Pushed Aside By Size

THe old way of thinking in the NHL never seems to go away. No matter which general manager is running a team, the idea that size and experience are better than youth and speed always seems to be prevalent in the NHL. That became more evident today when the New York Islanders signed former Jets and Sabres defender Logan Stanley to a one-year deal worth $1.5 million, far less than most pundits had predicted he'd get on the open market after last season's explosion of goals. That's not to say that Stanley didn't have a good season, but that his time in Buffalo may have been more telling than what he showed in protected minutes on the blue line with the Jets.

It seemed like the Islanders were content to have either 2025 first-round pick Kashawn Aitcheson or 22-year-old Isaiah George start the season on the team's third pairing alongside Scott Mayfield, but somewhere that dream died as the team went to the free agent market to find Stanley. As a result, both Aitcheson and George were sent to AHL Hamilton where they'll start the season with the Hammers. While there's nothing wrong with giving these two a chance to play top minutes in the AHL, one has to wonder if the Islanders would get better results with either of them over Stanley.

All of Stanley's advanced stats point to a defenceman whose offensive abilities are limited by his biggest weakness: skating. Yes, he's got a big shot thanks to his size, but 90 of his 260 shot attempts last season were blocked (34.6%) as per MoneyPuck. 74 of his 260 shot attempts also missed the net (29.2%), meaning that 63.8% of his shots never reached the intended target. It's not like these shots were being deflected by teammates; these were shots that were blocked or missed the net entirely. Despite taking 80 more shots than he did in 2021, his percentage of shots that didn't hit the net actually went up!

Maybe the Islanders wanted him for his size and defensive play, but I'm going to pump the brakes once more. In no season was Logan Stanley's expected goals-against worse and high-danger chances against worse. It became much more obvious in Buffalo where he was exploited a handful of times before being relegated to the pressbox by head coach Lindy Ruff, but the fact is that his team's defensive play got worse in both cities when Logan Stanley was on the ice. For a bubble team like the Islanders may be, that doesn't help.

I have no idea why a poor-skating, defensively-challenged defender is something that Mathieu Darche wanted on his team, but Logan Stanley will start the season patrolling the blue line on Long Island. I get that he has experience at the NHL level which is something that should help him and his team, but getting Kashawn Aitcheson or Isaiah George that experience would also be beneficial for the Islanders. In fact, it may be better that they get it in a season where the Islanders aren't considered as Stanley Cup contenders because mistakes made by Aitcheson and George won't be as glaring.

If Aitcheson and George are ready to play at a high level in a year or two, they'll have one of the most young, dynamic blue lines in all of hockey with Matthew Schaefer, Alexander Romanov, Aitcheson, and George all under the age of 29. Every NHL GM would be salivating over the possibility of keeping that defensive core intact for a number of playoff runs in similar fashion to how Montreal's blue line currently has them on the precipice of something big. Of course, there are a number of factors that go into winning a Stanley Cup, but having a four-man unit of Schaefer, Romanov, Aitcheson, and George would make the Islanders a formidable foe in the Atlantic Division.

Instead, Islanders fans will get a season of Logan Stanley on the blue line. Maybe Stanley will impress and play a sound defensive game while chipping in on the offence where he can, but that never materialized in Winnipeg nor in Buffalo. There will be games where he looks and plays like the Boston Bruins' Zdeno Chara for a number of shifts, but he's far too often the New York Islanders' version of Chara where he was big, prone to mistakes, and not very good on his skates. Like Chara, Stanley will throw hits and get into fights, but I'm assuming most Islanders fans don't need that memory again.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

No Formal Announcements, But...

Benjamin Franklin is credited with saying that there are two certainties in life: death and taxes. And while that may be true for most people on the planet, hockey fans always had a third certainty that they could rely on every September as Jaromir Jagr took the ice for a professional hockey team somewhere on the planet. The 54 year-old only played six games for the Kladno Knights last season, and it would mark the first time he hasn't skated in a professional league in 38 years if he didn't sign with a team for this season. As it stands right now, that hasn't happened.

Jagr's season last year didn't go as planned as he was injured to start the season and never really found his stride. He didn't dress for any of Kladno's playoff games, and he often was bumped from the lineup in favour of younger, faster players who would skate more than eight minutes per night. Jagr's one assist may have been his last professional point after he didn't sign with Kladno this season nor did he skate in training camp or any of the team's preseason games.

Of course, no one really knows what Jagr may be planning regarding his hockey future after commenting in February that "[i]t would have to be a miracle" for him to play this season, but he has yet to make any formal announcement about stepping away from the game. We know he sold the majority stake in the Kladno Knights in 2025, and new owner Tomáš Drastil began to overhaul and upgrade the players he had on his roster. While Jagr still sold tickets, Drastil was looking to trasform the Kladno Knights into the powerhouse they once were.

At 54, Jagr literally owes no one anything when it comes to his hockey career. He won Stanley Cups, an Olympic gold medal, World Championship gold medals, and a myriad of personal awards that would fill a wing at the Hockey Hall of Fame. He played in the NHL, the KHL, the Czech Extraliga, the Italian-A League, and the first-division German league in his career, representing 14 different teams. He is, and likely always will be, the highest scoring Czech player in NHL history and sits second all-time in NHL scoring. Sidney Crosby is the closest active player, and he's still 160 points back of Jagr!

I mention this today because the NHL preseason is ending for most teams, and it's hard to imagine a hockey world where Jaromir Jagr isn't playing after skating for 38 seasons. He did tell The Associated Press's Karel Janicek in February, "I don’t train to be ready to play, but I try to go skating every day if I have time," but it's not like he's preparing his body for another season of professional hockey.

As of right now, the Kladno Knights don't have Jagr on their roster page nor am I expecting him to appear there unless there's a rash of injuries in a short period of time. It's kind of crazy to think that Jagr, who skated for Kladno in parts of 13 seasons, has never skated in the playoffs for his hometown team, but that may be how his career ends if he's not on the roster this season. For the record, Kladno isn't expected to win the Extraliga, but it would have been nice to see Jagr skate once in those playoffs for the team he grew up watching.

I think, at this point, it's safe to say that Jaromir Jagr has retired from hockey. That's an unofficial stance by this writer, but telling Janicek in February that "I do nothing else but eat and watch TV" would indicate that the hockey legend's career might have come to a close. Hockey will press on without one of the game's most notable legends, but it's hard to believe that the Jaromir Jagr era is over.

Like that picture of him in the bubble bath, though, he's earned all the time to relax that he wants as long as he doesn't change his mind!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Tuck Rule

I'll admit that the first thing I noticed about the Flyers' jerseys last night was that massive IBX add on the shoulder. We'll talk about that later, but the image to the left is of Trevor Zegras sitting in the penalty box after being sent off by officials for "improperly wearing equipment" in their preseason game against the Boston Bruins. You might be thinking that everything looks fine on Zegras when it comes to how he's dressed, but officials noticed that his jersey was tucked into his pants during play, and he was officially penalized for that fashion choice. I'll make it known: I am in favour of the NHL cracking down on equipment infractions.

At 9:51 of the second period of the Flyers-Bruins preseason game, Zegras received a two-minute minor penalty for delay of game. What was weird is that this was called moments after a face-off in the Bruins' zone, so there was some confusion. Here's that moment.

As you can see at the blue line, that's referee Francis Charron, an 18-year veteran, making the call on Zegras, and Zegras had a chat with referee Jon McIsaac as he was being escorted to the penalty box. McIsaac, a 15-year veteran, broke the news to Zegras that he was being called for his tucked-in jersey. In short, this wasn't some hotshot rookie referee that was looking to make a name for himself.

According to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic, "Zegras said after the game he was given a warning when he had it tucked to start the game, 'because that's how I usually play. It must have just went back in on the bench, and when I came out, just forgot, and (they) called it'".

Kurz also noted that The Athletic's Chris Johnston reported that wearing equipment properly is a point of emphasis entering this season, and will include "visors, neck guards and cut-resistant gear (now required for all new players), helmets in warmup and tucked jerseys". The Flyers were aware of the new mandate as per head coach Rick Tocchet who told Kurz, "They told us, in all fairness two, three weeks ago. I didn't even think about it. … Obviously, can't do it anymore. Regular season starts, we can't have a penalty like that. I actually had to put (Matvei Michkov’s jersey) down on the bench."

Some people are going to roll their eyes and say the NHL is going too far, but this has always been part of the NHL rulebook since 1964. The stricter enforcement comes with players altering their uniforms and equipment to gain an advantage which, in turn, could lower the safety aspect of the uniform and equipment. Zegras' jersey tuck, for example, is that he likely doesn't have his jersey tied down as it should be, and that's not how the jersey is designed to be worn. That, by the letter of the law, is a penalty, and Zegras broke the rule.

Admittedly, the NHL never really cared about the jersey tuck thanks to some guy who wore #99 and set a bunch of scoring records, but this rule has to be applied to all equipment or there would be chaos. Consider that the NHL penalized Maple Leafs forward Leo Komarov at 6:26 of the first period in the opening game of the 2017 NHL season for his visor being pushed up on his helmet, creating an unsafe situation for Komarov. If the officials had shrugged and Komarov was high-sticked or took a puck in the face, the NHL could be liable.

As stated above, the mandated cut-resistant gear comes on the heels of Adam Johnson's death in the EIHL, Richard Zednik's scary neck incident, and Erik Karlsson's Achilles injury. Cut-resistant equipment is good, but a properly-secured jersey helps protect players as well.

No one complains about NHL players not being able to show personality or bring their style to the game while wearing helmets, yet helmets were mandated for all new players entering the NHL on June 1, 1979 following the death of Bill Masterton from a brain injury on January 13, 1968. No one complains that the players are losing personality or style with everyone wearing visors which the NHL mandated at the start of the 2013–14 season. And no one will complain that no player tucks their jerseys into their pants if the NHL makes it a point to end this equipment trend. Safety matters.

Every player will be warned this season if there's an equipment problem, so they'll have a chance to correct the issue. If they choose not to do that like Zegras chose not to, they will sit and watch for two minutes from the little bench. If they choose to continue to ignore the rule, the third violation would result in a game misconduct. Again, this is less about personal style and more about safety, and I'll side with safer hockey for all every single time.

Feel free to disagree with me if you like, but I'd rather see my favorite NHL stars on the ice rather than nursing injuries for wearing their visors improperly or spending time at the hospital as doctors try to stop them from bleeding to death. Jerseys are part of the equipment players wear, so wearing it properly should be enforced. In this case, count me as a supporter of the jersey tuck rule.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 731

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back in the UMFM studios tonight as both hosts are back on a somewhat normal schedule! There has been a pile of news that has happened in the last two weeks and our hosts will dive into a number of stories, but they also have some adventures to discuss as they have been busy while away from the studio. Of course, the regular chatter about all of hockey's bigger stories will eat up the majority of the hour, so get yourself ready tonight for The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason will look at a number of stories including politics in hockey after Alexander Ovechkin appeared in a Russian political advertisement, the kerfuffle around the Edmonton Oilers' personnel, rule changes that will make two leagues more watchable, book reviews done by each of our hosts, Kevin Hayes and his future, PWHL recent announcements, and anything else we can squeeze into the hour of fun! It should be a show where opinions are stated about a number of topics, so make sure you have your device connected tonight to The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The UMFM website's streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store.

If you have questions, you can email all show queries and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter! I'm here to listen to you, so make your voice heard! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason chat politics in hockey, vetting your people, making hockey better, good reading material, walking away quickly, women's hockey news, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: September 24, 2026: Episode 731

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Slightly Younger Boys' Club

With the NHL targeting younger owners with money such as Ryan Smith, Tom Dundon, and Geoff Hoffman as the next wave of ownership, one had to hold out hope that the NHL Board of Governors might have a younger leader sitting as the Chairman of the Board at some point. Outgoing Chairman Jeremy Jacobs is 86 years-old, so the NHL certainly was wearing its "old boys' club" pin proudly despite it constantly being years behind on trends and not keeping up with technology in the digital age. That's not to say that older folks don't understand technology or aren't tech savvy, but one would think that the NHL might aim for a younger replacement for Jacobs after he served for the last 19 years as the Chairman of the NHL Board of Governors.

Instead of looking at the younger group who recently joined, the NHL Board of Governors elected 70 year-old Ted Leonsis as their new Chairman with 66 year-old Murray Edwards serving as Vice-Chair of the Board of Governors. Both men recently served as their teams' respective Governors so both are familiar with what everything that goes on inside the room at the NHL Board of Governors meetings.

Neither of those two men likely have their finger on the pulse when it comes to the 18-64 year-old demographic upon which their teams rely, but Leonsis' background sees him as a former senior executive with America Online, better known as AOL. Edwards, meanwhile, made his fortune as a Canadian oil sands financier, so his knowledge of emerging digitinal and entertainment trends likely is limited.

If the NHL is going to try and capture more of the North American pro sports market, a former software executive and an oil man are now tasked to lead that charge, and I can't see them being successful.

"Long before I became an owner, I was a fan of this game and of the Washington Capitals. I love hockey and have a profound belief in its potential. We have proven in Washington how investing in a team, its fans and in a community can create a true hockey city," said Leonsis in a statement.

Leonsis isn't wrong when it comes to the Capitals' popularity in its own market as the pie chart to the right shows. That data was captured by Ben Standig, Brittany Ghiroli and Fred Katz of The Athletic, but it comes with an asterisk that winning teams always are more popular in polls and this data was captured on the heels of a 2018 Stanley Cup championship for the Capitals. The Commanders still are easily the top team in the region thanks to the NFL marketing machine, but the Capitals slightly edged the Nationals in Wahsington, DC proper in their 2020 poll.

Of course, that means nothing in places like Anaheim, Columbus, and Ottawa who played below 93% capacity last season despite two of those teams making the playoffs. With prices on merchandise, tickets, and TV options rising faster than people can afford, this is a major problem for the NHL Board of Governors that they're going to have to remedy sooner than later after nine teams played to 95% or less capacity last season. Based on everything that's happened in the TV sports landscape with losses and costs, Leonsis and Edwards may be stepping into one of the most critical times in the NHL's history.

Leonsis may have showed his hand early, telling The Athletic's Chris Johnston, "It's not about TV anymore. It's about global digital and finding the next generation of big important partners. … It's still a huge part of our revenue base and is very, very strategic for us."

That quiet sound you heard was Ed Rogers screaming into a pillow after Leonsis dropped the "not about TV anymore" comment, but this comes back to the current landscape where Bally Sports and Victory+ both went bankrupt as regional carriers of games while both ESPN and TNT have been silently stewing in the background about the national rights costing a pile more when their deals end in 2027-28.

Perhaps the one thing that potentially gives me hope is that Leonsis seems to be aware of the NHL's stature in the public eye. He told NHL.com's Dan Rosen, "The role that we play in our cities, in our communities, we're becoming the most important enterprises in many of our cities. The social responsibility and the role we are playing all comes from growth: more customers, more sponsors. You've got to keep that spiral going up. So having that growth dynamic and mindset, I think, is what our job is at the executive level."

It's this awareness of social responsibility that could win back a large number of fans - me included - if the NHL simply looked at how society is evolving. The LGBTQ+ community is embraced in other leagues, but the NHL has resisted making that community feel welcome after players' outrage over wearing Pride jerseys hit stupidity levels. And yet there are corporations and businesses who are major sponsors of the NHL who embrace the LGBTQ+ community because we live and work together. That's how people feel welcome.

Slice it how you like, but the NHL's "old boys' club" will always be that thanks to no women owning or running clubs and the Board of Governors opting to elect men who have sat in that role for nearly two decades. As some of the younger owners get more involved, however, attitudes may change on a number of things. If Ted Leonsis is serious about molding the NHL into a more socially-responsible and more welcoming and accessible league, this could be a the start of something big for the NHL. All it takes is a little courage.

Congratulations to Ted Leonsis and Murray Edwards on being appointed as the Chair and Vice-Chair of the NHL Board of Governors, but now it's time to show us what the NHL believes in under your leadership. Will we get the old boys' way of thinking or will these two usher in a new way of approaching NHL matters knowing the jury are people attending and watching games? Time, as it always does, will reveal all in the end. And that's why it remains undefeated.

The NHL doesn't need to be perfect, but it needs a few easy wins.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!