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Associated Press
10-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
BioSteel Sports Academy Unveils Elite Player Development Committee Featuring NHL-Caliber Talent
Top-tier coaches, scouts, and former NHL players join forces with BioSteel Sports Academy to guide Canada's next generation of athletes. 'You rarely see this level of NHL-caliber insight made directly accessible to student-athletes. This is mentorship at the highest level.'— Dan Crosby, CEO of BioSteel WINDSOR, ONTARIO, CANADA, April 10, 2025 / / -- BioSteel Sports Inc. is proud to announce the formation of its inaugural Player Development Committee at BioSteel Sports Academy, a Hockey Canada –accredited, Ontario Ministry of Education–inspected private school delivering approved academic programming alongside elite-level athletic training. This groundbreaking committee brings together a powerhouse roster of hockey minds, including current NHL coaches, former professional players, and nationally respected development specialists—all dedicated to mentoring student-athletes and elevating their performance on and off the ice. Committee Members Include: - Bob Boughner – Former NHL defensemen and Head Coach of the Florida Panthers; Associate Coach for the Detroit Red Wings and San Jose Sharks - D.J. Smith – Assistant Coach for the Los Angeles Kings; former Head Coach of the Ottawa Senators - Steve Ott – Former NHL forward and current Associate Coach for the St. Louis Blues; part of the 2019 Stanley Cup Championship staff - Mike Weber – Assistant Coach, St. Louis Blues; former NHL defenseman with over 350 games played - Scott Murray – Goaltending Coach, Washington Capitals; contributed to 2018 Stanley Cup victory - Dwayne Blais – Skills Coach, Detroit Red Wings; Founder of Total Package Hockey - Rick Pracey – Director of Amateur Scouting, Edmonton Oilers; 20+ years NHL scouting experience - Matt Dumouchelle – Assistant GM, Leamington Flyers; author of Hockey Factories 'This is a defining moment for player development in Canada,' said Dan Crosby, CEO at BioSteel Sports Inc. 'You rarely see this level of NHL-caliber insight made directly accessible to student-athletes. This is mentorship at the highest level.' At BioSteel Sports Academy, students receive a fully accredited education alongside elite hockey development. With Hockey Canada accreditation and now this all-star Player Development Committee, the Academy stands as one of the most advanced high-performance institutions in the country. 'We're building the complete athlete—on the ice, in the classroom, and in life,' said Eric Palazzolo, Director of Athletics at BioSteel Sports Academy. 'This committee gives our athletes a direct line to the minds who know what it takes to succeed at the next level.' About BioSteel Sports Academy Located in Windsor, Ontario, BioSteel Sports Academy is a private athletic-academic institution inspected by the Ontario Ministry of Education and accredited by Hockey Canada. The Academy offers full-day academic programming in line with provincial education standards, combined with advanced athletic development in hockey and other disciplines. Student-athletes graduate prepared for post-secondary opportunities, collegiate scholarships, and professional careers. About BioSteel Sports Inc. BioSteel Sports Inc. is a leading sports nutrition and performance lifestyle brand. Known for its clean, effective hydration and recovery products, BioSteel fuels athletes across all levels. With a renewed focus on grassroots sports and player development, BioSteel continues to invest in the future of athletic performance across North America. Dave Carcamo BioSteel Sports Inc. [email protected] Visit us on social media: Facebook X LinkedIn Instagram YouTube TikTok Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Washington Post
09-04-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Ray Shero, architect of Pittsburgh Penguins' 2009 title team, dies at 62
Longtime NHL executive Ray Shero, a former general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins and New Jersey Devils, died Wednesday at 62, the league announced. 'Ray Shero's smile and personality lit up every room he walked into and brightened the day of everyone he met,' NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. 'Widely respected throughout hockey for his team-building acumen and eye for talent, he was even more beloved for how he treated everyone fortunate enough to have known him.' Shero, the son of Hockey Hall of Fame coach Fred Shero, played at St. Lawrence University but never pursued professional hockey as a player. He built his career first as an agent and later in management and executive roles. He was hired in 1993 as an assistant general manager for the Ottawa Senators, and five years later he began the same role with the then-startup Nashville Predators. In 2006, Shero was named general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins, whom he built into a championship contender. The Penguins had not made the playoffs in five years before Shero's arrival, though their roster featured Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury. Shero acquired Pittsburgh's missing pieces through the draft, trades and free agency — perhaps most notably selecting Jordan Staal with the No. 2 pick in the 2006 NHL draft and trading for Marian Hossa at the 2008 trade deadline. That year, Pittsburgh lost in six games to the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup finals. The following season, it won the championship against the Red Wings in seven games. 'The Pittsburgh Penguins are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former Penguins General Manager Ray Shero,' the team said in a statement. 'Ray was instrumental in ushering in a new era of Penguins hockey, highlighted by the 2009 Stanley Cup Championship. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family, his sons, Chris and Kyle, and all those fortunate enough to call him a friend. Ray was admired and loved in the hockey world, and especially here in Pittsburgh.' Shero was hired as the general manager of the Devils in 2015. Though the team struggled during the early years of his tenure, Shero made notable acquisitions, including Taylor Hall, the 2018 Hart Trophy winner who led the team to the playoffs that year before a first-round exit. Some of Shero's acquisitions during his tenure, including former top draft pick Jack Hughes and captain Nico Hischier, remain key members of the team. The St. Paul, Minnesota, native most recently served as a senior adviser to the Minnesota Wild. He was hired to the role in 2021 by its current general manager, Bill Guerin, whom Shero acquired in a 2009 trade to the Penguins, and later hired as a development coach with the team. Shero was also involved with USA Hockey during the 2010 and 2014 Olympics, and served as a member of its National Team Advisory Board. 'The Minnesota Wild is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Ray Shero,' the franchise said in a statement. '… Our hearts go out to his family and friends and the countless people he impacted in the hockey community throughout his successful career. Ray was the best. He will be greatly missed by all of us.'
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Stolarz Has Seen Them 3 Times This Year': Why Joseph Woll Gets The Start For The Maple Leafs Against The Panthers On Tuesday
FORT LAUDERDALE — The Toronto Maple Leafs will start Joseph Woll in goal when they visit thre Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday. With the Maple Leafs having games on back-to-back nights, it was expected they would split duties between Woll and Anthony Stolarz. However, Maple Leads head coach Craig Berube explained why he didn't go with Stolarz against his former club. "Well Stolarz has seen him three times this year so we switched it up," Berube explained. Joseph Woll is in the visiting net here for morning skate and is the projected starter against the Panthers tonight. @BodogCA — David Alter (@dalter) April 8, 2025 Stolarz served as the back-up for the Panthers last season during their 2024 Stanley Cup Championship. After that, he signed a two-year, $5 million contract with the Maple Leafs. So far, Stolarz has had a stellar first season with Toronto. In his last three starts, the goaltender has posted a .978 save percentage and had a 27-save shutout in a 5-0 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Apr. 5. 'We'll Go Over It At Some Point': Has Craig Berube Changed His Tune About Going With A Goalie Tandem In The Playoffs? The Toronto Maple Leafs have been platooning goaltenders Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll all season long. While Stolarz seems to have a slight edge on Woll to start Game 1 of the playoffs, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube was asked if he'd consider a tandem situation for the playoffs. Woll has struggled in March, however, he had a strong performance in his last start, a 3-2 win against the Anaheim Ducks on Mar. 30 where he made 29 saves on 31 shots. Stolarz already had his welcome-back moment in Florida when he got the start back in November. With the playoffs around the corner, it's seemingly looking like the job in net is Stolarz' to lose. With a career-high 31 games with Toronto and a .922 save percentage, that seems evident. But Woll will get at least a couple of starts with another series of back-to-back games coming up at the end of the week. What else did Berube discuss? With the Panthers possibly being an opponent to the Leafs in the post-season, Berube focused on what the Leafs did well against them in their previous meeting. "We've got to have patience playing this team because they check extremely well. They're in your face, you know, extremely well and there's not a lot of room. So you're going to have to be patient. Simple puck plays are important tonight. Putting pucks in behind them, getting pucks out of your zone, those little things are crucial. And we did a real good job of it for all the game, I thought. And we got a couple good opportunities in the third period and capitalized on them. There's a lot of good things we did well playing them, but those are key for me." 'Great Move By Him': Matthew Knies Scores Maple Leafs' Game-Winner Against Panthers Showcasing NHL Growth This Season Knies has seven more games to score four goals, bringing him to the 30-goal mark for the first time in his NHL career. Q: How close is your team to being playoff-ready right now? *Laughs* Well, I think they're close. I think we've been playing meaningful games for quite some time now. And going into tonight, it's another meaningful game. And the next day. Those are important, in my opinion, going into the playoffs. Q: Do you look at these upcoming games as playoff previews, or are you just trying to keep the focus on what you guys need to do? Yeah, I said it yesterday. Focus on our team and what we need to do and things that we'll keep improving on and harping on about how we need to play. We know what Florida's all about and how they play, and that's not going to change. And so I just focus on our team. Q: Mitch (Marner) is really close to 100 points. It's within reach. What's your sense of what that milestone would mean for you to get in? Well, I mean, it's like a guy scoring 50 goals, and, you know, it means a lot to the player, individual, and, you know, and to our team and to the organization. You know, he's just got to make sure he stays in the moment with things and plays the right way, and the points will come. He's a very good player. He has the ability to do a lot of good things, So you've just got to stay focused and just keep playing his game and focus on playing the team game. 'Try Not To Focus On Everything Else That Can Swirl Around': Maple Leafs' John Tavares Believes Mitch Marner Is Handling Season Of Uncertainty Well Both Tavares and Marner are in the final years of their deals with the Maple Leafs. Q: (Aleksander) Barkov's back tonight. How much does it change? Well, he's a great player. He's one of the best 200-foot players in the National Hockey League. So he's difficult. He's a hard opponent to go against, Whoever out there against him And he makes their power play better. He makes their penalty kill better. and he makes their 5-on-5 game better. Q: That last game, which was the second half of the back-to-back for Florida, you got the two back-to-backs this week and the optional practice yesterday. How challenging is it when you have all these back-to-backs? Well, that was one of the reasons we chose to, well, we had a day off Sunday and then Monday they had the option. Staying off, or doing something in the gym or going on the ice for kind of a skill session. We've got two sets of back-to-backs coming up here. So starting tonight and one on the weekend. So a lot of hockey, a lot of hockey. So rest is important. And, you know, that's one way we can do it. Stay updated with the most interesting Maple Leafs stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Florida Panthers drop off Stanley Cup Ring at Hockey Hall of Fame
The Florida Panthers paid a visit to the Hockey Hall of Fame on Wednesday. There was a special reason for the visit. Members of the Panthers, including Captain Sasha Barkov, Head Coach Paul Maurice and forwards Sam Reinhart and Matthew Tkachuk, dropped off a very fancy and unique piece of jewelry. The Panthers brought a Stanley Cup Championship ring to be added to the Hall of Fame. Forever a part of place in the @HockeyHallFame 🏆 — Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) March 12, 2025 First, it will reside inside Florida's special display as the current Stanley Cup Champs, which has prominent placement inside the HHOF. It was actually Barkov that physically placed the ring into the display, which was met by a round of applause for those lucky enough to be at the Hall of Fame to witness the affair. Eventually, the ring will likely end up inside Lord Stanley's Vault, a special room inside the Hall of Fame's Great Hall, that houses an expansive collection of Stanley Cup rings from throughout the years and decades, in addition to the original Stanley Cup and the historic trophy's retired rings. The timing of the delivery makes sense as the Panthers are making their first visit to Toronto this season. Florida will face the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday night, the second game on a six-game road trip that doesn't end until next weekend in Washington. Matthew Tkachuk admiring the cup. As he always says, 'It never gets old.' — Randy Moller (@HeyRedDeer) March 12, 2025 LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA WATCH: Footage of Brad Marchand skating with Florida Panthers in Boston Three takeaways: Panthers burn themselves in Boston collapse Panthers blow 2-goal third period lead, lose in Boston 3-2 Brad Marchand joins Panthers for morning skate in Boston, skates on Florida's top line Panthers begin extended road trip with rivalry matchup in Boston
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Brian Bickell gets emotional as the Rockford IceHogs induct him into their Ring of Honor
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO/WQRF) — Brian Bickell was part of the Chicago Blackhawks' dynasty that won three Stanley Cups between 2010 and 2015. Before that he developed in Rockford as a key player for the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. Even though he has been retired from playing hockey now for ten years, Bickell is still beloved in Rockford. He returned Saturday night to be inducted into the IceHogs' Ring of Honor. He made it in as the fourth person and in only the second year that the IceHogs have had a Ring of Honor. That shows what a big part of this franchise he wearing two of his Stanley Cup Championship rings, got emotional during the ceremony which happened during the second intermission of the IceHogs' game against LeHigh got emotional, tears forming in his eyes when video tributes that were pre-recorded by two of his former teammates in Rockford and in Chicago Andrew Shaw and Corey Crawford were played on the videoboard hanging over center ice. He also got teary-eyed seeing his two daughters there enjoying the experience with him, learning that their father was kind of a big told a small gathering of reporters including myself what playing in Rockford and being a part of the Blackhawks' organization and having this night meant to him. 'It was a part of my life and part of my career that I'll never forget. To come here and, you know, my kids are older, I retired when the kids were three and one, so to see them and they're like, 'Dad you're famous, and people want your autograph all time', so it feels kind of good for my girls to see that.'Bickell played with the IceHogs from 2007-08 through 2009-10 shuffling at times between Rockford and Chicago. He returned to Rockford at the end of his career for the 2015-16 by the way was also at the IceHogs' game and Ring of Honor Ceremony to support Bickell. The two of them are close friends in addition to being former teammates. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
