Former Notre Dame Players in NHL to Begin 2020-21 Season

The NHL finally drops the puck on its 2020-21 season Wednesday. With COVID-19 still running rampant, this will be a season unlike any other.

The NHL finally drops the puck on its 2020-21 season Wednesday. With COVID-19 still running rampant, this will be a season unlike any other. Teams will play 56 games in divisions that drastically have been realigned for the season, and teams will not play outside their respective divisions. But no matter which team you root for, there will be plenty of players who suited up for Notre Dame before they ascended to hockey’s highest level.

The Arizona Coyotes have no excuse for drafting a player who admitted to racial abuse

The path of redemption shouldn’t run through professional hockey.

The details of Arizona Coyotes’ top draft pick Mitchell Miller bullying and racially abusing Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, a Black, mentally disabled teen, are harrowing.

As first reported by the Arizona Republic, Miller admitted in an Ohio juvenile court in 2016 to bullying Meyer-Crothers, evidence of which was captured on video tape. According Meyer-Crothers’ mother, the video showed Miller “smashing Isaiah’s head against a brick wall.” In other instances, of which classmates testified to police, Miller repeatedly called Meyer-Crothers the n-word. In another instance, Miller and another teen coerced Meyer-Crothers into eating candy that had either been “placed in a urinal” or the boys had actually urinated on.  For their actions, the boys were given 25 hours of community service.

Knowing about these actions (Miller sent every NHL team a letter admitting his behavior) and keeping in mind the NHL’s commitment to making hockey a safe and welcoming safe for everyone, the Arizona Coyotes chose Miller as their first pick in the 2020 Draft.

There is no question that what Miller did was racist and has no place not just in hockey but in society. Miller was 14 when he committed these acts, but they can hardly be written off as youthful indiscretions. Yet, because Miller is good with a hockey stick, his abuse is in the process of being glossed over by an NHL team more interested in his ability to help them win than standing by any principals of decency. Already, the Coyotes are crafting Miller’s narrative into one of redemption, built on the backs on marginalized communities.

It’s the team’s empty justifications for drafting him—before he has legitimately atoned for the abuse he inflicted—that shows how paper thin the Coyotes and by extension the NHL’s commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion actually is.

When commenting on Miller’s record of abuse, Coyotes President and CEO Xavier Gutierrez, who sits on the NHL’s Inclusion Council, tried to frame the team as the good guys, rather than those allowing an abuser the opportunity to fail upward.

“When we first learned of Mitchell’s story, it would have been easy for us to dismiss him — many teams did. Instead, we felt it was our responsibility to be a part of the solution in a real way — not just saying and doing the right things ourselves but ensuring that others are too,” he said in a statement.

The Coyotes have declined multiple requests for comments and interviews and have offered little in the way of specifics as to how they plan to “be a part of the solution.” In a statement sent to For The Win, the team said they “are working with Mitchell, his family and the University of North Dakota to get Mitchell involved with some anti-bullying and anti-racism programs for this season. Mitchell’s family and agent are hoping to get details finalized this week. Mitchell hopes to use his platform to raise awareness about these important issues.”

The tossed off “some” in this statement, combined with the lack of specifics as to which programs he may join, shows just how much thought the team, the family and Miller himself put in to his behavior before these incidents became widely known. Additionally, it also now casts doubt on Miller’s motivations moving forward. Are his actions genuine? Or are they simply in response to a public outcry?

The Coyotes also said “we believe that we are in the best position to guide Mitchell into becoming a leader for this cause and preventing bullying and racism now and in the future.” Again, the team declined to give specifics as to what makes hockey coaches and team management, the majority of whom are white, the best guides against racial abuse.

Of all these statements that read as if they were dashed off at the last minute, it’s the organization’s insistence that “Mitchell hopes to use his platform to raise awareness about these important issues,” that shows how little they actually understand about “these issue.”  Currently, Miller isn’t even involved in any anti-racism or anti-bullying work, which means he still has much to learn. Yet, the team wants to fast forward to him already being a leader in that space.

“It’s a story about reflection, growth, and community impact,” Gutierrez said. “A true leader finds ways for every person to contribute to the solution. We all need to be a part of the solution.”

This is nothing short of aiming to use marginalized communities as stepping stones to the redemption narrative of a white player.  It should also be noted that none of these statements from the Coyotes or Miller actually mention the victim of the abuse, Isaiah Meyer-Crothers. In his apology letter that the Coyotes sent on behalf of Miller to the Arizona Republic, Miller didn’t mention Meyer-Crothers by name, and only referred to “the bullying incident.” His statement centers himself, and how he feels, while offering nothing to Isaiah or his family.

“He pretended to be my friend and made me do things I didn’t want to do,” Meyer-Crothers said to the Republic. “In junior high, I got beat up by him. … Everyone thinks he’s so cool that he gets to go to the NHL, but I don’t see how someone can be cool when you pick on someone and bully someone your entire life.”

There may be a path forward for Miller and redemption, but it shouldn’t run through professional hockey. He has plenty of work to do and, in multiple instances, the league has shown that it not equipped to be the place for this kind of learning. Hockey culture has a real problem with racism, and much of it boils down to the ability of leaders in power to excuse away bad behavior if it means a chance at winning. What Miller has now is a chance at an NHL career, despite his behavior going against all the principals players, teams and the league say they have “zero tolerance” for.

Playing professional hockey is a privilege, and it’s one that should have been closed to Miller the second he used the n-word, the second he shoved Meyer-Crothers’ head into a wall.

Phoenix Coyotes vs. Colorado Avalanche, Game 1 Stanley Cup Playoffs Live Stream, Schedule, Start Time, TV Channel

The Arizona Coyotes will face off against the Colorado Avalanche for the first game in the best of seven series. Stream now.

The No. 7 Arizona Coyotes will face the No. 2 Colorado Avalanche tonight at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta. The Coyotes will be looking to pull off an upset in game one of their best-of-seven Western Conference matchup

Everything you need to know to follow the NHL action tonight is below!

Phoenix Coyotes vs. Colorado Avalanche

  • When: Wednesday, August 12
  • Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: NBCSN
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

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NHL Playoff Schedule

No. 2 Colorado Avalanche vs. No. 7 Arizona Coyotes

Wednesday, Aug. 12: Arizona at Colorado, 5:30 p.m. ET
Friday, Aug. 14: Arizona at Colorado, 2 p.m. ET
Saturday, Aug. 15: Colorado at Arizona, 3 p.m. ET
Monday, Aug. 17: Colorado at Arizona, 5:30 p.m. ET
*Wednesday, Aug. 19: Arizona at Colorado – TBD
*Friday, Aug. 21: Colorado at Arizona – TBD
*Sunday, Aug. 23: Arizona at Colorado – TBD

*if necessary

NHL Odds and Betting Lines

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Arizona Coyotes at Winnipeg Jets odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Monday’s Arizona Coyotes at Winnipeg Jets sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Arizona Coyotes (33-28-8) travel to Manitoba to meet the Winnipeg Jets (35-28-6) at Bell MTS Place Monday at 8 p.m. ET. We analyze the Coyotes-Jets sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Coyotes at Jets: Projected starting goalies

Darcy Kuemper vs. Connor Hellebuyck

The Coyotes have eased Kuemper back after a lengthy absence due to a knee injury, but he’s likely to make his third start within a week. He is 10-3-1 with a 2.03 goals against average and .932 save percentage in 14 starts on the road. He allowed two goals on 40 shots in a 4-2 win in Winnipeg back on Oct. 15, too.

Hellebuyck is on fire, as he posted his league-leading sixth shutout with 29 saves in a 4-0 win over the Vegas Golden Knights Friday. He improved to 29-21-5 with a 2.59 GAA and .921 SV% through 54 starts and two relief appearances. He has four of those shutouts at home, and he is 17-11-3 with a 2.44 GAA And .924 SV%. He was on the losing side of the Oct. 15 game against the Coyotes, yielding four goals.


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Coyotes at Jets: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 10:30 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Jets 4, Coyotes 1

Moneyline (ML)

The JETS (-125) are playing really good hockey lately, and they have wins over the Golden Knights and Washington Capitals to prove they could be quite a danger in the playoffs, as well. They’re a bit expensive on the moneyline, however, thanks mostly due to Hellebuyck’s hot streak. Look to the puck line for a better value.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Jets to grab the road win returns a profit of $8, while a $10 wager on the Coyotes (+105) nets a profit of $10.50.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The JETS (-1.5, +220) are a much better play on the puck line. In fact, in each of their past five victories, they have also covered the 1.5-goal spread. They’ve gone 10-1 on the puck line in their past 11 victories. The Coyotes (+1.5, -278) were a monster on the road earlier this season, but they’re just 2-11 across their past 13 games away from the desert.

Over/Under (O/U)

The UNDER 5.5 (-121) is worth a small-unit play. The Under has connected in four straight for the Jets, as Hellebuyck has been yielding next to nothing. The opposition has totaled just four goals across his past four outings, while the Jets have posted 3.0 goals per game during the span. Winnipeg’s goaltending situation is driving this bet, and the play is ‘Under’.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Arizona Coyotes at Vancouver Canucks odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Wednesday’s Arizona Coyotes at Vancouver Canucks sports betting odds and lines, with NHL matchup analysis, picks and tips.

The Arizona Coyotes (32-27-8) and the Vancouver Canucks (34-25-6) do battle at Rogers Arena in British Columbia Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. ET (on ESPN+). We analyze the Coyotes-Canucks sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

The Canucks have some injury concerns. Starting G Jacob Markstrom (knee) hasn’t played since Feb. 22. D Quinn Hughes (undisclosed), D Tyler Myers (undisclosed) and C Jay Beagle (lower body) missed Tuesday’s practice and are all questionable. D Guillaume Brisebois and D Jalen Chatfield were summoned from the minors just in case.

Coyotes at Canucks: Projected starting goalies

Antti Raanta vs. Thatcher Demko

Raanta is expected to get the nod on the road against Vancouver, although he hasn’t been nearly as effective away from home than in the desert. At home he is a sparkling 10-5-1 with a 2.11 goals against average, .933 save percentage and two shutouts. On the road he is a dismal 5-9-2 with a 3.19 GAA and .909 SV% in 16 starts.

Markstrom (knee) is projected by some as the starting netminder for Wednesday, but we’ll believe it when we see it. The Canucks traded for veteran Louis Domingue to back up Demko, and it’s doubtful they’ll rush Markstrom back, but you never know. Demko was 1-3-1 with a 3.52 GAA and an .882 SV% in six games (five starts) in February.


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Coyotes at Canucks: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 3:35 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Coyotes 3, Canucks 2

Moneyline (ML)

ARIZONA (+100) is an underdog on the road, and rightly so. But the Coyotes might be catching the Canucks (-121) at a good time since Vancouver is banged up and might be relying on some unproven commodities for this Hump Day affair. The goaltender situation is also a bit muddled, so Arizona could take advantage.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Coyotes to grab the road win returns a profit of $10, while a $10 wager on the Canucks results in a profit of $8.26.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The Coyotes puck line (+1.5, -278) is quite a bit more than their moneyline, which is a much better value. It’s just too high a price at -278. Arizona has struggled away from home, going 1-10 in the past 11 road games. The Canucks (-1.5, +225) are 1-4 in the past five as a favorite.

Over/Under (O/U)

The UNDER 5.5 (-110) is a good bet, going 33-15-4 in the past 52 meetings, and 6-2-2 in the past 10 meetings in B.C. While the Over is 5-1 in the Canucks’ past six at home, they’re short-handed. Goals could be at a premium. The Coyotes are 4-0-1 on the Under across their past five on the road, and 7-2-1 in the past 10 overall.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Arizona Coyotes at St. Louis Blues odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Thursday’s Arizona Coyotes at St. Louis Blues sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The St. Louis Blues (33-17-10) host the Arizona Coyotes (30-25-8) Thursday at Enterprise Center for an 8 p.m. ET puck drop, as they try to hold off the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche for the top spot in the Central Division. The Stars beat the Coyotes 3-2 Wednesday. We analyze the Coyotes-Blues sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Coyotes at Blues: Projected starting goalies

Antti Raanta vs. Jordan Binnington

Raanta took the night off Wednesday but is expected to return to the net Thursday. He has won back-to-back games over the New York Islanders and Washington Capitals, while allowing just two goals on 66 shots. He has a .919 save percentage and 2.70 goals against average on the season.

Binnington stopped all 17 shots he faced Tuesday in a win over the New Jersey Devils at Enterprise Center. It snapped a 0-2-2 skid over his last four starts. He is 25-11-7 on the season with a .910 SV% and 2.66 GAA.


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Coyotes at Blues: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated at 1:25 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Blues 4, Coyotes 2

Moneyline (ML)

The BLUES (-189) are getting better odds than they should while facing a Coyotes (+155) team on the second half of a back-to-back. St. Louis is 19-6-5 on home ice and Arizona is just 15-14-4 on the road.

Both teams have struggled of late, with the Blues owning a 3-5-2 record across their last 10 games and the Coyotes going 4-4-2 over the same span. Arizona leads the season series 2-0, but the two teams haven’t met since Dec. 31, and Blues backup Jake Allen was between the pipes.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Blues to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout returns a profit of $5.30.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Increase your profit margin by backing the BLUES (-1.5, +145) to win by 2 or more goals. St. Louis is just 29-31 against the spread overall and 13-17 at home, while Arizona is 35-28 ATS overall and 20-13 on the road, but the second half of the back-to-back for the visitors turns this one dramatically in favor of the Blues. Look for the defending cup champions to pull back in front in the suddenly-crowded Central Division.

Over/Under (O/U)

Take the OVER 5.5 (+105) at plus-money as the play most conducive to our other two picks above. Both teams have favored the Under of late, but we’re backing the Blues to win by at least 2 goals, and a 4-2 victory will cash all three bets.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 242-231

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Arizona Coyotes at Dallas Stars odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Wednesday’s Arizona Coyotes at Dallas Stars sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Arizona Coyotes (30-24-8) visit the Dallas Stars (34-19-6) Wednesday at American Airlines Center for an 8:30 p.m. ET puck drop. We analyze the Coyotes-Stars sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Coyotes at Stars: Projected starting goalies

Antti Raanta vs. Ben Bishop

Raanta is coming off back-to-back home wins over the New York Islanders and Washington Capitals, allowing just a single goal in each game. The 30-year-old is 13-13-3 on the season with a .919 save percentage and 2.70 goals against average.

Bishop beat the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs in back-to-back road games last week, stopping 58 of 63 total shots on goal. He is 20-12-4 through 38 starts and a relief appearance with a .924 SV% and 2.38 GAA.


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Coyotes at Stars: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Stars 5, Coyotes 2

Moneyline (ML)

The STARS (-167) are the team to back while on home ice. They took a 4-3 overtime loss on the road against the lowly Ottawa Senators Sunday, but had won their previous four games. They’re 6-2-2 across their last 10 games to close the gap on the division-leading St. Louis Blues in the Central Division. The Stars are 17-9-2 on home ice for the season.

The ‘Yotes (+140) have won two straight games over the Capitals (3-1) and Islanders (2-1), but they’re just 4-3-3 across their last 10 games and have slipped to fifth in the Pacific Division. They’re also just 15-13-4 on the road for the season and not worth backing Wednesday. The Stars won the season’s first head-to-head meeting 4-2 Dec. 29.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Stars to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout returns a profit of $5.99.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Double down on the STARS (-1.5, +170) and back the hosts to win by at least 2 goals. The Coyotes are 34-28 against the spread overall and 19-13 on the road, while the Stars are 31-28 ATS overall and 13-15 at home. The ‘Yotes are just 9-8-4 since the last head-to-head meeting and seven of those losses were by 2 or more goals.

Over/Under (O/U)

With the standard line set at just 4.5 goals, we’ll go to the alternate line of 5.5 in regular time and back the OVER (+135). The Coyotes are 2-8 against the Over/Under across their last 10 games and the Stars are 5-5. The season’s first meeting saw a total of 6 goals and the Stars’ last two overtime games played to totals of 7 goals.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 239-228

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Washington Capitals at Arizona Coyotes odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s Washington Capitals at Arizona Coyotes sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Washington Capitals (37-15-5) visit the Arizona Coyotes (28-24-8) Saturday at Gila River Arena for a 10 p.m. ET puck drop. We analyze the Capitals-Coyotes sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Capitals at Coyotes: Projected starting goalies

Braden Holtby vs. Antti Raanta

Holtby is coming off a road win over the Colorado Avalanche Thursday in which he stopped 32 of 34 shots on goal. He is 21-11-4 on the season with a .896 save percentage and 3.14 goals against average.

Raanta took the loss against the Ottawa Senators Thursday, as he allowed three goals on 31 shots. The 30-year-old is 11-13-3 with a .915 SV% and 2.83 GAA through 27 starts and a relief appearance.


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Capitals at Coyotes: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated at 11:35 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Capitals 4, Coyotes 3

Moneyline (ML)

The Coyotes (+120) have gone just 2-5-3 across their last 10 games to begin slipping out of the Western Conference playoff picture. They’re 13-11-4 at home for the season as they return from a 1-2-1 Eastern Conference road trip.

The CAPITALS (-143) will be the play following their 3-2 win in Colorado Thursday. The Caps are an incredible 21-6-1 on the road for the season and enter Saturday 6-4-0 across their last 10 games.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The Coyotes earned a 4-3 shootout victory in the lone head-to-head meeting of the season thus far, Nov. 11 in Washington. They also lost each of their last two games by 3-2 scores, with one of those going to overtime.

Back the COYOTES (+1.5, -228) with a goal of insurance in the event of a loss. The Capitals (-1.5, +185) are 30-27 against the spread overall and 20-8 on the road, but a large chunk of those games have come as underdogs to cover a spread of +1.5. The ‘Yotes are 33-27 ATS overall and 14-14 at home. The insurance for the home side is worth the modest amount of chalk.

Over/Under (O/U)

The Coyotes played to a final score of 3-2 in each of their last three games. They’re 4-6 against the Over/Under across their last 10 games while the Capitals are 7-2-1 against the O/U in the same span. Take the OVER 5.5 (-139) with Washington having topped this projection in nine of its last 10 games.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 233-217

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Former Notre Dame Captain Evans Makes NHL Debut

The Montreal Canadians defeated the Anaheim Ducks, 3-2, in overtime Thursday, but Notre Dame hockey fans will remember this one for a different reason. Earlier in the day, the Habs recalled former Irish captain Jake Evans, who proceeded to play in …

The Montreal Canadians defeated the Anaheim Ducks, 3-2, in overtime Thursday, but Notre Dame hockey fans will remember this one for a different reason. Earlier in the day, the Habs recalled former Irish captain Jake Evans, who proceeded to play in his first NHL game. Evans, who played 158 games for the Irish from 2014 to 2018 and concluded his collegiate career in the national title game, has spent the past two seasons with the Laval Rocket of the AHL.

In 11 minutes, 19 seconds of ice time Thursday, Evans recorded two shots on goal, registered two hits, blocked two shots and had one takeaway. Per Daily Faceoff, Evans played right wing on Montreal’s third line alongside Ilya Kovalchuk and Max Domi.

Two of Evans’ teammates from college also have played their first NHL games this season. Andrew Peeke has played seven games for the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Jordan Gross has suited up twice for the Arizona Coyotes. Both have since been returned to their AHL teams.