Welcome to the PHT Morning Skate, a collection of links from around the hockey world. Have a link you want to submit? Email us at phtblog@nbcsports.com.
• Wild head coach Bruce Boudreau has a close eye on the ECHL playoffs because his son, Ben, is an assistant coach with the Fort Wayne Komets. (Journal Gazette)
• Former Notre Dame captain and Canadiens prospect Jake Evans underwent sports hernia surgery. He’s expected to miss 12 weeks. (Montreal Gazette)
• Now that the Stars GM Jim Nill has hired a head coach, there’s a few things he needs to sort out. He’ll need to help Jim Montgomery find new assistant coaches, he has to look for a backup goalie, he’ll have to decide what he wants to do with Jason Spezza and more. (Dallas News)
• Why is the series between the Sharks and Golden Knights tied up at two after four games? (NBC Sports Bay Area)
• Some unwanted intruders attempted to break into Milan Lucic’s house, but thankfully they failed. (Oilers Nation)
• One reason why the Lightning are up in their series against the Bruins is because they’ve been so effective on the forecheck. (NHL.com)
• Despite the fact that a Canadian team hasn’t won the Stanley Cup since 1993, they still manage to bring in more revenue than most American teams. (Financial Post)
• As you’re probably aware, Brad Marchand isn’t very popular with opposing players and fans, and there’s a number of reasons for that. ESPN looks at Marchand’s top 20 heel moments. Slew-footing, clotheslining, elbowing, it’s all there! (ESPN)
• Leaving Arizona won’t be easy for Jordan Martinook, but he’s looking forward to life in Carolina. (Raleigh News & Observer)
• Some of Jim Montgomery’s friends in Montreal share their stories about how his determination got him to where he is now. (Montreal Gazette)
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Joey Alfieri is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @joeyalfieri.