This is it! The offseason has begun!
Wait, but what about…
Yep, the Los Angeles Kings have won the Stanley Cup, again, as they keep reminding us, and hockey is officially done until next season.
Wait, but there’s still the series between…
The Rangers have gone back to New York thinking about what might have been, if only they had been a good team in the Western Conference. And the Kings stayed in Los Angeles, because of course they did. There’s going to be a parade in their honor today! Check your local TV listings. I’m sure it won’t be on there.
Yes, but what about the Calder Cup Final?
The what?
The AHL championship series. Still ongoing. Between the St. John’s IceCaps and…
…the Texas Stars! Woohoo! How could we forget? It’s only been five days since they last played. But anyway, the offseason has not begun! It won’t truly begin until Wednesday at the earliest. Lovely.
Game time tonight will be 7:30p Newfoundland Time. Which, if you’re like me, means nothing at all. I looked it up though. Apparently they’re 2 and a half hours ahead of Central Time. Weird. I’ll save you doing the math, that’ll be 5p Texas time. Happy hour hockey!
* * *
Here you go. Do your homework. Getting to know the Texas Stars. [On the Radar]
And a little more in depth on one of those prospects, rookie Matej Stransky. [Stars Inside Edge]
And yes. Everybody loves the Texas Stars. Including Jim Nill. [Sports Day DFW]
Regardless of how the series finishes, it’s going to be a short offseason for the Texas Stars. Which is great. Short offseasons should totally be a thing. [100 Degree Hockey]
Great news! Mike Heika thinks there’s a good chance Sergei Gonchar will be traded! [Sports Day DFW]
Thomas Vanek? On the market? Discuss. [Puck Daddy]
Jere Lehtinen named GM of the Finnish national team. Why not? [NHL.com]
The lighter side of the NHL Playoffs. And yes, it begins with a photo of Darryl Sutter. [The Score]
And, because it really is a lovely story, here’s a new piece on Sutter’s relationship with his son, Chris. [Daily News]
A more poignant article than the typical grousing about the hockey gods and puck luck, or the lack thereof… [The Star]
With the offseason here, or merely approaching, depending on your take, it’s time to start talking compliance buyouts. Specifically, what are they? [The Score]
The Syracuse Crunch of the AHL will open next season, in France. In Lyon to be more specific, where they’ll hold their training camp, and play a few exhibition games against Lyon’s top-tier team, and the AHL’s Binghamton Senators. Isn’t that cool? [Syracuse Crunch]
Wait… Tom Green has his own show? And he talks hockey on it with Steve Carell? Who played goaltender as a kid in Massachusetts? What? [LA Times]
Hmm… Maybe the Sharks aren’t a bunch of chokers after all. Nah… [Fear the Fin]
And, because this is what I do on Mondays, Down Goes Brown’s Grab Bag. [Grantland]
And lastly, the end of CBC’s production of Hockey Night in Canada: