The Golden Knights will seek to win their first title after a five-game loss to the Washington Capitals in the 2018 Cup Final.
Four Vegas players who have played at least one Stanley Cup Playoff game have won the Cup: forwards Chandler Stephenson (2018; Capitals) and Phil Kessel (2016, 2017; Pittsburgh Penguins), and defensemen Alec Martinez (2012, 2014; Los Angeles Kings) and Alex Pietrangelo (2019; St. Louis Blues). Backup goalie Jonathan Quick, who has not played this postseason, has won the Cup twice with the Kings (2012, 2014).
Of the 24 players to play at least one postseason game, 12 were acquired via trade, six were signed in free agency, four were selected by Vegas in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, one was selected in the NHL Draft, and one was claimed off waivers.
Here’s how the roster of this Stanley Cup finalist was built, with background on the coaching staff and general manager:
FORWARDS
Michael Amadio, RW: Claimed off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 30, 2021, Amadio had 27 points (16 goals, 11 assists) in 67 regular-season games and has seven points (three goals, four assists) in 11 playoff games.
Ivan Barbashev, C: Acquired in a trade with the Blues on Feb. 26 for forward prospect Zach Dean, Barbashev had 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in 23 regular-season games after the trade and has 17 points (six goals, nine assists) in 17 playoff games.
Teddy Blueger, C: Acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 1 for defenseman prospect Peter Diliberatore and a third-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, Blueger had six points (two goals, four assists) in 18 games after the trade and has two points (one goal, one assist) in six playoff games.
William Carrier, LW: Selected in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft on June 21, 2017, Carrier had 25 points (16 goals, nine assists) in 56 regular-season games and has two points (one goal, one assist) in 13 playoff games.
Jack Eichel, C: Acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 4, 2021, with a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft for forwards Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs, a first-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft (forward prospect Noah Ostlund) and a second-round pick in the 2023 draft, Eichel had 66 points (27 goals, 39 assists) in 67 regular-season games and has a team-high 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) in 17 playoff games.
Brett Howden, C: Acquired in a trade with the New York Rangers on July 17, 2021, for defenseman Nick DeSimone and a fourth-round pick in the 2022 draft (forward prospect Noah Laba), Howden had 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in 54 regular-season games and has six points (three goals, three assists) in 17 playoff games.
William Karlsson, C: Selected in the 2017 Expansion Draft, Karlsson had 53 points (14 goals, 39 assists) in 82 regular-season games and has 14 points (10 goals, four assists) in 17 playoff games.
Phil Kessel, RW: Signed as a free agent Aug. 24, Kessel had 36 points (14 goals, 22 assists) in 82 regular-season games and has two assists in four playoff games.
Keegan Kolesar, RW: Acquired in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets on June 24, 2017, for a second-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft (forward Alexandre Texier), Kolesar had 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) in 74 regular-season games and has five points (two goals, three assists) in 17 playoff games.
Jonathan Marchessault, RW: Selected in the 2017 Expansion Draft, Marchessault had 57 points (28 goals, 29 assists) in 76 regular-season games and has 17 points (nine goals, eight assists) in 17 playoff games.
Nicolas Roy, C: Acquired in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes on June 27, 2019, with a fifth-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft (defenseman prospect Oscar Plandowski) for forward Erik Haula, Roy had 30 points (14 goals, 16 assists) in 65 regular-season games and has eight points (one goal, seven assists) in 17 playoff games.
Reilly Smith, RW: Acquired in a trade with the Panthers on June 21, 2017, in exchange for Vegas selecting Marchessault in the 2017 Expansion Draft, Smith had 56 points (26 goals, 30 assists) in 78 regular-season games and has 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 17 playoff games.
Chandler Stephenson, C: Acquired in a trade with the Capitals on Dec. 2, 2019, for a fifth-round pick in the 2021 draft (defenseman prospect Ty Murchison), Stephenson had an NHL career-high 65 points (16 goals, 49 assists) in 81 regular-season games and has 14 points (eight goals, six assists) in 17 playoff games.
Mark Stone, RW: Acquired in a trade with the Ottawa Senators on Feb. 25, 2019, with forward Tobias Lindberg for defenseman Erik Brannstrom, forward Oscar Lindberg and a second-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft (forward prospect Egor Sokolov), Stone had 38 points (17 goals, 21 assists) in 43 regular-season games and has 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 17 playoff games. Stone was named first captain of the Golden Knights on Jan. 13, 2021.
Nicolas Hague: Selected in the second round (No. 34) of the 2017 draft, Hague had 17 points (three goals, 14 assists) in 81 regular-season games and has three points (one goal, two assists) in 17 playoff games.
Ben Hutton: Signed as a free agent Oct. 28, 2021, Hutton had eight points (three goals, five assists) in 31 regular-season games and has no points in two playoff games.
Alec Martinez: Acquired in a trade with the Kings on Feb. 19, 2020, for a second-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft (forward prospect Will Cuylle) and a second-round pick in the 2021 draft (defenseman prospect Ben Roger), Martinez had 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in 77 regular-season games and has five assists in 17 playoff games.
Brayden McNabb: Selected in the 2017 Expansion Draft on June 21, 2017, McNabb had 17 points (one goal, 16 assists) in 82 regular-season games and has two assists in 16 playoff games.
Brayden Pachal: Signed as a free agent Sept. 20, 2019, Pachel had two assists in 10 regular-season games and has no points in one playoff game.
Alex Pietrangelo: Signed as a free agent Oct. 12, 2020, Pietrangelo had 54 points (11 goals, 43 assists) in 73 regular-season games and has nine points (one goal, eight assists) in 16 playoff games.
Shea Theodore: Acquired in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks on June 21, 2017, in exchange for Vegas selecting defenseman Clayton Stoner in the 2017 Expansion Draft, Theodore had 41 points (eight goals, 33 assists) in 55 regular-season games and has seven assists in 16 playoff games.
Zach Whitecloud: Signed as a free agent March 8, 2018, Whitecloud had 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 59 regular-season games and has five points (one goal, four assists) in 17 playoff games.
GOALIES
Laurent Brossoit: Signed as a free agent July 28, 2021, Brossoit was 7-0-3 with a 2.17 goals-against average and .927 save percentage in 11 regular-season games (10 starts) and is 5-2 with a 3.18 GAA and .894 save percentage in eight playoff games. He has not played since May 8 because of a lower-body injury.
Adin Hill: Acquired in a trade with the San Jose Sharks on Aug. 29, 2022, for a fourth-round pick in the 2024 draft, Hill was 16-7-1 with a 2.50 GAA and .915 save percentage in 27 regular-season games (25 starts) and is 7-3 with a 2.07 GAA, .937 save percentage and two shutouts in 11 playoff games (nine starts).
Bruce Cassidy, coach: Hired on June 14, eight days after he was fired by the Boston Bruins, Cassidy led the Golden Knights (51-22-9) to the best record in the Western Conference. He is 343-177-62 with nine ties in 591 games as coach of the Golden Knights, Bruins (2016-22) and Capitals (2002-04).
Ryan Craig, assistant: Hired on June 9, 2017, Craig has been an assistant for all six seasons in Golden Knights history. He played 198 NHL games as a forward from 2005-15.
Misha Donskov, assistant: Hired on Aug. 8, 2016, as director of hockey operations, Donskov was an assistant this season.
John Stevens, assistant: Hired on June 28, Stevens spent the previous three seasons as an assistant with the Dallas Stars. He was coach of the Kings from 2017-19 and the Philadelphia Flyers from 2006-08.
Sean Burke, goalie coach: Hired on June 28, Burke was a scout and goalie coach with the Montreal Canadiens from 2016-22 after he was goalie coach and assistant GM with the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes from 2008-16.
GENERAL MANAGER
Kelly McCrimmon: Promoted to GM on May 2, 2019, McCrimmon took over the position for president of hockey operations George McPhee, who also was GM, on Sept. 1. McCrimmon was named assistant GM on Aug. 2, 2016, and played a key role in building the Golden Knights roster from its inaugural season.
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks announced Tuesday that defenceman Alex Edler will sign a one-day contract in order to officially retire as a member of the NHL team.
The signing will be part of a celebration of Edler’s career held Oct. 11 when the Canucks host the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Canucks selected Edler, from Ostersund, Sweden, in the third round (91st overall) of the 2004 NHL draft.
He played in 925 career games for the Canucks between the 2006-07 and 2020-21 seasons, ranking fourth in franchise history and first among defencemen.
The 38-year-old leads all Vancouver defencemen with 99 goals, 310 assists and 177 power-play points with the team.
Edler also appeared in 82 career post-season contests with Vancouver and was an integral part of the Canucks’ run to the 2011 Stanley Cup final, putting up 11 points (2-9-11) across 25 games.
“I am humbled and honoured to officially end my career and retire as a member of the Vancouver Canucks,” Edler said in a release. “I consider myself lucky to have started my career with such an outstanding organization, in this amazing city, with the best fans in the NHL. Finishing my NHL career where it all began is something very special for myself and my family.”
Edler played two seasons for Los Angeles in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He did not play in the NHL last season.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
The sixth-ranked Canadian women will face World Cup champion Spain in an international friendly next month.
Third-ranked Spain will host Canada on Oct. 25 at Estadio Francisco de la Hera in Almendralejo.
The game will be the first for the Canadian women since the Paris Olympics, where they lost to Germany in a quarterfinal penalty shootout after coach Bev Priestman was sent home and later suspended for a year by FIFA over her part in Canada’s drone-spying scandal.
In announcing the Spain friendly, Canada Soccer said more information on the interim women’s coaching staff for the October window will come later. Assistant coach Andy Spence took charge of the team in Priestman’s absence at the Olympics.
Spain finished fourth in Paris, beaten 1-0 by Germany in the bronze-medal match.
Canada is winless in three previous meetings (0-2-1) with Spain, most recently losing 1-0 at the Arnold Clark Cup in England in February 2022.
The teams played to a scoreless draw in May 2019 in Logroñés, Spain in a warm-up for the 2019 World Cup. Spain won 1-0 in March 2019 at the Algarve Cup in São João da Venda, Portugal.
Spain is a powerhouse in the women’s game these days.
It won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2022 and was runner-up in 2018. And it ousted Canada 2-1 in the round of 16 of the current U-20 tournament earlier this month in Colombia before falling 1-0 to Japan after extra time in the quarterfinal.
Spain won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2018 and 2022 and has finished on the podium on three other occasions.
FC Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati (2023) and Alexia Putellas (2021 and ’22) have combined to win the last three Women’s Ballon d’Or awards.
And Barcelona has won three of the last four UEFA Women’s Champions League titles.
“We continue to strive to diversify our opponent pool while maintaining a high level of competition.” Daniel Michelucci, Canada Soccer’s director of national team operations, said in a statement. “We anticipate a thrilling encounter, showcasing two of the world’s top-ranked teams.”
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024
TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced cookie brand Oreo as the team’s helmet sponsor for the upcoming NHL season.
The new helmet will debut Sunday when Toronto opens its 2024-25 pre-season against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Arena.
The Oreo logo replaces Canadian restaurant chain Pizza Pizza, which was the Leafs’ helmet sponsor last season.
Previously, social media platform TikTok sponsored Toronto starting in the 2021-22 regular season when the league began allowing teams to sell advertising space on helmets.
The Oreo cookie consists of two chocolate biscuits around a white icing filling and is often dipped in milk.
Fittingly, the Leafs wear the Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s “Milk” logo on their jerseys.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
