Late last night news broke of a bizarre incident involving the OHL's Flint Firebirds. After defeating the Oshawa Generals in a shootout, the entire coaching staff was fired, then the players reportedly revolted, quitting the team en mass. One of those players is the team owners son, and this may all have something to do with the amount of ice time he was allotted by the coaches.

Report: Flint Firebirds coaching staff fired immediately after comeback win - Winging It In Motown
Stay tuned as this one will surely have more details coming out this morning.

There isn't much Leafs news in advance of tomorrow's game. I can't find any updates on Winnik's injury yet. If you see one, please share in the comments.

Last Night's Games:

It got ugly in New Jersey.

Tootoo did not reveal exactly what Burrows said. The implication is that it was something about his personal substance abuse problems, and possibly also something about his brother's suicide. Whatever it was it set off the Devils and led to multiple brawls and big hits in the third period.

Devils Win Another OT Game - All About The Jersey
The Devils nearly squandered a two goal lead, but did just enough to beat the Canucks in over time. The refs turned the game into a special teams contest and ultimately the Devils were able to kill enough penalties to earn the victory.

Game 15 Afterwords: We Are All Val Nichushkin Tonight - Defending Big D
The Stars aren't going to let a little thing like Space Jam-level craziness interrupt their dominance of the Eastern Conference.

Bruins 2, Islanders 1: Offensive slump continues in second loss to Bruins - Lighthouse Hockey
The New York Islanders' offensive woes continued as they extended their slump to just nine goals in their last six games, losing to the Bruins at home for the second time this season.

Blackhawks vs. Oilers: Artemi Panarin, Patrick Kane lead 4-2 win - Second City Hockey
Kane had four points and Crawford did some serious work as the Blackhawks broke out of their recent funk.

Other News

Tonight is the Hall of Fame induction gala and my invitation apparently got lost in the mail. I think TSN7 or something will broadcast it live if for some reason.

1989 NHL Draft helped Detroit Red Wings build one of NHL best teams - NHL
The run by the Detroit Red Wings as the most dominant team in the NHL for the better part of two decades gained its momentum at the 1989 NHL Draft.

The Sad Demise of the Maine Hockey Program - SB Nation College Hockey
The University of Maine administration is to blame for the demise of the Black Bear hockey program.

From Trinidad to Toronto to pro goalie coach, the journey of Sudarshan Maharaj | TheColorOfHockey
Once upon a time, there was a young boy from Trinidad who fell in love with hockey after his family swapped their warm Caribbean island home for Toronto's winter cool in search of a better life. He went to his first National Hockey League game at the old Maple Leafs Gardens and stood by the low glass, eyes wide as the Leafs briskly skated through their pregame warm-up routine. As the Leafs left the ice, a player tossed the boy a puck, a moment that proved to be an epiphany and kismet.

Torstar cuts dividend in half as print ad revenue slides - The Globe and Mail
Solution: fire Rosie DiManno.

From The Branches