Dan’s Daily: Will Crosby Captain Team Canada? KHL Wants to Play the NHL

There was some heavyweight NHL news Wednesday, including the predominance of the Penguins’ national TV schedule, former Penguins winger Carl Hagelin was forced to retire, and Canadian media is already looking ahead to the 2025 World Cup of Hockey and where Sidney Crosby fits on Team Canada. Akim Aliu opened the vault after former NHL head coach Bill Peters attempted to publicly apologize before he took the Lethbridge Hurricanes job in the WHL, and the KHL wants to play games against the NHL.

Want to know a secret? You PHN+ subscribers now have instant access to Pittsburgh Baseball Now and Steelers Now subscriber content. Just log in to any of our sites, and you’ll have ad-free privileges and access to all of the (+) content. We did it. The tests this week have been perfect. Grand announcement and party forthwith…

This rebel alliance against the conglomerate media companies is just about ready to attack the Death Star. The funny thing is a lot of the blogosphere thinks we’re backed by millions of dollars or a big corporation. Nope. It’s me. And you. Are you ready to really kick some ass?

Hockey season is coming. Steelers season is coming. The subscription price will be going up a bit since you’re getting a lot more for your money, but until the tech folks get around to it, Get a $10 discount on the lower price now.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Nearly 20% of the Penguins schedule will be on national TV. I know that’s bad news for some of you who cut the chord. Here’s the new Penguins TV schedule.

Two Stanley Cup rings and the H of the HBK line. After a serious eye injury suffered in a Washington Capitals practice a couple of seasons ago and a comeback attempt that didn’t get on track, Carl Hagelin retired.

We knew the Penguins signed Mark Pysyk and Libor Hajek to PTOs. Wednesday, the Penguins also announced they signed Austin Wagner to a PTO.

Here’s the analysis fun — If Pysyk is 100%, he likely supplants Chad Ruhwedel. That’s the easy part. However, P.O Joseph is also on the hot seat. Kyle Dubas created a battle royal, and the PTOs could deeply impact the Penguins lineup.

Steelers Now:

Add nine — The Steelers practice squad.

More in-depth on the practice squad, including a PSAC lineman. Steelers news.

Interesting. Tomas Tull wants a greater share of ownership. Here’s the scoop on the Steelers owners.

Some day, a Rooney won’t own the Steelers. That’s a sad thought, but maybe we can recruit Rooney Mara?

And a pretty good podcast, the Afternoon Drive. The Texans traded for Kendrick Green? What were the Texans thinking?!

Pittsburgh Baseball Now:

There were several big names on the waiver wire. Here’s the player that beat writer Danny Demilio says the Pittsburgh Pirates should claim.

Sweep! The Pirates took three from KC. Here’s the quickie Pirates recap.

I couldn’t agree anymore, or any louder, for one of these names — John Perrotto is stumping for five more players to join the Pirates Hall of Fame.

NHL News & National Hockey Now:

Washinton Hockey Now: The KHL president uncorked a whopper. He wants the KHL to play games against the NHL, including the Washington Capitals.

I’d love it if Russia were a free country. Sorry, the NHL should not repeat the NBA’s mistake and lay down for a nefarious government steeped in human rights abuses. Also, any NHL team would embarrass even the best KHL team.

Sportsnet: Starting with pleasant and enjoyable hockey talk. The NHL is aiming for a world tournament in 2025. Sportsnet is already laying out Team Canada. They have Sidney Crosby on the third line, but they project him to wear the C.

You have to give him the captaincy, right? Crosby has officially reached venerable veteran status.

Sportsnet: Curious move. Can’t say I would have done so, but the Toronto Maple Leafs extended coach Sheldon Keefe.

Philly Hockey Now: Much is being made of the national broadcast TV schedules. Former Philadelphia Flyers goalie Brian Boucher will join the TNT broadcast.

TSN: This is a bigger story that probably won’t live long in the headlines. It’s a bit uncomfortable. Former Carolina Hurricanes head coach Bill Peters publicly apologized to Akim Aliu, who outed the coach for using racial slurs towards him, as Peters accepted the Lethbridge Hurricanes job.

That’s one side of the story.

The other isn’t in a forgiving mood. Aliu lambasted Peters and shared his private communications with an intermediary that shed more light on the lengths that Aliu alleges Peters went to blackball him from hockey. After reading this, I’m shocked Peters is allowed to coach.

A current NHL Head Coach reached out to me last week to try and broker an apology on behalf of Bill Peters. So there is no ambiguity, this was my response verbatim. pic.twitter.com/i468vQ4erp

— Akim Aliu (@Dreamer_Aliu78) August 30, 2023