It’s Wednesday, and you know what that means! Time to check in on the drama and gossip around the league. This week was a bit quieter than last, but we do have some interesting tidbits to peek at.
Coach’s Corner
The coaches made headlines this week, and not in a good way. First, we had Alain Vigneault boldly proclaiming he has no idea what’s going on in the world:
"I really have no idea what's going on in the outside world.
"I'm working 20 hours a day.
"I guess I'm a hockey nerd and that's what I'm doing right now."
– Alain Vigneault when asked about some of the postponements across sports in wake of the Jacob Blake shooting pic.twitter.com/ihE7kaEA44
— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) August 27, 2020
and then walking it back:
Flyers HC Alain Vigneault issues statement after getting backlash for not knowing what was going with Jacob Blake impact
“I never bothered to check & ask what was going on… I was guilty of that, I was totally focused on our next game. I am for equality and social justice” pic.twitter.com/nVqFt0MQGe
— Jeff Skversky 6abc (@JeffSkversky) August 29, 2020
Meanwhile, Bruce Cassidy took some heat for implying that Yanni Gourde was selling the hit on him by Nick Ritchie.
Bruce Cassidy called Yanni Gourde "clever" in drawing the 5-minute major on Nick Ritchie. He called it a very, very, very similar hit to Paquette's hit on Kuhlman in the first period. Noted Gourde "seemed to finish the game w/no problem"
— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) August 29, 2020
Is it just me, or are we getting more drama than usual from the coaches?
What’s Going on in Florida?
Moving south, what’s happening in Florida? From Sergei Bobrovsky suddenly deleting all social media, to the investigation into Dale Tallon for allegedly using racist language, it sure seems like something’s off in the sunny state of FL. Something to keep an eye on.
Dallas Takes a Stand
And apparently loses season tickets holders. Following the Stars organization’s public support of Black Lives Matter late last week, some people apparently decided they no longer wanted to support the team.
From yesterday: President and CEO Brad Alberts says Stars have lost season-ticket holders over the team’s support of Black Lives Matter
It was a mix of individual and company accounts, and Alberts did not disclose who.https://t.co/Xh3zgj2UT0
— Matthew DeFranks (@MDeFranks) August 29, 2020
Adieu to Andersen?
The TSN trade bait list made quite a stir on Twitter, and for Leafs twitter in particular, one name stood out.
TRADE BAIT: Patrik Laine makes the first Trade Bait board of the fall as the Jets explore avenues to fill holes on their blueline and down the middle, @frank_seravalli
writes: https://t.co/Jdf8sL1DOY pic.twitter.com/b5ozthi5X6— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) September 1, 2020
Could Freddie Andersen have played his last game as a Leaf? Only time will truly tell, but the rumours are certainly swirling.
Don’t forget to follow us over on Twitter @page6ix, and if any hockey gossip comes your way we’d love to hear it!