February 15 — Happy 50th Jaromír Jágr!

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Yesterday’s NHL Scores

Last Night’s News 📰

STRAIGHT FIRE: In the first big move heading into the trade deadline, the Calgary Flames received forward Tyler Toffoli from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for a first-round pick in the 2022 Draft, a fifth-round pick in 2023, forward Tyler Pitlick, and the rights to Emil Heineman. Calgary is going all-in this season for the Stanley Cup and is currently second in the Pacific Division behind the Vegas Golden Knights.

345 DAYS LATER: Eleven months and nine days after his last NHL game, Jack Eichel will return on Wednesday night. Now a member of the Vegas Golden Knights, Eichel will debut for the club against the Colorado Avalanche following a tumultuous exit from the Buffalo Sabres and undergoing unprecedented neck surgery.

FIRST CAREER HATTY: Minnesota Wild youngster Matthew Boldy earned his first career hat trick, scoring three goals in two periods. His first got his team on the board and two consecutive power-play goals led to the home fans throwing their hats onto the ice. Boldy ended the game with four points against the Detroit Red Wings.

BOSTON BAKED BEANS: For the 31st time in Beanpot history, Boston University won the annual tournament in the Massachusetts capital, the first since 2015. Highlighted by goaltenders Vinny Duplessis (19 saves for BU) and T.J. Semptimphelter (28 saves for Northeastern University), the game ended 1-0 in favor of the Terriers.

Trivia Tuesday

Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

How Well Do You Know Mitch Marner?

  1. Which NHL Draft was Marner selected in the first round by the Toronto Maple Leafs?
    • 2014
    • 2013
    • 2015
    • 2016

  2. Marner’s best season was in 2018-19 when he scored 25 goals and ended the season with ____ points.
    • 100
    • 87
    • 79
    • 94

  3. Following his rookie campaign, Marner finished fourth for the Calder Trophy. How many Maple Leafs finished top-10 in voting that season?
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4

Answers can be found at the bottom of the email.

By the Numbers: Jaromír Jágr

Hockey legend and everyone’s favorite ageless beauty, Jaromír Jágr, turns 50 today. Speaking of numbers, the Czech forward has put up some big numbers during his long and prolific professional hockey playing career. Here are a few of them.

34 – Seasons, including 2021-22, Jágr played professional hockey. Of those seasons, 24 were in the NHL, where he played between 1990-2013, with three years spent in the KHL. He now owns and plays for Kladno (his hometown team) in the Czech Extraliga.

1,921 – Points Jágr had during his NHL career, ranking second all-time behind Wayne Gretzky (2,857). Jágr scored 766 goals, which ranks third all-time, and added 1,155 assists, good for fifth.

5 – Seasons Jágr won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s leader in points. He paced the league in the category in 1994-95, 1997-98, 1998-99, 1999-2000, and 2000-01, all while with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

149 – Points Jágr had during the 1995-96 season. In 82 games, he scored 62 goals and added 87 assists, combining for the 17th-highest point total for a single season in NHL history.

2 – Number of times Jágr won the Stanley Cup. He won back-to-back titles with the Penguins in 1990-91 and 1991-92. It’s also the number of World Championships he won with the Czech Republic, securing gold in 2005 and 2010.

1 – Hart Trophies Jágr won as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player. He won it in 1998-99 after posting 127 points (44 goals, 83 assists) in 81 games. It’s also the number of Olympic gold medals Jágr has won, as the Czech Republic beat Russia 1-0 to capture gold at the 1998 Nagano Games.

68 – Jágr’s jersey number. He chose it to honor his grandfather, who died in 1968 during the Prague Spring, a period of political liberalization and protest in Czechoslovakia against the controlling Soviet regime.

Women’s Gold Medal Game: Names to Know

The gold medal game of the Olympic women’s hockey tournament is here, and well, you might have to find surprises somewhere else in Beijing. For the sixth time in the seven Olympic Games that have featured women’s hockey on the schedule, Canada and the United States will battle for gold. Canada will be looking to avenge a loss in the 2018 gold medal game, while the US hopes to keep closing the gap in tournament wins between the countries (the Canadians lead 3-2 in head-to-head Olympic gold medal games).

While the countries involved may be very familiar, some players centrally involved in determining who emerges with gold on Wednesday night (approximately 11:00 PM EST) are fresh. Of course, the likes of Marie-Philip Poulin, Hilary Knight, Natalie Spooner, and Amanda Kessel will factor heavily into Wednesday’s result; the difference between these two hockey titans could come down to the new faces poised to join the rivalry.

Sarah Fillier, CAN

Sarah Fillier, Team Canada (Josh Kim / The Hockey Writers)

Hockey Canada knew that Sarah Fillier, the 21-year-old phenom forward out of Princeton, was going to be an exceptional player, but this soon? Her hat trick against Sweden in the Quarterfinals helped her to eight goals in six tournament games, the second-highest total of any women’s player (teammate Brianne Jenner has nine). Not only is the Georgetown, Ontario, native starring on this year’s team, but she’ll only be 25 at the next Games.

Claire Thompson, CAN

While it’s no surprise to see big names like Poulin, Spooner, and Sarah Nurse occupying the upper reaches of the points leaders, there’s an argument to be made that no one’s been more valuable than Claire Thompson. The Canadian blueliner leads the tournament in plus/minus (plus-22) while averaging two points per game. Could USA’s Savannah Harmon and the 24-year-old Thompson comprise the defensive pairing on the All-Tournament team?

Savannah Harmon, USA

Savannah Harmon of the Buffalo Beauts (Photo Credit: Pat McCarthy)

Harmon’s composure at her first Olympics makes it hard to believe that the blueliner is still only 26. Not only does she lead her team in plus/minus (plus-8), but she ranks among the group’s most consistent scorers, producing seven points (two goals, five assists) while logging significant minutes as part of the top defensive pairing.

Jesse Compher, USA

Much like her older brother, J.T. Compher of the Colorado Avalanche, Jesse brings a speedy, two-way game with some tenacity. And so, the 22-year-old has supplemented three goals and four points in six games with some key defensive moments and big plays on the penalty kill.

Trivia Answers

1. 2015
2. 94 Points
3. 3 – Auston Matthews, Marner, and William Nylander

NHL Standings

NHL’s Leading Scorers

Today’s NHL Schedule