NHLNotebook: Gold Medal games and the shootout, Datsyuk’s NHL return and hot dogs = sandwiches?

Could this be the end of these silly shootouts to decide international gold medal games? According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, investigations from IIHF Canadian and American officials are on going to determine some potential scenarios to berid of the the gold medal shootout. Conversations seem to be in the early stages. 

The 2017 World Juniors ended in controversy when the Americans took down the Canadian in a shootout. Many felt the game shouldn’t have ended the way it did given the incredibly high stakes at play. The game was one for the record books being one of the most exciting WJ final games in recent memory.

There are lots of ways that these types of games could be finished. The IIHF could play continual three-on-three, four-on-four or five-on-five and not turn a gold medal opportunity into the hands of a skills competition. 

Okay, not quite. Datsyuk of course left the NHL after last season to play with the KHL’s SKA Saint Petersburg where he has put up 24 points in 33 games. Over the course of his 15 year career with the Detroit Red Wings, Datsyuk put up 918 points over 953 NHL games effectively making him one of the best players in the last decade. 

It has been confirmed by his agent that Datsyuk will be back in North America to attend the 2017 NHL All-Star game. While it is unconfirmed why he will be there, it is believed that he will be there to be named as one of the NHL’s top 100 players. 

The NHL has begun naming the NHL’s top 100 players in history, and started by naming the first 33. It was setup so that the first 33 players played between 1917-1966. The remaining 67 players will be announced at the All-Star game, and will have played between 1967 and present day.

Hoooh boy, this one is good.

Ilya Bryzgalov is a character, everyone knows that. For a long time, he has been a great quote for NHL reporters, which is something that as a reporter I love. Bryz is back now and did a mailbag piece for the Players Tribune and answered the crucial question everyone wants to know:

Are hot dogs sandwiches?

Now, I for one firmly believe that hot dogs are sandwiches. A piece of meat between two slices of bread. Connected pieces of bread or not, hot dogs still remain sandwiches. 

Bryz and I may need to have a chat about this one.