The march toward the Stanley Cup Final and the long summer continues this week, but the road to gold in Latvia is over. Canada defeated Finland to pick up their first World Championship gold since 2016.

The game went all the way to overtime, which per the new IIHF rules is played in consecutive periods at 3-on-3 until there is a winner; there’s no more shootouts for gold medal games (this will also be in effect at the 2022 Winter Olympics.)

Ex-Toronto Maple Leaf and current Ottawa Senator Connor Brown was the leading scorer in the tournament. He also had 21 goals in 56 games for the Senators this season on a contract with a cap hit of $3.5M per season, running through June 2023. Is he someone the Leafs should have found a way to keep?

A notable performance at the tournament was by defenceman Owen Power from Mississauga who played a key role in the gold medal game, even jumping up into the first power play unit at one point. There is a Leafs connection to him from when he played junior hockey for the Chicago Steel under coach Greg Moore, who is now the coach of the Toronto Marlies.

Power currently plays in NCAA for the University of Michigan and he is the presumptive first selection overall in the NHL Draft on July 23rd, meaning he will join the Buffalo Sabres, so the Leafs will be seeing him quite a lot as an opponent in the future.

You did know the Draft was on July 23-24, right? If you forgot, bookmark our handy guide to the offseason right now!

Maple Leafs and NHL Offseason Schedule and Key Dates

The Leafs, of course, do not have a first round selection in this draft as they traded it away, so unless they trade for another team’s first round pick, you can skip the whole July 23rd part of it and instead tune in only for the 24th.

Mining for Hidden Gems in Bob McKenzie’s Updated Draft Rankings

Other News

The Habs took a 3-0 series lead against the Jets last night, winning 5-1. They play again tonight and could take it all and move on which would make me vomit.

The Golden Knights also won 5-1, but that only brought their series against the Avalanche to a tie at two games a piece. One of those goals is here which the Avalanche can play to the Benny Hill theme music.

Ottawa approves NHL travel exemption for Stanley Cup playoffs - CBC
Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino has issued a "national interest" exemption for NHL teams that requires them to enter and leave the country using private planes, undergo pre and post-arrival testing and live in a modified quarantine bubble.

Goalie Murray Dowey achieved Olympic glory after chance call up - The Globe and Mail
Goaltender Murray Dowey, a last-minute replacement, dodged snowballs from spectators as he backstopped Canada to the 1948 Olympic gold medal in hockey. Wearing a cap to keep the sun out of his eyes on the outdoor rink, he recorded a shutout in the final game of the Olympic tournament as Canada rolled to a 3-0 victory over the host Swiss team. Mr. Dowey, who has died at 95, allowed just five goals over eight games. He recorded five shutouts, which remains an Olympic record.

Hockey hero Darryl Sittler gets honorary doctorate from Lakehead University - CTV
On Saturday, Darryl Sittler, best known for his years in the NHL, received an honorary doctorate of human letters from Lakehead University during its most recent virtual convocation ceremony. Sittler, who has a cottage in the Orillia area, has been a steadfast supporter of Lakehead University, serving as an ambassador of the school since its inaugural year.

Finally, 16 year-old Taya Currie became the first female drafted into the OHL (interview starts 45 seconds into the video.)

Whether or not Taya will choose to play in the OHL, if she is offered a spot on the team, is wrapped up with many other decisions as, like for men, playing in the OHL will make you ineligible to receive an NCAA scholarship to a University in the US, which is a popular development option for women players. Also, Hockey Canada’s women’s team scouts don’t generally go to OHL games, so she may not be as visible to them to be considered for a spot on the national team. It’s unfortunate, but she now has to take all of this under consideration immediately, at 16 years-old, to plan out her future hockey career.

From The Branches