Good morning. Three teams left. June's draft and free agency creeps closer. But first, more games to play.
Islanders Reads
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Ilya Sorokin was named the KHL's best goalie at age 20. He got some...interesting rewards. [LHH]
- Pat LaFontaine joined the Finding Mastery podcast to share his love for the game of hockey and the larger life lessons it taught him. Here's Part 1, in which he describes first skating in the open air as "something that touched my soul, that touched the authentic part of me." [Finding Mastery]
- Here's an upcoming charity event to benefit LaFontaine's Companions in Courage Foundation. [CIC16]
And Then There Were Three
19 years after being drafted in the Civic Arena (w/Olli Jokinen), Joe Thornton & Patric Marleau head to a Cup final: pic.twitter.com/DN99Wf1IsU
— Seth Rorabaugh (@emptynetters) May 26, 2016
Did You Know? pic.twitter.com/dEGNqFuyqa
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) May 26, 2016
- The Sharks did it, finishing the series in Game 6 (with only one, minor, late scare) to make their first Stanley Cup final in history. (Maybe *now* people will shut up about Joe Thornton's supposed lack of clutchitude and character?) [NHL]
- Head to our pals at Fear The Fin to vicariously enjoy their relief and root their team on against which ever team comes out of the East tonight. [Fear the Fin]
- The Lightning viewing party has been canceled...maybe due to declining TV ratings? [SB Nation]
- WE HAVE A TRADE TO ANNOUNCE. The Panthers got out of their Erik Gudbranson problem by trading him to the Canucks for a nice prospect and exchange of picks. [Nucks Misconduct]
- Aside: My goodness look at the players picked behind Gudbranson in 2010.
- The Coyotes are stoked for many logical reasons to have their AHL affiliate nearby in Tucson. [Five for Howling]
- The Hershey Bears have the Toronto Mercenaries Marlies on the brink, 3-0. [Soundin' Off]
- Meanwhile in Germany, the Hamburg Freezers folded (blame Bettman, right?) despite Christoph Schubert and others' attempts to save them. [THN] Aside: My dad named one of his table hockey teams the "Hamburger Patsies." Get it? I went with "Pilsner Pivos."