TSN’s Hockey Insiders follow-up on Wednesday night’s line brawl on Broadway, Collin Graf’s decision to sign with the Sharks, decisions on Canada’s 4 Nations and Olympic head coaches, and the status of Canada’s 2018 WJC players with Team Canada.
Will the NHL hand out any supplementary discipline for Wednesday’s line brawl between the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers?
Again, go back to 2014, that was the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames, that turned downright nasty and spilled into the hallway where John Tortorella, then the head coach of the Canucks, was desperately trying to get into the Calgary Flames dressing room. He took a couple of swipes at Bob Hartley, then the head coach of the Flames, according to eyewitnesses before the cameras arrived, and ultimately Flames enforcer Brian McGrattan.
A couple of things proved here, the NHL doesn’t need to follow up on what happened on Wednesday night, and two, John Tortorella is as feisty as he’s ever been.
With over 20 teams interested in NCAA free agent Collin Graf, why did he make the decision to sign with the San Jose Sharks?
It came down to six teams with the Minnesota Wild, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Colorado Avalanche among those six teams. But obviously, there is ample opportunity in San Jose. It’s a team that’s gutted its roster and trusts in where that rebuild is going. Graf and agent Jerry Buckley did Zoom calls with all six teams two weeks ago before finally deciding.
Whenever a top free agent like this signs the question is, why wasn’t he drafted to begin with? The answer is this, four and a half years ago he was 5-foot-8 and 140 pounds. Today he’s 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds.
We’re going to get a ton of best-on-best hockey with the Four Nations next year followed by the Olympics the year after. With those two events fairly close together, how will Canada handle coaching duties?
Of course, Jon Cooper isn't the only great candidate out there like Paul Maurice, Peter DeBoer, Bruce Cassidy, Jared Bednar, Rod Brind’Amour. There are lots of great candidates and that’s why, perhaps, it won't be the same person for both gigs.
Dreger: A reminder here guys, as Canada continues to piece together its roster for the upcoming men’s World Championship, the ongoing process of appeal continues for Hockey Canada as it relates to the World Juniors in 2018.
What that means is all the players on that 2018 roster, players that might be of interest at the men’s World’s like Jordan Kyrou, Rob Thomas and Drake Batherson remain under suspension. The entire roster of players from 2018 will be suspended until the conclusion of the appeal process.
It does not relate to the Four Nations Cup because the NHL handles the sanctions there.