Sep. 28—I’m going to be completely honest, after I spent a year out in Las Vegas covering the Vegas Golden Knights day in and day out, I am a little hockeyd-out. Maybe that’s why I’m finding myself watching football so much… (Fire Matt Canada).
But hockey is still the greatest sport on Earth and we’re only a month out from the start of the NHL regular season. With puck on my mind, here are five things I’m excited for this season.
Erik Karlsson
Even though I went down to the Lemieux Sports Center last weekend and saw Erik Karlsson in a Penguins jersey with my own eyes I still cannot believe this trade happened.
The Penguins added a future Hall of Fame defender to their roster for one last crack at the Stanley Cup with the current Sidney Crosby-led core. Kyle Dubas masterclass.
While I think the Pens Cup window closed back when I was in high school, it’s still going to be fun to watch Karlsson play this season and perhaps the rest of his career with the Penguins.
The dude scored 100 points last season as a defensemen and won a Norris. I’ll certainly go and watch him and Kris Letang on the powerplay together.
Jagr jersey retirement plz?
Another year means the potential for Jaromir Jagr to finally get his jersey rightfully retired by the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 51-year old living legend is still playing hockey in Czechia but I think it’s safe to say he will never play another NHL hockey game again (even though he could/should).
Jagr apparently doesn’t want his number retired until he is officially retired from the sport of hockey. But we all know that will never happen as the guy will play until he’s 100.
The Penguins, despite being one of the most successful franchises in the league, still have just two jersey numbers retired in their history: No. 21 for the late Michel Briere and of course No. 66 for Mario Lemieux.
Evgeni Malkin, Crosby and Letang all will get up there as soon as they retire, but Jagr needs to be up there yesterday.
Otters in the pros
As a native of the area I’m always keeping tabs on the current Otters alumni in the NHL.
With Connor McDavid setting the league ablaze with a 153-point four-trophy performance last season all the attention rightfully goes to him when talking about former Otters players in the NHL.
But I like to keep tabs on all of them from McDavid to the legend himself Greg McKegg (someone sign him).
Otters alumni Ryan O’Reilly and Alex DeBrincat are both switching over to new teams in the Nashville Predators and Detroit Reds Wings. So it will be interesting to see how they adjust.
Taylor Raddysh also had an impressive breakout year with the Chicago Blackhawks. Perhaps he can emerge even more with Connor Bedard as his teammate.
I’m also expecting a big bounce-back year from Jamie Drysdale, who actually got hurt in a game that I covered in Vegas, which limited his season to just eight games. This is all assuming he signs a contract soon.
The Otters themselves are always fun to go and watch but I must confess that I haven’t been to a game since I was in high school.
The post-Plunkett era
Sticking with local hockey, easily the biggest shift in Meadville Bulldogs hockey history will happen this season as we enter year one of the post-Jamie Plunkett era.
The longtime head coach that I can say that I had the pleasure of playing for has retired after 37 years of coaching and eight state titles.
Chief’s success will be impossible to replicate, but it will be very interesting to see how the program will move forward.
I’m sure there will be a game dedicated to chief this upcoming season and I’m already calling dibs on covering it. Sorry, Alex.
The return of RMU Hockey
Another game I’ll beat myself up for if I am not in attendance will be the return games for Robert Morris University men’s and women’s hockey.
As an alumni of RMU who worked extensively with the hockey teams in my four years there, it’s amazing to see the programs return after a two-year pause due to budgetary reasons.
The teams were cut my senior year and it’s been a long three years of fundraising and finger crossing but here we are.
The only Division 1 hockey teams in all of Pittsburgh are back. They never should have left, but that is aside the point now.
I’ll be at the return game, if I can manage to find some last-minute tickets, that is.
Owen Krepps can be reached at 814-724-6370 or at owenk@meadvilletribune.com.
