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Rangers’ Damiani could be a steal at NHL draft

Posted on June 18, 2018September 15, 2020

KITCHENER, ON – Riley Damiani is used to being overlooked.

Opponents and scouts have underestimated the Kitchener Rangers centre at every level of hockey.

“I feel like I’m one of those guys that flies under the radar,” he said. “I feel like I’ve been one of those guys my whole life.”

And because of it, the Mississauga native may be a steal at this year’s NHL draft, which runs next Friday and Saturday in Dallas.

Damiani is one of a handful of Rangers up for the draft.

Defenceman Giovanni Vallati leads the pack and is rated 57th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.

Team scoring leader Adam Mascherin is re-entering the mix after failing to reach a deal with the Florida Panthers, who drafted him in the second round two years back, while imports Rickard Hugg and Adam Liska are considered long shots.

Sparks, Rosen Lead Marlies to Calder Cup Championship

Posted on June 15, 2018September 15, 2020

TORONTO, ON – Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe said his team went through “championship moments” during its long run through the American Hockey League post-season.

Responding after giving up a goal. Pinching in at the right time. Managing to shift momentum when needed.

The Marlies delivered again when it mattered most Thursday night, giving them a championship moment they’ll never forget.

Raising the Calder Cup.

Toronto defeated the Texas Stars 6-1 in the decisive seventh game of the AHL final to the delight of the towel-waving sellout crowd at Ricoh Coliseum.

Sparks Leads the Way of Marlies Who have Helped Their NHL Chances with Calder Run

Posted on June 1, 2018September 15, 2020

TORONTO, ON – For players longing to step into (or step back into) the NHL, to what extent can a successful American Hockey League playoff run really affect their chances? A handful of Toronto Marlies could well find that out in the coming months.

The Marlies (AHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs) have won nine straight postseason contests in back-to-back series’ sweeps en route to a berth in the Calder Cup Final, which opens Saturday against the Texas Stars.

Regardless of how these playoffs end, certain Marlies – blueliner Travis Dermott and forward Andreas Johnsson, for example – are pretty clear on what’s next. Both Dermott and Johnsson rejoined their AHL club after lengthy call-up stints with the Leafs, and will be prime candidates to start in the NHL come fall.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old defensive prospect Timothy Liljegren has only one professional year under his belt, and is likely to need more seasoning before he graduates to the NHL. And then there are players languishing somewhere in between – some who have gotten a taste of life with the Leafs before and some who are still waiting on their NHL debuts.

Whether those opportunities come in Toronto or beyond, being on the bubble makes every AHL game (especially in the playoffs) a fresh audition. Five Marlies in that position have used this run to their advantage in that respect, and in turn could be putting themselves on the radar for a potential NHL gig next season.

Golden Knights get boost from Bellemare, fourth line in Game 1 against Capitals

Posted on May 29, 2018September 15, 2020

LAS VEGAS, NV – Tomas Nosek‘s face betrayed little. There he was, standing in the far reaches of the Vegas Golden Knights dressing room, surrounded by reporters eagerly tossing questions in his direction. The forward seemed unmoved, though, stoic, not exactly overflowing with the emotions of what had just happened to him and his team and his linemates.

“I am excited,” Nosek insisted.

He had cause to be. In a game that was as back-and-forth as any in Stanley Cup Final history, he and the fourth line clinched Game 1 for the Golden Knights, a raucous, over-the-top, sloppy, exhilarating 6-4 winagainst the Washington Capitals at T-Mobile Arena on Monday. Their line scored three goals in the third period: the tying goal by Ryan Reaves (2:41), the game-winner by Nosek (9:44), and an empty-net goal by Nosek (19:57). They were the difference

Riley Damiani Among 5 Most Underrated NHL Draft Prospects

Posted on May 23, 2018September 15, 2020

DALLAS, TX – There is plenty of value available in this year’s NHL Draft.

Although it’s critical to hit on your early picks, it’s just as important to find the hidden gems. The player who scored the winning goal in last season’s Stanley Cup Final was the very last pick of the draft. He’s also turned in a solid career. If Patric Hornqvist can go last, every pick matters.

We’re going to start a series here at the Hockey Writers going from league to league and country to country. We’re not looking for the obvious names. We’re looking for those who have the chance to surprise us and eventually turn into good NHL players. We’ll start out with the OHL.

I have identified five players who aren’t getting the attention I think they deserve. These are players who should get drafted but probably will later than they should. I’ll also give my rationale. In this case, I have seen these five players live. These are notes I’ve collected on them and will share with you now.

Arvidsson, Ekholm Win Gold for Sweden at World Championship

Posted on May 21, 2018September 15, 2020

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK –

It’s a golden moment for the Nashville Swedes.

Filip Forsberg scored the winner in the shootout as Sweden defeated Switzerland by a 3-2 final in the Gold Medal Game at the 2018 IIHF World Championship. As a result, Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson andMattias Ekholm collect their first World Championship gold medals of their careers, while Roman Josi and Kevin Fiala earn silver medals, the second time Josi has taken home silver.

Josi and Fiala assisted on Switzerland’s first goal of the contest, and Josi also added a helper on the second Swiss goal. Ekholm tallied an assist on Sweden’s first marker of the game before Forsberg scored in the shootout, and then Swedish netminder Anders Nilsson made one more save to send the Swedes flying off the bench.

Goalie Sparks pushing Toronto Marlies closer to Calder Cup final

Posted on May 20, 2018September 15, 2020

TORONTO, ON – When Toronto Marlies goalie Garret Sparks was a kid growing up in Illinois, his mom, Lisa, would help him prep for big games. Sparks would stand in front of the family pool table as his net. Lisa would hurl tennis balls at him, picking them out of a big bucket one by one.

“You gotta do what you gotta do at that age to get yourself in the zone,” Sparks says with a laugh. “And it worked.”

Sparks and the Marlies face their biggest game of the season so far when Toronto hosts the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the opener of their American Hockey League third-round playoff series on Saturday at Ricoh Coliseum.

Keith Magnuson’s Son Carries On Special Olympics Tradition

Posted on May 18, 2018September 15, 2020

CHICAGO, IL – Kevin Magnuson is sleeping fast these days. There is his real job as an agent representing numerous hockey players. Then there is this massive global celebration coming to Soldier Field in July: the 50th anniversary of Special Olympics. Thousands of athletes from 172 countries will participate, and as president of Special Olympics Chicago, Kevin is the chief cook and bottle washer.

Call him very busy, but don’t call him for a parking pass. Also, rest assured that this acorn did not fall far from an icon. His father, Keith, was a beloved member of the Blackhawks, a serial giver whose No. 3 banner hangs above the United Center not only because of how he played with so much heart, but how he lived his life with such verve.

Marlies’ Garret Sparks honors Humboldt victim Parker Tobin with new goalie mask

Posted on May 16, 2018September 15, 2020

TORONTO, ON – Toronto Marlies goaltender Garret Sparks paid homage to deceased Humboldt Broncos goaltender Parker Tobin on the backplate of Sparks’ new goalie mask.

It’s been 40 days since a bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team crashed, killing 16 players, coaches and staff. As the story has begun to fade out of the news cycle, though, Toronto Marlies goaltender Garret Sparks is making sure the memory of one of the deceased players lives on.

With the Marlies in the midst of a Calder Cup playoff run, awaiting the start of the Eastern Conference finals against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Sparks revealed he’ll be sporting some new gear when that series begins.