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.
• Pekka Rinne will be the first Predators player to have his number retired by the franchise when his No. 35 goes to the Bridgestone Arena rafters on Feb. 24. [Predators]
• Rinne: “Obviously I’ve always been a hockey player and I’m sure people remember me from the ice, but I hope they also remember me off the ice.” [Nashville Scene]
• Jonathan Toews gets a re-do on his comments following the Blackhawks report fallout: “I realize my comments on the whole situation kind of took attention away from Kyle and ... what he actually went through. Obviously I have a lot of history with Joel [Quenneville], but that’s not really the point here.” [Daily Herald]
• The details of the lawsuit the Penguins are facing: “Jarrod [Skalde], a former assistant coach with the team’s American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and his wife, Erin, allege that [Clark] Donatelli, former head coach of the AHL club, sexually abused Erin Skalde on a team road trip to Providence, R.I., on Nov. 11, 2018 and that the Penguins later fired Skalde for reporting it.” [Post-Gazette]
🎨🖌 Fresh paint!!
— EYECANDYAIR (@Eyecandyair) November 3, 2021
Here's Connor Hellebuyck’s new @NHLJets ✈️🥅 goalie mask for the 3rd/Heritage Jerseys!
✍🏻 Hand drawn and airbrushed by Steve Nash of @Eyecandyair (on a @VaughnHockey /@Progoalie)
👉🏻Photo set coming soon! 😉#EyecandyairART #NHL #GoJetsGo #HockeyTwitter pic.twitter.com/ZkzJQ8fpfe
• The Rangers have loaned Vitali Kravtsov to Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL. Kravtsov would be able to return to the Rangers after Traktor’s season. [NY Post]
• “Montreal has two separate issues at play here. Caufield’s development would better serve him to play out inconsistencies with Laval in the AHL, while the Habs work out their on-ice issues at the NHL level.” [NBC Sports Edge]
• After being hit in the head by a puck on Tuesday, Canadiens forward Jonathan Drouin is doing better and will be re-evaluated today. [Sportsnet]
• A good look at the importance of Conor Sheary to the Capitals. [Washington Hockey Now]
• Conor Timmins’ season is over for the Coyotes after he suffered a knee injury last week. [Five for Howling]
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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.