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.
• Alex Ovechkin is simply paying it forward these days. (Russian Machine Never Breaks)
• Roberto Luongo could be back in the lineup once Florida returns home from Finland. (NHL.com)
• Poor Mike Condon. On Tuesday night, he did this. On Wednesday morning, he was on waivers. (Ottawa Citizen)
• Are the Hurricanes and superstar forward Sebastian Aho close to a contract extension? (The News & Observer)
• Kris Letang is still the man who holds the Penguins together. (Pensburgh)
• Elias Lindholm is off to a fantastic start in Calgary. Is he this good? (The Hockey News)
• Is Marc Bergevin safe now that the Canadiens aren’t bottom feeders after the first month of the season? (Featurd)
• Could the Edmonton Oilers be for real this season? (Yahoo Sports)
• New art installation borrows a bit off from the movie IT. Oh, and Gritty. There’s a lot of Gritty. (Streets Dept)
• Brian Burke to replace Don Cherry? His anti-fun stance would suggest there’s a good chance. (Scotty Wazz)
• The head of the USA women’s hockey program is stepping down after eight years. (The Ice Garden)
• Wayne Gretzky opens up about new documentary. (Forbes)
• October was a weird month on the college hockey circuit. (College Hockey News)
• Pro sports charities hoarding cash, overspending on fundraising, watchdog says. (CBC)
• What centers should the Winnipeg Jets be kicking the tires on? (Arctic Ice Hockey)
Scott Billeck is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @scottbilleck