Good morning.
I don’t normally do these, but Seldo got seasick.
On Monday, the NHL dabbled in an offseason trade for some UFA rights along with playing a hockey game of some kind, but the majority of the world’s eyes fell towards the Newfoundland Growlers practice at Mile One Arena in St. John's, Newfoundland.
The Growlers are up 3-2 in the series and could win the whole thing in their inaugural season in front of their home fans. If they do it, they’ll be the second franchise ever to win the Kelly Cup in their inaugural season, the South Carolina Stingrays won the ECHL title in their first season in 1996-97.
Puck drop is at 5:30 EST. RogersTV and ECHL.tv should have a stream of the game. There is also the radio feed through the Growlers Mixlr.
HOME SWEET HOME! The @NLGrowlers are back on home ice for a full team practice before a HUGE Game Six tomorrow night. We will have a SELLOUT CROWD on hand at @MileOne_Centre tomorrow night but y’all have to promise to be LOUDER THAN EVER. Deal? #standPROUD pic.twitter.com/2dIGPK7qVG
— Chris Ballard (@GrowlersBallard) June 3, 2019
From the Puppets
Here’s the news:
A friend texted me yesterday with his theory on why Patrick Marleau is asking for a trade - Katya
He said, “I heard he wanted the trade so we could afford to pay Mitch and he’s just being a good dad.” And I believe it.
Mitch Marner will never sign an offer sheet, so stop making fetch happen. - Seldo
He wrote this before the seasickness so I’m going to trust him on it.
Other Leafs News(ish)
Teams are asking about Nazem Kadri because he’s a good player and why the hell not, right?
Elliotte Friedman on SN960: I've heard there's a *lot* of interest in Kadri. If that's what Toronto wants to do, they'll have no problem doing it.
— James (@Account4hockey) June 3, 2019
My first thought on seeing this was, “surely he just means growing up in the Ontario system and watching Marner kick butt a few levels above,” but then I checked and Kirby Dach grew up in Alberta and plays in the WHL.
Kirby Dach really just went on national television and said his favourite player to watch growing up was Mitch Marner
— Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) June 4, 2019
.... jesus is this what being old feels like
From the Other Branches
The Leafs aren’t drafting in the first round at the end of June, but it never hurts to window shop. - Lauren Kelly @ Raw Charge
Check out one of the network’s best prospect writers’ take on the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft.
The Vancouver Canucks want Jake Gardiner (or his evil twin Waluigi Tyler Myers)
Sources from Buffalo at the NHL combine tell me they hear the #Canucks will go after UFA defenseman Jake Gardiner or Tyler Myers. Which one do you prefer?
— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) June 3, 2019
Kevin Hayes will be a UFA on July 1st after finishing a disappointing season with the Winnipeg Jets (that no one seems to want to talk about). Anyone is free to talk to him beginning June 28th during the Free Agency negotiation window. The Philadelphia Flyers decided to get a jump start on that negotiation by trading a 2019 fifth-round pick to the Jets* for his rights. - Broad Street Hockey
BREAKING: We have acquired forward @KevinPHayes12 from Winnipeg in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. https://t.co/LhPG1pvcmP
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) June 4, 2019
