Latest news with #Fuhr
Vancouver Sun
07-07-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Stephen Fuhr wants to change how we arm the military: Canada is 'trapped outside the technology cycle'
OTTAWA — Not that long ago, former air force fighter pilot Stephen Fuhr was just one among many voices in Canada complaining about the way the federal government makes big defence purchasing decisions. At no point, he said, did it occur to him that he would wind up in his current position — as the prime minister's point person for fixing Canada's sclerotic military procurement system. 'I find it very ironic that I was one of many that complained … why does it take so long?' said Fuhr, 56, in an interview with The Canadian Press. 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. Fuhr knows first hand how the state of Canada's military procurement system feels to people on the ground — how Byzantine government rules make vital equipment purchases move at molasses speed, leaving soldiers and pilots without the tools they need to fight a modern conflict. The once-prominent critic of former prime minister Stephen Harper government's management of defence — notably the original F-35 stealth fighter procurement process — is stepping up to change how the system works. Prime Minister Mark Carney named Fuhr secretary of state for defence procurement on May 13, giving him a new, narrowly focused junior role in cabinet. The Carney government's focus on reforming defence procurement is happening as new threats emerge on the world stage — and as Canada and other NATO allies come under heavy pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to ramp up defence spending by a staggering amount. Canada is also looking for ways to bolster its domestic defence industry and partner more with Europe as it pivots away from a more isolationist and protectionist United States. For the first time in a long time, the military is a core government priority. 'I feel good about it,' Fuhr said. 'Canadians are supportive of us being more involved in defence spending. There's a big opportunity for our industries and businesses in defence and being able to pull our weight on the world stage with our defence relationships.' It's also a moment of uncertainty — for Carney's government, for Canada and the world. Fuhr's background in the air force trained him to prepare for the unexpected. On Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists hijacked airliners and crashed them into major U.S. buildings, Fuhr was in Inuvik, where he was flying a CF-18 on force-projection exercises. He spent the security crisis patrolling the Arctic skies as events unfolded south of the border, then was sent to CFB Comox on Vancouver Island, where he was kept on alert until Canada relaxed its air defence posture. 'It was pretty surreal,' he said. 'In the moment, we don't know if there's more. We just know these airplanes are coming and they have to land somewhere.' He was in the Royal Canadian Air Force for two decades and at one point was the fleet manager of an air division that flew CF-18 Hornets. Formerly a conservative-inclined voter, he made the jump into federal politics with the Liberals a decade ago after becoming frustrated with the contentious F-35 purchase. Fuhr warned that the cost of the deal was doomed to explode and that the process had gone awry. He was right: the budget for the F-35 purchase has since ballooned and Ottawa is conducting a review of the project in response to the Trump administration's trade chaos. Still, Fuhr shrugs off the idea that he would chime in with his opinions about the F-35 at the cabinet table. 'My strong opinions are 10 years old, and a lot has changed in 10 years,' the Kelowna MP said. But he could end up helping to decide how the next big-ticket items roll out. Carney made numerous defence commitments in the spring election. One of them was a promise to establish a new defence procurement agency to speed up equipment purchases for the military, and that agency falls under Fuhr's mandate. The party's election platform pledged legislative changes to 'expand risk-based approaches' to purchasing approvals, 'centralize expertise from across government' and 'streamline the way we buy equipment for the military.' Canada's military has suffered from peacetime budget woes under governments of various stripes since the Cold War ended. Major items of military equipment are nearing the end of their usable lifespan and new purchases are moving slowly through a risk-averse and slow-moving bureaucracy. For the past half century, military purchasing decisions tended to involve multiple government departments. Carney's plan for this new agency would create one main point of contact, as in wartime. 'We're trapped outside the technology cycle, which is a really difficult place to be, and we have to get it done faster. It has to be more organized. It has to be easier for industry,' Fuhr said. Canada, in other words, is pushing for a military comeback. Fuhr is fresh off of a comeback of his own. He became a Liberal MP in 2015, when he rallied support from unlikely corners like the local Green Party, whose candidate stepped down to endorse Fuhr. A former chair of the House of Commons defence committee, he's been around the political block. But he was defeated in 2019 by Conservative Tracy Gray. He didn't run in 2021 but returned to the ballot in April, and this time he defeated Gray. This isn't the first time the government has tried to reform procurement. It's also not the first time there's been a cabinet-level position tied to procurement. The Harper government tapped Julian Fantino as associate minister of defence to overhaul procurement, and Justin Trudeau's Liberals promised multiple defence procurement reforms in the 2015 and 2019 elections. Neither government moved the needle much — and both failed to spend enough to address the Canadian Armed Forces equipment gap. Fuhr insisted it's different this time. 'If it was ever going to happen, it's going to happen now,' he said. He said Canada has to make a major 'lift' to meet its alliance defence commitments and Carney 'wants to get it done.' When asked what he brings to the role, Fuhr pointed not to his time in the air but to his work on the ground with the military and his family's aerospace business, SkyTrac Systems, which they eventually sold. 'I know what it's like for industry to try and get involved in defence procurement because I lived that life for a while,' he said. 'I bring a well-rounded skill set, not just I flew airplanes.' Fuhr might be out of the military but he can't stay out of the skies. Right up until he decided to run for office again, he was testing and certifying pilots on instrument ratings, ensuring they can fly by instruments alone. The retired air force major in his spare time flies a Vans RV8, an kit-built two-seater aircraft he purchased several years ago. The small, low-wing recreational craft is painted to look like a fighter jet — he even has a shark mouth painted on the nose of the plane. He may not have much time to get up in the air this summer. He'll be in and out of meetings with officials drafting up blueprints for the new procurement agency, sorting out its size and scope. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Edmonton Journal
07-07-2025
- Business
- Edmonton Journal
Stephen Fuhr wants to change how we arm the military: Canada is 'trapped outside the technology cycle'
Article content OTTAWA — Not that long ago, former air force fighter pilot Stephen Fuhr was just one among many voices in Canada complaining about the way the federal government makes big defence purchasing decisions. Article content At no point, he said, did it occur to him that he would wind up in his current position — as the prime minister's point person for fixing Canada's sclerotic military procurement system. Article content Article content Article content 'I find it very ironic that I was one of many that complained … why does it take so long?' said Fuhr, 56, in an interview with The Canadian Press. Article content Article content Fuhr knows first hand how the state of Canada's military procurement system feels to people on the ground — how Byzantine government rules make vital equipment purchases move at molasses speed, leaving soldiers and pilots without the tools they need to fight a modern conflict. Article content The once-prominent critic of former prime minister Stephen Harper government's management of defence — notably the original F-35 stealth fighter procurement process — is stepping up to change how the system works. Article content Prime Minister Mark Carney named Fuhr secretary of state for defence procurement on May 13, giving him a new, narrowly focused junior role in cabinet. Article content The Carney government's focus on reforming defence procurement is happening as new threats emerge on the world stage — and as Canada and other NATO allies come under heavy pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to ramp up defence spending by a staggering amount. Article content Article content Canada is also looking for ways to bolster its domestic defence industry and partner more with Europe as it pivots away from a more isolationist and protectionist United States. Article content Article content For the first time in a long time, the military is a core government priority. Article content 'I feel good about it,' Fuhr said. 'Canadians are supportive of us being more involved in defence spending. There's a big opportunity for our industries and businesses in defence and being able to pull our weight on the world stage with our defence relationships.' Article content It's also a moment of uncertainty — for Carney's government, for Canada and the world. Fuhr's background in the air force trained him to prepare for the unexpected. Article content On Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists hijacked airliners and crashed them into major U.S. buildings, Fuhr was in Inuvik, where he was flying a CF-18 on force-projection exercises.
Winnipeg Free Press
06-07-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Ex-fighter jet pilot Stephen Fuhr is on a mission to change how we arm the military
OTTAWA – Not that long ago, former air force fighter pilot Stephen Fuhr was just one among many voices in Canada complaining about the way the federal government makes big defence purchasing decisions. At no point, he said, did it occur to him that he would wind up in his current position – as the prime minister's point person for fixing Canada's sclerotic military procurement system. 'I find it very ironic that I was one of many that complained … why does it take so long?' said Fuhr, 59, in an interview with The Canadian Press. Fuhr knows first hand how the state of Canada's military procurement system feels to people on the ground – how byzantine government rules make vital equipment purchases move at molasses speed, leaving soldiers and pilots without the tools they need to fight a modern conflict. The once-prominent critic of former prime minister Stephen Harper government's management of defence – notably the original F-35 stealth fighter procurement process – is stepping up to change how the system works. Prime Minister Mark Carney named Fuhr secretary of state for defence procurement on May 13, giving him a new, narrowly focused junior role in cabinet. The Carney government's focus on reforming defence procurement is happening as new threats emerge on the world stage – and as Canada and other NATO allies come under heavy pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to ramp up defence spending by a staggering amount. Canada is also looking for ways to bolster its domestic defence industry and partner more with Europe as it pivots away from a more isolationist and protectionist United States. For the first time in a long time, the military is a core government priority. 'I feel good about it,' Fuhr said. 'Canadians are supportive of us being more involved in defence spending. There's a big opportunity for our industries and businesses in defence and being able to pull our weight on the world stage with our defence relationships.' It's also a moment of uncertainty – for Carney's government, for Canada and the world. Fuhr's background in the air force trained him to prepare for the unexpected. On Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists hijacked airliners and crashed them into major U.S. buildings, Fuhr was in Inuvik, where he was flying a CF-18 on force-projection exercises. He spent the security crisis patrolling the Arctic skies as events unfolded south of the border, then was sent to CFB Comox on Vancouver Island, where he was kept on alert until Canada relaxed its air defence posture. 'It was pretty surreal,' he said. 'In the moment, we don't know if there's more. We just know these airplanes are coming and they have to land somewhere.' He was in the Royal Canadian Air Force for two decades and at one point was in charge of overseeing all of Canada's CF-18 Hornets. Formerly a conservative-inclined voter, he made the jump into federal politics with the Liberals a decade ago after becoming frustrated with the contentious F-35 purchase. Fuhr warned that the cost of the deal was doomed to explode and that the process had gone awry. He was right: the budget for the F-35 purchase has since ballooned and Ottawa is conducting a review of the project in response to the Trump administration's trade chaos. Still, Fuhr shrugs off the idea that he would chime in with his opinions about the F-35 at the cabinet table. 'My strong opinions are 10 years old, and a lot has changed in 10 years,' the Kelowna MP said. But he could end up helping to decide how the next big-ticket items roll out. Carney made numerous defence commitments in the spring election. One of them was a promise to establish a new defence procurement agency to speed up equipment purchases for the military, and that agency falls under Fuhr's mandate. The party's election platform pledged legislative changes to 'expand risk-based approaches' to purchasing approvals, 'centralize expertise from across government' and 'streamline the way we buy equipment for the military.' Canada's military has suffered from peacetime budget woes under governments of various stripes since the Cold War ended. Major items of military equipment are nearing the end of their usable lifespan and new purchases are moving slowly through a risk-averse and slow-moving bureaucracy. For the past half century, military purchasing decisions tended to involve multiple government departments. Carney's plan for this new agency would create one main point of contact, as in wartime. 'We're trapped outside the technology cycle, which is a really difficult place to be, and we have to get it done faster. It has to be more organized. It has to be easier for industry,' Fuhr said. Canada, in other words, is pushing for a military comeback. Fuhr is fresh off of a comeback of his own. He became a Liberal MP in 2015, when he rallied support from unlikely corners like the local Green Party, whose candidate stepped down to endorse Fuhr. A former chair of the House of Commons defence committee, he's been around the political block. But he was defeated in 2019 by Conservative Tracy Gray. He didn't run in 2021 but returned to the ballot in April, and this time he defeated Gray. This isn't the first time the government has tried to reform procurement. It's also not the first time there's been a cabinet-level position tied to procurement. The Harper government tapped Julian Fantino as associate minister of defence to overhaul procurement, and Justin Trudeau's Liberals promised multiple defence procurement reforms in the 2015 and 2019 elections. Neither government moved the needle much – and both failed to spend enough to address the Canadian Armed Forces equipment gap. Fuhr insisted it's different this time. 'If it was ever going to happen, it's going to happen now,' he said. He said Canada has to make a major 'lift' to meet its alliance defence commitments and Carney 'wants to get it done.' When asked what he brings to the role, Fuhr pointed not to his time in the air but to his work on the ground with the military and his family's aerospace business, SkyTrac Systems, which they eventually sold. 'I know what it's like for industry to try and get involved in defence procurement because I lived that life for a while,' he said. 'I bring a well-rounded skill set, not just I flew airplanes.' Fuhr might be out of the military but he can't stay out of the skies. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. Right up until he decided to run for office again, he was testing and certifying pilots on instrument ratings, ensuring they can fly by instruments alone. The retired air force major in his spare time flies a Vans RV8, an kit-built two-seater aircraft he purchased several years ago. The small, low-wing recreational craft is painted to look like a fighter jet – he even has a shark mouth painted on the nose of the plane. He may not have much time to get up in the air this summer. He'll be in and out of meetings with officials drafting up blueprints for the new procurement agency, sorting out its size and scope. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025.
Hamilton Spectator
06-07-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Ex-fighter jet pilot Stephen Fuhr is on a mission to change how we arm the military
OTTAWA - Not that long ago, former air force fighter pilot Stephen Fuhr was just one among many voices in Canada complaining about the way the federal government makes big defence purchasing decisions. At no point, he said, did it occur to him that he would wind up in his current position - as the prime minister's point person for fixing Canada's sclerotic military procurement system. 'I find it very ironic that I was one of many that complained ... why does it take so long?' said Fuhr, 59, in an interview with The Canadian Press. Fuhr knows first hand how the state of Canada's military procurement system feels to people on the ground - how byzantine government rules make vital equipment purchases move at molasses speed, leaving soldiers and pilots without the tools they need to fight a modern conflict. The once-prominent critic of former prime minister Stephen Harper government's management of defence - notably the original F-35 stealth fighter procurement process - is stepping up to change how the system works. Prime Minister Mark Carney named Fuhr secretary of state for defence procurement on May 13, giving him a new, narrowly focused junior role in cabinet. The Carney government's focus on reforming defence procurement is happening as new threats emerge on the world stage - and as Canada and other NATO allies come under heavy pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to ramp up defence spending by a staggering amount. Canada is also looking for ways to bolster its domestic defence industry and partner more with Europe as it pivots away from a more isolationist and protectionist United States. For the first time in a long time, the military is a core government priority. 'I feel good about it,' Fuhr said. 'Canadians are supportive of us being more involved in defence spending. There's a big opportunity for our industries and businesses in defence and being able to pull our weight on the world stage with our defence relationships.' It's also a moment of uncertainty - for Carney's government, for Canada and the world. Fuhr's background in the air force trained him to prepare for the unexpected. On Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists hijacked airliners and crashed them into major U.S. buildings, Fuhr was in Inuvik, where he was flying a CF-18 on force-projection exercises. He spent the security crisis patrolling the Arctic skies as events unfolded south of the border, then was sent to CFB Comox on Vancouver Island, where he was kept on alert until Canada relaxed its air defence posture. 'It was pretty surreal,' he said. 'In the moment, we don't know if there's more. We just know these airplanes are coming and they have to land somewhere.' He was in the Royal Canadian Air Force for two decades and at one point was in charge of overseeing all of Canada's CF-18 Hornets. Formerly a conservative-inclined voter, he made the jump into federal politics with the Liberals a decade ago after becoming frustrated with the contentious F-35 purchase. Fuhr warned that the cost of the deal was doomed to explode and that the process had gone awry. He was right: the budget for the F-35 purchase has since ballooned and Ottawa is conducting a review of the project in response to the Trump administration's trade chaos. Still, Fuhr shrugs off the idea that he would chime in with his opinions about the F-35 at the cabinet table. 'My strong opinions are 10 years old, and a lot has changed in 10 years,' the Kelowna MP said. But he could end up helping to decide how the next big-ticket items roll out. Carney made numerous defence commitments in the spring election. One of them was a promise to establish a new defence procurement agency to speed up equipment purchases for the military, and that agency falls under Fuhr's mandate. The party's election platform pledged legislative changes to 'expand risk-based approaches' to purchasing approvals, 'centralize expertise from across government' and 'streamline the way we buy equipment for the military.' Canada's military has suffered from peacetime budget woes under governments of various stripes since the Cold War ended. Major items of military equipment are nearing the end of their usable lifespan and new purchases are moving slowly through a risk-averse and slow-moving bureaucracy. For the past half century, military purchasing decisions tended to involve multiple government departments. Carney's plan for this new agency would create one main point of contact, as in wartime. 'We're trapped outside the technology cycle, which is a really difficult place to be, and we have to get it done faster. It has to be more organized. It has to be easier for industry,' Fuhr said. Canada, in other words, is pushing for a military comeback. Fuhr is fresh off of a comeback of his own. He became a Liberal MP in 2015, when he rallied support from unlikely corners like the local Green Party, whose candidate stepped down to endorse Fuhr. A former chair of the House of Commons defence committee, he's been around the political block. But he was defeated in 2019 by Conservative Tracy Gray. He didn't run in 2021 but returned to the ballot in April, and this time he defeated Gray. This isn't the first time the government has tried to reform procurement. It's also not the first time there's been a cabinet-level position tied to procurement. The Harper government tapped Julian Fantino as associate minister of defence to overhaul procurement, and Justin Trudeau's Liberals promised multiple defence procurement reforms in the 2015 and 2019 elections. Neither government moved the needle much - and both failed to spend enough to address the Canadian Armed Forces equipment gap. Fuhr insisted it's different this time. 'If it was ever going to happen, it's going to happen now,' he said. He said Canada has to make a major 'lift' to meet its alliance defence commitments and Carney 'wants to get it done.' When asked what he brings to the role, Fuhr pointed not to his time in the air but to his work on the ground with the military and his family's aerospace business, SkyTrac Systems, which they eventually sold. 'I know what it's like for industry to try and get involved in defence procurement because I lived that life for a while,' he said. 'I bring a well-rounded skill set, not just I flew airplanes.' Fuhr might be out of the military but he can't stay out of the skies. Right up until he decided to run for office again, he was testing and certifying pilots on instrument ratings, ensuring they can fly by instruments alone. The retired air force major in his spare time flies a Vans RV8, an kit-built two-seater aircraft he purchased several years ago. The small, low-wing recreational craft is painted to look like a fighter jet - he even has a shark mouth painted on the nose of the plane. He may not have much time to get up in the air this summer. He'll be in and out of meetings with officials drafting up blueprints for the new procurement agency, sorting out its size and scope. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Vancouver Sun
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Should Oilers' Stuart Skinner dish it back to Panthers' crease crashers, Bennett and Tkachuk?
So should Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner take matters into his own hands when fallen on or hassled in the crease, when he keeps seeing Florida's Sam Bennett or Matthew Tkachuk? Maybe… Grant Fuhr, as placid as they came when playing net, says goalies do have to send the odd message and it's often in the form of some lumber to a tender area. We're not talking going all Ron Hextall here, but we're three games into the Stanley Cup Final and the annoyance on Skinner isn't going away. 'You tell the officials but if they won't deal with it, you do. I haven't noticed Stu doing it but if you really want to get players, uh, undivided attention you tap them in the right spot, and a lot of that stops,' said Fuhr, who went through lots of issues in the Battle of Alberta days and later when he played for Mike Keenan's St. Louis Blues. 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. And where would that spot be? 'You get a stick under the cup (athletic supporter) and the message gets sent. Word gets around. They're less likely to plant themselves there,' said Fuhr. As we said neither Fuhr nor Skinner are in Hextall's league or former New York Islanders goaltender 'Samurai' Billy Smith as pain distributors in the crease area. Goalies can't lose focus, of course. Watching the puck is more important, but, sometimes, maybe there's a pound of flesh to pay? 'It's annoying (opposing players taking liberties) but if they're too big a pain with their backside in your face, they're always vulnerable,' said Fuhr. 'I might have gotten a couple of Calgary guys and in St. Louis when I had my knee fallen on by (Nick) Kypreos, we got a couple of their guys with a little more vim and vinegar than usual. Did Nick mean to fall on me, yes? Did he mean to hurt me, no? We've had lots of conversations about it over the years,' said Fuhr, who said Kypreos apologized for the play after Fuhr's knee was ripped up in the Leafs-Blues playoff series. 'Back in my day, Dougie Gilmour would pretty much sit in your lap all day, John Tonelli liked to park himself there… it's normal in the playoffs. It's on purpose, they try to make it look accidentally. They're purposely falling on you. If a defenceman even touches an opposing player today, they fall. Doesn't seem to matter what direction the goalie falls… funny thing is the opposing player finds you,' said Fuhr. 'It used to be a tough spot in front of the net, of course, with defencemen. You didn't want to go there. Now guys stand in front of the other goalie because there's no price to pay (just a penalty),' he said. Fuhr can't fathom any goalie change for Game 4, like giving the ball back to No. 2 Calvin Pickard who won six straight before he was hurt against Vegas. 'Stu had one average game so, yeah, I'd put him back in. He always bounces back. His numbers in Game 4 of series are phenomenal and if the Oilers do lose Game 4, and they're down 3-1, then you've got the option to go with the other guy,' said Fuhr, who figures you go with your No. 1 and Skinner was caught up in the maelstrom in Game 3, along with everybody else. 'I mean, the Oilers in Game 3… they played a different game than I've ever seen them play. They played Florida's game, with all the pushes and such after the whistles. The Oilers are a speed team, not standing around in scrums after every whistle,' said Fuhr. 'The Oilers got sucked into it early, Florida's a chippy team and everybody knows it.' OK, we get it that Wes McCauley and Francis Charron, went over the top with their far-too-zealous penalty calls in the first 20 minutes before things got out of hand in the third period in Game 3. It was not a good look for the officials, even if they felt they had to keep the game under control, early. But, if you are from Oil Country, it's rose-coloured glasses stuff to think Charron was responsible for the 3-1 goal by Sam Reinhart. Florida captain Aleksander Barkov efficiently directed Oilers defenceman John Klingberg into Charron who was pinned along the side boards in the Oilers end. Barkov maybe could have gotten a holding call on the play but not sure where Charron was supposed to go when the puck popped free and Reinhart quickly deposited one past Skinner. Was he supposed to dig a hole and climb in? Fans pay their big money to sit near the glass, often so they can rag on the opposing players, but the ticket doesn't come with a beer shower. That was a low-life move by that Florida fan in a Panthers jersey emptying his glass of beer on Oilers forward Kasperi Kapanen as he was going down the tunnel after being tossed out in Game 3. The fan should be kicked out for Game 4, at the least, and the club should be fined for lax security, like the Oilers were in 1996 when a drunk fan came down to the glass behind the Calgary bench and dumped a beer all over Flames assistant coach Guy Lapointe. The Oilers were fined $20,000 for poor fan containment. The late Sasha Lakovic, who died at 45 of brain cancer was playing for the Flames at the time and tried to climb the glass to get at the fan. Lapointe was mad, too, but later wished the beverage was more to his liking. 'I'm more of a rum and coke guy,' said Lapointe. Is it possible the Panthers will also be getting a bill from the NHL because they didn't control their drunken fan? They should. BUILT FOR PRIME TIME Carter Verhaeghe's power play shot under the crossbar, on a hole the size of a pop-can lid in Game 3, was his 33rd-career playoff goal, and 12th game-winner. While Bennett, Brad Marchand, Barkov, Reinhart and Tkachuk get most of the Panthers' hype, Verhaeghe keeps rolling along. 'I remember when I watched a Tampa-Florida playoff game before I got hired, I didn't know who the hell this Carter Verhaeghe guy was,' said Florida coach Paul Maurice. 'But he kept jumping on the screen. He just operates incredibly well on a certain frequency. He needs the intensity of traffic and energy around him to get to a certain speed level. If the game was played 10 on 10, he would score 65 goals a year.' Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was once again absent at the Oilers full-team skate on Tuesday after he did the same before Game 3 in Florida, is an alarm bell. He was able to play both power play (5:48) and penalty kill(3:51) but only 5:55 at even strength in Game 3. Has he been playing hurt since he crashed into the end boards in a collision with the 6'7' Lian Bichsel in the Dallas series? Oilers winger Corey Perry is now tied with the all-time antagonist Claude Lemieux, now a player agent for fifth spot on the all-time playoff games list (234). Mark Messier is next at 236. Leon Draisaitl on the emotional shenanigans in the last half of the third period in Game 3: 'The game's over with 11 minutes left and all hell breaks loose. It's a UFC fight.' Interesting to see Oilers power play whiz coach Glen Gulutzan, whose name has come up as a possible head coach replacement for Pete DeBoer, which would be a return engagement in Dallas, going with two defenceman on the first Oilers unit in Game 3. Putting Jake Walman with Evan Bouchard, and having Nugent-Hopkins moving back to the second. Former NHL goalie Brian Boucher, working between the benches for TNT, didn't look overly happy after he took some of the water bottle spray Walman was directing at A.J. Greer in Game 3. Walman got fined for it after Greer threw Walman's glove into the player bench. If you think those early goals in the first three minutes of the Cup Final are interesting stuff — Leon Draisaitl at 66 seconds in Game 1, Sam Bennett at 127 seconds in Game 2 and Brad Marchand at 56 seconds in Game 3 — you have to go back to the 1938 Leafs-Blackhawks Final to have that happen. So, 87 years. When teams lose in the playoffs, they usual think of lineup changes. Is it time to put defenceman Troy Stecher back in. He didn't do anything wrong to get taken out when Mattias Ekholm returned. Stecher famously said 'he's a better player than I am' when Ekholm got back on his horse. But, maybe Stecher for Klingberg, who was -3, in Game 3? Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don't miss the news you need to know — add and to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters . You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. 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