Welcome to the PHT Morning Skate, a collection of links from the NHL and around the hockey world. Have a link you want to submit? Email us at phtblog@nbcsports.com.
• Beginning Tuesday, the NHL will allow players to practice in groups of 12 as part of Phase 2. [Sportsnet]
• John Tavares, part of the NHL’s Return to Play Committee, is optimistic about the season resuming. [The Hockey News]
• Should the season resume, the NHL is looking at a July 30 start date in hub cities that will be determined in the next week. [NY Post]
• Making the case for Theo Fleury to be part of the 2020 Hockey Hall of Fame class, which will be announced Wednesday. [TSN]
• Vladimir Tarasenko was on the ice Monday. He needed shoulder surgery in October and only played 10 games for the Blues this season. “I was really close to coming back to playing when the season got delayed, so I got some extra time for recovery and practice to make (the shoulder) more strong. Everything is good.” [Blues]
• Taking a look at the history of the Blues’ jerseys, from worst to first. [Hockey by Design]
• Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov on returning to the ice: "[I]t feels a little more real that hockey is almost back.” [Inquirer]
• The IIHF has announced dates and locations for its 2021 tournaments. [The Ice Garden]
• Will Martin Brodeur eventually rise up the management ranks like Joe Sakic and Steve Yzerman? [The Hockey News]
• A rare Connor McDavid hockey card sold for over $130,000 at auction last week. [National Post]
• Age is not slowing down 47-year-old Ainslie Bien-Aime, captain of Haiti’s ball hockey team. [NHL.com]
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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.