NHL Notebook: Metropolitan All-Stars shine brightest in Vegas

Let’s recap some of the major NHL headlines from on and off the ice over the last week.

Metropolitan Division wins All-Star Game

The Philadelphia Flyers’ Claude Giroux took home MVP honors as the Metropolitan Division All-Stars won Saturday’s final over the Pacific Division, 6-4. Giroux had three goals and an assist spread over the semi-final and final round. It was the third time in six years since the four-team format was established that the Met secured the final victory.

But before the All-Star Game itself took place, the skills competitions occurred on Friday. Sebastian Aho of the Carolina Hurricanes won Accuracy Shooting, hitting all the targets in only 10.937 seconds. The St. Louis Blues’ Jordan Kyrou was the Fastest Skater, taking just 13.550 seconds to complete a lap around the ice. The Tampa Bay Lightning’s Victor Hedman had the Hardest Shot, reaching 103.2 miles per hour.

The NHL regular season resumes on Monday with a pair of games, kicking off the significantly-revised portion of the year that was intended to include a break for Olympic participation. The Hurricanes and the Toronto Maple Leafs – two principle contenders for the Stanley Cup – will face off, while the New Jersey Devils take on the Ottawa Senators.

Hughes hits COVID list

When the Devils resume their season on Monday night, they’ll be without one of their best forwards in Jack Hughes, who was placed on the COVID-19 list mere hours after playing in the All-Star Game.

The former No. 1 overall draft pick has 12 goals and 15 assists over 28 games this season. He’ll be sorely missed while in COVID protocols, as New Jersey has lost six in a row, scoring just 11 goals in that span.

Details coming together for Coyotes future

We recently learned more about the Arizona Coyotes’ plans after this season when proposal documents were released, revealing the troubled NHL franchise’s wish to share a 5,000 seat arena with the Arizona State Sun Devils over the next three years. The arena is estimated to be ready by November of 2022, meaning the Coyotes – whose lease at the Gila River Arena expires at the conclusion of this season – would have to start the 2022-2023 campaign on an extended road trip.

The Coyotes are hoping to gain permission from the city of Tempe to build a new arena there for the start of the 2025-2026 season.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman – who recently shot down hopes of the Coyotes relocating to Quebec City – said of Arizona’s plan on Friday, “As long as there is a commitment forthcoming for a new building, then it’s going to be worth sticking with.”