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.
• Mike Babcock on the pressures he’s currently facing with the Maple Leafs struggling: “I’m going to do (the job) as hard as I can for as long as I can. I’ve always bet on Mike Babcock. I’m going to continue to bet on him.” [Toronto Star]
• It’s not been a fun season if you’re employed as a Maple Leafs backup goaltender. [One Puck Short]
• Brady and Matthew Tkachuk have turned into phenomenal NHLers. [TSN]
• It’s been a pretty good first 20 games for the Panthers under Joel Quenneville. [Miami Herald]
• ‘Scrappy’ Jets gaining an identity at season’s quarter-mark. [Winnipeg Free Press]
• Morgan Frost, one of the Flyers’ top prospects, has been recalled. [NBC Sports Philadelphia]
• How Barry Trotz went from 50/50 sales to winning the Stanley Cup. [Sportsnet]
• What’s bugging the Predators of late? [A to Z Sports Nashville]
• The Bruins are eager to see Charlie McAvoy reached another level. [Boston Herald]
• Fun story from the NCAA over the weekend: Nine minutes before pregame warmups started, North Dakota’s Josh Rieger was eating a pound of buffalo wings. He got the call, rushed to the rink and scored his first goal. [Grand Forks Herald]
• How Robby Fabbri trade impacts Detroit Red Wings, Andreas Athanasiou. [Detroit Free Press]
• Five women who should be inducted next into the Hockey Hall of Fame. [Sporting News]
• Kris Versteeg asked to be released from his contract with the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs. [NBC Sports Chicago]
• Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Coyotes are benefitting from the addition of assistant coach Phil Housley. [NHL.com]
• Looking at the best and worst in the history of Flyers jerseys. [Hockey by Design]
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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.