#2022 draft prospects

[puckpocketed]

funniest shit ever reading backdated draft guides . boy howdy the scouts covering Isaiah George clearly had beef with whoever was coaching london circa 2021-22 lmao absolutely BRUTAL stuff here:

“right now, he creates the advantage and then throws the puck away, like every other london knight. there are definitely some coaching effects here…”

“george is scanning a lot defensively and on retrievals and when supporting teammates, but he doesn’t hit the next best play. is it a processing issue? a system issue? does london ask their D’s that they make this many uncontrolled plays?”

“there are clearly decision-making issues, but i wonder how much of them are coaching, considering everyone on london does the same stuff”

“he seems to not want to use the middle in breakouts, but it looks systemic”

“of course, his transition decisions often don’t seem like his own. everyone on this blue line makes the exact same mistakes — it’s coaching.”

[annieqattheperipheral]

HER STORY IS INCREDIBLE EVERYONE SIT DOWN AND LEARN FROM THIS QUEEN ⤵️

Kiana Scott, who played minor hockey system for 11 seasons, including four seasons on boys teams, gravitated to scouting from watching her brother’s games and critiquing his strengths and weaknesses.

Unaware of jobs available in hockey, she enrolled in makeup artistry college after high school, but knew her heart was in the sport.

She eventually enrolled in an online hockey general manager scouting course.

Scott joined the International Scouting Service Hockey mentorship program in 2018 and scouted for the service for two years while holding down two jobs.

“I love scouting future prospects, and the evaluation process,” she said. “I think that's kind of where my passion lies. It's just the evaluation process. And it's exciting, building a team.”

Scott spent two seasons as a full-time scout for Erie before she took a bold step and left the organization to move to Calgary and became an independent scout in June 2022.

“I just kept practicing my craft and kind of paid my own way, like, throughout the whole year,” she said. “All of the tickets to every game, all of my travel expenses, everything. I just put all my money into scouting and trying to evolve and then I ended up getting my (Avalanche) internship the next year.”

Scott had some financial help from her family for the move and she supplemented her income by working as a bartender at a Calgary casino, a job with hours that allowed her to scout games.

If all that wasn’t enough, she also enrolled in the University of Florida’s online sports management program.

“I've always had the mindset to just keep betting on myself and working hard and evolving,” she said. “I think I've taken a lot of risks to get to where I am, but I wouldn't try to change the journey for anything.”

Scott said she hopes women, women of color and people who don’t come from a so-called “traditional” hockey background will follow her on the journey.

“I grew up playing hockey, but I didn’t play professional hockey, I didn’t go to college or university for hockey,” she said. “I just had a passion for it. I love scouting. I worked at it, and I continue working at my craft.

“People that don’t necessarily come from the traditional background, I hope they see themselves in me and believe that they can put their minds to it and get it done.”

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The 2024 NHL Draft was as eventful for Kiana Scott as it was for the players who were selected in the seven-round event at Sphere in Las Vegas last month.

The 25-year-old Barrie, Ontario, native signed with the Colorado Avalanche at the draft to become a full-time amateur scout, fulfilling a goal she has had since she was a teenager.

“This is something that I've worked really hard for my whole career to be able to sign my first NHL contract,” Scott said. “I was elated. The Avs have been really good for me the past year, and I’m excited to keep building with them.”

Scott joined the Avalanche after working as an intern for the organization.

Colorado general manager Chris MacFarland said he and executive director of hockey operations Suzanne Borchert “were impressed with her work ethic and her passion."

MacFarland said: “Kiana was on our radar when she was scouting in major junior circuits ... and it worked that a few years ago we had an internship opportunity for her.

“She did a good job in that role and was an integral part of our amateur scouting department. We’re excited to see her contributions moving forward in her full-time role as an amateur scout.”

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Scott made history when she became the first woman scout in the Ontario Hockey League with Erie in March 2020.

She was among the initial of a wave of women who were hired in recent years as scouts at all levels of hockey, including Cammi Granato (Seattle Kraken), Blake Bolden (Los Angeles Kings), Krissy Wendell-Pohl (Pittsburgh Penguins), Meghan Hunter (Chicago Blackhawks), Gabriella Switaj (Anaheim Ducks) and Brigette Lacquette (Chicago Blackhawks).

Granato moved on from Seattle to become an assistant general manager for the Vancouver Canucks on Feb. 10, 2022, and Hunter was promoted to assistant GM by the Blackhawks on June 22, 2022.

“When I first started scouting, I didn’t know of any women in the industry already,” she said. “Cammi Granato got her job with the NHL a year after I started scouting. That’s when I kind of knew it was possible. But I never had anyone to look up to. I just had this dream and the passion for hockey. I knew that I had to the talent and skill to do it, and to try to keep building on them.

"That’s what I’ve always gone off on -- keep evolving, never give up on what you love.”

[icedbatik]

I always breathe easier when Geno's back in the U.S. ...

From TH, September 5, 2023

The KHL is setting a scary precedent with the handling of Russian prospects who were drafted by NHL teams.

A timeline, to catch you up:

June 2015: Flyers draft goalie Ivan Fedotov in the seventh round. Fedotov develops into one of the top non-NHL goalies in the world.

2021-22 season: Fedotov signs for a year with the KHL club CSKA. CSKA is owned by a Russian state-run oil company.

February 2022: Fedotov says publicly in interview at Olympics that he intends on moving to the NHL

May 7, 2022:  Fedotov signs one-year deal with Flyers

Early June 2022: Fedotov arrested by Russian law enforcement for suspicion of evading military service and sent to remote military base in eastern part of the country

July 1, 2022: Fedotov becomes sick and rushed to hospital. His lawyer said that Fedotov had been given some kind of injections on the base, and that he and Fedotov's family weren't allowed to see him in the hospital. Fedotov is released from the hospital after a couple of days, but misses the entire 2022-23 season while at the military base. His contract with the Flyers slides a year to 2023-24.

July 8, 2023: Fedotov's KHL club CSKA signs him to a two-year extension, giving him two competing and active contracts.

Aug. 14, 2023: The IIHF completes its investigation of the competing contracts and rules in favor of the Flyers, saying that the CSKA contract is invalid. The IIHF gives CSKA a one-year ban on signing  players for international transfers. Fedotov is also suspended from international competitions for four months, which is irrelevant given that Russia isn't competing in national tournaments anytime soon. The IIHF suspended Russia from international play after the invasion of Ukraine. The IIHF suspension of Fedotov doesn't affect his ability to play in the NHL.

Sept. 1, 2023: CSKA has its regular season opener ... and starts Fedotov. KHL president and former Penguin Alexei Morozov releases a statement essentially saying that because they disagree with the IIHF ruling, they're going to do what they want: “The KHL accepted this roster in accordance with our central database, therefore Fedotov can play. Neither the KHL nor the club agree with the IIHF’s decision, which infringes the constitutional rights of a Russian citizen to work. Russia’s prosecutor general spoke in defense of the player, and sent a message to the Russian Hockey Federation, the club and the league about the consequences of violating his right to work and insisting that Fedotov be allowed to take part in the championship.”

Fedotov allowed five goals in a loss in the opener.

That same day, the IIHF fined CSKA 5,000 Swiss Francs (roughly the equivalent $5,600 USD) for playing Fedotov, and says that if Fedotov continues to play, CSKA will be subject to further sanctions. 

Since then, CSKA has played two games. Fedotov has been dressed and listed as the backup for both. Those are still violations, even though he didn't start.

To sum things up: The KHL is going rogue and setting a dangerous precedent. This is the first time the league has totally disobeyed the IIHF, and it'll be interesting to see how the IIHF moves forward here.

The Penguins have three prospects in Russia: Goaltender Sergei Murashov, drafted in the fourth round in 2022 and the Russian junior league's top goaltender last season; forward Kirill Tankov, drafted in the seventh round in 2021 and playing in the Russian second league after missing all of last season with a broken neck; and forward Mikhail Ilyin, drafted in the fifth round this summer and starting the year in the KHL.

NHL signing rights don't expire for players drafted out of Russia because of the lack of a formal transfer agreement between the NHL and Russia. The Penguins hold onto their NHL rights indefinitely.

Russian teams playing dirty to try to keep their top players isn't new. Evgeni Malkin had to escape to get to Pittsburgh in 2006. His club Magnitogorsk convinced him to play one more year in Russia after he was drafted by the Penguins to show his loyalty to the city and country. He did that, but the next summer team officials followed him to his home and coerced him into signing a one-year deal. The team had his passport, so he couldn't leave on his own. Magnitogorsk had an August tournament in Finland to start the year, so Malkin had his passport, and he hid in Finland for a few days until he could get a U.S. visa and flight to Los Angeles.

With Russian teams and the national teams not playing in other countries now because of the bans due to the invasion of Ukraine, prospects like Fedotov don't have the same opportunity to escape while in another country.

As an aside, this whole situation shows why the hope some fans had to ban Russian players from the NHL because of the invasion of Ukraine is totally misguided. ... You have the league and its government-owned teams doing all they can to keep one guy sticking around at home, even sending him to a military base in Siberia for a year. Giving the KHL all their top players back would be a dream for Russia and the KHL.

[hockeyupdate]

"As the Kraken roll into a fourth season squarely aiming to become perennial contenders for the Stanley Cup, the franchise’s best-known and most decorated prospect-turned-bonafide-pro Matty Beniers cemented his role in that pursuit Tuesday by agreeing to terms on a seven-year contract for just under $50 million over seven seasons ($7.14 million average annual value)."

[savethegoalie]

Pyotr Kochetkov

#52 Carolina Hurricanes / NHL - 24/25

.

Date of Birth: Jun 25, 1999 - Age: 25

Place of Birth: Penza, RUS

Height: 189 cm / 6'2"

Weight: 81 kg / 179 lbs

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NHL Rights: Carolina Hurricanes / Signed

Drafted: 2019 round 2 #36 overall by Carolina Hurricanes

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Career Highlights: 2018-2019: U20 WJC Best Goaltender

U20 WJC Bronze Medal

U20 WJC Top 3 Player on Team

2021-2022: AHL Calder Cup Champion

AHL Rookie of the Month (February)

2022-2023: AHL Scored a Goal as Goaltender

NHL Rookie of the Month (December)

2023-2024: NHL All-Rookie Team

NHL Rookie of the Month (February)

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Information source: Elite Prospects

https://www.instagram.com/savethegoalie?igsh=MWlmcTNkZWczajdxOQ==

[tomorrowusa]

A Ukrainian teen who was moved by Russian authorities from Russian-occupied Ukraine to Russia last year was told he could get drafted into Putin's pathetic army after he turns 18.

After an international outcry, Bogdan may finally be returned to Ukraine.

A 17-year-old Ukrainian who was moved from Ukraine to Russia found out recently he was facing the prospect of being conscripted into the army fighting against the country of his birth. Bogdan Yermokhin, originally from the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, tried to return to Ukraine in March but was stopped by Russian border guards. He is soon due to turn 18 and was ordered to report to a Moscow region draft centre next month. But then his plight became public knowledge and after his lawyer appealed to President Volodymyr Zelensky for help, Russia appears to have had a change of heart. Russian's children's commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova announced on Friday that he would soon be taken abroad to meet his cousin, and Ukraine confirmed the plan. Bogdan Yermokhin was orphaned in 2014 and before Russia's invasion of Ukraine he lived with a foster family in the port city of Mariupol. The director of a technical college where he was studying became his legal guardian in 2021. In 2022, Mariupol was seized by Russian forces after one of the bloodiest battles of the war, and Bogdan ended up in Russia. It remains unclear how or why he was moved.

Russia has been illegally transporting Ukrainian kids from occupied territories since not long after Putin's invasion began. This is banned by international law.

[I]n March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Ms Lvova-Belova and President Vladimir Putin. The ICC said Russia's aim was "permanently removing these children from their own country." Bogdan Yermokhin was transferred first to the city of Donetsk in Russian-occupied Ukraine and later to a youth summer camp in the Moscow region with a group of 30 Ukrainian children, including one boy fostered by the children's rights commissioner herself. The teenager was eventually put in the care of a local foster family and given Russian documents. He entered a college in Russia to continue his studies and Ms Lvova-Belova also claimed that he worked in summer camp aiming to "integrate" teenagers from Russian-occupied Ukraine.

Russia is losing population and the standard of living outside a few of the larger cities is plummeting. Kidnapping kids from Ukraine is one of the few options the Putin dictatorship has to slow down population implosion.

Ms Rudnitskaya argued that he was not at risk of being sent to fight in Ukraine. "He is a student," she said, adding that "new recruits do not take part in the Special Military Operation" - using Russia's official term for its full-scale war. Maria Lvova-Belova agreed, accusing the media of "hype". Russian authorities have frequently insisted that new recruits are not sent to the front line, but the BBC has established on multiple occasions that this has in fact happened.

Yep, it's been documented that not all of the members of Putin's dismal army in Ukraine are exactly "volunteers".

In April 2023, Maria Lvova-Belova announced at a news conference that Bogdan Yermokhin had tried to return to Ukraine on his own. She said that Russian border guards had managed to stop him. "We caught him on the border with Belarus," she announced. "We managed to stop him at the last minute."

Of course. Why on earth would anybody want to remain in Russia?

After a lot of bad publicity, indicted war criminal Maria Lvova-Belova is attempting to revise the narrative on Bogdan.

In her latest remarks on social media on Friday, the children's commissioner was adamant that up until October he had wanted to stay in Russia, and that Russian authorities had done nothing against his will. "Now Bogdan's opinion on where he would like to live has changed and he plans to return to Ukraine." Before his earlier failed attempt to leave Russia in March, at least one other Ukrainian teenager from Mariupol placed in a Russian foster family succeeded in returning to Ukraine. Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, Dmitry Lubinets, said the boy, who he named Serhiy, had sought help online from Ukrainian chat bots in December 2022. Bogdan Yermokhin was also active on social media, but he stopped posting under his name in March, at around the time of his attempt to leave Russia. [ ... ]

Bogdan's Russian foster family and his former Ukrainian guardians have confirmed to the BBC that Russian authorities now consider him a Russian citizen, so he would have been obliged to serve in the army under Russian law. But under international law issuing documents in occupied territories is illegal and Ukraine condemns the practice. This became one of the grounds for the ICC's arrest warrant for Maria Lvova-Belova. As far as Ukraine and the rest of the international community is concerned, Bogdan Yermokhin remains a Ukrainian citizen, and the Russian military summons is illegal. The Russian children's commissioner denies authorities have engaged in any illegal activity and Moscow rejected claims it impedes the return of minors to Ukraine. However, its authorities insist only mothers or other close relatives can make their way to Russia in person to take their children back to Ukraine.

Hopefully Bogdan will be back home in Ukraine before long where he can recover from his ordeal in Russia.

[chirpingfromthebox]

PWHL 2024 Draft Prospects Sarah Fillier & Cayla Barnes Speak to the Media

You can watch the video here! Give them a like, a nice comment, a view. It helps support them making this kind of material available for us all.

Transcription is under the break.

[Introductions]

CAYLA BARNES: Hi, I’m Cayla Barnes.

I just finished up my 5th year season at Ohio State. Had a great year there. I’ve played internationally for Team USA for a number of years now. Just really looking forward to this draft. This is something we all dream of and now that we have the opportunity to be in this position, I think we’re all really grateful and just looking forward to the opportunity. So super excited to be here.

[For the record, when she says "for a number of years" it's probably because she rightfully lost count. She's been playing for Team USA in World Championship games consistently since her first U18 one 2015. She was also notably part of the 2018 USA Olympic team that took home the gold.]

SARAH FILLIER: Hi, everyone. I’m Sarah Fillier.

I just finished up my extended Princeton career a couple weeks ago. Super excited for the upcoming draft. I’ve player internationally at four World Championships now and the 2022 Olympics. And having the opportunity to come out of college at the perfect time and transition into this draft is super special and kind of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

But thanks for everyone who set up this call and thanks to everyone for being here. Covering women’s hockey is a huge part of its success and its buzz this year, so I’m excited to the next 20 minutes.

[In case you weren't already aware, Canada won Gold at the 2022 Olympics. So both these women are Olympic gold medalists. And they aren't the only ones in the draft pool this year either! Something to think about when you hear people talking about how much talent is fighting to get into the league this year.]

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FOR SARAH: WHAT DO YOU EXPECT THE TRANSITION WILL BE LIKE FROM THE COLLEGIATE GAME AND THE INTERNATIONAL GAME TO THE PROFESSIONAL LEAGUE?

FILLIER: Yeah, that’s a great question. I think it will take a little bit of a- It will be a little bit of a learning curve. I kinda have a little bit of experience from going from international and Olympic game play back to college. So I feel like I have a bit of experience in changing levels. But this will definitely be an uncharted territory for sure. But I think the biggest thing I’m going to have to adapt to is the physicality of the league. I think if you’ve watched any games this year that’s one thing that’s kinda of ramped up and I don’t think it’s going away. So that will be one thing to definitely look for.

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FOR SARAH: YOU’RE WIDELY REGARDED AS THE TOP PICK IN THIS DRAFT – HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE RECOGNIZED AND HAVE THAT DISTINCTION?

FILLIER: Yeah, I mean, it’s what you dream of. It’s an honor to even be in recognition of the first 6 picks and alongside names like Cayla here and people with really storied careers so far. It’s an honor to be even named in those short lists. But to go first overall would be a complete dream come true. I grew up watching NHL drafts and watching those moments for those guys has always been so special for them and their families. No matter where I go I’m sure it’ll be a moment I’ll remember forever and something really special to share with my family.

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FOR CAYLA: DO YOU THINK THE PHYSICALITY WILL TRICKLE DOWN INTO THE COLLEGIATE GAME IN ORDER TO PREPARE PLAYERS FOR COMPETITION OF THAT NATURE?

BARNES: I think that’s a really good question. You know, I’ve talked about it with my coaches a little bit and I hope to see it trickle down a bit. I think it would be a missed opportunity to not start incorporating that into college so players can start acclimating to that and become more prepared to enter the league. If your first time interacting with physical play like that is when you get into the league I think that’s something that’s gonna be a big adjustment for players, like Sarah said. So I think hopefully as the years go on and the physicality continues in the PWHL that it does trickle down to the NCAA to help prepare players.

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FOR CAYLA: BOTH YOU AND HANNAH BILKA HAD A GREAT CAREER AT BOSTON COLLEGE AND THEN MOVED TO OHIO STATE AND WON A NATIONAL TITLE. DO YOU THINK THAT BOLSTERED YOUR DRAFT STOCK?

BARNES: Yeah, I think it was a great move for me Bilka both. I think we came here with a certain vision in mind and we got a lot better in the process. I think definitely being able to play big minutes and just get better each and every day, that was something that we both grew a lot this year. And I know myself I grew a lot this year and had one of my better seasons that I’ve had in college. So I think I definitely had a good year and it’s helped me leading up to the draft here.

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FOR SARAH: IT’S UNLIKELY YOU WILL BE DRAFTED 5TH OR 6TH AND GET TO PLAY WITH MARIE-PHILIP POULIN, NATALIE SPOONER, SARAH NURSE. WHAT WILL IT BE LIKE TO FACE THEM ON A REGULAR BASIS?

[For anyone who is still getting familiar with all the big names, those are all top Canadian players that Fillier has played with before at the 2022 Olympics and during World Championship games.]

FILLIER: Yeah, that’s a great question. They’re all tremendous players and people who I’ve tried to follow in the footsteps of a little bit in my national team experience with Hockey Canada. I think it will be, for sure, motivating. I mean we’re great friends, you know, outside of hockey. And I’d love to come to the league and really prove myself as being a player in that sort of category as well and kind of find my identity as a pro hockey player and hopefully a very successful one. But I think playing against household names like that is motivating and I think when you watch people play against them this year you definitely saw that motivation in people.

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FOR CAYLA: YOU’VE PLAYED FOR THE NATIONAL TEAM FOR A LONG TIME AND SAW WHAT PLAYERS WENT THROUGH TO FORM THIS LEAGUE. HOW DOES THAT EXPERIENCE GIVE YOU PERSPECTIVE ON JOINING THE PWHL?

BARNES: You know, I think one word comes to mind, is just Grateful, for this opportunity, for the work that people have put in to create stability in this league, and to give younger players like me and Sarah this opportunity. You know, I’ve seen a lot that’s gone on in the past—you know, leagues folding or things not going as planned—and those players you play with on National teams not getting those opportunities. Just getting an opportunity like this, where you know there’s stability, where players have put in the work, and staff has put in the work to create an environment like this, it’s just exciting.

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WHO ARE THE PLAYERS YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO PLAYING AGAINST IN THE PWHL? (OR MAYBE LEAST LOOKING FORWARD TO PLAYING AGAINST?)

FILLIER: I think I have two people. First I would say Maggie Connors [Toronto #22]. She’s one of my best friends from Princeton and we love playing together and we’ve played together in Summer leagues and stuff. So it’d be really cool to be on a pro stage as like best friends being able to face off against each other in different jerseys for the first time in a long time.

I think my first answer for sure would be Marie-Philip Poulin [Montréal #29]. She’s obviously been a huge role model in my hockey career and I’ve had the chance to play with her in past World’s and see how she operates and how she’s always trying to be the best player in the world, even though I think a lot of us would agree that she’s already there. It would just be cool to be in a professional league playing someone who I’ve kind of idolized growing up. I think it would be a surreal moment to realize I kind of made it as a pro athlete. Yeah. It’d be very cool to play against her.

BARNES: I think one person that comes to mind is Alex Carpenter, she’s on New York [#25]. She’s a BC alum, I’ve looked up to her for so many years. I’ve gotten the opportunity to know her through training and being on National teams. She’s one of the hardest players to defend. She’s strong, she’s fast, she’s so talented and smart. At USA camps it’s always fun, but hard to play against her, so looking forward to playing against her in a pro stage and seeing what that’s like.

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AND FOR CAYLA: WHAT CAN PEOPLE EXPECT FROM A PLAYER LIKE HANNAH BILKA?

BARNES: Bilka is, kinda like, shot out of a cannon. She’s very- She’s quick, she’s fast, she’s sporadic. Super creative. You’ll get a lot of creativity out of her. And she can put the puck in the net. So she’s a super special player. She works really hard and any team would be super lucky to have her.

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SEEING PLAYERS FORM NON-TRADITIONAL MARKETS AND ALSO EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, WHAT DOES THIS TELL YOU ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE WOMEN’S GAME?

BARNES: I think it just shows how women’s hockey is trending. It’s trending upward and players are getting better and players are coming from everywhere nowadays. So, you see it at Women’s Worlds, teams are getting better, games are close. It’s amazing to see.

When I was growing up there wasn’t a lot of women’s hockey where I grew up. Same with Hannah. Texas? Not a hockey state. But now we can look back and being older now there’s more hockey, it’s growing, more girls want to play. And now being able to see the PWHL I think it’s skyrocketing even more. It’s great to see people coming from everywhere in the U.S., everywhere in Canada, Europeans coming over. I think it makes the game that much stronger.

I think it means everything. It’s a huge honor and privilege to be here. Like I said, it doesn’t go unnoticed the amount of work people before us have put in. And it’s important to give credit where credit is due. You know, I’m here because of what they did. And I have this opportunity because of those founders. I’m just super grateful for that. Now girls have a dream to look to and actually see, physically, whereas when we were younger that was just a shot in the dark, a hope, for one day. So that’s just really exciting for the younger generations.

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FOR SARAH: YOU SPENT SOME TIME THIS SEASON PLAYING WING, BUT DO YOU SEE YOURSELF AT CENTER OR ON THE WING IN THE PWHL?

FILLIER: I think I’m a natural center. I’ve played center my entire life. And the last four months of my season were my first time playing wing, especially left wing.

Yeah, I mean, I’m willing to play wherever the team that I go to needs me to play. I feel like I can play different styles. At center I feel I play a full 200ft game and can contribute both offensively and defensively. And then playing wing it kind of opens me up a bit in the offensive zone and I can kind of fly the zone a bit more and get a bit more threatening offensive chances off the rush.

But I think it’s made me better at both positions, especially breaking out and understanding where people are going to be and where the best place to put the puck for people is. But, yeah, I’m not set on a position for next year. It’s probably just going to be in talks and conversations with GMs or coaches of wherever I end up.

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FOR BOTH: WHAT ARE YOUR EMOTIONS AROUND DRAFT DAY, DO YOU HAVE PLANS TO HAVE FAMILY THERE AND CAN YOU DESCRIBE WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO?

BARNES: Yeah, just super excited, I think. You know, a lot of us have played against each other or have teammates that are going to be there, ex-teammates that are going to be there. So I think just excited to see some familiar faces and then just obviously wanting to spend time with my family.

It’s a really special day and something that we’ve been dreaming of for so long. So just, without my family I wouldn’t be here, so just spending that day with them and ultimately just being able to take it all in. That’s kinda my plan for draft day. But super excited. Not nervous. Just gonna take what comes. You know, whatever happens I’m gonna be excited for myself and the other draftees as well. Like I said it’s just a really cool experience all around. So just more excited for the day.

FILLIER: Yeah, I would echo everything that Cayla said.

Definitely some nerves surrounding it for sure. I’ve had my life pretty planned out and kind of knew what I was going to do these past 6 years. There was never really any uncertainty over where I was going to end up or have to live. So coming out of college and just not really knowing what's going to happen in the next 72 hours is- I feel like it’s normal to have a bit of nerves and be a bit of a stressful situation, but it’s exciting.

My parents are going to be here and be beside me the whole draft, so that will be cool. And again, all the work that they’ve put in behind the scenes to get me here is super special. And this moment’s not just gonna be about me, but about my family, my parents, and I hope they soak everything in. It’s been really fun picking out their draft outfits and getting our nails done and everything and getting ready. So it’s been a really cool experience.

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FOR BOTH: SINCE THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR OF THE LEAGUE, YOU WILL HAVE TO EARN A SPOT – HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE COMPETITION AND WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE TO DO TO ELEVATE YOUR GAMES?

FILLIER: Yeah, that’s a great point, but I think it’s exactly what we want in a professional league. If you look at any other professional league, whether men's or women's, the level of play is incredibly high and we want to put out the best product we can for the fans and build a really successful market. I think it’s great for the game that it’s gonna be so tight and you really have to prove yourself and find your way onto a roster.

It’s taking the Summer and finding ways to elevate your game. I think for me it’s about adapting to that physicality right away. Like, a specific skill that’s probably gonna come in handy is working on puck protection. Especially playing international team players every night. They’re gonna be strong and physical. To be able to make plays that I expect myself to make I’m gonna have to find some time and I think it all starts with puck protection.

BARNES: I think it’s- You know it’s never easy to take someone’s job. But like Sarah said, that’s why we’re here: we want that competitiveness. We want to put that product out. Put the best product out. I think it’s good for the league and it’s good for us. It’s gonna push us to elevate our game. You know, we have to look for ways this summer to look back at PWHL games this season and find trends and work on those. Like the physicality, might not exist in the college game thus far. So just to be prepared for camps and stuff like that. But super excited that it’s competitive. Like she said, that's what we want, we want it to be competitive and put the best players out there on the ice and the best product. So just working on those things throughout the summer to be prepared for camps in November.

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End of Interviews

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[korshrimpski]

Coyotes Prospectules Primer

Now you may be wondering what is this? This is me trying my best to explain the dynamic between 5 coyotes players/prospects (i lost my mind while making this enjoy)

For this, they are still going to be called “coyotes” because utah hcers or clubbers doesn’t sound correct.

First of all, what is this? This is a primer explaining to you the dynamics going on for the younger coyote* players/prospects.

*when I started writing this conor geekie was still a coyote

Let's start with the basics: who is involved and who are these people?

Dylan Guenther: he was drafted 9th overall in the 2021 draft he’s a LW/RW. You probably know him for scoring the 2023 WJC team Canada golden goal.

Logan Cooley: drafted 3rd overall in 2022 and is a centre. Growing up he was in the Little Penguins program but was an Ovi/caps fan. You probably know him for his insane Australia pregame goal.

Josh Doan: 37th overall draft pick in 2021 and is a RW/C. He is the son of Arizona Coyotes legend Shane Doan. Destined to continue the Doan dynasty then Utah happened. Josh Doan is one of the only forms of nepotism I like and it was ripped away from me… hey Siri play, Rolling in the Deep by Adele because we could’ve had it all.

Conor Geekie: drafted 11th overall in 2022 and is a centre. He was recently traded to Tampa and I’m just… I’m sad. **

**I finished writing and editing it well after he got traded but I can’t be bothered to change this 😁👍

Maveric Lamoureux: drafted 29th overall in 2022 and is a defenceman. He’s a big man (6’7ft/201cm) with a big heart (WJC 2024 you wound me).

2022 Draft

This is where Logan Cooley, Maveric Lamoureux and Conor Geekie met each other. As previously mentioned, cools went 3rd, geeks went 11th and mav went 29th, all first-rounders. This draft was significant for the coyotes as these three finally set the foundation for the coyotes rebuild. Like of course Dylan was the main piece of the rebuild for a long time but with these three it finally stabilised the young future aspect of the coyotes rebuild.

Development camp was right after the draft so the three of them hopped on a plane to Arizona, Maveric had the aisle seat and was sitting next to Logan, across from Geekie.

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2022 Coyotes Development Camp

This section will be brief because, for the life of me, I couldn’t find anything.

All 5 of them were invited for the week. 

Logan roomed with Josh. 

Conor got injured on the first day of camp and had to sit out the rest of it

Conor, Maveric and Logan did an interview together that was fun. I skimmed through it not really taking notes on the important things so instead you get to hear my favourite moments instead

Geekie used to play with the Arizona Coyotes on EA NHL being, "they're the team with the nice jerseys."

Logan's flight to Montréal (the draft) was cancelled twice so his family rented (an ugly) van and drove 8-10 hours. Logan slept most of the way.

Sidenote the the difference between all three accents is so fun because you'll be listening and it's a french accent then boom american

Conor looked like he was dying this whole interview, he looked like he was overheating and about to cry

2023 Coyotes Development Camp

Roommates: All 5 of the boys were invited to camp. Cooley and Geekie roomed together, I don't know who roomed with Dylan, but Josh roomed with Ilya Fedotov and Maveric roomed with Justin Kipkie. 

D-Backs: Logan was invited to throw the first pitch. Josh, Conor, Maveric and Dylan were invited to the pitch, while everyone else sat up in the box.

Before the game Conor was asked about Logan throwing the first pitch and if he would make it Conor had zero faith in Cools saying, “no, there’s no chance.” Obviously he said it jokingly.

The boys were also chirping him but I don't know what they said, sorry.

But don’t worry Logan did a good job and the boys were proud of him.

Also this clip, that i don’t know how to describe other than Logan making the boys giggle.

INSIDE ACCESS EP 203: Foundation for the Future: this is a video the Arizona Coyotes YouTube channel put out and is a look into what happens at development camp. A brief breakdown: (obviously focusing on those 5)

Day 1: Introductions; meet the staff, meet your peers, get to know the program and what’s going to happen

Day 2: testing + training

Day 3: community; this is where we get to see their personalities. This day player spend time with the community learning what it truly means to be an Arizona Coyotes

Josh Doan is amazing with kids (especially this moment), encouraging them and making sure they have fun. He also hypes up other guy in dev camp. Overall Josh Doan is a positive guy.

Maveric Lamoureux is also good with kids, not as loud as Josh but he was having a good time

Conor Geekie almost hits a kid on accident, but he was having fun building lego

Dylan Guenther is just not being shown, but he’s his (lowkey) awkward but reserved little self.

Logan Cooley also isn’t shown much either but he looked like he was having fun

This day the boys also learned how to cook (or as the nutritionist described it, putting the correct food into your body) 

Dylan and Logan were on the same team and Dylan looked s t r e s s e d.

Josh was being his usual extraverted self

Maveric was having fun getting up to the tiniest bit of mischief

Conor was also having fun, but wasn’t shown a lot in this section

This is also when they went to the d-backers game.

Day 4: Black + White Scrimmage;

Team white: Lamoureux, Cooley

Team black: Geekie, Doan

For the life of me i could not find what team Guenther was on

After the game in the handshake line, i just… just watch, I’m at a loss for words

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Side note: on the 7th (or 6th depending where you're from) of July 2024 Conor Geekie deleted all his Arizona posts except the draft, but luckily this photo and comment were saved.  

the photo | the comment (Utah i swear...)

the post | the comments:

TW// BLOOD

the post | the comment (I actually have zero idea if this comment is real or not because I can't find it under the original post but idc it's fun) (the second comment (the one on the right) is real)

2023 World Juniors

Dylan and Logan were both invited to world juniors by their respective countries. Dylan won gold (🇨🇦) and Logan got bronze (🇺🇸).

After the tournament was over Logan said this about Dylan

"He's a great player, and I'm really looking forward to be able to play on the same team as him." "Obviously Canada is a rival and I wasn't pumped to see them win, but if anyone had to score it, I'm glad it was him."

"...but if anyone had to score, I'm glad it was him."

making this a quote is necessary actually.

2023-24 NHL SEASON:

Hey! it's logan cooley's rookie season

Here's a list of every single time Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther connected on a goal; throughout the season they were put on a line together, especially towards the end of the season.

Boston Bruins vs Arizona Coyotes: January 9, 2024: Guenther goal, Cooley Primary assist

Arizona Coyotes @ Florida Panthers: January 24, 2024: Cooley goal, Guenther primary assist

Arizona Coyotes @ Carolina Hurricanes: January 27, 2024: Cooley goal, Guenther primary assist

Arizona Coyotes @ Washington Capitals: March 3, 2024: Cooley goal, Guenther secondary assist

Arizona Coyotes @ Detroit Red Wings: Cooley goal, Guenther primary assist

Vegas Golden Knights vs Arizona Coyotes: April 5, 2024: Cooley goal, Guenther secondary assist

Seattle Kraken vs. Arizona Coyotes: March 22, 2024: Guenther OT goal, Cooley only assist (the kids won it in OT 🥹)

This game gets its own section: Arizona Coyotes @ Vancouver Canucks: April 10, 2024

First of all it was Dylan's birthday. Second of all this was the day the first report from sportsnet dropped saying the NHL has created 2 schedules one for Utah and one for Arizona. Other notes:

Dylan had a 4 point night (1G-3A)

On Dylan's goal Cooley was the first and only assist

The game heads into OT AND LOGAN COOLEY SCORES WITH A GUENTHER PRIMARY ASSIST WOOOO00! one one of the worst days to be a coyotes fan or just a coyotes player in general. THEY WON THE GAME TOGETHER!!! I did cry while watching this game thank you for asking.

March 26th 2024 one of the most important day in coyotes history: Josh Doan's debut!!!

Josh got his first goal (no one credited on the assist)

Then he got his second goal (be becomes the first and only arizona coyote to score 2 or more goals in their debut)

and then Dylan got a shot handed goal (no one credited on the assist)

Josh Doan first star of the night

2023-24 AHL SEASON:

Josh and Dylan both started the season as Tucson Roadrunners

Dylan Guenther was recalled to the coyotes Jan. 6th

Dylan was announced as the roadrunners all stars selection but he was in the NHL so the roadrunners sent Josh instead

Conor Geekie was also put on the roster but he never ended up playing a game for the Roadrunners in the regular season, instead he was playing in the WHL (Western Hockey League)

All the times Josh and Dylan connected on a goal:

Tucson Roadrunners vs Ontario Reign: November 10, 2023: Guenther goal, Doan primary assist

Tucson Roadrunners vs Bakersfield Condors, October 27, 2023: Doan goal, Guenther primary assist

Tucson Roadrunners vs Calgary Wranglers, November 21, 2023: Doan goal, Guenther secondary assist

Tucson Roadrunners vs Henderson Silver Knights, November 25, 2023: Doan goal, Guenther primary assist

Tucson Roadrunners vs San Jose Barracuda, December 1, 2023: Doan goal, Guenther primary assist

Tucson Roadrunners vs Bakersfield Condors, December 22, 2023: Doan OT goal, Guenther primary assist

Calder Cup Playoffs:

Michael Kesselring, along with Josh and Dylan were sent down to the AHL to play in the Calder Cup Playoffs, while the rest of the coyotes were in Utah doing the welcome to Utah thing.

Conor Geekie was loaned the the Roadrunners after the Swift Broncos were eliminated from the Memorial Cup Playoffs, and made his AHL debut the first playoff game against the wranglers

The Tucson Roadrunners ended up playing 2 games before getting eliminated by the Calgary Wranglers :/

The Tucson Roadrunners might have been shit in the playoffs but PHNX Sports podcast comes through a provides; Dylan Guenther, Josh Doan Ready For Tucson Roadrunners Playoff Run: Notes from Dylan's interview👇

(context: Dylan was asked but staying up in the NHL and taking advantage of his opportunity):

CRAIG MORGAN: ...when did you really start to feel like it (playing in the NHL) started to click, up there? DYLAN: ... take advantage of the opportunity. I got a pretty good opportunity heading in right away, like and uh that's just what I tried to do is to take advantage. So I felt like as I went on, I developed chemistry with, you know, with Cools. But also you know, a lot of the players, all the guys on the team and I was having a lot of fun doing it. I think that's a big important piece is having fun when you're playing to and I think that helped me.

Yes, that whole quote was necessary but I love that Dylan points out he developed great chemistry with cools then quickly added everyone else on. Other moments from the podcast:

Dylan enjoys cooking but he doesn't want it out there that he *might* be a good cook (this man hates being perceived). Then craig... oh craig, he said Dylan being a good cook will make Dylan a great bachelor. And I died of laughter

He loves to describe the team as driven and hungary

Notes from Josh's interview 👇

He was wearing a cowboy hat but sadly couldn't wear it for the interview because of the headset

Josh wanted to end the hockey season back down in the AHL which surprises people because people who are in the NHL don't want to be sent down. But Josh's reason is because he loves the game and the team and the boys mean so much to him. (Him loving Arizona and not wanting to leave goes unsaid)

Shane calls Josh a nerd

Then the host started chirping Josh about his cooking/him and his special steak. Josh calls his steak cooking ability, "one of his many trait at home."

Then he started chirping but also complementing Aku Räty, saying he's a good cleaner and smoothie maker

He says his job is to make the room stay light and positive

He also said that he went into the NHL saying to himself to be a nuisance on the forecheck 💀

Ten they started talking about arizona hockey and i got sad :( then the interview ends

2024 World Juniors

Maveric and Conor were invited to worlds by team canada and got 4th.

They did a the TNS promotional video “team Canada calls out their teammates for fun” where Mav bullied geeks for his knob because ofc have you seen it. Great banter.

2024 off-season

First off all how fucking dare they trade geeks LIKE?!??! HELLO??! UTAH??!? NO?? (as you can see it's been 2 months since the trade and i'm not over it)

The draft: Utah HC held a draft party where dylan and josh were signing autographs (it feels like sacrilege seeing them (epically josh) wearing utah gear) (sorry kid i just don't want you face on the internet)

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the post | the comment (UTAH GIVE HIM BACK 👹)

the post | the comment (context? no.)

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We save the best for last: Whatever this was

Context (ig??): at the start of the 2023-24 season after a few games Cools made a post thanking his friends family and anyone who helped him get to the going of where he is. It's really sweet then conor geekie commented his...

WHAT DOES THIS EVEN MEAN?? hello? context?? please,,

Anyways goodbye 👋

[sergeifyodorov]

what's a good metric to tell how far along a team is in the competitive cycle? regular season finish rank? playoff depth?

where are they in the standings at the end of the regular season? a top-5/6 position usually means they're at their peak, a bottom-5/6 position usually means they're in the middle of a tank.

how many draft picks and prospects do they have? as teams get competitive, they go from selling players for picks to buying players for picks, so a team that is mid-tank or rising will have lots and lots of picks and prospects, while a team that is aging out of competition or starting to tank will have very very few.

how old is the team? older teams tend to be fading, younger teams tend to be rising.

i find that playoffs aren't always the best measurement of how good a team actually is, considering that they're a very small sample size and dictated, even more than the rest of the sport, by goalie heaters -- the panthers won the president's trophy in 2022 and got swept in round two, and barely squeaked into the wild card in 2023 and made the cup final. lucking into a cup is totally possible (see: 2019 blues) but the most likely way to do so is to build a team that gets a comfortable playoff spot year over year -- rolling the dice as many times as you can.

[puckpocketed]

As someone who’s the go-to prospects blog in my mind, do you have any thoughts on Aron kiviharju dropping to the fourth round? The video the Wild shared after he got drafted is soo interesting to me

"Let me tell you one thing, man; you just made the biggest steal of the draft. I promise you that."

29/06/2024 - The Minnesota Wild draft Aron Kiviharju 122nd overall

Aron Kiviharju was supposed to go 1st overall.

Can you be a bust before you ever get drafted? Can the narrative miasma of going 1st overall linger on someone who went 122nd?

Kiviharju’s first game report from the 2024 EP Draft Guide is dated November 24th, 2019. He was 13 back then. According to them, no other player in EP's database — nor in any other draft guide this year — has had scouts' eyes on them so early, for so long. They say he understands the game beyond what's reasonable for a player his age, that he's always excelled while playing above his year level, that even though he's small and light there's something special about his game. Singular, elite, a phenom. This child is the next big thing. He is 13, 14, 15, he is anointed Boysaviour before his voice has cracked.

How many times have we heard this story before?

One day, Aron Kiviharju will be competing with and against players his age. And when that day comes, it might feel a bit odd for the defenceman. For years, ever since Kiviharju was young, he has played up a level, or two, or three. At age 13, he was playing U16 hockey with TPS Turku and, this past season, as a 15-year-old, he started with TPS’ U18 team before moving on to the U20 club. His numbers – 30 points in 35 games – would be deemed impressive for a 19-year-old forward, never mind a young defenceman who only turned 16 in January.

Steven Ellis' article on Kiviharju for Daily Faceoff, early September 2023, broadens the scope of public scrutiny even further:

Time travel back to 2022, and you'll find his name is printed right next to some familiar faces from this year's draft: Macklin Celebrini, Cole Eiserman, Berkly Catton, Ivan Demidov — except, they're all listed as possible challengers to his assumed throne.

And then, the accident.

The glaring flag on Kiviharju's draft profile, and across every report, every interview, and article since is the reality of his stalled potential. A scout’s job is to project a player’s future, but progress is rarely linear. What might halt a once-promising player's progress? Injuries and global pandemics and a poorly managed season or two; these things don't care for destiny. For every realised prodigy there are a dozen more who will fall short of expectations — this is something you pick up fast reading backdated draft guides and sifting through the history of the NHL.

In Kiviharju's case, the dislocated kneecap and the skate cut to the throat are the things most will write about. Behind the scenes, however, there were evidently other factors that contributed to his drop to the 4th round.

You see, every time I think I've escaped it, the size issue comes back.

The belief remains, however, that larger is better. I’m understating just how much it pervades hockey discourses: it’s present in scouting reports and has had measurable impacts on drafting; I hear it on professional and amateur hockey podcasts; it’s thrown out casually during interviews by coaches and fellow players. I can’t read or listen to anything about Faber without stumbling across it — the preoccupation with size. I’ll be very clear here: I’m not reading anything malicious from specific people, I’m not accusing anyone of crimes, and in no way am I implying that ice hockey is unique here. Just the opposite, in fact. I know professional sports hinges upon producing stars, that the commodification of young bodies is endemic to the business. Those stars are, stripped down to the basest definition, workers who perform with their bodies and sell their labour, whose bodies will inevitably be coveted and revered for their adherence to the Platonic Ideal of their respective crafts. For men’s sports, there’s something extra on top of the commodification of children’s bodies — it’s the vernacular of near-fetishistic worship; of the masculine, the oxymoronic youthful-but-mature, the virile. The language used to praise Faber and other young d-men like him has my stomach twisting in a discomfort that I find hard to quantify — players, coaches, and the media all talk about him, and the hockey blinders slip. He’s a “workhorse”, a “stud”, he’s got “a man’s body” — and call it projecting, call it reading too deeply into innocuous statements, but the closest thing I can compare it to is hearing my AFAB body spoken about as an object whose value can be reduced to its function, its usefulness, its closeness to sexual maturity.

Excerpt from the last time I wrote about a Minnesota d-man (sensing a pattern here).

Kiviharju probably would've dropped some places regardless of his injury and missed time; that's where the league is trending right now in terms of draft preference. When you're small, every mistake is amplified by your lack of size. You must be twice as skilled, faster, more consistent.

p. 595, The 2024 Elite Prospects NHL Draft Guide

Kiviharju's media appearances read like someone who is haunted by his draft stock despite his assertions otherwise.

Kiviharju's bold proclamation, caught on GM Bill Guerin’s hot mic, that the Wild just got "the biggest steal of the draft” will likely be associated with Kiviharju's rise — or perhaps his fall — as Minnesota media and fans work at their mythmaking. I don't know if I want to care about some hockey myths anymore. My appetite for them sours day by day. These myths were started by the eyes and hands and mouths of people watching a boy of 11 play hockey, who witnessed him and salivated at his unwritten future. Part of me thinks: I don't want to be complicit in their continued weaving — though I know I will be anyway.

I read what he says in the lead up to the draft and it's like he's telling himself as he tells us; that he will not care, because he is worth more than this.

From Kiviharju's draft day interview, transcribed by me:

Q: What's the biggest thing you learned about yourself going through the rehab process? AK: Kind of like... it's — life is more than hockey. Hockey is the biggest thing for me. I love the sport. I will do this for the rest of my life, for sure. First playing it, then probably I will continue with hockey after my career, so I've been always thinking like that, and I'm still thinking like that, but it's just that it's — more. Life is more than just hockey, there's a lot of things. And there's a lot of different things about myself, kind of like when you don't — if hockey is my fuel and I'm a car and I'm 200 days without getting any fuel, we have to find some new ways how to get that fuel, to keep my car going. - Q: How has your cut healed since U-18's? AK: Yeah so (he gestures to the cut right below his jawline) that was a pretty close one, but thank God we're alive. That's what I kind of meant when I said that this life is more than just hockey. So first you're 200 days without playing hockey and when you come back your first game the World Under 18's a skate cuts your throat open, so it's very close calls, and that's when you remember that this is only hockey.

Whatever happens, I want Kiviharju to hold on to this. Don't get me wrong, I'm rooting for him. In so many ways, he fits the archetype of players I enjoy. I want him to make it to the show and blow everyone's expectations out of the water and bring Minnesota the Cup. I love this team, even if I rarely post about them. Even still, whether he shoots into stardom or he washes out of the NHL, it doesn't fucking matter. It's only hockey.

And he is more than his ability to live up to our myths.

[shanewright]

Shane Wright has been named to the AHL Top Prospects team! Congrats Shane!

Shane Wright’s first full season as a pro saw him total 22 goals and 25 assists in 59 games for Coachella Valley, tied for seventh among AHL rookies in scoring. He also appeared in eight NHL games over two stints for Seattle and posted four goals and one assist, highlighted by a three-point night at Anaheim on Apr. 5. The 20-year-old native of Burlington, Ont., played 24 games for the Firebirds during their run to the Calder Cup Finals last spring, and has five points in six games this postseason as Coachella Valley has repeated as Western Conference champions. Wright was chosen by the Kraken with the fourth overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.

[coffee-at-annies]

I think I figured out my feelings on what the pens have done in the last week. It’s safe. That’s all we are under Dubas and FSG. We’re safe. There’s no guts. There’s no sense of impending glory. We’ve had our cake (18 years of love and friendship) and we’ve eaten it (3 cups) and fans are impatiently yelling for more when we’ve got the best baker (of banana bread) in hockey and instead of mixing it up we’re following the recipe.

It’s not that there’s no hope. Through Sidney Crosby all things are possible so jot that down. It’s that we aren’t betting big. We aren’t swinging for the fences. We aren’t doing big moves or signing big players. We did that last off season and it worked out very good with Eller, pretty good with EK, and badly with Graves. We aren’t risking anything with the contracts we’re signing or the trades we’re making. Everyone is getting one to two years at cheap because we aren’t promising anything bigger or longer. We’re signing a bunch of boys for short terms who are looking to have bounce back years hoping at best we’ll find another Ned. Then if we like them we re-sign them and if we don’t they’re gone this time next year. That’s why we didn’t give PO an offer. They’re so scared of arbitration giving him more money or longer term than they offered him that they’d rather let him walk.

It’s hard to feel like this team has a future when it feels torn between this season and when Crosby retires in ???? years (but realistically 2-5). We’re banking draft picks and prospects for that nebulous future but it’s very clear that Dubas doesn’t expect anyone on this current team to still be here at that time (or at least none of the people we’re acquiring - Graves has 5 years, Jars Tanger Rak and Rust have 4 and I think everyone but Tanger is going to get traded when they hit 2 or 1 UFA). If this team is going to change year over year what is there to excite us about? The kids we call up and don’t play? Prospects that are realistically 1-3 years away from Wilkes and 2-5 years away from the NHL? The end of Sid (and Geno and Tanger but mostly Sid’s) career(s)? Idk.

We’re not betting. I know we can’t empty out the cupboards because the cupboards are bare but even in restocking we’re playing it safe. There’s nothing exciting. There’s nothing to distract from the real impending sense we’re at the end of an era and they haven’t invested time in creating a bridge to the next one. There’s no one interesting in the minors that they want us to care about. There’s no one on the team that they want us to get excited about since we’ve not heard from anyone on the team via official accounts since the end of the season. Maybe prospects dev camp next week will give us actual content but there’s nothing coming out of the penguins right now.

Maybe I’ve been fooled by the stability of 8 years of watching Sidney Crosby play. Maybe every team goes through a complete identity change up every 5 years or so and I’ve just been ignoring it as everyone around Sid and Geno left until it was just those two and Tanger still kicking. Idk. We could lose a hundred games like the 2022 pirates did and I’d still be a fan. Management isn’t betting on the team. Why should I?

[marietheran]

ahhhhh... oh my...

so. my family is maybe moving to Italy. that is, my father was offered a job there. they might change their mind but if they take him it'll happen.

there are several reasons to do so. our years in Switzerland were some of the most beautiful in our lives. it's Treviso. near the Alps. My father's skiing hobby would prosper. But the real reason is that, as they see it, Ukraine is losing this war and in some five years, we may be them. In five years, as it happens, my little brother will be at the age of draft.

but the problem is where this leaves me. 2 years ago the prospect of moving would gladden me for various reasons. Some of them are still valid but other things have changed. and of course I could stay here on my own. but. I still have reasons to want to move - it's just that there are ones for staying too. and does it make sense to stay here knowing it's just for the time being? (it was always just for the time being. but it's switching from "I'm dying to leave someday" to "I would like to leave but I may be forced to")

anyway, those vague plans that we might leave Poland again someday were always there. and those voices have been firmer since 2022. but I think this time they're serious. and even if it doesn't work out - that's not better actually. my parents will still be looking for a way to move. even if there's a fair chance there'll be peace for the next ... years. "..." because we haven't had 30 years of freedom since, idk, but at least 2 centuries. and who knows how long this can last. can you really plan the future, say, a generation forwards in this land?

[mariacallous]

On April 24, Ukraine and its supporters around the world breathed a sigh of relief when U.S. President Joe Biden signed a long-awaited foreign aid bill that provides more than $60 billion in aid to Ukraine. While the bill was ensnared for months in Washington politics, Ukraine’s position on the battlefield was looking increasingly precarious, with its forces literally running out of ammunition as Russia was expected to launch a new offensive. The situation prompted a growing drumbeat of bleak assessments from senior security officials. “The side that can’t shoot back loses,” NATO Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Christopher Cavoli warned. Internal White House assessments were even bleaker. Even the normally upbeat Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, predicted that Ukraine “will lose the war” without additional American support. With the aid, Ukraine now has a fighting chance.

Unfortunately, Ukraine’s challenges go beyond mere resources. The recent fight over the aid package strikes at the heart of the strategic paradox plaguing Biden’s strategy toward Ukraine. On the one hand, Biden has pledged that “our commitment to Ukraine will not weaken” and that U.S. support will be there “for as long as it takes.” At the same time, however, the Biden administration has been steadfastly concerned about escalation and the prospect of a direct confrontation with a nuclear-armed Russia. Judged independently, both are laudable goals—but put together, these objectives are increasingly working at cross purposes. Ultimately, Biden’s balancing will become untenable.

Undergirding the Biden administration’s Ukraine strategy was the idea that, at its core, Kyiv—backed by the collective might of the West—had time on its side. After Ukraine beat back the initial Russian invasion, this appeared to be true. Ukraine had fully mobilized its society to fight the war from the start, whereas Russia—at least initially—had not. Russian casualties were significant, mounting, and almost certainly higher than the Kremlin had anticipated. Hundreds of thousands of Russians were fleeing the country. And that was before Russia felt the bite of economic sanctions, hailed at the time as the “most impactful, coordinated, and wide-ranging economic restrictions in history.” With the situation seeming to favor Ukraine, the Biden administration believed that Kyiv could afford the precautions imposed by Washington in the name of escalation management—including restricting the types of weapons Ukraine received and the targets it was allowed to strike.

Fast-forward two years, and the assumption that time would favor Ukraine looks increasingly doubtful. As Cavoli recently testified, Russia is reconstituting its military “far faster than initial estimates suggested,” and its military is now larger than before the war. Despite the sanctions, the Russian economy posted modest growth in 2023 and is on track to do so again this year. And while Russia has lost tens of thousands of soldiers and seen hundreds of thousands injured, the casualties have not translated into unrest in Russia or visibly shaken the Putin regime.

On the other side of the equation, Ukraine’s strategic position is becoming progressively more perilous. Starved of weapons and ammunition, Ukraine has been forced to cede ground on the battlefront—with Russia making its most significant advances since July 2022 and supposedly gearing up for a summer offensive. Even though U.S. weapons are now flowing again, it will take time for them to make their way to the front.

All the while, Ukraine is bleeding out. Although estimates differ widely, they all place the number of Ukrainians killed in the tens of thousands. The figures are especially significant given Ukraine’s smaller population compared to Russia’s. In fact, Ukraine recently had to lower its draft age, from 27 to 25, to replenish its ranks. In and of itself, that’s neither catastrophic nor unusual. The United States used to draft men at even younger ages and still requires men aged 18 to 25 to register for potential military service. Still, Ukraine’s change in its draft policy is a sign that the country is under increasing strain.

Perhaps even more pressing than the military situation are the political dynamics of the war. A year and a half ago, we wrote that the United States had more patience to back Ukraine than many commentators then believed. The fact that House Speaker Mike Johnson, a former Ukraine skeptic, put his job on the line to finally pass the aid bill reaffirms this point.

Nonetheless, there is no denying that any future Ukraine aid faces significant headwinds. In Gallup polling, Americans today are evenly split between those who believe the United States is doing too little to help Ukraine and those who think it is doing too much. Support for Ukraine aid among Democrats has risen sharply since the last such poll in the fall, whereas Republican support has lagged behind, so that future Ukraine aid may depend on who wins in the U.S. elections.

Ukraine also has fewer opportunities to reverse the strategic narrative. With another war in the Middle East and an upcoming U.S. presidential election, Ukraine does not attract the same level of media attention it once did. Whereas Ukraine sinking another ship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet or striking another Russian fuel depot used to make headline news, those same actions get less attention in major Western outlets today. Similarly, the American public does not seem as enthralled by Zelensky’s speeches as it once did. All this means that if trends continue, the political fight over the next tranche of Ukraine aid—whenever that may be—may be even more intense than the past one.

Not all the news is bad. European support remains robust and has been steadily rising. Some countries—including France and Lithuania—have even signaled an openness to committing ground forces to the conflict, whereas others—such as Britain and Norway—are much more willing than the United States to let Ukraine strike targets in Russia. And $60 billion still gives Ukraine a lot of weapons, and with them, a lot of strategic time. Even former U.S. President Donald Trump’s opposition to Ukraine aid has seemingly softened a little, potentially giving some room for Ukraine to regain some Republican support. In other words, Ukraine still has some strategic room to maneuver, but it will need to fight differently if it hopes to reverse this slow decline.

First, Ukraine will need to strike deeper inside Russia proper, for two reasons. Current reporting shows that Russia relies on its internal railway network to support its occupied portions of Ukraine. If Ukraine wants to impede Russian logistical networks, and by extension forestall further Russian advances, it needs to hit these hubs. The other reason is trickier. Even with all the air defenses that the United States, Germany, and others have provided Ukraine over the last two years, it is still far from having sufficient capacity to cover its vast size and intercept everything Russia throws its way. Instead of intercepting arrows, Ukraine needs the ability to shoot the archer—in other words, rather than just trying to intercept missiles and drones in flight, it needs to target Russian air bases, bombers, and missile launchers. That, in turn, means striking Russia.

Britain has already taken a step in this direction by allowing Ukraine to use British-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles to hit Russian territory. Now it’s time for the United States to follow Britain’s lead and give the same kind of permission to use the longer-range version of the U.S. Army Tactical Missile System (or ATACMS) to strike Russian operational support targets inside Russia.

Ukraine will also need some kind of air-power capability if it wants to succeed in a ground counteroffensive at some point in the future and evict Russian forces from its country. Russian air power—particularly its attack helicopters and drones—was one of the key reasons Ukraine’s 2023 counteroffensive petered out. And in contrast to the considerable damage to Russia’s ground forces and Black Sea Fleet, the Russian Air Force has lost only about 10 percent of its aircraft. Consequently, Ukraine needs not only air defense, but also its own air power to neutralize Russian air power, strike Russian bases, and stop Russian armor.

The F-16 fighter aircraft that some U.S. allies in Europe will be sending to Ukraine—after some initial reluctance from the Biden administration—will help in this regard, especially if they are equipped with the right munitions to target Russian forces and supported by sufficient maintenance capability to keep them in the air. Even so, as the commander of the U.S. Air Force in Europe, Gen. James Hecker, has noted, the F-16s are older aircraft that normally require years of training to master. They are unlikely to be a silver bullet for Ukrainian air power.

For Ukraine to get the air-power capability it needs, it will likely need a broader suite of capabilities, including higher-flying, sophisticated drones and electronic warfare capabilities from either ground or air-based platforms. This combination provides a way to create pulses of Ukrainian air superiority, in a given area, over Russian air and ground forces.

Finally, Ukraine will need to take more operational risk if and when it launches a counteroffensive. The long-range strikes against Russian military targets in Russia proper, combined with a pulsed air-power capability, can set the conditions for a ground counteroffensive to succeed. But the Ukrainians will need to accept operational risk and face a likely possibility that the initial days or weeks of this counteroffensive will cost them heavily in casualties and materiel in order to create the kind of operational breakthrough that might shatter Russian defensive lines.

The Ukraine war may look particularly grim at the moment, but the conflict’s outcome is far from preordained. If Ukraine is to regain the operational momentum it has lost, it will need more equipment and munitions. Thanks to the most recent aid packages, Ukraine now has the resources to get them.

But more importantly, Ukraine and its Western backers will also need to change their overall approach. Ukraine can no longer afford to simply wait the Russians out, refrain from striking military and logistical targets inside Russia, and hope that the artillery duels in eastern Ukraine will eventually turn in their favor. It will, instead, need to go on the offensive—and that involves some degree of escalation risk. That’s an easier sell for Ukraine, given that its very existence is on the line.

For the Biden administration, though, accepting such risk will mean abandoning a pillar of its strategy for the past two years, choosing a single path, and accepting the potentially escalatory consequences that might follow. That’s a tough choice. Not choosing, however, may be even riskier.

[thenhlteaissuperhot]

Who is that second Czech goalie at the Juniors now? I saw him on the bench during a game and 👀

Jakub Vondras.

He is a prospect of the Carolina Hurricanes, drafted in 2022.

[yaoistri]

tagged to do this by @kimissteeringwheel !!

pairing/ship list!

here’s the rules:

1. list your top 7 ships

2. put them in order of your love for them; 7 to 1, 1 being your favourite

3. name their fandom

4. supply photos for said people

7. tyson jost & jt compher, hockey rpf

sadly there is very minimal interaction between these two anymore, but they came into the NHL as rookies in 2017 and immediately became BEST friends playing together on the worst team in the league. they lived together and did everything together until tyson was traded away from colorado in 2022. jt has also now been traded away just recently.

6. erik johnson and gabe landeskog, hockey rpf

it’s 2011 and the youngest captain in nhl history gets drafted onto a team with a former number 1 prospect who has just been traded away from his initial team after injuring himself badly, and the two become tight instantly. LOTS of twitter banter occurs, and they play together for 11 years before winning a cup together! sadly, gabe has been out for a year after badly injuring himself during the 2022 playoffs, and ej just got traded away to buffalo, MEANING that the last game they ever played together was the game they won the cup….. sooo damn tragic and poetic

5. darius garland and donovan mitchell (spidaland), basketball rpf

they’ve only had one season together on the cavs, and sadly fell short in the playoffs, but they’re one of the best guard pairings in the nba for a reason, because they literally have soooooo much chemistry. also they’re ALWAYS touching each other????? like my camera roll is so full of pictures of them hugging

4. sebastian vettel and kimi räikkönen (simi), f1 rpf

they invented grumpy/sunshine. you can’t drive for ferrari and not get shipped with ur teammate i’m sorry it’s the rules! especially when you have a reputation for being as cold as ice but whenever you’re around him you start smiling… kimi ur not slick!

3. alain prost and ayrton senna (prosenna), f1 rpf

these two were INSANE. i’m a sucker for a tragic rivalry and they are nothing if not that. the chemistry, the tension, the way alain still talks about ayrton to this day, it all kills me. there’s so much about them we will never know and it drives me up the wall

2. nikola jokic and jamal murray, basketball rpf

these two oh my goddddd. might mansplain a bit here bc this is not a popular pairing at all — they were drafted to the denver nuggets in 2014 and 2016 respectively, nikola being a nobody from serbia who didn’t get picked until the second round, and jamal being a top 10 pick with all eyes on him. these two built this team on their backs, going from one of the worst teams in the league to finally winning the championship together in 2023 after facing a major setback when jamal tore his acl in 2021. the way they have so much trust in each other and have built a chemistry that has made them the best duo in the league is so dear to me :’) the dynamic is also spectacular - massive cynical european of little words and friendly but bratty short canadian who loves to have a laugh. i think the fact that i got to watch them grow together and that there’s like 5 other people in the world that ship them just make them sooo dear to me

1. lewis hamilton and nico rosberg (brocedes), f1 rpf

i literally have no words for these two 😭 i feel like i don’t need to explain that much either, because their story is so tragic and so out of a book that everyone already knows it. the intricacies of the way they destroyed each other will haunt me forever.

ok, passing the trend on! tagging @queergrittys @unsolvedjarin @jrueships if any of u are interested :)