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.
• Former NHLer Rich Clune shares his story. Clune was an alcoholic and a drug user, but he’s now been totally sober for five years. This is a great story. (Players’ Tribune)
• Larry Brooks of the New York Post takes a look at the Rangers’ future regarding analytics, Ilya Kovalchuk and more. Brooks says if they don’t go after Kovalchuk, it would be a huge mistake. (New York Post)
• The Lehigh Valley Phantoms and the Charlotte Checkers played the longest game in AHL history. Phantoms goalie Alex Lyon stopped 94 shots in the victory. (ESPN)
• Former Avalanche star Milan Hejduk is selling his Parker, Colorado mansion, which comes with an indoor ice rink and custom Zamboni. It can all be yours for a cool $5.2 million. (Denver Post)
• There’s a lot of similarities between this year’s Vegas Golden Knights and Scotty Bowman’s 1967-68 expansion St. Louis Blues. For starters, both teams selected Stanley Cup winning goaltenders in the expansion draft. (NHL.com)
• What should the Bruins do with free agents like Anton Khudobin, Brian Gionta, Nick Holden and Rick Nash? (Stanley Cup of Chowder)
• One of the reasons the Tampa Bay Lightning are so good is because general manager Steve Yzerman is a sharp hockey mind. (Raw Charge)
• How far should the Edmonton Oilers go to acquire Erik Karlson? Pretty far. Pretty, pretty far. (Oilers Nation)
• The Hockey News provides update on a number of different draft-eligible prospects, including Noah Dobson, who will likely be a top 10 pick in the NHL Entry Draft. (The Hockey News)
• TSN’s Frank Seravalli breaks down five critical matchups ahead of Game 7 between the Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets. (TSN.ca)
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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.