Good morning Toronto Maple Leafs fans!

It seems to be the cool thing these days to not give your hockey team a name.

None of the six PWHL teams have names. They're just the city they play in, diagonally across the chest of the jersey.

Except New York, because they can't seem to pick a home, and most of their homes have been in other states.

Now it's been announced that the Arizona Coyotes will just be called Utah after they move to Salt Lake City next season.

New NHL team will be called ‘Utah Something’ | NHL.com
Finding right name, logos, colors will take time, new owner says
NHL logoNicholas J. Cotsonika
“So, we’ll start with ‘Utah’ on the jersey, and we’ll figure out the logo and everything else and what it is that we are. But that’s a one-way door. You get to do it once. And with this timeline, I think both the League feels better and we feel better to just run the process, and then we’ll drop it when we drop it.”

I did love the blank Vegas jerseys.

Those plain white T-shirts with Seattle written on them in sharpie were a hot buy a couple years a ago.

This is....not something a major league should do. The PWHL? If the whole league does it, it doesn't stand out as much.

When the Washington Commanders needed a new look they were Washington Football Team for a year but that was a transition from something awful to something...well, something.

I hope Utah can figure this out quick because new team merch flies off the shelves all over the league. I may own a Vegas and Seattle cap or two...

Hell yeah.

Here's some news.

Easton Cowan and the London Knights are off the the Western Conference Finals. They'll play either Sault Ste. Marie or Saginaw, that series is tied 2-2

There's a new kid in town.

Cade Webber is officially a Leaf
Two year ELC.
PPP LeafsCathy Squires

Let's kick some Bear butts out there.

The Bruins’ strengths + vulnerabilities, and the path to a series victory for the Maple Leafs - MLHS Playoff Podcast
The Bruins’ strengths + vulnerabilities, and the path to a series victory for the Maple Leafs - MLHS Podcast Ep. 67
Maple Leafs HotstoveMLHS Staff

There's a new college hockey team coming, and former Maple Leafs development coach Duanté Abercrombie will take the reigns.

Tennessee State hires coach in big step to being the first HBCU to add ice hockey
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee State has taken its biggest step yet toward becoming the first historically Black college and university to introduce ice hockey by hiring Duanté Abercrombie as the Tigers’ head coach. President Glenda Glover and athletic director Mikki Allen announced the hiring Thursday. They first announced the HBCU’s plans in June 2023 during the NHL draft in Nashville hoping to start play this year at the club level and eventually field Division I men’s and women’s teams. “
Yahoo SportsThe Canadian Press

Canada will be looking to get back the gold after dropping three straight finals to the Americans.

Hockey Canada announces roster for world Para championship in Calgary | CBC Sports
The Canadian team attempting to reclaim a world Para hockey championship on home ice was announced Thursday by Hockey Canada. Canada is the host team of the 2024 world championship May 4-12 in Calgary.
CBC

You have to be lucky to win. Now and forever.

Why luck plays such a big role in hockey
With low-scoring games and a preponderance of deflected shots, randomness is much more likely to color NHL teams’ records than those of squads in the other four major US pro sports leagues.
The ConversationMark Robert Rank

Enjoy your day everyone!

Update:

The full playoff schedule is available at:

Schedule | Apr 18, 2024 | NHL.com
The official schedule of the NHL including date, access to tickets, TV network, and video highlights.
NHL logo
From The Branches