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Morning Skate - Monday, October 31

Morning Skate - Monday, October 31

Morning Skate - Happy Halloween 2022!

October 31, 2022

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Saturday's NHL Scores

Last Night's News 📰

DUBNYK CALLS IT A CAREER: On Oct. 29, goaltender Devan Dubnyk announced his retirement from the NHL and will start his broadcasting career with NHL Network. He had a 12-year career with the Edmonton Oilers, Nashville Predators, Arizona Coyotes, Minnesota Wild, San Jose Sharks, and Colorado Avalanche. The 36-year-old had a 253-206-54 record with a 2.61 goals-against average (GAA) and a .914 save percentage (SV%) in his career while also being a Vezina Trophy finalist and Masterson Trophy winner. Congratulations, Dubnyk!

THUMBS DOWN FOR CHICAGO: Seth Jones will miss 3-4 weeks for the Chicago Blackhawks after injuring his thumb while blocking a shot against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday. Jones, leading the Blackhawks in time on ice (TOI) at just over 25 minutes a game, has four assists in eight games this season.

HUGHES THE BOSS: We will find out tomorrow as the Vancouver Canucks have cleared Quinn Hughes to play ahead of his matchup against brother Jack Hughes and the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday. Quinn missed the past four games with a lower-body injury after averaging the second-most TOI in the NHL behind Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty.

SPOOKY SEASON: This weekend, numerous players dressed up for team and family Halloween outings, giving fans a taste of personality across the league. However, the best costume goes to Easton, an Oilers fan with duplication syndrome. Easton's dad built him a custom Zamboni to fit around his wheelchair. Way to go, dad!

OT HEROICS: Three of the five games across the NHL last night went past regulation, with two of those decided by an overtime winner. Jack Eichel's power move with seven seconds earned the Vegas Golden Knights an extra point over the Winnipeg Jets, while Trevor Zegras' second goal helped the Anaheim

Pulling a 'Dubnyk'

On Saturday, Devan Dubnyk announced his retirement after 12 seasons, opting to make the jump from the crease to the broadcast booth as an analyst for the NHL Network. No one doubts that Dubnyk, a former All-Star, Masterton winner, and Vezina finalist, enjoyed a successful hockey career, but few would have ever called the well-traveled 36-year-old elite. That’s why it was rather eye-opening to recall that Dubnyk once finished fourth in Hart Trophy voting.

Strangely, this is a time-honored tradition within those who protect the net and earn a top-five Hart finish: random goaltenders who catch lightning in a bottle for a season and enter the conversation of being the league’s most valuable player. Here are some other netminders who have “pulled a Dubnyk.”

Roman Čechmánek (2000-01)

Roman Čechmánek (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios/Getty Images)

The NHL career of Roman Čechmánek

was as fascinating

as it was short. Joining the league as an undrafted 29-year-old rookie for the 2000-01 season, he registered 35 wins for the Philadelphia Flyers while sporting a 2.01 goals-against average (GAA) with a .919 save percentage (SV%) to finish second in Vezina voting and fourth in the Hart race. He was just as good over the next two seasons but headed to Europe during the 2004 lockout and never returned.

Sean Burke (2001-02)

Sean Burke enjoyed a long career in the NHL, one that has now extended off the ice (he's

currently the Director of Goaltending

for the Vegas Golden Knights). But Hart Trophy candidacy? Ultimately, Burke backstopping the then-Phoenix Coyotes to their first season eclipsing 90 points since moving from Winnipeg warranted some MVP buzz, even if his numbers were worse than the year prior when he finished 12th in Hart voting.

Steve Mason (2008-09)

Steve Mason, Columbus Blue Jackets (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Columbus Blue Jackets fans wouldn't be wrong in 2008-09 for thinking they had a new goaltending phenom. At just 20 years of age, Steve Mason started 61 of the team's games, winning 33 while sporting a 2.29 GAA and .916 SV%. That performance warranted the Calder Trophy, a second-place Vezina finish, and a fourth in Hart voting. That you've barely heard the name in the 15 years since should tell you all you need to know about

how his career went

from there.

Semyon Varlamov (2013-14)

Semyon Varlamov

remains a part of the NHL in a New York Islanders goaltending tandem with Ilya Sorokin, but for him to go back to the level of production he enjoyed nearly 10 years ago is a big ask. In his heyday, Varlamov made 60 starts for the 112-point juggernaut Colorado Avalanche, posting a league-best 41 wins that year. Injuries and inconsistency have kept Varlamov from repeating his 2008 form yet again.

What's My Name?

One of the best stories in the NHL comes from the Montreal Canadiens with their rookie defenseman Arber Xhekaj (pronounced "Jack-eye"). He has been lovingly named "WiFi" by his teammates because his last name looks similar to a WiFi password. His last name and the actual pronunciation could not be more different, so we thought we would take this opportunity to examine the other intriguing surnames in the NHL that sound different from the spelling.

Brady Skjei

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brady Skjei's name is so confusing to people that it was the subject of a Saturday Night Live skit in 2017. His name, pronounced "Shay," is a Norweigan name, so when he traveled to Norway, the people recognized his name and knew how to say it. Maybe that will rub off in North America in due time!

Jonathan Toews & Devon Toews

We know what you're thinking. There are two players in the NHL with the last name of Toews, but they are unrelated in any way! Since Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews entered the league in 2007, his last name has been in the spotlight with its voicing of "Taves." The same goes for Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews, with his name etched on the Stanley Cup this year. Small world!

Mark Borowiecki

Nashville Predators defenseman Mark Borowiecki's last name is a big typo, as it's voiced "Bor-vee-yet-ski." It has to be confusing for NHL announcers when they attempt to read his name phonetically. Unfortunately for Borowiecki, we heard his name a lot after an awkward fall against the Philadelphia Flyers last Saturday hospitalized the 33-year-old.

Shayne Gostisbehere

Shayne Gostisbehere is known to fans and teammates by the nickname "Ghost." However, you might be surprised to learn that his name has two different pronunciations. The Arizona Coyotes defenseman stated that the correct pronunciation is "Gostis-buh-hahr," but most of the league has taken to the "Gostis-bear" moniker, including Shayne! He admitted he even had trouble pronouncing the original name, so "Gostis-bear" for the win!

Player Spotlight: Halloween Edition

Happy Halloween! In this special edition of Player Spotlight, we decided to focus on the spookiest night of the year by breaking down our player's favorite costumes, candy, and of course, fears. Let's dive in.