It's not fair

 It seems that the hockey community is perpetually bonded by common traumas. For as much as we love it, hockey is the smallest of the North American sports, and it seems celestially unfair that this small group keeps undergoing heartache, seemingly at a steady rhythm. Yaroslavl, Humboldt, Adam Johnson and now, the Gaudreaus. I've left out too many, but for now, I offer condolences to the Gaudreau family, both the blood relatives, and those that loved them through the game. 

It seems gauche for the hockey world wo move on so quickly, and turn the collective attention to things like Leon Draisatl's record breaking contract extension, but this is where the tighter community comes in handy. We're still all supporting one another. Matthew Gaudreau's family has had $500,000 raised on their behalf, and neither Gaudreau will ever be forgotten, even as we celebrate the good fortune of the Draisatl team. Hockey and life continue on, even with pain in our hearts. Hockey has learned the hard lesson that with grief, the only way out is through.

Tweet of the Moment

 

Happy #NHLGoalieWeek!!! 🎉 pic.twitter.com/17onG5udv1

— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) August 26, 2024

When I started college, I spent the lonelier times on my PC, playing NHL '02, tearing through entire seasons in a couple of days. Meanwhile, my freshman roomate was very into Marilyn Manson, and as a result, whenever I think of that time of my life, I think of Evgeni Nabokov, but sing his name to the tune of "The Beautiful People" And that is my contribution to NHL Goalie Week

The Penguins are trying to get younger

The Penguins were recently in the news for acquiring Rutger McGroarty from the Jets, but that hasn't really been the game plan for the summer for Pittsburgh. GM Kyle Dubas stated that his goal was to make the Penguins more youthful ahead of the 24-25 season. I think starting with a GM named Kyle is a pretty good start to being youthful.

Tweet of the Moment

Auditioning for the Power Players✅
New squad 🔜 pic.twitter.com/maUSRWvmHJ

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) August 7, 2024

Oh wow, you can be a Power Player without being able to skate? If I weren't in Minnesota, I would totally do it, because I can't see any other criteria that I would have to meet to be a Power Player.

Who is excited for Linus Ullmarkl?

 

And, I guess, the Ottawa SenatorsOttawa Senators

Tweet of the Moment

 

It's the offseason, which means it's the time of year that the marketing team needs to work the hardest. It's summer, people aren't really thinking about indoor sports, and this year there are the Olympics to consider. Let's give a little appreciation to the Canucks marketing team, who probably have a fairly easy job, selling hockey tickets in Vancouver, going through their toughest times of year.

The Panthers have this figured out. Where have you guys been?

 It's easy to seem like a Panthers fan blog when they keep doing things well. Of course, if game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final went differently, this is an entirely different piece. But the Panthers didn't become the modern day chokers of professional sports in our time. Surely, that good fortune has contributed to the other positive headlines the team has enjoyed this summer. 

Most recently, The Athletic has given the Panthers an A for their offseason work. The big thing was resigning Sam Reinhart, but also, they added depth both to the checking lines, but the blue line as well. It's hard to maintain a squad year over year in the NHL, and now, after a second consecutive trip to the Staly Cup Final, this one being a winner, the Panthers may still be getting better. 

There are going to be concerns about fatigue for a roster that has been playing the last two summers, but surely, a team that has finessed  the salary cap like they have can overcome something like "exhaustion" They made some big roster moves a couple of years ago, and finally came together in the postseason. This year, they were good all year. Now would be the time you might expect a step back.

The Panthers have been bad so long, and now suddenly, they are perhaps the toast of the hockey world. They aren't stopping either. With the momentum thy have now, Florida will be relevant for a while. The must be an appeal to walking along Fort Lauderdale Beach in mid July. The Panthers are a candidate to win it all again next year, so a parade might just happen again.

Nobody is happier than Gary Bettman who has continued to bet heavily on the Sun Belt, Losing the Coyotes to Utah was rough, and having bad teams elsewhere in the South has always stung. The Panthers were the last of those southern teams to have a renaissance, of the teams that stayed where they are at, and like those teams, this doesn't look like a flash in the pan. Heck, unlike Miami's sports success stories, this team may stay together for a while. 

The Florida Panthers. Huh