32 Thoughts: A collection of late off-season notes

Great week at the NHL/NHLPA European Media Tour. Moved from Warsaw to Prague to Kosice to Bratislava to Vienna — some of it scheduled, some of it audibled. Taped a few features. Nothing hugely newsy, but some fun summer stuff to share:

Seeing Steph Curry and LeBron James celebrate Team USA’s Olympic gold-medal win over France made me lust for something similar in hockey. After an eight-year best-on-best disappearance, we’re finally back into that world.

Players participating in the 4 Nations Face-Off can’t wait. 

“Every other sport does that,” said Sebastian Aho, already named to Team Finland. “It’s a huge thing for the fans and for the players. ... (We) need to have that more often.”

“Right away, when they announced the tournament, I was really excited,” added Juuse Saros. “A big goal is to be on that team, (to) wear the Finnish jersey.”

One year after that, NHLers return to the Olympics, in Milan. More countries will play, including the Czechs, several of whom are still basking in the memory of their world championship victory. Monday will be three months since their 2-0 triumph over Switzerland in the gold-medal game, their first title in 14 years.

Petr Mrazek looked at his arm as we spoke. 

“I have goosebumps right now, thinking about it,” he said.

“Me, too,” added Martin Nečas. “It was the best time of my life, nothing even close to this.”

After 49 minutes of scoreless hockey in the final, David Pastrnak scored the winning goal on a typically powerful one-timer.

“I was wishing that he’d score,” said Karel Vejmelka. “I will remember that forever.”

“That’s awesome. I probably will too,” said a smiling Pastrnak, who did a double-knee slide in ecstasy. “I could never see myself going on my knees celebrating a goal. I thought I would never, ever do that. But there were so many emotions and so much relief ... so much excitement.”

Anyone who’s been to Prague (and if you haven’t been, get off your derriere and go) knows the Old Town Square, where the 1998 Olympic winners staged a massive celebration. Mrazek was six years old, “and I remember it.”

These champions had an Old Town party of their own the night after their victory, and it didn’t end too quickly. Nečas pointed out the 1998 Olympics were in Nagano, so Czech fans were calling this one “Pragano.”

“When I saw that crowd … something I will remember for my lifetime,” Vejmelka said. “We needed success like that.”

Then, he laughed. 

“It was tough to win, and tougher to celebrate.”

The next weekend, Nečas went to Greece with his girlfriend. “I didn’t touch a single glass of alcohol on vacation; had to stay away from it.”

“We did something good for this country,” Mrazek said. 

“There were four steps up the stage (at the rally in Old Town),” Pastrnak said. “I took the first two steps and the first thing I was thinking was, ‘I want to re-live it again.’ I was already saying, ‘I want this again.’ I needed this win for my career, because I’ve been waiting for a big win like that. But I’m more happy for the country that we won it here.”

Then, he paused.

“Right now, I’m focusing on winning the Stanley Cup with Boston. That’s my next goal.”

That’s one thing you learn about the true greats. Winning never gets tiresome. They aren’t satisfied. You’ve got one, you want another. Look at Curry and James. A win on that stage makes you yearn for more. That’s why best-on-best is great for the NHL. Because a franchise player like Pastrnak wants that for both his country and his North American home.

He’s not the only one. Nečas called the Stanley Cup “the trophy I’d love to reach.”

Vancouver’s run to Game 7 of the second round prevented Filip Hronek from playing in this year’s worlds, but he returned home in time to watch the gold-medal game. He’s too young to remember 1998, but owned a VHS tape (ask your parents) of it that he watched over and over. Create your own celebration at the next Olympics?

“That would be big,” he said, smiling at the idea. “(Czech people) love hockey.”

This and Vancouver?

“Not going to lie, both would be amazing.”

32 THOUGHTS

1. Do not send Pastrnak lengthy texts. “I’m super bad at texting. Any time a text is longer than one sentence, there’s no reply from me. I panic when I see long texts. Always easier to FaceTime. I like to see the person — eye contact.”

2. Ask people about Pastrnak, and you learn how deep the respect is for him. He got married this summer, and the staff told him it was an awesome party, which was very meaningful to he and wife, Rebecca.

“There was a 10-minute rain, we were eating outside, (we were) a little worried but (Zdeno Chara) took his shirt off, started dancing, everybody started dancing, that was special to see.”

Even though he’s no longer teammates with David Krejci and Torey Krug, the three still play a drinking game Krejci introduced called “Gentlemen’s Game.” There are two rules. First: you must hold any drink in your “weak” hand. “I’m a lefty, so I have to drink with my right hand,” Pastrnak said. “They are both righties, so they have to drink with their left.” The second rule is you cannot have any drink within reach of your index finger from the edge of the table. If you violate either rule, you immediately have to finish the drink. It’s basically the honour system now, since they aren’t together, but there are moments where one’s been busted on FaceTime or in a photo. Pastrnak says he’s been playing for so long, he “can’t drink anything with his left hand anymore.”

3. Pastrnak has one regret from last season: that the Bruins did not get to a “one-shot Game 7” against Florida, but admitted the Panthers were deeper and better than Boston. He’s excited about their additions. “We proved a lot of people wrong, last year we were not even supposed to make the playoffs. We beat a better team (Toronto) on paper.”

4. When we arrived at Get Results Gym in Košice, Slovakia, Erik Cernak was doing sprints in the parking lot — wearing a strap attached to a pole. Cernak is a massive human, and there were times I thought the pole was going to lose. Juraj Slafkovsky works out at the same gym, with the same trainer. He’s starting to look massive, too, but thinks he’s got more to add in his arms and shoulders. A 20-goal sophomore season has him in a great place, mentally.

“I was more confident, because I knew what people expected from me,” he said, having learned “how competitive the league is, every game. You have to fight for your spot every day, because one day you will wake up and you won't be in the same place as yesterday.” He added he was “trying to focus on all the little details to make the big things look good.” Cernak and Slafkovsky cut no corners in their workouts.

5. Sometimes you hear a story and think, “There’s no way this is true,” and still get rewarded. Apparently, teammates were all over Slafkovsky about owning two Louis Vuitton bags, saying he needed the bonus from scoring 20 goals to afford more. “I have two bags from that brand and now everyone thinks I only get bags from that brand,” he said, rolling his eyes at the memory. "I was hearing that for the next two weeks.” He graciously gave us some extra time during the trip (as did Hronek and Saros). We think you’ll like the on-camera features resulting from them.

6. Cernak attended Alex Killorn’s wedding this summer, and the reunion of Tampa’s three-straight Stanley Cup finalists really struck him. “The bond of that team was so strong, I felt the connection. All the memories came back.”

While impressed with adding Jake Guentzel, he is still contemplating Steven Stamkos’s departure. “It was shocking to everybody … it’s even hard to talk about right now because he was a big part of my career. Great player, great leader, great friend. I will miss him because he’s an unbelievable person. First guy who texted me and welcomed me to the team: ‘Don’t worry about anything, we’ve got you. Just feel comfortable here.’”

He added that hockey is a business, and he puts his faith in the Lightning’s decision-making “because they’ve been so successful over the years, so you just have to look forward. They are always right about stuff.”

7. Cernak credited AHL Syracuse coach Benoit Groulx for agreeing to go out on the ice with him before practice when the defenceman was with the Crunch, a critical step in his grind toward the NHL. Groulx taught him “all the small details I have to do, add to my game. He was hard on me. Sometimes you don’t like it, but that’s the way you get better and get to your dream.”

He also confirmed one thing I’d heard: the Lightning thought they were vulnerable against the rush in 2023-24, and some of the changes made were to address that. 

8. Cernak is a pretty funny guy. Apparently, he owes the coaching staff a dinner for running over assistant Rob Zettler during a practice drill. “First, that wasn’t my fault. He came (into) my way. I was supposed to pay, but I don’t know if I did. I was fighting that. It was his fault.” He laughed and said that, when he gets to Tampa, he will offer to play in Stamkos’s one-timer spot on the power play. 

9. Not surprisingly, Saros said Predators players are ecstatic about the team’s summer moves. He was playing tennis with a friend on July 1. Once he was done, he realized his wife was trying to reach him with the news.

“I was really excited, I think everybody was. Can’t wait,” he said. Did he have any idea what GM Barry Trotz was up to? Trotz indicated he was “looking for a couple of additions but maybe we didn’t expect that big of a splash.” Saros called Alexandre Carrier that day to congratulate the defenceman on his extension and Carrier was “as pumped about (the new guys) as his own contract.”

10. Also very happy: Devils captain Nico Hischier, also using the word “excitement” to describe New Jersey’s moves. Last season was not fun for him or his team. “It’s always easier to be the underdog. It was definitely a bit overwhelming sometimes last year, but I think a great learning lesson. Every year is new … it's another roller-coaster and you’ve got to grow as a group the longer the season gets. You’ve got to stick together because anything is possible.”

Two years ago, when the Devils beat the Rangers in the playoffs, they had a long winning streak in November, so the cushion was created. Nothing like that in 2023-24. “We never got going.” Anyone who knows Hischier knows he wears it hard when things go badly. “I always want to win,” he said. “That’s not a secret. I hate losing. As a captain I want to do more, I need to do more. ... Was I frustrated? Yes, it just sucks. You obviously want the team to do better. ... Sometimes I have to go home and say to myself, I gave everything I can. That’s it.”

In the middle of a tough year, a few Devils gave Hischier major credit for never saying no to charitable or important requests. “We are in a spot where you do little things that have an impact. Even if it’s just a little smile or make a family happy — a small thing we can do (becomes a big thing for them). It’s hard to say no to that,” he said. That’s terrific stuff, and very true. I liked what New Jersey did. They had a good off-season.

11. Nečas was very interesting talking about his summer. There was a time no one thought he’d return to Wolfpack Country. “I wasn’t sure,” he admitted. “Lots of talking between us and Carolina. It was 50/50. I didn’t have the best season, wasn’t happy. But we turned the page, we figured out a way to stay for two more years. ... I feel like Carolina is my home. I was drafted there, I played there for five seasons. At the end of the day, I'm happy that I'm back and can prove to people there that I’m better than I was last season. I’m excited, I’m pumped.”

There was a real doubt he and coach Rod Brind’Amour could find common ground, with differing philosophies about style and preference. Can they make it work?

“I think we will and we have to," he said. "It’s important for us, I’ve got to give him something for him to give me (more ice-time). I never had a problem with Rod off the ice, we’ve always been good to each other. I’ve got to be better. Be a player he can trust. I’m looking for a bigger role, I definitely want to play more, but obviously I’ve got to show it on the ice and I already talked with Rod.” 

12. Despite heavy interrogation, Nečas avoided specifics on which teams talked to him: “I’ll be honest, there were lots.” He did confirm Columbus and Winnipeg were serious, and some Hurricanes worked him hard to stay. “I love the guys in Carolina. Great chemistry off the ice.”

13. Aho called Guentzel, tried to convince him to stay. “That one obviously stung,” he said. “(But) you’ve got to be happy for him to get that kind of deal. I still think we have a lot of good things going on with our team.”

His plane poker game will need a new fourth, with Brett Pesce gone to New Jersey. (The others are Jesper Fast and Jordan Staal.) He’s tight with Seth Jarvis, who seems to have the exact opposite personality. “He’s way out there, no filter. But it’s natural. That’s why we love him. When cameras are not there, I’m a little more in that direction as he is, but he’s way out there. You spend a day with him, you see, ‘This guy’s nuts, but in a good way. Not rude or anything, nice guy.’”

I have a theory that Carolina’s extension with Jarvis is not far from done, possibly delayed because GM Eric Tulsky continues to tinker.

14. Aho is Carolina’s coffee king. Minimum of two per day, “Just black,” he said. Normal game day is probably four cups, although he did admit a few occasions where it’s gone to six or eight. Really? “Yeah, that’s too much. Let’s (say) four.” He loves a certain Finnish brand, but says he’s no snob and will drink Starbucks. 

15. One under-the-radar Carolina move was Darren Yorke’s promotion to associate GM — basically embedding him everywhere in the organization from drafting to developing to running their AHL operation to major decision-making. Carolina’s challenging dance with the Chicago Wolves is no easy portfolio, and several AHL executives said Aaron Schwartz did a marvellous job with it last year. Yorke has a big voice now.

16. Mrazek said he stayed in Chicago for two reasons: “They gave me the chance to get back on track (from) my injuries, get healthy. I want to be part of the rebuild, hopefully part of something special.” Also, Jimmy Waite. “Great goalie coach. Best I’ve had in the NHL." 

17. I don’t know Mrazek that well, but Nečas said he’s the kind of guy who can find out anything about anything. Mrazek has become big into watches, visited the luxury watch Audemars Piguet factory/museum in Switzerland this summer. “I went to see how they are made,” calling the experience “incredible.”

His influence is spreading, educating Nečas on proper timepieces, along with Blackhawks teammates Jason Dickinson, Nick Foligno and Seth Jones. He says he owns 20 to 25. What goes with your best suit? He picked the Audemars Piguet code 11.59 with a leather strap and a perpetual calendar. (Rolexes were mentioned, too.) How is Connor Bedard’s watch game? "There is none. He hasn’t started yet.” Pause. “He will though.” I like my watches, too, but felt like a total loser in the old-school Timex I love to wear. 

18. The NHLPA met with the players who came to Prague, while NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly made the trip. The CBA expires after the 2025-26 season (as does the Canadian television contract) and talks have yet to begin. That’s nothing to be concerned about, plenty of time, and there’s zero credible reason for any stoppage. According to the deputy commissioner, the relationship between the two has “never been better than it is.”

19. Daly was most interesting talking about expansion. It’s coming — and the union believes that as well — but was very careful not to be pinned down. “At the appropriate time” was the phrase he used. It’s clear the league sees legitimate interest and is putting together a proper process, taking meetings and gathering information. He pointed out that, in the United States, the NHL is in fewer markets than its professional brethren, while Seattle and Vegas prove there is “a model that works, a model that allows you to be competitive out of the gate. … Doesn’t mean that it’s imminent, doesn’t mean that it's going to happen in the next year or so.”

It makes sense to tie expansion to a new CBA; more teams equals more jobs. “I don’t think the two are connected currently,” Daly replied. “I don’t think that’s how we view it or are approaching it. It will happen when it’s ready to happen,” not because of any dynamic.

Is 34 teams the maximum, or could we see 36? Is there a maximum number you wouldn’t exceed? “Yes. Do I know what that number is? No. I will also say it’s not just (commissioner Gary Bettman) or I making that decision, it’s also our ownership group that makes the decision. With the last two expansions in particular, the thought process was a lot different (than 1998-2000). Everybody was just interested in adding clubs, there was an $80-million expansion fee, right? It’s much more business-oriented now in terms of how clubs look at it. They don’t want to add franchises just to add franchises, they want to add franchises that will grow the value of the league. ‘Does this market make sense for the National Hockey League? Does it make my franchise more valuable?’ Understanding that I might get a nice cheque in the short term, but this is a longer-term look at asset-value and whether they are making the league better.”

Is there a set expansion fee? “I think it’s safe to say that Gary and I have our marching orders in terms of what we’d expect that value to be.” Does it start with a two? Daly laughed a little. “I’m not going to get more specific than that.” 

20. He anticipated one question before I asked it: Does the talent level exist to support more teams? “The quality of the talent on the players’ side is better that it's ever been and deeper than it's ever been. I don’t worry in terms of dilution of talent. Skill level is off charts, the league becoming younger and younger. … Not concerned about it.”

21. Didn’t get a chance to ask Daly about Ryan Johansen, whose contract can be terminated by Philadelphia. He’s got $8 million remaining. Agent Kurt Overhardt is preparing for a fight, and the Flyers wouldn’t pursue this without a behind-the-scenes wink from the NHL.

I don’t like to question injuries, especially since anyone who's played 905 games (like Johansen) is guaranteed to have legitimate ones. I’m told the key will be everyone navigating how he went from not missing games and practices in Colorado to how he was unable to play for either Philadelphia or AHL Lehigh Valley. The timing is a little weird, which probably has something to do with video of Johansen dancing at his wedding. Again, I wouldn’t try to handicap this, except for saying the NHL and NHLPA hate risking precedent from an arbitrator, so a settlement is always the preference without an air-tight case.

22. There was a ton of interest in Yaroslav Askarov: Colorado, Montreal, New Jersey, Utah and, of course, San Jose, which got him. (Probably more.) 

23. Winnipeg got a better return for Rutger McGroarty than many expected — especially when he didn’t move at the draft.

24. Great that Gabriel Landeskog expects to play. I saw someone who knew him last spring, and they were not optimistic. Awesome to hear much better news.

25. The thing that surprised most about Ian Clark stepping away from day-to-day Vancouver goalie duties was the timing. Usually those decisions are made earlier in the summer. The Rangers announced Benoit Allaire’s replacement this week, but they knew it was a foregone conclusion during the season. This one unfolded pretty recently and pretty quickly.

What to watch for will be how (or if) Thatcher Demko’s workload both on and off the ice changes under new supervision. No one is really sure about his timeline. The Canucks wanted Demko — who was recovering from injury — to play (preferably twice) before last year’s playoffs, so they knew if they could count on him. He made those two appearances and won Game 1 versus Nashville, then broke down and did not return in the playoffs. It wasn’t an unreasonable request, but did Demko, like any athlete would, push himself too hard to hit that target? And what does that mean for the future?

26. I wasn’t surprised Edmonton didn’t match Philip Broberg’s offer sheet, but I was — a bit — that they didn’t keep Dylan Holloway. However, I see what Edmonton decided: keeping in-season cap flexibility is paramount, and they worked backward from there. They want as much ability as possible to address weaknesses in-season, which means limiting LTIR use. So, while this episode is complete, there’s still more in the series. Let’s see, in a few months, what Edmonton does. For now, they turn their attention to Leon Draisaitl.

27. If newly acquired Ty Emberson plays fewer than 50 games, he will be an unrestricted free agent. But the Oilers like him, so it shouldn’t be a problem.

28. A couple notes: I’d mentioned one thing about Broberg and one thing about Holloway that were disputed. I said I heard Edmonton’s offer to Broberg was in the $1.8-million range, so he got a 250 per cent bonus on what he was expecting. That was high, with the Oilers providing statistical analysis comparing him to Justin Barron and Kevin Bahl, offering a $1.1-million salary. So Broberg received 400 per cent more than he was expecting. (Doug Armstrong: I’m looking for this kind of an offer sheet for my next deal, FYI.) Agents and players absolutely loved that this happened, and you can see why. Broberg never rescinded his in-season trade demand, and the Oilers knew he was unhappy. 

29. As for Holloway, I mentioned that he received a three-year offer at some point from the Oilers. One source swears that’s true, but a couple of others said no. I do know this: there were one- and two-year offers made in July — at approximately $850K (the former) and $1 million (the latter). He did very well financially, too.  

30. Saw Radko Gudas will attend the North American media tour for Anaheim. Captain Duck?

31. I think there are things percolating out there, including Toronto considering left-wing options.

32. Tried to ask every player if there’s one thing they’d want to change about the NHL. Several, especially the younger ones, basically said, “What do I have to complain about? I’m living my dream, and making good money.” Two goalies — Sam Ersson and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen — said they’d get rid of the shootout. (Tomas Hertl liked that, too.) If the shootout stays, Pastrnak said the game-winning goal should count to a scorer’s individual total as is done in Europe. Hischier likes more European games. Aho and Nino Niederreiter wanted a return to one-versus-eight playoff seeding in each conference.