In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Chicago Blackhawks have requested the removal of Brad Aldrich’s name from the Stanley Cup, while the Florida Panthers and the NHL agreed it was best Joel Quenneville no longer serve as the head coach of the team. Kevin Cheveldayoff will meet today with the NHL and Marc Bergevin has been reached out to for comment. Meanwhile, could the Seattle Kraken be open to trading captain Mark Giordano? And, are the Los Angeles Kings already thinking about trades thanks to some unexpected injuries?
Blackhawks Want Aldrich’s Name Off Stanley Cup
As per a report by Emily Kaplan, Chicago Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz sent a letter to Lanny MacDonald, chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame and requested Aldrich’s name be crossed off because “our moral belief that a convicted sex offender does not belong on the Stanley Cup.”
Wirtz discussed the fact the trophy was and is always changing and names have been x’ed out in the past. He adds, “Names have been engraved and then for years. Taking a stand on the unforgivable behavior of Aldrich should include erasing his name from the Cup.”
Quenneville Resigns from Panthers Organization
After Quenneville met with Gray Bettman in New York, the Panthers announced that he would be stepping down as head coach of the team. Quenneville released a statement apologizing for his part in 2010 and said he would be using his time away to “reflect on how all of this happened and take the time to educate myself on ensuring hockey spaces are safe for everyone.”
The NHL also released a statement noting that no further discipline will come to Quenneville but added if he’d like to be considered for employment in the future, he will need to go through an interview process with Bettman personally.
Cheveldayoff Pushes up Meeting with NHL
Kevin Cheveldayoff was also set to be questioned on Monday but requested his meeting with Bettman be moved up and he flew to NYC to meet with the commissioner today. Neither Cheveldayoff nor the Jets wanted to wait until Monday. There is talk that his involvement is not being viewed in the same way that Quenneville’s and Bowman’s was but it’s not clear what the future holds for the general manager of the Winnipeg Jets.
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Cheveldayoff was the assistant general manager of the team when the allegations were made by player Kyle Beach.
Marc Bergevin Refuses to Comment
Arpon Basu of The Athletic writes that a request was made to speak to Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin Thursday about the Kyle Beach interview. Basu notes that the then-Blackhawks director of player personnel in 2010 would have had contact with Beach during that time as his role consisted of overseeing “both the pro and amateur scouting departments while monitoring the progress of the organization’s prospects.”
Bergevin’s name was not listed in the report about the findings of the investigation but he would have been in direct contact with Beach far more often than some of the other individuals listed. “The request was denied,” writes Basu.
It’s not clear if this is something that will stay in the news as more information becomes available and/or if it will hurt Bergevin’s extension hopes as GM of the Canadiens or with another team. He is on the final year of his contract as manager of the Habs.
Kraken May Consider Moving Mark Giordano
GM Ron Francis was asked about whether or not the Seattle Kraken would consider trading captain Mark Giordano this season and he responded, “I think that’s a decision we make a little bit down the road here.” The Kraken have talked about the value of salary cap space and Giordano is on an expiring contract and about to become a UFA.
LeBrun quotes Francis when he writes:
“Right now we’re still trying to figure out what we have, and who works well with who, try to mesh it all together. Certainly, Mark is a terrific pro, been in the game a while, and a great leader for us and the organization, representing us not only on the ice but in the community as well. We’ll see where things go moving forward with the franchise overall.’’
source – ‘LeBrun: Kraken GM Ron Francis on their start, their future and Carey Price’ – Pierre LeBrun – The Athletic – 10/27/2021
Kings in Trade Now Mode
With the loss of Drew Doughty and Sean Walker, the Kings know their season could hang in the balance over the next few weeks and LeBrun reports the organization is already looking to the trade market to find a solution on the right side of their blue line.
Doughty is out six-to-eight weeks while Walker suffered a season-ending knee injury. There may not be a lot available today as no team feels they are out of the running and some of the clubs many considered would be lottery teams have gotten off to a strong start.