NHL

Minnesota Wild goalie Alex Stalock (32) is crashed into by Vancouver Canucks’ Loui Eriksson (21) during second period NHL qualifying round game action in Edmonton on Thursday, August 6, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Canucks blank Wild 3-0, take series lead in penalty-filled NHL qualifying clash

Jacob Markstrom stops 27 shots to lead Vancouver past Minnesota

Minnesota Wild goalie Alex Stalock (32) is crashed into by Vancouver Canucks’ Loui Eriksson (21) during second period NHL qualifying round game action in Edmonton on Thursday, August 6, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
Specimens to be tested for COVID-19 are seen at a lab in Surrey, B.C., on Thursday, March 26, 2020. The NHL says the laboratories hired to conduct daily COVID-19 tests on players in Edmonton and Toronto keep their supply chains separate from the public’s to ensure never the twain shall meet. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

NHL and its labs say COVID-19 testing doesn’t overlap with public’s

Roughly 1,500 samples are collected and analysed daily in each city

Specimens to be tested for COVID-19 are seen at a lab in Surrey, B.C., on Thursday, March 26, 2020. The NHL says the laboratories hired to conduct daily COVID-19 tests on players in Edmonton and Toronto keep their supply chains separate from the public’s to ensure never the twain shall meet. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Minnesota Wild goaltender Alex Stalock (32) makes a save against Vancouver Canucks’ Bo Horvat (53) as Wild’s Brad Hunt (77) defends during second period NHL Stanley Cup qualifying round action in Edmonton, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Codie McLachlan

Canucks tame Minnesota Wild 4-3 to even NHL qualifying series

J.T. Miller leads Vancouver with goal and an assist

Minnesota Wild goaltender Alex Stalock (32) makes a save against Vancouver Canucks’ Bo Horvat (53) as Wild’s Brad Hunt (77) defends during second period NHL Stanley Cup qualifying round action in Edmonton, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Codie McLachlan
Vancouver Canucks’ Micheal Ferland (79) fights Minnesota Wild’s Marcus Foligno (17) during first period NHL Stanley Cup qualifying round action in Edmonton, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Codie McLachlan

Wild blank Canucks 3-0 to take early NHL play-in series lead

Stalock shuts down Vancouver in opener

Vancouver Canucks’ Micheal Ferland (79) fights Minnesota Wild’s Marcus Foligno (17) during first period NHL Stanley Cup qualifying round action in Edmonton, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Codie McLachlan
Montreal Canadiens defenceman Jeff Petry (26) celebrates along with Canadiens right wing Brendan Gallagher (11) after scoring the game winning goal past Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Matt Murray (30) during overtime NHL Eastern Conference Stanley Cup playoff action in Toronto on Saturday, August 1, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

NHL hit with criticism over English-only version of ‘O Canada’ on Saturday

Anthem by Buble was recorded at an empty Rogers Arena in Vancouver

Montreal Canadiens defenceman Jeff Petry (26) celebrates along with Canadiens right wing Brendan Gallagher (11) after scoring the game winning goal past Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Matt Murray (30) during overtime NHL Eastern Conference Stanley Cup playoff action in Toronto on Saturday, August 1, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
A man watches the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs at a bar in Montreal, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Fans still drawn to arenas despite secure zones as NHL returns to ice

Many fans watching in bars, however, seemed to appreciate the precautions the bars were taking

A man watches the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs at a bar in Montreal, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Mathew Dumba kneels during the U.S. national anthem on Aug. 1, 2020. (NHL/Twitter)

Wild’s Mathew Dumba makes anti-racism speech, kneels ahead of Blackhawks vs. Oilers

Matt Dumba, 26, took to center ice to speak on behalf of fellow members of the Hockey Diversity Alliance

Mathew Dumba kneels during the U.S. national anthem on Aug. 1, 2020. (NHL/Twitter)
Vancouver Canucks’ Alexander Edler (23), of Sweden, hauls down St. Louis Blues’ Ryan O’Reilly (90) in front of goalie Jacob Markstrom, back, of Sweden, during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, on Tuesday November 5, 2019. The Canucks meet the Minnesota Wild in 2020 ‘play-in’ series action. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Who’s ready for a little NHL action in August?

Podcast: Preview of Stanley Cup ‘play-in’ series amid COVID-19 pandemic

Vancouver Canucks’ Alexander Edler (23), of Sweden, hauls down St. Louis Blues’ Ryan O’Reilly (90) in front of goalie Jacob Markstrom, back, of Sweden, during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, on Tuesday November 5, 2019. The Canucks meet the Minnesota Wild in 2020 ‘play-in’ series action. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Winnipeg Jets’ Neal Pionk (4) battles hard against Vancouver Canucks’ Elias Pettersson (40) in front of Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck during second period NHL exhibition game action in Edmonton, on Wednesday, July 29, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Codie McLachlan

Hellebuyck backstops Jets to 4-1 win over Canucks in NHL exhibition play

Vancouver will meet Minnesota Wild in play-in series

Winnipeg Jets’ Neal Pionk (4) battles hard against Vancouver Canucks’ Elias Pettersson (40) in front of Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck during second period NHL exhibition game action in Edmonton, on Wednesday, July 29, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Codie McLachlan
A security guard peers out from behind NHL branded fencing at the entrance where players arrive at Toronto’s Royal York hotel, which is acting as the “bubble” ahead of the return of the league’s season following disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in Toronto, Sunday, July 26, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

NHL announces no positive COVID-19 tests over final week of Phase 3

All 24 teams have entered the secure zones in the hub cities of Edmonton and Toronto

A security guard peers out from behind NHL branded fencing at the entrance where players arrive at Toronto’s Royal York hotel, which is acting as the “bubble” ahead of the return of the league’s season following disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in Toronto, Sunday, July 26, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
Rob Shick of Port Alberni, the National Hockey League’s senior officiating manager, takes a photo just before entering the NHL ‘bubble’, where practices and games will be held under special COVID-19 rules for a shortened 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. (PHOTO COURTESY ROB SHICK)

NHL’s Rob Shick goes ‘inside the bubble’ for pro hockey’s restart

B.C.-born senior officiating manager heads to camp in Toronto, missing his B.C. golf classic

Rob Shick of Port Alberni, the National Hockey League’s senior officiating manager, takes a photo just before entering the NHL ‘bubble’, where practices and games will be held under special COVID-19 rules for a shortened 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. (PHOTO COURTESY ROB SHICK)
A server pulls a pint of beer at Station Sports bar in Montreal, Saturday, July 25, 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues in Canada and around the world. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Return of baseball, basketball brings customers back to sports bars

Sergakis said bars will need government help to get through the coming months to avoid major closures in Montreal

A server pulls a pint of beer at Station Sports bar in Montreal, Saturday, July 25, 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues in Canada and around the world. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
FILE - In this Oct. 11, 2012, file photo from Toronto , former Toronto Maple Leafs player Johnny Bower, right, looks at Eddie Shack’s personalized miniature Stanley Cup from the 1962 championship. Shack, one of the NHL’s most colorful players on and off the ice, has died. He was 83. The Maple Leafs announced the news in a tweet Sunday, July 26, 2020. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Aaron Vincent Elkaim, File)

Former Maple Leafs star Eddie Shack dies at 83

Shack had 239 goals, 465 points and 1,431 penalty minutes in 1,047 NHL games

FILE - In this Oct. 11, 2012, file photo from Toronto , former Toronto Maple Leafs player Johnny Bower, right, looks at Eddie Shack’s personalized miniature Stanley Cup from the 1962 championship. Shack, one of the NHL’s most colorful players on and off the ice, has died. He was 83. The Maple Leafs announced the news in a tweet Sunday, July 26, 2020. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Aaron Vincent Elkaim, File)
Vancouver Canucks crawl on the ice after losing a split-squad scrimmage during the NHL hockey team’s training camp in Vancouver, on Wednesday, July 15, 2020. The 24 teams playing for the Stanley Cup arrived Sunday in the hub cities of Toronto and Edmonton. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

NHL players take assortment of creature comforts with them to hub cities

Players armed themselves for a potentially lengthy stay with a few of their favourite things

Vancouver Canucks crawl on the ice after losing a split-squad scrimmage during the NHL hockey team’s training camp in Vancouver, on Wednesday, July 15, 2020. The 24 teams playing for the Stanley Cup arrived Sunday in the hub cities of Toronto and Edmonton. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
The NHL unveiled the name of its 32nd team, the Seattle Kraken. (Seattle Kraken)

Release the Kraken: Seattle unveils name for NHL franchise

Team will play out of Seattle

The NHL unveiled the name of its 32nd team, the Seattle Kraken. (Seattle Kraken)
Vancouver Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom (25), of Sweden, stops Vancouver Canucks’ Chris Tanev (8) as Brock Boeser (6) watches during the NHL hockey team’s training camp in Vancouver, B.C., Wednesday, July 15, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

‘Some wild hockey’: NHLers say fans can expect some entertaining summer games

Players don’t think it will take long for the 24 mostly healthy teams involved in the resumption to find their groove

Vancouver Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom (25), of Sweden, stops Vancouver Canucks’ Chris Tanev (8) as Brock Boeser (6) watches during the NHL hockey team’s training camp in Vancouver, B.C., Wednesday, July 15, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Oilers fans pack the square during the Edmonton Oilers’ Orange Crush community rally in Sir Winston Churchill Square in Edmonton on Thursday, April 20, 2017. Hockey fans in Canadian cities with NHL teams have a reputation for expressing their exhuberance in the streets during the playoffs, and some admit the temptation to ignore physical-distancing guidlines may prove too great as the pandemic-postponed season resumes next month. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Codie McLachlan

As postponed NHL season resumes, some fans say the lure of parties will be strong

The players themselves aren’t to have any contact with the general public

Oilers fans pack the square during the Edmonton Oilers’ Orange Crush community rally in Sir Winston Churchill Square in Edmonton on Thursday, April 20, 2017. Hockey fans in Canadian cities with NHL teams have a reputation for expressing their exhuberance in the streets during the playoffs, and some admit the temptation to ignore physical-distancing guidlines may prove too great as the pandemic-postponed season resumes next month. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Codie McLachlan
FILE - In this Jan. 24, 2015, file photo, NHL Player’s Association executive director Donald Fehr, left, and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman attend a news conference at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Given the gravity of the pandemic and the abrupt decision to place the NHL season on pause in March, it did not take Bettman and Fehr long to realize they were going to have to work together if play was to resume any time soon. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

NHL, players take collaborative approach in bid to resume

If all goes as planned, teams will depart for their two respective hub cities, Toronto and Edmonton, on July 26

FILE - In this Jan. 24, 2015, file photo, NHL Player’s Association executive director Donald Fehr, left, and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman attend a news conference at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Given the gravity of the pandemic and the abrupt decision to place the NHL season on pause in March, it did not take Bettman and Fehr long to realize they were going to have to work together if play was to resume any time soon. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
(The Canadian Press)

NHL’s Canadian hubs offer little economic benefit, but morale boost is valuable: experts

Games are slated to start Aug. 1 with six Canadian teams qualifying for the 24-team resumption of play

(The Canadian Press)
FILE - In this Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020, file photo, fans pose below the NHL league logo at a display outside Falcon Stadium before an NHL Stadium Series outdoor hockey game between the Los Angeles Kings and Colorado Avalanche, at Air Force Academy, Colo. The NHL Players’ Association’s executive board is voting on a 24-team playoff proposal as the return-to-play format, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press, late Thursday, May 21, 2020. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

With training camps on the horizon, NHL teams hope to keep COVID-19 at bay

A 28-page document released earlier this week outlines a grocery list of health and safety measures

FILE - In this Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020, file photo, fans pose below the NHL league logo at a display outside Falcon Stadium before an NHL Stadium Series outdoor hockey game between the Los Angeles Kings and Colorado Avalanche, at Air Force Academy, Colo. The NHL Players’ Association’s executive board is voting on a 24-team playoff proposal as the return-to-play format, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press, late Thursday, May 21, 2020. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)