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NHL Morning Skate: Stanley Cup Playoffs Edition – Sunday, June 13, 2021

NHL Editor
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NHL Morning Skate: Stanley Cup Playoffs Edition – Sunday, June 13, 2021

THREE HARD LAPS

* The Islanders and Lightning begin their playoff rematch tonight as the Stanley Cup Semifinals get underway. This time, they meet as two of the NHL’s top-three scoring teams in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
* Nikita Kucherov continues his journey towards joining elite company as he has the chance to lead all players in points for the second time in as many postseasons.

* Semyon Varlamov puts his three-game win streak on the line and looks to become the second Islanders goaltender to earn four straight victories during the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs.


LIGHTNING, ISLANDERS SET TO BATTLE AGAIN FOR STANLEY CUP FINAL BERTH

Game 1 of the 2021 Stanley Cup Semifinals goes today at AMALIE Arena when Steven Stamkos and the Lightning host Brock Nelson and the Islanders. Teams that take a 1-0 lead in a best-of-seven hold an all-time series record of 498-226 (.688), including an 8-4 (.666) mark in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Meanwhile, teams that take a 1-0 lead in the Conference Finals/Semifinals own an all-time series record of 127-55 (.698).

* These two teams last met in the 2020 Conference Finals in Edmonton, with the Lightning advancing in six games. Both teams are looking to give their home fans something special in this series – Tampa Bay would like to replicate the Stanley Cup run of 2020 so it can compete for another championship, but this time with fans in the stands. New York, meanwhile, is looking to relive the dynasty days and deliver another Cup run at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in the franchise’s final season playing in the building.

* Overall, the Lightning are 3-0 in three all-time postseason series against the Islanders (2020 CF, 2016 R2 & 2004 CQF) – they have twice gone on to capture the Stanley Cup after eliminating New York in a postseason series (2020 & 2004).
ISLANDERS, LIGHTNING BRING HIGH-SCORING HABITS TO SEMIFINALS

The Islanders (3.58 G/GP) and Lightning (3.45 G/GP) enter the Stanley Cup Semifinals as the second- and third-highest scoring teams in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with each benefiting from a six-goal outburst at some point during the Second Round. The only team at a higher percentage than the two clubs this postseason are the Avalanche (3.80 G/GP).

* Only four playoff years in Islanders history have witnessed the club produce at a higher rate, all of which occurred during its run of four consecutive championships: 1981 (5.39 G/GP), 1983 (4.70 G/GP), 1982 (4.47 G/GP) and 1980 (4.19 G/GP).

* New York, which scored six goals in its series-clinching win against Boston in Game 6 of the Second Round, reached the benchmark in a playoff contest for the first time since Game 4 of the 2013 Conference Quarterfinals (vs. PIT). Only one postseason in the last 30 years has featured the club tally at least six goals in a playoff game multiple times: 1993 (Game 4 & Game 6 of 1993 DF vs. PIT).

* Tampa Bay is currently producing at its highest goals-per-game rate in a single postseason in franchise history, averaging at least three goals per game in a playoff year for the third time joining 2011 (3.28 G/GP) and its Stanley Cup-winning campaign in 2020 (3.08 G/GP).

* The Lightning have scored six goals in a game twice during the 2021 postseason (Game 4 of R2 & Game 4 of R1). Only one playoff year in franchise history has featured the club achieve the feat more than two times: 2015 (3x).

POINT PRODUCERS WILL BE ON DISPLAY IN PLAYOFF REMATCH

Eleven players competing for the four teams in the Stanley Cup Semifinals have collected at least 10 points during the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with nine set to be featured during the Lightning–Islanders series.

* Nikita Kucherov (5-13—18 in 11 GP) enters the Semifinals leading all players in points after also doing so during the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs (7-27—34 in 25 GP). The Lightning forward can become the sixth different player in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68) to lead the League in points in consecutive postseasons, joining Wayne Gretzky (3x: 1983-85; 2x: 1987-88), Guy Lafleur (3x: 1977-79), Mario Lemieux (2x: 1991-92), Rick MacLeish (2x: 1974-75) and Phil Esposito (2x: 1969-70).

* Brayden Point (8-4—12 in 11 GP) scored the series-clinching goal in Game 5 of the Second Round and sits tied with Nathan MacKinnon (8-7—15 in 10 GP) and Brad Marchand (8-4—12 in 11 GP) for the most goals in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Should he find the back of the net in the series opener, Point can become the sixth different player to notch a four-game goal streak in the postseason for the Lightning; Ondrej Palat (5 GP) set the franchise record in 2020.

* Josh Bailey (5-6—11 in 2021), Brock Nelson (6-4—10 in 2021) and Travis Zajac (1-1—2 in 2021) have collected the most career points in the playoffs against the Lightning by an Islanders player, each posting five points. Nelson, who netted the series-clinching goal against the Bruins, has registered a team-best 22 playoff goals since making his postseason debut in 2013 (22-17—39 in 60 GP) – seven more than the next-closest New York skater over that span (Bailey: 15-33—48 in 64 GP).

RUSSIAN GOALTENDERS KEY TO SEMIFINALS APPEARANCES
Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tyumen, RUS) and Islanders netminder Semyon Varlamov (Samara, RUS) lead their teams into the final four of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second time in as many postseasons. Teammates on Team Russia during the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, Vasilevskiy and Varlamov have gone head-to-head in the playoffs six times (Vasilevskiy: 4-2, 1.63 GAA, .933 SV%; Varlamov: 2-3, 2.46 GAA, .921 SV%) and three times during the regular season (Vasilevskiy: 2-1, 2.02 GAA, .897 SV%; Varlamov: 1-2, 2.38 GAA, .918 SV%).

* Vasilevskiy, already the franchise leader in playoff games (69 GP) and playoff wins (41) by a Lightning goaltender, has collected two of his three career postseason shutouts in 2021 – two shutouts shy of Nikolai Khabibulin and Ben Bishop (both w/ 5) for the franchise mark. Four of Vasilevskiy’s 41 postseason victories have come against the Islanders and should the 2020-21 Vezina Trophy finalist backstop his club into the Stanley Cup Final, he would become just the third goaltender in NHL history to win eight career playoff games against the Islanders. Ken Dryden and Pete Peeters (both w/ 8) have accomplished the feat.

* Varlamov is set to put his three-game win streak on the line after teammate Ilya Sorokin recorded a stretch of four straight victories in the First Round. Should Varlamov extend his run to four contests, it would mark the third time in NHL history that a team has featured two different goaltenders post a personal win streak of four-plus contests in a single playoff year. The others: Boston in 1972 (Eddie Johnston: 6 GP & Gerry Cheevers: 4 GP) and Philadelphia in 1980 (Phil Myre: 5 GP & Pete Peeters: 5 GP).

Philadelphia Union Sign Defender Alvas Powell

MLS Editor
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Philadelphia Union Sign Defender Alvas Powell

26-year-old defender has nearly 50 caps for Jamaican National Team; 2015 MLS Cup champion

 

CHESTER, Pa. – Philadelphia Union announced today that they have signed defender Alvas Powell as a free agent to a one-year minimum senior contract. The Jamaican international joins the Concacaf Champions League semifinal-bound Union with almost eight years’ experience in Major League Soccer, including a MLS Cup winning season in 2015 with Portland Timbers.

 

Assets for Media Use: Photo of Alvas Powell

 

“We are excited to add Alvas to our defensive unit. He brings almost eight years of MLS experience to the club as well as the mentality and work ethic it takes to win a cup,” said Ernst Tanner, Philadelphia Union Sporting Director. “He has the physicality required to contribute to all phases of play and adds important depth to our backline.”

 

Powell, who holds a green card, came to Major League Soccer after spending time at Portmore United FC. He was loaned to Portland Timbers in 2013 and made a permanent transfer to the Timbers in 2015, the same year he played an integral part in the Timbers’ run to winning the MLS Cup. After spending three seasons with Portland, he went on to play at FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami CF. He last played at the Sudanese club Al-Hilal.

 

Internationally, Powell has been a stalwart on the Jamaican National Team, where he plays alongside Andre Blake and Cory Burke, and with whom he has earned 49 caps and scored two goals. His debut for the Reggae Boyz came in December of 2012 in the Caribbean Cup. He was also part of the championship-winning squad of the 2014 Caribbean Cup. Powell has played an important role in three of Jamaica’s Gold Cup runs, in 2015, 2017 and 2019, where he helped lead the team to two finals and one semi-final. Additionally, Powell has played in a number of World Cup qualifiers and international friendlies. In a 2019 Concacaf Nations League match, Powell scored a brace in 4-0 win over Guyana for his first international goals.

 

TRANSACTION: Philadelphia Union sign defender Alvas Powell on June 10, 2021.

 

Name: Alvas Powell

Position: Defender

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 165

Born: July 18, 1994

Hometown: St. Thomas, Jamaica

Birthplace: St. Thomas, Jamaica

Citizenship: Jamaica

 

Acquired: Philadelphia Union acquire defender Alvas Powell on June 10, 2021.

 

Previous Experience: Al-Hilal, Inter Miami CF, FC Cincinnati, Portland Timbers

Noyer To Enter NCAA Transfer Portal

NCAAFB Editor
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Noyer To Enter NCAA Transfer Portal

Quarterback led CU to 4-2 Record and Alamo Bowl berth in 2020

 

BOULDER — Quarterback-turned-safety-turned back to quarterback Sam Noyer informed the University of Colorado coaching staff Monday morning that he has decided to enter the NCAA’s transfer portal, thus ending the senior/graduate’s Buffalo football career.

 

Noyer was an original member of CU’s 2016 recruiting class and redshirted that fall.  He was a backup quarterback the next two seasons before deciding to switch sides of the ball for the 2019 campaign, when he saw action at safety and on special teams.  Graduating with a degree in Strategic Communication in December of that year, at the time he had entered the transfer portal until changing his mind and returning to play quarterback after discussions with CU’s new coaching staff.  He went on to earn the starting job.

 

“Sam came back when he didn’t have to after graduating over a year ago and helped the program greatly get back on the right track,” CU head coach Karl Dorrell said.  “As a veteran, he offered us some stability and depth at the position.  We all wish him well and while we’re sad to see him leave, the parting is certainly amicable.”

 

Noyer started all six games in CU’s 4-2 season, leading the Buffs to a 4-0 start and a No. 21 national ranking at one point in earning second-team All-Pac-12 Conference honors.  He completed 80-of-137 passes for 1,000 yards in the regular season, with six touchdowns and five interceptions.  He also was the team’s second leading rusher, gaining 191 yards on 45 attempts with five scores; minus quarterback sacks which the NCAA counts as rushing, he had 39 true rushing attempts for 222 yards, a healthy 5.7 yards per carry.  In the Alamo Bowl loss to Texas, he was 8-of-23 for 101 yards with an interception, with six true rushes for 26 yards.  He suffered a should injury late in the second game of the season at Stanford and it hampered him to a degree the remainder of the year.

 

“I’ve obviously enjoyed my time here at CU, and deciding to come back here was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” Noyer said.  “The season was everything I thought it would be and more.  But at the same time, I didn’t finish the season well, partly due to my shoulder injury.  So now I’m looking forward to a new opportunity and a fresh start, a place where they need a veteran quarterback who has the added experience of playing on both sides of the ball.

 

“It’s not that I felt that I was needed at CU, I just want a new opportunity, hopefully in Division I and even in the Pac-12 if possible, knowing that I can compete at a high level in a power 5 conference,” he continued.  “But I am willing to go wherever I can play that will help make me better and give me an opportunity to fulfill my dream to play in the NFL.”

 

Noyer’s departure still leaves Dorrell with five quarterbacks on the roster, three on scholarship: sophomore J.T. Shrout and freshmen Brendon Lewis and Drew Carter.  Two others are walk-ons with freshman eligibility, Grant Ciccarone and Jordan Woolverton.

 

Lewis is the only player with previous experience as a Buff, seeing his first action against Texas in the bowl game and he responded by completing 6-of-10 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown along with rushing nine times for 73 yards and a score.  Shrout transferred to CU from Tennessee, where he appeared in eight games (one start) over two seasons with the Volunteers, completing 37-of-69 passes for 494 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions.  Last fall, he saw action in four games, going 24-of-42 for 315 yards with four touchdowns and the three interceptions.

Hammond named CoSIDA Academic All-District

NCAAFB Editor
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Hammond named CoSIDA Academic All-District

RENO, Nev. – For the first time in his career, Nevada senior defensive end Sam Hammond has been named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District first team.

This is the first academic all-district honor for Nevada since Lucas Weber earned the distinction in the fall of 2019. There have been just seven total, including Hammond, to earn the honor from Nevada. He is one of 10 to receive the recognition from around the Mountain West.

Hammond, a former walk-on from Yerington, has been with the Wolf Pack since his true freshman season in 2016. During his time at Nevada he has earned a bachelor’s degree in finance and is currently pursuing a master’s in business administration with a perfect 4.0 GPA in graduate school.

During the 2020 season Hammond posted an all-conference caliber campaign as he earned All-Mountain West second team honors. He led the team, and was ninth in the Mountain West, with 7.5 tackles for loss, and was second the team in sacks with 4.0 in eight games this year. Overall, he recorded 32 tackles (fourth on the team) and broke up a pair of passes. With one year of eligibility remaining, Hammond has totaled 85 tackles, 11.5 of which have gone for a loss, and 6.5 sacks in his career.

This award recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. The CoSIDA Academic All-America program separately recognizes football honorees in four divisions – NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA. Academic All-District honorees advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team ballot, where first and second team All-America honorees will be selected in late June.

A-State Football’s Grupe Named CoSIDA First Team Academic All-District

NCAAFB Editor
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A-State Football’s Grupe Named CoSIDA First Team Academic All-District

JONESBORO, Ark. – Arkansas State kicker Blake Grupe was named Thursday to the 2020-21 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District 6 Football Team.

 

The honor recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.  Grupe earned a first-team place in District 6, which is comprised of programs located in Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

 

Grupe earned his bachelor’s degree from Arkansas State University in the spring of 2020 and is currently pursuing his master’s degree in business administration.  He is an A-State Athletics Director’s Honor Roll and Sun Belt Conference Academic Honor Roll member.

 

The Sedalia, Mo., native was a 2019 First Team All-Sun Belt Conference selection and is a two-time member of the Lou Groza Award Watch List, including his sophomore season when he was a semifinalist.

 

Grupe enters the 2021 season with 263 career points scored, ranking as the fourth most in school history among all players and the seventh most in Sun Belt history for points by kicking.  He also has 44 career field goals made to his credit, which stand as the third most ever by an A-State player.

 

The first A-State player to be named Academic All-District since former punter Luke Ferguson in 2015, Grupe now advances to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team ballot.  First, second and third-team All-America honorees will be selected later this month.

PokerStars to Launch Summer Online Tournament Series in Three States

Agate Editor
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PokerStars to Launch Summer Online Tournament Series in Three States

Over the next two weeks, PokerStars will hold a series of online poker events in Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, with more than $2.5 million in prizes to be awarded.

The Summer Stacks Festival starts Saturday, according to a release from the Flutter Entertainment outlet. The series features 100 events with buy-ins of $100 or less, with opportunities for players to get in the action for free. In addition to the lower-cost buy-ins, the PokerStars events will use “turbo formats,” where blinds increase at a much faster pace than in typical tournaments.

The festival marks the first time PokerStars has run a series across three states at the same time. The prize pool for Michigan and Pennsylvania is $1 million each, while New Jersey players will battle for a share of $500,000.

The series wraps up on June 27 with a two-day $100 Main Event in each state. The prize pool for the Michigan and Pennsylvania Main Events is $100,000 each, and New Jersey’s will be $50,000.

Small, But Growing Market for Online Poker
Online poker is currently legal in just six states. Besides Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, the others are Delaware, Nevada, and West Virginia.

In Michigan, PokerStars is one of two providers currently operating, with BetMGM being the other. PokerStars, which launched in late January, operates statewide through an agreement with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians.

In New Jersey, PokerStars is one of three licensed poker sites, with BetMGM and WSOP.com. Through April, the site has generated just slightly less $3 million in revenue for the year. In 2020, PokerStars, which operates as a partner with Resorts Casino, collected $12.6 million in rakes and fees.

PokerStars is the only online operator in Pennsylvania. Through the first 10 months of the 2020-21 fiscal year, the site has generated revenues of $25.7 million. The site operates as an online partner of the Mount Airy Casino Resort.

Is Wire Act Hindering Growth?
One of the challenges online poker faces in the US is that only Delaware, Nevada, and New Jersey currently participate in the shared liquidity network, which allows players from other states to play against each other. The shared liquidity agreement allowed the World Series of Poker to hold its online Main Event segments in New Jersey and Nevada.

Without that, players in Michigan and Pennsylvania can only play in games with other people currently in that state. While Michigan and Pennsylvania are larger markets, the lack of shared liquidity does depress the market.

There is a push to get other states in the shared liquidity network. But an obstacle to that is the Wire Act opinion case. That obstacle may be going away in the not-so-distant future.

In January, a federal appeals court ruled against a Wire Act opinion the Trump Administration-era Justice Department sought to establish. That opinion wanted to expand the scope of the 60-year-old federal law beyond sports betting.

A key deadline is fast approaching in the case. On March 15, the First Circuit Court of Appeals issued a mandate on its ruling quashing the appeal. According to federal law, a party in a case has 90 days to ask the Supreme Court for a review.

The deadline comes up next week.

If the Biden Administration chooses not to ask the Supreme Court for a review, it increases the chance that states will become more willing to join the shared liquidity network. That may also widen interest in online poker from other states as well.

NFL list of team-by-team completed transactions report for 6-11-21

NFL Editor
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NFL list of team-by-team completed transactions report for 6-11-21

The following are the NFL transactions for Friday, June 11.  This version includes waiver requests, assignments via waivers, terminations, free agent signings, reserve list and practice squad additions and deletions, and trades

WAIVER SYSTEM TRANSACTIONS
 

WAIVER REQUESTS (All are NO RECALL)

DALLAS
    Guidry, Stephen WR Mississippi State
         Injured
         Partially Guaranteed Contract

SAN FRANCISCO
    Skule, Justin T Vanderbilt
         Injured

SEATTLE
    Wiley, LaDarius DB Vanderbilt
 

CLAIMING DEADLINE: 4:00 p.m., N.Y. Time, Monday, 6/14/21
 

TERMINATIONS VIA WAIVER SYSTEM

GREEN BAY
    Rush, Anthony DT Alabama-Birmingham

LAS VEGAS
    Siverand, Kemah DB Oklahoma State
 

 
ACTIVE LIST ADDITIONS
 

FREE AGENT SIGNINGS

DALLAS
    Davis, Reggie WR Georgia

NEW YORK JETS
    Neasman, Sharrod DB Florida Atlantic

PHILADELPHIA
    Rodgers, Richard TE California

SAN FRANCISCO
    Kelemete, Senio G Washington
 

SELECTION LIST SIGNINGS

BALTIMORE
    Oweh, Odafe LB Penn State (1-31)*

DALLAS
    Odighizuwa, Osa DT UCLA (3-75)*

JACKSONVILLE
    Cisco, Andre DB Syracuse (3-65)*
 

*Round and Overall Selection Number in 2021 Draft.
 

RESERVE LIST ADDITIONS

NEW ORLEANS
    Brees, Drew QB Purdue
         Reserve/Retired

NEW YORK JETS
    Ferguson, Parker G Air Force
         Reserve/Injured; Does Not Count Against 90 Limit

NFL list of team-by-team completed transactions report for 6-10-21

NFL Editor
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NFL list of team-by-team completed transactions report for 6-10-21

The following are the NFL transactions for Thursday, June 10.  This version includes waiver requests, assignments via waivers, terminations, free agent signings, reserve list and practice squad additions and deletions, and trades.

WAIVER SYSTEM TRANSACTIONS
 

WAIVER REQUESTS (All are NO RECALL)

GREEN BAY
    Rush, Anthony DT Alabama-Birmingham

LAS VEGAS
    Siverand, Kemah DB Oklahoma State
 

CLAIMING DEADLINE: 4:00 p.m., N.Y. Time, Friday, 6/11/21
 

TERMINATIONS VIA WAIVER SYSTEM

GREEN BAY
    Weber, Mike RB Ohio State

HOUSTON
    Ejiofor, Duke LB Wake Forest

PHILADELPHIA
    Newman, Jamie QB Wake Forest
    Tate, Khalil WR Arizona
ACTIVE LIST ADDITIONS
 

FREE AGENT SIGNINGS

ATLANTA
    Holland, Jeff LB Auburn

BALTIMORE
    James, Ja’Wuan T Tennessee

GREEN BAY
    Dolegala, Jacob QB Central Connecticut State
 

SELECTION LIST SIGNINGS

DALLAS
    Joseph, Kelvin DB Kentucky (2-44)*
 

TENNESSEE
    Weaver, Rashad LB Pittsburgh (4-135)*
 

*Round and Overall Selection Number in 2021 Draft.
 

RESERVE LIST ADDITION

PHILADELPHIA
    Grimes, Trevon WR Florida
         Reserve/Injured from Waived/Injured; Does Not Count Against 90 Limit
 

FREE AGENCY SYSTEM TRANSACTION
 

SIGNING:  RESTRICTED FREE AGENT

KANSAS CITY
    Ward, Charvarius DB Middle Tennessee
         Asked to Re-Sign

NHL Morning Skate: Stanley Cup Playoffs Edition – Saturday June 12, 2021

NHL Editor
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NHL Morning Skate: Stanley Cup Playoffs Edition – Saturday June 12, 2021

THREE HARD LAPS

* We are one day away from the start of the 2021 Stanley Cup Semifinals, with the Islanders set to visit the Lightning in Game 1 on Sunday at AMALIE Arena. Game 1 of the series between the Canadiens and Golden Knights will take place on Monday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
* The Lightning, Islanders, Golden Knights and Canadiens all defeated higher seeds in the Second Round, marking the first time since 1992 that the round before the Stanley Cup Final has featured four teams that defeated a higher-seeded opponent in the prior series.

* Carolina’s Rod Brind’Amour, Minnesota’s Dean Evason and Florida’s Joel Quenneville were announced as the three finalists for the 2020‑21 Jack Adams Award. The NHL will begin revealing winners of the 2021 NHL Awards presented by Bridgestone on Monday, June 14.

ISLANDERS VISIT LIGHTNING IN GAME 1 ON SUNDAY

For the second consecutive season it will be the higher-seeded Lightning facing the Islanders with a berth in the Stanley Cup Final on the line – Tampa Bay won in six games in the 2020 Eastern Conference Final on their path to the franchise’s second Stanley Cup.

* The Lightning are a part of the final four for the seventh time in franchise history and fifth time in seven years (also 2004, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2018 & 2020), while the Islanders are among the final four for the 12th time in franchise history but just the third time since Tampa Bay entered the NHL in 1992-93 (1993 & 2020).

* Tampa Bay has reached the Stanley Cup Final three times (2004, 2015 & 2020), defeating Calgary in 2004 to claim their first championship and defeating Dallas to win their second in 2020. New York has not reached the Stanley Cup Final since it made five consecutive trips to the championship series from 1980-84, winning the Cup in each of the first four.

CANADIENS, GOLDEN KNIGHTS START IN LAS VEGAS ON MONDAY
The Canadiens, who held the lowest rank in the regular-season standings of any of the 16 playoff teams (18th), will travel to Las Vegas to face the Golden Knights, who are the top-seeded team among the four remaining clubs. It will pit two streaking teams head-to-head as Montreal enters on a seven-game win streak, the longest of any team in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs, while Vegas reeled off four consecutive victories to eliminate the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche.

 

* Vegas is among the final four teams for the third time in the franchise’s four-season existence (also 2018 and 2020) – one of three teams in NHL history who can make that claim along with the Rangers and Blues. Montreal, meanwhile, has advanced to the final four for the first time since 2014.

 

* The Golden Knights have reached the Stanley Cup Final once (2018), while the Canadiens are looking to make the franchise’s first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 1993, when they captured their NHL-record 23rd championship (since 1917-18). Montreal can become the first Canadian team to reach the Stanley Cup Final since Vancouver in 2011, while their Cup win in 1993 is the last by a Canadian franchise.

BRIND’AMOUR, EVASON, QUENNEVILLE NAMED JACK ADAMS FINALISTS

Rod Brind’Amour of the Hurricanes, Dean Evason of the Wild and Joel Quenneville of the Panthers were announced as the three finalists for the 2020-21 Jack Adams Award.

* Click here for the 2021 NHL Awards presented by Bridgestone Information Guide.

* Brind’Amour led Carolina (36-12-8, franchise-record .714 pts. pct.) to the Discover NHL Central Division title, the team’s first division crown since its Stanley Cup-winning season of 2005-06, and third place in the overall NHL standings.

 

* Evason guided the Wild to their best regular-season points percentage in franchise history (.670, 35-16-5) in his first full season as an NHL head coach, ranking third in the Honda NHL West Division behind Colorado and Vegas, the teams ranked 1-2 in the League’s overall standings.

 

* Quenneville directed a club that set franchise records for both highest points percentage (.705, 37-14-5) and most goals-per-game (3.36). In fact, the Panthers‘ two highest-scoring teams in franchise history (on a GF/GP basis) are the two teams in Quenneville’s reign to date.

Unbeaten Super Bantamweight Dervin Rodriguez has signed a promotional deal with Shapiro Sports & Entertainment

Fight Editor
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Unbeaten Super Bantamweight Dervin Rodriguez has signed a promotional deal with Shapiro Sports & Entertainment

Los Angeles, CA – Nicknamed “Banana”, Super Bantamweight Dervin Rodriguez is one of the most underrated and unheard-of prospects in boxing. That will change starting today, as the unbeaten hard hitting Venezuelan has inked a promotional contract with Shapiro Sports & Entertainment, the first step to making the 24-year-old a household name in the United States.

 

The powerful Rodriguez (7-0, 7 knockouts), who is from Venezuela, last fought on December 19th, 2019 knocking out veteran Colombian Argel Berrio in the second round in Barranquilla, Colombia.

 

“I’ve enjoyed fighting for the fans, in Venezuela and Colombia, but I’m ready to fight all the top names in the sport and since they’re fighting in the United States, I need to fight there too,” said Rodriguez. “Shapiro Sports & Entertainment has promised to help me get the big fights and I can’t wait to perform against the top 15 in the world.”

 

“Dervin is an extraordinarily gifted young fighter, who fits right into the mix at 122 pounds,” said Shapiro Sports & Entertainment President Shane Shapiro. “At 24 years of age, the best is yet to come and like all great fighters, Dervin wants to make his mark in America. Rodriguez is by far one of the best fighters to come out of the country since Jorge Linares and Jose Uzcategui. He carries the responsibility of showing how good he is, and opening the door for other up and coming prospects from Venezuela.”

 

A date and opponent for Rodriguez’s Shapiro Sports & Entertainment debut will be announced shortly.

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