{"id":265813,"date":"2025-11-06T05:08:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T05:08:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/265813\/"},"modified":"2025-11-06T05:08:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T05:08:09","slug":"32-thoughts-nhl-re-opening-review-into-arthur-kaliyevs-gambling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/265813\/","title":{"rendered":"32 Thoughts: NHL re-opening review into Arthur Kaliyev’s gambling"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2022 What was up with Minnesota’s weird game-winning goal?
\u2022 Is Logan Thompson<\/a> on Team Canada’s radar this time?
\u2022 How Dan Muse is getting more out of the Penguins<\/p>\n

Quick note before we officially begin the blog: November is Hockey Fights Cancer month, one of the best things the NHL does.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The timing is coincidental, but I just went for a colonoscopy. (A friend asked if I scheduled it after the Vikings game because I expected the Lions to win 40-0.) I\u2019m probably like most guys when it comes to health. I ignore almost all ache or pain, and abhor even taking one aspirin.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That said, as much as I despise Dulcolax and Peglyte, I don\u2019t fool around with this.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m 55, and this is my third since 40. Got the thumbs up, don\u2019t need another for 10 years. Don\u2019t be an idiot. Take the time, get it done. It\u2019s not just for you, but especially for a partner\/children depending on you.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"3232 Thoughts: The Podcast<\/p>\n

Hockey fans already know the name, but this is not the blog. From Sportsnet, 32 Thoughts: The Podcast with NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas is a weekly deep dive into the biggest news and interviews from the hockey world.<\/p>\n

Latest episode<\/a><\/p>\n

I\u2019m going to stick to what I can confirm at this time \u2014 as the NHL, the NHLPA and Kaliyev\u2019s representatives aren\u2019t commenting.<\/p>\n

Before the story was published, the league was aware of social media posts accusing him of running up gambling debts. Kaliyev was questioned about it. I\u2019m not sure who did the questioning, but he was asked. Generally, in these situations, the league is worried about two things: a) did you bet on hockey? and b) did you bet illegally?<\/p>\n

At that time, the answers were \u201cno and no,\u201d and there was no evidence to prove otherwise. When the NHL suspended Shane Pinto<\/a>, they had hard evidence that someone had access to his account and was doing things they shouldn\u2019t be doing. This wasn\u2019t the case with Kaliyev, who, again, has maintained he didn\u2019t violate any rules.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Those same sources indicated that, as of Wednesday afternoon, nothing new had been discovered linking Kaliyev to anything that would get him penalized.<\/p>\n

Walker\u2019s story brought new eyeballs and attention. No idea where this is going to go \u2014 if it goes anywhere at all \u2014 but it is notable they are looking to see if they missed anything.\u00a0<\/p>\n

1. Let\u2019s start with the ending of Nashville\/Minnesota. My general rule is: How would I feel if the Stanley Cup Final was decided this way? Answer: about as good as I felt after four litres of Peglyte. Two things can be true: A) If I was Nashville, I\u2019d be super pissed and B) If this makes defenders\/goalies think twice about pushing the net\u2026I\u2019ll take it. <\/p>\n

In live action, I didn\u2019t think it would count. In its official statement, the NHL quoted rule 63.7: \u201cIn order to award a goal in this situation, the goal post must have been displaced by the actions of a defending player, the attacking player must have an imminent scoring opportunity prior to the goal post being displaced, and it must be determined that the puck would have entered the net between the normal position of the goal posts.\u201d <\/p>\n

What had the Predators angry \u2014 and the reason I thought it would be disallowed \u2014 was that Marcus Johansson<\/a> hit the side of the net. That violates the rule, as the puck wouldn\u2019t have entered the net between the normal position of the goal posts. Gord Stellick had an interesting counter on his NHL Radio show Wednesday: that if he was lining up a putt and someone did something to the hole, no one would accept the interference. (Gord also wanted to make sure everyone knew he got a hole-in-one at Cabot last summer.) <\/p>\n

If this is our baseline, stick with it. The worst thing is when you say, \u201cOkay, this is how it\u2019s going to be,\u201d and three weeks later, you get a directly opposite interpretation. That\u2019s terrible. When I vote, I vote for goals. Offence. Give me an excellent reason not to count them. It was bonkers watching this in real time, but the best possible outcome is every team in the NHL showing this to their players, saying, \u201cThis is the risk you take.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

2. Despite the loss, what a huge goal at 19:59 of the third period for Steven Stamkos<\/a>. It got the Predators a point and gave him something to feel good about. Earlier in the third, he\u2019d misfired a prime Jonathan Marchessault<\/a> setup, and I was thinking, \u201cThat\u2019s when you know it\u2019s bad.\u201d <\/p>\n

The biggest indicator of concern about the Nashville\/Stamkos match is his shot rates. The last three years in Tampa, he had 241, 240 and 262. Last year in Tennessee was 174 (he shot 15.5 per cent, a 40-goal pace with 262 shots.) This season, he\u2019s on-pace for 175. He\u2019s just not getting attempts as often as he used to. That said, it\u2019s never a one-way street. Barring a trade for a distributor, he\u2019s got to do everything he can to make an impact, whether that means changing his game or impacting it in other ways. He even played net-front on one of the power plays last night. But Stamkos is in the NHL to score, first and foremost. I do not believe any kind of bold trade request is the plan, but I think if there\u2019s a situation that made sense everyone involved would have to look at it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

3. Extension I\u2019m starting to wonder about: Trevor Zegras<\/a>, Philadelphia. Eligible now. Yes, it\u2019s only been 13 games, but it looks like a good fit and I can see the Flyers gauging interest in lengthening the relationship.\u00a0<\/p>\n

4. I don\u2019t know that there\u2019s anything going on trade-wise with Mason Lohrei<\/a>. But I do know that when a talented, young player like him sits four games in a row, others call and ask what\u2019s up.\u00a0<\/p>\n

5. Minnesota and St. Louis were among the most active teams last week \u2014 probably to make sure they weren\u2019t\u00a0missing any possibilities. The Wild won two straight to temporarily calm the waters, but the Blues\u2019 performance Wednesday in Washington won\u2019t make them any happier.\u00a0<\/p>\n

6. I\u2019m not expecting anything in the near term, but here\u2019s an under-the-radar team to watch on the market: 6-2-4 Seattle. These Kraken resemble the 2022-23 version, hard-working, greater than the sum of their parts, a team that upset Colorado in the playoffs. Their issue, as usual, is scoring (24th in goals per game). <\/p>\n

The trade they made last year with Tampa Bay, where Oliver Bjorkstrand<\/a> and Yanni Gourde<\/a> went to the Lightning for a return including two first-round picks (top 10 protected) gives them five first-rounders (and four seconds) in the next three drafts. They don\u2019t have to rush into anything, but those are the kinds of assets that can add an impactful offensive player. Other teams have noticed what they could, in theory, move.<\/p>\n

7. Lane Lambert on what he learned in Toronto: delegate. He said Craig Berube is very good at empowering his assistant coaches to get critical work\/strategy done so he can focus on the players.\u00a0<\/p>\n

8. Nothing major, but a few other locations to keep an eye on: Edmonton\u2019s roster. The Oilers could send players to the minors and through waivers to ease the upcoming roster crunch as injured players return. But they are trying to get Troy Stecher<\/a> a new opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

9. Carolina\u2019s goalies. Brandon Bussi<\/a> played his way into the rotation, and waivers is a risk. They\u2019ll carry three, they\u2019ve done it before, but can\u2019t use waivers as an avoidance option since Pyotr Kochetkov<\/a> can\u2019t escape them either. They were looking for defence, but injured blueliners are getting closer to returns.\u00a0<\/p>\n

10. Buffalo\u2019s goalies. Devon Levi<\/a> split the net in AHL Rochester early on, but it looks like he\u2019s getting the lion’s share of the work now. They are trying to find a new home for Alexandar Georgiev. The Sabres have made it clear Colten Ellis<\/a> is staying. Someone asked me if Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen<\/a> could be moved, but I\u2019d be surprised. He\u2019s still their most-experienced and best option, assuming he is healthy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

11. David Kampf<\/a>. I\u2019ve heard there is pushback to terminating his contract. We\u2019ll see how things play out. But he remains on leave from AHL Toronto, and it was clear his heart wasn\u2019t in it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

12. An undrafted free agent picking up steam is soon-to-be 24-year-old Belorussian Vitali Pinchuk. Point-per-game player in the KHL, big, left-shot centre. There are several teams looking at him.<\/p>\n

13. When Jonathan Huberdeau<\/a> missed the start of the season, the Flames couldn\u2019t wait to get him back because he\u2019s their most creative offensive player. Scoring is a challenge for them, and even harder when he\u2019s not there. It\u2019s been overshadowed by their tough start, but he\u2019s been very good, via both the eye test and the underlying numbers. He\u2019s got to keep going in a positive direction, but I can\u2019t help but wonder if the rising cap takes the focus off his contract and more to his play.\u00a0<\/p>\n

14. Logan Thompson\u2019s off to a dynamite start for Washington. He wasn\u2019t selected to the 4 Nations because Canada wasn\u2019t certain he\u2019d handle being the backup. I\u2019d heard the snub motivated him to prove that wouldn\u2019t be case, that he wanted to be in the conversation and was prepared to talk to the selectors about it. (No confirmation, but I\u2019ve heard there was communication.) Jordan Binnington<\/a> is a lock, and deserves to be unless he completely craters off the the face of the earth. After that, there are questions, especially since word is Adin Hill is out a few months. I think Thompson is a contender, on merit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

15. Binnington trying to steal Alexander Ovechkin\u2019s 900th goal puck reminded of a similar situation in the 2006 playoffs. Ray Emery\u2019s first postseason win that year against Tampa Bay. Tim Taylor grabbed the puck at the end of the game before any of the Senators could. The next day, he told media he \u201cthrew it in the garbage.\u201d Ottawa eliminated the Lightning in five games. During the handshake line, Taylor \u2014 who kept the souvenir the entire time \u2014 presented it to Emery, saying he hoped the goalie understood the gamesmanship. Emery laughed it off.\u00a0<\/p>\n

16. Best early-season trend of 2025-26 is there are fresh, new, exciting teams to watch. Anaheim, obviously. Montreal and Detroit. Utah and Chicago. I find a season more exciting when different teams and players demand your attention. My biggest question about the Ducks is staying power. It\u2019s hard to make the playoffs in this league, a true grind. It\u2019s not that they aren\u2019t capable, it\u2019s just that so many of their best players have never done it.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s isn\u2019t another good team right now where so many of their top guys are so bereft of playoff experience. That doesn\u2019t mean it’s impossible, however. At the European media tour in 2024 that was held in Czechia, the Czech players went out of their way to praise Lukas Dostal<\/a>. They said we were sleeping on him. He\u2019s the backbone. Everyone\u2019s awake now.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"RealReal Kyper and Bourne<\/p>\n

Nick Kypreos and Justin Bourne talk all things hockey with some of the biggest names in the game. Watch live every weekday on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ \u2014 or listen live on Sportsnet 590 The FAN \u2014 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET.<\/p>\n

Full episode<\/a><\/p>\n

17. When Dostal signed his extension last summer, he filmed a video for the Ducks social media pages. The location was Urho Vaakanainen<\/a>\u2019s apartment, where he was visiting at the time. Vaakanainen said it took Dostal \u201c50 or 60 tries\u201d to get it right. Dostal couldn\u2019t believe this slander. \u201cHe\u2019s a liar, it’s not true,\u201d he gasped, claiming the number was actually closer to 15-20. Doesn\u2019t that seem like a lot of attempts? \u201cNo, no, 15 or 20?\u201d he laughed. \u201cI think that\u2019s good.\u201d<\/p>\n

18. One of the things that\u2019s really struck me about watching Matthew Schaefer<\/a> is how seamlessly he\u2019s fit in and how much he\u2019s being embraced on a veteran Islander team. We\u2019ve seen situations before where number one picks have trouble gaining the respect of peers and teammates. There can be pecking orders and jealousies. That\u2019s not happening here. Not at all. They have a pack mentality in protecting him, and it\u2019s not fake. Says a lot about who they are.<\/p>\n

19. Something I\u2019d laugh at if it happened to me: When the Islanders visited Washington last week, someone with the Capitals who is friendly with Mathew Barzal<\/a> jokingly had an alarm clock placed in his dressing room stall. The talented forward missed the previous night\u2019s game in Carolina because he was late for the morning skate. We learn our lessons, take our lumps and move on.\u00a0<\/p>\n

20. Speaking of the Islanders, I would not be surprised if Bo Horvat<\/a> is a less-discussed name on the Team Canada radar. Nine goals, and the brain trust looked hard at him when the Olympics were a possibility for 2022.\u00a0<\/p>\n

21. When Dan Muse was hired to coach Pittsburgh, one person who knew him said he wondered if Muse was \u201ctoo nice\u201d to be a successful head coach. Everyone knew his work ethic, his love and knowledge of hockey, but would he be able to command respect and bring the hammer down on a treading-water Penguins team with such dominant personalities? <\/p>\n

Despite what happened Tuesday in Toronto, the early returns are strong. There\u2019s a long way to go, and injuries are piling up, but Pittsburgh is better than expected and the kids look good. I posed the \u201ctoo-nice\u201d question to 19-year-veteran Kris Letang<\/a>, who had a great answer. <\/p>\n

\u201cSid, Geno and I have been around 20 years,\u201d he replied. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen all kinds. You know what matters? Can you make us believe in what you\u2019re trying to do?\u201d Letang called Muse\u2019s training camp \u201cthe hardest I\u2019ve ever had,\u201d saying that the coach made every drill a competition with the losers getting bag skated. (Letang added that, due to the influence of fitness coach extraordinaire Andy O\u2019Brien, those hard skates involved more crossovers as opposed to stopping-and-starting to avoid early-camp groin injuries.) <\/p>\n

He also said Muse made sure to inform players of the drills before on-ice sessions began so there was no standing around and placed the onus on them not to forget what to do. Wins matter. It\u2019s hard to sell your vision when you are losing. But Muse certainly got his veterans\u2019 attention.\u00a0<\/p>\n

22. Letang\u2019s best quote was this one: \u201cI said to Sid, \u2018It\u2019s tough out there. All that extra skating when you lose.\u2019\u201d Crosby replied to him: \u201cMy team didn\u2019t lose.\u201d<\/p>\n

23. Erik Karlsson<\/a> is killing penalties again. It\u2019s early, but he\u2019s averaging 1:48 per game shorthanded, fourth-highest of his career \u2014 on the league\u2019s 10th-best unit entering Wednesday\u2019s games. He did it sporadically the last few seasons, but this is, so far, a bigger commitment. Karlsson said Muse is trying to challenge players with more responsibility, or different responsibilities than they were used to. <\/p>\n

\u201cI see him say, \u2018Maybe you can\u2019t help us the way X player can, but you can help us in another way.\u201d One example was of a player who wasn\u2019t physically dominant, but had a great stick. He encouraged that player by saying, \u201cIf you get the same results with your stick that the other player gets with his body, that helps us.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

24. Karlsson\u2019s off to a strong start, and we\u2019ll see where this goes. His dollars are now very manageable, and may be even more enticing with the cap\u2019s rise. He\u2019s got control of his future, but the better he goes, the more options there could be \u2014 including finishing his term in Pennsylvania.\u00a0<\/p>\n

25. Deeper down their organization, there is an unusual story involving one of Pittsburgh\u2019s prospects: Emil Pieniniemi. A defenceman drafted 91st in 2023, he had 60 points in 60 games last season for OHL Kingston. Pieniniemi did not make the big club in training camp (as expected) but where this went sideways is he objected to going to ECHL Wheeling as opposed to AHL Wilkes-Barre\/Scranton. He\u2019s gone back to Finland, and is suspended by the Penguins. At issue is the belief that his skillset would be better served developmentally in the AHL than the ECHL, that the latter league isn’t the right place for him at this time. The Penguins are holding firm.<\/p>\n

26. The only thing that annoys me about Dallas\u2019s outdoor game is that it\u2019s on a Saturday, so I won\u2019t be able to go. Initially, I thought Colorado was the obvious opponent, but doesn\u2019t Edmonton make a lot of sense, too? Wouldn\u2019t Connor McDavid<\/a> at JerryWorld be an obvious sell? Whatever the case, the calendar is filling in. All-Star Game on Long Island, outdoor game in Dallas and a Heritage Classic brewing in Winnipeg. Let\u2019s see what else arrives.<\/p>\n

27. Not every team cares about the 10-game mark for rookies. What they all do care about is 40 on the roster. That\u2019s where you accrue a season towards unrestricted free agency, and decisions will be made about who really gets to stick around.\u00a0<\/p>\n

28. I don\u2019t have an answer for this, but there is a lot of concern about all of the injuries. Maybe next year is different when the season starts earlier and the schedule isn\u2019t so compressed. But everyone mentions the amount of injuries.\u00a0<\/p>\n

29. I really liked Tampa Bay recalling Scott Sabourin<\/a> to make sure his four-game NHL suspension was served. They did right by him. Letting it linger would have doomed any chance of a future call-up.<\/p>\n

30. My Nov. 1 stat: 82-game seasons, during the cap era, 72 teams were at least four points out of the playoffs after games on that date. Only 10 made the postseason. That\u2019s it. Last year, it was 0-2. This year\u2019s challengers \u2014 Calgary, St. Louis and San Jose. No one in the East, way too tight.<\/p>\n

31. A couple of shoutouts: Nobody loves sports more than Peter Loubardias, inducted last weekend into the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame. Extremely deserving, and even more impressed that Sam Cosentino, a former Blue Jays employee, made the trip even though it was the night of Game 7. Lesser friends would have bailed. Also wanted to mention Vanessa Kezwer, one of our teammates at Sportsnet<\/a> who left for a role in the PWHL. We are dumber without her.\u00a0<\/p>\n

32. Next Tuesday in the 40th anniversary of Pelle Lindbergh\u2019s death, a day remembered for all of the wrong reasons. Lindbergh died in a car accident after a team get-together at a bar. Alcohol was involved. Later this week, filmmaker Charlie Minn is debuting \u201cThe Swede of Philadelphia,\u201d a personal project about that day and the lives affected by the crash. Link to the trailer:\u00a0https:\/\/swedeofphiladelphia.com\/trailer.html<\/a>. <\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know what I\u2019ll feel after watching, but I do remember how sad and unnecessary his loss felt.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u2022 What was up with Minnesota’s weird game-winning goal?\u2022 Is Logan Thompson on Team Canada’s radar this time?\u2022…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":265814,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[556],"tags":[64,63,575,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-265813","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nhl","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-nhl","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265813","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=265813"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265813\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/265814"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=265813"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=265813"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=265813"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}