10 NHL Things

Reposted with permission of the South Florida Tribune

By: Rod Pedersen

1 – MISSING THE POINT: We start this week’s column off with the scintillating news out of Tampa Bay that the Lightning scratched Brayden Point for Tuesday’s 6-2 loss at Boston because the veteran forward missed a team meeting. How do we know the reason for the discipline? Because the Lightning announced it all from the team’s Twitter account! It got me wondering why the team would publicly shame a trusted veteran like this? One which head coach Jon Cooper even tabbed for his Team Canada in next month’s Four Nations Faceoff?

Turns out it’s old school discipline. And not the first time, as Point reportedly missed a game back in 2019 for the same reason. “This is professional sports and we’ve got rules,” Cooper said after Tuesday’s game.. “Nobody’s above the law. The one that probably really feels the worst about it is Pointer, because he’s such a great guy and great team guy.”

Sounds like he needs a new watch.

2 – HANGIN’ ON: The loss at Boston was a tough one to absorb for the Bolts. Andrei Vasilevskiy was on the hook for four of those goals against, making 18 saves on the night while Connor Geekie and Victor Hedman found the net. Tampa Bay is 4-5-1 in their past 10 games and tied with Boston for third in the Atlantic Division at 23-16-3. However they’ve scored the third-most goals in the NHL this year with 153, behind only Stanley Cup contenders Winnipeg (162) and Washington (159).

3 – SUNDAY SKATE: Jon Cooper wasn’t the only Sunshine State coach in a snarly mood coming out of the weekend. The Florida Panthers fell 4-3 in OT to Boston Saturday at Amerant Bank Arena and followed it up with a 4-3 loss at Philadelphia on Monday. That caused Cats coach Paul Maurice to quip, “I don’t think in either of those two games anybody needed to wear equipment.” Translation: The Panthers got away from the physical, in-your-face style which won them the Stanley Cup last June. On Tuesday, Florida responded with a 2-1 shootout victory at New Jersey in a vastly “heavier” game. What works better than being called out by the coach?!

4 – IT’S OFFICIAL: As was predicted in last week’s SFT column, the National Hockey League has officially announced next season’s outdoor Winter Classic will feature the Florida Panthers versus the New York Rangers on January 2, 2026 at loanDepot Park in Miami followed by a Stadium Series game at Tampa Bay’s Raymond James Stadium on February 1, 2026 between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins! “Stanley Cups, strings of sellouts and the exponential growth of youth and high school hockey throughout the state have demonstrated that Florida is a hockey hotbed,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman in a statement. Can. Not. Wait.

5 – SLATER SCOOPS: Fox Sports 640 South Florida’s Andy Slater joined my daily Rod Pedersen Show on Game+TV to discuss what the crowd demographics could be at the Home of the Marlins for the hockey Winter Classic. “There’s a lot of New Yorkers in South Florida,” smiled Slater. “In December and January they want to get away from the cold so there will be plenty of NY Rangers fans there even if they’re not doing well. We’ve got plenty of Panthers fans too! The Panthers’ culture and organization has completely changed. They’re a winning organization. There’ll be a lot of Panthers fans that maybe can’t go to the arena in Sunrise because they’re down south. This will be an event, it’ll be cool and people will be talking about it. I don’t know how many seats will be open for this but I think it’ll be a packed house.”

6 – MALKIN ROBBED: No, we’re not talking about Evgeni Malkin being thwarted by Florida goalie Spencer Knight on a goalmouth chance last week. The Pittsburgh Penguins forward had his home burglarized over the weekend and his three Stanley Cup rings were taken in the crime. However according to Pittsburgh TV reports, the Russian superstar made it easy for robbers by not enabling his home security system, and leaving his safe open.

Official Restaurant of the Cats N Bolts Podcast

7 – NEW PHILLY ARENA: For our Philadelphia readers and Flyers fans, city officials announced this week that the NBA’s 76ers – together with their current landlord Comcast – will be constructing a new arena in South Philadelphia with a planned opening in 2031. The announcement, which included NBA Commissioner Adam Silver appearing remotely, means plans for a new downtown arena will be scrapped. The arena is reportedly worth $1.3-billion and officials are hoping to lure a WNBA expansion franchise to the City of Brotherly Love as well.

8 – SCOUTS HONOUR: Longtime Florida Panthers amateur scout Darwin Bennett and pro scout Al Tuer are among 29 birddogs who will be honored this summer by the Western Canadian Pro Scouting Foundation in Okotoks, Alberta (just outside Calgary). It’s the second year of the Foundation’s Wall of Honour induction ceremony and this year’s class also includes my father Jim Pedersen, who spent 26 years as an amateur scout with the Dallas Stars. Hockey people and fans will gather in July for the event.

9 – TOP FIVE/BOTTOM FIVE: The order is changing daily but it seems to be the same 10 teams at the top and bottom of the NHL overall standings every week. Here’s this week’s ranking from the SFT: 1) Winnipeg, 2) Vegas, 3) Washington, 4) Minnesota, 5) Edmonton. And 28) Nashville, 29) Seattle, 30) Buffalo, 31) San Jose, 32) Chicago.

Overtime Hockey Lanes – Calgary. Give Us A Shot!

10 – STAR GAZING: Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck was named the NHL’s first star of the week after reaching the 300-win mark. Hellebuyck became the third-fastest goaltender in NHL history to reach the exclusive milestone when he made 26 saves in a 5-2 win over Nashville on Tuesday. Carolina Hurricanes centre Jordan Staal was named second star after posting five goals and two assists in seven games. Detroit Red Wings right winger Patrick Kane had two goals and four assists in three games to pick up third-star honours.

See you at the rink!

(Rod Pedersen covers the NHL for the South Florida Tribune. He also hosts the award-winning Cats N Bolts Podcast and the daily Rod Pedersen Show on Game+TV, YouTube Live & Podcast)