As the second half of the NHL season ramps up and teams begin jockeying for playoff spots, there's another battle going on at the bottom of the standings. The...
One of the beauties of life is that for everything that
happens, there is balance. That’s even true in hockey! Earlier this week, Sara Civian looked
at
Trevor Zegras, Sarah Nurse Announced as NHL 23 Cover Athletes
Aug 24, 2022
BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 17: Sarah Nurse of Canada celebrates after scoring his team's first goal at the women's ice hockey gold medal match between Canada and USA during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at National Indoor Stadium on February 17, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Mario Hommes/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
Olympic gold medalist Sarah Nurse and Anaheim Ducks breakout star Trevor Zegras are the cover athletes for NHL 23.
EA Sports made the cover announcement today, with a full reveal coming Thursday:
Drafted No. 9 overall by the Ducks in 2019, Zegras made his NHL debut in the second half of the 2020-21 season. He showed tremendous potential with 13 points in 24 games.
After making Anaheim's opening-night roster for the 2021-22 campaign, Zegras established himself as the face of the franchise. The 21-year-old led the team with 38 assists and ranked second with 23 goals and 61 points in 75 games.
Zegras was named to the All-Rookie team and finished second to Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider in Calder Trophy voting.
Nurse had a historic performance for the Canadian women's national team at the Beijing Olympics. Her 18 points and 13 assists were the most in a single women's tournament.
With Canada's 3-2 win over the United States in the final, Nurse became the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal in ice hockey.
The first, but definitely not the last 🥇
Sarah Nurse is the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal in hockey 👏
In Beijing, the Hamilton, Ont. native set two new Olympic records for most points (18) and most assists (13) in a single women's tournament pic.twitter.com/LI01tQGmft
NHL 23 will mark the first time since 2003 that EA Sports will feature multiple cover athletes. This will be the 32nd installment in the long-running franchise that dates back to 1991.
A release date is expected to be announced during the full reveal of the game on Thursday. It will be released on the PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series S.
The weeks between the end of the
Stanley Cup playoffs and Aug. 1 tend to see a considerable amount of
activity in the trade and free-agent markets. General...
Report: John Klingberg, Ducks Agree to 1-year Contract; Expected to Be Worth $7M
Jul 29, 2022
CALGARY, AB - MAY 15: John Klingberg #3 of the Dallas Stars in action against the Calgary Flames during Game Seven of the First Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Saddledome on May 15, 2022 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Flames defeated the Stars 3-2 in overtime. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images)
Former Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg is signing a one-year deal with the Anaheim Ducks that is expected to be worth around $7 million, according to The Athletic's Eric Stephens and ESPN's Kevin Weekes.
The news comes after Klingberg parted ways with his longtime agent, Peter Wallen, earlier this week. He is now represented by Newport Sports Management.
Klingberg, arguably the top defenseman available this summer, had been testing the free agent market since it opened on July 13. The Athletic's Saad Yousuf suggested last week that the market wasn't what Klingberg and his camp were expecting.
That said, it's no surprise Klingberg agreed to a one-year contract with the Ducks. He'll now have the opportunity to re-enter free agency next summer in hopes of signing a larger, long-term deal.
Klingberg had spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Stars, who selected him in the fifth round of the 2010 NHL draft. He burst onto the scene in 2014-15 and was named to the All-Rookie Team after notching 11 goals and 29 assists in 65 games.
In 552 games in Dallas, the 29-year-old tallied 71 goals and 303 assists. He also had a decent 2021-22 campaign, notching six goals and 41 assists in 74 games.
It's unclear how the Stars plan to replace Klingberg this summer.
Ryan Suter and Miro Heiskanen figure to be Dallas' top-pairing defensemen in 2022-23, but things get a little dicey beyond the duo with Esa Lindell, Jani Hakanpaa, Thomas Harley and Colin Miller expected to fill out the remainder of the defense.
The Stars are projected to have $11.5 million in cap space, per CapFriendly. Some defensemen still available include P.K. Subban, Calvin de Haan, Michal Kempny, Ryan Murray, Dean Kukan, Keith Yandle and Jack Johnson.
However, none of those players are likely to make up for the loss of Klingberg.
As for Anaheim, the Ducks will have an impressive defensive unit in 2022-23. In addition to Klingberg, the franchise also boasts a group of blue liners that includes Cam Fowler, Jamie Drysdale, Urho Vaakanainen, Kevin Shattenkirk, Simon Benoit and Josh Mahura.
Before signing Klingberg, the Ducks were projected to have nearly $26 million in cap space, per CapFriendly. They'll still have plenty of room to take a shot at some of the other top free agents available if they wish, including Nazem Kadri.
Ducks Prospect Will Francis Attends Camp After Final Leukemia Treatment
Jul 14, 2022
MONTREAL, QC - JANUARY 27: View of a Anaheim Ducks logo on a jersey during the Anaheim Ducks versus the Montreal Canadiens game on January 27, 2022, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Anaheim Ducks prospect Will Francis is headed back to the ice after undergoing two-and-a-half years of chemotherapy to treat leukemia.
Francis, who is attending Ducks' Development Camp, received a tribute in front of his peers from Anaheim head coach Dallas Eakins:
After 2 ½ years of chemo to fight leukemia, Ducks prospect Will Francis finished his last treatment.
Four days later he is here at Ducks Development Camp, where his teammates and Head Coach Dallas Eakins paid tribute. pic.twitter.com/XMyDGyl62B
On Monday, the 22-year-old rang the bell at Minneapolis' Fairview Masonic Children's Hospital to mark his final chemotherapy treatment.
Francis, whose journey has been chronicled on his CaringBridge site, was selected in the sixth round of the 2019 NHL draft.
Soon afterward, he was preparing to play a second season for the USHL's Cedar Rapids Rough Riders with plans to later attend the University of Minnesota Duluth.
Unfortunately, he was sidelined after suffering a torn meniscus during a power-play drill, per Eric Stephens of The Athletic.
In March 2020, numerous physical symptoms led Francis to seek further medical treatment, and he was diagnosed with leukemia that month. That started a long and arduous path, but Francis has now completed chemo. He was even able to play five games for UMD last season.
Now the 6'5" defenseman is skating in an NHL team camp as he continues his journey to the NHL.
These are trying times in Boston. Not only have the Bruins not won a Stanley Cup in 11 years, but they've also gradually slid backward from near-misses in 2013...
