The Oilers say they weren’t trying to skip out on the charges and there is no dispute over them. They say the issue is the result of an embarrassing accounting glitch that was further compounded by a timeline miscommunication. They plan on paying the bills and having the entire issue resolved in the next couple of days.
Daily Roundup: NHL update coming by Friday, Edmonton Oilers being sued and more
Credit: Candice Ward
Welcome to Daily Faceoff’s daily NHL roundup where we bring you the NHL’s most important news and rumours every day.
2020-21 season update coming soon
A update on the 2020-21 season could be coming as soon as this Friday, the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reported Tuesday.
According to Garrioch, the NHL’s board of governors are expecting an update on the upcoming season by Friday. Before a board call last Thursday, clubs were asked to fill out a survey on local market conditions wherein Senators owner Eugene Melnyk said there were roughly 10 questions to answer.
As I noted yesterday the NHL's board of governors expect an update on talks by Friday this week or in a call Monday. The NHL sent out a survey of local market conditions before the call last Thursday. Eugene Melnyk said there were about 10 questions to answer. #NHL https://t.co/qIJCsVjLzb
— Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch) November 17, 2020
Melnyk was on the Bob McCown podcast Sunday where he said he felt the only was that fans could get in the stands was if there were rapid testing conducted.
“The better solution is testing.” Melnyk said. “We’ve all created these little bubbles of people that we trust. I know I have and I’m very, very careful. If I get COVID-19, look out, I’m in trouble. I’ve got Immunosuppression because of my liver transplant so I’ve got complications. So I’m very cognizant of the fact that I can’t get near somebody and I get tested all the time.
“For sports, what’s going to be important is the testing and the distancing. If you can have people testing and then identified as having been tested negatively then I think you could have a distanced attendance.”
Oilers sued over alleged bounced check
The Edmonton Oilers have been sued by a Dallas hotel after the club allegedly bounced a $28k check.
According to a report from TSN’s Rick Westhead, the Oilers allegedly bounced a $28k check following a stay at a Dallas hotel in December. Westhead also reports the Oilers to owe another $27k for a stay in March.
The hotel suing the Oilers, the Crescent Court, host the Oilers when the team visits Dallas.
According to the Edmonton Sun’s Rob Tychkowski, the Oilers are quickly working to resolve the issue.
The Oilers say the debts are simply for their block of rooms — the team travels with a large contingent of players, coaches, training staff, media-relations and web people — and not damage to the property or unpaid restaurant tabs. To the best of their knowledge, they don’t have any other outstanding debts with any other hotels.
Connor Carrick enters the podcasting world
New Jersey Devils defenceman Connor Carrick has taken a step like no other becoming the first active NHLer to host a podcast. The podcast, dubbed The Curious Competitor, has aired over 30 episodes and has featured current NHLers like Mitch Marner and P.K. Subban, but isn’t just about athletes as he’s hosted a Navy Seal commander, a food blogger and others.
“It’s been super positive and I joke that’s because it’s not big enough yet,” Carrick told Sportsnet. “If you look at the super successful podcasts, they garner a certain amount of attention and ridicule, so I haven’t gotten into that world yet. I’m pretty non-controversial. I’m still an active player and there are some areas that I’m not super excited to go to yet and I do take that into account.
“For me as a current player, the feedback you’re most fearful of is the feedback I’m not going to get. No GM is going to call me and say, ‘Hey, I think your podcast is full of it and you should just focus on the game.’ But as far as I’m concerned, it’s on my own time. I take my training and recovery super seriously and understand that any time you expose yourself this way, you’re opening yourself to ridicule. It makes me happy. It’s a fun way to build relationships for during hockey and after hockey. This is something that spoke to me and I’m proud of myself for taking the leap.”
On Twitter: @zjlaing