Another Tragic Loss in the Hockey Community, Poulin Injured and more

• The hockey community has tragically lost another one of its members. On Monday, the shocking news of the Jimmy Hayes’ death shook the hockey world. At just 31 years old, the father of two was a beloved teammate and friend wherever he went. Hayes played 7 seasons split between the Chicago Blackhawks, Florida Panthers, Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils a. He will be missed by many but none more than his younger brother Kevin Hayes who posted an emotional tribute in his honour on Instagram. The cause of death is still unknown and frankly it shouldn’t be the subject of speculation at this point.
• It has been a week filled with loss for the NHL; Hall of Famer Rod Gilbert passed away earlier this week at the age of 80. He played 18 seasons for the New York Rangers and remains their all-time leading scorer.
• Before the Montreal Canadiens made their controversial selection of Logan Mailloux, the Arizona Coyotes made some questionable choices in selecting Mitchell Miller. One of the key differences between the two stories is that Arizona, feeling the pressure, revoked their selection of Miller. The Tri-City Storm have decided Miller deserves a second chance. Below is the statement made by the team on the issue; while they mention that they’re not minimizing the incidents from 5 years ago, they also believe the incidents are not indicative of his character. /

“After careful consideration, the Tri-City Storm has decided to provide Mitchell Miller with an opportunity to resume his amateur hockey career,” Storm president of hockey operations and head coach Anthony Noreen said in a statement. “We know Mitchell very well and we are convinced what happened when he was 14 isn’t indicative of his character or who he is now as a 19-year-old young man.

We will note that the family of Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, the victim of Miller’s bullying, maintains that Miller has never apologized to Isaiah directly.

• If you’ve been following the Women’s World Hockey Championship (and you should be), then you’d know that Team Canada is now 3-0 and playing some amazing hockey. Unfortunately, their most recent victory against Switzerland came at a cost: Marie-Philip Poulin, who is arguably the best player for Team Canada, was injured blocking a shot. While she is being monitored, it has been confirmed that she will miss the next game against Team USA. Early reports are that she will return for the latter stages of the tournament, which has all Canadian hockey fans breathing a big sigh of relief.
• Derick Brassard will always be a guy who I miss having on the Sens. Setting aside the trade that got him here and the trade that sent him out, Brassard had his moments and was popular in certain corners of the fanbase. Seeing him struggle after the trade wasn’t fun but the Philadelphia Flyers have decided to give the veteran perhaps his last chance with 1-year contract. Good luck Brass!
• Lastly, if you’re not feeling so great about your Ottawa Senators, Pierre McGuire is telling you to chill out because the future looks amazingly bright! McGuire made an appearance on TSN1200 yesterday and he brought that signature energy. One thing we can say for sure about his tenure so far is that he’s a lot more polished when speaking with the median than the other Pierre./