It's summer! Well, technically it's not.
Summer won't start until Wednesday here in the Northern Hemisphere, but the hockey off-season has begun and it started with a bang yesterday when Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini agreed to pay just over $19 million to make Oliver Ekman-Larsson go away and play hockey somewhere that is not Vancouver. Larsson turns 32 years-old exactly one month from today.

This is apparently the largest cost buyout in NHL history excluding four instances of the one-time "compliance buyouts" offered to teams for changes to the CBA after the 2013 lockout.
The $19.33 million cost of the OEL buyout is the largest *ordinary course* buyout in the NHL’s cap era, per @CapFriendly.
— Thomas Drance (@ThomasDrance) June 16, 2023
The 4 larger buyouts (Brad Richards, Mike DiPietro, Ilya Bryzgalov, Vincent Lecavalier) were all compliance buyouts that never hit their team’s cap sheet.
OEL agent Kevin Epp on buyout - got the call this morning, we were surprised, Oliver met with management and ownership after the season and did not believe this would happen.
— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) June 16, 2023
An extension for Keefe? It could happen.

The WHL is going all in on Washington State. The troublesome Winnipeg ICE franchise, on its third location after moving from Kootenay and then Edmonton, has been sold to a businessman who will put the team in Wenatchee WA, which is about half way between Seattle and Spokane, already both home to teams. This will make it six teams located in the US for Western Canada's premier major junior hockey league.
📰 BREAKING NEWS 📰
— Wenatchee Wild (@WenatcheeWild1) June 16, 2023
The Wenatchee Wild organization is excited and humbled to announce its approval as the newest member club in the Western Hockey League, effective with the 2023-24 season. #RestoreTheRoar pic.twitter.com/S18qrD4iIa


Everyone's getting shoulder surgery!


The Vegas Golden Knights' Stanley Cup Parade is tonight, with the City shutting down both sides of Las Vegas Blvd., the Strip will be buzzing. Expect to get some videos of sloppy drunk players partying soon.
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