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In honor of Darryl Sittler’s 10-point game 40 years ago on Feb. 7, 1976, here are 10 other NHL individual records that won’t be broken any time soon. Continue to Article

February 04, 2016 8:02:pm EST

Full house for @Hilary_Knight 's autograph signing! 100+ people deep. Love it. pic.twitter.com/QuKosNAsgB — Caity Kauffman (@caitykauffman) January 30, 2016 LINE RUSHES 1. Coaching controversies. The Connecticut Whale of the NWHL have occupied a majority of the women's hockey headlines the past few days. Late Thursday night, news broke of the first place Whale's coach, Jake Mastel, suddenly resigned . The NWHL confirmed the resignation the following day and announced the hiring of Heather Linstad in the same press release. This hiring took many in the women's hockey community by surprise. In Linstad's final two seasons as the head coach of the women's hockey team at the University of Connecticut, the team was 7-52-10 . In March 2013, Linstad resigned from her position at UConn after 13 years with the program. Months after Linstad's resignation, a Title IX lawsuit was filed against the the university by five women who alleged to have been sexually assaulted on campus. One of the women in the lawsuit was a freshman on the women's hockey team, coached by Linstad, at the time of the alleged assault. From the Associated Press : "The woman alleges she was raped by a male hockey player in August 2011. She said that after reporting the assault to school officials, she was advised to transfer and kicked off the women's hockey team by her coach, who told her she was not 'stable enough' and would 'bring the team down.'" The lawsuit was eventually settled out of court . As a part of the settlement, UConn was not required to admit any wrongdoing. The NWHL has not responded to a request for comment on the hiring of Linstad given the allegations in the settled lawsuit. It's important to note that Linstad was never sued in criminal or civil court for any alleged involvement in the Title IX investigation . Yet, given the sensitive nature of the allegations, this has some eyebrows raised in the women's hockey community. This isn't the first or last controversial hiring in women's professional hockey. The Boston Blades of the CWHL hired Brian McCloskey as their head coach two years after he was involved in an alleged physical altercation with a women's hockey player at the University of New Hampshire that cost him his job. He was eventually charged with assault and sentenced to a diversion program to have the charges dropped off his record. Let's put on our sanity hat for a moment because this feels crazy. How are there not better hires than those with questionable pasts to coach these women? There are many eligible candidates out in the sport but the problem is money. The better the coach, the more money they'll cost. Both women's leagues have to find a coach that fits in their price range. At the same time, it takes the right kind of coach to fit into women's pro-hockey. Consider Kate Cimini's report on the circumstances surrounding Connecticut Coach Mastel's resignation : "Mastel is considered by many to the lowest-profile coach in the league. Unlike his counterparts — Chad Wiseman, former AHL and NHL player; Shelley Looney, Olympic gold medalist; Ric Seiling, former Buffalo Sabres player; Bobby Jay, assistant coach to the 2014 U.S. Women’s Olympic team — Mastel’s coaching background lies in youth teams. "Players have called the break a healthy one, both for the team and Mastel, who did not focus on systems and special teams enough to satisfy the players, many of whom are coaches themselves. "Despite Mastel’s coaching, Connecticut was, and still is, the top team in the NWHL." Connecticut is winning, but the coach's lack of experience is reportedly an issue with the players. Now they bring in an experienced coach who will take over midway through the season but there is baggage that comes along. It doesn't feel right, but it's reality. 2. Women's leagues finals go head to head, March 11 - 13. During the All-Star weekends for the CWHL and NWHL, both leagues announced their playoff plans. The biggest news: the finals for each league will be held the same weekend. CWHL playoff details: Four teams make the first round of the playoffs and will be seeded based on total points. The semi-final round is a best of three with the higher seed hosting the lower seed. These games take place February 26-28. The Clarkson Cup final is a one game, winner take all affair on March 13, in Ottawa at Canadian Tire Centre, as part of a two-year partnership deal with the Senators . NWHL playoff details: Everybody makes the playoffs, woohoo! Like the CWHL, each team will be seeded with the higher seed hosting the lower seed, playing a best of three, but will take place March 4-6. The Isobel Cup final is a best of three and will take place March 11-13. The location of the final is TBD but there is some speculation as to the final possibly being at an NHL rink . 3. NHL donations for Denna Laing. Meeting with the media at the All-Star weekend in Nashville, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced the following: On behalf of its member clubs, the NHL is donating $200,000 to assist Laing in her rehabilitation and recovery. Honda and Ticketmaster, NHL partners and members of the hockey family, are teaming to donate a 2016 Honda Odyssey that will be retrofitted to meet Laing’s transportation needs. Donations continue to be accepted at DennaLaing.org . - - - - - - - AROUND THE RINKS Women's hockey has banner weekend in North America. [ EOTP ] With rise of CWHL and NWHL, women’s pro hockey starting to gain serious traction. [ National Post ] Women's pro hockey gaining foothold with two leagues. [ The Olympian ] Julie Chu: American leader in a Canadian league. [ Along the Boards ] Older players find new challenges in fledgling NWHL. [ Today’s Slapshot ] Les Canadiennes, Calgary Inferno face off with first place on the line. [ EOTP ] Q & A with Kaleigh Fratkin of the Connecticut Whale. [ The Hockey Writers ] Laura Fortino coming into her own for Brampton Thunder. [ ATB ] Checking in with the Riveters 2015 draft picks. [ TSS ] Small victories helping Blades’ Lacasse star amid trying season. [ SI ] CWHL All-Star Game: Social Media Round-Up. [ ATB ] A look at the NWHL: Past, present and future. [ VP ] 2016 CWHL All-Star Game in pictures. [ EOTP ] A spotlight on professional hockey in Brooklyn. [ My W Sports ] Inferno players shine at CWHL All-Star Weekend. [ Matchsticks & Gasoline ] Did you know that Jillian Dempsey named the Bruins' Mascot "Blades"? [ Stanley Cup of Chowder ] - - - - - - - PODCASTS Sportsology: Off The Post . Russ Cohen and Anthony Mingioni welcome in Lead NWHL writer Kate Cimini from Today’s Slapshot. The Xperience: Hockey Talk with Michael Lindenbaum . Interviews with Kelley Steadman and Hayley Williams of the Buffalo Beauts. Don’t Snow the Goalie . The Kates and Hannah discuss the upheaval in the NWHL over the past couple of days. - - - - - - - We have opened the bidding on the goalie mask on our Facebook, only Facebook messages on our page will be considered pic.twitter.com/GORXhabvw8 — Les Canadiennes (@LesCanadiennes) January 30, 2016 THE BIG SHOW Saturday CWHL Calgary Inferno (14-2-2) at Les Canadiennes de Montreal (14-2-0) – 5:30pm ET (Stream: $ CWHL Live $ ) Sunday CWHL Toronto Furies (4-15-1) at Brampton Thunder (14-5-0) – 1:30pm ET (Stream: $ CWHL Live $ ) Calgary Inferno at Les Canadiennes de Montreal – 1:30pm ET NWHL New York Riveters (3-8-2) at Buffalo Beauts (3-8-2) – 3:30pm ET (Stream: Cross-Ice Pass ) Boston Pride (9-3-1) at Connecticut Whale (11-2-0) – 6:00pm ET (Stream: Cross-Ice Pass ) - - - - - - - Jen Neale is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @MsJenNeale_PD . MORE FROM YAHOO HOCKEY: Continue to Article

January 30, 2016 7:01:pm EST

Eastern Conference captains, Jaromir Jagr and John Tavares, and Western Conference captains, Patrick Kane and John Scott, have selected their challengers for the Honda NHL Skills Competition. The East appears to be in it to win it; whereas, the West might be leaning towards entertainment value (see: fastest skater). All the events take place on Saturday, January 30 starting at 7:00 pm ET at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. So, who you got? Check out the field below. Bridgestone Fastest Skater Event description: Four players from each team will test their speed, facing off against an opponent in a two-skater race. The race track for the head-to-head match-ups is the border of the rink split in half lengthways. Timing devices will record each skater to determine the winner of each match. If a race ends in a tie, each of the teams will be awarded one point. The skater with the fastest time in the head-to-head match-ups will skate a full lap of the outside border of the rink, in the direction of their choosing, in an attempt to break Mike Gartner’s record (13.386). Points Available: 6 – The winner of each match-up scores one point; the team with the fastest skater scores a bonus point; if the fastest skater is successful in breaking Mike Gartner’s record an additional bonus point will be awarded. Western Conference Roman Josi (D), Nashville Predators Matt Duchene (F), Colorado Avalanche Taylor Hall (F), Edmonton Oilers Dustin Byfuglien (D), Winnipeg Jets Eastern Conference Dylan Larkin (F), Detroit Red Wings Brandon Saad (F), Columbus Blue Jackets Erik Karlsson (D), Ottawa Senators Kris Letang (D), Pittsburgh Penguins Last year's winner : Jonathan Drouin, Tampa Bay Lightning (AWKWARD) Favorite: Dylan Larkin is young and naive. Expect him to go all out. Darkhorse: Everyone outside of Evander Kane wants to see the universe explode when Dustin Byfuglien wins. *** Honda NHL Breakaway Challenge* Event description: A test of creativity a player can insert into a breakaway, three shooters and one goaltender from each team will participate. Columbus' Brandon Saad was selected by fans to participate in this event in an online vote. Each skater will attempt two shots. NHL penalty shot rules do not apply. Fans in-arena and watching on television will be able to vote for their favorite player on Twitter by casting their vote using the hashtag that corresponds to the player of their choice. Points Available: 1 – The shooter with the highest fan vote will score one point for his team. *We are sad to report: No fire allowed - AGAIN. Western Conference James Neal (F), Nashville Predators Matt Duchene (F), Colorado Avalanche Brent Burns (D), San Jose Sharks Jonathan Quick (G), Los Angeles Kings Eastern Conference Brandon Saad (F), Columbus Blue Jackets Evgeny Kuznetsov (F), Washington Capitals P.K. Subban (D), Montreal Canadiens Cory Schneider (G), New Jersey Devils Last year's winner : Ryan Johansen, then-Columbus Blue Jackets, now Nashville Predators (AWKWARD) Most likely to use prop comedy: Brent Burns Most likely to dazzle with pure skill: Matt Duchene *** DraftKings NHL Accuracy Shooting Event description: Four players from each team will compete, with two additional players serving as passers. This event will consist of four head-to-head match-ups, one shooter from each team per round. The goal is to hit four 15-inch diameter targets located in each corner of the net. The teams will be situated at opposite ends of the rink, and will alternate shot attempts. The first shooter to hit all four targets wins. Points Available: 5 –The winner of each match-up scores one point; the player who hits all four targets in the fastest time scores the bonus point Western Conference Patrick Kane (F), Chicago Blackhawks Joe Pavelski (F), San Jose Sharks Corey Perry (F), Anaheim Ducks Jamie Benn (F), Dallas Stars Passer: Drew Doughty (D), Los Angeles Kings Passer: Vladimir Tarasenko (F), St. Louis Blues Eastern Conference John Tavares (F), New York Islanders Patrice Bergeron (F), Boston Bruins Claude Giroux (F), Philadelphia Flyers Evgeni Malkin (F), Pittsburgh Penguins Passer: Nicklas Backstrom (F), Washington Capitals Passer: Jaromir Jagr (F), Florida Panthers Favorite: The sniper-loaded Western Conference *** Gatorade NHL Skills Challenge Relay Event description: This timed relay event – involving 14 skaters and one goalie from each team – will consist of five challenges: One-Timers, with three shooters and one passer per team Passing, with one passer per team Puck Control, with one skater per team Stick-Handling, with one skater per team Goalie Goals, with one goalie per team Each skill must be completed before moving on to the next challenge with the exception of one timers, passing and goalie goals, in which a maximum of forty-five seconds will be allocated. The goal is to finish all five challenges faster than the opponent. Points Available: 3 - The team with the fastest time in each heat scores one point; the team with the fastest overall time scores one bonus point. RELAY 1 Western Conference Shea Weber (D), Nashville Predators One-timer RH Drew Doughty (D), Los Angeles Kings One-timer RH Corey Perry (F), Anaheim Ducks One-timer RH Taylor Hall (F), Edmonton Oilers Passer: One-timer Daniel Sedin (F), Vancouver Canucks Passer: Mini Net Johnny Gaudreau (F), Calgary Flames Puck Control Patrick Kane (F), Chicago Blackhawks Stick Handling Pekka Rinne (G), Nashville Predators Goalie Goals Eastern Conference Aaron Ekblad (D), Florida Panthers One-timer RH Erik Karlsson (D), Ottawa Senators One-timer RH Steven Stamkos (F), Tampa Bay Lightning One-timer RH Patrice Bergeron (F), Boston Bruins Passer: One-timer Nicklas Backstrom (F), Washington Capitals Passer: Mini Net Justin Faulk (D), Carolina Hurricanes Puck Control Claude Giroux (F), Philadelphia Flyers Stick Handling Braden Holtby (G), Washington Capitals Goalie Goals RELAY 2 Western Conference Mark Giordano (D), Calgary Flames One-timer LH James Neal (F), Nashville Predators One-timer LH Vladimir Tarasenko (F), St. Louis Blues One-timer LH Matt Duchene (F), Colorado Avalanche Passer: One-timer Jamie Benn (F), Dallas Stars Passer: Mini Net Roman Josi (D), Nashville Predators Puck Control Tyler Seguin (F), Dallas Stars Stick Handling Devan Dubnyk (G), Minnesota Wild Goalie Goals Eastern Conference Ryan McDonagh (D), New York Rangers One-timer LH Leo Komarov (F), Toronto Maple Leafs One-timer LH Ryan O'Reilly (F), Buffalo Sabres One-timer LH Jaromir Jagr (F), Florida Panthers Passer: One-timer Evgeny Kuznetsov (F), Washington Capitals Passer: Mini Net Kris Letang (D), Pittsburgh Penguins Puck Control Dylan Larkin (F), Detroit Red Wings Stick Handling Ben Bishop (G), Tampa Bay Lightning Goalie Goals Favorite: Again, the West. Some of the best hands in the business are on the team. *** AMP NHL Hardest Shot Event description: Four shooters from each team will test their slap shot skill in a head-to-head match-up. Each player will attempt two shots, with teams alternating after each player. One puck will be placed 30 feet from the center of the net. Each shot will be calculated in miles per hour (mph), with the highest speed of their two shots recorded. Points Available: Five team points. The winner of each match-up scores one point; the team with the player who has the fastest speed scores one bonus point. Western Conference Dustin Byfuglien (D), Winnipeg Jets Tyler Seguin (F), Dallas Stars John Scott (F), Arizona Coyotes via MTL/Newfy Shea Weber (D), Nashville Predators Eastern Conference Aaron Ekblad (D), Florida Panthers Evgeni Malkin (F), Pittsburgh Penguins Steven Stamkos (F), Tampa Bay Lightning P.K. Subban (D), Montreal Canadiens Last year's winner : Shea Weber at 108.5 m.p.h. Favorite: He may not hit 108 again but Weber is an old pro at this event. Darkhorse: We love us some 6'8" monster of a man in John Scott. *** Discover NHL Shootout Event description: 18 skaters and three goaltenders from each team will participate in the three-round shootout. During each two-minute round, six skaters and one goalie from each team will take the ice. Teams will alternate after each shot with each player having a maximum of 10 seconds to take a shot. Players one and three from each team will be designated Discover puck players; each goal scored by these players will count as two points. NHL shootout rules apply to each scoring attempt. Points Available: 1 point for every goal scored and 2 points for every goal scored with a Discover puck. ROUND 1 Western Conference Patrick Kane (F), Chicago Blackhawks Matt Duchene (F), Colorado Avalanche Brent Burns (D), San Jose Sharks Mark Giordano (D), Calgary Flames Vladimir Tarasenko (F), St. Louis Blues Daniel Sedin (F), Vancouver Canucks Devan Dubnyk (G), Minnesota Wild Eastern Conference Evgeni Malkin (F), Pittsburgh Penguins Jaromir Jagr (F), Florida Panthers P.K. Subban (D), Montreal Canadiens Ryan O'Reilly (F), Buffalo Sabres Leo Komarov (F), Toronto Maple Leafs Aaron Ekblad (D), Florida Panthers Roberto Luongo (G), Florida Panthers ROUND 2 Western Conference Joe Pavelski (F), San Jose Sharks Taylor Hall (F), Edmonton Oilers Jamie Benn (F), Dallas Stars James Neal (F), Nashville Predators Johnny Gaudreau (F), Calgary Flames Dustin Byfuglien (D), Winnipeg Jets John Gibson (G), Anaheim Ducks Eastern Conference Patrice Bergeron (F), Boston Bruins Nicklas Backstrom (F), Washington Capitals Steven Stamkos (F), Tampa Bay Lightning Evgeny Kuznetsov (F), Washington Capitals Ryan McDonagh (D), New York Rangers Justin Faulk (D), Carolina Hurricanes Braden Holtby (G), Washington Capitals ROUND 3 Western Conference John Scott (F), Arizona Coyotes via MTL/Newfy Shea Weber (D), Nashville Predators Tyler Seguin (F), Dallas Stars Corey Perry (F), Anaheim Ducks Drew Doughty (D), Los Angeles Kings Roman Josi (D), Nashville Predators Pekka Rinne (G), Nashville Predators Eastern Conference Claude Giroux (F), Philadelphia Flyers Dylan Larkin (F), Detroit Red Wings John Tavares (F), New York Islanders Kris Letang (D), Pittsburgh Penguins Erik Karlsson (D), Ottawa Senators Brandon Saad (D), Columbus Blue Jackets Ben Bishop (G), Tampa Bay Lightning Favorite: Western Conference will prevail again. The East has a ton of great passers but the goal scorers are in the West. - - - - - - - Jen Neale is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @MsJenNeale_PD . MORE FROM YAHOO HOCKEY: Continue to Article

January 29, 2016 7:17:pm EST

John Scott sat back in his chair and took a cellphone photo of all the reporters crowded around him once the questions finally ended. ''It's definitely strange,'' Scott said Friday at one of the more unusual media days for the NHL's showcase event. ''You go in the locker room everyone's got the NHL logo on their helmet. Continue to Article

January 29, 2016 5:15:pm EST

John Scott, the career journeyman enforcer who was surprisingly voted into the NHL All-Star game by fans, said he got a call from someone at the league who tried to talk him out of playing in the showcase event this Sunday. The 6-foot-8, 260-pound Scott said that moment strengthened his resolve to play in the 3-on-3 format with some of the best hockey players in the world. ''Because, while I may not deserve to be an NHL All-Star, I know I deserve to be the judge of what my kids will - and won't - be proud of me for,'' wrote the 33-year-old Scott, who has two daughters. Continue to Article

January 28, 2016 6:21:pm EST

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