The Lightning
-Anything that was posted on Monday quickly got buried by the flurry of afternoon information, including a great post from Justin here on Raw Charge about the legacy of former Tampa Bay Lightning forward Vincent Lecavalier. Here it is one more time in case you missed it!
While playing in a small, non-traditional market has its fair share of benefits, it doesn’t always help when trying to drum up support for post-career awards. Would Lecavalier be getting more of a public push had he put up identical numbers for the New York Rangers or the Montreal Canadiens? Probably. Hell, if he had won a Cup for the Canadiens, he would have automatically been enshrined before the confetti was swept up from the victory parade.
The Crunch
-The Syracuse Crunch certainly benefited the most from Monday’s organizational free agent signings. In this week’s episode, I took to the podcasting airwaves to discuss all of the new players to the organization.
She briefly covers what the Lightning did for the Lightning, including the signing of Luke Schenn and Curtis McElhinney, and then she discusses what Tampa did for Syracuse. The Lightning signed four free agents and hired a coach for the Crunch: goalies Scott Wedgewood and Spencer Martin, forward Chris Mueller, defenseman Luke Witkowski, and coach Joe Palmer. She considers all five of them and what their contracts mean for the team.
-Speaking of signings, one of the biggest ones by the Lightning for Syracuse, forward Chris Mueller, didn’t even get a chance to have his own article yesterday amid everything that went on. However, in yesterday’s Quick Strikes, Hardev covered the signing and why Syracuse is lucky to have the forward from the Toronto Maple Leafs organization. That’s right – it’s time for some Quick Strikes inception!
Mueller was in his first season with the Marlies during my first season covering the team and despite being in a whole new environment, Mueller was very patient and understanding and respectful to a young reporter like me and that relationship has continued to this day. I can safely say he carries the same demeanor around his teammates, and on the ice he’s a monster in front of the net, in transition, and in his own zone. He basically made Jeremy Bracco what he is today. A true top-line center in the AHL in every sense of the word.
-In this week’s Crunch Time, Syracuse broadcaster Lukas Favale’s weekly podcast, he talked with Cal Foote about his brother being drafted by the Lightning!
On the latest episode of #CrunchTime, I discuss the impact of the free agent additions for the #SyrCrunch. Plus defenseman Cal Foote hops on to discuss his summer and the moment his brother was picked by the #TBLightning in the 2019 NHL Draft. https://t.co/bGUgiUdMx8
— Lukas Favale (@LukasFavale) July 2, 2019
The Solar Bears
-The Orlando Solar Bears had several players at the Lightning’s prospect camp last week, and their director of communications Jesse Liebman got the chance to chat with Crunch general manager and Lightning assistant GM Stacy Roest during the camp.
The Rest
-The New York Rangers have created a new initiative: the Junior Rangers Girls Hockey program.
Great initiative just announced by the Rangers, the creation of the Junior Rangers Girls Hockey program with Amanda Kessel serving as an official ambassador. It involves 13 rinks across the Tri-State area that will host various youth hockey programs, including a rec league.
— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) July 2, 2019
Led by an all-female staff, the program will begin in early November and run 20 consecutive weeks at 13 community ice rinks across the Tri-State Area. The schedule will include a game and a skills session each week and conclude with a league-wide jamboree at the end of the season.
–Bantering the Blueshirts, a Rangers podcast, covered New York’s wins during free agency during this week’s episode, including signing Artemi Panarin.
-The Buffalo Sabres got some bad news regarding forward Dylan Cozens:
Cozens said he was seeing a specialist on Monday and this is that result. I’m sure Hockey Canada and Lethbridge will have all eyes on the recovery time. https://t.co/sPmpihT9nC
— Joe Yerdon (@JoeYerdon) July 2, 2019
-Retired goalie Roberto Luongo is already eyeing seats at the home of the Florida Panthers:
I’d like to select a seat symbolic of my career…..Do you have anything available behind the goal line? https://t.co/sXzvYJfKiw
— Strombone (@strombone1) July 2, 2019
-St. Louis Blues defenseman Chris Butler has reportedly retired from hockey.
No one can claim Chris Butler didn’t go out in style. The native St. Louisan, who spent parts of five seasons in the Blues organization, was able to hoist the Stanley Cup with his hometown team before hanging up his skates.
Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic reported Tuesday that Butler is retiring.
-The Anaheim Ducks made an interesting move yesterday when they added a coaching staff advisor. They hired Darryl Sutter for the job.
Sutter will have the opportunity to advise new head coach Dallas Eakins in his first season behind the bench in Anaheim, along with assistants Marty Wilford, Rick Preston, and Mark Morrison.
-In the latest episode of Six Degrees of Mike McKenna, the goalie talks with netminder Jeff Glass!
Check out my latest #podcast https://t.co/CTiQIEoyMk on #Podbean
— Mike McKenna (@MikeMcKenna56) July 2, 2019
-The Charlotte Checkers of the AHL are the 2019 Calder Cup champions, but they did more than just win at hockey, writes Patrick Williams:
“The city itself is incredible. There’s a huge excitement in the city. It’s growing, it’s booming, it’s bustling. To be a part of that, to entertain the people here in Charlotte, and to be a part of the community, it’s an incredible feeling. It’s a tremendous honor to be able to play in front of passionate fans like they we have here in Charlotte.”
