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 for the PHT Morning Skate? Email us at phtblog@nbcsports.com.
• The odds of the NHL starting the 2020-21 season Jan. 1 dwindle each day. [Ottawa Sun]
• Quinton Byfield’s talents will on display for Canada at the upcoming World Junior Championship. [The Hockey News]
• A year after his firing, taking a glance at Mike Babcock’s tenure with the Maple Leafs. [Maple Leafs Nation]
• “Fred Sasakamoose, one of the first Indigenous athletes to play in the National Hockey League, was hospitalized as a ‘presumed’ positive COVID-19 case.” [CBC]
• “The NHL has a good idea how many of its former players are likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other brain-crippling disorders, say insurance experts who specialize in the professional sports industry.” [TSN]
• U.S. hockey legend Meghan Duggan on retirement and inspiring young girls to play. [NBC10 Boston]
• A look at how NHLers like Jesse Puljujarvi, Jesper Kotkaniemi and others are faring in European leagues this fall. [Sportsnet]
• A Delaware community is rallying around a 17-year-old hockey player who suffered a serious spinal cord injury in a game earlier this month. [Dover Post]
• Gino Odjick gets some support to be included in the Canucks’ Ring of Honor. [Canucks Army]
• Examining the Sabres, Red Wings and other Eastern Conference teams. [Rotoworld]
• Why interest in hockey cards has boomed during the pandemic. [The Score]
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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.