Sean McIndoe

After Olympic gold, where does Connor Hellebuyck rank among history’s best goalies? Is he already bound for the Hall of Fame? Will he finish in the upper echelon among greats? The truly elite? Mount Rushmore? Even higher?

New post: After winning Olympic gold with a legendary performance, where does Connor Hellebuyck rank now among history's greatest goalies?

I went back-and-forth with @jessegranger.bsky.social to try to figure it out.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/707...

After Olympic gold, where does Connor Hellebuyck rank among history’s best goalies? Is he already bound for the Hall of Fame? Will he finish in the upper echelon among greats? The truly elite? Mount Rushmore? Even higher?

New post: After winning Olympic gold with a legendary performance, where does Connor Hellebuyck rank now among history's greatest goalies?

I went back-and-forth with @jessegranger.bsky.social to try to figure it out.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/707...

This kind of deep pull is why you're the best.

Looks like it's time for Canada's favorite game show, "Will this embarrassing loss to the Panthers be enough to convince the Leafs to do literally anything?"

Coach the Dragonslayer reciting the same "ultimate measure of a man" quote that Auston Matthews has tattooed on himself is the best Survivor/Toronto sports crossover since that one guy was revealed to be a Leaf fan and immediately got bitten by a snake and almost died.

The votes are in for the 3-2-1-0 reader poll, and the results are... a bloodbath.

Should the NHL learn from the Olympics and switch to a 3-2-1-0 standings format? The 3-2-1-0 argument isn't new, but the Olympics showed how it can work. Let's talk about the arguments for why it wouldn't in the NHL.

New post: Should the NHL learn a lesson from the Olympics and switch to a 3-2-1-0 standings format?

Read the post, then take the poll.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/706...

OK, but have you considered: Staying the course because change is hard?

YouTube video by The Athletic Hockey Show Connor Hellebuyck to receive highest US civilian honor | Full Episode

TAHS Wednesday pod, video edition:

- Olympics reactions
- Frank names his olympic Dudes
- Team USA visits Washington
- Connor Hellebuyck wins again
- Auston Matthews has an interesting week
- And lots more…

youtu.be/-SjGxDOmuyo

No kidding.

Damn. Senators too.

Should the NHL learn from the Olympics and switch to a 3-2-1-0 standings format? The 3-2-1-0 argument isn't new, but the Olympics showed how it can work. Let's talk about the arguments for why it wouldn't in the NHL.

New post: Should the NHL learn a lesson from the Olympics and switch to a 3-2-1-0 standings format?

Read the post, then take the poll.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/706...

Twenty members of U.S. men's Olympic hockey team to attend State of the Union, 5 to miss

NEWS: Twenty of the 25 members of the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team plan to attend the State of the Union, according to USA Hockey.

Kyle Connor, Jake Guentzel, Jackson LaCombe, Brock Nelson, Jake Oettinger are the five who aren't going.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/706...

A history of the Selanne Trophy, a fake award for best combined NHL/Olympics year Today, we’re unveiling a new fake trophy for the best combination of NHL and Olympic performance in the same season.

New post: A brief history of the Selanne Trophy, a fake award for best combined NHL/Olympics year.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/706...

Seems low.

These days, yes. But it's a lesser one than missing games to hang around.

Fans would have eaten it up with a spoon, especially after he finally proved he was a "winner" by getting gold.

It's right there. Easiest tap-in of his life. Will he take it?

Huh. Sorry about that. Sounds like I was kind of a dick, my apologies.

You'd think.

We did?

Don't seek out her statement from today.

Well there you go...

They will literally never get an easier one.

Just say the team that pays you millions is more important than a party. MAGA folks are all about respecting the sancitity of high-level sports, or so I'm told.

(In related news, the absolute dumbest people you follow are already preparing their "Canadian fans are mad they lost and are turning on their American players for now reason!" take. Feel free to point and laugh at those people.)

Again, I guess I'm naive, but I can't believe these guys don't have someone around them smart enough to say "Take the incredibly easy way out and just say your NHL team needs you".

It's not even a politcal or a moral thing, it's just basic PR.

Nobody should reasonably expect Auston Matthews or anyone else to make some big political statement as part of not going to the White House/SOTU.

But if you do go, and (especially) if you miss crucial NHL games to do so, Canadian fans will react. That's not unreasonable or unfair. Be ready for it.

not sure how the "it's not politics" crowd is going to square having hockey players attend the "cheer the politicians i like and boo the ones i don't" gala. should be an interesting and memorable evening!

(You can take me off the thread about how to steal my work, thanks.)

A history of the Selanne Trophy, a fake award for best combined NHL/Olympics year Today, we’re unveiling a new fake trophy for the best combination of NHL and Olympic performance in the same season.

New post: A brief history of the Selanne Trophy, a fake award for best combined NHL/Olympics year.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/706...