Welcome to October! The Maple Leafs are doing something a little bit different today, at the half way point of the pre-season. The full roster will be on the ice, split into two teams for a blue and white game. The game will be on both TSN4 and Sportsnet1. It will not be available on NHL Live.
So, the structure of Friday’s Blue and White scrimmage will be:
— Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) October 1, 2021
- 20 minute first period, followed by a shootout
- 20 minute second period, followed by a full 3-on-3 OT
- 20 minute third period, focusing on special teams (aka, swapping power plays)
6 pm puck drop on TSN https://t.co/zhEZELGbWC
I guarantee you all that the Leafs will win this one.
This will likely be a final game for many players who will be either cut from the roster and sent back to junior hockey, to the Marlies and Growlers, or released entirely.
It will certainly not be the final game for Sheldon Keefe. Kyle Dubas gave him a two year contract extension yesterday.
Related
Leafs extend coach Sheldon Keefe for two years
One final note is that many players on the team shared thoughts to the media yesterday on the racist incident at a hockey game in Ukraine. Wayne Simmonds was by far the most eloquent and direct in his comments. You may recall he was subject to a similar incident playing at a pre-season game in London, Ontario about ten years ago.
Wayne Simmonds speaks candidly on the racist incident in the Ukrainian league: "I can see why people of colour don't want to play hockey... I have faced a lot of these things myself. I don't know if I would want my kids to be playing hockey, to be quite honest." pic.twitter.com/Tirnf0UHHU
— Maple Leafs Hotstove (@LeafsNews) September 30, 2021
Other News
What are the Senators even doing here?
Your daily reminder that the Ottawa Senators are the only team in the NHL still under under the salary cap floor (-$257,500) with $21,557,500 in available cap space, yet Brady Tkachuk remains unsigned.
— Der Sentürion (@TheSenturion) September 30, 2021
What are the Kings even doing here?
One of the funnier shootout attempts I've seen pic.twitter.com/SxjtNczaRc
— Internet #BlackLivesMatter (@cjzero) October 1, 2021
What is the broadcast even doing here?
i don't even know how this is happening. this is an analog TV era problem and i cannot even explain how this is happening pic.twitter.com/1GRbnQiPi8
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) October 1, 2021
OHL’s Kirsten Welsh to Become League’s First Female Official - Scouting the Refs
Kirsten Welsh will become the first female official in Ontario Hockey League history when she takes the ice tonight in Mississauga.
Arizona Coyotes only NHL team to fully relax dress code for players, according to ESPN survey
The NHL is the only one among the four North American major men's professional sports league with a strict game-day dress code spelled out into its collective bargaining agreement.
Finally, a reminder that if you have Amazon Prime you can now watch All or Nothing: Maple Leafs
