Murray Fires Nolan (nhl lottery)

nhl lottery

Murray Fires Nolan

By GARTH'S CORNER

Apr 13, 2015 • 8:44 pm

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Updated:

Watch Tim Murray's presser here.

Thanks, Sabres.com

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Sabres GM Tim Murray wasted little time making changes to his team.

Hours after the players cleaned out their lockers and did end of year one on ones and took their season ending physical exams, Murray has fired Ted Nolan and his entire coaching staff:

Released:

Head Coach Ted Nolan Assistant Coach Bryan Trottier Assistant Coach Danny Flynn Assistant Coach Tom Coolen

Retained:

Goaltending Coach Arturs Irbe who has one year left on his deal. Tim Murray will recommend that his new hea dcoach interview the Latvian goalie guru.

The Toronto Maple Leafs fired their head coach Peter Horachek and GM Dave Nonis as well on Sunday Bloody Sunday.

No replacement has been named.

This is the second time that Nolan has been fired by the Sabres in his NHL coaching career.

Nolan went 40-87-17 since taking over the team on November 12, 2013.

The speculation begins now. Look for Mike Babcock, Guy Boucher, Todd McClellan and Luke Richardson to be names as replacement to Nolan.

Don't sleep on Babcock. He is still under contract with the Detroit Red Wings until they are eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I told you a couple of weeks back that Babcock is seeking $5 million per season for 5-6 year term. Terry Pegula would gladly pay that amount to secure Babcock's services. There is no salary cap for NHL coaches. Therefore, there is no limit to the aannual salary that Pegula and Murray can invest in a quality, veteran head coach like Babcock. Remember that Tim Murray was Babcock's boss when they worked in the Anaheim Ducks organization. Murray and Babcock worked together at the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks.

Boucher is partly responisble for the development of generation player Steven Stamkos in Tampa.

Boucher was fired from Tampa three seasons ago and is still looking for an NHL bench to coach on. In 2010-11, Boucher led the Bolts to a 103 point season and a deep playoff run. Stamkos had a breakout 91 point season and added 13 points in 18 playoff games.

McClellan's future in San Jose is uncertain now that his team has been knocked from the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade. I feel like a change will do McClellan a lot of good at this point in his career.

Richardson and Murray are very close to one another having won a Calder Trophy together in AHL Binghampton. Away from the ice, Murray and his family are extremely close to Richardson and his family. Richardson is committed to staying close to his family near his daughter who is a college student at Cornell University. Is Richardson ready to make his move to Buffalo this summer or will he wait until his daughter graduates from Cornell?

More to come....

***

Josh Gorges revealed on locker clean out day that he suffered a micro fracture in his knee. He courageously tried to brave the pain and suffering and play with his injury. The micro fracture got the better of the intense competitor. When he couldn't bear playing through the pain, he was forced to shut it down on February 10. He was sent for surgery shortly thereafter. Gorges said that he is ahead of schedule in terms of his rehabilitation from surgery and he will be ready to start anew with his Sabres teammates later this summer.

The timing of Gorges' brutal injury coincided with the Sabres' abysmal play on the ice. Gorges couldn't lead his team from the front when he was on the surgeon's table. He missed the final 26 games of the worst season in Sabres history. Just because he wasn't on the ice fighting with his teammates on a nightly basis doesn't mean that Gorges wasn't front and center as a leader and big brother to the youngsters in the room. Brian Gionta's job as captain became more difficult after the Gorges injury. Gionta did his dead-level best to keep his young team focused while the NHL trade deadline loomed on the horizon. Gionta deserves a purple heart of valor of leading the Sabres the way that he did on most nights. He needed the help of Gorges especially after Chris Stewart, Drew Stafford, Tyler Myers, Torrey Mitchell and Brian Flynn were traded away and youngsters were recalled from Rochester to take their places in the every night lineup. The Sabres didn't win a lot of games, 23 to be exact, however, they let their opponents know that they would not be bullied and sent meekly into that good night.

On Sunday, Gorges opened up his soul and let the truth pour out.

Always blood and guts honest, Gorges looked reporters in the eyes and told them that he and his teammates lost their way through all the losing and negativity that seeped into the Buffalo room during their darkest days in 30th place.

“I think along the way this year we forgot about that, we lost that idea of what being a professional athlete is supposed to be. It’s not just showing up, putting your time in, punching the clock, there’s work and I don’t mean just in the games, that’s preparing before practice, that’s watching your clips, that’s talking to coaches, trying to develop, trying to find ways to be better, trying to find answers.…

“We’re not going to go through this again,… he said. “The way things happened, we won’t accept it as players. I’m sure the coaches won’t accept it – management, everybody. We need to change the way the culture is here. We understand what happened this year and trying to get our future put in place, but now it’s time to take a step forward.…

Gorges also said that the work needs to be done by all players who are returning to Buffalo next season.

“We lost that idea of what being a professional athlete is supposed to be,… he said inside the Buffalo room. “It’s not about just showing up, putting your time in, punching the clock. There’s work.…There’s lots of work ahead".

Now, the Sabres have to climb the ladder out of the muck and grime of the NHL basement. It won't be easy, however, the silver lining is that he and his teammates have now experienced the lowest of teh low. The only way to go now is up.

“You finish dead last,… Gorges said, “you can’t get further down.…

I want you to watch this entire interview. I watched it twice because I am so impressed with Gorges for opening up his heart and mind and telling the truth about his teammates having to be more accountable to one another next season. If some players don't want to do the work, they can get the hell out now. Losing sucks. Winning is better. A healthy Gorges will continue to lead by his actions on and off the ice.

“It’s a big offseason for everyone on this team. We all have to take a look in the mirror and understand that what happened this year isn’t acceptable,… he said. “And we better be willing to put the time in and the effort in to make sure this doesn’t happen again".

Thanks, Sabres.com

****

Evander Kane's surgically repaired shoulder is healing on schedule and he can't wait to pull his #9 Blue and Gold sweater over his head next fall!

Thanks, Sabres.com

***

Dean Lombardi's LA Kings have gone from the penthouse to the outhouse.

The Kings won the 2014 Stanley Cup championship.

Today, they are one of 14 lottery teams who are vying to win the NHL Draft Lottery for the right to select Connor McDavid first overall in the June entry draft.

How crappy would it be for Sabres fans if the team that has won two of the past three Stanley Cups wins Connor McDavid as well? When was the last time that the Kings suffered? It's been a while. Sabres fans would be pissed if the Kings or another top of the food chain teams like San Jose or Boston win the McDavid lottery.

On Sunday afternoon, Lombardi told Dennis Bernstein of 4thPeriod.com that his team isn't going to be winning the McDavid lotto. Instead, he thinks that the Arizona Coyotes will win the NHL Draft Lottery in the same manner that the 1985 NY Knickerbockers "won" the Patrick Ewing draft lottery.

Now, before I freak out and make a scene, I want to take a deep breath and think about Lombardi's words. Whether they were meant in jest or in all seiousness I don't know. I wasn't in the media scrum to determine Lombardi's tone.

I will tell you that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and his Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly won't be happy with Lombardi's quote as it suggests a huge conflict of interest in fixing the NHL Lottery so that a lesser NHL market would win the best player to come down the pipe in a decade. Sure, Arizona would love to take ownership of McDavid. He who add immediate credibility to the historically bad Coyotes. He would infuse new life into a franchise that had been run by the NHL for a few years as it was in a bankruptcy. The new owners of the Desert Dogs would benefit tremendously vis a vi TV ratings, gate revenues and sponsorship deals from corporate welfare in the form of Connor McDavid. Remember when then Edmonton Oilers traded Wayne Gretzky to the LA Kings? How did that work out for the growth of the National Hockey League in the United States of America? I'd say it worked out very well, didn't it?

Lombardi's comment will likely not go over well in the NHL league offices. For a high ranking team executive to allege or infer that the NHL draft is rigged/fixed is certainly not in the best interest of the game.

Manipulating the NHL draft so that Arizona ends up with McDavid would jerk with the integrity of the game.

For the uninitiated, here is the Patrick Ewing story to add context:

In 1985, the NBA draft lottery was created. I remember watching that inaugural lottery presentation on TV. Here we are 30 years later and theories still abound about how then commissioner David Stern rigged and fixed the draft lottery to insure that the lowly NY Knicks would claim sky-scraping Georgetown center Patrick Ewing. Why would Stern manipulate the draft lottery? New York City is the #1 media market in the free world and the NBA would benefit greatly by the financial windfall associated with having the top player in the game playing in the #1 TV market. TV Ratings equal mega millions of dollars in advertising investment and sponsorship opportunities. So, how did Stern rig the draft lottery? Conspiracy theorists say that the commish opened a curiously creased envelope that contained the name of "New York City" as the first overall draft pick recipient. Stern opened the envelope to reveal that the first pick would go to the New York Knicks, who were in desperate need of a rock star of Patrick Ewing’s echelon. How did Stern know which envelope contained the Knicks' name? The New York envelope was said to have been ice cold from having sat in a freezer before the event ever began.

Think about it. Stern would only have to fish his hand around while feeling all of the envelopes for the one that was ice cold and creased.

The rest of the story lives on in infamy.

As for Lombardi's comment about McDavid being predestined to go to the Arizona Coyotes, I hope Lombardi was just kidding.

***

Per the NHL, the 2015 Draft Lottery will take place Saturday 4/18 at 8 pm (EDT).

The results will be announced on NBC before Game 2 of Penguins-Rangers series.

Great news as I will be among the 19,000 fanatics at the Tragically Hip show in Buffalo on Saturday 4/18.

The Hip will take the stage at 9pm EDT.

Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel, Tragically Hip and a huge party in Buffalo.

I am fully and completely jacked up for the lottery and the concert!!

**

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Speaking of fully and completely.....

The Toronto Maple Leafs are a bona fide dumpster fire right now!

They were the laughingstock of the NHL with their monumental collapse and tank job in the second half of the season.

President Brendan Shanahan canned GM David Nonis and interim coach Peter Horachek at Noon on Sunday.

Toronto, which did not qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a second straight season and the ninth time in the past 10 seasons, also relieved assistant coaches Steve Spott and Chris Dennis, and goaltending coach Rick St. Croix of their duties.

Steve Staios will return to his previous role as manager of player development.

The organization will have assistant general manager Kyle Dubas and director of player personnel Mark Hunter serve as interim co-general managers while team president Brendan Shanahan seeks a full-time replacement.

Horachek replaced Randy Carlyle as coach in January. Carlyle's dismissal came 40 games into the season and Toronto was in fourth place in the Atlantic Division with a 21-16-3 record. The team went 9-28-5 with Horacek in charge.

Shanahan is rumored to be interested in hiring former LA Kings D Rob Blake as his next GM.

Shanny is also going to hard sell Detroit head coach Mike Babcock to be the Leafs next head coach.

Why would any exec or star head coach want to work in Toronto right now?

The team is loaded with high dollar quitters and under achievers.

They lack stars and top prospects in their Marlies organization.

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The NHL playoff field has been set.

While 16 teams will begin 8 week war of attrition knows as the Stanley Cup playoffs, 14 other teams will head into next Saturday's NHL Draft Lottery looking to score one of two generational players in Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel.

The Buffalo Sabres own a 20% chance of winning the lottery. If/when they do so, they will select Connor McDavid first overall. If they lose the lottery, they will select Eichel with the second overall pick in the June NHL Draft.

McDavid's season is still alive right now as he and his Erie Otters head into today's Game 3 with a 2-0 lead in games on the London Knights.

Eichel's season came to an abrupt, emotional, screeching halt on Saturday night when he and his Boston University Terriers teammates lost the NCAA Men's Hockey Championship game in the third period to the Providence Friars.

McDavid and Eichel will both play in the NHL next season. Their futures are bright. They will add immediate skill and value to the teams that are lucky enough to draft them.

Today, fourteen teams will clean out their lockers and meet for one on one meetings and exit interviews.

Below is the list of 14 non-playoff teams ranked by their percentage of probability in winning the #1 overall pick the April 18 NHL Draft Lottery.

The Buffalo Sabres finished 30th overall in the NHL standings which gives them the #1 seed in the McEichel proceedings.

Notable inclusions in this year's lottery will be three perennial power clubs who have suddenly lost their winning ways. Defending Stanley up champion LA Kings will have a 2% chance of winning the lottery, while former Cup winner the Boston Bruins will have a 1% chance to do so. The San Jose Sharks now have a 5% chance of winning the McEichel Derby, and the Philadelphia Flyers have a 6.5% chance.

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The Boston University men's ice hockey team's outstanding 2014-15 season came to a heartbreaking end on Saturday night as Providence earned a 4-3 win over the Terriers in the national championship game at the TD Garden.

BU held a 3-2 lead in the third period, but two Providence goals in a span of 2:19 gave the Friars their first-ever national championship. The Terriers concluded their season with a mark of 28-8-5, one year removed from a 10-21-4 campaign for the fifth-best turnaround in NCAA D-I history. BU won the Beanpot, the Hockey East regular-season trophy and the Hockey East tournament title.

Senior Cason Hohmann and juniors Ahti Oksanen and Danny O'Regan scored the Terrier goals. Oksanen also assisted on Hohmann's marker for a two-point night. Freshman Jack Eichel, the 2015 Hobey Baker Award recipient, collected his 71st point of the season with an assist on O'Regan's goal. Junior Matt O'Connor made 39 saves for the Terriers.

O'Connor's gaffe on a Providence lob shot tied the game at 3-3 in the third period. O'Connor thought that he had gloved the shot, however, it popped out of his mitt, onto he ice and landed between his legs. O'Connor knocked the typing puck into his own net and in so doing, gave the Friars the momentum they needed to finish off the Terriers.

Thanks, ESPN

Needless to say, this is not the fairy tale ending that Eichel was looking for. Its very likely that the heartbreaking National Championship game loss was his last in a college hockey sweater. Eichel will be an NHL star next autumn.

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The stage is finally set – and what a spectacular stage it is. Sportsnet and Hockey Night in Canada this morning announced its 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs first round broadcast schedule, featuring five Canadian NHL teams for the first time since 2004, and wall-to-wall coverage of all eight series.

The first puck drops on Wednesday, April 15 with four games, including two all-Canadian matchups:

7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT – Ottawa Senators @ Montreal Canadiens (CBC) 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT – New York Islanders at Washington Capitals (Sportsnet) 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT – Chicago Blackhawks at Nashville Predators (Sportsnet 360) 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT - Calgary Flames at Vancouver Canucks on (CBC) For the first time ever, all Stanley Cup Playoffs and Stanley Cup Final games will be available on Rogers NHL GameCentre LIVE. (See full broadcast schedule below).

Sportsnet’s and Hockey Night in Canada’s deep roster of hockey commentators will continue to provide best-in-class coverage and will be assigned as follows:

Studio

George Stroumboulopoulos will anchor the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Hockey Central studio, along with Elliotte Friedman, Kelly Hrudey and Nick Kypreos Don Cherry and Ron MacLean will host Coach’s Corner Sportsnet will also provide extensive pre-game and post-game coverage throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs across all platforms and will include hosts Daren Millard ,Jeff Marek, Brad Fay and Leah Hextall, and analysts P.J. Stock, John Shannon, Damien Cox , Doug MacLean, Billy Jaffe and Scott Morrison

Game Crews

Montreal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators (starts Wed. April 15 at 7 p.m. ET/4p.m. PT on CBC)

Play-by-play: Paul Romanuk; Game Analysts: Mike Johnson and Glenn Healy; Reporter: David Amber Chris Johnston covers the series for sportsnet.ca GamePlus features available in Rogers NHL GameCentre LIVE

Vancouver Canucks vs. Calgary Flames (starts Wed. April 15 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on CBC)

Play-by-play: Jim Hughson; Game Analysts: Craig Simpson; Reporter: Scott Oake Mark Spector covers the series for sportsnet.ca OMNI (Punjabi): Play-by-play: Harnarayan Singh; Game Analysts: Randip Janda, Bhupinder S. Hundal Calgary Radio: all games available on Sportsnet 960 The FAN Play-by-play: Derek Wills ; Analyst: Peter Loubardias GamePlus features available in Rogers NHL GameCentre LIVE

Anaheim Ducks vs. Winnipeg Jets (starts Thursday, April 16 at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT on Sportsnet)

Play-by-play: Dave Randorf; Game Analyst: Garry Galley; Reporter: Cassie Campbell-Pascall Damien Cox covers the series for sportsnet.ca GamePlus features available in Rogers NHL GameCentre LIVE

New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (starts Thursday, April 16 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on CBC)

Play-by-play: Bob Cole; Game Analyst: Greg Millen; Reporter: Christine Simpson

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Detroit Red Wings (starts Thursday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m.ET/4:30 p.m. PT on Sportsnet)

Play-by-play: Rick Ball; Game Analyst: John Garrett; Reporter: Dan Murphy

Broadcast Schedule

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

Montreal Canadiens (A1) vs. Ottawa Senators (W1)

G1 Wed., April 15

Ottawa @ Montreal, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

CBC

G2 Fri., April 17

Ottawa @ Montreal, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

CBC

G3 Sun., April 19

Montreal @ Ottawa, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

CBC

G4 Wed., April 22

Montreal @ Ottawa, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

CBC

G5* Fri., April 24

Ottawa @ Montreal, TBD

CBC

G6* Sun., April 26

Montreal @ Ottawa, TBD

CBC

G7* Tues., April 28

Ottawa @ Montreal, TBD

CBC

New York Rangers (M1) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (W2)

G1 Thurs., April 16

Pittsburgh @ NY Rangers, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

CBC

G2 Sat., April 18

Pittsburgh @ NY Rangers, 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT

CBC

G3 Mon., April 20

NY Rangers @ Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

CBC

G4 Wed., April 22

NY Rangers @ Pittsburgh, 7 p.m./4 p.m. PT

SN 360

G5* Fri., April 24

Pittsburgh @ NY Rangers, TBD

TBD

G6* Sun., April 26

NY Rangers @ Pittsburgh, TBD

TBD

G7* Tues., April 28

Pittsburgh @ NY Rangers, TBD

TBD

Tampa Bay Lightning (A2) vs. Detroit Red Wings (A3)

G1 Thurs., April 16

Detroit @ Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT

Sportsnet

G2 Sat., April 18 Detroit @ Tampa Bay, 3 p.m. ET/Noon PT

CBC

G3 Tues., April 21

Tampa Bay @ Detroit, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

Sportsnet

G4 Thurs., April 23

Tampa Bay @ Detroit, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

CBC

G5* Sat., April 25

Detroit @ Tampa Bay, TBD

TBD

G6* Mon., April 27

Tampa Bay @ Detroit, TBD

TBD

G7* Wed., April 29

Detroit @ Tampa Bay, TBD

TBD

Washington Capitals (M2) vs. New York Islanders (M3)

G1 Wed., April 15

NY Islanders @ Washington,7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

Sportsnet

G2 Fri., April 17

NY Islanders @ Washington,7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

Sportsnet

G3 Sun., April 19

Washington @ NY Islanders, Noon ET/9 a.m. PT

Sportsnet

G4 Tues., April 21

Washington @ NY Islanders, 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT

SN 360

G5* Thurs., April 23

NY Islanders @ Washington, TBD

TBD

G6* Sat., April 25

Washington @ NY Islanders, TBD

TBD

G7* Mon., April 27

NY Islanders @ Washington, TBD

TBD

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

Vancouver Canucks (P2) vs. Calgary Flames (P3)

***All games available in Punjabi on OMNI

G1 Wed., April 15

Calgary @ Vancouver, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT

CBC

G2 Fri., April 17

Calgary @ Vancouver, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT

CBC

G3 Sun., April 19

Vancouver @ Calgary, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT

CBC

G4 Tues., April 21

Vancouver @ Calgary, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT

CBC

G5* Thurs., April 23

Calgary @ Vancouver, TBD

CBC

G6* Sat., April 25

Vancouver @ Calgary, TBD

CBC

G7* Mon., April 27

Calgary @ Vancouver, TBD

CBC

Anaheim Ducks (P1) vs. Winnipeg Jets (W2)

G1 Thurs., April 16

Winnipeg @ Anaheim, 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT

Sportsnet

G2 Sat., April 18

Winnipeg @ Anaheim, 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT

Sportsnet

G3 Mon., April 20

Anaheim @ Winnipeg, 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

Sportsnet

G4 Wed., April 22

Anaheim @ Winnipeg, 9:30 p.m./6:30 p.m. PT

Sportsnet

G5* Fri., April 24

Winnipeg @ Anaheim, TBD

Sportsnet

G6* Sun., April 26

Anaheim @ Winnipeg, TBD

Sportsnet

G7* Tues., April 28

Winnipeg @ Anaheim, TBD

Sportsnet

Nashville Predators (C2) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (C3)

G1 Wed., April 15

Chicago @ Nashville, 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT

SN 360

G2 Fri., April 17

Chicago @ Nashville, 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT

Sportsnet

G3 Sun., April 19

Nashville @ Chicago, 3 p.m. ET/Noon PT

Sportsnet

G4 Tues., April 21

Nashville @ Chicago, 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT

Sportsnet

G5* Thurs., April 23

Chicago @ Nashville, TBD

TBD

G6* Sat., April 25

Nashville @ Chicago, TBD

TBD

G7* Mon., April 27

Chicago @ Nashville, TBD

TBD

St. Louis Blues (C1) vs. Minnesota Wild (W1)

G1 Thurs., April 16

Minnesota @ St. Louis, 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT

SN 360

G2 Sat., April 18

Minnesota @ St. Louis, 3 p.m. ET/Noon p.m. PT

Sportsnet

G3 Mon., April 20

St. Louis @ Minnesota, 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT

SN ONE

G4 Wed., April 22

St. Louis @ Minnesota, 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT

SN 360

G5* Fri., April 24

Minnesota @ St. Louis, TBD

TBD

G6* Sun., April 26

St. Louis @ Minnesota, TBD

TBD

G7* Wed., April 29

Minnesota @ St. Louis, TBD

TBD

*If necessary

**Schedule subject to change

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