Pinas Ko Mahal (2024)

23/05/2023

Toronto Blue Jays catcher Reese McGuire loosens up during full squad workouts at the team’s spring training complex in Dunedin, Fla., on Wednesday, February 19, 2020. McGuire has pleaded no contest to a disorderly conduct charge — a second-degree misdemeanour — and paid fines totalling US$500 stemming from an incident in Florida last February. (Steve Nesius/CP)

Blue Jays acquire catcher Zack Collins from White Sox for Reese McGuire

Source: Pinas Ko Mahal

Toronto Blue Jays catcher Reese McGuire loosens up during full squad workouts at the team’s spring training complex in Dunedin, Fla., on W...

23/05/2023

TAMPA – John Tavares caught some feelings last Sunday.

The captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs was cruising on the Gardiner Expressway on his usual work commute from his home in High Park to Scotiabank Arena. He glanced to his left and, from a distance, soaked in the scene at BMO Field, where the Canadian men’s national soccer team was busy punching its ticket to the World Cup.

“Just a packed house. A great moment in Canadian soccer and for those players,” Tavares said, after his Leafs took care of the Florida Panthers that night. “To see them back in the World Cup is tremendous.”

Tavares was speaking with pride, absolutely. But he was surely feeling a tinge of envy, too.

The 31-year-old is what one of his national coaches termed a “serial winner.” He’s also a fierce patriot when it comes to answering Team Canada’s call.

Tavares represented the Red and White at one Super Series, two world junior championships, three world championships, one Olympic Games, plus a World Cup of Hockey. He has five gold medals to show for it.

Even when the NHLers were locked out in 2012, Tavares hopped on a plane and won another gold at the Spengler Cup for his country.

Tavares is a best-on-best ju**ie, and — like the fans who follow this great sport — he’s been deprived of an international tournament since 2016, when he put up four points in Canada’s golden six-game run.

So, it was no great surprise to hear Tavares speak firmly and passionately about the need for hockey’s World Cup to come back strong in 2024.

“We need it,” Tavares said, following Sunday’s Leafs practice at Amalie Arena. “It’s important for our game, especially considering this next generation of players we have now. With Papi [Auston Matthews], Mitchy [Marner], [Leon] Draisaitl, Connor [McDavid], [Cale] Makar, this is kinda the next wave of guys.

“And obviously we still have so many great players — and Sid and Ovie lead the way as two the best of all time — that are getting later in their careers. I think when you have best-on-best hockey, you get all those players together. It’s really special. We don’t really get that. Getting to play for your country, we know how rare that is.”

Tavares has a specific appreciation for those opportunities. Yes, he won gold in Sochi, the last time NHLers participated in the Olympics, but a quarterfinal knee injured robbed him of skating in the medal rounds.

Tavares was one of the few who spoke openly at training camp about his fierce desire to play in Beijing. Heck, he even modelled Team Canada’s casual gear for Lululemon before COVID squashed the dream.

Naturally, Tavares is encouraged that the Players’ Association and the NHL brass have met multiple times over the past couple of months to plan for the next World Cup of Hockey, which will likely feature some European play-in games (August 2023 has been floated) and multiple host cities.

There’s some traction on a February 2024 tournament, and the IIHF will need to get involved before a plan is formalized.

And while Beijing crumbled apart for the pros, the players have been promised participation in the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games in good faith.

Tavares won’t be satisfied with another one-off World Cup. He wants a regular, dependable best-on-best competition. Like soccer.

“Other sports have a really good job of that. We need to develop some type of calendar that’s really consistent. I think that provides a lot of clarity for players, for the league, for everybody. Whether it’s one event, a couple events, having some of that would be really good for our game and good for everybody.”

So, does Tavares believe it’s a good thing that Team North America and Team Europe will disappear?

“Yes, I do,” Tavares said. “We want to see Connor and Sid playing together. And I think it was unique last time and something different — created some excitement and some buzz.

“But I think, no doubt, especially with skipping at the Olympics this year, everyone playing for their country, that national pride, best on best, it’s hard to recreate that. And it’s so rare for us.”

John Tavares speaks strongly on best-on-best hockey: ‘We need it’

Source: Pinas Ko Mahal

TAMPA – John Tavares caught some feelings last Sunday. The captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs was cruising on the Gardiner Expressway o...

22/05/2023

DUNEDIN, Fla. — Technically speaking, the Toronto Blue Jays haven’t finalized their opening day roster yet. The way manager Charlie Montoyo describes it, the competition continues for a few open bullpen spots and there’s still a bench role available — even after the trade that sent Reese McGuire to the Chicago White Sox for fellow catcher Zack Collins.

But barring the unexpected, the major elements of this team are now in place.

Alejandro Kirk’s defensive importance to the Blue Jays only grows after the departure of McGuire, who had worked with Toronto’s pitchers for the last four seasons. Greg Bird still seems well-positioned to claim the team’s last open 40-man spot and earn a bench role. And with respect to the relievers fighting for the remaining bullpen spots, those decisions won’t fundamentally alter the shape of this team.

By now, we know what the Toronto Blue Jays look like. The more interesting questions revolve around how the players will be deployed.

On that front, the trade of McGuire for Collins marks a subtle but significant shift. While both are 27-year-old catchers who hit from the left side, their profiles as players are very different. Where McGuire’s biggest strength is his glove, the Blue Jays are most intrigued by Collins’ bat. His experience behind the plate is an asset, of course, but he may end up being used more as a designated hitter or pinch hitter.

While Collins has a lifetime OPS of just .645, some of his underlying numbers suggest he has greater offensive upside. For his career, he has a barrel rate of 11.4 per cent, an average exit velocity of 91.1 m.p.h. and a max exit velocity of 109.9 m.p.h. — all higher than McGuire’s. On a team that tilts heavily to the right, his left-handed bat has the chance to prove useful. If not, the acquisition cost was modest for an organization that’s already deep in catching.

Defensively speaking, some in the industry view Collins as below-average. But as Kirk has continued developing behind the plate, he became a more important part of the Blue Jays’ defensive plans. With one notable exception, the Blue Jays have been sure to pair Kirk with all of their pitchers this spring in an attempt to build familiarity.

“That’s why we like everybody catching everybody,” manager Charlie Montoyo said Sunday morning, before the trade had been completed. “That’s what really happened this spring and everybody got every pitcher except (Danny) Jansen, who was the only one who got (Hyun-Jin) Ryu.”

The Blue Jays gained some flexibility with the trade: Collins has minor-league options remaining while McGuire does not. While Collins has a chance to break camp with the team, rosters will shrink from 28 to 26 on May 1. They’ll have the flexibility to send Collins to the minors if that’s useful in the weeks ahead.

Of course, there’s also the question of how the Blue Jays use their existing players and Sunday’s lineup offered some further clarity there. Earlier in the week, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had been hitting in the two hole, but the Blue Jays moved him back to the third spot in the lineup Sunday and he ran around the bases like a leadoff hitter.

In the first inning, Guerrero Jr. ran through a stop sign at third base, scoring all the way from first on a Yankees throwing error to the delight of the Blue Jays fans at TD Ballpark.

Afterward, Guerrero Jr. explained he didn’t see third base coach Luis Rivera telling him to slow down. But regardless: after stealing a base Saturday, it’s clear the 23-year-old is moving well.

“Physically I feel a lot better,” Guerrero Jr. said through interpreter Hector Lebron after the 7-5 win over the Yankees. “I feel faster. I can run the bases a lot better than last year. Physically I feel very, very good right now.”

The Blue Jays intend to be aggressive on the bases in 2022 with the likes of Bo Bichette and Raimel Tapia set to steal bases regularly. After a 48-homer season in 2021, it’s clear Guerrero Jr. is a better hitter than he is a base stealer but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t run more if he wanted to.

“That’s the one thing about Vlad Guerrero,” Montoyo said. “He could be a 30-30 (player) if he tried. I’m telling you. People don’t think he’s fast. We don’t want him to be 30-30, but 30-10? I’ll take that. Or 40-10. He could do it.”

As for the batting order, the Blue Jays believe their players are better off if they’re comfortable under different circumstances. And after a year in which Montoyo used 133 different batting orders, it’s clear the days of a single lineup are long gone.

As for Guerrero Jr.’s preference?

“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “I just want to be in the lineup. It doesn’t matter where the manager puts me in, I’m just going to go out and do my job.”

In 2021, when Guerrero Jr. hit 48 home runs on his way to a second-place MVP finish, he hit third 135 times. When he wasn’t batting third, he hit second most often (18 games) followed by fifth (seven games) and cleanup (once).

How that breakdown looks in 2022 remains to be seen. And whether he continues running like this is secondary, too. Most important of all: As the season draws closer, the Blue Jays’ most important player is feeling strong — and fast.

After Guerrero Jr. flashes speed, Blue Jays deal for new kind of catcher

Source: Pinas Ko Mahal

DUNEDIN, Fla. — Technically speaking, the Toronto Blue Jays haven’t finalized their opening day roster yet. The way manager Charlie Montoy...

22/05/2023

Anaheim Ducks forward thought that Jay Beagle “should be embarrassed” for his actions towards Troy Terry following his team’s 5-0 win over the Arizona Coyotes on Friday.

With 5:37 remaining in regulation, Beagle fought Terry after cross-checking Zegras in the back during a scrum in front of Arizona’s net. The Coyotes were down 5-0 at that time.

“I get that you’re gonna hit me in the back but you don’t punch a guy when he’s down. Especially a 32-goal scorer in the NHL who’s a superstar. I think it’s embarrassing, I think it’s a bad look for the league,” Zegras told reporters after the game.

“For the player that did, it’s humiliating and I think he should be f******* punished.”

“I get that he’s gonna punch him maybe once,” Zegras continued. “But the fact that he’s down and he’s not engaged in the fight and you’re gonna hit him three more times? I think it’s embarrassing. I think he should be embarrassed.”

The NHL Department of Player Safety hasn’t announced any news on the matter yet but scheduled a hearing for a separate incident in Friday’s game involving Arizona’s Nick Ritchie and Anaheim’s Kevin Shattenkirk.

Ducks’ Zegras: Beagle ‘should be embarrassed’ for fighting Terry

Source: Pinas Ko Mahal

Anaheim Ducks forward thought that Jay Beagle “should be embarrassed” for his actions towards Troy Terry following his team’s 5-0 win ...

21/05/2023

The smell of spring and playoff races are starting to take to the air again and there is no more time to waste a game here or there. Every point matters in these last few weeks and if you start trending in one direction or another, it could be an indicator of how your season might end.

And, can you believe it, one month from today the Stanley Cup Playoffs will begin. The season has been a flash and now we’re ramping up for the most important time of year. With that in mind, we decided to run down the 19 teams still involved in the playoff race — whether deeply or loosely — and pose one question on each of them.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Florida Panthers: Can Sergei Bobrovsky deliver?

It’s been five years since Sergei Bobrovsky won a Vezina and four since he was at his true peak. In his first two years with the Panthers, Bobrovsky’s play was a problem — .900 save percentage followed by a .906. In seven post-season games with the Panthers, Bobrovsky has allowed at least four goals against in four of them. Now, there is reason to be hopeful he’s figured it out again in 2021-22. He’s 12th by GSAA, has a .916 save percentage and is elevating again lately. This Panthers team is probably the best the organization has ever iced, with crazy depth at forward especially defining them. But one bad stretch from the goaltending can sink it all and Bobrovsky hasn’t inspired glowing confidence in a couple years — so is he up to the task?

Tampa Bay Lightning: After back-to-back wins, do they have enough in the tank for a third?

Look, the East is close with a ton of contenders, but if you had to bet your life savings on one of them right now, it would be hard to not go with the Lightning again. They have the goalie who could pull them through on his own, never mind the superstar power built up that makes the Lightning a force. GM Julien BriseBois even rebuilt his third line on the fly at the deadline. Their roster is strong enough to get out of the East again, but no one has played as much hockey as the Lightning over the past two seasons and it’s fair to wonder if they have enough gas left in the tank to go run through the gauntlet again.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Will Jack Campbell be OK?

Set to return to the lineup after a couple of weeks away, Campbell comes back from a rib injury just as Petr Mrazek is forced out six weeks. Since the Leafs didn’t bring in another goalie at the deadline, it’s all on Campbell from here — and he has an .882 save percentage since Jan. 1. He has a few weeks to get up to speed again and we should maybe allow that to play out a bit (heh), but there’s some no doubt in-market pressure on the goalie to show he can stabilize things here right away.

Boston Bruins: Do they have enough forward depth to go on a run?

The Bruins upgraded their blue line at the deadline and, we must say, Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy are coming together beautifully. But what about up front? Playoff injuries are a guarantee and teams that go on long runs tend to have to reach beyond their fourth lines. Now, the Bruins have an excellent core of leaders up front — Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, Taylor Hall, David Pastrnak. But beyond that? Jake DeBrusk, with goals in three straight, has been mighty streaky. There was some question if the Bruins needed to add a second-line centre to upgrade on Erik Haula; Charlie Coyle has topped out as a third-liner. Anton Blidh, Jack Studnicka and Marc McLaughlin (who has one NHL game played coming out of the NCAA) are the first three to call on. Will it be enough?

Carolina Hurricanes: Will they regret not doing more at the deadline?

It was an aggressive build up in the East, where most of deadline season’s biggest buyers came from. And it’s not that Carolina needed to do anything major. On paper, they’re pretty complete and are top five in 5-on-5 expected goals percentage, shots for percentage and save percentage. They have the sixth-best power play and No. 1-ranked penalty kill. But as everyone around them took some big cuts, the Hurricanes waited for the last second to acquire Max Domi, an all-offence hail-mary they hope hits, or at the very least gives depth minutes. But this team has struggled to get over the playoff hump — they were eliminated by Boston (twice) and Tampa Bay in the past three playoffs, and the Canes earned a total of two wins in those 14 games. If they similarly peter out in 2022, will they look back at the deadline in regret?

NY Rangers: Can they overcome some questionable underlying numbers?

Consider this: the Rangers rank 24th in the NHL in 5-on-5 scoring chances against per 60 minutes, 23rd in expected goals against, 15th in shots against, and 30th in Corsi For percentage. All of those marks are worst among Eastern Conference playoff teams and don’t scream “powerhouse.” But it’s also true the Rangers have the fourth-best points percentage in the league, some dangerous star talent high in the lineup and potential award winners on forward, defence and in net. Igor Shesterkin is their difference-maker and there’s a reason he’s getting Hart Trophy buzz. But the playoffs are relentless and there are no soft touches in the East, so can the Rangers improve on some of these underlying trends come post-season, or will they be able to overcome that flow of play if they don’t?

Pittsburgh Penguins: Is this really the last dance?

Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Bryan Rust are all still unsigned, and though we’d be surprised if Malkin does really leave, it seems quite possible the other two could. The Penguins are firing on all cylinders, far exceeding most pre-season expectations that were informed by three straight first-round exits. Tristan Jarry could easily be a question here, following up last season’s post-season disaster with a solid 2021-22, but this could be the final run this team has until some of that core starts to come apart.

Washington Capitals: Are they a forgotten team in the East being underrated, or a step below the other seven?

The Bruins’ surge has left the Capitals in the dust, and the most likely first-round opponent for the East’s top seed. While they searched for a goalie at the deadline, the Caps came away with only a couple of minor adds. They don’t have stand-out underlying numbers, bottom half of the league in Corsi, expected goals and actual goals percentage over the past couple of months and they’re 6-9-2 since Feb. 1 against teams currently occupying a playoff position.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Colorado Avalanche: Can Nazem Kadri avoid an untimely suspension — and do we need to ask the same about Nathan MacKinnon?

Kadri is having a career season just in time for a new contract he could chase as a UFA, and as Colorado’s 2C he holds an important place in their path to success. But there’s also a troubling history here, as Kadri was suspended in the 2018 and 2019 playoffs, leading the Maple Leafs to trade him, and then was given an eight-gamer in the 2021 post-season with Colorado. Meantime, though MacKinnon has not been suspended, he has had a couple close calls this season, first with Nolan Patrick and then with a linesman. He’s been playing with an edge of frustration that seems liable to blow at any moment. The Avs can’t afford to lose either.

Minnesota Wild: Are they able to step into the upper tier of contenders?

The Wild were fading in February and in danger of slipping into a wild card berth, but GM Bill Guerin threw caution to the wind in this final season before debilitating cap penalties complicate his plans for the next three years. Nic Deslauriers and Jacob Middleton for tough minutes up front and on defence, and Marc-Andre Fleury to shore up the goaltending that had begun to be a question mark. They’re 5-0-1 since the deadline now and Fleury’s only played two games. How should we think of the Wild? They gave the favoured Golden Knights a run to seven games in last year’s first round, so they have that experience, and we have seen them top of table — in the first two months of the season they were tied with Calgary for the second-best points percentage in the Western Conference. Are they a team that will top out at winning a round or two, or are the Minnesota Wild able to step up past that?

Nashville Predators: Are they all the way back, or first-round fodder?

If not for an incredible run in the latter stages of last season by goalie Juuse Saros that made him a Vezina contender, the Predators would have missed the playoffs and who knows how much more change GM David Poile would have brought on them in the summer than he did. Now, this year’s team is getting throw back years from Ryan Johansen and Matt Duchene, a potential 100-point defenceman in Roman Josi, and Tanner Jeannot’s rookie rise out of nowhere. But that West is tough and the Predators could be looking down the Flames or Avalanche in Round 1. Acknowledging that, yes, Saros could steal a series on his own, if everything is equal are the Preds back as a lurking upset or bound to be a first-round warmup?

Calgary Flames: Are they Canada’s best Stanley Cup hope?

They have one of the best lines in the game this season, one of the best defence pairs, and one of the best, most consistent goalies. Unlike Edmonton or Toronto, the Flames didn’t have a laundry list of concerns to address, or think about addressing, at the deadline. They did add a couple of forwards in Tyler Toffoli and Calle Jarnkrok to build out some dangerous depth, and that will help them keep pace with Colorado, a team they had three tight battles with in March. Last year’s Habs made it to the final as an unlikely Cinderella, but these Flames look legit and may be Canada’s best hope to win it all for the first time since 1993.

Edmonton Oilers: Do they have the team defence to hang on to a playoff spot and win a round?

Scoring depth, team defence and goaltending have been the primary reasons why the Oilers dropped out of the playoffs early the past two seasons. All of those concerns are present with this year’s team, too, with maybe some improvements. There are these splits in the team’s play under Dave Tippett, compared to how they’ve been going under Jay Woodcroft since he was promoted on Feb. 10:

Shots against, high danger chances against, goals against and save percentage, per Natural Stat Trick. All stats at 5-on-5.

It’s been a promising turn for sure, and something that must keep up as the games get tougher and tighter. Then you notice how they’ve blown some recent leads — including Friday’s 4-1 advantage over the Blues — and you see legitimate reasons to doubt this team still haunt the halls. This is another situation, though, that really does also boil down to the goaltending. Mikko Koskinen or Mike Smith don’t need to steal a series — they just can’t blow one.

Los Angeles Kings: Are they a year ahead of schedule, or about to go off?

The Kings have a lot going for them and a nice mix of a young group of players they drafted with an ageing core that’s still hanging around and contributing. They were certainly tracking in the right direction coming into 2021-22, but did we expect them to challenge for second in the Pacific and home-ice advantage? Offence is a challenge, but running Anze Kopitar and Phillip Danault (who actually is scoring, by the way) as your top two centres could help slow down an opponent’s offence. But is a long run reasonably in the cards, or will 2022 be about the “experience” of the playoffs to build on for later?

St. Louis Blues: How does the goalie situation evolve in the final weeks and who starts Game 1?

Couldn’t have seen this coming at the start of the season, but Ville Husso has taken over in the net, earning 10 March starts to Jordan Binnington’s four. But, as we know, the goaltending position can be fickle and a month is a long time in their world. As good as Husso has been, we should note he posted just an .898 save percentage in those March starts and so we wonder how this picture might still change before Game 1, and then what happens once the puck drops on the post-season. Binnington wasn’t much better last month either, but it feels like there’s still room for a controversy to brew here.

Dallas Stars: Do they have enough offence?

This is not a new question for the Stars and, in fact, followed them into the 2020 playoffs when they went all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. In that season, Dallas went in averaging 2.58 goals per game, 26th in the league. This season they’re actually better, averaging 2.89 per game to rank 19th (goals are up around the league this season). That is better than only Los Angeles among playoff teams. They are effectively a one-line team when it comes to scoring. As they showed in 2020, this can be overcome with great goaltending, which could still be possible now with Jake Oettinger.

Vegas Golden Knights: Dangerous wild card team, or slipping out of contention?

Robin Lehner appears close to returning, so that’s one positive. Max Pacioretty, Mark Stone, and Reilly Smith all remain out — and though their statuses are unclear, it will require some finesse to fit everyone back in if they’re healthy in-season. We’re not used to seeing Vegas struggle like this. Over the last two months, their .479 points percentage is tied with Arizona for 23rd in the league, and it’s the lowest among all playoff teams. The temptation is, though, that if they can just get into the playoffs and have everyone return, the old Vegas could be back and give a higher seed a real hard time. But is that actually how it would play out if they did end up making it? It would be a lot to expect the team to immediately turn the tap back on again after being so banged up all year.

Winnipeg Jets: What does this last push mean for the off-season?

The Jets aren’t quite as close as they appear. Just four points out of the wild card-holding Golden Knights, Winnipeg probably has to worry more about the Dallas Stars, who are three points ahead of them with three games in hand. More importantly for Winnipeg, their last 13 games will help inform what comes next in the off-season. What needs to change after such a disappointing season? Who can be part of the solution?

Vancouver Canucks: Can Thatcher Demko carry them to an unlikely playoff berth?

We’re really stretching it here describing the Canucks as “in the playoff race” — they enter Saturday with just a 2.3 per cent chance according to Money Puck. But I’m not here to s***f out hope. The Canucks’ overachievement that gave the impression they were hanging around has started to give and now, with odds this long, their road back will depend on one player: Thatcher Demko. The Canucks need a miracle and their only hope might be Bubble Demko. Can the goalie steal all of the games the rest of the way? That’s basically Vancouver’s path here. (Did I just s***f out hope?)

A question for each team in the playoff race one month before post-season

Source: Pinas Ko Mahal

The smell of spring and playoff races are starting to take to the air again and there is no more time to waste a game here or there. Every ...

21/05/2023

PHILADELPHIA – The decision was as inevitable as it was uncomfortable.

Keith Yandle, the NHL’s freshly crowned ironman, will have his consecutive games streak halted at 989 on Saturday — more than 13 years after his remarkable run began but just 11 games shy of 1,000.

Understanding the weight of the benching, Philadelphia coach Mike Yeo announced the organization’s decision to scratch the 35-year-old Yandle for the Flyers’ home game versus the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“It’s important that we get some young players in,” Yeo told reporters following morning skate. “We have to have an eye on the future.”

Yandle passed ironman Doug Jarvis (964 games) earlier this season, and his historic attendance record stretches across three decades and four teams.

“It’s truly an amazing accomplishment. So, it was very difficult, no question,” Yeo said of the controversial call.

“He is nothing but a phenomenal pro. He handled it extremely well. Obviously disappointed, which you would expect from a competitor and a hockey player that’s been doing it for as long as he has.”

Yandle’s scratching is a reminder that there is only so much space for sentiment in sport.

Father Time comes for us all.

“You gotta respect that out of the business side of it, what they’re trying to do here,” said Yandle, a class act vowing to work with the rookies and to try to work his way back in the lineup.

“It’s tough to have a bad day in the NHL. Obviously, getting the news that you’re not playing is not what you want to hear — and that [goes for] every, single guy.

“But once you’re on ice, you’re feeling like a kid again and smiling, snapping the puck around.”

Sure, the floundering Flyers are miles outside the playoff picture. Perhaps allowing Yandle to occupy shifts he may deserve on reputation but not merit could increase the Flyers’ lottery odds.

With 15 more dates on the schedule, Yandle could have become an unrestricted free agent with 1,004 consecutive games on his resume. But there is no guarantee he’ll be signed in the summer.

Once a dynamic power-play quarterback, Yandle has scored one goal, added 14 assists, and is an NHL-worst minus-39.

The Flyers are one of the worst defensive teams in the league, and Yandle has seen his usage shrink every month this season.

To keep playing Yandle may have been the diplomatic thing to do, but if the Flyers are trying to create a competitive culture, it would not send the proper message to the next wave.

“Everybody wants to make sure that we finish the season strong, finish the season the right way,” Yeo said. “We want to make sure that we keep building for the future here, and if that means get some young guys in here, then that’s what we have to do.”

Yeo raved about Yandle’s team-first attitude and support for the young men coming for his job, how he has handled disappoint with grace and class.

“My only hope is that is that he just recognizes just how amazing it is, what he’s done,” Yeo said.

“Not many people can say that they’ve done something that nobody in the history of the NHL has ever done. In no way does this diminish what he’s accomplished. It is remarkable, and certainly something to be extremely proud of.”

While Jarvis held the ironman mantle for 34 years, Yandle might not wear the crown for a full year.

Arizona’s Phil Kessel has gone to great lengths to keep his own streak intact and passed Jarvis last week. With 968 straight games played, Kessel is only 21 games shy of Yandle. As a pending free agent, the 34-year-old will need a contract for 2022-23 to leap over Yandle.

Regardless, the defenceman should hold his head high — even if he’s doing so from the press box.

After GM Chuck Fletcher broke the hard news to him, Yandle spent time talking about the streak with his wife, his brother, and his parents.

“The last couple days has been a lot of reflecting. I’m not really a guy that reflects too much. Kinda hits you a little bit,” he said.

“Obviously something I take a lot of pride in. I’m fortunate to play one game in this league. I’ve been blessed to be in this league as long as I have. I owe pretty much my whole life to this league.”

Why Flyers are ending Keith Yandle’s ‘amazing’ ironman streak

Source: Pinas Ko Mahal

PHILADELPHIA – The decision was as inevitable as it was uncomfortable. Keith Yandle , the NHL’s freshly crowned ironman, will have his con...

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