THN S1 Ep39: Wrap up of Round 2, Preview of Round 3

THN Episode 39 Show Notes Music by Bensound at http://www.bensound.com Rangers highlights courtesy of MSG Network.  Bruins highlights courtesy of NESN.  Hurricanes highlights courtesy of Fox Sports Carolinas.  Other highlights and clips courtesy of NBC, NBC Sports Network, CBC, Sportsnet, and the National Hockey League.   Opening Headlines: Round 2 of the playoffs is done, and we are down to our final 4 in the NHL Playoffs. We’ll get you caught up on all 4 series in the second round. Round 3 starts Friday, and we’ll preview both Conference Final series. The World Championships are under way. We’ll get you caught up on what’s happened thus far.     Break: Where we are: We are now on The Hockey Writers Podcast Channel! thehockeywriters.com @TheHockeyWriter #THW Itunes Stitcher Soundcloud iHeartRadio TuneIn Google Play Music fm Spreaker? Android/Apple apps RSS: http://thehockeynuts.libsyn.com/rss Our Web Site: http://www.thehockeynuts.com How to support the show: This show is a labor of love for us, but it does cost us money each month to produce.  So, we are exploring options to allow you, our listener, to help us cover the costs of producing it.  For starters, we have set up affiliate relationships with a couple companies.  In the future, we may have more, but for now, you can support us through your purchases at Amazon.com and HockeyMonkey.com (Hockey Monkey is a hockey equipment provider).  Your purchases there will not cost you a dime more, but a small percentage of your purchase will come back to us.  In order to support us through our affiliates, simply go to our web site at TheHockeyNuts.com, and click on the appropriate affiliate link on the right side of the page.  Coming soon: Seatgeek.com Additionally, we are looking at ways to directly support us through a donation program.  For now, if you would like to donate, go to thehockeynuts.com/donate and you will redirected to paypal.  Finally, if you can’t support us financially through one of the programs we just mentioned, you can support us through the following: Share our show with other hockey fans you know. If you have the itunes app on your computer or device, subcribe to our show there. It will help us rise up the rankings. Speaking of itunes, we also encourage you to give us a review on itunes, as it will also help us get noticed more there. Like, comment, and share our content wherever you see us on various social media pages. Get involved with the show! We are just a couple hockey fans, and we love interacting with the audience. Finally, we are looking for guest hosts to come on from time to time. If you feel you can provide more insight on your favorite team or league than we are, let us know!  All you would need to join the show is a computer and Skype.   How to get in touch with us: Twitter: Wayne: @waynehallee9 Steve: @sball504man Email: [email protected] Voicemail: 919-960-1718 Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/thehockeynuts/ Youtube Channel: http://www.thehockeynuts.com/youtube (Don’t forget to like and subscribe!) Live streaming!!! We now stream to 3 places at once! Youtube: https://www.thehockeynuts.com/youtube Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehockeynuts/ Twitch:  https://www.twitch.tv/thisoldnoob     Final Standings: https://www.nhl.com/standings   NHL Playoffs! https://www.nhl.com/stanley-cup-playoffs   ROUND 2 wrap up Senators (2) vs. Rangers (WC1) OTT 4-2, will face PIT |  Series Coverage Gm 1 Thu, Apr 27   Ottawa 2     NY Rangers 1 Senators lead 1-0 RECAP GAMECENTER WATCH Gm 2 Sat, Apr 29   Ottawa 6     NY Rangers 5 (2OT) Senators lead 2-0 RECAP GAMECENTER WATCH Gm 3 Tue, May 2   NY Rangers 4     Ottawa 1 Senators lead 2-1 RECAP GAMECENTER WATCH Gm 4 Thu, May 4   NY Rangers 4     Ottawa 1 Series tied 2-2 RECAP GAMECENTER WATCH Gm 5 Sat, May 6   Ottawa 5     NY Rangers 4 (OT) Senators lead 3-2 RECAP GAMECENTER WATCH Gm 6 Tue, May 9   Ottawa 4     NY Rangers 2 OTT 4-2, will face PIT RECAP GAMECENTER WATCH   Capitals (1) vs. Penguins (2) PIT 4-3, will face OTT |  Series Coverage Gm 1 Thu, Apr 27   Pittsburgh 3     Washington 2 Penguins lead 1-0 RECAP GAMECENTER WATCH Gm 2 Sat, Apr 29   Pittsburgh 6     Washington 2 Penguins lead 2-0 RECAP GAMECENTER WATCH Gm 3 Mon, May 1   Washington 3     Pittsburgh 2 (OT) Penguins lead 2-1 RECAP GAMECENTER WATCH Gm 4 Wed, May 3   Pittsburgh 3     Washington 2 Penguins lead 3-1 RECAP GAMECENTER WATCH Gm 5 Sat, May 6   Washington 4     Pittsburgh 2 Penguins lead 3-2 RECAP GAMECENTER WATCH Gm 6 Mon, May 8   Washington 5     Pittsburgh 2 Series tied 3-3 RECAP GAMECENTER WATCH Gm 7 Wed, May 10   Pittsburgh 2     Washington 0 PIT 4-3, will face OTT RECAP GAMECENTER WATCH                           Blues (3) vs. Predators (WC2) NSH 4-2, will face ANA |  Series Coverage Gm 1 Wed, Apr 26   Nashville 4     St Louis 3 Predators lead 1-0 RECAP GAMECENTER WATCH Gm 2 Fri, Apr 28   St Louis 3     Nashville 2 Series tied 1-1 RECAP GAMECENTER WATCH Gm 3 Sun, Apr 30   Nashville 3     St Louis 1 Predators lead 2-1 RECAP GAMECENTER WATCH Gm 4 Tue, May 2   Nashville 2     St Louis 1 Predators lead 3-1 RECAP GAMECENTER WATCH Gm 5 Fri, May 5   St Louis 2     Nashville 1 Predators lead 3-2 RECAP GAMECENTER WATCH Gm 6 Sun, May 7   Nashville 3     St Louis 1 NSH 4-2, will face ANA RECAP GAMECENTER WATCH   Ducks (1) vs. Oilers (2) ANA 4-3, will face NSH |  Series Coverage Gm 1 Wed, Apr 26   Edmonton 5     Anaheim 3 Oilers lead 1-0 RECAP GAMECENTER WATCH Gm 2 Fri, Apr 28   Edmonton 2     Anaheim 1 Oilers lead 2-0 RECAP GAMECENTER WATCH Gm 3 Sun, Apr 30   Anaheim 6     Edmonton 3 Oilers lead 2-1 RECAP GAMECENTER WATCH Gm 4 Wed, May 3   Anaheim 4     Edmonton 3 (OT) Series tied 2-2 RECAP GAMECENTER WATCH Gm 5 Fri, May 5   Anaheim 4     Edmonton 3 (2OT) Ducks lead 3-2 RECAP GAMECENTER WATCH Gm 6 Sun, May 7   Edmonton 7     Anaheim 1 Series tied 3-3 RECAP GAMECENTER WATCH Gm 7 Wed, May 10   Anaheim 2     Edmonton 1 ANA 4-3, will face NSH RECAP GAMECENTER WATCH                           Round 3 Preview   Penguins (2) vs. Senators (2)  https://www.nhl.com/news/pittsburgh-ottawa-eastern-conference-final-preview/c-289393826  Series Coverage Gm 1 Sat, May 13   Ottawa @   Pittsburgh 7:00 PM ET|, CBC, SN, TVAS PREVIEW TICKETS BUY/SELL Gm 2 Mon, May 15   Ottawa @   Pittsburgh 8:00 PM ET|, CBC, TVAS PREVIEW TICKETS BUY/SELL Gm 3 Wed, May 17   Pittsburgh @   Ottawa 8:00 PM ET|, CBC, TVAS PREVIEW TICKETS BUY/SELL Gm 4 Fri, May 19   Pittsburgh @   Ottawa 8:00 PM ET|, CBC, TVAS PREVIEW TICKETS BUY/SELL Gm 5* Sun, May 21   Ottawa @   Pittsburgh 3:00 PM ET|, CBC, TVAS PREVIEW TICKETS BUY/SELL Gm 6* Tue, May 23   Pittsburgh @   Ottawa 8:00 PM ET|, CBC, TVAS PREVIEW TICKETS BUY/SELL Gm 7* Thu, May 25   Ottawa @   Pittsburgh 8:00 PM ET|, CBC, TVAS PREVIEW TICKETS BUY/SELL * If necessary Ducks (1) vs. Predators (WC2) https://www.nhl.com/news/western-conference-final-series-preview/c-289392820  Series Coverage Gm 1 Fri, May 12   Nashville @   Anaheim 9:00 PM ET|, CBC, TVAS PREVIEW TICKETS BUY/SELL Gm 2 Sun, May 14   Nashville @   Anaheim 7:30 PM ET|, SN, TVAS PREVIEW TICKETS BUY/SELL Gm 3 Tue, May 16   Anaheim @   Nashville 8:00 PM ET|, CBC, SN, TVAS PREVIEW TICKETS BUY/SELL Gm 4 Thu, May 18   Anaheim @   Nashville 8:00 PM ET|, CBC, TVAS PREVIEW TICKETS BUY/SELL Gm 5* Sat, May 20   Nashville @   Anaheim 7:15 PM ET|, CBC, TVAS PREVIEW TICKETS BUY/SELL Gm 6* Mon, May 22   Anaheim @   Nashville 8:00 PM ET|, CBC, TVAS PREVIEW TICKETS BUY/SELL Gm 7* Wed, May 24   Nashville @   Anaheim 9:00 PM ET|, CBC, TVAS PREVIEW TICKETS BUY/SELL * If necessary                           Other News:       Transactions All Transactions: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/transactions More College and Junior players joining the pro ranks. http://www.eliteprospects.com/?status=league&view;=&leagueid;=7   05/04/2017  Oscar Fantenberg (D) HK Sochi Los Angeles Kings    05/04/2017  Roope Hintz (F) HIFK Dallas Stars    05/05/2017  Vadim Shipachyov (F) SKA St. Petersburg Vegas Golden Knights    05/09/2017  Dawson Leedahl (F) Regina Pats New York Rangers      Forward Ilya Kovalchuk is hoping to return to the NHL next season. The New Jersey Devils, who own Kovalchuk's rights until he turns 35 in April, recently were told by his agent, Jay Grossman, of his client's intentions to come back to the NHL.  Kovalchuk, 34, voluntarily retired from the NHL on July 11, 2013, with 12 years and $77 million remaining on a 15-year, $100 million contract he signed with the Devils on Sept. 3, 2010. He signed a four-year contract with SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League in his native Russia on July 15, 2013.  Grossman said Kovalchuk "has asked me to make his intentions known to Ray Shero and the New Jersey Devils."  When Kovalchuk left the NHL, his contract was terminated and he was placed on the voluntary retirement list. That allowed the Devils to maintain his NHL rights until he turns 35, which would be April 15. Prior to turning 35, if Kovalchuk wants to sign with another team, he would need approval from all 31 NHL teams. That's unlikely to happen, but the Devils could sign Kovalchuk and either keep him or then trade him.  Kovalchuk, selected by the Atlanta Thrashers with the No. 1 pick of the 2001 NHL Draft, had 816 points (417 goals, 399 assists) in 816 games with the Thrashers and Devils. He scored 52 goals twice and at least 30 goals nine times in 11 seasons.  GoalieScott Darling didn't hesitate when the Carolina Hurricanes offered him a chance to become a starter.  Acquired by Carolina in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on April 28, the pending unrestricted free agent agreed to a four-year contract Friday worth $16.6 million, an average annual value of $4.15 million.  "I was super excited when the trade happened and my goal the whole time was to sign with Carolina," Darling said Saturday. "I'm really excited about the team that's there, and I've heard nothing but great things. Once we worked out the contract part, it was a no-brainer."  Darling, 28, was 18-5-5 with a 2.38 goals-against average and .924 save percentage in 32 games (27 starts) this season as the backup to Corey Crawford. He was expected to be a sought-after free agent on July 1.  "In our mind, we wanted to push the envelope and see if we could get a deal done," Hurricanes general manager Ron Francis said. "There's a gamble with anything, but we think he's earned this opportunity and we think he will be capable of delivering."  Carolina has goaltenders Cam Ward and Eddie Lack under contract for one more season. The Hurricanes were tied for 26th in the NHL with a .901 save percentage this season. Francis said he will explore all possibilities with them.  In 75 NHL regular-season games, Darling has a 2.37 GAA and .923 save percentage. He played in five games in the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs, when the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup.  Darling played two seasons in the Southern Professional Hockey League among his nine minor-league assignments.  "I did enjoy the ride. It's been great for me," he said. "For someone like me, it just makes me really appreciate where I'm at today. It makes me really excited."  Darling has never played more than 35 games in a professional season but said he knows what steps to take to secure the No. 1 job.  "I'm going to do everything in my power to learn how to be the best starter I can be," he said. "I have a good network of goalie friends. I'm going to be picking their brains and asking for help."  Center Vadim Shipachyov was signed to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $4.5 million on Thursday by the Vegas Golden Knights and general manager George McPhee said the move was made in part because of the likelihood of a lack of scoring forwards being available in the NHL Expansion Draft. "He's a skilled centericeman and they are very hard to find," McPhee said Friday. "There were a lot of NHL teams involved. We made our best pitch."  Shipachyov, 30, was third in scoring in the Kontinental Hockey League this season with 76 points (26 goals, 50 assists) in 50 games. He had 19 points (four goals, 15 assists) in 17 playoff games to help SKA St. Petersburg win the league title for the second time in three years. He spent the past nine seasons in the KHL.  "This is a player who is ready to play in the NHL," said McPhee, who called Shipachyov a top-six forward who can help the power play. "It'll be a quick adjustment, but it's time for him to come play in this league. And we're delighted that he picked us."  Shipachyov is the second signing by Vegas, joining 21-year-old forward Reid Duke, who signed on March 6.  McPhee confirmed Vegas has been in talks with Shipachyov's teammate in St. Petersburg, forward Evgeny Dadonov, who had 66 points (30 goals, 36 assists) in 53 games this season and 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists) in 18 games in the playoffs.  "I think it's logical for people to assume that [Dadonov] might want to come here because his teammate and friend is here," McPhee said. "But we, the Vegas Golden Knights, have a lot to work through with other teams and players for the expansion draft before we can think about adding another big contract."  GoalieBen Bishop was traded to the Dallas Stars by the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday for a fourth-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft.  Bishop, who can become an unrestricted free agent July 1, was 18-15-5 this season, including 2-3-2 in seven games with the Kings. He was traded to Los Angeles by the Tampa Bay Lightning on Feb. 27.  "Ben has proven that he is one of the elite goaltenders in the NHL," Stars general manager Jim Nill said. "This offers us the opportunity to negotiate with him before the free agency period begins." Jason Botterill was hired as general manager of the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday. Botterill, 40, was an associate GM with the Pittsburgh Penguins for the past three seasons after joining their front office in 2007. He was promoted from director of hockey administration to assistant GM in 2009.  As Pittsburgh associate GM, Botterill was general manager of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. He hired Mike Sullivan as its coach prior to last season; Sullivan was promoted to Pittsburgh coach on Dec. 12, 2015 and the Penguins won the Stanley Cup.  One of Botterill's first moves with the Sabres will be to hire a coach to replace Dan Bylsma, who was fired April 20 along with GM Tim Murray. The Sabres finished 33-37-12 and missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a sixth straight season. Murray had been GM since Jan. 9, 2014.  The Sabres also reportedly interviewed or considered Craig Conroy (Calgary Flames assistant GM), Paul Fenton (Nashville Predators assistant GM), Tom Fitzgerald (New Jersey Devils assistant GM), Michael Futa (Los Angeles Kings assistant GM), Bill Guerin (Penguins assistant GM) and Bill Zito (Columbus Blue Jackets assistant GM).  Martin Brodeur (St. Louis Blues assistant GM) reportedly declined an opportunity to interview, and Chris Drury (New York Rangers assistant GM) reportedly was denied permission.    ForwardRichard Panik agreed to terms with the Chicago Blackhawks on a two-year contract Thursday.  Panik, 26, could have become a restricted free agent on July 1. No financial terms were disclosed, but TSN reported the contract is worth $5.6 million, an average annual value of $2.8 million.  "The first offer they gave me was surprising, so there wasn't much thinking involved," Panik said. "I was really happy to get the first offer; it was a really good one."  Playing on the first line with center Jonathan Toews for most of this season, Panik set NHL career highs in goals (22), assists (22) and points (44). He was one of three Chicago players to play in all 82 regular-season games.  Panik, selected in the second round (No. 52) by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2009 NHL Draft, has 91 points (47 goals, 44 assists) in 263 games with the Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs and Blackhawks. Chicago acquired him from Toronto in a trade on Jan. 3, 2016, and he had eight points (six goals, two assists) in 30 games for the Blackhawks.  Martin Brodeurwill not return as St. Louis Blues goaltending coach next season.  Brodeur, who will remain Blues assistant general manager, replaced Jim Corsi when he was fired along with coach Ken Hitchcock on Feb. 1.  Mike Yeo, who replaced Hitchcock and worked with Brodeur, made sure to add, "[Brodeur] wasn't fired, just for the record."  ForwardTanner Pearson signed a four-year, $15 million contract with the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday.  Pearson could have become a restricted free agent on July 1.  The contract has an average annual value of $3.75 million. He signed a two-year, $2.8 million contract with the Kings on April 2, 2015, according to Cap Friendly.  Pearson had 44 points (24 goals, 20 assists) and set NHL career highs in goals, points and shots on goal (187) this season.  Pearson has 103 points (54 goals, 49 assists) in 226 games in four seasons with Los Angeles. He has 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 30 Stanley Cup Playoff games and helped the Kings win the Stanley Cup in 2014.   Los Angeles selected Pearson with the No. 30 pick in the 2012 NHL Draft.  Injuries New York Islanders center John Tavares had surgery on his right hand last month but is expected to be ready for next season, according to Newsday.  Tavares, who is the Islanders captain, had surgery a week after the regular season ended to repair an issue that had been lingering during the season. His hand is still in a cast, but that is expected to be removed next week.  Tavares, 26, led the Islanders with 66 points (28 goals, 38 assists) in 77 games. He missed the final five games of the regular season because of a lower-body injury. The Islanders won all five games but failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs; they finished one point behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for the second wild card from the Eastern Conference.  The Islanders are hoping to sign Tavares to a contract extension this summer. He is entering the final season of a six-year, $33 million contract, worth an average annual value of $5.5 million, and is eligible to sign an extension on July 1.  Anaheim Ducks forwardsPatrick Eaves and Logan Shaw are doubtful for Game 7 of the Western Conference Second Round against the Edmonton Oilers at Honda Center on Wednesday.  The best-of-7 series is tied 3-3 with Game 7 in Anaheim (TBD; NBCSN, SN, TVA Sports).  Coach Randy Carlyle said Eaves and Shaw are highly questionable to practice Tuesday.   Eaves had 14 points (11 goals, three assists) in 20 regular-season games after being acquired from the Dallas Stars in a trade on Feb. 24, and has four points (two goals, two assists) in seven playoff games.  ForwardVladimir Tarasenko of the St. Louis Blues is injured and will not play for Russia at the 2017 IIHF World Championship, coach Oleg Znarok said Monday.  "We called to his agent," Znarok said. "He said that Tarasenko played with injury and needs a surgery."  Tarasenko played in all 11 games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs and was tied for third on St. Louis with six points (three goals, three assists). He averaged 20:49 of ice time, third among Blues forwards.  Louis was eliminated from the playoffs with a 3-1 loss to the Nashville Predators on Sunday in Game 6 of the Western Conference Second Round. General manager Doug Armstrong is expected to have a season-ending press conference Tuesday.  St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko said Tuesday he does not need surgery, contradicting comments made Monday by Russia coach Oleg Znarok when he said Tarasenko would not be participating in the 2017 IIHF World Championship.  Tarasenko, who led the Blues in goals (39) and points (75) during the regular season, said he was dealing with injuries but nothing that would require surgery.  "There is nothing to talk about," Tarasenko said. "It's offseason right now, so everyone has injuries. We have time to get healthy and be ready for next year."  "This offers us the opportunity to negotiate with him before the free agency period begins."  Bishop is 148-80-25 in 270 games with the Lightning, Kings, Ottawa Senators and St. Louis Blues.  The 30-year-old had a .910 save percentage and 2.54 goals-against average in 39 games this season. He has a .919 save percentage, 2.32 GAA and 19 shutouts in his NHL career and twice has finished in the top three in Vezina Trophy voting (second in 2015-16; third in 2013-14).  http://www.csnne.com/boston-bruins/patrice-bergeron-and-tuukka-rask-both-undergo-successful-surgeries Washington Capitals forwardAlex Ovechkin will not join Russia at the 2017 IIHF World Championship because of a lower-body injury, the Russian Hockey Federation said Thursday.  "During a conversation with coaches, Alexander Ovechkin stated that he is ready to join the team immediately as he always does, but doesn't want to let the team down because he finished the NHL playoffs on pain numbing injections," the federation said in a statement.  The Capitals have not confirmed the injury.  Ovechkin, 31, had to be helped off the ice after being flipped over on a low hip check to his left leg by Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri in the first period of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round on April 21. Ovechkin returned to play at the start of the second period and did not miss any games.  Ovechkin had eight points (five goals, three assists) in 13 playoff games but was held to one point, a goal in Washington's 4-2 win in Game 5 against the Penguins, during the final four games.  Milestones/Records/Honors/Deaths: Suspensions/Fines:  Nashville Predators defenseman K. Subban has been fined $2,000 as supplementary discipline under NHL Rule 64 (Diving/Embellishment), the National Hockey League announced today.  NHL Rule 64 is designed to bring attention to and more seriously penalize players (and teams) who repeatedly dive and embellish in an attempt to draw penalties. Fines are assessed to players and head coaches on a graduated scale outlined below:  Subban was issued a Warning following an incident flagged by NHL Hockey Operations during NHL Game No. 707 against the Minnesota Wild on Jan. 22. His second Citation, which triggered the $2,000 fine, was issued for an incident at 5:15 of the third period during Game 4 of Nashville's Western Conference Second Round series against the St. Louis Blues on May 2. Subban (embellishment) and Blues defenseman Joel Edmundson (roughing) received offsetting minor penalties on the play.     NHL Debuts: http://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_2017_debut.html   Other Interesting Stories: Mike "Doc" Emrick, the lead play-by-play announcer for NBC's NHL coverage, on Tuesday won the Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Sports Personality, Play-By-Play. It is Emrick's fifth time winning the award, fourth in a row.  The 70-year-old has been calling professional hockey games since 1973. He received the Lester Patrick Award in 2004 and the Hockey Hall of Fame Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for outstanding contributions to hockey broadcasting in 2008.     The Hockeynuts.com Power Rankings: https://www.nhl.com/standings Team (last week) Nashville (15) Edmonton (11) Washington (1) Pittsburgh (5) Ottawa (14) Anaheim (4) NY Rangers (3) St Louis (12) Chicago (2) Minnesota (6) Columbus (9) San Jose (7) Boston (8) Montreal (10) Toronto (16) Calgary (13) NY Islanders (17) Tampa Bay (18) Philadelphia (19) Winnipeg (20) Carolina (21) Los Angeles (22) Florida (23) Dallas (24) Detroit (25) Buffalo (26) New Jersey (27) Arizona (28) Vancouver (29) Colorado (30) Las Vegas (31)   NHL Awards Nominations Hart Trophy – Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby is a candidate to win the Hart Trophy for the third time in his NHL career.  Crosby, along with Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid and Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, are the finalists for the trophy given to the player judged to be the most valuable to his team.  Lady Byng Trophy – Calgary Flames left wingJohnny Gaudreau , Minnesota Wild center Mikael Granlund and St. Louis Blues right wing Vladimir Tarasenko are the three finalists for the 2016-17 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, which is awarded "to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability," Vezina Trophy – Sergei Bobrovsky of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Braden Holtby of the Washington Capitals and Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens are the three finalists for the 2016-17 Vezina Trophy, which is awarded "to the goalkeeper adjudged to be the best at his position,"  Calder Trophy – Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews,Winnipeg Jets forward Patrik Laine and Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski were named finalists for the Calder Trophy on Thursday. The award is given to the best rookie in the NHL. Norris Trophy – Brent Burns of the San Jose Sharks, Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators are the three finalists for the 2016-17 James Norris Memorial Trophy, which is awarded "to the defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position," Bill Masterton Trophy – Ottawa Senators goaltender Craig Anderson, Anaheim Ducks forward Andrew Cogliano and Carolina Hurricanes forward Derek Ryan were named finalists for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy on Monday. The award is given to the player who exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. Ted Lindsay Award (NHLPA best player) – DefensemanBrent Burns of the San Jose Sharks, center Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and center Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers are the finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award, presented annually to the most outstanding player in the NHL, as voted by fellow members of the NHL Players' Association. Jack Adams Award: Mike Babcock of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Todd McLellan of the Edmonton Oilers and John Tortorella of the Columbus Blue Jackets were named Wednesday as finalists for the Jack Adams Award, given annually to the top coach in the NHL.  Selke Trophy (Defensive forward): Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron, Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Kesler and Minnesota Wild center Mikko Koivu were named finalists for the Selke Trophy on Wednesday, awarded annually to the NHL's best defensive forward.  King Clancy Trophy (player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community Each team nominated 1 player) – NHL Foundation Award (an NHL player who applies the core values of hockey -- commitment, perseverance and teamwork -- to enrich the lives of people in his community.) - Travis Hamonicof the New York Islanders and Wayne Simmonds of the Philadelphia Flyers Mark Messier Leadership Award: Nick Foligno of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Mark Giordano of the Calgary Flames and Ryan Getzlaf of the Anaheim Ducks have been named finalists for the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award. The award is given annually to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to the team, on and off the ice, during the regular season.  Messier solicited suggestions from club and League personnel and fans, but the former Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks captain makes the final selection of the three finalists and the winner.      World Championships:   http://www.iihfworlds2017.com/en/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_IIHF_World_Championship_rosters   Run Through 5/21.  Hosted in Cologne, Germany and Paris, France.  Medal round in Cologne   (# of NHL Players) GROUP A RUS - Russia (6, rest are KHL) USA - USA (18) SWE - Sweden (16, 4 Canes) SVK - Slovakia GER - Germany (3) LAT - Latvia (1) DEN - Denmark (1) ITA - Italy AccorHotels ArenaGroupB GROUP B CAN - Canada (22) FIN - Finland (7) CZE - Czech Republic (2) SUI - Switzerland (2) BLR - Belarus NOR - Norway (1) FRA - France (3) SLO - Slovenia     Preliminary Round (Games Through Tuesday) R Team GP W OTW OTL L GF:GA PTS Group A 1 LAT 3 3 0 0 0 8:2 9 2 RUS 3 2 1 0 0 18:5 8 3 USA 3 2 0 0 1 12:7 6 4 SWE 3 1 0 1 1 11:8 4 5 SVK 3 0 1 1 1 7:9 3 6 GER 3 1 0 0 2 7:14 3 7 DEN 3 0 1 0 2 6:13 2 8 ITA 3 0 0 1 2 4:15 1 Group B 1 CAN 3 3 0 0 0 17:3 9 2 SUI 3 1 1 1 0 11:8 6 3 NOR 3 2 0 0 1 8:6 6 4 FRA 3 1 1 0 1 11:7 5 5 CZE 3 1 1 0 1 11:8 5 6 FIN 3 1 0 1 1 7:11 4 7 SLO 3 0 0 1 2 7:17 1 8 BLR 3 0 0 0 3 3:15 0             CHL Playoffs: WHL: http://whl.ca/bracket (Final:  Regina Pats vs Seattle Thunderbirds) OHL: http://ontariohockeyleague.com/bracket (Final: Erie Otters vs Mississauga Steelheads) QMJHL: http://theqmjhl.ca/bracket (Final: Blainville-Boisbriand Armada vs Saint John Sea Dogs) Memorial Cup Host: Windsor Spitfires   All European Leagues are in their playoffs or are just starting their playoffs.  We’ll get you league winners as they come in.  We’ll be covering the following: Swedish Hockey League (Champion: HV71 Jonkoping) Finland SM-liiga (Champion:  Tappara Tampere) France (Champion: Rouen) Denmark (No playoff?) Switzerland National League A Slovakian Extraleague Deutsche Eishockey League (Germany) (No playoff?) Czech Republic League (Champion:  Brno Kometa) Austrian League (No playoff?)  British Elite Ice Hockey League (No playoff?) United States Hockey League Other Minor Pro Leagues in North America Southern Professional Hockey League (Champion: Macon Mayhem over Peoria Rivermen 2-0) Federal Hockey League (Champion: Danville Dashers over Berlin River Drivers 3-2) ECHL American Hockey League   KHL Minute: KHL:  http://en.khl.ru/   A look at the standings:  http://en.khl.ru/standings/     Picks of the week: Steve: The 2018 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic® will feature the Buffalo Sabres® and New York Rangers® on Jan. 1, 2018 at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, the National Hockey League (NHL®) announced today. The New Year's Day game will be broadcast live on NBC, Sportsnet and TVA Sports at 1 p.m. ET.      Wayne:  Blues, Predators joining forces in flood relief efforts  https://www.nhl.com/news/blues-predators-raise-money-for-flood-victims-in-st-louis-area/c-289287580    Honorable mention:  https://www.nhl.com/news/craig-anderson-chats-with-young-new-york-rangers-fan/c-289280222             Listener Feedback     Close the show   Next Week’s scheduled stream: Wed., 5/17 6:30 PM   Topics for Next Week:   Where we are: We are now on The Hockey Writers Podcast Channel! thehockeywriters.com @TheHockeyWriter #THW Itunes Stitcher Soundcloud iHeartRadio TuneIn Google Play Music fm Spreaker? Android/Apple apps RSS: http://thehockeynuts.libsyn.com/rss Our Web Site: http://www.thehockeynuts.com How to support the show: This show is a labor of love for us, but it does cost us money each month to produce.  So, we are exploring options to allow you, our listener, to help us cover the costs of producing it.  For starters, we have set up affiliate relationships with a couple companies.  In the future, we may have more, but for now, you can support us through your purchases at Amazon.com and HockeyMonkey.com (Hockey Monkey is a hockey equipment provider).  Your purchases there will not cost you a dime more, but a small percentage of your purchase will come back to us.  In order to support us through our affiliates, simply go to our web site at TheHockeyNuts.com, and click on the appropriate affiliate link on the right side of the page.  Coming soon: Seatgeek.com Additionally, we are looking at ways to directly support us through a donation program.  For now, if you would like to donate, go to thehockeynuts.com/donate and you will redirected to paypal.  Finally, if you can’t support us financially through one of the programs we just mentioned, you can support us through the following: Share our show with other hockey fans you know. If you have the itunes app on your computer or device, subcribe to our show there. It will help us rise up the rankings. Speaking of itunes, we also encourage you to give us a review on itunes, as it will also help us get noticed more there. Like, comment, and share our content wherever you see us on various social media pages. Get involved with the show! We are just a couple hockey fans, and we love interacting with the audience. Finally, we are looking for guest hosts to come on from time to time. If you feel you can provide more insight on your favorite team or league than we are, let us know!  All you would need to join the show is a computer and Skype.   How to get in touch with us: Twitter: Wayne: @waynehallee9 Steve: @sball504man Email: [email protected] Voicemail: 919-960-1718 Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/thehockeynuts/ Youtube Channel: http://www.thehockeynuts.com/youtube (Don’t forget to like and subscribe!) Live streaming!!! We now stream to 3 places at once! Youtube: https://www.thehockeynuts.com/youtube Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehockeynuts/ Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/thisoldnoob