Dan’s Daily: NHL Requires Vaccinations, RMU Students Push to Oust President

Perhaps the greatest threat to the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Stanley Cup repeat was the Florida Panthers. With Patric Hornqvist and other new additions, there was excitement and electricity not felt in Sunrise for a couple of decades. The Panthers continued to get even better on Friday when they stepped to the counter and ordered a pound of Jumbo. We looked at the Pittsburgh Penguins present and future, from finances to prospects and on-ice issues, and RMU students unhappy over the school’s handling of the hockey program are pushing to oust the university president.

Private RMU fundraising drives raised about $750,000 but fell short of its $1 million goal, and the school tabled the issue for another year. The school also curiously said the fundraising effort only raised half the necessary funds. Is it $1 million or $1.5? That’s a ton of money raised, and the school looks pretty, pretty bad.

In the fall, PHN will take on our first interns. Owen Krepps leads the first crop.

Owen is covering the student revolt over the hockey program cancelation, including a petition to oust the RMU president that is gaining steam. Check out Owen’s work. 

It’s about time a school in Western/Central PA gave up the ghost of football and created an identity based on hockey.

PHN: One-timers from the wallet to the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup. The Penguins’ past, present, and future, from Jagr still playing, to the biggest issues that will plague the Penguins this season and why their issues will compete against each other. 

NHL News & National Hockey Now network

Florida: The Florida Panthers are looking pretty, pretty good. I love the UFA signing on Friday–Joe Thornton, who goes way back with Panthers GM Bill Zito, joined Florida on a one-year deal. Look out Tampa Bay, here comes Florida. 

Sportsnet/NY Post: Larry Brooks broke the news. The league has advised NHL players not to participate in Olympic qualifiers. 

Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman broke the news on Friday night. The NHL is requiring all club personnel who work within 12 feet of hockey operations to be vaccinated. 

Reason: Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett quickly dismissed a suit on Friday from eight students at Indiana University who challenged that school’s new vaccine mandate. 

And yes, I put the last two stories together for a distinct reason. PHN’s offer of a free subscription if you begin the vaccine process this weekend still stands. Just send me a pic of your vax card, and I’ll pay your subscription for a year out of my own pocket!

San Jose: The Sharks do not require vaccination proof to attend home games…for now. They will require fans to attest to vaccination or provide a negative test. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins have not yet announced anything similar

Back to hockey…

Vancouver: Ranking the Canucks busy offseason moves, from trades to UFA signings, Rob Simspon puts them on the scale. 

Vegas: The Golden Knights have Cup dreams but no cap space. They’ll need a couple of their offseason fliers, including former Flyers center Nolan Patrick to come through. 

Detroit: There won’t be any Red Wings Swedes on the Swedish Olympic roster?! But that doesn’t mean Team Sweden won’t be heavily influenced and guided by Red Wings influences. 

Boston: The Bruins added a couple of Boston guys to their coaching staff. What a hockey culture up there. Boston added a couple of good humans and good hockey people. 

NYI: WBS Penguins fans will be going to Bridgeport for 10 more years. The city agreed to a 10-year deal and to refurb the Bridgeport Islanders arena. 

Pro Hockey Rumors: The Seattle Kraken signed Cale Fleury and Carsen Twarynski and Cale Fleury to contracts. 

Ken Wiebe: The Winnipeg Jets and Evgeny Svechnikov….

Hearing there is mutual interest between #NHLJets and former @DetroitRedWings F Evgeny Svechnikov. @spinohockey was on this earlier today. Svechnikov, who turns 25 in October, was the 19th overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft and has 5 G, 12 P in 41 NHL games. He’s a RW, shoots L.

— Ken Wiebe (@WiebesWorld) August 13, 2021