Boston Bruins

The NHL suspended Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand for three games for slew-footing Vancouver Canucks defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson in Boston's 3-2 win Sunday.

The league's Department of Player Safety said Marchand's "use of both his upper and lower body to take Ekman-Larsson to the ice in a dangerous fashion" meant his infraction was worthy of a suspension.

He will have to forfeit $91,875 from his 2021-22 salary because of the punishment.

The NHL also noted Marchand has previously been suspended six times, including once for slew-footing then-New York Rangers forward Derick Brassard in 2015.

It's possible Marchand's history and reputation impacted his punishment.

New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban only drew a fine for slew-footing Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras. San Jose Sharks forward Kevin Labanc, meanwhile, got a one-game ban for the same infraction.

Coincidentally, Marchand will be eligible to return on Dec. 8, when the Bruins play the Canucks in Vancouver. He's unlikely to receive a warm reception from the Rogers Arena crowd.

Through 18 appearances, Marchand leads the Bruins in goals (nine) and assists (15). Even though he won't be out for long, Boston is likely to feel his absence this week.

The Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers will honor late NHL forward Colby Cave prior to their game in Boston on Thursday night.

According to ESPN's Kristen Shilton, the Bruins will play a video tribute to Cave before the game, and his wife Emily will take part in the ceremonial puck drop.

Cave played for both the Bruins and Oilers before his death in April 2020 at the age of 25 as a result of a brain bleed.

After falling ill on April 6, 2020, Cave was airlifted from Barrie, Ontario, to a hospital in Toronto. It was there that a colloid cyst was discovered on his brain.

Cave underwent emergency surgery and was in a coma for four days before his death on April 11, 2020.

Prior to Thursday's game, Oilers head coach Dave Tippett said of Cave: "He's in your mind all the time. He was a fine young man that we lost too early."

Cave went undrafted despite a standout junior career for the WHL's Swift Current Broncos, but he managed to break into the NHL with the Bruins during the 2017-18 season.

He appeared in 23 games over parts of two seasons in Boston, recording one goal and four assists. Edmonton then claimed him off waivers during the 2018-19 season.

Cave spent parts of two seasons with the Oilers, registering three goals and one assist in 44 games.

All told, Cave appeared in 67 NHL regular-season games and accounted for four goals, five assists and 22 penalty minutes.

Cave was an AHL standout with the Providence Bruins and Bakersfield Condors as well, putting up 54 goals and 84 assists for 138 points in 283 games.

Boston Bruins winger Taylor Hall said hockey culture, which he described as an "old boys' club," must change based on the details released from the investigation into sexual abuse allegations made by former Chicago Blackhawks forward Kyle Beach against then-Blackhawks video coach Brad Aldrich in 2010.

Hall discussed the situation in his press conference after Thursday night's game against the Carolina Hurricanes:

Beach, who was previously only known as John Doe in court documents filed as part of a lawsuit against the Blackhawks, revealed Wednesday he was the player who accused Aldrich of sexual abuse during the team's 2010 playoff run in an interview with TSN's Rick Westhead.

I've been a survivor, I am a survivor. And I know I'm not alone. I know I'm not the only one, male or female. And I buried this for 10 years, 11 years. And it's destroyed me from the inside out. And I want everybody to know in the sports world and in the world that you're not alone. That if these things happen to you, you need to speak up. Because there are support systems.

The report found that Blackhawks did little to address Beach's allegations, including failing to notify the police. Aldrich departed the organization in the offseason and went on to volunteer with a high school hockey team. In 2014, he was sentenced to nine months in jail for sexually assaulting a student at the school.

Beach has received an outpouring of support from the hockey community since coming forward, including several current players applauding him for his courage.

"I'm shocked and it's a terrible thing that has happened," Rangers winger Mika Zibanejad said. "I really feel for him and the victims. It takes a lot of courage to come out and tell his story. Just a terrible situation that shouldn't happen."

Sharks center Logan Couture added: "It's pretty devastating to hear the details and what he went through. I feel for him, and hopefully this will let him heal. And obviously it's not a situation that anyone wants to deal with—especially in this game. Hopefully something like this never happens again."

He's also received support from outside hockey. Former Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman, who was among the victims of sexual assault by former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, posted a message to Beach on social media:

Meanwhile, those involved in the decision to allow Aldrich to remain with the Blackhawks for the remainder of the 2010 playoffs, which culminated with the team winning the Stanley Cup, have faced the fallout of the report's damning details.

Chicago president of hockey operations Stan Bowman and senior director of hockey administration Al MacIsaac, the last two front-office executives still with the team from 2010, departed the organization. Joel Quenneville, the team's coach in 2010, resigned from his role as the Florida Panthers' head coach.

In addition, Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz requested Aldrich's name be removed from the Stanley Cup on Friday.

The Boston Bruins and defenseman Charlie McAvoy reached an agreement Friday on an eight-year, $76 million contract extension.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic first reported the deal, which features a $9.5 million average annual value (AAV) and includes $26.5 million in signing bonuses.

McAvoy has established himself as one of the NHL's best two-way defensemen since making his debut for the Bruins during the 2017-18 campaign. The 2016 first-round pick tallied 122 points (24 goals and 98 assists) across 235 appearances over his first four seasons.

Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic and JFresh of EP Rinkside provided an analytical look at the blueliner's high-end impact.

His new contract, which will go into effect beginning next season, links him to Boston through 2029-30.

The agreement comes on the eve of the Bruins opening their 2021-22 schedule Saturday night when they host the Dallas Stars at TD Garden.

McAvoy, 23, joins Brandon Carlo, 24, as young Boston defensemen who are under contract for the long haul. Carlo's six-year, $24.6 million deal runs through 2026-27.

The New York native becomes the latest rising star on the blue line to land a lucrative extension ahead of the 2021-22 season, joining the Columbus Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski ($9.6 million AAV), Colorado Avalanche's Cale Makar ($9 million AAV) and Dallas Stars' Miro Heiskanen ($8.45 million AAV), among others.

"I'm very happy for them," McAvoy told reporters in September. "I know quite a few of them. Couldn't be happier for them. They're all very well deserved. For me, I'm just excited about this year, excited about the group we have. Being back together and seeing everybody is always awesome."

With McAvoy set to emerge as a perennial Norris Trophy candidate, the Bruins were wise to lock him into a long-term extension despite the high price.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have effectively parted ways with center Zac Rinaldo after he refused to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Per Chris Bumbaca of USA Today, the Blue Jackets signed Rinaldo to a two-year deal last offseason.

Because of Rinaldo's vaccine refusal, the Blue Jackets did not invite him to take part in the team's training camp. He will not take part in practices for the AHL affiliate Cleveland Monsters when they start Tuesday.

Columbus will still pay Rinaldo his full AHL-level salary of $300,000. The Blue Jackets also placed Rinaldo on waivers, which he cleared Friday.

General manager Jarmo Kekalainen released a statement regarding the situation:

“Our position has been very clear that our organization is committed to doing everything we can to ensure the health and safety of our players, coaches, staff and fans. Given the impact COVID-19 continues to have in our communities, we believe the best course of action given Zac’s vaccination status is to not have him report to Cleveland at this time.

While we respect an individual’s right to make a personal choice with regards to being vaccinated or not, we have a responsibility to do what we believe is best for our organization.

As TSN noted, the Blue Jackets parted ways with assistant coach Sylvain Lefebvre after he refused to be vaccinated. Columbus hired Lefebvre this offseason.

Per ESPN's Greg Wyshynski, the NHL and NHL Players' Association do not mandate that players receive the COVID-19 vaccine, but protocols in place encourage that they get it.

The 31-year-old Rinaldo has 18 goals and 24 assists in 374 games over 10 NHL seasons for the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, Arizona Coyotes, Nashville Predators and Calgary Flames. He played four games with Calgary last season.

Former NHL player Jimmy Hayes has died at the age of 31, his alma mater Boston College announced Monday.

The Boston Globe's Matt Porter and John R. Ellement reported police and first responders pronounced Hayes dead at his home in Milton, Massachusetts, on Monday morning. His cause of death remains unknown but "is not considered suspicious," per Porter and Ellement.

The Toronto Maple Leafs selected Hayes in the second round of the 2008 NHL draft, and he played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils and his hometown team, the Boston Bruins.

Hayes played three seasons for the Golden Eagles and helped them win a national championship in 2010. His 35 points that season were fifth on the team.

The Dorchester, Massachusetts, native made his NHL debut on Dec. 30, 2011, as a member of the Blackhawks.

Over seven seasons in the league, Hayes had 54 goals and 55 assists in 334 appearances. His most productive campaign came in 2014-15 as a member of the Panthers, when he scored 19 goals and assisted on 16 more.

Hayes' last NHL game was with the Devils on April 7, 2018.

His younger brother, Kevin, is an alternate captain for the Philadelphia Flyers.

NHL veteran David Krejci released a statement on Friday saying he plans to return the Czech Republic to play in front of his family and friends:

Krejci spent his entire 15-year NHL career with the Boston Bruins. 

Matt Porter of the Boston Globe reported that Friday's announcement isn't necessarily an indication that Krejci is retiring from the NHL, however:

The 35-year-old Krejci remained a solid playmaker for the Bruins in the 2020-21 season, scoring eight goals and adding 36 assists this past season in 51 games. His 0.86 points per game put him on pace to score 70 points in a full 82-game season, a mark he hit just twice in his career. 

His plus-16 plus-minus was also the fourth-highest mark of his career. Suffice to say, Krejci is still playing at a high level.

And certainly, he is a Bruins legend:

For his career, Krejci has scored 215 goals and 515 assists. He generally saved his best for the postseason, however, helping the Bruins make 12 playoff appearances and three Stanley Cup Finals appearances in his career, winning the Cup in the 2010-11 season. 

He will undoubtedly leave a hole on the Bruins' roster, with Nick Foligno, Charlie Coyle and Jack Studnicka all candidates to replace him at center on the second line.