A Questionable Pick, An AHL Update and Corey Perry?

It’s been both an interesting and busy week for the Sens and somehow they haven’t upset the fanbase — yet. In this week’s Thursday edition of the links, news and notes we look at the enraging, the intriguing, the ugly, the “please Sens don’t do it” and the death that broke the hearts of the entire hockey community.

• **Warning: the attached story has some disturbing details and may not be appropriate for victims of bullying and racist attacks./

The Arizona Coyotes didn’t have their picks for the first three rounds at this year’s draft and when it was time for them to make a pick, they chose Mitchell Miller. At the time, there didn’t seem to be anything untoward about the fourth round pick, it has since come to light that Miller admitted to bullying an African American classmate who also suffers from developmental disabilities. The bullying was so severe that it only really stopped when Miller was brought before a juvenile court. The victim, Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, whose life was made extremely difficult over the course of many years as a result of Miller’s bullying, spoke up this week on how disappointed he was with the Coyotes. Unfortunately, the Coyotes’ response was even more concerning as they admitted that they knew about his history but decided to give him another chance even though he has shown no signs of remorse. The mother of the victim also sent a letter to the Coyotes regarding their response to Miller’s past actions and, frankly, they have every right to be upset and demand a better course of action from the Coyotes. This is just the latest in a series of disappointments from the NHL when it comes to inclusivity and diversity issues and is showing no real effort to improve. The Hockey Diversity Alliance released this on the matter:

.@NHL and @ArizonaCoyotes should sign the #HDAPledge and start practicing what they preach. pic.twitter.com/oHKVXUzqEH

— Hockey Diversity Alliance (@TheOfficialHDA) October 28, 2020

Reportedly, at least one third of NHL teams were smart enough to steer well enough away from Miller fully knowing his history; what were the rest of the teams thinking?

• Even though the Ottawa Senators are making every effort to provide us with a good team to watch next season, the Belleville Senators may et again be the more interesting team to watch. The American Hockey League has officially announced a planned start date of February 5th, 2021 for their upcoming season. With the amount of prospects we have in the system, it’s a relief to get some confirmation that the farm team is planning to have this year to develop.
• Back to Arizona, where captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson was on the top of the trade bait list a few weeks ago but remains with the Coyotes as of this writing. It seems Ekman-Larsson never actually wanted to be traded, and provided the team with a list of acceptable teams only as a routine so he would “not get in their way” should they determine trading him was the best course of action. Does this sound familiar to anyone? While he admitted he wants to finish his contract with the Coyotes, he also admitted that the whole situation is uncomfortable and awkward. From past experience, I would advise Ekman-Larsson to start preparing for a move.
• The CHL has been subject to a variety of allegations over the past couple of months and it seems a lingering issue may have just gotten even more complex. After a $30-million settlement was reached for 3 class action suits over failure to pay its members minimum wage, three judges refused to sign off on the “misworded” agreement in order to protect the players and their right to pursue further actions regarding other issues such as abuse and concussions.
• NHL jerseys are always a topic that gets fans riled up and excited. Luckily, the Sens were on the good end of the reactions this time around which is why we can freely judge other team’s unfortunate mistakes. The Dallas Stars released their third jersey this week and, from my perspective, the only way to appropriately describe it is shockingly hideous. For a team that almost won the Stanley Cup, this jersey may have just erased some of the respect they earned the past few months. Maybe this is a slightly dramatic analysis of the jersey but seriously, look at it!
• While the Ottawa Senators have had a great off-season, it appears Pierre Dorion may be looking to push his luck. TSN’s Frank Seravalli sent some Sens fans into panic mode with this little tidbit last night:/

On 'That's Hockey', TSN's Frank Seravalli stated that no one has had a better offseason than the Ottawa Senators. He also reports that after signing Galchenyuk, the Sens might not be done. Kicking tires on a few others including Corey Perry -- where there's been mutual interest.

— Graeme Nichols (@6thSens) October 28, 2020

I don’t see how Corey Perry fits on the team at this point, nor do I see the point of adding a player of Perry’s character to eat away minutes from younger and more talented players who need to develop in the NHL.

• Finally, some sad news from Edmonton with the death of the Edmonton Oilers and the Edmonton Football Club legend Joey Moss. Joey Moss met Wayne Gretzky in 1980 where his career in sports began and lasted for 35 years. He was an inspiration to many and was famous for putting a smile on the face of everyone he met. Joey Moss wasn’t just another great success story, he was a story of hope for anyone with a disability, and providing a reminder that nobody can put a limit on a human’s ability to succeed. May his legacy live on. /