Latest news with #Andlauer
Vancouver Sun
01-07-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
You can bet the Ottawa Senators don't like the Mitch Marner deal to Vegas one bit
Somewhere, Michael Andlauer must be shaking his head. The business of the National Hockey League never ceases to amaze anyone. The kowtowing to the Vegas Golden Knights continued on the eve of free agency Tuesday when the club acquired the rights to free agent winger Mitch Marner in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Only hours before the NHL's market opened on Canada Day , the Leafs confirmed they had sent Marner to the Knights in exchange for forward Nicolas Roy. Marner immediately signed an eight-year, $96 million US deal as he rode into the sunset. If you're wondering why Andlauer, the owner of the Ottawa Senators, has every right to be upset, look no further than why this deal happened in the first place. This one doesn't pass the smell test. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Talk surfaced in league circles on Saturday that the Leafs and Knights were going to go toe-to-toe over Marner, with Toronto general manager Brad Treliving demanding something in return from the Knights, or the club could be the subject of a tampering complaint. Hockey Night in Canada's Elliotte Friedman spoke about this on his 32 Thoughts Podcast late Saturday night because Vegas had been chasing Marner for over a year. The talk in league circles was that one way or another, Marner was going to land with the Knights. Lo, and behold, before the market opened, the Leafs were able to get the third-line centre they so badly need out of the Knights in exchange for the rights to Marner. The deal will pay Marner a whopping $12 million a year. All that talk about any tampering complaints will be shoved under the rug, and everybody will live happily ever after. The NHL should immediately launch an investigation, but it won't. Instead, the trade was approved by the Central Registry. But you have to think, Andlauer and Steve Staios, the club's president of hockey operations and general manager, must be steaming over this deal between the Knights and Leafs. The NHL's board of governors held its pre-draft meeting last Wednesday in Los Angeles, but that doesn't mean commissioner Gary Bettman won't receive a call from Andlauer in the coming days. Teams were warned about the fines for tampering and reminded that it wouldn't be tolerated with July 1 just around the corner. The NHL penalized the Senators a first-round draft choice in either 2024, 2025 or 2026 because of a botched deal with the Vegas Golden Knights for winger Evgenii Dadonov. That was because former general manager Pierre Dorion didn't supply the Knights with Dadonov's proper no-trade list. As a result of the punishment from the league that was levied on Nov. 1, 2023, Dorion was relieved of his duties by Andlauer. The Senators have opted not to forfeit the pick the last two years, which leaves Staios with no choice but not to have a selection in the first round in 2026 . That will be fine if the Senators make the playoffs, but if they don't, it could be devastating. Under the terms of the fine, the Senators have no choice but to surrender their own pick. They can't acquire a second pick from someone else and use it to pay the piper. The Knights were under the impression that Dadonov hadn't entered a no-trade list while he was with the Senators before the 2021-22 campaign, so he no longer had one. The NHL confirmed that wasn't the case and vetoed the deal that would have sent him to the Ducks at the deadline in 2022. But there is precedent for Bettman to change his mind. The New Jersey Devils were originally fined $3 million U.S., docked a third-round pick in 2011 and were scheduled to lose a first-round pick sometime in the next four years when they circumvented the salary cap by signing unrestricted free agent winger Ilya Kovalchuk in 2010. Scheduled to lose the top pick in 2014, the Devils appealed to Bettman to revisit the harsh punishment he handed out to the organization. New Jersey was awarded the No. 30 pick in that draft, the fine was reduced, and the only proviso was that New Jersey couldn't trade it. If Vegas isn't going to get called on the carpet for what took place in this deal with Marner, then the club never will. This is the team that has pushed the use of Long-Term Injury Reserve to its advantage to bring back players in the post-season when the salary cap doesn't matter. Sometimes, it feels like there is one set of rules in the NHL for some teams and others get treated with kid gloves. This is looking like one of those scenarios. Andlauer and Staios have to choose their words carefully because they are still holding out hope that Bettman sees fit to reduce the punishment. This latest Vegas-Leafs trade should be held up as a big reason why Ottawa shouldn't have to rescind a first-round pick in 2026. bgarrioch@
Calgary Herald
01-07-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
You can bet the Ottawa Senators don't like the Mitch Marner deal to Vegas one bit
Somewhere, Michael Andlauer must be shaking his head. Article content The business of the National Hockey League never ceases to amaze anyone. The kowtowing to the Vegas Golden Knights continued on the eve of free agency Tuesday when the club acquired the rights to free agent winger Mitch Marner in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Article content Only hours before the NHL's market opened on Canada Day, the Leafs confirmed they had sent Marner to the Knights in exchange for forward Nicolas Roy. Marner immediately signed an eight-year, $96 million US deal as he rode into the sunset. Article content Article content If you're wondering why Andlauer, the owner of the Ottawa Senators, has every right to be upset, look no further than why this deal happened in the first place. This one doesn't pass the smell test. Article content Article content Talk surfaced in league circles on Saturday that the Leafs and Knights were going to go toe-to-toe over Marner, with Toronto general manager Brad Treliving demanding something in return from the Knights, or the club could be the subject of a tampering complaint. Article content Hockey Night in Canada's Elliotte Friedman spoke about this on his 32 Thoughts Podcast late Saturday night because Vegas had been chasing Marner for over a year. The talk in league circles was that one way or another, Marner was going to land with the Knights. Article content Lo, and behold, before the market opened, the Leafs were able to get the third-line centre they so badly need out of the Knights in exchange for the rights to Marner. The deal will pay Marner a whopping $12 million a year. Article content Article content All that talk about any tampering complaints will be shoved under the rug, and everybody will live happily ever after. The NHL should immediately launch an investigation, but it won't. Instead, the trade was approved by the Central Registry. Article content Article content But you have to think, Andlauer and Steve Staios, the club's president of hockey operations and general manager, must be steaming over this deal between the Knights and Leafs. Article content Teams were warned about the fines for tampering and reminded that it wouldn't be tolerated with July 1 just around the corner. Article content The NHL penalized the Senators a first-round draft choice in either 2024, 2025 or 2026 because of a botched deal with the Vegas Golden Knights for winger Evgenii Dadonov.
Ottawa Citizen
01-07-2025
- Business
- Ottawa Citizen
You can bet the Ottawa Senators don't like the Mitch Marner deal to Vegas one bit
Somewhere, Michael Andlauer must be shaking his head. Article content The business of the National Hockey League never ceases to amaze anyone. The kowtowing to the Vegas Golden Knights continued on the eve of free agency Tuesday when the club acquired the rights to free agent winger Mitch Marner in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Article content Only hours before the NHL's market opened on Canada Day, the Leafs confirmed they had sent Marner to the Knights in exchange for forward Nicolas Roy. Marner immediately signed an eight-year, $96 million US deal as he rode into the sunset. Article content Article content If you're wondering why Andlauer, the owner of the Ottawa Senators, has every right to be upset, look no further than why this deal happened in the first place. This one doesn't pass the smell test. Article content Article content Talk surfaced in league circles on Saturday that the Leafs and Knights were going to go toe-to-toe over Marner, with Toronto general manager Brad Treliving demanding something in return from the Knights, or the club could be the subject of a tampering complaint. Article content Hockey Night in Canada's Elliotte Friedman spoke about this on his 32 Thoughts Podcast late Saturday night because Vegas had been chasing Marner for over a year. The talk in league circles was that one way or another, Marner was going to land with the Knights. Article content Lo, and behold, before the market opened, the Leafs were able to get the third-line centre they so badly need out of the Knights in exchange for the rights to Marner. The deal will pay Marner a whopping $12 million a year. Article content Article content All that talk about any tampering complaints will be shoved under the rug, and everybody will live happily ever after. The NHL should immediately launch an investigation, but it won't. Instead, the trade was approved by the Central Registry. Article content Article content But you have to think, Andlauer and Steve Staios, the club's president of hockey operations and general manager, must be steaming over this deal between the Knights and Leafs. Article content Teams were warned about the fines for tampering and reminded that it wouldn't be tolerated with July 1 just around the corner. Article content The NHL penalized the Senators a first-round draft choice in either 2024, 2025 or 2026 because of a botched deal with the Vegas Golden Knights for winger Evgenii Dadonov.
Vancouver Sun
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Cowan: Sheriff deserves a spot on Canadiens' blue-line patrol
One of the most interesting things to watch as this Canadiens rebuild takes another step next season will be the continuing development of defenceman Arber Xhekaj. That's if the Canadiens have a spot for him — which they should. Xhekaj has already beaten the odds, making it to the NHL as an undrafted player thanks in part to Michael Andlauer, who now owns the Ottawa Senators. Andlauer was part-owner of the Canadiens and also owned the junior Hamilton Bulldogs when they won the OHL championship in 2022, with Xhekaj playing a key role, posting 6-10-16 totals in 18 playoff games along with 50 penalty minutes. Andlauer helped Xhekaj get an invitation to the Canadiens' rookie camp and the 6-foot-4, 240-pound defenceman was able to make the jump directly from junior to the NHL. The Canadiens are loaded with young defencemen — including first-round draft picks David Reinbacher (the fifth overall pick in 2023) and Logan Mailloux (the 31st pick in 2021), who will be looking to make the jump to the NHL next season. Xhekaj is 24, Kaiden Guhle and Jayden Struble are 23, Lane Hutson is 21, while Mailloux is 22 and Reinbacher is 20. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. David Savard decided to retire , so there will be an opening on the blue line next season. But it wouldn't be a surprise if GM Kent Hughes acquires another veteran right-shot defenceman this summer to replace Savard, while also looking for a second-line centre. You have to give up something to get something and there's no doubt other teams will be interested in Xhekaj. You'd have to think the Senators are one of them. Xhekaj brings a unique blend of size, toughness and skill — although he's still raw at times — that is hard to find in today's NHL. He also has 165 games of NHL experience at a young age — along with nine goals, 20 assists and 300 penalty minutes. He still struggles defensively sometimes and was minus-13 last season. The last two seasons have been tough at times for the Hamilton, Ont., native. Xhekaj was sent down to the AHL's Laval Rocket for 17 games two seasons ago and was a healthy scratch for nine of the Canadiens' last 10 games this year, losing his spot to Struble. Xhekaj was also a healthy scratch for the first two games of the playoffs against the Washington Capitals. Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis was asked about Xhekaj last week, when he was a guest on the Missin Curfew podcast with his former Tampa Bay Lightning teammate Shane O'Brien. 'He's come a long way and he can do way more than just fight,' St. Louis said. 'They call him the Sheriff in Montreal and he's very good at that. But there's a lot of other stuff that he's very good at as well. I think as a defenceman — especially a young defenceman — the hardest part of the league is defending. Defending in short space, reading the rush and all that. You forget that he's still very young and that he's going to keep improving. But he's got a nice package. 'Obviously, he can fight, but take that out of the equation and he's still a very young, promising defenceman,' St. Louis added. 'If he has to fight, he will, but he's learned to pick his spots. When he first came in, he felt like he had to do that and we tried to remind him that it's part of the game, but you got to play the game that's in front of you as well and he's learned to pick his spots. He's a lot of fun to coach, too.' That last comment should silence some Canadiens fans who think there might be something personal between St. Louis and Xhekaj that resulted in him not being in the lineup at times. I believe it's a case of St. Louis seeing the potential in Xhekaj and working to get the most out of him with some hard coaching. When asked about his relationship with St. Louis after the Canadiens were eliminated by the Capitals, Xhekaj said: 'It was great. We obviously talked a bunch. He just helped me. We idolize him in the room and he's our leader. He helped me a lot this year with balancing toeing the line and all that stuff. 'Sometimes it's to not cross the line and he kind of keeps me behind the line a little bit,' Xhekaj added. 'We have a great relationship and he helps me every day, pretty much.' Xhekaj has learned he's at his best when he stays calm on the ice, sits back a bit with a good stick and good gap control while focusing on his defensive game instead of looking for a big hit. 'I think as I learn that defensive side and I get really comfortable with it, I can start adding the big hits and I can line guys up better and know when the time is,' Xhekaj said. 'I think that just comes with experience.' There's a lot to like about Xhekaj in a Canadiens uniform moving forward.
Montreal Gazette
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Montreal Gazette
Cowan: Sheriff deserves a spot on Canadiens' blue-line patrol
Montreal Canadiens By One of the most interesting things to watch as this Canadiens rebuild takes another step next season will be the continuing development of defenceman Arber Xhekaj. That's if the Canadiens have a spot for him — which they should. Xhekaj has already beaten the odds, making it to the NHL as an undrafted player thanks in part to Michael Andlauer, who now owns the Ottawa Senators. Andlauer was part-owner of the Canadiens and also owned the junior Hamilton Bulldogs when they won the OHL championship in 2022, with Xhekaj playing a key role, posting 6-10-16 totals in 18 playoff games along with 50 penalty minutes. Andlauer helped Xhekaj get an invitation to the Canadiens' rookie camp and the 6-foot-4, 240-pound defenceman was able to make the jump directly from junior to the NHL. The Canadiens are loaded with young defencemen — including first-round draft picks David Reinbacher (the fifth overall pick in 2023) and Logan Mailloux (the 31st pick in 2021), who will be looking to make the jump to the NHL next season. Xhekaj is 24, Kaiden Guhle and Jayden Struble are 23, Lane Hutson is 21, while Mailloux is 22 and Reinbacher is 20. David Savard decided to retire, so there will be an opening on the blue line next season. But it wouldn't be a surprise if GM Kent Hughes acquires another veteran right-shot defenceman this summer to replace Savard, while also looking for a second-line centre. You have to give up something to get something and there's no doubt other teams will be interested in Xhekaj. You'd have to think the Senators are one of them. Xhekaj brings a unique blend of size, toughness and skill — although he's still raw at times — that is hard to find in today's NHL. He also has 165 games of NHL experience at a young age — along with nine goals, 20 assists and 300 penalty minutes. He still struggles defensively sometimes and was minus-13 last season. The last two seasons have been tough at times for the Hamilton, Ont., native. Xhekaj was sent down to the AHL's Laval Rocket for 17 games two seasons ago and was a healthy scratch for nine of the Canadiens' last 10 games this year, losing his spot to Struble. Xhekaj was also a healthy scratch for the first two games of the playoffs against the Washington Capitals. Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis was asked about Xhekaj last week, when he was a guest on the Missin Curfew podcast with his former Tampa Bay Lightning teammate Shane O'Brien. 'He's come a long way and he can do way more than just fight,' St. Louis said. 'They call him the Sheriff in Montreal and he's very good at that. But there's a lot of other stuff that he's very good at as well. I think as a defenceman — especially a young defenceman — the hardest part of the league is defending. Defending in short space, reading the rush and all that. You forget that he's still very young and that he's going to keep improving. But he's got a nice package. 'Obviously, he can fight, but take that out of the equation and he's still a very young, promising defenceman,' St. Louis added. 'If he has to fight, he will, but he's learned to pick his spots. When he first came in, he felt like he had to do that and we tried to remind him that it's part of the game, but you got to play the game that's in front of you as well and he's learned to pick his spots. He's a lot of fun to coach, too.' That last comment should silence some Canadiens fans who think there might be something personal between St. Louis and Xhekaj that resulted in him not being in the lineup at times. I believe it's a case of St. Louis seeing the potential in Xhekaj and working to get the most out of him with some hard coaching. When asked about his relationship with St. Louis after the Canadiens were eliminated by the Capitals, Xhekaj said: 'It was great. We obviously talked a bunch. He just helped me. We idolize him in the room and he's our leader. He helped me a lot this year with balancing toeing the line and all that stuff. 'Sometimes it's to not cross the line and he kind of keeps me behind the line a little bit,' Xhekaj added. 'We have a great relationship and he helps me every day, pretty much.' Xhekaj has learned he's at his best when he stays calm on the ice, sits back a bit with a good stick and good gap control while focusing on his defensive game instead of looking for a big hit. 'I think as I learn that defensive side and I get really comfortable with it, I can start adding the big hits and I can line guys up better and know when the time is,' Xhekaj said. 'I think that just comes with experience.' There's a lot to like about Xhekaj in a Canadiens uniform moving forward.
