Hockey

Philadelphia Flyers goalie Ivan Fedotov has reportedly been detained in Russia on suspicion of evading Russian military service.

According to Radio Free Europe, Russian media outlets are reporting that Fedotov was detained in his native Russia on Friday after police and military officials "launched a manhunt ... at the request of the military prosecutor's office."

Per Joshua Manning of Euro News Weekly, Russian reports said Fedotov was then taken to the military registration and enlistment office. Fedotov could face up to two years in prison if convicted, per Manning.

Fedotov has spent parts of six seasons playing in the Russian KHL, including spending last season with KHL power CSKA Moscow, but he signed an entry-level contract with the Flyers in May and announced his intention to go to the NHL.

Fedotov is 25 and Russian law requires all men between the ages of 18 and 27 to serve at least one year in the military.

Russia entered into military combat this year when it invaded Ukraine in February, and the war is still ongoing.

Fedotov, who was a seventh-round draft pick by the Flyers in 2015, has established himself as one of the top goaltenders in Russia over the past few years.

During the 2021-22 season with CSKA Moscow, he went 14-10-2 with a 2.00 goals-against average and .919 save percentage, marking the fourth consecutive season he had a GAA of 2.21 or better and a save percentage of .919 or better.

Fedotov also led Moscow to a Gagarin Cup win, which is the KHL equivalent to the Stanley Cup.

Additionally, Fedotov represented the Russian Olympic Committee at the 2022 Winter Olympics, winning a silver medal.

The plan had been for Fedotov to potentially compete with Carter Hart for the Flyers' starting goalie job next season, as Hart is the only NHL goalie under contract for Philadelphia next season with Martin Jones hitting free agency.

The Winnipeg Jets have reportedly found their next head coach.

Per TSN's Darren Dreger, Rick Bowness is finalizing a deal with the Jets to become their full-time head coach.

ESPN's Kevin Weekes reported Thursday that Winnipeg had narrowed its list of coaching candidates to five.

Interestingly, Bowness wasn't among that group. Scott Arniel, Rick Tocchet, Jim Montgomery, Jeff Blashill and Pascal Vincent were on the list.

Montgomery came off the board Thursday after reports the Boston Bruins were set to hire him.

Bowness announced in May he was stepping down as head coach of the Dallas Stars. Saad Yousuf of The Athletic noted the decision was likely "driven" by the Stars because "his contract ran out once the season ended so it can conveniently be framed as a parting of ways."

The Stars hired Bowness in 2018 as an assistant on Montgomery's staff. After Dallas fired Montgomery midway through the 2019-20 season, Bowness took over on an interim basis and led Dallas to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2000.

Dallas then promoted Bowness to the full-time head coach role. He went 69-49-20 with one playoff appearance over the next two seasons.

Dave Lowry spent the bulk of the 2021-22 season as Winnipeg's head coach. He took over on an interim basis Dec. 17 after Paul Maurice resigned.

The 67-year-old Bowness began his coaching career with the Jets' AHL affiliate, the Sherbrooke Jets, in 1982-83. He joined Winnipeg as an assistant in 1984 and then took over the Moncton Hawks, the Jets' new AFL affiliate, in 1987. He finished the 1988-89 season as the Jets' interim head coach after being promoted following Dan Maloney's midseason firing.

In 12 seasons as a head coach with six different teams (Jets, Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders, Phoenix Coyotes and Stars), Bowness has a 212-351-48-28 record with three playoff appearances.

The Jets went 39-32-11 (26-22-6 under Lowry) last season. They finished sixth in the Central Division with 89 points and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17.

The San Jose Sharks fired head coach Bob Boughner on Friday after three straight playoff-less seasons.

Assistant coaches John Madden and John MacLean were also let go, as was assistant coach (video) Dan Darrow.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman broke the news of Boughner's dismissal.

Boughner took over the Sharks' staff on an interim basis in December 2019 following the dismissal of Peter DeBoer. He was promoted to the full-time role in September 2020. It marked his second head coaching job after two seasons with the Florida Panthers (2017-19).

San Jose posted a 67-85-23 record (.449 points percentage) during his tenure. The team finished 12th in the Western Conference with 77 points in 2021-22.

In May, Boughner said he felt the Sharks were ready to turn a corner next season and confirmed the staff's desire to return.

"We put a lot of time in with this group, and we want to be a part of it moving forward," the 51-year-old Canadian told reporters. "I've said there's light at the end of the tunnel for sure. The guys play hard for us, bought into the system, bought into the culture we created, the environment and they all want to improve."

It's unclear why San Jose waited so long to make a decision about the coaches, but it's likely linked to the franchise's GM search, which is nearing an end.

Friedman reported Wednesday on The Jeff Marek Show (via Sheng Peng of SJ Hockey Now) the Sharks had narrowed their list down to a group of finalists, which was expected to include former NHL players Ray Whitney and Mike Grier.

It's not uncommon for a new GM to hire their own coaching staff.

Boughner played 10 NHL seasons with six different teams. He earned the nickname "The Boogieman" for his physical style of play.

The former defenseman started his coaching career with the OHL's Windsor Spitfires in 2006 and received his first NHL opportunity as an assistant with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2010.

San Jose will probably want its new GM in place before the 2022 NHL draft gets underway Thursday, and the coaching search figures to start shortly after that hire.

The Boston Bruins have finally found their replacement for Bruce Cassidy.

Boston is hiring former Dallas Stars head coach Jim Montgomery as its next bench boss, according to Joe McDonald of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. The deal is expected to be in the neighborhood of three years and $2 million annually, per ESPN's Kevin Weekes.

Montgomery was one of three reported finalists for the job, joining former New York Rangers head coach David Quinn and Seattle Kraken assistant Jay Leach, who previously coached the Providence Bruins, Boston's AHL affiliate.

The 53-year-old will become just the third head coach to be hired by the Bruins since 2007. Claude Julien coached the franchise from 2007 to '17, leading Boston to a Stanley Cup title in 2011, and Bruce Cassidy led the team from 2017 to '22.

Montgomery was hired as head coach of the Stars for the 2018-19 season and led the team to a 43-32-7 finish and a berth in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. However, he was fired just 31 games into the 2019-20 campaign for "unprofessional conduct."

Montgomery revealed one month after he was fired that he had entered rehab for alcohol abuse, calling the loss of his job a "wake-up call."

Montgomery was hired as an assistant coach for the St. Louis Blues in September 2020 and served in the role over the last two seasons. With the Canadian assisting behind the bench, St. Louis reached the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.

Montgomery also served as head coach at the University of Denver from 2013 to '18. Under his leadership, the Pioneers reached two Frozen Fours and won an NCAA championship in 2017.

He also played college hockey at the University of Maine and appeared in 122 NHL games from 1993 to 2002.

Montgomery has some big shoes to fill in Boston after the Black and Gold surprisingly fired Cassidy following a first-round playoff exit to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Cassidy served as head coach of the Bruins for six seasons, compiling a 245-108-46 record. He led the Bruins to the Stanley Cup playoffs in each of his six seasons behind the bench, including a Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 2019.

Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said at the time of Cassidy's firing that he believed the team would benefit from a "new voice."

ESPN's John Buccigross later reported during a radio hit with WEEI's Merloni, Fauria & Mego that Cassidy's handling of the development of younger players and his relationship with those players likely played a role in his firing.

Buccigross said, as transcribed by WEEI's Scott McLaughlin:

“Bruce Cassidy as a coach, he’s respected, great X’s and O’s guy, knows how to game plan, how to beat the other team. It’s elite, obviously, the amount of games he won as the Bruins’ head coach. … But his communication skills and people managing, for some, have been difficult to deal with. Kind of a running commentary on the bench, which players sometimes hear and maybe they think, ‘Jeez, I wonder what he’s saying about me.’ It’s not uncommon.

“… It’s a delicate thing. The motivational tactics he uses, certainly really harsh, on young players especially. And that’s the part which, probably as the Bruins are looking to go forward with perhaps a younger core -- I don’t want to call it a rebuild -- but his voice I think was growing tired. I think players probably in the exit meetings, from what I was told, kind of voiced their opinion about him."

Throughout their head coaching search, the Bruins appeared to prioritize coaches that had a solid repertoire with younger players. So, it's no surprise that Montgomery, Leach and Quinn were the finalists given their experience with younger groups.

That said, Montgomery will be tasked with not only managing younger players in Boston, but some seasoned veterans in Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and Hampus Lindholm, among others.

The Bruins still have a lot of work to do to improve the team for a Stanley Cup run in 2022-23, and hiring a new head coach is only the first step in the process.

NHL free agency begins on July 13.

The Washington Capitals announced Thursday they've promoted Emily Engel-Natzke to the role of video coordinator, making her the first woman to serve as a full-time member of an NHL coaching staff.

Engel-Natzke previously filled the same role with the Hershey Bears, the Caps' AHL affiliate. She discussed her place in hockey history with Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press:

"It's kind of surreal. I've never kind of really looked at myself in that lens, and I think if you may have asked me a week ago, I wouldn't have wanted it to be a big deal. But with everything that's going on kind of geopolitically, I think I'm more so just honored to be, I guess, the first. Hopefully that just opens the door even further for people who want to get into this job and this profession."

Engel-Natzke played hockey at Adrian College and started her coaching career at the University of Wisconsin in 2015, working for the Badgers' men's and women's hockey teams as a video coordinator. She's also worked for U.S. Hockey's youth national teams and the senior women's team at the 2019 World Championships.

She joined the Capitals organization with the Bears ahead of the 2020-21 season. Her performance with the minor league affiliate, which posted the AHL's best record in her first year, gave the front office confidence she was ready to join the NHL staff.

"We are extremely pleased to name Emily as our new video coordinator," general manager Brian MacLellan said. "Emily's work ethic, skill set, and passion were displayed in her tenure with the Hershey Bears, and we feel she is ready and deserving of this opportunity. She will be a tremendous asset to our coaching staff."

The 31-year-old Colorado native also received praise from Caps head coach Peter Laviolette, per Whyno:

"This was earned and deserved. We feel like we hired really a qualified person that we brought into the organization two years ago and came in and did an outstanding job, and that's what development is all about. For me, we got the best person and that's the most important thing."

Engel-Natzke joins Chicago Blackhawks assistant GM Meghan Hunter and New Jersey Devils director of player development Meghan Duggan as women who've recently been promoted to high-profile roles within NHL organizations.

Engel-Natzke told Whyno:

"It's been really encouraging that you're seeing women in different roles, whether it's in coaching, whether it's in management, athletic training and equipment management. Hopefully the door just keeps opening a little bit more and I hope in a couple years it's not as big of a deal—it's kind of just another hire."

Washington, led by superstar winger Alex Ovechkin, has reached the playoffs in eight straight seasons, highlighted by winning the 2018 Stanley Cup title.

The 2022-23 NHL season is scheduled to get underway Oct. 11.

Everyone has dealt with mail being delivered to the wrong address, but a Denver couple had a unique experience with that situation Tuesday.

Per Colleen Flynn of Fox 31, the Stanley Cup was supposed to be sent to Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog but was mistakenly delivered to the Hilltop neighborhood in Denver.

Kit Karbler, whose house received the special delivery, posted an image of the Stanley Cup on the social media app NextDoor.

"They got the wrong address for the Stanley Cup and were delivering it to my house instead of Landeskog's," he wrote. "Got to see it and touch it in my driveway!"

Speaking to Flynn about the mix-up, Karbler said he and his husband were in their house when they saw a delivery vehicle stopped outside.

"It looks like a contractor or something," he said. "I didn’t know. And a fella comes to the door. He’s got long, kind of gray hair, parted and he’s very friendly. … And he comes right in and they're looking, the truck is backed up and they're looking to bring in the trophy."

Philip Pritchard, the Keeper of the Cup for the Hockey Hall of Fame, told Flynn the mix-up occurred because they "couldn't really see the number of the house" and decided to go knock on the door.

Flynn noted Landeskog's residence has a "similar-looking address" to Karbler's house.

Despite the confusion, everything worked out OK. A fan got to spend a few moments with the Stanley Cup. Landeskog presumably got his day with the NHL's biggest prize.

The Avalanche defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games in the Stanley Cup Final to win their first title since 2000-01.

Kevin Fiala's career with the Minnesota Wild has come to a close.

The Wild have traded the rights to Fiala, a pending restricted free agent, to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Brock Faber and the team's 2022 first-round draft pick, the team announced Wednesday.

The expectation is that Fiala will sign a long-term extension with the Kings, according to TSN's Chris Johnston. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman added that he believes the extension will be worth around $7.9 million annually.

David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that the Kings were given permission to negotiate an extension with Fiala before the trade was finalized. He added that the deal is expected to be for seven years.

The Nashville Predators selected Fiala 11th overall in the 2014 NHL draft. In 204 games across four-and-a-half seasons with the Preds, he tallied 45 goals and 52 assists for 97 points.

Nashville traded Fiala to Minnesota during the 2018-19 season in exchange for Mikael Granlund. He had an impressive career with the Wild, tallying 79 goals and 107 assists for 186 points in 215 games.

The 25-year-old had a breakout 2021-22 campaign, notching a career-high 33 goals and 52 assists for 85 points in 82 games, and was due for a pretty significant extension after earning $5.1 million last season.

However, Minnesota would not have been able to pay Fiala the $7.9 million per year he is expected to receive from Los Angeles. The Wild are projected to have about $6.6 million in salary-cap space, according to CapFriendly, and they need to re-sign some other players as well as make some offseason additions if they hope to contend for a title in 2022-23.

The Wild finished the 2021-22 season second in the Central Division with a 53-22-7 record. However, they fell to the St. Louis Blues in the first round of the playoffs despite posting the first season of 50-plus wins in franchise history.

As for the Kings, they finished third in the Pacific Division with a 44-27-11 record but fell in the first round of the playoffs to the Edmonton Oilers. It was an impressive season, but the franchise could have certainly used some depth on the wings.

It's unclear how L.A. plans to use Fiala. However, he will likely slot in on the top line alongside Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. He could also fit on the second line with Phillip Danault and former Preds teammate Viktor Arvidsson.

The Kings have a nice mix of seasoned veterans and youngsters in Quinton Byfield, Arthur Kaliyev, Jordan Spence and Tobias Bjornfot. That mix of experience and young blood should benefit the franchise in its pursuit of another Stanley Cup.

That said, the franchise now does not have a first-round pick in the 2022 draft to add to its already-talented group, as the No. 19 selection has been traded to the Wild.

As for Faber, the Kings selected the defenseman in the second round of the 2020 NHL draft, and he has spent the last two seasons playing college hockey for the University of Minnesota. During the 2021-22 campaign, he tallied two goals and 12 assists for 14 points in 32 games.

Faber also appeared in four games for Team USA at the Beijing Olympics, posting one assist.

It's unclear when Faber might make his debut for the Wild, but considering he currently plays for the University of Minnesota and is a Minnesota native, this trade must be a dream come true for the 19-year-old.