The weather was a brief distraction for Southern Ontario last night as multiple lightning filled storm clouds, or possibly V’Ger, passed over Toronto and the Niagara Peninsula and put on quite an amazing light show. It was rather eerie how there was so much lightning, at least a flash every single second for a long period, yet very little thunder.

As the storm left, we turned back to the pressing matters at hand, and hockey players continued to share their personal reflections.

On speaking out, listening and the need for reform - TSN
I can tell you one of the many things that struck me was when Terry said that enduring racial slurs and prejudice was one thing, having teammates or coaches or teachers not acknowledge that racism or affirm it was even happening to them was quite another.
In his own words, he said: “How could you not know?”

Other News

We’re well into June now, and any return to play scenario imagined by the NHL will need details fleshed out quickly. It’s been a month since we were told the NHL Draft could be in early June, and, as of now, there’s still no word when it will be scheduled. Canada Day is only four weeks from today, which could feel like an eternity or tomorrow since the perception of time seemed to become totally unhinged from reality back in March.

Aside from starting to move players to locations where they can might need to be when practices and play resume, it sounds like behind the scenes there are still issues stalling the whole process.

NHLPA plans to contest NHL ruling on unsigned free-agents - Lighthouse Hockey
The NHL Players Association plans to take action on behalf of several free agents looking to start their NHL contacts as soon as possible.

Keep in mind the that informal negotiations have supposedly started on a new collective bargaining agreement to replace the existing one when it expires in September of 2022. Small labour disputes today can leave behind landmines activated in the real negotiations later.

Other leagues are moving ahead and starting to publicly announce their plans.

Marchand and Marner design pingpong tables on new show - NHL.com
Dominic Moore is hosting a show called "Unveiled: Smashfest" that debuted on NBCSN Tuesday [last night, but it's probably on reruns every night]. The pilot episode includes Mitch Marner and he gets a custom designed table made which he put up for auction for the Smashfest charity.

You can bid on Marner’s ping-pong table at this link (zero bids as of the time of writing.)

From The Branches