A week today is the start of the long weekend, which is hard to believe given the temperatures lately. Surely with the preseason so near, there is NHL news!

RELEASE: Blackhawks Sign Frank Nazar to Seven-Year Contract Extension | Chicago Blackhawks
Detroit-native and 13th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft inks $6.59 million long-term deal
Chicago Blackhawks logoChicago Blackhawks Communications

This is actually fairly interesting from both the player and the team's point of view. I do recall when Arizona used to sign deals like that, and they always had rising salary so they could trade the player before they actually had to pay them much. This deal is actually very front-loaded. So it seems Chicago wants to be a real team someday.

Good luck.

There were no other trades of signings.

So that's $50 million from the Cortellucci family. I had to look that up to make sure it wasn't a typo. Amazingly, this is the second time they've paid money in that ballpark to a hospital in the GTA. Molto bene.

Altre notizie: William Nylander è a Milano per il tour mediatico della NHL. Aspettatevi quindi qualche foto di lui mentre fa cose italiane.

(Okay I used Google Translate, I never really learned Italian, just enough to get by in a job I had once.)

From the "well duh" file:

Doug Armstrong: ‘Open competition’ at goaltender for Canada despite Olympic camp roster | TSN
While Canada may have only invited three goaltenders to the team’s orientation camp, general manager Doug Armstrong said the competition for spots on the Olympic team remains open.
TSNTSN.ca Staff

Anything is possible!

Possible trade destinations for Ducks’ Mason McTavish
You can understand why there’s at least some talk of Mason McTavish moving on from the Ducks. Ryan Dixon tells us which teams would make the best fits if there were a deal to be made.
Sportsnet.caRyan Dixon

The CHL (not that one, the other one) is trying out a new OT rule:

Champions Hockey League’s ‘No Return’ Rule Is Exactly What NHL Needs
The NHL needs to adopt this yesterday if that was possible…
OutKickMatt Reigle

This has always struck me as a solution in search of a problem, but then I think three-on-three OT is horrible and is the single worst thing about the regular season.

A quick search of Maple Leafs news gives a bunch of "stories" about how SHOCKING it is that Leafs tickets cost a lot of money. I was SHOCKED.

Anyhow, have a great Friday, it's the last week of August rolling up on you, and you owe it to yourself to enjoy it.

From The Branches