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141-807: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (born 9 March 1999) is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the second round, 54th overall, by the Sabres in the 2017 NHL entry draft . Luukkonen was born in Espoo and he grew up in Hyvinkää . Luukkonen's father, Jari, is the Secretary General at the World Wildlife Fund-Finland. Luukkonen
282-419: A centre and two wingers : a left wing and a right wing . Forwards often play together as units or lines , with the same three forwards always playing together. The defencemen usually stay together as a pair generally divided between left and right. Left and right side wingers or defencemen are generally positioned on the side on which they carry their stick. A substitution of an entire unit at once
423-401: A penalty shootout . If the score remains tied after an extra overtime period, the subsequent shootout consists of three players from each team taking penalty shots. After these six total shots, the team with the most goals is awarded the victory. If the score is still tied, the shootout then proceeds to sudden death . Regardless of the number of goals scored by either team during the shootout,
564-728: A 6–4 win against the Ottawa Senators . His next ice time would come in relief in the next game after Comrie was injured against the New Jersey Devils . Luukkonen started five out of the next seven games, with three wins, including his first NHL shutout in a 4–0 win over the Colorado Avalanche on 29 October. Luukkonen missed three games in December due to an illness severe enough to cause him to lose weight, and struggled on his return, losing his next three starts. However, Luukkonen entered
705-641: A 6–4 win over the Boston Bruins . Luukkonen played four games for the Sabres in 2021. Luukkonen spent most of the 2021–22 season with the Americans, but he was one of six goaltenders to play for the Sabres in the 2021–22 season . He played well in limited ice time, but suffered an injury against the Boston Bruins. Luukkonen began the 2022–23 season with the Americans to ensure he could get ice time, before being called up due to an injury to Eric Comrie . During
846-569: A break for the Games from February 7 to 22, with the intention that the other schedule without the Olympics break would be used instead if the league and the IOC could not reach a deal, and some teams would have to reschedule as many as 16 home dates. On September 3, 2021, a deal was officially reached to send players to the Olympics, with an opt-out clause should COVID-19 health conditions worsen. On December 22,
987-405: A chest protector, a goalie mask, and a large jersey. Goaltenders' equipment has continually become larger and larger, leading to fewer goals in each game and many official rule changes. Ice hockey skates are optimized for physical acceleration, speed and manoeuvrability. This includes rapid starts, stops, turns, and changes in skating direction. In addition, they must be rigid and tough to protect
1128-465: A five-year, $ 23.75 million contract extension, including a five-team no trade clause after two years prior to the hearing. Luukkonen played for Finland national teams in the under-18 and junior world championships. He was first selected as the third goaltender for the 2016 World U18 Championships , and although he was such a late selection that team items were not customized with his name, he would step in as starter when Leevi Laakso got sick and led
1269-537: A forward. The seventh defenceman may play as a substitute defenceman, spend the game on the bench, or if a team chooses to play four lines then this seventh defenceman may see ice-time on the fourth line as a forward. A professional ice hockey game consists of three periods of twenty minutes, the clock running only when the puck is in play. The teams change ends after each period of play, including overtime. Recreational leagues and children's leagues often play shorter games, generally with three shorter periods of play. If
1410-483: A game is tied after regulation, then a 20-minute period of 5-on-5 sudden-death overtime will be added. If the game is still tied after the overtime, another period is added until a team scores, which wins the match. Since 2019, the IIHF World Championships and the gold medal game in the Olympics use the same format, but in a 3-on-3 format. In ice hockey, infractions of the rules lead to a play stoppage whereby
1551-412: A goal scored by the other team. Major penalties assessed for fighting are typically offsetting, meaning neither team is short-handed and the players exit the penalty box upon a stoppage of play following the expiration of their respective penalties. The foul of boarding (defined as "check[ing] an opponent in such a manner that causes the opponent to be thrown violently in the boards") is penalized either by
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#17330847579951692-528: A larger blade and a wide, flat shaft. This stick is primarily intended to block shots, but the goaltender may use it to play the puck as well. Ice hockey is a full-contact sport and carries a high risk of injury. Players are moving at speeds around approximately 20–30 mph (30–50 km/h) and much of the game revolves around the physical contact between the players. Skate blades, hockey sticks, shoulder contact, hip contact, and hockey pucks can all potentially cause injuries. Lace bite , an irritation felt on
1833-504: A minor or major penalty at the discretion of the referee, based on the violent state of the hit. A minor or major penalty for boarding is often assessed when a player checks an opponent from behind and into the boards. Some varieties of penalty do not require the offending team to play a man short. Concurrent five-minute major penalties in the NHL usually result from fighting. In the case of two players being assessed five-minute fighting majors, both
1974-436: A neck protector. Goaltenders use different equipment. With hockey pucks approaching them at speeds of up to 100 mph (160 km/h) they must wear equipment with more protection. Goaltenders wear specialized goalie skates (these skates are built more for movement side to side rather than forwards and backwards), a jock or jill, large leg pads (there are size restrictions in certain leagues), blocking glove, catching glove,
2115-522: A new organized game with codified rules which today is ice hockey. While the general characteristics of the game remain constant, the exact rules depend on the particular code of play being used. The two most important codes are those of the IIHF and the NHL. Both of these codes, and others, originated from Canadian rules of ice hockey of the early 20th century. Ice hockey is played on a hockey rink . During normal play, there are six players on ice skates on
2256-521: A pairing carried over from NBC, will be their lead broadcast team, and that Turner Sports had signed Oilers and hockey legend Wayne Gretzky to be their lead studio analyst. TNT announced the rest of their personnel on September 14, naming current Islanders and former NBC play-by-play man Brendan Burke , current Blues analyst Darren Pang , and 3x gold medalist and Hockey Night 's Jennifer Botterill as their second broadcast team. Current Flyers lead analyst Keith Jones , also from NBC, will serve as
2397-488: A penalty, but was an infraction in the NHL before recent rules changes, is the two-line offside pass . Prior to the 2005–06 NHL season, play was stopped when a pass from inside a team's defending zone crossed the centre line, with a face-off held in the defending zone of the offending team. Now, the centre line is no longer used in the NHL to determine a two-line pass infraction, a change that the IIHF had adopted in 1998. Players are now able to pass to teammates who are more than
2538-409: A player may receive up to nineteen minutes in penalties for one string of plays. This could involve receiving a four-minute double-minor penalty, getting in a fight with an opposing player who retaliates, and then receiving a game misconduct after the fight. In this case, the player is ejected and two teammates must serve the double-minor and major penalties. A penalty shot is awarded to a player when
2679-501: A positive mindset as well as the positivity of fellow goaltender Comrie, while former Sabres coach Don Granato credited Luukkonen's work with Anderson as well as competing with Levi. Luukkonen received two third-place All-Star votes from the PWHA, but was not selected to the NHL All-Star team . After the season, Luukkonen filed for salary arbitration, but he and the Sabres agreed to terms on
2820-568: A reduced spectator capacity), with the loosening of restrictions across Canada and the United States due to COVID-19 vaccination progress, the NHL anticipated that every team would be able to have capacity crowds (if not near-capacity) at the start of the 2021–22 season. Some teams, including all Canadian teams, required attendees to present proof of vaccination for all or part of the season. In December 2021, all Canadian NHL teams began to reintroduce capacity restrictions due to concerns over
2961-656: A regular season, and led the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) in wins, save percentage, and shutouts. Luukkonen was the first European import player to win the Red Tilson Trophy as the league's most outstanding player. Rob Papineau, the Wolves' general manager, said that Luukkonen told him he played much better once he felt like the Wolves were "[his] team. I'm the starter. This is my team". Luukkonen later said his time in Sudbury
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#17330847579953102-463: A result of attendance restrictions in these cities. Effective December 31, 2021, large venues in Ontario were also restricted to a maximum of 1,000 spectators; MLSE announced that all Maple Leafs home games would be played behind closed doors until further notice. At this time, the NHL began to postpone some Canadian home games, specifically citing attendance restrictions as reasoning. On January 3, 2022,
3243-520: A road trip in December 2023, Luukkonen had "two stellar showings out west...he was decisive and showed off his athletic ability", including a 41-save performance against the Vegas Golden Knights where Tage Thompson said Luukkonen "won the game for us. He stood on his head all night." In January 2023, Luukkonen was named NHL Rookie of the Month with six wins in nine starts and a .907 save percentage for
3384-400: A rules analyst. TNT later added former Blackhawk Jamal Mayers to their broadcast team as a contributor, Rangers legend Henrik Lundqvist , who also joined MSG , as a studio analyst, former referee Stephane Auger to their team, as another rules analyst, joining Koharski, Nabil Karim , formerly of ESPN , as a fill-in studio host and reporter, Kraken play-by-play announcer John Forslund as
3525-782: A select number of games on Fridays. ESPN's 2021–22 schedule included four Tuesday night games in October, six Thursday night games in January, February and March, and eight Tuesday or Thursday night games in April. ABC's 2021–22 schedule included the Thanksgiving Showdown on November 26, the All-Star Game, and nine ABC Hockey Saturday games during the later months of the regular season (one of which airing in primetime). Turner's contract includes exclusive rights to up to 72 exclusive games per-season,
3666-415: A shot or pass play. Officials also stop play for puck movement violations, such as using one's hands to pass the puck in the offensive end, but no players are penalized for these offences. The sole exceptions are deliberately falling on or gathering the puck to the body, carrying the puck in the hand, and shooting the puck out of play in one's defensive zone (all penalized two minutes for delay of game). In
3807-492: A team losing a skater during regulation instead causes the other side to add a skater. Once the penalized team's penalty ends, the penalized skater exits the penalty box and the teams continue at 4-on-4 until the next stoppage of play, at which point the teams return to three skaters per side. International play and several North American professional leagues, including the NHL (in the regular season), now use an overtime period identical to that from 1999–2000 to 2003–04 followed by
3948-612: A third play-by-play announcer, and Sharks color commentator Bret Hedican as a third color commentator. TNT added a bunch of current players and announcers from Sportsnet, FuboTV , the Flyers, Sharks, Islanders, Vegas Golden Knights , New Jersey Devils , Columbus Blue Jackets , and the Canadian women's national ice hockey team to their Stanley Cup playoff coverage. ESPN formally confirmed its commentator teams on June 29, 2021. ESPN's #2 college football play-by-play man Sean McDonough would be
4089-409: A tie occurs in tournament play, as well as in the NHL playoffs, North Americans favour sudden death overtime , in which the teams continue to play twenty-minute periods until a goal is scored. Up until the 1999–2000 season, regular-season NHL games were settled with a single five-minute sudden death period with five players (plus a goalie) per side, with both teams awarded one point in the standings in
4230-646: A victory in a 4–2 win over the Belleville Senators . Following the conclusion of the 2018–19 season, Luukkonen underwent successful hip surgery. Following his return from hip surgery, Luukkonen spent the majority of the 2019–20 season with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL to return to form. Luukkonen played successfully with the Cyclones, being named ECHL Goaltender of the Month for November 2019, and represented
4371-406: Is a team sport played on ice skates , usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey . Two opposing teams use ice hockey sticks to control, advance, and shoot a vulcanized rubber hockey puck into the other team's net. Each goal is worth one point. The team with the highest score after an hour of playing time
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4512-462: Is a full-contact sport, body checks are allowed so injuries are a common occurrence. Protective equipment is mandatory and is enforced in all competitive situations. This includes a helmet with either a visor or a full face mask, shoulder pads, elbow pads, mouth guard, protective gloves, heavily padded shorts (also known as hockey pants) or a girdle, athletic cup (also known as a jock, for males; and jill, for females), shin pads, skates, and (optionally)
4653-639: Is a list of notable players who played their first NHL game during the 2021–22 season, listed with their first team. The following is a list of players of note who played their last NHL game in 2021–22, listed with their team: This was the eighth season of the league's 12-year Canadian national broadcast rights deal with Sportsnet . This includes Sportnet's sub-licensing agreements to air Saturday Hockey Night in Canada games on CBC Television and French-language broadcasts on TVA Sports , and games streamed on Sportsnet Now, CBCSports.ca (for games televised by CBC), or
4794-410: Is also a penalty in certain leagues in order to reduce the chance of injury to players. Often the term checking is used to refer to body checking, with its true definition generally only propagated among fans of the game. One of the most important strategies for a team is their forecheck . Forechecking is the act of attacking the opposition in their defensive zone. Forechecking is an important part of
4935-459: Is called a line change . Teams typically employ alternate sets of forward lines and defensive pairings when short-handed or on a power play . The goaltender stands in a, usually blue, semi-circle called the crease in the defensive zone keeping pucks out of the goal. Substitutions are permitted at any time during the game, although during a stoppage of play the home team is permitted the final change. When players are substituted during play, it
5076-418: Is called changing on the fly . An NHL rule added in the 2005–06 season prevents a team from changing their line after they ice the puck. The boards surrounding the ice help keep the puck in play and they can also be used as tools to play the puck. Players are permitted to bodycheck opponents into the boards to stop progress. The referees, linesmen and the outsides of the goal are "in play" and do not stop
5217-510: Is declared the winner; ties are broken in overtime or a shootout . In a formal game, each team has six skaters on the ice at a time, barring any penalties, including a goaltender . It is a full contact game and one of the more physically demanding team sports. The modern sport of ice hockey was developed in Canada, most notably in Montreal , where the first indoor game was played on March 3, 1875. Some characteristics of that game, such as
5358-528: Is if a team opts to pull their goalie in exchange for an extra skater during overtime and is subsequently scored upon (an empty net goal), in which case the losing team receives no points for the overtime loss. Since the 2015–16 season, the single five-minute sudden-death overtime session involves three skaters on each side. Since three skaters must always be on the ice in an NHL game, the consequences of penalties are slightly different from those during regulation play; any penalty during overtime that would result in
5499-403: Is the left wing lock , which has two forwards pressure the puck and the left wing and the two defencemen stay at the blueline. Offensive tactics include improving a team's position on the ice by advancing the puck out of one's zone towards the opponent's zone, progressively by gaining lines, first your own blue line, then the red line and finally the opponent's blue line. NHL rules instated for
5640-457: The dump and chase strategy (i.e. shooting the puck into the offensive zone and then chasing after it). Each team uses their own unique system but the main ones are: 2–1–2 , 1–2–2, and 1–4. The 2–1–2 is the most basic forecheck system where two forwards go in deep and pressure the opposition's defencemen, the third forward stays high and the two defencemen stay at the blueline. The 1–2–2 is a bit more conservative system where one forward pressures
5781-725: The 2022 NHL All-Star Game , in a celebrity interviewer role. After preparing for and playing in the 2022 Winter Olympics, Knight made her ESPN debut on March 10, 2022. Bolden, who has been working as a pro scout for the Los Angeles Kings since 2020, made her official ESPN on-air debut a week later. After the regular season kicked into high gear, Knight and Bolden were the only two who still had to make their on-air debuts with ESPN. Occasionally, other well known ESPN personalities like Jeremy Schaap , Kevin Connors , Michael Eaves , and Max McGee will be added in fill-in roles on The Point and In
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5922-638: The Colorado Avalanche defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Finals in six games, winning their third Stanley Cup in franchise history. On December 4, 2018, the NHL confirmed that it had granted an expansion franchise in the city of Seattle . The team was named the Seattle Kraken on July 23, 2020. On April 30, 2021, the team was permitted to begin making trades and signing players after sending its final expansion payment to
6063-648: The Conn Smythe Trophy are presented at the end of the Stanley Cup Finals . The NHL announced the return of the NHL Awards ceremony which took place on June 21. However, only the Calder, Hart, Norris, Vezina, and Lindsay awards were presented. The other major awards were presented during the conference finals. The Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award was awarded during the 2022 NHL Entry Draft . The following
6204-640: The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) with the 122nd overall pick. On 15 June 2018, Luukkonen agreed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Sabres. Luukkonen was selected third overall by the Sudbury Wolves in the 2018 CHL Import Draft . In the 2018–19 season , his first in North America playing major junior ice hockey, Luukkonen set the Sudbury Wolves franchise record for most wins in
6345-605: The New York Islanders . He was considered "arguably the best goalie in the league for the last while" by teammates and media. Luukkonen was nominated by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association (PHWA) for the 2024 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy . Luukkonen's breakout season was widely considered to be a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing Sabres season, in which the Sabres' playoff drought hit an NHL-longest 13 seasons. Luukkonen ascribed his improvement to
6486-411: The Vegas Golden Knights , on February 5, with the skills competition held on February 4. During seasons when the league sends players to the Olympics (most recently in 2014 ), the All-Star Game is not normally held. On June 28, 2021, with still no deal signed with the IOC, the league announced that it had decided to schedule an All-Star Game anyway. It was originally scheduled as the last event before
6627-668: The Winter Classic , and extended highlights on Turner's Bleacher Report website. Games primarily air on TNT, with sister networks TBS and TruTV used as overflow channels. The agreement also included the option to stream its games on HBO Max , but TNT eventually chose not to do so until the 2023–24 NHL season. For the 2021–22 season, TNT aired 50 games, primarily on Wednesday nights (with 15 doubleheaders), seven weeks of games on Sundays in March and April 2022, and all three outdoor games. Due to TNT's prior commitments to air AEW Dynamite ,
6768-665: The "Restrictions Exemption Program", which required non-essential venues to mandate proof of vaccination or a negative test in order to operate at the maximum allowed capacity—then 50% in large venues. Alberta also began to allow concessions to be consumed in seats. All other capacity restrictions were lifted effective March 1. On February 15 and 16, the Manitoba and British Columbia governments lifted restrictions on venue capacity, although their respective proof of vaccination requirements remain in force. Manitoba lifted proof of vaccination on March 1, but B.C. would maintain it through at least
6909-659: The 1930s, hockey was an on-side game, meaning that only backward passes were allowed. Those rules emphasized individual stick-handling to drive the puck forward. With the arrival of offside rules, the forward pass transformed hockey into a true team sport, where individual performance diminished in importance relative to team play, which could now be coordinated over the entire surface of the ice as opposed to merely rearward players. The six players on each team are typically divided into three forwards, two defencemen, and one goaltender. The term skaters typically applies to all players except goaltenders. The forward positions consist of
7050-416: The 2006 season redefined the offside rule to make the two-line pass legal; a player may pass the puck from behind his own blue line, past both that blue line and the centre red line, to a player on the near side of the opponents' blue line. Offensive tactics are designed ultimately to score a goal by taking a shot. When a player purposely directs the puck towards the opponent's goal, he or she is said to "shoot"
7191-581: The 2021-22 season, SportsCenter anchor and ESPN Social host Arda Ocal would announce himself that he too would host select game broadcasts. On October 2, former referee Dave Jackson joined the network as a rules analyst, an NHL first. Early into the 2021-22 season, ESPN added former NBC analyst Dominic Moore , who had hosted the Expansion Draft with Weekes and ESPN College Football personality Chris Fowler . Laura Rutledge , host of NFL Live and SEC Nation , joined ESPN team for their coverage of
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#17330847579957332-726: The Crease . Mike Monaco , Roxy Bernstein , and Caley Chelios , daughter of Chris, have also filled in on game coverage. TSN's Gord Miller , Ferraro's broadcast partner for Maple Leafs games on TSN, joined ESPN for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. P. K. Subban joined ESPN for the Playoffs in an expanded role, which includes being a game analyst for select games. Buffalo play-by-play announcer Rick Jeanneret , after initially stating he expected to retire after his 50th season in 2021, announced he would return for one final season in 2021–22. Jeanneret
7473-522: The NHL and NHLPA announced that it would opt out of sending its players to the Olympics, nor schedule a break in the season, citing the ongoing COVID-19 issues within the league and the "profound disruption" to the schedule that came as a result. The NHL then used the Winter Olympics' window to reschedule postponed games. The 2022 All-Star Game took place at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada , home of
7614-660: The NHL announced that ESPN / ABC would serve as one of the new rightsholders under a seven-year contract, marking the network's return to NHL broadcasting for the first time since the 2003–04 season . On April 27, 2021, the NHL announced that Turner Sports would serve as the second rightsholder. The structure of the two new contracts resemble ESPN and TNT 's broadcast rights to the NBA , in which they also split national coverage. ESPN's contract allows at least 25 exclusive games per season on ABC or ESPN, 75 exclusive games streamed on ESPN+ (also simulcast on Hulu ), exclusive rights to
7755-410: The NHL, a unique penalty applies to the goalies. The goalies now are forbidden to play the puck in the "corners" of the rink near their own net. This will result in a two-minute penalty against the goalie's team. Only in the area in front of the goal line and immediately behind the net (marked by two red lines on either side of the net) can the goalie play the puck. An additional rule that has never been
7896-532: The National Hockey League, a number of leagues have implemented the "four-official system", where an additional referee is added to aid in the calling of penalties normally difficult to assess by one referee. The system is used in every NHL game since 2001, at IIHF World Championships , the Olympics and in many professional and high-level amateur leagues in North America and Europe. Officials are selected by
8037-460: The Olympic break, and the NHL had reportedly chosen to host it on the west coast to ease travel to Beijing afterward. In each round, teams compete in a best-of-seven series following a 2–2–1–1–1 format (scores in the bracket indicate the number of games won in each best-of-seven series). The team with home ice advantage plays at home for games one and two (and games five and seven, if necessary), and
8178-498: The Ontario government rolled back the province to modified Stage 2 restrictions, which effectively mandated that all sporting events be held behind closed doors. Although Ontario began to lift some of these restrictions beginning January 31, large venues remained capped at a maximum of 500 spectators. The Ottawa Senators began to re-admit spectators within this limitation. On February 8, 2022, Manitoba allowed sporting events to return to 50% capacity. The same day, Alberta deprecated
8319-770: The Quebec provincial government formally prohibited spectators at all professional sporting events effective December 20. On December 27, the Manitoba government restricted all public gatherings to a maximum of 250 people, including sporting events; the Jets therefore announced that all home games would be played behind closed doors until further notice. On December 28, the NHL announced that nine games in Canada (four in Montreal, two in Winnipeg, one each in Calgary, Ottawa and Toronto) would be postponed as
8460-582: The Sharks, after which Vosters assumed the play-by-play duties full-time. On July 18, Olczyk announced his resignation as the Blackhawks' TV analyst after 15 seasons. On May 17, New Jersey play-by-play announcer Steve Cangialosi stepped down after 11 seasons. Seattle's inaugural local commentators will include play-by-play announcers John Forslund (TV) and Everett Fitzhugh (radio), and analysts J. T. Brown (TV) and Dave Tomlinson (radio). On February 10, it
8601-551: The Stanley Cup playoffs differs from their rights to the NBA playoffs. With ESPN and TNT having designated days of the week in which they televise the first two rounds of the NBA playoffs, the NHL has to work around those dates while ensuring that both broadcasters televise roughly an equal number of first and second round Stanley Cup playoff games. ESPN/ABC then has the first choice of which NHL Conference finals series to air, instead of having
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#17330847579958742-543: The addition of the Seattle Kraken . The league had an October-to-April regular season scheduling and a full 82-game regular season for the first time since the 2018–19 NHL season as the previous two NHL seasons were shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The league also restored its pre-COVID-19 Eastern and Western conferences. The season began on October 12. On December 22, all games were suspended league-wide through at least December 26 (officially termed as an extension of
8883-415: The app determines that a particular impact has the potential to cause brain injury, it will alert the coach who can in turn seek medical attention for the individual. Defensive ice hockey tactics vary from more active to more conservative styles of play. One distinction is between man-to-man oriented defensive systems, and zonal oriented defensive systems, though a lot of teams use a combination between
9024-477: The blue and centre ice red line away. The NHL has taken steps to speed up the game of hockey and create a game of finesse, by reducing the number of illegal hits, fights, and "clutching and grabbing" that occurred in the past. Rules are now more strictly enforced, resulting in more penalties, which provides more protection to the players and facilitates more goals being scored. The governing body for United States' amateur hockey has implemented many new rules to reduce
9165-596: The broadcasters alternate annually between Eastern and Western Conference like they do with their NBA Conference finals coverage. And while the NBA Finals is exclusive to ABC, coverage of the Stanley Cup Finals instead alternates annually, with ABC airing it during even-numbered years (marking the first time that it will be broadcast entirely on American network television; under past contracts, two games aired on cable) and TNT televising it during odd-numbered years (marking
9306-705: The championship trophy of the National Hockey League (NHL). In the early 1900s, the Canadian rules were adopted by the Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace , in Paris , France, the precursor to the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). The sport was played for the first time at the Olympics during the 1920 Summer Games —today it is a mainstay at the Winter Olympics . In 1994, ice hockey
9447-403: The crease – as well as working with a mental coach. Luukkonen started the 2023–24 season as the third goaltender on the Sabres roster, behind Comrie and Levi. Levi started the first four games of the season for the Sabres, but suffered a lower-body injury after the final start in that run. Luukkonen's first start of the season came on the second half of a back-to-back series on 24 October 2023,
9588-465: The end of June. The next day, the Ontario government eased attendance restrictions to allow 50% capacity, before allowing venues to return to full capacity March 1. The Alberta-based teams followed suit the same day. On February 21, the Quebec government eased attendance restrictions to allow 50% capacity; before returning to full capacity crowds on March 12. The league returned to its normal October-to-April, 82-game regular season. The entire schedule
9729-452: The event of a tie. With a goal, the winning team would be awarded two points and the losing team none (just as if they had lost in regulation). The total elapsed time from when the puck first drops, is about 2 hours and 20 minutes for a 60-minute game. From the 1999–2000 until the 2003–04 seasons, the National Hockey League decided ties by playing a single five-minute sudden-death overtime period with each team having four skaters per side (plus
9870-411: The final score recorded will award the winning team one more goal than the score at the end of regulation time. In the NHL if a game is decided in overtime or by a shootout the winning team is awarded two points in the standings and the losing team is awarded one point. Ties no longer occur in the NHL. Overtime in the NHL playoffs differs from the regular season. In the playoffs there are no shootouts. If
10011-462: The first time since 1994 that national coverage will be exclusively on cable television). The NHL renewed its national radio agreement with Sports USA , which had taken over NHL Radio the previous season on a one-year deal, for an additional four seasons, taking the company's rights through the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals. On May 26, 2021, TNT announced that current Rangers radio voice Kenny Albert and current Blackhawks analyst Eddie Olczyk —
10152-502: The front of the foot or ankle, is a common ice hockey injury. Compared to athletes who play other sports, ice hockey players are at higher risk of overuse injuries and injuries caused by early sports specialization by teenagers. According to the Hughston Health Alert, prior to the widespread use of helmets and face cages, "Lacerations to the head, scalp, and face are the most frequent types of injury [in hockey]." One of
10293-427: The game , too many players on the ice , boarding , illegal equipment, charging (leaping into an opponent or body-checking him after taking more than two strides), holding, holding the stick (grabbing an opponent's stick), interference, hooking , slashing , kneeing, unsportsmanlike conduct (arguing a penalty call with referee, extremely vulgar or inappropriate verbal comments), "butt-ending" (striking an opponent with
10434-411: The game when the puck or players either bounce into or collide with them. Play can be stopped if the goal is knocked out of position. Play often proceeds for minutes without interruption. After a stoppage, play is restarted with a faceoff . Two players face each other and an official drops the puck to the ice, where the two players attempt to gain control of the puck. Markings (circles) on the ice indicate
10575-406: The game. There are typically two linesmen who are mainly responsible for calling "offside" and " icing " violations, breaking up fights, and conducting faceoffs, and one or two referees , who call goals and all other penalties. Linesmen can report to the referee(s) that a penalty should be assessed against an offending player in some situations. The restrictions on this practice vary depending on
10716-401: The goalie). In the event of a tie, each team would still receive one point in the standings but in the event of a victory the winning team would be awarded two points in the standings and the losing team one point. The idea was to discourage teams from playing for a tie, since previously some teams might have preferred a tie and 1 point to risking a loss and zero points. The exception to this rule
10857-402: The goaltender carries a stick consisting of a long, relatively wide, and slightly curved flat blade, attached to a shaft. The curve itself has a big impact on its performance. A deep curve allows for lifting the puck easier while a shallow curve allows for easier backhand shots. The flex of the stick also impacts the performance. Typically, a less flexible stick is meant for a stronger player since
10998-404: The governing rules. On-ice officials are assisted by off-ice officials who act as goal judges, time keepers, and official scorers. The most widespread system is the "three-man system", which uses one referee and two linesmen. A less commonly used system is the two referee and one linesman system. This system is close to the regular three-man system except for a few procedure changes. Beginning with
11139-465: The head and most types of forceful stick-on-body contact are illegal. A delayed penalty call occurs when an offence is committed by the team that does not have possession of the puck. In this circumstance the team with possession of the puck is allowed to complete the play; that is, play continues until a goal is scored, a player on the opposing team gains control of the puck, or the team in possession commits an infraction or penalty of their own. Because
11280-559: The heads, as well as checks to unsuspecting players. Studies show that ice hockey causes 44.3% of all sports-related traumatic brain injuries among Canadian children. Some teams in the Swiss National League are testing out systems that combine helmet-integrated sensors and analysis software to reveal a player's ongoing brain injury risk during a game. These sensors provide players and coaches with real-time data on head impact strength, frequency, and severity. Furthermore, if
11421-551: The host for The Point . ESPN legend Barry Melrose , 6x Cup champion Mark Messier , and 3x Cup champion Chris Chelios were named strictly as studio analysts while TSN's Ray Ferraro , NBC's Brian Boucher , Ryan Callahan , and A. J. Mleczko , NHL Network's Kevin Weekes , Hockey Night/Sportsnet's Cassie Campbell-Pascall , WEPN-FM 's Rick DiPietro , and 2018 gold medalist Hilary Knight would contribute as booth, ice-level, and studio analysts. 2016 Isobel Cup champion Blake Bolden
11562-458: The ice per side, one of them being the goaltender. The objective of the game is to score goals by shooting a hard vulcanized rubber disc, the puck , into the opponent's goal net at the opposite end of the rink. The players use their sticks to pass or shoot the puck. With certain restrictions, players may redirect the puck with any part of their body. Players may not hold the puck in their hand and are prohibited from using their hands to pass
11703-402: The ice. Loafing , also known as cherry-picking , is when a player, usually a forward, skates behind an attacking team, instead of playing defence, in an attempt to create an easy scoring chance. 2021%E2%80%9322 NHL season The 2021–22 NHL season was the 105th season of operation (104th season of play) of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league expanded to 32 teams with
11844-417: The illegal actions of another player stop a clear scoring opportunity, most commonly when the player is on a breakaway . A penalty shot allows the obstructed player to pick up the puck on the centre red-line and attempt to score on the goalie with no other players on the ice, to compensate for the earlier missed scoring opportunity. A penalty shot is also awarded for a defender other than the goaltender covering
11985-422: The knob of the stick), "spearing" (jabbing an opponent with the blade of the stick), or cross-checking . As of the 2005–2006 season, a minor penalty is also assessed for diving , where a player embellishes or simulates an offence. More egregious fouls may be penalized by a four-minute double-minor penalty, particularly those that injure the victimized player. These penalties end either when the time runs out or when
12126-484: The lead ice-level reporter, joining Albert and Olczyk on the lead team. Liam McHugh , was named as TNT's lead studio host, continuing that role from NBC, with his colleague Anson Carter , most recent Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet , and veteran Paul Bissonnette joining Gretzky as studio analysts. NHL Network's Jackie Redmond , and Tarik El-Bashir will also appear as contributors. On September 29, 2021, TNT announced that they added former NHL referee Don Koharski as
12267-482: The leading causes of head injury is body checking from behind. Due to the danger of delivering a check from behind, many leagues – including the NHL – have made this a major and game misconduct penalty. Another type of check that accounts for many of the player-to-player contact concussions is a check to the head resulting in a misconduct penalty (called "head contact"). In recent years, the NHL has implemented new rules which penalize and suspend players for illegal checks to
12408-463: The league in save percentage and goals against average from 1 January until 15 February, where he missed a game due to a lower-body injury. On 25 February, in a 3–2 shootout victory against the Carolina Hurricanes , Luukkonen would become the first Sabres goaltender since Jhonas Enroth to make four saves and allow no goals in a shootout. Luukkonen notched a fifth shutout on 14 March, against
12549-539: The league in regular season goals against average at the completion of games played on April 29, 2022, while playing at least 1,920 minutes. Voting concluded immediately after the end of the regular season. Statistics-based awards such as the Art Ross Trophy , Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy , William M. Jennings Trophy and the Presidents' Trophy are announced at the end of the regular season. The Stanley Cup and
12690-640: The league in regular season points at the completion of games played on April 29, 2022. Nashville Predators player Roman Josi , ranked eleventh in scoring with 96 points, became the NHL's highest-scoring defenseman in 29 years, since Phil Housley scored 97 points with the Winnipeg Jets in 1992–93 . Auston Matthews became only the third player in 25 years to score 60 or more goals, joining Alexander Ovechkin (65 goals with Washington Capitals in 2007–08 ) and Steven Stamkos (60 goals with Tampa Bay Lightning in 2011–12 ). The following goaltenders led
12831-492: The league they work for. Amateur hockey leagues use guidelines established by national organizing bodies as a basis for choosing their officiating staffs. In North America, the national organizing bodies Hockey Canada and USA Hockey approve officials according to their experience level as well as their ability to pass rules knowledge and skating ability tests. Hockey Canada has officiating levels I through VI. USA Hockey has officiating levels 1 through 4. Since men's ice hockey
12972-573: The league would have been forced to use a temporary alignment with an all-Canadian division for a second year. The 2021 NHL Entry Draft was held July 23–24, 2021, with Owen Power being selected first overall by the Buffalo Sabres . For the second consecutive year the draft was conducted in a remote format due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hosted from the NHL Network studios in Secaucus, New Jersey . As in
13113-649: The league. The 2021 NHL Expansion Draft was held on July 21, 2021, to fill out the Kraken roster. The league returned to the previous alignment with Eastern and Western conferences. As planned before the COVID-19 pandemic , the Seattle Kraken were placed in the Pacific Division and the Arizona Coyotes were moved to the Central Division. If the cross-border travel restrictions had continued for another year,
13254-406: The length of the ice rink and the use of a puck, have been retained to this day. Amateur ice hockey leagues began in the 1880s, and professional ice hockey originated around 1900. The Stanley Cup , emblematic of ice hockey club supremacy, was initially commissioned in 1892 as the "Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup" and was first awarded in 1893 to recognise the Canadian amateur champion and later became
13395-576: The local spread of the highly-infectious Omicron variant . By December 21, all Canadian NHL teams besides Montreal had been restricted to 50% capacity per provincial public health orders, with Alberta and Ontario also restricting the consumption of food and drink in order to strengthen face mask mandates. One initial exception was the Montreal Canadiens; after requesting that the Canadiens December 16 home game be played behind closed doors,
13536-562: The locations for the faceoff and guide the positioning of players. Three major rules of play in ice hockey limit the movement of the puck: offside , icing , and the puck going out of play. Under IIHF rules, each team may carry a maximum of 20 players and two goaltenders on their roster. NHL rules restrict the total number of players per game to 18, plus two goaltenders. In the NHL, the players are usually divided into four lines of three forwards, and into three pairs of defencemen. On occasion, teams may elect to substitute an extra defenceman for
13677-435: The misconduct (a two-and-ten or five-and-ten ). In this case, the team designates another player to serve the minor or major; both players go to the penalty box, but only the designee may not be replaced, and he is released upon the expiration of the two or five minutes, at which point the ten-minute misconduct begins. In addition, game misconducts are assessed for deliberate intent to inflict severe injury on an opponent (at
13818-452: The month. Luukkonen remained with the Sabres even after Comrie's return from injury, becoming part of a difficult three goaltender rotation with Comrie and veteran Craig Anderson . The Sabres' defence struggled for most of the season, and by the time the defence began to improve at the end of the season, Luukkonen was the fourth goaltender behind the newly-arrived rookie Devon Levi . After the season, Luukkonen had surgery on his ankle. During
13959-441: The network only aired a single, west coast game on Wednesday nights from October 27 through December 29, after which Dynamite moved to TBS beginning January 5. NHL Network continued to nationally televise selected regular season games not broadcast by either ESPN or TNT. NHL Network and TNT games will not be available to stream live on ESPN+, but will be available on-demand 24 hours after they end. ESPN and TNT's coverage of
14100-421: The network's lead play-by-play announcer; Monday Night Football ' s Steve Levy would lead studio coverage and contribute to occasional play-by-play commentary. Sportsnet's Leah Hextall and ESPN's #3 college football play-by-play man Bob Wischusen were officially named as play-by-play commentators, as well as SportsCenter 's John Buccigross , who will also contribute as an alternate studio host, and serve as
14241-505: The new year on a hot streak, including two consecutive shutouts on 15 and 18 January 2024, against the San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks , becoming the first Sabres goaltender to accomplish that feat since Carter Hutton in 2019. Luukkonen recorded a 33-save shutout against the Los Angeles Kings on 13 February, becoming the first Sabres goaltender since Ryan Miller in 2011–12 to record four or more shutouts in one season. He led
14382-417: The number of stick-on-body occurrences, as well as other detrimental and illegal facets of the game ("zero tolerance"). In men's hockey, but not in women's, a player may use his hip or shoulder to hit another player if the player has the puck or is the last to have touched it. This use of the hip and shoulder is called body checking . Not all physical contact is legal—in particular, hits from behind, hits to
14523-553: The off-season in the spring of 2023, Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams invited Luukkonen to his house to have dinner and watch the Stanley Cup playoffs . During the dinner, Adams discussed Luukkonen's progress, and expressed confidence in Luukkonen's future with the team. During the 2023 off-season, Luukkonen worked on his technique, including work on his stance and positioning – focusing on being less aggressive and sliding around less in
14664-442: The officials' discretion), or for a major penalty for a stick infraction or repeated major penalties. The offending player is ejected from the game and must immediately leave the playing surface (he does not sit in the penalty box); meanwhile, if an additional minor or major penalty is assessed, a designated player must serve out of that segment of the penalty in the box (similar to the above-mentioned "two-and-ten"). In some rare cases,
14805-402: The opening night games, the All-Star Game, and other "special events". ESPN2 and other ESPN networks would also be used as overflow channels. NHL.tv, the NHL's digital out-of-market package , will be discontinued in the United States, with all out-of-market games moving to ESPN+, at no extra cost to subscribers. Most of ESPN+'s 75-game slate in 2021–22 took place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with
14946-399: The other division winner, and both wild cards were de facto #4 seeds. The other series matched the second and third place teams from the divisions. In the first two rounds, home ice advantage was awarded to the team with the better seed. In the conference finals and Stanley Cup Finals, home ice advantage was awarded to the team with the better regular season record. The following players led
15087-454: The other team is at home for games three and four (and game six, if necessary). The top three teams in each division make the playoffs, along with two wild cards in each conference, for a total of eight teams from each conference. In the First Round, the lower seeded wild card in each conference played against the division winner with the best record while the other wild card played against
15228-540: The other team scores during the power play. In the case of a goal scored during the first two minutes of a double-minor, the penalty clock is set down to two minutes upon a score, effectively expiring the first minor penalty. Five-minute major penalties are called for especially violent instances of most minor infractions that result in intentional injury to an opponent, or when a minor penalty results in visible injury (such as bleeding), as well as for fighting. Major penalties are always served in full; they do not terminate on
15369-413: The other, the opposing team gets a power play for the remainder of the time); this applies regardless of current pending penalties. In the NHL, a team always has at least three skaters on the ice. Thus, ten-minute misconduct penalties are served in full by the penalized player, but his team may immediately substitute another player on the ice unless a minor or major penalty is assessed in conjunction with
15510-405: The penalty is still assessed to the offending player, but not served. In 2012, this rule was changed by the United States' National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for college level hockey . In college games, the penalty is still enforced even if the team in possession scores. A typical game of hockey is governed by two to four officials on the ice, charged with enforcing the rules of
15651-499: The play is restarted at a faceoff. Some infractions result in a penalty on a player or team. In the simplest case, the offending player is sent to the penalty box and their team must play with one less player on the ice for a designated time. Minor penalties last for two minutes, major penalties last for five minutes, and a double minor penalty is two consecutive penalties of two minutes duration. A single minor penalty may be extended by two minutes for causing visible injury to
15792-411: The player is looking for the right balanced flex that allows the stick to flex easily while still having a strong "whip-back" which sends the puck flying at high speeds. It is quite distinct from sticks in other sports games and most suited to hitting and controlling the flat puck. Its unique shape contributed to the early development of the game. The goaltender carries a stick of a different design, with
15933-461: The players serve five minutes without their team incurring a loss of player (both teams still have a full complement of players on the ice). This differs with two players from opposing sides getting minor penalties, at the same time or at any intersecting moment, resulting from more common infractions. In this case, both teams will have only four skating players (not counting the goaltender) until one or both penalties expire (if one penalty expires before
16074-466: The previous season, NHL teams were allowed to display sponsor logos ( helmet entitlement partner ) on their helmets. The Edmonton Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers did not have a sponsor, opting to have the traditional team logo on their helmets. The remaining teams have the following helmet sponsors for this season: (*) Indicates interim. (*) Indicates interim. Unlike the previous season (where most games were either played behind closed doors or with
16215-439: The puck carrier and the other two forwards cover the oppositions' wingers, with the two defencemen staying at the blueline. The 1–4 is the most defensive forecheck system, referred to as the neutral zone trap, where one forward applies pressure to the puck carrier around the oppositions' blueline and the other four players stand basically in a line by their blueline in hopes the opposition will skate into one of them. Another strategy
16356-406: The puck carrier in the neutral zone preventing him from entering the offensive zone. Body checking is using one's shoulder or hip to strike an opponent who has the puck or who is the last to have touched it (the last person to have touched the puck is still legally "in possession" of it, although a penalty is generally called if he is checked more than two seconds after his last touch). Body checking
16497-405: The puck in the goal crease, a goaltender intentionally displacing his own goal posts during a breakaway to avoid a goal, a defender intentionally displacing his own goal posts when there is less than two minutes to play in regulation time or at any point during overtime, or a player or coach intentionally throwing a stick or other object at the puck or the puck carrier and the throwing action disrupts
16638-443: The puck to their teammates unless they are in the defensive zone. Players can knock a puck out of the air with their hands to themselves. Players are prohibited from kicking the puck into the opponent's goal, though unintentional redirections off the skate are permitted. Players may not intentionally bat the puck into the net with their hands. Hockey is an off-side game, meaning that forward passes are allowed, unlike in rugby. Before
16779-409: The puck. A deflection is a shot that redirects a shot or a pass towards the goal from another player, by allowing the puck to strike the stick and carom towards the goal. A one-timer is a shot struck directly off a pass, without receiving the pass and shooting in two separate actions. Headmanning the puck , also known as breaking out , is the tactic of rapidly passing to the player farthest down
16920-443: The regularly scheduled Christmas break), in order to reconcile COVID-19 outbreaks that had impacted a large number of teams and resulted in various game postponements. Most teams were scheduled to resume play on December 28, but the home games of all seven Canadian teams through early January were further postponed due to COVID-19 attendance restrictions imposed by provincial health authorities. The playoffs concluded on June 26, with
17061-418: The right side" (of the puck). Another popular concept in ice hockey defensive tactics is that of playing a 200-foot game . An important defensive tactic is checking—attempting to take the puck from an opponent or to remove the opponent from play. Stick checking , sweep checking , and poke checking are legal uses of the stick to obtain possession of the puck. The neutral zone trap is designed to isolate
17202-544: The skater's feet from contact with other skaters, sticks, pucks, the boards, and the ice itself. Rigidity also improves the overall manoeuvrability of the skate. Blade length, thickness (width), and curvature (rocker/radius) (front to back) and radius of hollow (across the blade width) are quite different from speed or figure skates. Hockey players usually adjust these parameters based on their skill level, position, and body type. The blade width of most skates are about 1 ⁄ 8 inch (3.2 mm) thick. Each player other than
17343-589: The subscription service NHL Live. This season NHL Live was made available at no extra cost to subscribers of Sportsnet Now+. After a one-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Hometown Hockey games have returned to Sportsnet's schedule, moving to Monday nights. On September 21, 2021, Hockey Night in Canada /Sportsnet lead play-by-play announcer Jim Hughson announced his retirement from broadcasting. On April 28, 2022, Winnipeg Jets play-by-play announcer Dennis Beyak announced his retirement. Beyak served as
17484-525: The team at the ECHL All-Star Game . On 18 August 2020, Luukkonen agreed to return to the Finnish Liiga on loan from the Sabres with TPS for a period of four-to-six weeks due to the delayed 2020–21 North American season. He played 13 games with TPS between October 2020 and January 2021 before returning to North America. On 23 April 2021, Luukkonen made his NHL debut and recorded his first NHL win in
17625-407: The team on which the penalty was called cannot control the puck without stopping play, it is impossible for them to score a goal. In these cases, the team in possession of the puck can pull the goalie for an extra attacker without fear of being scored on. It is possible for the controlling team to mishandle the puck into their own net. If a delayed penalty is signalled and the team in possession scores,
17766-608: The team to a gold medal. Luukkonen would lead Finland to the silver medal in the 2017 World U18 Championships . He won the gold again at the 2019 World Junior Championships in a 3–2 victory over the United States junior team and was named the media's pick for best goaltender of the tournament. Luukkonen's favorite goaltender is Pekka Rinne , and his 2023–24 "Buffalo Rage" mask was designed after Rinne's. Ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America)
17907-489: The time the league released the regular schedule on July 22, discussions were still ongoing with the International Olympic Committee on sending players to the 2022 Winter Olympics, particularly in regards to health protocols and insurance issues. Two working schedules were thus created that were not released to the public, one with an Olympics break and one without. The schedule released on July 22 included
18048-399: The two. Defensive skills involve pass interception , shot blocking , and stick checking (in which an attempt to take away the puck or cut off the puck lane is initiated by the stick of the defensive player). Tactical points of emphasis in ice hockey defensive play are concepts like "managing gaps" (gap control), "boxing out"' (not letting the offensive team go on the inside), and "staying on
18189-498: The victimized player. This is usually when blood is drawn during high sticking. Players may be also assessed personal extended penalties or game expulsions for misconduct in addition to the penalty or penalties their team must serve. The team that has been given a penalty is said to be playing short-handed while the opposing team is on a power play . A two-minute minor penalty is often charged for lesser infractions such as tripping , elbowing , roughing , high-sticking , delay of
18330-571: The voice of the Jets since relocating from Atlanta in 2011 . He also worked play-by-play duties for the Edmonton Oilers and the Toronto Maple Leafs. On September 15, 2022, Montreal Canadiens English-language play-by-play announcer Dan Robertson announced his departure from the team. Robertson had been the team's English radio voice since 2014 , and have split television duties with Bryan Mudryk starting in 2018 . The 2021–22 season
18471-527: Was "one of the best years of my hockey career" and "a special time for me", and he would later present Quentin Musty with a Wolves jersey when the latter was selected first overall in the 2021 OHL draft. On 12 April 2019, Luukkonen signed an amateur tryout contract with the Sabres' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans . On 14 April, Luukkonen made his debut with Rochester, earning
18612-470: Was added to join insiders Emily Kaplan and Greg Wyshynski as insiders and rinkside reporters. Linda Cohn continued her duties hosting In the Crease , while also gaining roles as an ice-level reporter and backup studio and game break host. On August 4, 2021, ESPN announced that they added most recent Blue Jackets coach and Stanley Cup winning coach John Tortorella as an extra studio analyst. On September 16, after ESPN released their slate of games for
18753-430: Was also a goaltender at the junior level, and went on to become a pilot. Luukkonen has formerly played for HPK of Liiga , as well as HPK's under-16, under-18, and under-20 teams, and for LeKi of Mestis on loan. After playing for HPK's under-20 team, he was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres , 54th overall, in the 2017 NHL entry draft . He has also been drafted in the 2016 KHL Junior Draft by Severstal Cherepovets of
18894-538: Was announced that Fitzhugh will join Brown on the television booth for the Kraken's road game at the Winnipeg Jets on February 17, becoming the first all-black NHL TV broadcast team. With the new U.S. television deals, Sports Business Journal projected that viewership of national games had increased by 18% year-over-year during the regular season. TNT (whose package largely supplanted NBCSN's main package of games) announced
19035-466: Was assigned to call 20 home games (all on the TV/radio simulcast) during his final season, with Dan Dunleavy working the remaining 62 games (52 on the TV/radio simulcast). Chicago TV play-by-play announcer Pat Foley announced he would retire at the end of this season. Foley, who has served as the Blackhawks' voice for 39 seasons, will call an undisclosed number of games this season. In games where Foley
19176-596: Was held in 1990, and women's play was introduced into the Olympics in 1998 . Ice hockey is believed to have evolved from simple stick and ball games played in the 18th and 19th centuries in Britain, Ireland, and elsewhere, primarily bandy , hurling , and shinty . The North American sport of lacrosse , derived from tribal Native American games, was also influential. The former games were brought to North America and several similar winter games using informal rules developed, such as shinny and ice polo, but later were absorbed into
19317-493: Was named after former Finnish president Pehr Evind Svinhufvud 's nickname. As a child, Luukkonen played football , floorball , and flute . He also played for the Hyvinkää Jää-Ahmoje [ fi ] junior squad. Luukkonen grew up idolizing Finnish goaltenders Miikka Kiprusoff and Tuukka Rask . Luukkonen has a twin brother, Jaakko, who played football before becoming an engineer. Luukkonen's older brother, Nuutti,
19458-400: Was off TV, either John Wiedeman , Stephen Nelson , Chris Vosters, or Mike Monaco would fill-in. In addition, Colby Cohen replaced Steve Konroyd as the substitute TV analyst for Eddie Olczyk. In games where Wiedeman calls TV games, Alan Fuehring, Jason Ross Jr. and Joey Zakrewski would take over on the radio side. Foley called his final Blackhawks game on April 14, a 3–2 shootout win over
19599-404: Was officially recognized as Canada's national winter sport. While women also played during the game's early formative years, it was not until organizers began to officially remove body checking from female ice hockey beginning in the mid-1980s that it began to gain greater popularity, which by then had spread to Europe and a variety of other countries. The first IIHF Women's World Championship
19740-536: Was released on July 22, with October 12 planned for opening night. The league held the following outdoor games: The collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that the league and the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) signed on July 10, 2020, included a provision opening the possibility for the NHL to explore participation at the Beijing 2022 and Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. By
19881-535: Was the first of the NHL's new national media rights agreements in the United States, following the expiration of the league's contract with NBC Sports after the previous season. In negotiating its media rights, the NHL aimed to surpass the US$ 2 billion total that NBC paid over the life of their 2011–21 contract. The league explored splitting its media rights between multiple broadcasters, and over-the-top services (such as DAZN , ESPN+ , and Peacock ). On March 10, 2021,
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