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crow-the-unknown · 4 months

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alright. haven't done one of these in a while. here's my top players in each area. (not just this season, but CONSISTENTLY the best in said area)

goal scoring: auston matthews. this one really shouldn't be hard to answer i mean, come on.

points: connor mcdavid, but some others i think are close depending on the season. good point getting is going to come from his play no matter what though.

well-roundedness: nathan mackinnon; he's an excellent passer, scorer, play maker. just all around such a top tier player. both physical and speedy. he is THE blend

defense: cale makar. another obvious one lol. he's just generational. you can't stop him.

goaltending: i'm going to go with andrei vasilevskiy still. just consistent and reliable from what i've seen. he gets the praise for a reason. many goalies are very close though. it's hard to really weigh this one because of how much tending fluctuates year to year

speed: connor mcdavid/nathan mackinnon. both are incredibly quick and actually have a lot closer numbers on average and for their top speed than a lot of people know. their play style is very different but both deserve to be known as the fastest guys out there.

pest behavior: now i'm not talking rat behavior. i'm talking about the ability to propel your team to glory by absolutely irking the opponent. so i'm going to go with matthew tkachuk mostly because he's a better player and pest combo than marchand is. marchand is more rat, matthew has higher playing level.

playoff performance: i'd love to put crosby here, but right now it's wire thin between nathan mackinnon and leon draisaitl. as far as pure scoring and points in the playoffs, it goes to leon. when it comes to the ability to drag a team to a win? i give that part to nate. i always talk about both of them together when mentioning this topic though, so i suppose it's a tie

passing: now THIS one goes purely to leon draisaitl. don't get me wrong there's guys that are close, but holy fuck ain't no one out there passing the way he is. he's excellent at it.

shot (speed/hardness): elias pettersson no comment it's insane argument over

shot (deadliness): david pastrnak, probably :]

defensive forward: patrice bergeron... probably aleksander barkov now, from what i've seen. i'm not very educated on this topic but he seems to trend into this category when talked about often.

defensive defenseman: i'd say devon toews, my favorite underrated king. sorry if this pisses some fans of defenseman off but he doesn't get the credit he deserves. he's very good defensively.

offensive defenseman: either erik karlsson or cale makar. they're always putting up good numbers. it's hard with the regression in ek's season but in his prime? idk. i'd probably still give this one to cale though.

offensive forward: connor mcdavid. shocker lol

skating: there's so many but this also trends in cale's direction for me. i don't think i've genuinely ever seen better edges. maybe datsyuk? either way lmk if there's better skaters out there but.. i'm picking cale again apologies apologies

best player: controversial but this one is a very tight race between mcdavid and mackinnon. again lol. it just depends what you're looking for. they're so much closer than people think but it's hard when their styles are so different. i say mcdavid still for this one, but nate deserves his spot at that "number two" because it's sooooo close. they're both incredible

bonus silly ones now :)

bitchiness: leon draisaitl

hair (not flow, just general amount of hair) : mika zibanejad

shit at media: everyone. congratulations you all get blue ribbons of participation!! you.. you tried!!

goober levels: mitch marner

inseparability: sidney crosby and evgeni malkin and kris letang

weirdness in goalie terms: marc-andre fleury but also all of them

honorable mention picks...

best veteran: we all know. it's sidney fucking crosby and don't even get me STARTED on him anyway

best captain: gabriel landeskog. truthfully but also i'm biased hence why it's here not mixed in with alllllll the others lol

hope you enjoyed my mania

*honorable mention players include mikko rantanen, quinn and jack hughes, adam fox, roman josi, more goalies than i can mention, ovechkin for goal scoring, andrei svechnikov, and so many more because guess what! this league is insane! i could talk about the talent of them all for hours! seasonally or consistently. i love raving about them all. it's very hard to just choose A guy for each category. not enough people see how close many players are to each other in skill levels in my opinion, but then again this is just for fun lol. feel free to debate me i don't mind

#colorado avalanche #nathan mackinnon #cale makar #pittsburgh penguins #sidney crosby #edmonton oilers #connor mcdavid #leon draisaitl #auston matthews #matthew tkachuk #elias pettersson #david pastrnak #andrei vasilevskiy #devon toews #erik karlsson #gabriel landeskog #aleksander barkov #nhl #hockey

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mico-evelyn2 · 15 days

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F1 Drivers and their NHL team

Got bored so we’re adding my two fav things together (this is completely subjective)

FERRARI— Charles Leclerc

Montréal Canadiens (Les Canadiens de Montréal)

Reasoning: Being a Montréal Canadiens brings lots of pressure to perform and has a very large and intense fan base—like the Tifosi's. Furthermore Montréal players have nicknames from their fan base related to God (eg. Jesus Price). And Charles nickname from fans is "il Predestinato" (translation: The Predestined).

FERRARI— Carlos Sainz

Toronto Maple Leafs

Reasoning: He's a Ferrari driver, a team with a big market, like the Maple Leafs. And being on either team also brings a high amount of pressure.

WILLIAMS— Alex Albon

Buffalo Sabres

Reasoning: He's a good driver on a not so good team and people are screaming for him to be on a good team. Like how Buffalo isn't the best team and people want players (eg. Dahlin, Lukkonen) on better teams. (I just slanders both my F1 & NHL teams, forgive me)

WILLIAMS— Logan Sargeant

Florida Panthers

He's a Panthers fan, he even has an Aleksander Barkov and reverse retro jersey.

MCLAREN— Oscar Piastri

Chicago Blackhawks

Reasoning: Him and Connor Bedard are the same person

MCLAREN— Lando Norris

New Jersey Devils

Reasoning: Vibes (also his fans remind me of Jack Hughes fans)

MERCEDES— Lewis Hamilton

Pittsburgh Penguins

Reasoning: Sidney Crosby

MERCEDES�� George Russell

Minnesota Wild

Reasoning: Good then bad, but with good player. Like how George is a good driver on an under delivering team.

RED BULL— Max Verstappen

Boston Bruins

Reasoning: vibes

RED BULL— Sergio Pérez

Carolina Hurricanes

Reasoning: How bored are you getting me of saying vibes?

RB— Yuki Tsunoda

San Jose Sharks

Reasoning: WE WILL BE GLORIOUS ONE DAY!!!! (and also vibes)

RB— Daniel Ricciardo

Dallas Stars

Reasoning: Texas loves Daniel and Daniel loves Texas

ALPINE— Pierre Gasly

Ottawa Senators (Sénateurs d'Ottawa)

Reasoning: vibes (Also they're not that successful after glimpse of success)

ALPINE— Esteban Ocon

Detroit Red Wings

Reasoning: i put the leftover teams into a spin wheel and hoped for the best (I feel like i should mention Ocon was the last person i did because i genuinely can't think of a team for him, sorry ocon fans)

ALFA ROMEO— Valtteri Bottas

Calgary Flames

Reasoning: Has success but was never quite good enough (this is from the flames 2000s records)

ALFA ROMEO— Zhou Guanyu

Los Angeles Kings

Reasoning: the vibes match

HAAS— Nico Hülkenberg

Washington Capitals

Reasoning: Can be good but can't quite get there in the end. AKA, Hülkenberg is a good driver but can't get a podium and Washington's 23-24 season was weird, they just got into the playoffs after a mid season, then got swept in the first round.

HAAS— Kevin Magnussen

New York Islanders

Reasoning: idk other than (say it with me) vibes

ASTON MARTIN— Fernando Alonso

New York Rangers

Reasoning: I actually have no reasoning, other than vibes

ASTON MARTIN— Lance Stroll

Winnipeg Jets

Reasoning: He's is barely noticeable until he does something (usually dumb) to put him in the spotlight (sorry jets fans). Also i wanted to put him on a Canadian team. (I know Lance is a habs fan but I tried not to overlap teams)

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hearteyesmcgarrett · 5 months

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🐺 ⚔️ ❄️ 🐀 for the hockey asks!

🐺 Build a NHL starting line up (3F, 2D, 1G) based on a really weird criteria for comedic effect (e.g. guys with names that sound like Dylan).

it will only consist of captains. they must compete for Ultimate Captain

Sidney Crosby, Gabriel Landeskog, Aleksander Barkov (specifically bc he is the only other person i know of who spells his name that way, and i think he followed me on twitter once upon a time)

Jared Spurgeon, Roman Josi

goalies can't be captains (boo!) but Flower has the correct energy for this team

⚔️ What is goaltender interference? (Wrong answers only).

answered this previously: when you try to give a goalie a hug but some guy shoves you out of the way and makes you sad

❄️ What is your most and least favorite thing about winter?

i love snow!! i hate when its negative a thousand and i have to go outside

🐀 What is the funniest thing you’ve ever heard a hockey player say?

Duhaime saying "For him to do this at 50, it’s special.” about Flower the other day was so fucking funny, esp with Kaprisov saying "“I don't feel like he's 39 years old, he looks 18"

honorable mention for the ever classic "its only game, why you have to be mad?" from Ilya Bryzgalov

#thank you!!!#ask game

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ao3feed-hockey · 1 year

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Heart Wide Open

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/NFIg7qR

by theangrymom

Leon had booked a red eye from Edmonton to Sunrise before the second period was over.

Words: 1288, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Men's Hockey RPF

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Matthew Tkachuk, Leon Draisaitl

Relationships: Leon Draisaitl/Matthew Tkachuk

Additional Tags: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Hurt/Comfort, Aleksander Barkov (mentioned) - Freeform, Brady Tkachuck (mentioned)

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/NFIg7qR

#IFTTT #ao3feed #fanfic #hockey rpf

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hibernating-heart · 2 years

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video masterpost!

(holy shit i've managed to do quite many without even noticing)

SUBTITLES

DALLAS STARS

what do the dallas' finns think of each other?

roope at wet show: part 1 / part 2 / part 3 / part 4 / part 5 / mentioning sebastian aho

miro for viaplay

miro and esa explaining why roope is difficult to subtitle

roope for viaplay*

roope for total NHL Forever - podcast* (no video)

miro heiskanen interview for a magazine after first wc 22 game

roope hintz, esa lindell and miro heiskanen for nhlwam season 8

jani hakanpää dad jokes

CAROLINA HURRICANES

teuvo at nhl without a map (season 8 episode 22)

sebastian for viaplay about charity golf tournament

sebastian for viaplay about off-season 2021

sebastian's 2015 winning goal + interview for kärpät at finnish league championships

teuvo & sebastian being besties 1

teuvo & sebastian being besties 2

teuvo for nhl without a map (season 9 episode 9)

sebastian at red bull läpimurto

sebastian for wet show (no video)

teuvo for urheilucast + rod story (no video)

sebastian & teuvo articles from 2016 (the housewife interview) and 2018

antti raanta for nhlwam season 9

jesperi kotkaniemi for viaplay

sebastian for urheilucast (short clip)

teuvo for nhlwam season 10*

sebastian for nhlwam season 10 episode 17 and episode 18 + my question*

jesperi kotkaniemi for nhlwam season 10 briefly in episode 17 and episode 19

antti raanta for nhlwam season 10

sebastian aho, first day in nhl interview (from media day 2021)

sebastian aho for nhlwam summer camp 2019

sebastian on his friendship with teuvo

teuvo roasting rookie sebastian for not picking up the pucks after practice

antti raanta being a professional dad for 2.20 minutes

sebastian aho x frequently asked questions

sebastian aho for nhlwam season 9

sebastian aho about sidney crosby in wet show

OTHER TEAMS

pekka rinne for viaplay

juuse saros x frequenty asked questions

juuse saris for nhlwam summer camp 2021

kasperi kapanen for nhlwam season 10

MULTIPLE (nhl finns cinematic universe)

roope hintz & sebastian aho bestie moments compilation

sebastian aho & jesse puljujärvi for neste

sebastian aho, aleksander barkov & patrik laine for yle

summer camp vol 2 compilation: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 and part 5 (focus on sebastian aho & teuvo teräväinen but also includes pekka rinne, tuukka rask, joonas donskoi, aleksander barkov & valtteri filppula)

introduction to the world of finnish nhl instagram

zoom call with the finns (including roope hintz, miro heiskanen, aleksander barkov & mikko rantanen)

nhl finns tell about their ”welcome to nhl” moments

teuvo teräväinen and valtteri filppula compilation*

EDITS

sebastian aho & justin williams being an iconic duo

teuvo & sebastian being besties part 1 and part 2

teuvo & sebastian chaotic moments part 1 and part 2

teuvo & sebastian crack part 1 (congratulating wjc winners), part 2 (the sandwitch edit)

FANCAMS

(i've cross posted them on multiple platforms, so some links take you to tiktok, some to twitter and some to tumblr posts)

sebastian aho x black swan I sebastian aho x say so I sebastian aho x tummat silmät, ruskea tukka I sebastian aho x yo dije OUFF I teuvo teräväinen x levitating I roope hintz x how you like that I roope hintz x send my love (to your new lover) I roope hintz x kalenterist tilaa | roope x hair

sebastian & dougie hamilton pre-game appreciation I teuvo & sebastian appreciation I favorite nhl finns I sebastian & justin williams ("intro" to the youtube video) I sebastian & necas appreciation I

OTHER

european carolina hurricanes speaking in their native languages

canes as their zodiac signs part 1 and part 2

my accounts: @/hibernating-heart on tumblr, @/sebihinet on twitter, @/teubastian on tiktok.

if you have a request don't hesitate to ask!

#long post #subbed #i'll update the rest asap!#navigation

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csykora · 3 years

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if/when you have time, would you consider doing a gown for barkov? i know you mentioned him when i asked for hubey, and he seems to like. have the type of personality that a lot of ur faves seem to have, so i think it could be interesting!!

His name is Aleksander--that’s one fave point already--and he looks like Brett Connolly but without the sarcasm. He looks like every guy I’ve met in a rural gas station buying a Snickers and fueling up his four wheeler. He looks like he would warn me about bad road conditions ahead when he didn’t even have to.

aka I think you are correct

Aleksander Barkov

The red jersey works for him. I couldn’t find an exact match I liked, but I loved this similarly saturated rosy-red gown by Madame Grès. In thick silk taffeta, it has a circle skirt and a bodice that from the front has big bold butterfly-wing shoulders.

From the back, you realize the top’s actually a doughnut-shaped bib thing with a plunging hem and a bow at the small of the back, because what I understand about the Panthers is that they keep you on your toes.

#tysonjost #gowns are for everyone

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kikiskeysgame · 3 years

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Although the Blackhawks were able to obtain a 1-0 lead early on the 2nd period, things started falling apart for them after that and the end result was a 4-2 loss against the Florida Panthers.

Both teams remained scoreless during the first period, but early on in the 2nd period, Brandon Hagel scored his 2nd goal of the season (assisted by Dominik Kubalik and David Kampf), giving the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead.

However, the lead goal didn't last for long as Aleksander Barkov, Carter Verhaeghe and Frank Vatrano each scored goals to give the Panthers a 3-1 lead.

In the 3rd period, Aleksander Barkov scored his second goal of the night to extend the Panthers' lead to four goals.

Despite Adam Boqvist scoring his second goal of the season (assisted by Duncan Keith and Patrick Kane) late in the period, the Blackhawks ultimately lost against the Panthers for the third time this season.

While I was impressed with the way the Blackhawks played during the 1st period, I wasn't thrilled with how they played for the rest of the night. One of my keys to tonight's game was not taking the Panthers lightly and I don't think they quite got the message about that.

As I have mentioned numerous times before in my past keys to the game, when the Blackhawks have the lead goal, they need to maintain it because if you're not careful with it, the other team will take it away along with the momentum (which is exactly what happened tonight). Once the Panthers broke the tie in the 2nd period, the Blackhawks' momentum went right out the window.

It was forewarned before the month of March began that it was going to be a brutal month for the Blackhawks as they face teams like the Panthers and the Lightning, but that doesn't mean the Hawks have to be brutal in their games.

They need to work hard, stay on their "A" game and play three whole periods of hockey; as Adam Boqvist said in his post-game interview: "Against a good team, you have to play 60 minutes. You can't have any dips or downs."

Speaking of Adam Boqvist, I thought that he was quite active and productive tonight, especially during the 1st period when he prevented the Panthers from scoring the first goal of the game.

I know I've mentioned this a couple of times before in my post-game reviews, but Boqvist has really been playing well lately in his last couple of games and he was definitely noticable tonight.

While the Blackhawks did a good job with their penalty kill, they didn't do very well when it came to the power play despite having four chances throughout the game.

As I've also mentioned in my past keys to the game, when the Blackhawks have a chance on the power play, they need to try to take advantage of it instead of squandering it.

After tonight's game, the Blackhawks and Panthers will face each other again on Monday night. I hope that the Hawks are able to regroup, refocus and get themselves back on track again if they want to continue to play well during their road trip.

Until then, go Blackhawks!

#chicago blackhawks #florida panthers #post game review #adam boqvist #brandon hagel #dominik kubalik #david kampf #duncan keith #patrick kane

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precioustk · 4 years

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my 107 hockey players who I'm in love with

This idea came from the previous post that I reblogged from @zuucc. I want to count how many players there is.

List begins. These are in no particular order.

Spoiler alert: I was able to name 107 players who I am in fact love with. Didn’t expect it at all.

I’m trying to sort this a little bit with the teams they are playing for (and hope that I’ll remember every single one better that way.

Andrei Svechnikov

Josh Anderson

Pierre-Luc Dubois

Nico Hischier

Mathew Barzal

Anthony Beauvillier

Anders Lee

Matt Martin (I think it’s only fair to mention that I’m also in love with his wife Sydney)

Nicolas Aube-Kubel

Joel Farabee

Travis Konecny

Nolan Patrick

Carter Hart

TJ Oshie

Jake DeBrusk

Urho Vaakanainen

Jeff Skinner

Rasmus Ristolainen

Henri Jokiharju

Valtteri Filppula

Dylan Larkin

Aleksander Barkov

Aleksi Saarela

Jesperi Kotkaniemi

Artturi Lehkonen

Nikita Zaitsev

Andrei Vasilevskiy

Zach Hyman

Mitch Marner

William Nylander

Tyson Barrie

Travis Dermott

Olli Määttä

Adam Boqvist

Jonathan Toews

Andrew Shaw

Brandon Saad

Kevin Lankinen

Andre Burakovsky

Tyson Jost

Mikko Rantanen

Nathan MacKinnon

Gabe Landeskog

JT Compher

Ryan Graves

Erik Johnson

Cale Makar

Nikita Zadorov

Jamie Benn

Tyler Seguin

Roope Hintz

Miro Heiskanen

John Klingberg

Jamie Olesiak

Jake Oettinger

Kevin Fiala

Ryan Hartman

Matt Dumba

Eeli Tolvanen

Roman Josi

Sammy Blais

Ryan O’Reilly

Vladimir Tarasenko

Robert Thomas

Jordan Kyrou

Colton Parayko

Adam Lowry

Jakob Chychrun

Vince Dunn

Elias Lindholm

Sean Monahan

Matthew Tkachuk

Noah Hanifin

Leon Draisaitl

Kailer Yamamoto

Adrian Kempe

Brent Burns

Jake Virtanen

Brock Boeser

Quinn Hughes

Elias Pettersson

Olli Juolevi

Jacob Markström

William Karlsson

JT Brown

Artemi Panarin

Mika Zibanejad

Julien Gauthier

Brendan Lemieux

Oh well, there's only 89. NHL players, let’s see what we got when we add all of my awkward Finnish hockey crushes

90. Mikael Granlund (I literally had his poster on my wall when I was 11. Finland won gold and literally every girl in Finland had #64 on their cheeks the next day)

91. Sebastian Aho (I know his girlfriend a bit too well to simp over him but I also have few pictures with him from the time I was 16 and didn’t know her)

92. I have now cancelled both Kasperi Kapanen and Jesse Puljujärvi but I’ve been a big simp so it makes this 93.

4 players from my favorite Liiga team Ilves

94. Lukas Dostal

95. Eemeli Suomi

96. Ville Meskanen

97. Arttu Ruotsalainen

And then I can literally add 10 guys who play in smaller leagues that I simp for, but they shall not be named here.

So yes, I could name 107 hockey guys I love 😆 didn’t expect it tbh

#my bullshit #literally used one hour of my life for this

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ratatatastic · 15 days

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im sorry BABY BARKY

florida panthers @ boston bruins game 6

postgame interview | 5.17.24 (x)

#matthew tkachuk #mention: anton lundell #mention: aleksander barkov #florida panthers #2324 #playoffs 24 #“baby barky huh?”#baby barky is gonna haunt me #new kid just dropped #its lundy #jordan [MH] i cannot fucking believe you called lundy baby barky in front of matthew #baby barky... how will i ever recover from this

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kmarli · 5 years

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hi, i've been charmed by the panthers from afar. who are your favorite players / how do i get to know the team?

Oh my gosh welcome welcome, feel free to visit us down here in sunrise to be charmed in person - weather is great, tickets are cheap, and our publix subs are world famous.

The moment you become a fan of the Florida Panthers you are automatically enrolled in the Aleksander Barkov fan club which includes complimentary hearteyes and a bonus Vincent Trocheck who is our fan club founder and president.

For additional faves you have plenty to choose from:

Our resident goalie: Bobby Lu aka Luuuuuuu aka Dad aka Oh Ok He Got Jokes aka Death before Retirement

Our no. 1 or occasionally no. 3 Dman: Aaron “Not So Secretly A Model and 40 year old DILF with a 401K” Ekblad

Mr. Sooooonk himself, our PP QB: Keith (Keif) Yandle: his beard is thick, his Boston accent - thicker

Jonathan “Resident French Canadian” Huberdeau, he of the sick handlebar mustache and sicker moves - his love of Barky is only matched by Barky’s love for him

Honorable mention goes to Frank the Tank Vatrano - our newest and Saltiest Boy from Boston

and Evgenii “everyone calls him Daddy” Dadonov [like this is for real for real, the team, our coach, the announcers refer to him as Daddy, there are people with Daddy and his number on their jersey - no one bats an eye)

If you want to learn more about our team give these fine folks a follow:

@captainbarkov

@sincerest-apologies

@hockeyswamp

@ploridafanthers

@fla-pants-stuff

@a-mess-in-space

@hubydubydoo

@ptphockey

If you’re on twitter, you can follow our beat guys too:

@JamesonCoop

@GeorgeRichards

Hope this is some fun and useful info as to why you too should join our small but passionate fanbase

#anon ask #florida panthers #my boooooys #aleksander barkov #Roberto Luongo #aaron ekblad #Keith Yandle #Jonathan Huberdeau #frank vatrano #evgenii dadonov #just the whole team is full of lovable babes

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your-dietician · 3 years

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What will ESPN’s coverage of the NHL look like next season?

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/nhl/what-will-espns-coverage-of-the-nhl-look-like-next-season/

What will ESPN’s coverage of the NHL look like next season?

The network’s coverage starts with the July 21 Seattle expansion draft, hosted by Chris Fowler on ESPN2. John Buccigross will host the NHL Draft two days later. Those shows will be produced by NHL Network.

When Gross spoke over the phone this past week, ESPN (which reportedly paid $410 million a year for seven years of NHL rights) and Turner ($225 million a year over the same period) still hadn’t divvied the games. The NHL had yet to release its 2021-22 schedule. Its puck- and player-tracking data has not seen the light of day.

“One thing we’re trying to get our arms around is what analytics teams and coaches use to showcase in our game coverage, our studio coverage,” Gross said. “Camera positions is another thing we’re looking at, talking to the league to see how we can showcase and document the games.”

Strategy and speed are the buzzwords Gross hears in his daily conversations with NHL people. Capturing both, while serving hard-core fans, hooking viewers from the massive pool of casual sports viewers who don’t give hockey much thought, attracting diverse genders and backgrounds . . . all are among Gross’s concerns.

“There has to be a level of entertainment without it being forced,” he said. “There’s really nothing worse on TV than forced fun. We have to find our spots, when we get [Chris] Chelios and [Mark] Messier together, who have a relationship. We’ll mix and match with other folks.”

Chelios and Messier, along with Steve Levy, will likely work the major events. “We know how that works,” Gross said. Hearing the two Hall of Famers, owners of some sharp elbows, chime in on player safety decisions should be interesting.

While he may not be hockey’s answer to Charles Barkley, Chelios does seem like a straight shooter. In a phone call, he acknowledged he wasn’t looking for a gig when he reached out to ESPN after the announcement. He was calling as a dad, hoping that his daughter, Lightning TV reporter Caley Chelios, was on the network’s radar.

“I like to think I’ll call it like it is,” said Chelios, 59, “Even though it’s a little different than when I played, hockey’s hockey.”

Messier, Chelios, Hilary Knight, Ray Ferraro, Brian Boucher, and Cassie Campbell-Pascall were among the first names Gross mentioned when speaking about his roster, but a lineup has yet to be solidified. He noted that women will be featured prominently in on-air roles.

The list of local connections is long, from Boucher (Woonsocket, R.I.), A.J. Mleczko (Nantucket/Harvard), former Red Sox play-by-play man Sean McDonough (Boston), Buccigross (who has Boston roots), Rick DiPietro (Winthrop/Boston University), ex-Boston College Eagles Blake Bolden and Bob Wischusen, and Emily Kaplan, a former Globie.

Gross said another fan favorite from the past, play-by-play announcer Gary Thorne, remains an option. He spoke with the agent for Thorne, 73, this past week.

“We’re not done yet,” Gross said. “We want to see what the schedule looks like, and what other decisions we have to make. We still have time.”

What’s the game-changing idea that will separate ESPN? It won’t be glow pucks and robots (fun as they were for younger fans in the ’90s). What’s hockey’s version of the K-Zone?

“Some people thought the first-and-10 line would be too intrusive,” Gross mused. “Now you can’t really watch a game without it.”

AWARD SEASON

One voter’s ballot in depth

Connor McDavid became the first unanimous MVP since Wayne Gretzky in 1982, collecting all 100 first-place votes for the Hart Memorial Trophy.DARRYL DYCK/Associated Press

I consider it a privilege to vote on year-end NHL awards as part of my duties with the Professional Hockey Writers Association. I’m not alone. My peers and I want to get it right.

When it came to this season’s MVP, I believe we did.

Connor McDavid earned all 100 first-place votes for the Hart Trophy, becoming the second unanimous MVP ever (Wayne Gretzky, 1982). McDavid’s 105 points in 56 games goes down as one of the most dominant seasons in league history. He was playing at a different speed than everyone else.

In the voting bloc — trimmed from about 175 to 100 members, and dispersed regionally to address imbalances created by the divisional-only schedule — we saw some refreshingly progressive thinking, and as always, some strange calls. One Edmonton writer voted McDavid’s teammate, Leon Draisaitl, second for the Selke. Draisaitl made strides this season, but it would be generous to call him an above-average defensive forward, much less elite.

In this space last year, I delved into my methodology, which blends in-person viewings, video study, and number-crunching. Obviously this season, I relied more on the latter two. I was among the few beat writers who traveled all season, but I only watched the East Division up close.

My ballot, and some quick takes:

Hart Trophy — 1. McDavid; 2. Auston Matthews; 3. Nathan MacKinnon; 4. Aleksander Barkov; 5. Brad Marchand.

Relatively easy calls. McDavid was incredible, and the other four were the driving forces on good teams. Marchand was ranked as high as No. 2 on six ballots.

Norris Trophy — 1. Adam Fox; 2. Cale Makar; 3. Charlie McAvoy; 4. Dougie Hamilton; 5. MacKenzie Weegar.

A youth movement, and an ECAC/Hockey East top three. Makar (UMass) missed 12 games, or 21 percent of the season, leaving the door open for Fox (Harvard), who was the Rangers’ MVP in his second season. McAvoy (BU) might be the best five-on-five defender in the game. Weegar opened eyes after Aaron Ekblad’s injury. Eleven blue liners earned top-three votes. Victor Hedman was down-ballot for me, after an injury-plagued regular season. Don’t ask me why someone gave Kris Letang a first-place vote. Fun fact: Fox is the first player of Jewish descent to win a major NHL award.

Calder Trophy — 1. Kirill Kaprizov; 2. Jason Robertson; 3. Alex Nedeljkovic; 4. Josh Norris; 5. Igor Shesterkin.

Kaprizov (27 goals and 51 points in 55 games) was a slam dunk, though Robertson had a brief midseason run that made it interesting.

Lady Byng Trophy — 1. Jaccob Slavin; 2. Jared Spurgeon; 3. Barkov; 4. Roope Hintz; 5. Johnny Gaudreau.

I’ve said before that writers should not vote for this. Referees should. Slavin, an elite defender playing heavy minutes, committed one penalty all season (for shooting the puck over the glass). Good enough for me.

Selke Trophy — 1. Barkov; 2. Patrice Bergeron; 3. Joel Eriksson Ek; 4. Phillip Danault; 5. Joe Pavelski.

Barkov had a strong MVP case, but his 200-foot excellence was properly recognized here. Bergeron is still Bergeron. Could see Danault, after his lockdown playoffs, be front of mind for a lot of voters next season.

The PWHA does not vote on the Vezina Trophy (the general managers selected Marc-Andre Fleury), but we do pick the year-end All-Star teams. My goalies, in order, were Andrei Vasilevskiy, Fleury, and Juuse Saros. We also pick All-Rookie teams. I had Kaprizov, Robertson, and Norris as my forwards, Ty Smith and K’Andre Miller as my defensemen, and Nedeljkovic in goal.

ETC.

League will not rush to judgment

Commissioner Gary Bettman said the league is waiting for an independent review of the Blackhawks alleged cover-up of sexual abuse before proceeding.Karl B DeBlaker/Associated Press

The alleged cover-up of sexual assault by the Blackhawks was the leading topic in Gary Bettman’s annual pre-Stanley Cup Final news conference this past week. Rightfully so.

Bettman said the league learned of the allegations “relatively recently” and will wait for an independent review.

According to a lawsuit filed in May, a former Blackhawks player alleges he and another player were assaulted by then-video coach Brad Aldrich during the team’s 2010 championship run. The team’s leadership, which included current GM Stan Bowman, were allegedly informed of the incident by then-skills coach Paul Vincent, whom the players had told.

Aldrich later worked at a high school in Michigan, where he was convicted of sexual assault involving a student. He is now on Michigan’s sex offender registry.

Multiple ex-Blackhawks, including Nick Boynton, Daniel Carcillo (then with the Flyers), and Brent Sopel, spoke out this past week. One unnamed player told The Athletic that “every guy on the team knew.” Captain Jonathan Toews took issue with that, telling that outlet he didn’t hear about the allegations until the end of that summer. He said he couldn’t say for sure if the team “mishandled” the situation.

Bettman, a former lawyer, pumped the brakes. “Let us see what the investigation reveals, and then we can figure out what comes next,” he said. “I think everyone is jumping too far, too fast. This is going to be handled appropriately and professionally, and done right.”

Let’s hope so.

Beijing Olympics not a given

Commissioner Gary Bettman said the NHL has concerns over the feasibility of sending players to the Olympics next winter.Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

Later in his Q&A, Bettman shared the league’s “real concerns” over whether it was “sensible” to have a two-week shutdown for the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

Wait, what?

After sitting out 2018 — and watching interest in Olympic hockey wane — the NHL and NHLPA last summer collectively bargained to participate in the 2022 and 2026 Winter Olympics, pending further agreement with both parties, the IIHF, and IOC. But there is no plan yet.

COVID-19 variants remain a worry, and NBC isn’t likely to lobby on the NHL’s inclusion following the expiration of the TV deal. The NHL hopes to release its 2021-22 schedule shortly after the Cup Final.

“Time is running very short,” Bettman said, which came as disappointing news to Tampa Bay’s Victor Hedman.

“The Olympics is one of the biggest dreams of mine and I haven’t been able to participate in one. This might be the last chance I get. That sucks to hear,” said Hedman, who was left off Team Sweden in 2014. “When you get an opportunity to represent your country on the biggest stage, it’s one of those things that you’ll probably never forget. For me, it’s obviously something I’ve been dreaming about my whole life and something I want to do before I hang up my skates.”

Pride working on title defense

The Boston Pride, two-time Isobel Cup winners, are preparing a title defense for 2021-22.Mary Schwalm/Associated Press

The NWHL’s Boston Pride are deep into an Isobel Cup summer, hauling the trophy from New England lake houses to the Grand Canyon.

As he preps for a title defense, coach Paul Mara is playing his cards close. After a few defections, he’s using his newfound salary-cap space — the league doubled the ceiling to $300,000 — to bring in some outside help.

“Working on a few things,” he said.

The NWHL is feeling momentum entering its seventh season. An influx of sponsorship dollars, visibility from its Isobel Cup playoffs broadcast on NBCSN, and a lot of player raises have elevated the mood.

Since last month, the four franchises under league control — the Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, Metropolitan Riveters, and Minnesota Whitecaps — were sold to private owners, making it a league of six independent clubs. Expansion is on the horizon, with Montreal a primary target.

Also notable: This past week’s draft, which was streamed on Twitch, included appearances from a range of pro sports personalities, including NHL league and team executives, and USA Hockey reps. The NWHL hasn’t always had such vocal support.

For all the growth, players aren’t yet earning a living wage. Contracts are yearly. Outside opportunities create a talent drain.

The Pride lost president Hayley Moore to the AHL (vice president of hockey operations), replacing her with 1998 US Olympian Colleen Coyne. They are searching for a GM, after Karilyn Pilch this past week signed on with the Chicago Blackhawks’ scouting and player development department.

They also need a few good forwards. Mary Parker, Carlee Turner, and Lexie Laing departed for job and school reasons. Czech standout Tereza Vanisova signed with Leksands IF in Sweden, which will better help her participate in a demanding Olympic training schedule.

League MVP Jillian Dempsey, recovered from shoulder surgery, returns with All-Star linemates McKenna Brand and Christina Putigna, the No. 1 defense pair of Kaleigh Fratkin (two-time NWHL Defender of the Year) and Mallory Souliotis, and netminders Lovisa Selander and Victoria Hanson. That crew, plus whomever Mara can lure to town, should keep the Pride near the top of the standings.

Unlike last season, when the Pride got a boost from No. 1 overall pick Sammy Davis (BU) and six drafted rookies, the draft won’t have a major impact. Because they lost their 2021 first- and second-round picks when they traded up to select Davis, and dealt their third-rounder to Buffalo for future considerations, the Pride picked in the fourth and fifth rounds (Weston’s Finley Frechette and Beverly’s Abby Nearis, both forwards).

The NWHL’s player pool was thinned after the NCAA granted players an extra year of eligibility, leading many of the top draft-eligible players to return to school. Because of that, Boston isn’t the only team that believes next year’s draft will be loaded.

Loose pucks

Bruce Cassidy (left) has been promoting from within, with assistant coach Jay Pandolfo (center) leaving for Boston University.Winslow Townson/Associated Press

The Bruins have promoted from within of late, calling up coaches from Providence and the player development ranks. It makes sense that fourth-year P-Bruins coach Jay Leach would replace Jay Pandolfo on Bruce Cassidy’s staff, but player development staffers Chris Kelly and Jamie Langenbrunner will also get a look. Like Pandolfo, they were two-way forwards with long NHL résumés . . . As for Pandolfo, the move to BU gives him a shorter path to a head coaching gig. Albie O’Connell, who is entering the final year of his deal, has had a spotty run . . . Bruins strength and conditioning assistant Kenny Whittier also made the move to BU . . . A few first-timers joined NHL benches this past week, including two ex-players, Alex Tanguay (Detroit assistant) and Tuomo Ruutu (Florida assistant), and André Tourigny (Arizona coach). The latter move was particularly interesting, for a league that often recycles head coaches . . . Toews, after a year out of the spotlight with a mysterious illness, is back on the ice. He posted a video message to fans after a practice, saying doctors told him he has “chronic immune response syndrome,” a catch-all term for constant, debilitating stress reactions. Still dealing with a few symptoms, the Blackhawks’ captain believes the condition was brought on by a nasty bout with COVID-19 in February 2020, before the pandemic hit in full; the toll of 13 NHL seasons; and the year-round hockey training schedule he’s followed since he was a young teenager. “I think there’s a lot of things that just piled up,” he said, “where my body just fell apart.” He hopes to return in October . . . Edmonton trimmed Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’s $6 million cap hit, but took a beating on term, when it locked up the No. 2 center to an eight-year, $41 million deal with a full no-move clause. He will be 36 when it expires. “No contract is perfect,” GM Ken Holland acknowledged . . . Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon’s take on game jersey ads, which are coming to the NHL sooner rather than later: “If we look like Formula One or NASCAR, that’d be fine with me.” . . . Glad to see college athletes everywhere get a chance to make some cash off their name and image, following the Supreme Court’s hammering of the paternalistic NCAA. A small step, long overdue.

Matt Porter can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @mattyports.

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ramajmedia · 5 years

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The Top 50 Players In NHL 20 Unveiled By EA | Screen Rant

The NHL 20 player ratings are out, and as always, the top 50 players will surely cause a lot of dissension in the ranks of hockey fans eager to debate their veracity ahead of the game's launch. EA's NHL series has pretty much been the de facto hockey game experience for years now, and little has changed ahead of the next instalment in the series apart from the way rosters have shifted and a new, talented generation of players has risen up to challenge the established greats from prior years.

The player rating debate extends beyond just NHL 20, though. Fans discussing player ratings is a time honored tradition in basically every sports franchise, ranging from something as obvious as NBA 2K20 to more niche games like the WWE games from the same publisher. Obviously, the practice is very much a subjective one - it's much more difficult to balance the attributes and skillsets of human beings than it is, say, an amorphous pink blob's strength relative to a giant spiky turtle that has a penchant for kidnapping princesses. Super Smash Bros. balancing might be hard, but sports game developers have it just as difficult when it comes to getting everything as close to accurate as possible.

Related: The Office's Jim & Pam May Finally Split... Over The NHL Finals

And still, fans will look at the newly released NHL 20 player ratings and immediately point out all the flaws they think are present within the game's top 50. Has anyone ever mentioned that video game development is difficult? There are some interesting choices on the list, though, and NHL games have historically done a decent job of predicting real-life outcomes of seasons, so it's worth paying attention to the way the game breaks down talent. One of the most crucial omissions from the top 10 list is the Toronto Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews, who just so happens to be NHL 20's cover athlete. Here's EA's list, broken down from number 50 to number 1.

50. Dylan Larkin - 88 overall

49. Frederik Andersen - 88 overall

48. P.K. Subban - 88 overall

47. Sebastian Aho - 88 overall

46. Jonathan Huberdeau - 88 overall

45. Morgan Rielly - 88 overall

44. Jack Eichel - 88 overall

43. Phil Kessel - 88 overall

42. Jonathan Toews - 88 overall

41. Brayden Point - 89 overall

40. Alex Pietrangelo - 89 overall

39. John Carlson - 89 overall

38. Braden Holtby - 89 overall

37. Mitchell Marner - 89 overall

36. Artemi Panarin - 89 overall

35. Leon Draisaitl - 89 overall

34. Blake Wheeler - 89 overall

33. Mark Scheifele - 89 overall

32. Claude Giroux - 89 overall

31. Mark Giordano - 89 overall

30. Anze Kopitar - 89 overall

29. Ryan O'Reilly - 89 overall

28. Vladimir Tarasenko - 89 overall

27. Taylor Hall - 89 overall

26. Tyler Seguin - 89 overall

25. David Pastrnak - 90 overall

24. Brent Burns - 90 overall

23. Sergei Bobrovsky - 90 overall

22. Tuuka Rask - 90 overall

21. Erik Karlsson - 90 overall

20. Johnny Gaudreau - 90 overall

19. Mikko Rantanen - 90 overall

18. John Tavares - 90 overall

17. Brad Marchand - 90 overall

16. John Gibson - 90 overall

15. Auston Matthews - 90 overall

14. Aleksander Barkov - 90 overall

13. Patrice Bergeron - 90 overall

12. Steven Stamkos - 90 overall

11. Evgeni Malkov - 90 overall

10. Carey Price - 91 overall

9. Andrei Vasilevskiy - 91 overall

8. Drew Doughty - 91 overall

7. Victor Hedman - 91 overall

6. Patrick Kane - 91 overall

5. Nathan Mackinnon - 92 overall

4. Alex Ovechkin - 92 overall

3. Nikita Kucherov - 92 overall

2. Sidney Crosby - 93 overall

1. Connor McDavid - 94 overall

What did fans learn? Apparently, Connor McDavid is in a class of his own, as the Edmonton Oilers superstar takes home the top rating ahead of the perennial favorite Sidney Crosby, who may have lost a step over a long career. Some other interesting notes include the fact that the Tampa Bay Lightning have three players in the top 10, and no other team has two; Leafs fans can rejoice in the fact they have five players in the top 50, which evens out with the Lightning's five and surpasses long-time rivals Boston's four; and Canada's own Vancouver Canucks and Ottawa Senators take home the unlucky joint-designation of being the only Canadian teams to not feature into the top 50 player discussion.

Of course NHL 20 player rankings are only the subjective decisions of the game developers and some seasonal data from the past year's competition, but it's a fun debate that gives birth to interesting statistics like those listed above. Does this mean the Tampa Bay Lightning will win the Stanley Cup this year? They've certainly got a strong case for it - but fans know how well that worked out last year, when NHL 19 even predicted that the team would take home the trophy. Leafs fans laughing at that prediction might want to rope in that joy, too - NHL 18 famously predicted a Leafs Cup win and the team managed to disappoint just as much as Tampa Bay did in the year following.

Next: Fortnite Teams Up With NFL As NHL Team Bans Game

Source: EA

source https://screenrant.com/top-50-players-nhl-20-mcdavid-crosby-kucherov/

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fiveonfir3 · 5 years

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Four Thoughts: Turnpike Divided

1. The Rangers hiring of John Davidson could probably take up an entire Four Thoughts column on its own, so this point will be slightly watered down. Hiring JD as far as the rebuild is concerned is significant and that’s probably an understatement. The Rangers are JD’s third team in which he has started at the bottom of a rebuild and has left the last two franchises in much better shape than he left them in. David Backes and Alex Pietrangelo had nothing but glowing things to say about his time in St. Louis and his contributions both on and off the ice. JD only left St. Louis because of a new ownership group coming in and felt like his contract with the team was a “burden on the club” as JD put it back in 2012. JD did a fantastic job dealing with the post Rick Nash era coming out of the 2012 lockout with the Blue Jackets and shaped the team to the playoffs in 4 of the last 6 seasons after just one appearance in 13 seasons before that. As far as the present is concerned, I’m curious to see if there’s any change to draft philosophy and how NYR attack the July 1 UFA class moving forward. As the rebuild continues, drafting for value remains a critical part towards NYR playing meaningful spring hockey again.

2. I wanted to expand further on a tweet I made on May 11th, asking whether NYR fans were getting more nervous about the Devils possibly taking Kakko first over Hughes in the draft. It’s been well known that Jack Hughes was going to go first overall for the last several years. In the same way that Connor McDavid was, Sidney Crosby was, John Tavares was, etc. Time will tell if Jack Hughes becomes that kind of elite center but to automatically assume that Hughes going first as a stone cold lock, with the way Kakko is playing right now is a bit of a stretch. Draft boards across the league have yet to be completely written in stone, so you can bet there will be some teams that have Kakko ahead of Hughes when the smoke finally clears. For example, it’s a poorly kept secret that the Rangers had Elias Pettersson ranked first on their draft board and actively tried to move up for him during the 2017 draft while other teams were debating Hischier vs. Patrick. So anything is possible.

3. I’ve been partial to Kakko over Hughes not because of his skating ability and edgework. Or his play in the corners behind the net, or his ability to protect the puck. But his ability to make his teammates better, while playing in a mens league in Finland, is something that only comes naturally to a select few. The game length footage I’ve watched of Kakko at the WJC tournament and now at Worlds only confirms that. This is not meant to knock Hughes, who has played on a loaded USNTDP roster which could potentially have 5 players drafted in the top 15 next month. But again, what Kakko has done over this last season, breaking Aleksander Barkov’s goals record for a U-18 player, isn’t something I can easily push aside. I’m looking forward to the Hughes vs. Kakko debate for years to come. As a side note, circling back around to Hughes’ teammates at the USNTDP, I’ve been doing a little researching to see who could be available at 20th overall. If NYR had the chance to take Cole Caufield, who has put up record breaking offensive totals, I don’t know how you could pass him up. Elsewhere, another player I’m keeping an eye on is Raphael Lavoie, who plays for Halifax in the QMJHL. I’ll be watching him in the Memorial Cup tournament. Defensively, I’m giving a long look to Philip Broberg, a left handed defenseman from Sweden. There will be plenty to choose from at 20th overall if the Rangers keep the pick.

4. I had mentioned in my last Four Thoughts piece about NYR potentially offer sheeting a player, suggesting Marner or Laine as part of this years RFA crop. Elliotte Friedman mentioned on his 31 Thoughts podcast released on 5/16, that he believes if NYR attempt to sign anyone, it’s Brayden Point in Tampa Bay. As mentioned above, JD does come into play here. Adding Point would be interesting because of the logjam that’s still very prevalent up the middle from last season. It might make more sense to work out a trade for Point, rather than the four first picks that it’s going to require sending to Tampa if they don’t match an offer sheet. I have my own personal reservations about Point and giving him that kind of money might not be worth it for the Rangers in the long term, but that’ll be a bridge we’ll cross later if we get to it.

4a. Prediction review again. I have not had a good spring with this.

(CAR in 6) BOS in 4- So there’s no one out there that had the Bruins sweeping this series, but if Tuukka Rask isn’t playing the best hockey of his career right now... wow. Poor Carolina didn’t have much of a chance. The magic ran out at the wrong time. Mrazek’s injury didn’t help either.

(SJ in 7) STL in 6- Yes, the Sharks skated by with some incredible puck luck in the first two rounds, but if the Sharks really want to take the next step with what they have there, they really need a goalie that can do it because Martin Jones isn’t that guy. Jordan Binnington is quite literally the calmest, most relaxed goalie I have ever seen. I think that kind of idiosyncrasy has actually spread to the rest of the team. And because of it, the hand pass that led to Erik Karlsson’s goal in Game 3, which could’ve easily derailed them, didn’t get the Blues down. In fact, that was the last game they’ve lost.

SCF Prediction- This series is going to be so incredibly tight, it’s hard to find where one team has a distinct advantage. Boston might have more skill up front, but both are incredibly deep and extremely good on the blue line. Leaving my anti-Boston bias aside, I still like the Blues in 7. We’ve seen what happens this postseason when teams get too much rest, and I don’t think it’ll be much different here either. Only this time, the team that swept the prior round won’t get swept in the next round.

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