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.
• A couple of links on Johnny Bower, the Hockey Hall of Fame who died last night at age 93. First, learn more about his lasting legacy with the Toronto Maple Leafs. [NHL.com]
• Finally, he was a funny guy. Here’s Bower on speculation about his age when he played: “I joked once that the town hall where the births were registered in Prince Albert (Sask.) burned down and I didn’t know how old I was.” [The Star]
• Did he retire to go play in the KHL or did he ask to be released? Whatever it was, Alex Burmistrov is no longer a member of the Vancouver Canucks. [Province]
• Bad new for the Colorado Avalanche as they’ll be without Tyson Barrie for a while after he injured his hand blocking a shot Saturday night. [Denver Post]
• And don’t expect Logan Couture back with the San Jose Sharks for a while, either. [Mercury News]
• Kris Letang has been the victim of a little bit of bad luck this season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. [TSN]
• No real surprises on Canada’s women’s Olympic team. [NBC Olympics]
• Well, there is Brigette Lacquette, who is now the first Indigenous woman to play on Canada’s Olympic team. [Color of Hockey]
• Both the Canadian and American women’s teams have had interesting roads to Pyeongchang. [The Ice Garden]
• Great story on an unexpected Christmas gift for Don Waddell. [USA Today]
• Diving into what’s been a great start to the season for the St. Louis Blues. [St. Louis Gametime]
• It can be a lonely place in penalty box. It could also be loud and obnoxious. [Sun-Times]
• The Edmonton Oilers are trying to dig out of a hole and there’s very little room for era over the final three months of the season. [FanRag Sports]
• How Clint Malarchuk is helping people in this latest chapter of his life. [Buffalo Hockey Beat]
• A fun little jog down memory lane and the 1979 New York Islanders Christmas album. [Puck Junk]
• Finally, the 2018 Winter Classic is only five days away. Here’s a time-lapse video of the rink build at CitiField in New York:
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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.