This Week in the NHL: Lindholm, Monahan debut with new teams
So many games. So little time. What should you focus your NHL hockey fandom on if your favorite team’s games don’t scratch the itch enough?
Welcome to This Week in the NHL. From now until April, we’ll lay out a collection of key games, events and deadlines to watch on the league calendar each week.
So what’s on tap for Feb. 5-11?
Feb. 5: London Police Services press conference
On Jan. 24, the London Police investigation of the sexual assault allegations against members of the 2018 Canadian World junior team culminated in five accused players being ordered surrender and face charges. Last week, Dillon Dube, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Michael McLeod and Cal Foote turned themselves in, with their legal representation asserting their innocence. On Monday at 2:00 p.m. ET, London Police will hold a press conference and give an update on their investigation. The NHL announced during All-Star weekend that they won’t be disciplining the five accused players until the judicial process ends.
Feb. 6: Elias Lindholm’s Vancouver Canucks debut
Vancouver Canucks @ Carolina Hurricanes, 7:00 p.m. ET
Lindholm was traded Wednesday night, heading to the Vancouver Canucks in a blockbuster for Andrei Kuzmenko, Hunter Brzustewicz, Joni Jurmo, a 2024 first-round pick and conditional 2024 fourth-round pick. By the time Lindholm arrived in Toronto for the All-Star festivities, he’d changed teams. The Canucks will take their new No. 2 center and special teams ace out of the packaging when he faces the team that drafted him, the Carolina Hurricanes, Tuesday night.
Feb. 6: Sean Monahan’s Winnipeg Jets debut
Winnipeg Jets @ Pittsburgh Penguins, 7:00 p.m. ET
The Canadian arms race is on. After the Canucks loaded up Wednesday night, the Winnipeg Jets answered Friday morning, sending a 2024 first-round pick and a conditional 2027 third-round pick to the Montreal Canadiens for center Sean Monahan. He’ll suit up for his new team as their No. 2 center Tuesday night when Winnipeg visits the Pittsburgh Penguins.
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