ARLINGTON, even better than being told he has made the team.,
adidas Ryan Nugent-Hopkins jersey, Va. (AP) -- It may be the best phrase a young NHL player can hear
Get a place.
Making the opening night roster is certainly an accomplishment, if not the entire season., though it can be fleeting. The time-honored tradition of a coach or general manager giving a player permission to check out of the hotel and find a place to live means he is sticking around for a long time
''When you're at the hotel for a couple months, 'When are they going to tell me?''' former player and current Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said not long after giving goaltender Scott Wedgewood the green light to get a place in Arizona. ''You're comfortable. You're not just in a hotel. It really helps you.'', you're always wondering
Some young players live with older teammates as a way to learn about the pro lifestyle. Even some who are called up from the minors or earn a roster spot out of training camp get a hotel room because nothing is certain.
at which point he can get a permanent place without seeking permission.,The collective bargaining agreement requires teams to pay for 28 days of a player's hotel stay that can be extended up to 56
as New York Islanders rookie Mathew Barzal found out.,There's value in getting that message from an organization well before the 28-day mark
''That kind of just made me comfortable, just knowing I have an opportunity to be here for a little while or they like what I've been doing so far,'' said Barzal, who has 14 points in his first 17 games of the season. ''That's just a confidence thing. That's just nice having that kind of stress off,
Authentic Jordan Eberle jersey, just another thing you can check off the list.''
During his 15 seasons as coach of the Nashville Predators and Washington Capitals, it's not always an easy call.,
adidas Connor McDavid jersey, Barry Trotz has gotten to tell plenty of players to get a place. Because of the CBA rules and how tenuous a player's grip on a job is
''In the past I've had it where we went the distance, we went the 28 days and then we have to make a decision,
adidas Aaron Ekblad jersey,'' Trotz said. ''Other times you knew that a player was going to be on your team and he had to be on your team and you said,' right or wrong. ... Usually I check with management on that just because I don't want to be paying their rent.'', go get a place,
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Islanders coach Doug Weight called it ''a great reward.'',After telling Barzal he can find a place to live
''It means a lot: obviously that we have a confidence that he's an NHL player,'' Weight said. ''The more confident, the more comfortable you are within the room, the better you're going to play.'', within the coaching staff, within the system
Capitals veteran Brooks Orpik remembers his own experience in 2003-04 when he and several other Pittsburgh Penguins rookies played the waiting game.
''I think we had like eight guys in the hotel until like Thanksgiving, so we weren't going to dare complain. We were just happy to be there.'','' Orpik said. ''I think there were like eight of us that were rookies
but he knows nothing is truly permanent.,Barzal is happy about his status
''Anything can really happen, I've still got to prove myself every day.'','' Barzal said. ''I'm a young guy. I've got to prove myself every night. Whether I have the housing letter or not
ROLLING RANGERS
Not long ago, the New York Rangers couldn't put the puck in the net, Henrik Lundqvist couldn't keep it out and many wondered if coach Alain Vigneault was in danger of losing his job. Now they've won six in a row, the longest streak in the league this season.
''I think we've played some pretty good hockey here for quite some time, very hard-working.'',
adidas Jordan Eberle jersey,'' Vigneault said. ''We're working on our game. We're working on putting a complete game on the ice. There's no doubt this group is very resilient
the Rangers are now on the edge of playoff position.,
Authentic Aaron Ekblad jersey,Tied for last in the Eastern Conference on the morning of Oct. 31
''It's important that we realize that we are happy with a six-game winning streak,
Authentic Ryan Nugent-Hopkins jersey,'' Lundqvist said. ''We had to do this to get back in the race. I think now we just need to push ourselves.'',
Authentic Connor McDavid jersey, but we're still not in a great spot
OILING UP
The Edmonton Oilers had 97 reasons - OK, New York and Washington.,
adidas Vincent Trocheck jersey, maybe just a big one in No. 97 Connor McDavid - to think they'd be legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. They lost nine of their first 13 games but see signs of progress after picking up five of a possible eight points on their road trip through New Jersey
''We were down in a lot of these games by one goal and we never folded our hand, and it needs to continue.'','' defenseman Darnell Nurse said. ''We showed that we can defend against some really good offensive teams
GAME OF THE WEEK
Two teams with Cup-winning pedigrees off to less-than-ideal starts meet Saturday night when the Chicago Blackhawks visit the Penguins.
LEADERS (THROUGH MONDAY)
16; Assists: Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay),Goals: Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay), 23; Points: Stamkos, 13; Goals-against average: Martin Jones (San Jose), 2.13; Save percentage: Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles), 31; Wins: Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay), .933.
