McDavid Hits 700, Leafs Lose Season Opener, Ian Cole Interviewed, Greene Retires and More

NHL hockey is back!! While we haven’t had Ottawa Senators action yet, it’s oh so close! To give us all something to do while we count down the hours, let’s take a trip around the hockey world:

• One guy who will undoubtedly be under a bit more pressure this season is DJ Smith. No one expected the Sens to contend in the early part of his tenure but this year’s roster is a major upgrade on what’s come before. Cheryl Pounder details the situation for TSN.
• In true Toronto Maple Leafs fashion, the season opener ended with a “heartbreaking” last-minute loss to the lowly Montreal Canadiens. Maybe it was the 50-hour Habs pre-game ceremony that took them off their game, or maybe it was Matt Murray humbling their fans’ expectations. Either way, the game, and the fall-out, was fun to watch.
• Speaking of the Habs, the pre-game ceremony was the typical drawn-out affair but a standing ovation for Carey Price was great to see. One hopes this isn’t a goodbye of some sort, Price deserves a better ending to his career.
• Did you know that Connor McDavid already has 700 points?! That’s a lot of points! The Oilers’ captain reached the milestone thanks to a four point outing in his team’s season-opening win last night versus the Vancouver Canucks.
• A few days ago, a young lady came out to tell her story of alleged abuse by Ian Cole. The Tampa Bay Lightning took immediate action and suspended him with pay as the league investigated the claims. It seems the NHL recently interviewed Cole for an hour . The league does seem to be moving quickly so we should expect more information, and perhaps even their decision, soon.
• Andy Greene has called it a career. The former New Jersey Devils captain has announced his retirement after 16 seasons in the NHL. He was most recently playing with the New York Islanders but will sign a one-day contract with New Jersey to retire as a Devil. Greene stated that he will continue living in New Jersey and will try to continue his involvement with the Devils’ organization.
• After Andrea Skinner stepped down from her position with Hockey Canada, an entire dismantling of the upper echelons of the organization took place. CEO Scott Smith and the entire board of directors are set to step down, making way for a complete overhaul of the organization. This comes after pressure from the government to make changes alongside the loss of all their major sponsorships only a few days apart.
• Whether you like him or not, Ray Ferraro has been a TSN icon for some time now, 14 years to be exact. He announced this week that he will be stepping down from his role as a broadcaster and moving to ESPN citing family reasons for his decision./