DISNEY ON ICE

What The Puck?!

Written by Chase Howard

1st Branch

The NHL has formally agreed to a big media deal with ESPN and Disney for their TV and streaming rights. This is certainly welcome news to many fans that grew up on ESPN's NHL action (including yours truly), which has been missed since 2004. The deal covers a seven-year period that will start next season and run through 2027-28. Don't worry, though, hockey fans. Games will still be in places we expect. The Stanley Cup Final will be on ABC in four of the seven years of the deal. ABC and ESPN will carry one conference final series and half of the first- and second-round games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs each season, plus 25 regular-season games.

Wild Wing, Anaheim Ducks Mascot; Source: Pucks of a Feather

The heart of the deal is really the streaming as ESPN will produce 75 national games each regular season and stream them on ESPN+ and Hulu. They will also stream more than 1,000 out-of-market games each regular season on ESPN+, replacing NHL.TV. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said of the deal simply, "it's a win-win."

This also marks the likely return of one of the greatest hockey songs of all time.

Damn, that's good to hear, not quite Brass Bonanza, though

2nd Branch

You may recall former Winnipeg Jet now Columbus Blue Jackets winger Patrick Laine (he keeps finding his way onto What The Puck). Laine had been enduring a seven-game pointless streak before breaking it, scoring, and assisting on a goal. Then being benched in the same game, yes, it that order. Head coach John Tortorella explaining his decision, said, "there's no free passes because you are notably the top gun."

Tortorella also did not necessarily see it as a benching despite Laine seeing only a bit under two and half minutes of time on ice in the third period. Tortorella remarked, "I didn't bench anybody last night. I just decided to play some other people in situations late in the third that I felt more comfortable with at that time," according to team reporter Jeff Svoboda. Laine himself was seemingly a bit confused at the situation, saying, "I thought I was playing good, but, I guess, I thought wrong." Not exactly smooth sailing so far for Laine in Columbus. Hopefully, it's not too late to right the ship as Columbus sits fifth in the Discover central and have only won twice in their last ten games.

3rd Branch

We are now less than a month from this season's trade deadline (April 12). The rumours and players are becoming ever clearer, yet big questions still remain. The Blue Jackets and the Toronto Maple Leafs have kicked off the trading season with a classic one-for-one swap. Defesmen Mikko Lehtonen is headed to Columbus in exchange for goaltender Veini Vehvilainen. Lehtonen has signed this offseason to a one-year entry-level deal after being the highest-scoring defenseman in the KHL during 2019-20.

Vehvilaien was drafted in the sixth round back in 2018; he was named the Finnish Liiga's best goaltender in both 2017-18 and 2018-19. Overall looks like a solid deal for both parties. This is surely just the start of it for the Leafs, as they seem highly likely to make more moves. Add the Bruins, Flames, Flyers, Oilers, Hurricanes, and Sabres to the potential dealers' list.

Quick Hits

• After months of speculation, the 2021 NHL Draft is officially on the schedule for July 23-24 despite discussions between the NHL and NHL Players' Association about deferring it to a later date. This was announced on Thursday by NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly who also acknowledged "It is certainly an imperfect situation, but we've been dealing with imperfect situations since at least March 12 of last year". Either way sorry lads and ladies, it looks like I will be busy July 23 and 24.

• Tampa Bay lightning sensation Nikita Kucherov, the NHL's 2018-19 leading scoring and MVP, has recently returned to the ice for the first time since being ruled out for the regular season back in December. Kucherov is reportedly on track to return for the playoffs. This is clearly what the top-ranked Lighting needed (good luck everybody else).

• Ok, I know Mitch Marner is a super slick playmaker, and Auston Matthews is clearly evolving into one of the league's truly elite players. Despite those facts can I get some respect for the waning prime of John Tavares? Look at him out working most of the Jets skaters on this one. There's a reason Johnny T wears the C in Toronto.