Happy Birthday to @MapleLeafs own @ZachHyman! Have a great one! Hopefully there is a new contract extension waiting for you as a gift! 🥳🥳🥳 #LeafsForever #zachhyman #leafsnation #Leafs
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Page 6ix Wednesday, June 9th: The postseason/offseason drama continues
It’s Wednesday, and last week we brought you a special edition, so we’ve got two whole weeks of drama to catch up on! As we all know, hockey is very serious and has no drama (no soap operas!) so we’ve got nothing to talk about.
Heh. Yeah right.
Leafs Land
As usual we start with what’s happening for the Boys in Blue, even though the answer is Not Hockey. But there IS drama.
I try to stick my head in the sand and ignore any @Zach Hyman leaving the Leafs talk, but it’s getting harder to avoid. First, though, let’s wish him a happy birthday!
Meanwhile, yes, there is lots of chatter about whether and for what type of contract the Leafs re-sign Hyman. I’ll just go cry now.
Will Zach Hyman be a Maple Leaf next season? What deal would make sense to keep him in Toronto? @FriedgeHNIC joined #WritersBloc with @SNJeffBlair & @richarddeitsch to discuss Hyman's future, NHL travel exemption in Canada and more! Full Podcast 🎧: sprtsnt.ca/3z3BeF3
The Leafs twitter account has been pretty quiet, but they did announce a new baby signing:
🖋 We’ve signed forward Pontus Holmberg to a two-year entry level contract. #LeafsForever Details » tml.hockey/3ppGn5J
Also, this happened. And it has many people asking WTF?
Tonight the #CNTower will be lit red, blue, and white for the @CanadiensMTL who will go on to represent Canada's hope for a 2021 @NHL Stanley Cup!
Around the League
As the CN Tower kindly reminded us, the Habs are the team that made it out of Canada, just like we all expected, right? But believe it or not, the Habs sweeping the Jets isn’t the most dramatic thing to happen in that series. No, that distinction goes to @Mark Scheifele.
To recap, he got suspended 4 games for this hit on @Jake Evans:
Fucking trash hit from Mark Scheifele
Which ended up meaning he was done for the season.
Today, he had this to say about it:
"I thought I was going to be tried to be shut down by Phillip Danault," says Mark Scheifele. "Instead it was department of player safety that shut me down."
Which shows a ton of remorse and empathy, amirite?
Speaking of playoffs, Bruins and Islanders play tonight, with the Bruins playing for their playoff lives. The Lightning have advanced, and the Golden Knights lead the Avs 3-2. So who do you think the final 4 will be?
The NHL is gearing up for awards season, and we’re plugging Renee Hess! Go vote for her for the @Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award:
Change Hockey Culture
Some troubling news out of Chicago:
The NHL Blackhawks provided a positive reference letter for a former coach despite having knowledge of his sexual assaults, a lawsuit alleges. The coach moved on to a high school team where he allegedly sexually assaulted a 16-yr-old player.
A former HS hockey player who alleges he was sexually abused by a former Chicago Blackhawks coach is suing the franchise for allegedly providing a positive employment reference to the coach despite knowing he was a sexual predator. @rwesthead reports: tsn.ca/lawsuit-allege…
Allowing people in positions of power to maintain their places in the hockey community perpetuates these issues, and it needs to change.
That’s all for now! Catch ya all next week when we’ll be looking at a very different playoff landscape.
Breaking News
- Canadiens GM Kent Hughes makes it about the Maple Leafs
- Penguins rally in 3rd period to defeat Marlies, Toronto leads AHL’s Eastern Conference Finals 2-1
- The David Carle hype was fun while it lasted: Leafs Morning Take
- Matthew Knies’ knee issue, trade rumours were some of the biggest storylines from his third year in Toronto
- Around the NHL: Senators & Ducks linked to McTavish trade; Marner vs. Andersen set for Stanley Cup Final