Avs Take Game One, Bettman’s State of the League, Blackhawks Prospect in Memorial Cup, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

What a start to the Stanley Cup Final! Not only were hockey fans treated to a high-scoring game, but we got overtime and a great game-winner as well. If you’re a hockey fan, this series should give you everything you want at the highest level.

  • When you see an interview like this, how can you not be romantic about hockey?
  • NHL commissioner Gary Bettman gave his State of the League address before Game One and provided some insights into the present and future of the league. A great sign for fans and the game: the 2022-23 season will begin on time on Oct. 11. Expectations are that we will finally return to a normal league schedule for the coming season.
  • The NHL also unveiled the logos for the league’s signature events for next season. The All-Star Game will be hosted by the Florida Panthers and the Winter Classic will be in Boston (thus the Fenway Park motif in the logo).
  • https://twitter.com/NHL/status/1537196635675054080

  • Bettman shared that league revenues are at an “all-time high” in excess of $5.2 billion — a number he casually said might be “conservative.” The League then announced a new sponsorship deal with Caterpillar on Thursday morning.
  • More revenues mean the salary cap will go up significantly after the 2022-23 season when the players have paid off their pandemic relief tab. This is a great thing for a team like the Blackhawks that hopes to weaponize its cap space in the future. That is, of course, when the Hawks are ready to go for it again. The timeline on that remains TBD.
  • The league also confirmed the Stanley Cup will not travel to Russia with any players who win it this year because of their ongoing attack of Ukraine. That’s a huge deal when you consider that means players like Andrei Vasilevskiy, Nikita Kucherov, Mikhail Sergachev and Valeri Nichushkin wouldn’t get their personal day with the Cup.
  • At The Athletic, Scott Powers and Daniel Nugent-Bowman discussed the multiverse scenarios where Duncan Keith retires and the impact that would have on both the Oilers and Blackhawks. We don’t see Keith hanging up his skates with one year left on the contract, but the scenario has been floated.
  • Blackhawks forward prospect Jalen Luypen and the Edmonton Oil Kings won the WHL championship earlier this week and will now participate in the Memorial Cup. He spoke on the ice after the big win.
  • We asked what the fans want in the Blackhawks’ next head coach and the fans have spoken. Thanks to the more than 400 people who voted on Twitter.
  • The Cubs are doing an excellent job or preparing Blackhawks fans for next season. Their struggles have been tough to watch this season, but the big picture is still in place. And when a young player struggles, perspective is a good thing to have as a baseball or hockey fan.
  • written by

    Tab Bamford has been writing about the Chicago Blackhawks for almost two decades. He joined Bleacher Nation as the lead Blackhawks writer in May 2022. Tab is a member of the Professional Hockey Writers Association and is the author of two books about the Blackhawks: "100 Things Blackhawks Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die" (Triumph Books) and "Chicago Blackhawks: An Illustrated Timeline" (Reedy Press, 2021). Find him on Twitter/X/Instagram/Threads at @The1Tab

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