March 15 — Para Hockey Numbers & Heritage Classic Trivia

Yesterday’s NHL Score


Last Night’s News 📰

CAN NEVER ‘AV’ TOO MANY D: In a case of the rich getting richer, the Colorado Avalanche acquired defenseman and pending UFA Josh Manson from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for prospect Drew Helleson and a 2023 second-round pick. With his trade to Colorado, Manson joins the best team in the league as part of a blue line that also features Cale Makar, Samuel Girard, Devon Toews, and Erik Johnson. The deal also indicates that Bowen Byram (head injury) isn’t close to returning. 

MATTHEWS SUSPENDED: The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced that Auston Matthews is suspended for two games for his cross-check against Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres. Occurring in the third period of the NHL Heritage Classic on Sunday, the Toronto Maple Leafs forward will have to forfeit $116,402.50 in salary for the games missed. 

HATS HOW IT’S DONE: Lawson Crouse scored goals at even strength, on the power play, and shorthanded to record his first career NHL hat trick as the Arizona Coyotes defeated the Ottawa Senators 5-3 on Monday. Arizona has won five of its past six games, while Crouse becomes the eighth player in Coyotes/Winnipeg Jets history to score five-on-five, with the man advantage, and on the penalty kill in the same game. 

2022 ALL HOCKEY HAIR TEAM: March means the high school state championships in Minnesota, and with it comes the All Hockey Hair Team presented by Duke Cannon. Mustaches, manes, mops, and mullets were on full display throughout the weekend as the players, managers, coaches, and even refs got in on the action. 


Trivia Tuesday

How Well Do You Know the NHL Heritage Classic?

  1. When and where was the first NHL Heritage Classic?
    • 2001 | McMahon Stadium
    • 2003 | Commonwealth Stadium
    • 2007 | IG Field
    • 2005 | Mosaic Stadium

  2. How many different teams have appeared in the Heritage Classic?
    • 7
    • 6
    • 8
    • 9

  3. Which matchup saw 57,167 fans brave the elements, the largest Heritage Classic crowd?
    • Calgary Flames vs. Winnipeg Jets
    • Ottawa Senators vs. Vancouver Canucks
    • Edmonton Oilers vs. Calgary Flames
    • Montreal Canadiens vs. Edmonton Oilers

Answers can be found at the bottom of the email.


By the Numbers: 2022 Beijing Paralympics

The 2022 Paralympics, which consisted of 77 events across six disciplines, wrapped up in Beijing this past weekend, with the open para ice hockey tournament concluding on Sunday. Team USA won gold, beating Canada 5-0 in the final, while China won bronze as the host nation. Let’s take a look at some notable numbers from the tournament.

30-1 – Total by which the U.S. team outscored its opponents in the four games it played. The Americans went 2-0 in the group stage, beating Canada 5-0 and the Republic of Korea 9-1, then beat China 11-0 in the semifinals and Canada 5-0 (again) in the final.

5 – Times the U.S. has won gold in para hockey at the Paralympics, including each of the last four. Norway, Sweden, and Canada are the three other countries that have won gold in the event, each winning once. The U.S. and Canada share the lead for most total medals with six each.

18 – Points American Declan Farmer scored in the tournament to lead all participants. Farmer recorded seven goals and added a tournament-high 11 assists in four games. Teammate Brody Roybal notched eight goals in four games, sharing the honors of top goalscorer with Shen Yifeng of China, who netted eight in six games.

0 – Goals U.S. goaltender Jen Lee allowed in 165 minutes of ice time. The lone goal surrendered by the Americans came with backup Griffin LaMarre in net.

3 – Women who have competed in para ice hockey in the Paralympics. Originally a mixed event, the sport became men only in the 2000s before opening back up in 2010. Yu Jing of China became the third woman to participate in the event, joining Britt Mjaasund Øyen (1994) and Lena Schroeder (2018) of Norway.


Trade Deadline Primer: Metropolitan Division Sellers

Most divisions in the NHL feature some daunting heavyweights and, subsequently, a significant talent gap somewhere down the line. Conversely, the Metropolitan Division always stood out for boasting eight teams that came into the season with somewhat feasible postseason aspirations. So, there were bound to be some surprises, and the teams featured below likely aren’t thrilled to be in a position to divest themselves of assets rather than adding win-now talent.

Welcome to a club boasting rather undesirable membership. Here are the Metropolitan Division sellers!

New York Islanders

Cal Clutterbuck’s days on the Island could be numbered. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Last June, the New York Islanders made it to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final before losing a narrow 1-0 decision to the Tampa Bay Lightning. At the time, there was no reason to believe they wouldn’t be right back in the mix this season as they opened their new UBS Arena. Given those expectations, the 2021-22 season has been an unmitigated disaster on the Island. Even their current three-game win streak still has them 18 points out of a playoff spot, meaning that veterans like Cal Clutterbuck, Josh Bailey, Zdeno Chara, and Semyon Varlamov could be on the move.

Philadelphia Flyers

Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

If anyone can empathize with the Islanders, it’s the Philadelphia Flyers. Just two years removed from collecting 89 points in 69 games and coming one win away from the Eastern Conference Final, the Flyers now sit dead last in the division, 40 points behind the leading Carolina Hurricanes. Claude Giroux is the big name believed to be on the market for Philadelphia, but James van Riemsdyk and Martin Jones would also make sense to be re-homed. Rasmus Risolainen also appeared to be a candidate before signing a curious five-year extension with the club.


Trivia Answers

  1. 2003 | Commonwealth Stadium
  2. 8
  3. Montreal Canadiens vs. Edmonton Oilers

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