Coyotes coach André Tourigny has been trying to convince rookie wing Matias Maccelli to shoot the puck more often, instead of always passing it to teammates. “I always joke to him, I say, ‘You can pass the puck to their goalie,’” Tourigny said. “I don’t say, ‘Shoot the puck.’ I say, ‘Pass the puck in the mesh.’” It worked to…
The Coyotes and their development firm, Bluebird Development, announced a $2.3-billion claim against the City of Phoenix. The suit is for damages caused by Phoenix’s legal filing on March 27 for a breach of contract, which is “asking the court to rescind Tempe’s recent zoning and land use changes and prohibit future residential uses in an area that the Federal…
When Clayton Keller reached the medical room at Gila River Arena shortly after breaking his right femur in two clean pieces, the first thing that he asked the team’s orthopedic surgeon, John Tokish, was this: “Will I be able to play again?” Keller’s evolution into a bona fide NHL superstar didn’t begin that night. That process began as a child whom…
Keith Tkachuk had two initial reactions when told that Clayton Keller is closing in on Tkachuk’s single-season Coyotes points record of 86. “First of all, it makes me feel really old,” Tkachuk, 51, quipped. “Second, I didn’t even know I had the record. Maybe I just forgot because I’m old.” Hazy recall is understandable. Tkachuk’s 52-goal, 86-point season occurred 26…
Last week, we checked in on all of the Coyotes prospects who were already engaged in, or were preparing for their respective leagues’ imminent postseasons. In the March edition of the Coyotes prospect report, we checked in on three guys who are making a push for the postseason: recently recalled Tucson Roadrunners forward Nathan Smith, Roadrunners defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok, and…...
The Sun Devils hockey season didn’t go as planned. Despite the opening of Mullett Arena and a program-record 24 home games, ASU finished 18-21 and missed the NCAA Tournament field for a third straight season (not counting 2019-20 when the Devils would have made it had their season not been canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak). Of the Devils’ eight…
The postseason is in full flower for college basketball, but for many Coyotes prospects, March Madness is just beginning. At least 17 players in Arizona’s pipeline have just started their postseason, or will in the coming days. This is the time of year that the management, scouting and development staffs love because it allows them to evaluate their prospects when…
Coyotes fans who have followed me for a while know that I have a few crusades that I pursue with fervor. I don’t like poorly reasoned, factually flawed or poorly informed arguments. I don’t like lazy content such as trade grades or mock drafts. I don’t like ketchup on hot dogs, I don’t like IPAs anywhere, and I don’t like…...
Two weeks ago, I wrote a column that asked and attempted to answer seven Coyotes-related questions in the wake of the NHL trade deadline. I liked the format so much that I decided to make it a recurring theme. Introducing the 7 wonders of Craig, a column in which I stare out a window with a cup of coffee nearby,…
Josh Doan completed his sophomore season at Arizona State the way that he began it: in dramatic fashion. After scoring the first goal in Mullett Arena history on Oct. 14 vs. Colgate, Doan scored the game-winning goal as the Sun Devils (18-21) beat Long Island, 2-1 in overtime on Saturday, to complete a frustrating and injury-plagued season on a high…
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