February 14 — Hockey, Super Bowl & Valentine’s Day

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Yesterday’s NHL Scores

Last Night’s News 📰

COUTURIER DONE FOR THE YEAR: Philadelphia Flyers center Sean Couturier underwent back surgery on Friday, ending his season. The 29-year-old signed an eight-year, $62 million contract extension in August and will require three months of recovery time.

SCORED A 10: For the seventh Winter Olympic Games in a row (every Olympiad that has featured women’s ice hockey), the Canadians will be playing for a gold medal. Defeating Switzerland 10-3 late Sunday night, Canada will face off against the winner of the USA vs. Finland this morning.

HAMBURGLAR HELPER: The Montreal Canadiens traded Brandon Baddock to the Minnesota Wild for netminder Andrew Hammond. Montreal hopes that “the Hamburglar,” Hammond’s nickname with the Ottawa Senators, will help stabilize its goaltending situation while Carey Price and Jake Allen are out with injuries.

SCORPION SAVE: Thomas Greiss made what is likely the frontrunner for the save of the season against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday afternoon. Detroit beat the Flyers 4-2, as Greiss made 32 saves in the victory for the Red Wings.

TOP OF THE TABLE: In what might be the biggest surprise of these Olympic Games, the USA finished the preliminary rounds as the top team in the men’s tournament. As the only country to win all three games in regulation, the Americans lead Finland, the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), and Sweden into the Quarterfinals with an automatic bye.

HOME INVASION: Four games took place across the NHL yesterday, with the visiting teams all winning in regulation. Highlighted by Darcy Kuemper’s 23-save performance in Nathan MacKinnon’s first game back from injury, get caught up on all the action here.

Hockey & the Super Bowl

If you’re like us, then you can agree that hockey is king, but there’s room in your heart for more than one tough-nosed, physical, hard-hitting sport. While the Stanley Cup is the best trophy in all sports and arguably the most difficult title to win, the Super Bowl is still a date circled on the calendar each year. Even with four afternoon tilts on the NHL schedule yesterday, many people within the hockey community had at least one eye on Los Angeles, as the Rams eked out a 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

So, how were NHL teams ushering in LVI on Super Bowl Sunday? Let’s take a look:

A Super Surprise

Colorado Avalanche assistant equipment manager Don White missed Sunday’s 4-0 shutout victory over the Dallas Stars for a super reason. The Avs surprised the lifetime Bengals fanatic with tickets, airfare, and accommodations to ensure that White could be live at SoFi Stadium to cheer on his second favorite team. Things, unfortunately, didn’t go as hoped for White or Cincy, but the experience was an unforgettable one nonetheless.

Ohio, Represent!

Do you know who else was cheering on the Bengals on Sunday? The Columbus Blue Jackets showed support to their fellow Ohioans by sporting No. 9 Joe Burrow jerseys on the road to Saturday’s game in Montreal. This cross-state love seems to be mutual, as Cincinnati defensive lineman Trey Hendrickson has often worn his CBJ jersey on game day and is known to check out games at Nationwide Arena.

Caps’ Super Bowl Tradition

Although the franchise now known as the Washington Commanders hasn’t been a part of Super Bowl Sunday in 30 years, the hockey team in the nation’s capital has carried out a long-standing tradition on the day of the big game. The Washington Capitals have played a matinee game hours before the battle for the Lombardi Trophy the last 15 years in a row—and 32 times in total. Perhaps it’s time to put an end to that tradition, as the Caps have now lost five straight on Super Sunday.

NHL History: Valentine’s Day Names

It’s Valentine’s Day, so to celebrate, let’s look at the NHL players who have/had names related to the holiday.

Valentine

Only one player in NHL history shares a moniker with the saint that the holiday is named after. Chris Valentine, a 10th-round pick of the Washington Capitals in 1981, played 105 games across three seasons. His best year came in 1981-82, his first season in the league, as the 20-year-old center recorded 67 points (30 goals, 37 assists) in 60 games.

Love

Valentine’s Day is meant to be a joyful celebration of love. Ben Lovejoy played 544 games in the NHL between 2008 and 2019. The defenseman spent time with four NHL teams, mostly the Pittsburgh Penguins, with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 2015-16.

H(e)art

The shape most associated with Valentine’s Day, nobody with “Heart” in their name has played in the NHL, but several people with “Hart” in their names have. Hart is a famous name in the NHL, as it’s the name of the trophy given to the league’s MVP each season, after the father of Stanley Cup-winning Montreal Canadiens head coach Cecil Hart.

Scott Hartnell, pictured here with the Blue Jackets in 2015, was a constant presence in the NHL for 17 years (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

The NHL has had 10 players and three coaches with “Hart” in their name. Two of those players are active (Ryan Hartman and Carter Hart). One of the most notable names is Scott Hartnell, who played 17 seasons before retiring in 2018. Craig Hartsburg, who played from 1979-1989 and was a head coach for three teams across seven seasons, and Bob Hartley, who coached three teams across 14 seasons, winning the Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2000-01, are two other notable “Harts.”

Rose

What might be the most stereotypical way to show love and affection for someone is to give them a rose (or multiple roses), and the NHL has received three. Jay Rosehill played 117 games between 2009-2014, Calle Rosén appeared in 26 games—including six this season for the St. Louis Blues, and Jacob de la Rose, a second-round pick by the Canadiens in 2013, has played in 242 games, including 13 last season for the Blues.

Teddy

Another popular gift is a teddy bear, and two Teddys have made it to the NHL. Teddy Blueger currently plays for the Penguins, logging 180 games across four seasons. Teddy Purcell played 571 games across four teams from 2007 to 2017, with the winger’s best season coming in 2011-12 when he tallied 65 points (24 goals, 41 assists) in 81 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Red

Pink and red are the two colors most associated with Valentine’s Day, and while the pop star Pink has yet to play in an NHL game, plenty of Reds have. Seven people named Red played in the league (four of them also coached), while three others with the color in their names made it.

Red Kelly, who coached in the NHL for 10 years, was one of the most accomplished players in NHL history (THW Archive)

Three Reds who played in the NHL are in the Hall of Fame. Red Kelly won the Stanley Cup eight times (four with Detroit and four with Toronto) and made the All-Star team eight times during his 20-year career, winning the 1953-54 Norris Trophy as the top defenseman. Red Horner and Red Dutton were star defensemen in the 1920s and 1930s. The most recent Red in the NHL was Wade Redden, a defenseman who played from 1996-2013, primarily with the Ottawa Senators.

Player Spotlight – Tuukka Rask

It is the end of an era for Boston Bruins fans, as goaltender Tuukka Rask announced his retirement from the NHL. He finished his 15-year career with one Stanley Cup, a Vezina Trophy, and one William M. Jennings Trophy. He was a fan favorite, and it was easy to tell why. Fans know plenty about what the 34-year-old has brought to the ice, but what about life outside of hockey? 

Dream Road Trip Partner?:

Jimmy Fallon.

First Cell Phone?:

I’m old school. My Finnish phone is at least 15 years old.

First Job?:

I was a stagehand at the local opera festival.

First Album?:

Backstreet Boys.

Last Movie That Made You Cry?:

Crazy Rich Asians.

Best Dish You Can Cook?:

Sweet Potato Gnocchi.

First Car?:

Toyota Yaris.

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