INDIANAPOLIS – Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Doug Boles swept away the anxiety in the hearts of dirt-track fans across America with a single sentence in Wednesday’s BC39 drivers meeting.

“That temporary backstretch is no longer temporary,” Boles said, a smile gracing his features.

With that one notation, the Driven2SaveLives BC39 was removed from the perceived “endangered species list,” thanks to the support of grassroots supporters from coast to coast who came out to support the inaugural edition last year.

It was a moment that had been long-awaited by many who had dreams of seeing dirt racing at The Racing Capital of the World take root and become a tradition, rather than a novelty.

For Boles, however, it was the completion of a goal that he’d carried with him from the beginning of the project.

“We really hoped it would (be more than a trial) from the beginning, but in order to really to get the company comfortable and the board comfortable what we were going to do, it took the first one really jazzing everyone up like it did last year,” Boles said. “A lot of our board didn’t understand short track (racing) at all, so for them, they said ‘let’s do something temporary, in case it doesn’t work, then this can be parking again like it’s always been.’ But last year was such a success in the fall that we got the approval to go ahead and put (in) that backstretch.

“I say it wasn’t permanent last year, but if you were here, you know everything but the backstretch was permanent,” Boles noted. “Now the next permanent thing that I think we have to start thinking about is grandstands, because we rent those right now … but that’s where we are and we really want this to be a tradition. We want to be part of short track racing, because it’s the heart and soul of motorsports in this country and for us to have an event like this every year is pretty important, I feel like.”

Boles grew up as an Indiana race fan in his youth, and because of those early experiences recognizes the importance of intertwining IMS and short-track racing for the good of both sides.

“For me personally, this race brings back a lot of memories,” Boles explained. “I grew up doing short track (racing) with my dad, and just like a lot of folks, when you grow up in a smaller town, you go to your local race tracks on the weekend and your neighbors are racing and you get a chance to really meet these guys. Every once in a while, one of those neighbors makes it to the next level, and for us … it’s harder any more to get to that next level, when you think about IndyCar, or even NASCAR, and coming to run at the speedway.

“In our eyes, the opportunity for that neighbor at the local short track (level) to actually get to run at the speedway, even if it’s on the dirt track, to me is pretty important. It’s that connection to the grassroots that I think we all need to make sure we have.”

After Wednesday night’s Stoops Pursuit, which featured a chaotic finish won by Kyle Larson as Michael Pickens and Justin Grant flipped around him, Boles’ confidence was as high as ever that The Dirt Track at IMS has already staked its claim on a longstanding piece of the famed facility’s history books.

The next step beyond that is adding to those pages for years to come.

“It was amazing,” said Boles of the Pursuit finish. “I actually sat and watched it from the grandstands with the fans. It’s pretty neat to see the fans’ reactions … and everybody was really paying attention those last few laps. Then, for that last two corners, they were all going pretty crazy. The number of high fives that I got from fans was pretty impressive.

“That was maybe the craziest ending I’ve ever seen at the speedway, and it’s definitely added to our highlight reel for the future.”

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INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum has been named the recipient of a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The grant will be used to improve the Museum’s high-polish metal trophy storage environment, allowing the IMS Museum staff to better preserve the nearly 400 trophies in the Museum’s collection. The funding originates from the National Endowment for the Humanities Preservation Assistance Grants program.

Some of these trophies will be part of the IMS Museum’s newest exhibit, which will be announced soon.

The Museum curatorial staff will utilize the funding to purchase storage cabinets and shelving, and preservation supplies to properly store and care for trophies dating from 1903 to 2017, including Indianapolis 500 trophies predating the famed Borg-Warner Trophy, to the complete collection of pre-World War II trophies won by Grand Prix racing legend Rudolf Caracciola.

The NEH is an independent federal agency, established in 1965, which supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from across the United States. Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, was the other Indiana entity to receive NEH funding in this round of grants.

Congressman Andre Carson, of Indianapolis, said he’s pleased to see a central Indiana community asset like the IMS Museum receiving NEH funding, given the many educational  opportunities for all ages through the Speedway’s legacies in design, innovation, competition and entrepreneurship.

“The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum is a living tribute to the racing industry’s contributions to our city and state,” said Carson. “Hoosiers are fortunate to have the museum’s achievements recognized by the National Endowment for the Humanities to aid in historic preservation efforts that will help preserve racing history for future generations.”

SPEEDWAY, Ind. – Ryan Newman will return to the seat of a USAC Silver Crown Champ Car this Saturday night in the Rich Vogler Classic at Lucas Oil Raceway.

Newman, the 1999 USAC Silver Crown champion, has gone on to have a successful Monster Energy NASCAR Cup career with 51 poles and 18 victories, including wins in the 2008 Daytona 500 and the 2013 Brickyard 400.

Newman will drive the No. 2v for Bowman/Vance Racing on Saturday, a tribute to Johnny Vance, one of the most successful USAC car owners of all-time, earning three National car owner titles and 52 National wins. He raced in the USAC National Sprint Car and Silver Crown Series for Vance during the late 1990s-early 2000s.

Newman will race as a teammate to five-time Lucas Oil Raceway Silver Crown winner Tanner Swanson. Newman earned his first USAC National Midget victory in 1997, as well as his initial Silver Crown triumph in 1999, both of which were televised on ESPN’s Saturday Night Thunder program.

Pits open for the Rich Vogler Classic at noon eastern on Saturday. Grandstands open at 3 p.m., Silver Crown practice at 4:15pm, Silver Crown qualifying at 6:30 p.m. and the green flag for the USAC Silver Crown main event slated for 7:45 p.m.

BROWNSBURG, Ind. – Boxing legend Larry Holmes will be making his first trek to the NHRA Dodge Nationals in Reading, Penn., to team up with two-time NHRA Funny Car champion Cruz Pedregon in promoting his foundation, Heart of a Legend.

“I have been fortunate to be able to have met some great sports, and entertainment celebrities at the race tracks over the years,” said Pedregon. “I have had the pleasure of meeting people like Carlos Santana, Bill Goldberg and Gene Simmons, but honestly, I have never been more excited to meet an athlete than I am with Larry ‘The Easton Assassin’ Holmes. Growing up, Muhammad Ali was my hero, but Larry Holmes was my favorite athlete. I have seen and studied every one of his boxing matches and have followed his life beyond the ring, which is why I am so happy to get involved with his foundation.”

Holmes and his wife, Diane, formed Heart of a Legend in 2015 with the mission of helping the underprivileged, without regard to age and to continue supporting and assisting local agencies and community organizations in meeting their needs while keeping local cities and communities beautiful. Holmes and his wife have not just supported, but have led the way for Heart of a Legend to help those in need in the Easton area, offering financial support on occasions too numerous to mention. More than their money, though, they have donated their time and talents to causes that benefit children and needy members of their community.

“Heart of a Legend is thrilled to continue to give back to the community and we are looking forward to more exciting events in the coming year. We thank Cruz Pedregon Racing for inviting us to watch the race and we cannot wait to meet and watch these amazing race cars and racers.” said Diane Holmes.

This won’t be Holmes first connection to the drag racing.

“I used to drag race years ago, so to be invited to see hot rods such as these is pretty exciting to me,” relayed the former heavyweight champ.

Holmes and family will be on hand for Saturday qualifying at Maple Grove Raceway. Cruz Pedregon Racing will have two boxing gloves that will be signed by Holmes that will be auctioned off with 100 percent of the profits going to the Heart of a Legend foundation.

The NHL has dropped Jogmo World Corp. as a primary technology partner in its player and puck tracking plans, but vows to have the highly anticipated data collection system up and running by the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"We're in the process of making a switch," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told ESPN on Thursday. "Jogmo had some organizational and financial challenges which we were concerned about at the offset, but actually came to fruition. We have a new partner who can do it and we're very confident that that hasn't slowed us down."

A league source said that technology company SMT is the league's new partner.

Jogmo had worked to develop a system that would allow the league to collect millions of datapoints for every game played through sensors placed on the players and inside the puck, as well as using in-arena antennas. It handled the tech side, while Germany's Fraunhofer Institute had developed the hardware.

Bettman said the change in partners won't derail the NHL's plans to get puck and player tracking ready for the 2019-20 postseason. Full rollout won't happen until the 2020-21 season, according to Keith Wachtel, Executive Vice President & Chief Revenue Officer for the NHL.

"We believe we'll be up and running for the playoffs. Maybe we could be up and running sooner, but we want to set expectations because it's complicated -- obviously it's taken a long time. Getting it set up in 31 buildings, none of which are identical, and it has to work perfectly. And it has to work perfectly at the same time," Bettman said. "My belief is, based off everything I'm being told, is that we'll be up and running for the playoffs. That doesn't mean we won't use it, for example at the All-Star Game, but it's the scalability and fine tuning of it, to make sure it does what it's supposed to do."

The NHL has made its puck and player tracking technology a significant priority. Its television partners will integrate the data and real-time visualizations into broadcasts, having already experimented with it at previous NHL events. Teams will be able to collect more accurate player data and stats. But most importantly, the tracking technology promised to usher in a new era of wagering on NHL games, both for amusement and for actual dollars as the legalization of sports betting continues to spread.

The NHL has already cut data exclusivity deals with MGM Grand, Fan Duel and William Hill in anticipation of player tracking. Any delays or hiccups in implementation could affect that next step.

"You leave yourself a lot of runway for this. We've been meeting with numerous technology companies for the last few years -- anyone that's in that business of optical and hardware-based solutions. So you have options, and we always want to leave them open if issues like that should arise," said Wachtel. "The strategy that we have for all these technologies is two to three years out. I think you make sure you have other options and opportunities, and that's what the commissioner and the owners expect with us."

After working with several partners in an attempt to develop player and puck tracking systems, the NHL partnered with Fraunhofer Institute to create a puck that could house the tech. It also had a freezer that stores the puck, charges it, and tests its battery life and signal strength. They built a machine that has a mechanical arm with a syringe that pumps the ideal amount of adhesive to seal it and then applies 10 tons of pressure.

Jogmo World Corp. partnered with Fraunhofer to create the technology used in player and puck tracking. The initial plan featured 14 antennas placed around the arena, with sensors inside the puck allowing it to be tracked over 2,000 times per second. The technology was tested at the 2018 and 2019 NHL All-Star Games, and at regular season games in arenas like T-Mobile in Las Vegas and the Prudential Center in Newark.

Earlier this year, the NHL announced it would be using a hybrid system of both the sensor tracking developed by Jogmo and optical tracking, which relies on cameras around the rink.

"We're convinced that the best solution for us is a two-system tracking system: a sensor-based system that will give us X-Y-Z coordinates for the players and the pucks, and an optical system that will give stick position, body position and limb recognition that we can add to the X-Y and X-Y-Z coordinates to get the full data," said David Lehanski, the NHL's senior vice president of business development.

"If the tests go well, we'll be looking to add that optical component at some time next season. It may not be exactly aligned with the rollout of the [sensor] system, but ideally at some point next season."

The move was seen as a peculiar one given the NHL's previous concerns with that technology. While it's been effective in sports like tennis, the amount of obstructed views during a fast-paced hockey game make it ineffective. The hope was that when partnered with the sensor technology, it could present a full picture of game action.

That hybrid version of puck and player tracking is what the NHL still intends to roll out after splitting with Jogmo. Wachtel said there are "no concerns" that it will arrive in the near future.

Boston Bruins defenseman Torey Krug isn't one to Google himself. But he admits he has searched his name on Twitter "quite frequently" over the last few months.

"Especially being in my contract situation, I want to see what rumors are out there," Krug says. "So I'll search frequently."

Krug, 28, becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer, and is poised to be one of the top defensemen available on the open market. As one of the premier offensive defensemen in the league, Krug is due for a raise from the $5.25 million he will make this season. Krug told ESPN his preference is to stay with the Bruins, and he would consider doing what many Boston athletes -- most famously Tom Brady -- have done over the years: take less money to remain with his team.

"I love the situation I'm in," Krug says. "I'm pretty sure my teammates would love me to come back. My coach [Bruce Cassidy] I know for a fact loves the way I play. This last playoffs was big for me and my development and my growth. I feel like I'm just hitting my prime."

The Michigan native went undrafted, and signed with Boston as a college free agent in 2012 after a standout career at Michigan State. He has been a regular in the Bruins' lineup since the 2013-14 season.

"Would I take less to stay in Boston?" Krug says. "It's something that I've talked about with my family and my agent. It's something I'm interested in. How much less -- that's a question that will be answered at a certain time. I think something that's fair will be able to be worked out both ways. As long as they want me, I think something could be done, realistically. Everyone does it. How much they do it, is kind of their own opinion and [dependent] on their own circumstances."

Boston, which lost to the St. Louis Blues in the 2019 Stanley Cup Final, has a roster filled with team-friendly deals. Krug points to teammate Brad Marchand, who finished fifth in league scoring last season at 100 points, but is only making $6.125 million per year on a contract that expires in 2025.

"Marchy is way too low, because he signed one year too early," Krug says.

Boston has another terrific bargain in Marchand's linemate David Pastrnak, who finished top-15 in goal-scoring with 38 goals last season, but will earn only $6.66 million through 2023.

"Pasta had no [arbitration] rights, so he had to take a little bit less out of pure nature," Krug says.

The third member of the top line, Patrice Bergeron -- who has won four of the last eight Selke Awards as the league's best two-way forward -- is also making less than $7 million per season. He inked that eight-year extension back in summer 2013.

"Bergeron's deal is just so old, and that's why it seems low," Krug says. "So everyone's situation is a little bit different, everyone took less at some point, but it's just a matter of circumstance."

Krug says he won't let his own contract situation weigh on him this season.

"I've been through it so much," Krug says. "My first three deals were all one-year deals. I'm used to it. I'm used to having to prove myself. That's been my thing ever since I came into the league, that I've had to prove people wrong instead of proving people right. So I'm used to it."

Now that he's had the summer to reflect, Krug says the biggest reason the Bruins fell short in the Stanley Cup Final against the St. Louis Blues was a series of "momentum swings."

"They were able to stop momentum swings a little bit quicker than we were," Krug says. "I don't even remember any of the final scores, but I know we won one game really big [the Bruins won Game 3, 7-2]. And entering the next game we felt like we were in those guys' heads. We're just going to keep the momentum, but they were able to stop it on a dime, end it, and move on the other way. We never won consecutive games. They did."

This summer, the NHL was split into two camps when it came to restricted free agents and their unsigned contracts covered in nervous droplets of flop sweat from general managers: Those who believed this was the new normal, and those who believed this offseason was an anomaly.

I've been Team Anomaly. Things got weird this summer, and not just because our culture was briefly ruled by spiked seltzer and a chicken sandwich. We had an offer sheet -- an actual offer sheet! We have a player in Mitch Marner who may or may not be gumming up the market as he asks for a contract that every general manager thinks is preposterous and every agent hopes resets the bar. We had a crop of young stars all coming up at the same time and all deserving of significant deals, with no one wanting to flinch.

Yet when it comes to next summer's RFA class, the Arizona Coyotes flinched: Forward Clayton Keller was handed an eight-year deal with an average annual value of $7.15 million on Wednesday, making him the second-highest paid Coyote behind Oliver Ekman-Larsson ($8.25 million AAV), whom GM John Chayka also signed a year before his contract expired.

It's one of the first significant deals out of the gate for next year's RFAs. Earlier this summer, the Tampa Bay Lightning took Andrei Vasilevskiy out of the mix with an eight-year deal with a $9.5 million AAV. While that contract had its critics, the Keller deal had more of them.

Micah Blake McCurdy called the contract "a disastrous idea." Evolving Hockey was stunned by the term, and had the cap hit more in the $6.4 million range. But Rachel Doerrie thinks the cap hit will look rather good for the majority of the deal.

No matter what you think of Keller -- and I think he's getting paid for potential, rather than performance, especially on the defensive end -- the Coyotes basically said they're not going to play any RFA reindeer games next offseason. While next year's group of RFAs isn't as stacked as the Class of 2019, there are some significant names up for new deals that could cause some significant stress for fans and GMs if their contract status is allowed to linger.

Here are the 10 most interesting pending RFAs in 2020:

Also in this week's Wysh List: Jersey Foul | Puck headlines
Justin Williams takes a break

10. Sam Reinhart, RW and Brandon Montour, D, Buffalo Sabres

OK, so make that 11 RFAs.

There are other RFAs that we could have slotted in here -- Dylan Strome, Anthony Cirelli, Anthony Mantha and Andreas Athanasiou to name a few -- but the position Reinhart and Montour are in is fascinating. Reinhart is coming off a bridge deal that pays him $3.65 million AAV this season, while Montour makes $3,387,500 AAV this season in the final campaign of his bridge deal signed with the Anaheim Ducks last summer. Both players are arbitration-eligible, and go RFA in a summer that'll see Buffalo have just nine players under contract and more than $35 million in cap space with which to play. How much of that goes to these two players, or do they both end up part of a grand reconfiguration of the roster? (This being Buffalo, we suppose we should additionally ask which general manager will be making that decision ...)

9. Nolan Patrick, C, Philadelphia Flyers

Likely demoted to the third line with the Kevin Hayes signing, and coming off a bummer of a sophomore season, the No. 2 overall pick from 2017 has to be looking at a bridge deal that would allow him to build up some cache and momentum toward something more lucrative.

8. Darnell Nurse, D, Edmonton Oilers

Unlike many of the players here, Nurse is coming off a bridge deal. He signed a two-year extension last September, paying him $3.2 million against the cap through next summer. Jonathan Willis of The Athletic ran the numbers with some defensemen who did a similar thing, and sees the Nurse extension rivaling that of Matt Dumba's ($6 million AAV over five seasons) or Esa Lindell's (six years, $5.8 million AAV). Sounds about right.

7. Jake DeBrusk, LW, Boston Bruins

DeBrusk shouldn't be labeled a product of David Krejci, although he spent the majority of his time with him in scoring 27 goals last season. His numbers are more than respectable without Krejci, and DeBrusk has gone a long way towards accomplishing what he wanted to accomplish last season, which was quieting any trade talk involving his name.

As for what he's worth ... the Bruins are going to have a ton of cap space next summer, but will need new contracts needed for Charlie Coyle and (one assumes) Torey Krug, and will have some holes to fill in the lineup. One assumes they'd like to get DeBrusk in before addressing those issues. Stanley Cup of Chowder had some good analysis of his potential next deal.

6. Nico Hischier, C, New Jersey Devils

Everything in the Devils' financial orbit is affected by the gravity of the Taylor Hall extension, which makes you wonder about Hischier's next contract. Does GM Ray Shero tackle it first to secure "cost certainty" (TM, Gary Bettman) before trying to ink Hall, or does this deal follow in the wake of whatever happens with the Devils' star winger?

5. Alex DeBrincat, LW/RW, Chicago Blackhawks

In the past two seasons, DeBrincat is 52nd among forwards in points scored (128), and 47th in points per game (0.78) for players with at least 150 games played. His contract is up right as the Blackhawks gain some cap flexibility, although much of that is thanks to $11 million in goaltending contracts expiring. Hopefully that's enough to break the Stan Bowman cycle of great young offensive talents needing new contracts and then getting shipped out of town. Hopefully.

4. Max Domi, C, Montreal Canadiens

It's amazing to think about where Max Domi was a year ago, which was coming off two straight nine-goal seasons and having people wonder if he was washed up at 22 years old. Then the Montreal trade happened, followed by 28 goals, 44 assists and a new lease on his career. He makes $3.15 million against the cap this season. He's arbitration-eligible, but one assumes the Canadiens will want to lock him before it gets to that point, and the same goes for Domi's side.

3. Pierre-Luc Dubois, C, Columbus Blue Jackets

Two words: Artemi Panarin. Dubois played 1,699 minutes with Panarin in the last two seasons at 5-on-5. The Blue Jackets generated 56.00 percent of the shot attempts with the duo on ice. They scored 59.63 percent of the goals, for a goal differential of plus-31. They had an expected goals percentage of 55.57. They were great. Dubois without Panarin? He played 634 minutes, earned 47.92 percent of the shot attempts, had 48.33 percent of the goals and had an expected goals percentage of 51.22.

What Dubois does in the first season of a post-Panarin Blue Jackets will determine plenty about his next deal.

2. Matt Murray, G, Pittsburgh Penguins

Ryan Wilson had an interesting look at what GM Jim Rutherford has given his goaltenders in the past as far as percentage of the cap. Cam Ward's six-year deal with the Carolina Hurricanes when Rutherford was running that show was 11.8 percent of the cap. Marc-Andre Fleury's contract with Rutherford -- a four-year deal signed in 2014, before his reversal of fortunes and the Penguins' back-to-back Stanley Cups -- was for 8.33 percent of the cap. Sticking with the lower end of that scale, it could mean an AAV of over $7 million for Murray, which is in the neighborhood of what Fleury's making with the Vegas Golden Knights these days on a three-year deal. Arbitration will be an option.

1. Mathew Barzal, C, New York Islanders

Despite a statistical dip last season -- which probably had more to do with Barry Trotz's stylistic changes than any wilting in the post-John Tavares spotlight -- Barzal is the Islanders' franchise player, and they'll seek to compensate him as such. The question, then, is what kind of term commitment Barzal is going to seek: an eight-year franchise deal, or something in the Auston Matthews range?

One benefit for the Islanders: The Belmont arena is scheduled to open in the 2021-22 season, offering Barzal the kind of clarity on the franchise's future that Tavares never had. One drawback for the Islanders: whatever Marner gets.

This has been a partial look at the RFA Class of 2020. We'd be remiss if we didn't mention Sebastian Aho was also a free agent next summer. No, the other one this time.

Jersey Fouls

From earlier this summer, from Florida Georgia Line:

@StLouisBlues y'all need some hype men? ? pic.twitter.com/lqW49nj1vJ

— Florida Georgia Line (@FLAGALine) August 9, 2019

Let's assume that when the band played Hollywood Casino Amphitheater, the Blues were kind enough to gift them personalized jerseys, which as you know would not be a Foul. But ripping off the sleeves like the sweater just insulted Chewbacca ... no. No, no, no, no. I don't care if there are some companies that might traffic in blasphemy and create a tank top jersey. What you have here is the hockey equivalent of someone taking the Shroud of Turin and refashioning it into a Speedo.

Ring 'Gloria'

Speaking of the Blues:

THIS delivered!Such an honor & tribute to LAURA & AMAZING @StLouisBlues & "Gloria" story that has forever united a Stanley Cup Championship team & its city.❤️ "GLORIA! GLORIA!" FOR YOU, LB!❤️????Thanks to the one who gifted this-you know who you are.?~ Kathy, Other Half Ent. pic.twitter.com/n5csTUinjG

— Laura Branigan (@laurabranigan) September 4, 2019

The tale of the Blues official victory song "Gloria" continues, as a Stanley Cup ring was created in the late Laura Branigan's honor. The "82" is in reference to the year the song hit the charts. Such a very, very cool gesture.

Justin Williams takes a break

Instead of re-signing with the Carolina Hurricanes, captain and postgame celebration coordinator Justin Williams announced he was "stepping away" from the NHL for a bit after feeling "unsure of my aspirations with regards to hockey" during the summer.

Williams is either going to return to the Hurricanes at some point or hang up his skates. If he chooses to return, it'll likely be in the middle of an 82-game grind he couldn't get up for, and with some clarity as to what the Hurricanes are going to look like next season. If you're 37 years old, and you've played 1,244 regular-season and 155 postseason games, this makes too much sense -- get back when it matters, and with fresh wheels.

That's what Hall of Famer Scott Niedermayer did back in 2007, after the Anaheim Ducks won the Stanley Cup. "It's a big commitment, and right now I just don't feel that I have the energy and am willing to make that commitment to start camp," he said in announcing he wouldn't be with the team to start the season.

Niedermayer, 34 at the time, found that commitment by December. "You always want to try to get back to do the same thing, and I guess maybe early on, I just didn't have that in me, to dig down and do it again. As time progressed, I found it again," he said, returning to the team on Dec. 16.

Teemu Selanne took a bit longer, staying out of the lineup until February as a 37-year-old free agent (who would go on to play until he was 43). The Ducks made the playoffs, and lost to Dallas in the first round.

What Williams might end up doing here is far from unprecedented. It's kind of amazing this doesn't happen more frequently with veteran players. Not that it's exactly the best thing for the NHL to have prominent names sitting out for a few months, comfortable in knowing that 50 percent of the teams in their conference make the playoffs. But if you're a Hurricanes fan who watched Williams score one goal in four games against Boston in the conference final, you might be OK with him storing up some energy for later.

Listen To ESPN On Ice

The full season archive of our podcast can be found on iTunes. Emily Kaplan and I will return in a few weeks, and already have some stellar NHL guests lined up.

Congrats to Brian Boucher

Brian Boucher, a once and future ESPN On Ice guest, has apparently been promoted to a lead analyst role with NBC, according to Rick Carpiniello. Boucher has the good as an analyst, bringing a goalie's perspective to the proceedings and an ability to break down plays in a succinct manner. He's a part of the broadcast without ever feeling the need to overshadow the broadcast. His commentary and chemistry make him feel like a seamless part of the team rather than an uninvited party guest. This is a positive, overdue move.

Meanwhile, former Globe & Mail media critic Bruce Dowbiggin went scorched earth on the recent layoffs by Sportsnet in Canada, and why their big NHL rights deal has, in his eyes, backfired. It's worth a read.

Puck headlines

Solid recap of a wild summer in women's hockey.

Previewing the goalie masks for the East and the West.

As Niklas Kronwall retires, here are 20 minutes of Kronwall'ing.

Travis Yost says it's not about the escrow: "It's a vicious cycle: the league over-forecasts revenue projections and then the players and league try to manage to that guidance, eventually dealing with the repercussions of the over-forecast by withholding salary. That's why the fight against escrow is a red herring -- it's merely the symptom of a larger issue."

I still can't believe Tim Thomas spoke about hockey this week.

Can Leon Draisaitl topple Alex Ovechkin for the Richard Trophy?

The top-selling jerseys for 2018-19. Jordan Binnington clocking in at No. 7 was a surprise.

Two Canadians have a shootout to determine the sale price of a house, which apparently isn't how they usually determine the sale price of a house in Canada, which was news to me.

Hockey tl;dr (too long; didn't read)

Craig Custance gets inside a special idea-sharing session involving elite men's and women's players like Auston Matthews and Hilary Knight. ($)

In case you missed this from your friends at ESPN

Evander Kane, a star of the latest ESPN The Magazine Body Issue, offered some really fascinating takes on the NHL and race.