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Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Zdeno Chara was surprised to be elected to the IIHF Hall of Fame, but he shouldn't have been
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Clearly, if not Chara for such an honor, then who? Advertisement The Slovak-born strongman played his final NHL game three years ago at age 45, his 1,680 regular-season games ranking seventh in league history and No. 1 among defensemen. His name is on the Stanley Cup as a Bruin (2011) and he was awarded the Norris Trophy in 2009 as that season's top blue liner. He spent 14 years as Bruins captain, instilling and curating a culture woven into the club's three trips to the Cup Final (2011, '13, and '19) during his tenure. Advertisement Chara also captained two Slovak national squads that won silver medals at the Worlds, and three times wore his country's colors at the Olympic Games (2006, '10, '14). So it should have been zero surprise when International Ice Hockey Federation president Luc Tardif called a couple of months ago to welcome Chara to this year's class. Yet it was a surprise, to Chara. 'I said, 'Whoa! I mean, are you sure?,' said Big Z, chuckling as he related his back and forth with Tardif. 'And he said, 'Yeah, of course … it's been voted on … you're in!' ' Related : To help understand that response, understand Chara — not only for his genuinely unassuming nature and presence, but particularly for the unconventional path he traveled to the summit of his profession. Decades ago in Trencin, as a gangly and athletically awkward young teenager, his dream was not to play in the NHL or one day see his name placed next to the game's greatest European players. 'I was cut … and cut again … all I wanted to do was make my hometown team!' recalled an animated Chara. 'You move up by age groups, right? And that's automatic … good or bad, you move up. But as you progress, teams bring together two or three age groups [different birth years], that's where the cuts start and I didn't make it. Not good enough.' In part, that underappreciation of his game and skills was what led Chara, at considerable peril, to defect to North America in the fall of '96. After the Islanders took a third-round flyer on him (pick No. 56) in the '96 draft, Chara thrived in his one season of top-level Canadian junior hockey with WHL Prince George and made his NHL debut some 18 months later. Advertisement 'Nov. 19th, 1997,' he said, recalling his NHL debut, with Mike Milbury then the Islanders' coach. The date sticks in Chara's head largely because his ascension to the league, just over a year after departing Slovakia amid zero fanfare, by his description caught the Slovak national team by total surprise. 'Everybody at home is like, 'Who?! … We have a Slovak defensemen in NHL?!' ' he said, again chuckling, this time over how he ultimately was invited to play for Slovakia in the 1999 Worlds. ''We gotta bring him back to play for us.' Remember, I didn't make any youth national team, right? They had no data, no track of me.' A complicating factor in Chara suiting up that first time for his country was that he had defected, opting for a shot at big-time hockey in North America instead of serving mandatory military service. 'I'd call home,' recalled Chara, 'and my dad would say, 'The military police were just here, looking for you … you better not come home or they'll lock you up.' ' Before flying out of New York for his return to Bratislava in the spring of '99, he had to be assured he wouldn't be hauled away once landing on Slovak terra firma. 'I swear, it was like a scene from a movie,' he said, recalling how he felt after he got off the plane back home. 'There's this one belt going around with my bag on it and I see this glass sliding door … and it's opening and closing, opening and closing. And I see this officer behind those doors. I have my passport in my hand, and I'm thinking, 'OK, this could be it … I pass through that door and somebody puts handcuffs on me and I'm done. Are the Islanders going to bail me out? Maybe, who knows?' I knew I had papers from the national team … I knew I should be OK, but…' Advertisement He made it through the door just fine, and nearly three decades later, his name has been added to the IIHF's honored section at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. The HHOF votes on its candidates for this year's inductees June 24, and Chara is a virtual lock to be named to the class that will be feted in November. 'If it happens it happens,' he said. 'Obviously, I'd be very, very grateful, But again, like IIHF, I know there's so many names that deserve to be there and, rightfully, they have so many great candidates that should be there. If I am there … we'll see, that's up to others to decide. Right now, I'm just enjoying my life, being a dad … but yes, it would be a tremendous, tremendous honor.' Chara played his final NHL game three years ago at age 45, his 1,680 regular-season games ranking seventh in league history and No. 1 among all defensemen. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff LONG DROUGHT Canada Cupless since 1993 The question in the 1980s and '90s of whether the NHL would thrive in the Sun Belt faded into the twilight by the end of the 20th century, Dallas winning the Stanley Cup in 1999 (six games vs. Buffalo) in what remains Texas's lone star Cup. If anyone still held the romantic notion that the game is best served cold, the state of Florida has smashed such thoughts to smithereens. With the Panthers clinching the East for a third straight year after Advertisement Canada, largely due to the Oilers' powerhouse squads throughout the '80s, saw one of its teams reach the Cup Final in nine consecutive seasons, 1982-90, culminating with Since that last Oiler triumph, a Canadian team has squeezed through to the final only eight times, with the lone win in those 35 years by the Canadiens (1993). It may be Canada's game, but this drought of 30-plus years is by far the longest in its history. The list of Canadian runners up since '93 consists of: Vancouver ('94), Calgary (2004), Edmonton ('06), Ottawa ('07), Vancouver ('11), If the Oilers can close the deal now, it will be the longest distance a Canadian team has gone to get the job done. Air miles, Edmonton to Sunrise, Fla.: 2,546. ETC. Verhaeghe worth the wait Former Bruins captain Brad Marchand , wearing No. 63 for the Panthers, is headed to the Cup Final for a fourth time (with Boston in '11, '13, and '19). The Li'l Ball o'Hate, 4-10—14 in 17 playoff games this year, has suited up for 174 postseason games. Among active NHLers, his four trips to a Cup Final leave him short of only Edmonton's Corey Perry , about to begin the sixth championship round in his career. Carter Verhaeghe , Marchand's fellow Sunriser, also will be playing in his fourth Cup Final, his third with the Panthers. His first came in his 2019-20 rookie season, when the Lightning won the title. Advertisement Verhaeghe, originally a Maple Leafs draft pick (No. 82 in 2013), didn't break through to the NHL until he played four full seasons in the minors (AHL/ECHL), his talents underappreciated or ignored by three organizations — Leafs, Islanders, and Lightning — before he finally secured a full-time spot as a low-budget UFA (two years/$2 million total) with the now-powerhouse Panthers. All players develop at different rates. Some just need time to grow their game. Sometimes it's simply about right team/right fit. It was some of both for Verhaeghe, who'll possibly have his name on the Cup for a third time when he celebrates his 30th birthday in August. A left-shot center able to play the wing, he has become a consistent, vital piece of the Panthers attack. Verhaeghe in the fall will enter the first season of an eight-year, $56 million deal he signed with Florida in October. He has full trade protection for the first five years. Just the kind of glue guy Toronto so desperately needs. But the Leafs gave up on him early, bundling him into a package with four others in exchange for Michael Grabner in September 2015. Grabner played one season with Toronto, collected 18 points, then signed with the Rangers as a free agent. Carter Verhaeghe gathers the loose puck against the Carolina Hurricanes during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Karl B DeBlaker/Associated Press Swayman high on Warsofsky Jeremy Swayman's read on Ryan Warsofsky , the Team USA bench boss at the world championship that concluded last Sunday: 'Since [the time] I walked through the door, he was incredible.' Warsofsky, who'll begin his second season as the Sharks coach this fall, was raised in Marshfield and played high school hockey for his hometown Rams, followed by a season at Cushing Academy. He moved into the top job in San Jose last summer after two years as one of David Quinn's assistant coaches. Related : With Swayman in net for Warsofsky, 'I've got nothing to say but great things about Warsy,' offered Swayman, 'the way he carried himself and he's just so well spoken. I think he takes over a room very well. Every one of the guys in there would do anything he asked — and it takes a special kind of human to get 25 or 30 guys all on the same page within three weeks. That's a testament to his coaching ability and his style.' Credit, too, added Swayman, to the entire Team USA staff for such a successful effort, including adapting to the bigger (200x100 feet) European/Olympic ice sheet. 'And you're playing against guys, a lot of them who've been playing with each other for a long time,' continued the Bruins' backstop. 'They have their game plans, know how to play on the [bigger sheet]. To see [Warsofsky] articulate the game and get us to play to our strengths … every one of us knew that we could have a serious chance of winning with him at the helm. 'That's something I'll never forget from him — and he's stuck with me for life now. We're pretty tight … that's pretty cool.' With Swayman in net, the US won its first World gold since 1933. Petr David Josek/Associated Press Shopping list The July 1 unrestricted free agent list includes 17 players, including Marchand and the Oilers' Trent Frederic , who were once property of the Bruins. The list also includes Ryan Lindgren , drafted by Boston at No. 49 in 2016, but dealt to the Rangers (for Rick Nash ) before ever wearing the Spoked B. A look at the pending UFAs, including their most recent team and cap hit (by descending order): Forwards: Marchand, Florida $6.125 million; Reilly Smith , Vegas, $5 million; Sean Kuraly , Columbus, $2.5 million; Frederic, Edmonton, $2.3M; Ryan Donato , Chicago, $2 million; Pat Maroon , Chicago, $1.3 million; Craig Smith , Detroit, $1 million; Curtis Lazar , New Jersey, $1 million; James van Riemsdyk , Columbus, $900,000; Tomas Nosek , Florida, $775,000; Cole Koepke , Boston, $775,000; Justin Brazeau , Minnesota, $775,000. Defensemen: Dmitry Orlov , Carolina, $7.75 million; Lindgren, Colorado, $4.5 million; Matt Grzelcyk , Pittsburgh, $2.75 million; Derek Forbort , Vancouver, $1.5 million; Mike Reilly , NY Islanders, $1.25 million. It's not out of the question that two or three alums could be offered deals to return. Keep in mind, the Bruins were negotiating with Marchand before Donato, 29, is coming off a career season (31-31—62) with the moribund Blackhawks (five consecutive playoff DNQs). That kind of goal production should bring him at least $4 million a year for 3-4 years. The Bruins need goal production, and Donato, who played at Harvard, was still on good terms here when dealt to the Wild for Charlie Coyle ( Grzelcyk, 31, delivered 1-39—40 (career bests for assists and points) this season with the Penguins , who are yet to name a new coach to replace Mike Sullivan . He would not answer the Bruins' need for a power-play quarterback, but he's a good puck mover and defends well with his feet and stick. Maybe two years/$5 million total? Kuraly, 32, left to go home to Columbus in the summer of '21 for a sweet four-year/$10 million deal. A solid citizen with size (6 feet 2 inches, 215 pounds), he'd be a good, heavy bottom-six addition on a one- or two-year deal at, say, $1.4 million per. Maroon, by the way, announced his retirement as his season came to a close with the Blackhawks — his eighth NHL employer over a career that included 848 games and three Cup rings. Loose pucks Marco Sturm , then 27, proved to be the best of the three assets (along with Wayne Primeau and Brad Stuart ) the Bruins acquired from San Jose in the infamous Nov. 30, 2005, deal that sent Jumbo Joe Thornton to the Sharks. Also known as 'The German,' Sturm remained in Boston for four more seasons, then was dished to the Kings early in 2010-11, in what was the season the Bruins won the Cup. Among the candidates believed to be interviewing to be the next Bruins bench boss, Sturm, 46, in the spring wrapped up his third season as coach of the Ontario (Calif.) Reign, the Kings' AHL affiliate. They were knocked out, 2-0, in a best-of-three vs. the San Jose Barracuda in the Calder Cup playoffs … Thornton, like Zdeno Chara , has been out of the NHL for three seasons and likely will be a first-ballot shoo-in to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Jumbo (1,539 career points) never won a Cup. His only trip to the Final was in '16, Henri Richard (Montreal), Jean Beliveau (Montreal), Red Kelly (Detroit, Toronto), Maurice 'Rocket' Richard (Montreal). Henri Richard, aka The Pocket Rocket, took home a ring from 11 of those 12 visits … Former forward Jeff Halpern (976 games) just wrapped up his seventh season as one of John Cooper's assistants in Tampa. Seems the Lightning's two Cups and three trips to the Final with him on the beat should be getting the '99 Princeton grad some head coach looks … The rumor mill in recent days has had Mitch Love (Capitals assistant), Jay Woodcroft , and Sturm all certain to be the Bruins' next coach. With apologies to Chief Brody, looks like you're gonna need a bigger bench. Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Zach Werenski: ‘Olympics Still A Long Way Off'
After initially declining an invitation to play at this year's IIHF World Championship, Zach Werenski had a change of heart and the US team is thankful for that. The Columbus Blue Jackets' defenseman has four points in four games since joining the team, as the USA got progressively better throughout the group stage. The team finished second in Group B after a come-from-behind 5-2 win over Czechia on Tuesday. 'It was a big win,' Werenski said in the mixed zone after the game, as reported by Dominik Jarka of 'The Czechs are very good, which is why they won last year in Prague. It was a tough test, and fortunately we passed.' The Americans had a wide 56-27 edge in shots in the game but trailed 2-1 after 40 minutes, largely due to going 0-for-4 on the power play. The team finally scored twice with the man advantage in the third period. 'The power play suddenly started clicking,' said Werenski. 'We controlled the tempo for most of the game. We were the better team and I think we deserved to win. This was our best game of the tournament so far.' Can This Roster Break USA's World Championship Semifinal Curse? Can the team that USA Hockey has assembled to represent the country at this year's IIHF World Championship reach the final? Previous teams have appeared good enough on paper. Werenski is a big addition to this team. After a season in which he recorded 82 points in 81 NHL games, he was nominated for the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman. He downplayed suggestions that he might win the award, though. 'It sounds nice but I think I know who will win,' he smiled, referring to Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche. As for his team's year, he said, 'It was a great season. It's really very unfortunate that it didn't work out in the end – we were so close to the playoffs – but I guess it wasn't meant to be. You know, we improved enormously during the year and we're definitely optimistic going into next season.' Next season also includes the Olympics, which Werenski would easily be in if the teams were chosen today. He picked up six assists in four games for the USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off this season, proving he can also produce offensively at international hockey's highest level. 'It's still a long way off so there's no point stressing about it,' he said about making the Olympic team. 'We all probably have it in the back of our minds, everyone would like to go to Milan, but I expect that how we all play at the beginning of next season will play the biggest role. 'Winning this tournament would certainly help, though,' he smiled. Adam Fantilli & Kent Johnson Asked About Elvis Merzlikins One of the interesting things about covering the IIHF World Championships as a journalist is the media presence from the different participating countries. As a nation that is crazy about hockey, Latvia always sends a significant number of journalists to cover the tournament and, like a lot of Latvians, were disappointed when Elvis Merzlikins announced that he wouldn't be representing his country this year.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Has Thomas Harley Surpassed Miro Heiskanen As The Dallas Stars' Top Defenseman?
When the Edmonton Oilers met the Dallas Stars in the 2024 Western Conference final a year ago, Thomas Harley largely flew under the radar on a blueline that was led by Miro Heiskanen and also featured grizzled veterans Esa Lindell, Chris Tanev and Ryan Suter. This year, Harley is proving impossible to ignore. Just ask the Winnipeg Jets, who watched Harley end their season with his power-play winner on Saturday night. That was Harley's fourth goal and 11th point in 13th playoff games, putting him one point behind Edmonton's Evan Bouchard for the post-season scoring lead among defenseman through two rounds. For the first 10 games of the playoffs, the Stars leaned hard on Harley while Heiskanen finished rehabbing his knee injury. His role didn't change much when Heiskanen returned. An all-situations guy, Harley led all skaters league-wide in minutes played through the first two rounds. At just 23, he's starting to carve out a spot among the top defenders in the league, after just two full NHL seasons. 'I didn't even know who he was, really, when I got here last year,' said Stars center Matt Duchene, who arrived in the fall of 2023. 'Knew he was a tall, lanky defenseman who wore No. 55, but immediately, you're like 'Holy. This guy is very good.' ' Drafted 18th overall in 2019, Harley made his NHL debut in the 2020 playoff bubble, getting into one game on the Stars' road to the Stanley Cup final. He spent most of the next three seasons in the AHL with the Texas Stars, but was called up in the spring of 2023. And after dressing for all 19 Dallas playoff games before falling to the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2023 conference final, he never looked back. According to Duchene, the 6-foot-3 Harley came back bigger and stronger this season. 'Good weight, because he's a string bean,' Duchene said. 'He puts on some bulk, and all of a sudden, he looks bigger out there. He looks more like a man – you know, he's still young, right? And he's playing more like a man every day.' Harley may not have been a household name among fans, but Hockey Canada had him on speed dial when the flu started to take its toll on the team's roster at the 4 Nations Face-Off last February. As a last-minute replacement, Harley capably subbed for Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar in Canada's round-robin game against the United States – and maintained his composure during what might have been one of the wildest hockey games of all-time. Then, he replaced Josh Morrissey in Canada's finale win, assisting on Nathan MacKinnon's game-opener and logging nearly 22 minutes of ice time. No big deal. 'His disposition's hilarious,' Duchene said. 'He's just very, very calm. Nothing bothers him. He's just plugging along and doing his thing, and he's an absolute stud.' On top of the 4 Nations, Harley's post-season resume is growing quickly, too. He was the sixth defenseman selected in 2019, but when the puck drops for Game 1 in Dallas on Wednesday, Harley will be logging his 53rd career playoff game. Next highest from his draft class are Bowen Byram and Philip Broberg, at 27 games each. Kaapo Kakko is the top forward, with 44 games. Harley's 24 playoff points also lead his draft class. Cole Caufield is second, with 16, and Byram is the second-place defenseman, with 12. As Harley continues to demonstrate his growth in these playoffs, don't be surprised to see him back in the mix for Team Canada when it's time to name the roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics. And if he's challenging Heiskanen for top spot in the Stars' D-corps — well, that's a good problem for coach Peter DeBoer to have. 'He's a No. 1 D-man in this league,' Duchene said. 'We're lucky to have two of them with him and with Miro. It's going to be really fun to watch him and what he can do in this league, and he's doing it already.' Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NHL Hart Trophy finalists: 2025 MVP contenders include goalie Connor Hellebuyck
The finalists for the Hart Trophy as the NHL's MVP to this team feature two former winners and the rare inclusion of a goaltender. Goalies usually don't win the Hart Trophy because they have their own award, the Vezina Trophy. Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is a finalist for both awards this season after recording 47 wins, tied for second most in league history. Advertisement Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl, the league's leading goal scorer, and Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, who led the league in points for a second consecutive season, are the other finalists. The NHL already announced finalists for the Vezina, Norris Trophy (defenseman) and Ted Lindsay Award (outstanding player in a vote by fellow players). Friday, finalists will be announced for the Masterton Trophy (perseverance), Selke Trophy (defensive forward), Jack Adams Award (coach) and Lady Byng Trophy (sportsmanship). The Hart Trophy is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Here's a look at the three finalists (listed alphabetically): Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers Draisaitl, despite missing 11 games, led the league with 52 goals. He set a single-season NHL record with six overtime goals, shared first place in game-winning goals (11) and multi-goal performances (10), ranked second in even-strength goals (36), and tied for second in power-play goals (16). He won the award in 2020. Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets Hellebuyck led the NHL with 47 victories, one behind the league record. His nine-win edge over No. 2 Andrei Vasilevskiy was the largest gap since 1990-91. Hellebuyck gave up two or fewer goals in 40 of 63 appearances. He led the league (minimum 25 games played) in goals-against average (2.00) and shutouts (eight), was second in save percentage (.925) and starts (62) and ranked fourth in saves (1,539) and high-danger save percentage ( .845). He's the first goaltender finalist since Igor Shesterkin in 2021-22 and is looking to become the fourth netminder in the expansion era to win, following Dominik Hasek (twice), Jose Theodore and Carey Price. Nikita Kucherov, RW, Tampa Bay Lightning Kucherov second 121 points, 31 more than closest teammate Brandon Hagel, to capture his second consecutive and third overall Art Ross Trophy as points leader. He finished first in points per game (1.55), power-play assists (38) and power-play points (46) and third in even-strength points (75). He won the award in 2019 and is the only Hart finalist who's also a finalist for this season's Ted Lindsay Award. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hart Trophy finalists: NHL MVP contenders include goalie Hellebuyck
Winnipeg Free Press
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
New Canucks coach Adam Foote hopes shutdown past can help spark scoring
VANCOUVER – New Canucks head coach Adam Foote says lessons from his years as a hard-nosed NHL defenceman can help the team sharpen its offensive game. During his 19 NHL seasons with the Quebec Nordiques, Colorado Avalanche and Columbus Blue Jackets, Foote studied the opposition's top offensive players as part of his own training to figure out what they did best. 'You study the game, you use the people around you to help you understand what offence is going at you,' Foote told a news conference at Rogers Arena Thursday. 'I knew what I was uncomfortable defending. I knew what works, what put me or my partner or our goaltender in a tough spot. 'I'm very fortunate that I had to play against those top players and shut them down. It was a fun job. We've got lots of ideas on how to make (our) offence better.' The Canucks elevated Foote from assistant coach Wednesday to replace Rick Tocchet, who parted ways with the team last month. Foote is the 22nd head coach in Canuck history and the fourth since December 2021. He joined Vancouver in January 2023 as an assistant when Tocchet was hired as head coach. Vancouver struggled to a 38-30-14 record last season and missed the playoffs a year after advancing to the second round of the post-season and taking the Edmonton Oilers to seven games. Vancouver was 24th in league scoring this season with 236 goals after being tied for seventh the year before with 279 goals. Foote said he's focused on building on the Canucks strengths and not dwelling on the issues that plagued the team last season. 'We're going to turn the page,' said the 53-year-old Toronto native. 'I have ideas, and we're going to get a game plan going here and move on. 'We want to win hockey games. We want to be a team that can compete every night. We're going to be hard to play against, and we want to win. That's what we're going to focus on and try to do every single night.' General manager Patrick Allvin said Foote's past as a player and the relationships he's built with the team made him the right choice. 'I felt really comfortable that Adam was the right choice to lead this franchise moving forward,' said Allvin. 'His pedigree as a player speaks for itself. 'The way he has worked with the players here over the last years was something we felt we would continue to embrace here.' It is believed the Canucks interviewed several candidates for the coaching job and narrowed the list down to Foote and former Canucks centre Manny Malhotra, who is the head coach of the team's American Hockey League affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks. An advantage for Foote is it's believed he was the preferred candidate of Canucks captain Quinn Hughes, last year's Norris Trophy winner as the league's top defenceman. 'We have a great relationship,' said Foote. Allvin said Hughes was not involved in the process of hiring Foote. 'It's not about one player, it's about the team here,' he said. One of the players Foote will need more production from next year is centre Elias Pettersson, who struggled through an injury-filled season. A 34-goal scorer last year, he had just 15 in 64 games this year. Pettersson was also involved in a reported dressing room rift with forward J.T. Miller, which resulted in Miller being traded to the New York Rangers. Foote believes Pettersson will rebound. 'I really think he knows what he has to do and he's going to dial in,' said Foote. 'We're going to make sure that he understands that we're there for him and we'll do whatever it takes.' Selected 22nd overall by Quebec in the 1989 draft, Foote played 1,154 regular-season NHL games, collecting 66 goals and 242 assists. He helped Colorado win Stanley Cups in 1996 and 2001. He also helped Canada win a gold medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. His son, Cal Foote, is one of five former members of Canada's world junior hockey team currently on trial for sexual assault in London, Ont. Adam Foote said he couldn't comment on the trial. 'I'm there for my family, as we all would be, and we'll get through this,' he said. 'It had nothing to do with my decision to take this on. I love coaching and I love the opportunity.' Tocchet, last season's Jack Adams Award winner as the NHL's top coach, announced April 29 he wouldn't return to Vancouver for 2025-26. He was hired Wednesday as head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers. One of the question marks with Foote is his lack of experience. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. He moved into coaching in 2011-12 as a development consultant and defensive coach and was Canada's director of player development at the 2017 Spengler Cup, where the country captured gold. He spent just over a year as head coach of the WHL Kelowna Rockets, where he guided the team to a 48-49-4 record before being fired in Feb. 2020. Foote said his time in Kelowna was a 'great experience.' 'Things didn't work the way I would have liked to work,' he said. 'I grew a lot from that. I'm not sure I would be sitting here today without that experience and learning from it.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 15, 2025.
