Puck Wire: Top Hockey News Of The Day: February 14th

Love isn’t quite in the air for a number of NHL organizations. The Edmonton Oilers lost again last night and continue to circle the drain as another season goes to waste. Kevin Boyle, meanwhile, shut the Vancouver Canucks out in his very first NHL start on home ice last night in Anaheim.

We are ten days from the trading deadline, so buckle up and enjoy the ride! Here’s today’s edition of puck wire.

• Sidney Crosby is now 6-0-0 against Connor McDavid in head-to-head match-ups thanks a 3-1 victory last night in Pittsburgh. Of course, the lackluster Oilers were only able to manage a single goal and of course it was set up by McDavid and scored by his running mate Leon Draisaitl.
• Willie O’Ree was the first black player in NHL history, and as you know is now (finally) in the Hockey Hall of Fame. The Washington Post’s Fred Bowen has a nice look at O’Ree’s impact on getting the sport to be more inclusive for people of all backgrounds.
• Down in the college ranks, Canucks’ prospect Quinn Hughes has taken the reigns as Michigan’s unquestioned leader as we head down the stretch drive of the NCAA season.
• The San Jose Sharks appears to be a true contender for the Stanley Cup this June. That said, don’t expect GM Doug Wilson to go crazy and make a big addition come deadline time. The Sharks are not expected to be big players this year when it comes to trades.
• Bowen Byram will no doubt be gone inside of the top ten picks at this June’s NHL Entry Draft. Held in Vancouver, it’ll be special for the Vancouver Giants’ defender that has helped turned the team around. They have to be prepared for life without him moving forward, however.
• The Tampa Bay Lightning will host the NHL’s American Legacy Black Hockey History Tour Truck this weekend, something fans in Tampa will surely want to check out before the Bolts take on the Habs Saturday.

Photo Credit: Santeri Viinamäki [CC BY-SA 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons