It’s been relatively quiet in the NHL over the past few weeks. One could even argue that the biggest recent headline was Trevor Zegras being robbed of the Breakaway Challenge title at the All-Star game.
But all that changed over the last 24 hours as a flurry of activity involving players, coaches, and front offices kicked into high gear. Here’s what made news in the NHL:
Dave Tippett Fired by Oilers
Tippett is officially out as head coach of the Edmonton Oilers. Edmonton currently sits in 5th place in the Pacific, and 5pts back of Calgary for the final wildcard spot. Whether you want to chalk it up to flawed roster construction, or poor execution, the writing has been on the wall out west for some time now.
Tippett may be the first to get the axe in Edmonton, but he may not be the last. Fans and ownership alike can’t be pleased with how they’re essentially wasting the primes of Draisaitl and McDavid’s careers at the moment, meaning there needs to be change and soon.
GM Ken Holland was brought in during the 2019 campaign but has failed to produce the kind of results that Oilers nation has hoped for. While he’s likely to remain in his current role through at least the trade deadline, his seat may be starting to warm ever so slightly.
In the meantime, Jay Woodcroft from Edmonton’s AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, will assume interim head coach duties for the team.
Ducharme Fired by Habs
Talk about a fall from grace. From Stanley Cup finalist to being fired in the span of a few months, Dominique Ducharme is officially out in Montreal. In his place, HHOF inductee Martin St. Louis will reportedly take over bench duties.
St. Louis brings little formal coaching experience to the table, however he is a native of Laval, QC and had an existing relationship with Jeff Gorton from his playing days in New York. The Habs are expected to keep their current roster of assistant coaches on board to help support St. Louis during this transitional period.
Craig Berube Extended
The St. Louis Blues announced that they would be extending head coach Craig Berube for 3 more years on Wednesday. The 56 year old bench boss sports a .630 win percentage during his time with the Blues and helped the franchise capture its first ever Stanley Cup in 2019.
Previously with the Flyers, Berube is already 4th all-time in franchise history in terms of coaching wins. Financial terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed.
Rask Retires
Fan favourite Tuukka Rask has officially called it a career. The 34 year old netminder briefly attempted a comeback this season with Boston before deciding it was best to hang up the skates for good.
The Finnish goaltender won a cup with Boston in 2011, while accumulating over 300 career wins, and a Vezina award along the way. Originally drafted 21st overall by Toronto in 2005, he spent his entire professional career in Boston after being traded to the Bruins in exchange for Andrew Raycroft.
Marchand Suspended 6 Games
Speaking of the Bruins, star winger Brad Marchand was suspended by the NHL for 6 games as a result of his roughing/high sticking incident with Penguins netminder Tristan Jarry.
Following an in person hearing, the league’s department of player safety announced that due to Marchand’s status as a repeat offender, he would be sidelined for Boston’s next 6 contests. Marchand received a match penalty for intent to injure during the Bruins clash with the Penguins on Tuesday.
Mackinnon Set to Return
And finally, Colorado superstar Nathan Mackinnon is nearing a return after missing 3 straight games with a concussion and a facial fracture. The 26 year old suffered the injury as a result of a hit from Bruins forward Taylor Hall earlier this year.
While the team has yet to confirm when exactly he will be activated, sources indicate that Mackinnon could be targeting a return on Sunday against the Dallas Stars.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner