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Power-play dominance just one aspect of Malhotra’s early impact on Leafs – Sportsnet.ca

Published

4 years ago

February 4, 2021

It says something about Manny Malhotra’s career trajectory that he ended up at the top of Sheldon Keefe’s list.

The Toronto Maple Leafs‘ search for a new assistant coach was unusually thorough last year, in part due to the extra time Keefe found himself with during the pandemic and also because he was required to conduct all of the interviews in a virtual setting.

That allowed him to consider a huge pool of candidates, including five or six former NHL head coaches and many more with experience running a bench at other levels of the sport. And yet it was the 40-year-old Malhotra that jumped to the front of the line. He’d spent three years as an eye-in-the-sky assistant for the Vancouver Canucks after his playing days ended and Keefe saw a perfect opportunity to offer him a promotion.

“I think Manny’s a terrific person for us just with where we’re at in terms of where we need to grow with our players individually, with our team, with our habits and our consistency and coming together as a group,” Keefe said after the hiring.

Which brings us to another strong indicator about Malhotra’s growing aptitude for the job: The Maple Leafs boast the NHL’s most lethal power play at 43.3 per cent as the Canucks arrive at Scotiabank Arena for the start of a three-game set Thursday.

This has been his baby since coming to Toronto and maybe not the most seamless fit given that Malhotra made his name as a responsible checking centre — something documented nicely in this profile by Sportsnet’s David Singh in August.

His 991-game NHL career included just 12 power-play goals.

With two balanced units and a rethought attack that includes more chaos in front of the net, the Leafs have piled home 13 power-play goals in the first 10 games of the season under his watch. That’s a scorching start with no exhibition play to fine-tune things and only a short training camp, which included a presentation from Malhotra about league-wide power-play trends and a detailed explanation about how he envisioned Toronto’s offensively-minded lineup finding more success with the man-advantage.

One of his strongest coaching attributes is the ability to zero in on exactly what he wants to see executed. He understands the demands of the game and what the players are going through, and seems to have a knack for connecting dots between the two.

“He’s very precise. He gives you the gameplan and what you want to do,” said Wayne Simmonds. “He’s detail-oriented.”

“It’s been great to have him,” said Mitch Marner. “Another guy you can talk to on the bench and just ask him what his thoughts are on some plays.”

Added Jake Muzzin: “You know he’s a nice voice just to talk to. He knows a lot about the game, he played a lot, been in a lot of situations, a lot of experience, so he’s been a great help to us.”

With the Canucks in town, he’ll also be called on to provide some inside knowledge. Vancouver is the opponent assigned to Malhotra — the Leafs have a staffer dedicated to each of the six teams they’ll face this season — and it should be a comfortable assignment after the time spent working on Travis Green’s staff right up until their Game 7 loss to Vegas in the Edmonton bubble last September.

Coaching found Malhotra as much as he found it, starting first as a non-travelling development coach in Vancouver when he ran out of places to play in 2016. After being promoted to an assistant the following year he spent a lot of time working with the Canucks centres, most notably Bo Horvat, focusing on extra faceoff work and other details unique to the position.

He also oversaw the pre-scout of opponents and served as another set of eyes for Green watching games from up high. But there was no clear path to expanding his duties beyond that with veterans Nolan Baumgartner and Newell Brown ahead of him on the staff.

Malhotra hadn’t pursued prior opportunities presented by other NHL teams, but wanted to go through the process with the Leafs when they asked the Canucks for permission to speak with him. The native of Mississauga, Ont., had played against Keefe going back to when they were kids but the two men didn’t know each other personally.

He quickly became Keefe’s top choice to replace the departed Paul McFarland.

Beyond the instant success the Leafs have found on the power play since his hiring, Keefe appreciates how well Malhotra connects with the players. He’s often seen giving faceoff pointers at the end of morning skates. And after Tuesday’s practice he appeared to offer Mikko Lehtonen some encouraging words not long after the defenceman had a long discussion with Keefe.

It’s early days yet, but his impact is already being felt on a staff that also includes veterans Dave Hakstol and Paul MacLean.

“The power play’s the big one. Aside from that, just the way he interacts with the players,” said Keefe, when asked about Malhotra’s contributions. “His experience as a player and what he can bring to the coaching staff and that perspective [is beneficial].

“Coming from Vancouver where he was a part of a young developing team that found its way to playoff success last season, all of these things have really helped our crew greatly as a coaching staff.”

Credit the Canucks for a primary assist.

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Red Wings sign Moritz Seider to 7-year deal worth nearly $60M

Published

3 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings made another investment this week in a young standout, signing Moritz Seider to a seven-year contract worth nearly $60 million.

The Red Wings announced the move with the 23-year-old German defenseman on Thursday, three days after keeping 22-year-old forward Lucas Raymond with a $64.6 million, eight-year deal.

Detroit drafted Seider with the No. 6 pick overall eight years ago and he has proven to be a great pick. He has 134 career points, the most by a defenseman drafted in 2019.

He was the NHL’s only player to have at least 200 hits and block 200-plus shots last season, when he scored a career-high nine goals and had 42 points for the second straight year.

Seider won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 2022 after he had a career-high 50 points.

Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman is banking on Seider, whose contract will count $8.55 million annually against the cap, and Raymond to turn a rebuilding team into a winner.

Detroit has failed to make the playoffs in eight straight seasons, the longest postseason drought in franchise history.

The Red Wings, who won four Stanley Cups from 1997 to 2008, have been reeling since their run of 25 straight postseasons ended in 2016.

Detroit was 41-32-9 last season and finished with a winning record for the first time since its last playoff appearance.

Yzerman re-signed Patrick Kane last summer and signed some free agents, including Vladimir Tarasenko to a two-year contract worth $9.5 million after he helped the Florida Panthers hoist the Cup.

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Veterans Tyson Beukeboom, Karen Paquin lead Canada’s team at WXV rugby tournament

Published

4 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

Veterans Tyson Beukeboom and Karen Paquin will lead Canada at the WXV 1 women’s rugby tournament starting later this month in the Vancouver area.

WXV 1 includes the top three teams from the Women’s Six Nations (England, France and Ireland) and the top three teams from the Pacific Four Series (Canada, New Zealand, and the United States).

Third-ranked Canada faces No. 4 France, No. 7 Ireland and No. 1 England in the elite division of the three-tiered WXV tournament that runs Sept. 29 to Oct. 12 in Vancouver and Langley, B.C. No. 2 New Zealand and the eighth-ranked U.S. make up the six-team WVX 1 field.

“Our preparation time was short but efficient. This will be a strong team,” Canada coach Kevin Rouet said in a statement. “All the players have worked very hard for the last couple of weeks to prepare for WXV and we are excited for these next three matches and for the chance to play on home soil here in Vancouver against the best rugby teams in the world.

“France, Ireland and England will each challenge us in different ways but it’s another opportunity to test ourselves and another step in our journey to the Rugby World Cup next year.”

Beukeboom serves as captain in the injury absence of Sophie de Goede. The 33-year-old from Uxbridge, Ont., earned her Canadian-record 68th international cap in Canada’s first-ever victory over New Zealand in May at the Pacific Four Series.

Twenty three of the 30 Canadian players selected for WXV 1 were part of that Pacific Four Series squad.

Rouet’s roster includes the uncapped Asia Hogan-Rochester, Caroline Crossley and Rori Wood.

Hogan-Rochester and Crossley were part of the Canadian team that won rugby sevens silver at the Paris Olympics, along with WXV teammates Fancy Bermudez, Olivia Apps, Alysha Corrigan and Taylor Perry. Wood is a veteran of five seasons at UBC.

The 37-year-old Paquin, who has 38 caps for Canada including the 2014 Rugby World Cup, returns to the team for the first time since the 2021 World Cup.

Canada opens the tournament Sept. 29 against France at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver before facing Ireland on Oct. 5 at Willoughby Stadium at Langley Events Centre, and England on Oct. 12 at B.C. Place.

The second-tier WXV 2 and third-tier WXV 3 are slated to run Sept. 27 to Oct. 12, in South Africa and Dubai, respectively.

WXV 2 features Australia, Italy, Japan, Scotland, South Africa and Wales while WXV 3 is made up of Fiji, Hong Kong, Madagascar, the Netherlands, Samoa and Spain.

The tournament has 2025 World Cup qualification implications, although Canada, New Zealand and France, like host England, had already qualified by reaching the semifinals of the last tournament.

Ireland, South Africa, the U.S., Japan, Fiji and Brazil have also booked their ticket, with the final six berths going to the highest-finishing WXV teams who have not yet qualified through regional tournaments.

Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team WXV 1 Squad

Forwards

Alexandria Ellis, Ottawa, Stade Français Paris (France); Brittany Kassil, Guelph, Ont., Guelph Goats; Caroline Crossley, Victoria, Castaway Wanderers; Courtney Holtkamp, Rimbey, Alta., Red Deer Titans Rugby; DaLeaka Menin, Vulcan, Alta., Exeter Chiefs (England); Emily Tuttosi, Souris, Man., Exeter Chiefs (England); Fabiola Forteza, Quebec City, Stade Bordelais (France); Gabrielle Senft, Regina, Saracens (England); Gillian Boag, Calgary, Gloucester-Hartpury (England); Julia Omokhuale, Calgary, Leicester Tigers (England); Karen Paquin, Quebec City, Club de rugby de Quebec; Laetitia Royer, Loretteville, Que., ASM Romagnat (France); McKinley Hunt, King City, Ont., Saracens (England); Pamphinette Buisa, Gatineau, Que., Ottawa Irish; Rori Wood, Sooke, B.C., College Rifles RFC; Sara Cline, Edmonton, Leprechaun Tigers; Tyson Beukeboom, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England);

Backs

Alexandra Tessier, Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, Que., Exeter Chiefs (England); Alysha Corrigan, Charlottetown, P.E.I., CRFC; Asia Hogan-Rochester, Toronto, Toronto Nomads; Claire Gallagher, Caledon, Ont., Leicester Tigers (England); Fancy Bermudez, Edmonton, Saracens (England); Julia Schell, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England); Justine Pelletier, Rivière-du-Loup, Que, Stade Bordelais (France); Mahalia Robinson, Fulford, Que., Town of Mount Royal RFC; Olivia Apps, Lindsay, Ont., Lindsay RFC; Paige Farries, Red Deer, Alta., Saracens (England); Sara Kaljuvee, Ajax, Ont., Westshore RFC; Shoshanah Seumanutafa, White Rock, B.C., Counties Manukau (New Zealand); Taylor Perry, Oakville, Ont., Exeter Chiefs (England).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2024.

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Vancouver Canucks star goalie Thatcher Demko working through rare muscle injury

Published

4 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

PENTICTON, B.C. – Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko says he’s been working his way back from a rare lower-body muscle injury since being sidelined in last season’s playoffs.

The 28-year-old all star says the rehabilitation process has been frustrating, but he has made good progress in recent weeks and is confident he’ll be able to return to playing.

He says he and his medical team have spent the last few months talking to specialists around the world, and have not found a single other hockey player who has dealt with the same injury.

Demko missed several weeks of the last season with a knee ailment and played just one game in Vancouver’s playoff run last spring before going down with the current injury.

He was not on the ice with his teammates as the Canucks started training camp in Penticton, B.C., on Thursday, but skated on his own before the sessions began.

Demko posted a 35-14-2 record with a .918 percentage, a 2.45 goals-against average and five shutouts for Vancouver last season.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.

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