Welcome to another edition of Screen Shots, a regular THN.com feature in which we analyze a few topics in shorter bursts. Let’s get to it:
– The Edmonton Oilers announced a slew of new hires, most notably, the addition of former NHL star defenseman Duncan Keith, who’ll be serving in a player development role after playing his final NHL season with the Oilers last year.
As we’ve seen with other teams, these types of hires are a way to keep a former player at and around the rink despite ending their playing days. The Toronto Maple Leafs did something similar this past spring when they hired former NHL star Jason Spezza to be their special assistant to GM Kyle Dubas. You have a former on-ice asset that you appreciate for their commitment to winning and their desire to continue being a contributor in some manner of work.
The Oilers made clear Keith will work with their prospects at the major junior and AHL levels, and those two groups of players won’t be hurt by Keith’s input. You don’t win three Stanley Cups, two Olympic gold medals and a pair of Norris Trophies as the game’s best blueliner by accident. The 39-year-old used great skating skills, elite-level willpower and savvy positional play during his 17 NHL seasons, and it makes sense a team (especially his final NHL team) would want to retain him as a positive influence on their projected players of the future.
– The NHL’s Injury bug struck again this week, delivering a significant body blow to the Columbus Blue Jackets when star winger Patrik Laine was sidelined with a sprained elbow in Columbus’ first regular season game.
Laine, who had been on the Blue Jackets’ top line alongside star winger Johnny Gaudreau and center Boone Jenner, is estimated to be out of action for three to four weeks – not as bad as it could’ve been, but certainly a bummer, and a hurdle the organization will need to clear if it intends to be a playoff team this season.
The 24-year-old Laine is in the first season of a four-year, $34.8-million contract extension, and although he began his NHL career by appearing in all 82 regular-season games in his first two seasons, he hasn’t played that many games in a year since 2018-19.
Columbus needs him back as quickly as possible, as it doesn’t have the type of top-shelf depth that can fill a need as long as Laine is out of action. This is why the most valuable members of any NHL franchise now are the trainers – if someone can figure out a way to avoid injuries, they’ll be worth their weight in gold.
– This is a happy-ending story of a heart attack survivor in a Nova Scotia recreational hockey game, and the importance of both technology and training when it comes to saving lives.
In the incident, which took place at a Halifax rink, a 51-year-old man had to be resuscitated after collapsing on the ice during a game. His teammates, a few of who had received instruction in first aid, quickly tended to the man and used an automated external defibrillator (AED) to give him chest compressions until paramedics arrived some 25 minutes later.
The person who had training was as thankful for it as the injured man himself.
“If your employer offers the ability to take first aid (courses) and it’s paid for, do it,” the trained man, Ryan Graves, told CTV. “And if it isn’t (paid for), save a few bucks and do it. Because it could literally save someone’s life. It is an invaluable thing to do, and I think everyone should have the opportunity to take a first-aid course.”
As a former lifeguard and swim teacher, this writer can assure you it is worthwhile to undergo some type of basic medical treatment. Now that AEDs are in every hockey rink in Canada, you should always be aware of where they’re located and be prepared to take action if necessary.
The last thing you should want is to lose a friend/fellow hockey lover because you weren’t able to help them when they needed it most. First-aid courses, and AEDs, save lives, and paying attention to potential catastrophic injury situations will help give you peace of mind no matter what happens on a hockey rink.
