here is that Lamoriello doesn't make many big moves involving defensemen. I guess when you draft Scott Niedermayer and sign Scott Stevens, you're pretty much set for the next decade or two. The winner is: Team Traded For. No big shock, especially given that Lamoriello hasn't been a seller all that often in his career. The surprise here may be the lack of big-name players in their prime. Let's see if your next GM can fix that. OK, yes, he's not technically an 'active' GM, but he's close enough that it's OK to admit that you have trouble remembering the name of the guy who's supposed to be in charge in Vancouver. We won't count the Canucks for Rutherford, but his time in Hartford, Pittsburgh and Carolina should give us more than enough to work with. Forwards: Rod Brind'Amour, Jordan Staal, Mark Recchi Defensemen: Ron Hainsey, John Marino Goalie: Kevin Weekes The both sides rule costs us a chance at big names such as Brendan Shanahan, Phil Kessel, Glen Wesley, Justin Williams and Paul Coffey, which hurts. We still manage to build a very good forward line, and could call on Jared McCann or Kevin Dineen as backup. I'm kind of stunned at how weak the back end is, though. Advertisement Forwards: Ron Francis, Pat Verbeek, James Neal Defensemen: Chris Pronger, Jack Johnson Goalie: Jean-Sebastien Giguere The big name here is Pronger, who was only 20 when Rutherford dealt him to St. Louis. The forward line isn't as impressive as it first looks, since Francis was washed when Rutherford sent him to the Leafs for a draft pick. Still, it's a decent group, especially with Giguere available to replace Marc-Andre Fleury, whose eligibility for this piece is being held up in committee. (The Penguins didn't trade him to Vegas, but rather sent a pick to the Knights to take him in the expansion draft, and I'm not sure that can count.) The winner is: Team Traded Away. Rutherford's trade targets are better up front, but goaltending evens that out. The key here is Pronger. You saw how good that guy was in his late 30s, imagine what he was like when he was fresh out of his angsty teens. Let's pivot to a few GMs who have just one franchise to work with … Can I finish this section before Brad Marchand gets added to the Traded Away group? Let's see … Forwards: Rick Nash, Charlie Coyle, Tyler Bertuzzi Defensemen: Hampus Lindholm, Dmitri Orlov Goalie: Joonas Korpisalo I think Korpisalo is the only option in goal, and we lose Taylor Hall to the both sides rule. Still, it's not a bad group given that Sweeney doesn't trade as often as you might like. Forwards: Frank Vatrano, Milan Lucic, Reilly Smith Defensemen: Dougie Hamilton, Ryan Lindgren Goalie: Linus Ullmark That back end is pretty sweet, especially with Dan Vladar available as the backup. The winner is: Team Traded Away takes another one, which is a little surprising given how the Bruins have rarely been sellers. Another one-teamer, but it's a two-time GM of the Year winner with over a decade to work with and a reputation for being willing to take big swings. Forwards: Tyler Seguin, Jason Spezza, Mikael Granlund Defensemen: Kris Russell, Marc Methot Goalie: Antti Niemi The back end isn't great, and is hurt by the both sides rule taking out Chris Tanev, Ben Bishop and Sergei Gonchar, plus the Tim Thomas era only lasting six starts. As a side note, remember that weird period when Kris Russell was the deadline's most sought-after player and then like a week later nobody could remember why? Advertisement Forwards: Loui Eriksson, Patrick Eaves, Nick Paul Defensemen: Alex Goligoski, Johnny Oduya Goalie: Jack Campbell It's fun to remember that Campbell was drafted by the Stars with the 11th overall pick way back in 2010. The winner is: Team Traded For, by a mile. I think Jim Nill might be good at this. One more one-teamer … This one should be fun, because Cheveldayoff has a not-undeserved but potentially out-of-date reputation for shying away from making big trades. Forwards: Gabe Vilardi, Tyler Toffoli, Paul Stastny (twice, without ever trading him away) Defensemen: Tyler Myers, Neal Pionk Goalie: Peter Budaj Lesson one: That whole 'doesn't make enough trades' thing may have some truth to it. Forwards: Evander Kane, Patrik Laine, Joel Armia Defensemen: Jacob Trouba, Zach Bogosian Goalie: Steve Mason Lesson two: When you draft Connor Hellebuyck, it apparently takes the pressure off to make any moves involving goalies ever again. The winner loser is: Me, for spending this much time on Cheveldayoff's trade history. You have three days to make this up to me, Kevin. OK, back to some multi-teamers… He's the longest tenured GM in the league, but did you forget that he was also the GM of the Stars back when the cap era first started? Let's see if we can use any of those Dallas deals to supplement his work with the Blues. Forwards: Brayden Schenn, Pavel Buchnevich, Jason Arnott Defensemen: Jay Bouwmeester, Justin Faulk Goalie: Ryan Miller Blues fans might want to hope that Schenn isn't moved this week, because the options behind him are very thin. Forwards: Joe Nieuwendyk, Tage Thompson, T.J. Oshie Defensemen: Erik Johnson, Ian Cole Goalie: Ben Bishop Thompson hurts, especially since the Blues eventually traded Ryan O'Reilly away, so Armstrong can't use him here. Advertisement The winner is: This may be the closest matchup we've had yet, but I'm narrowly leaning to Team Traded Away because of their edge up front. Bowman's really never been in charge of a rebuilding team, so you assume this will be an easy win for the Traded Fors. But let's see how it plays out … Forwards: Dylan Strome, Antoine Vermette, Tyler Johnson Defensemen: Seth Jones, Kimmo Timonen Goalie: Marc-Andre Fleury Huh. Forwards: Artemi Panarin, Nick Schmaltz, Teuvo Teravainen Defensemen: Dustin Byfuglien, Duncan Keith Goalie: Robin Lehner Double huh. The winner is: Yeah, this one is Team Traded Away in a blowout — and that's even with our rules meaning we don't count Marian Hossa going to Arizona. But while it's tempting to use that to argue that Bowman was overrated as a GM, I think that scanning the names here suggests that it's more about how relentlessly the hard cap will squeeze a good team. OK, I've been working up my courage for this next one … I wonder if the Matthew Tkachuk trade will show up here. Forwards: Elias Lindholm, Jonathan Huberdeau, Tyler Toffoli Defensemen: Noah Hanifin, MacKenzie Weegar Goalie: Mike Smith That's not a bad group, although it's obviously two trades doing most of the heavy lifting, and we'll pay a price for those deals on the next squad. Forwards: Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Sean Monahan Defensemen: Adam Fox, Nikita Zadorov Goalie: David Rittich Yep, seeing Tkachuk and Fox land here hurts, even though you could make a solid case that Treliving did the best he could in both of those trades. I'd forgotten about the Bennett deal. Maybe last year's Panthers should have sent Treliving a thank you ring. The winner is: It's closer than I thought, and Team Traded For has a decent goaltending edge. But the star power on Team Traded Away is too much to overcome, at least until Mikko Rantanen arrives in Toronto later this week. Advertisement (If you're wondering, I did try to make teams for Bill Zito, but while the 'Traded For' team is easy, the 'Traded Away' team barely ices a roster, and that whole process just made me sad.) He's on his third stint as a GM, although he hasn't had time to do much in Columbus. He did in Carolina. Atlanta too, in theory, although did they have enough good players coming and going for it to matter here? Forwards: Jake Guentzel, Marc Savard, Vincent Trocheck Defensemen: Dougie Hamilton, Brent Burns Goalie: James Reimer Yeah, that's a better squad than I expected, and the Thrashers do make a mark with the underrated Savard. I thought I could also use Keith Tkachuk here, but Atlanta ended up kind of trading him back to St. Louis, so he's out. Still, goaltending aside, this isn't bad at all. Forwards: Ilya Kovalchuk, Dany Heatley, Patrik Laine Defensemen: Noah Hanifin, Braydon Coburn Goalie: Kari Lehtonen I used Laine to get the Blue Jackets into the mix, but we could also ice a second line of Elias Lindholm, Jeff Skinner and Ray Ferraro. The winner is: It's Team Traded Away, but I think the bigger lesson here is that in terms of entertainment value, it's possible we've all underestimated Don Waddell. OK, let's take it home with one last entry … Sorry I made you wait for this one, Red Wings fans, but I figured that you're used to being patient with Yzerman. Forwards: J.T. Miller, Alex DeBrincat, Ryan Callahan Defensemen: Ryan McDonagh, Mikhail Sergachev Goalie: Anders Lindback That's a solid squad, with the only weakness being in goal. Even that's a bit unfair to Yzerman, whose time in Tampa saw him acquire Ben Bishop, ride him for five years and then move him out when he was close to done and Andrei Vasilevskiy was ready to take over. Advertisement Forwards: Martin St. Louis, Tyler Bertuzzi, Vladislav Namestnikov Defensemen: Filip Hronek, Jake Walman Goalie: Karri Ramo The big name here is obviously St. Louis, a Hall of Famer who forced Yzerman's hand on a deal that still worked out OK for Tampa. The winner is: Team Traded Away has the best player, but it's not enough to overcome Team Traded For's five-skater depth. OK, now it's your turn. Feel free to take a crack at the GMs I missed. Or maybe dip back into history for some classic names from the past. (Top photo of Brad Treliving and Kevin Cheveldayoff: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Two Unbreakable Penguins Records Held By Jaromir Jagr
On Feb. 15, the hockey community celebrated the birthday of the ageless wonder, Jaromir Jagr. At 53, he's still playing professionally for Rytíři Kladno, the team he owns in the Czechia league. Thirty-five years ago, Jagr made his NHL debut with the Pittsburgh Penguins, who drafted him with the fifth overall pick in the 1990 Draft. Jaromir Jagr out on the ice playing hockey with his 78-year-old mom. The gene pool in that family is unmatched 🧬 (via @68Jagr) — B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 7, 2025 By the end of his North American playing career, the kid whose nickname was Mario Jr. would become the second-highest scorer in NHL history. Even though it seemed like Jagr played with every team during his career, it's safe to say that he had his best seasons as a member of the Penguins, who retired his No. 68 a year ago. As we celebrate his birthday, let's look back at two team records Jagr holds that may never be broken. Mario Lemieux won Pittsburgh's first Art Ross Trophy in 1987-88, winning the scoring race with 168 points. He followed that up with five more wins: 1988-89 (199), 1991-92 (131), 1992-93 (160), 1995-96 (161), and 1996-97 (122). Jagr became the second Penguins player to win the award in the shortened season of 1994-95 with 70 points. When he won the award again, he collected 120 points (1997-98), 127 points (1998-99), and 121 points (2000-01). Between his final two wins, Jagr scored 96 points in 1999-2000. Between 1981 and 2001, there were three Art Ross winners:Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Jaromir Jagr. That's it. — Hockey Of Tomorrow (@HockeyTomorrow) July 12, 2023 Eventually, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin would become the latest Pittsburgh players to win the Art Ross Trophy. Crosby's two wins came with 120 points (2006-07) and 104 points (2013-14), while Malkin won with 113 points (2008-09) and 109 points (2011-12). Therefore, Jagr is the only Penguins player to win the award by scoring fewer than 100 points and achieving the feat by doing it twice. Since 1968-69, the Art Ross Trophy has gone to a player who scored less than 100 points on six occasions: Jagr (1995, 2000), Jarome Iginla (2002), Martin St. Louis (2004, 2013), Jamie Benn (2013). Jagr won the Stanley Cup during his rookie campaign and followed it with another victory in his second season. He made his NHL debut at 18 years and 232 days old and won the Stanley Cup on May 25, 1991, at 19 years and 99 days old. After his 20th birthday on Feb. 15, 1992, Jagr would win the Stanley Cup again on Jun. 1, 1992, at 20 years and 107 days old. As one of the youngest players to ever win the Stanley Cup in NHL history, Jagr remains the youngest in Penguins history to hoist the Silver Chalice, a record that may never be broken. For perspective, the only player in franchise history to win the Stanley Cup before their 21st birthday is Jordan Staal, who earned his ring on June 12, 2009, at 20 years and 275 days old. Regarding his place in Penguins history, Jagr ranks in the top four with 439 goals, 640 assists, and 1,079 points.
