It happened again… Darren has experienced more travel woes – this time wildfire related – and he is back to share about it in “Storytime with Darren” to start the show.
Tons of goalie talk in this episode, as John, Andy, and Darren consider the offseason implications on Seattle, especially after that landscape has dramatically changed during these playoffs. Read this article that John wrote to bring yourself up to speed.
Also, some talk about the NHL awards that have been announced, and a WHL Update from our WHL Correspondent, Andy Eide.
Segments this week include Goalie Gear Corner featuring this and this, Let’s Get Quizzical, Weekly One-Timers, and Tweets of the Week.
For most of the 2019-2020 regular season it seemed as if the hockey pundits had already identified the Seattle Kraken expansion draft goalies and it felt like we had a firm grip on who we should expect Seattle to announce at next summer’s expansion draft. The consensus was that Seattle would select Antti Raanta from Arizona, Matt Murray or Tristan Jarry from Pittsburgh, and a young goalie from Vancouver named Thatcher Demko. That would have been a solid 1a/1b with Raanta and Murray and a goaltender of the future with Thatcher Demko.
In just a few months, that scenario has almost completely blow up:
It has been reported that the Arizona Coyotes could be moving their #1 goalie in Darcy Kuemper, thus opening the door for the Coyotes to protect Antti Raanta in the expansion draft. (thought #7)
Thatcher Demko may have played himself into a starting goalie position in Vancouver casting some doubt if resigning pending UFA Jacob Markstrom is really necessary with the salary cap crunch coming around the bend with pending RFAs Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes in 2021.
The goalie landscape is about to change dramatically, and it will all impact Seattle. It should be a very interesting off season so let us start at the top with the UFAs (Unrestricted Free Agents).
Robin Lehner and Jacob Markstrom could certainly re-sign with their respective teams and, in the case with Markstrom, it will certainly create an interesting dilemma on who Vancouver would protect in the expansion draft. It could create a side deal scenario where Vancouver offers something else up that sweetens the pot for Seattle to take someone else in the expansion draft in lieu of Demko or Markstrom.
Braden Holtby is a little more nuanced. By Holtby’s standards, this was a down year. Teams on the market might think this is the start of the decline or just an off year. Either way, he will land on his feet somewhere and it might be on a team that already has a starting goalie for a platooning situation.
Seattle Impact: Wherever these 3 land, they will probably be protected by their respective teams in next year’s expansion draft. Of course, if they are protected, that means someone else in their teams’ goalie depth charts will be exposed.
All 4 of these guys are over 33 and will likely land somewhere in another tag-team goalie scenario for the 2020-21 season.
Seattle Impact: Minimal. All 4 of these guys could have a good year next year and because of their age, they could all be exposed. If exposed and they continue to put up decent numbers for the 2020-21 season, Seattle might consider one of these guys to share the work with another starting goaltender.
Trade Bait
I am not making this stuff up, but it does feel a little speculative.
Pittsburgh: Matt Murray or Tristan Jarry
As mentioned before, Pittsburgh Penguins General Manager Jim Rutherford told The Athletic’s Josh Yohe that they are likely moving Murray or Jarry. Most people project Murray as the one to move on.
“There is already interest. And it looks like we’re going to have to move one of them.”
-Pittsburgh Penguins General Manager Jim Rutherford
Arizona: Darcy Kuemper
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported last week that Darcy Kuemper is a “very attractive piece” for trade talks and Arizona is desperate for some assets after trading draft picks for Taylor Hall and losing draft picks to NHL sanctions.
Toronto: Fredrik Anderson
Toronto General Manager, Kyle Dubas, isn’t shopping Anderson, but people (other GMs) are calling and Dubas is listening.
New York Rangers
The Rangers have a 3 headed monster in net which has always been unsustainable or a waste of valuable cap space. It cannot continue into next season. Whether it is a trade or a buyout, it appears Henrik Lundqvist’s days in New York could be over. Or the team might move Alexander Georgiev as Igor Shesterkin appears to be ready to take a more full-time role in net. Either way, something needs to give in New York.
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets are sitting pretty well in the goaltender department and really don’t have much to worry about for the pending expansion draft. Elvis Merzlikins is exempt from the expansion draft which enables the Blue Jackets to protect Joonas Korpisalo. That said, the Blue Jackets might want to deal Merzlikins or Korpisalo to cash in on some of that value to add some scorers to a team that is on the upswing. Matiss Kivlenieks played a few games in the NHL this year and might be ready for a more regular back up role in the NHL next season.
Vegas Golden Knights: Marc-Andre Fleury
Ever since Marc-Andre Fleury’s agent tweeted a not-so-subtle picture of the Golden Knights head coaches influence of the reduction on Fleury’s ice time, people are assuming he will get moved this offseason. If Vegas re-signs Lehner, you can almost guarantee Vegas moves Fleury.
Seattle Impact: It depends. If Murray, Kuemper, Georgiev, or Merzlikins/Korpisalo get moved, they will almost certainly be protected in the expansion draft by their new team. Again, that will expose another goalie in their system.
Current Expansion Landscape
Obviously, things will change, but here is who I have projected as protected next summer.
Note that the “Locks” are just that. It’s very unlikely things change between now and next summer’s expansion draft. “Projected” are based on current roster, so if a Tier 1 UFA is signed there or if there is a big trade that lands a goalie by one of these teams, then the projection could change.
For those keeping score at home, that leaves the following teams without a clear goalie to protect in the upcoming expansion draft, several of which could also be shopping in the free agent or trade market.
Carolina Hurricanes
Calgary Flames
Detroit Red Wings
San Jose Sharks
Toronto Maple Leafs
All of these teams will likely add a goaltender between now and the expansion draft next summer, which they will subsequently protect.
There will be a lot going on with goalies this offseason and a lot of the moves will impact who is available for the Kraken in next year’s expansion draft.
The Seattle Kraken are a season away from playing but the NHL playoffs feature players who cut their teeth in the Northwest. There are guys who played junior hockey locally – we’re just talking Washington and Oregon here, not British Columbia which is technically Southwest Canada – or are natives of the area.
As the playoffs progress, we’ll check in with guys who stood out on the ice.
By Andy Eide
At the end of Game 7 between the New York Islanders and the Philadelphia Flyers, Mathew Barzal looked like he belonged on the UFC’s Fight Island instead of Long Island.
The New York, and former Seattle Thunderbirds, star had stitches over his right eye and a bandage in his nostril to assuage bleeding incurred from a collision on the ice. For good measure, he was tagged in the head by an errant puck during warm-ups. It was a rough series for the 23-year-old.
He looked like he’d been playing playoff hockey. Any pain he might have been feeling was tempered by the fact his Islanders were moving on to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1993.
“As you go along, you’re going to look more and more like a hockey player if you’re winning,” Islanders head coach Barry Trotz said about Barzal after the game. “So right now, he’s getting a little marked up. I loved his response. He’s taking sticks to the face, things are happening. They’re taking shots at him, all that, he’s just playing through it. That’s the growth of a young player.
“That might have been his best game as a pro, since I’ve been on the island. He played the right way, he was dangerous, his battle level was high, and his focus was razor sharp…there was no cheat in his game.”
That’s high praise for a guy who didn’t record any points in Game 7 but Barzal has been dangerous throughout the post season and will be a player to watch as the Islanders start the conference finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday.
His 13 points (5 goals, 8 assists) aren’t the tops on the Islanders stat sheet but he’s contributed night in and night out, forcing the play, and creating chances. “The points will come,” Trotz added after Saturday’s game.
If the points come, and New York advances, Barzal could become a contender for the Conn Smythe.
Barzal has been a positive possession player for New York, with a Corsi-For Percentage of 53.9 at five-on-five. He’s creating grade-A scoring chances for himself and his teammates. With Barzal on the ice, the Islanders have 69 high-danger chances while the opponents only have 38.
Trotz has his team playing a detail-oriented game based on a strong defensive foundation. Barzal has fit in well, playing a 200-foot game, back checking, and at five-on-five the Islanders have outscored the opposition 12-5 during Barzal’s shifts.
While he doesn’t lead the Islanders in goals scored, his scores have been of the timely variety. Two of his five goals gave the Islanders a lead and one, a spectacular one, was an overtime winner against the Washington Capitals in the first round.
Barzal centers a line with Jordan Eberle and Anders Lee on his wings. They’ve been good for New York and will have to continue to play well against a deep and talented Lightning squad. They’re a line that has been buzzing and perhaps have yet to cash in as much as they potentially can.
Collectively they’re shooting at a 4.67 percentage which is lower than their regular season mark of 7.1. If that percentage rises to its norm, then the Lightning will have some problems.
With the offensive fire power that Tampa Bay features, Barzal and company will have to play a responsible game. Thus far in the playoffs, Islanders goalies have a combined .951 save-percentage when the Barzal line is on the ice.
They’ll need to continue that if they want to reach the Stanley Cup Final.
While Barzal isn’t the front-runner in the MVP race, he’s in the conversation and the next few weeks will determine how serious of a contender he is. He has some experience in this area, winning Playoff MVP in 2017 with Seattle as he led the Thunderbirds to their first WHL Championship.
For a player who loves to compete, and craves to be a difference maker, it might be foolish to bet against him.
The Seattle Kraken are a season away from playing but the NHL playoffs feature players who cut their teeth in the Northwest. There are guys who played junior hockey locally – we’re just talking Washington and Oregon here, not British Columbia which is technically Southwest Canada – or are natives of the area.
As the playoffs progress, we’ll check in with guys who stood out on the ice.
Demko was putting on a show for the ages and willing his Vancouver Canucks to stay alive during Friday’s Game 7 of the second round playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Golden Knights were dominating the play but couldn’t beat Demko and the game remained scoreless into the third period. The rookie goalie had not allowed a goal in 139 minutes of play but that streak would end with just over six minutes left in regulation. On the power play, Theodore got the puck at the line, took a couple strides to his right, and with a quick flick of his wrist put Vegas up 1-0.
Vegas would add a couple of empty net tallies to win the game 3-0 and advance to its second Western Conference Finals in its three-year existence.
“It’s crazy,” Theodore said after the game. “I think we had so many good quality chances. I thought we did a lot better of a job getting to the net tonight, getting rebounds…to finally break that tie, that’s huge.”
It was a huge series for the former Seattle Thunderbirds defenseman and he has skated his way into the Conn Smythe Trophy conversation, perhaps as the front runner.
Theodore leads the Golden Knights in scoring with 16 points that he accumulated on six goals and 10 assists. That puts him 12th in playoff scoring but seven of the players ahead of him have been eliminated and will be out of the running for playoff MVP.
Only Colorado’s Nathan McKinnon has more shots than Theodore (65 to Theodore’s 64) and he’s nearly doubled his shooting percentage from the regular season.
If the traditional stats aren’t convincing enough, Theodore’s underlying numbers are just as impressive.
At five-on-five, with Theodore on the ice, the Golden Knights have a 60.52 shot attempt advantage (Corsi For %) over their opponents. Theodore is driving the possession and kick starting the Vegas offense.
He’s playing against top lines and still, Vegas has had 86 high-danger chances with him on the ice at five-on-five compared to 41 against. The game is ultimately about scoring goals and with Theodore on the ice Vegas has outscored its opponents 20-8 at even strength, which is the best ratio in the playoffs.
The playoffs have showcased some of the young talent that the NHL features on the blue line. Vancouver’s Quinn Hughes has been electric, as was Colorado’s Cale Makar. Dallas Stars Miro Heiskanen is rocketing up the defensive ranks as well.
Those players have been flashy and they’re young but so is Theodore; he turned 25 in early August.
“What do you say,” Vegas head coach Pete DeBoer said Friday about Theodore. “He’s turning into a Norris caliber defenseman right before our eyes and he’s going to be in that conversation for a long time.”
Theodore was a star during his four-year stint in Seattle (2011-2015). He left as the top-scoring defenseman in the history of the Thunderbirds franchise and was named WHL Defenseman of the Year in 2015.
His mad dashes up ice that saw him weave his way through defenders became commonplace. Doing that against major junior players is one thing, but certainly he couldn’t do that against NHL quality players.
Turns out, he can, and he’s already scored the prettiest goal of the playoffs after he beat all five Vancouver defenders in Game 5.
The Anaheim Ducks selected Theodore in the first round (26th overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft and after two seasons where he was up and down between the AHL’s San Diego Gulls and the Ducks he ended up traded to Vegas. Anaheim gave up Theodore in order to ensure that the Golden Knights took Clayton Stoner, and his salary, during the expansion draft.
It couldn’t have worked out better for Theodore or the Golden Knights.
There is still a lot of hockey to play and Theodore, and the Golden Knights, will most likely have to win the Stanley Cup Final – the Conn Smythe Trophy has only been awarded to a player from the losing side five times — for him to win the MVP award.
Heiskanen is in the running and will be going up head-to-head with Theodore as the Stars and Golden Knights open the conference finals Sunday evening in Edmonton. On the Eastern side of the bracket, Tampa Bay’s Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov are contenders as is New York Islander center – and former Seattle teammate of Theodore’s – Mathew Barzal.
No matter how it plays out, Theodore has taken a step this postseason from the ledge of ‘really good defenseman’ to the elite peak and he’s still climbing.
He just might leave the bubble with two shiny trophies.
On this episode of the Sound of Hockey Podcast, get ready for a HIGH ENERGY interview with Jonny Greco, the newly hired SVP, Live Entertainment and Game Presentation for the Seattle Kraken. Jonny famously led the in-game productions for the Vegas Golden Knights in their magical inaugural season and beyond, and he also previously worked for the WWE, Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Rangers, and many others. So, he has stories to share. You’ll also get a look at how his wheels are starting to turn as he imagines how things will look when the Kraken take the ice in 2021.
You DON’T want to miss this interview with Jonny Greco.
Also in this episode, John, Andy, and Darren have a genuine conversation about what happened last week in the world of sports, and what it meant for the NHL to take a step back to focus on social issues facing our society. Plus, plenty of playoff talk, goalie talk, and playoff goalie talk.
Segments this week include Goalie Gear Corner, Weekly One-Timers, and Tweets of the Week.
Get ready for a HIGH ENERGY interview with Jonny Greco, the newly hired SVP, Live Entertainment and Game Presentation for the Seattle Kraken. Jonny famously led the in-game productions for the Vegas Golden Knights in their magical inaugural season and beyond, and he also previously worked for the WWE, Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Rangers, and many others. So, he has stories to share. You’ll also get a look at how his wheels are starting to turn as he imagines how things will look when the Kraken take the ice in 2021.
You DON’T want to miss this interview with Jonny Greco.
Also in this episode, John, Andy, and Darren have a genuine conversation about what happened last week in the world of sports, and what it meant for the NHL to take a step back to focus on social issues facing our society. Plus, plenty of playoff talk, goalie talk, and playoff goalie talk.
Segments this week include Goalie Gear Corner, Weekly One-Timers, and Tweets of the Week.
It’s a meaty episode this week, with lots of laughs and some sports business knowledge to be had.
On this episode, John and Darren have a discussion with the founder of Sports Geek, Sean Callanan, who becomes the first Australian to appear on Sound of Hockey. The discussion is an enlightening one, which gives you a better understanding of the landscape in an increasingly digital sports world. They also discuss how changes from COVID times will impact the sports world long-term, and much of the conversation is geared toward the Seattle Kraken.
Also in this episode, plenty of discussion from John, Andy, and Darren on the Mike Milbury fiasco from last week, plus some chatter about the Washington Capitals moving on from coach Todd Reirden.
Segments this week include Goalie Gear Corner, Bad Boys, Let’s Get Quizzical, Weekly One-Timers, and Tweets of the Week. Wow, that’s a lot of segments.
Every postseason, there ends up being a cycle of about eight commercials in total that eventually make you want to rip your television off the wall and throw it out the window. By the time Lord Stanley’s Cup is finally lifted, you’re actually less likely to buy a product from whichever company has appeared most frequently during your months-long hockey binge. At that point, even the mere sight of a brand’s logo can trigger dark and painful memories of commercial breaks past.
If I hear the Five-Dollar Footlong song one more time, I’m never eating another- OH, THERE IT IS! It’s on my TV again. Ok, never eating at Subway.
**Editor’s note: Just kidding. I swore off Subway long ago.
Without further ado, here is the official countdown of the most annoying commercials being played during the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
6. Paul Miss-the-Net? – New Amsterdam Vodka
The jury is very much out on whether or not this one is actually annoying. It was mentioned on this week’s Sound of Hockey as an irksome commercial candidate by one of my co-hosts, which is why it landed on this list. Frankly, though, I think it’s pretty funny. It gets bonus points for the fact that it actually features former NHLers doing NHL-looking things, while engaging in NHL-sounding on-ice banter.
The only thing that the Spittin’ Chiclets hosts have working against them here is that their ad is getting played way too frequently. If you see a commercial once, you see it a thousand times, but in this case, we’ve actually seen the commercial a thousand times.
5.Some Sort of NHL/NHL Network/NHL.tv Commercial Featuring a Bunch of Players Getting Asked Really Bizarre Interview Questions
I can’t find a link to this one, but it’s the one where Max Domi, with slicked back hair and a poorly lit background, chuckles and says, “I was pretty spoiled. I had an Audi A5 as my first car. Hahaha!” Then Andrei Vasilevskiy surmises that if he could have any first name, he would choose Sylvester. Hey, give the guy some credit. Nickname? Big Cat? Sylvester the Cat? Get it?
This one may fly under the radar for a lot of readers because not everyone has NHL.tv, and from what I can gather, thisonly aired there (and maybe on NHL Network?). For those of us that were watching the Qualifying Round on the app, though, we saw this commercial enough times in a week to last us a lifetime.
NHL.tv seems to only have a cycle of about two or three house-made commercials that they play on repeat at every break. And every year, those two or three commercials will drive you absolutely bonkers by your third time viewing them.
To be honest, I’m glad I can’t watch games on the app beyond the Qualifying Round, because if I could, I know my TV would eventually be smashed to bits. This one would land much higher on the list, if we weren’t already rescued from it via everything now being blacked out on the app.
4. Marc-Andre Fleury and Mark Stone Getting Silly with an iPhone – Apple
This one falls right in that same vein as the New Amsterdam commercial. If you were to see this one a few times, you’d think, Oh, that’s a fun commercial. Look at these fun-loving hockey players, just acting like fun little kids on the ice. I should go get the new iPhone. That would be fun.
And then you see it for the fifth time. And then you see it for the tenth time. And then you start to really notice that person whistling in the song. And then you can’t unhear that whistle. And then it’s the only thing you notice the second this commercial comes on. And then you’ve decided that you’ll never buy another iPhone as long as you live.
3. Martin Brodeur Lost His Cup – Enterprise
First off, why does Martin Brodeur seem to rent cars so frequently? He’s arguably the most successful goalie of all time. Doesn’t he have cars of his own? Second, why is the Stanley Cup his first guess at which cup he’s missing? The Stanley Cup is CLEARLY SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO HIM WHILE HE’S ON THE PHONE WITH THE ENTERPRISE REP! Third, why do they have to make Martin seem so conceited? Who just drives around with that many trophies in a rental car? I think less of him as a human being every time I see this ad.
The thing that’s most bothersome about this commercial, though, is that sometimes a joke can work, even when you know the punchline. But in this case, we know the punchline, and it isn’t a funny punchline.
Yeah, we know it’s his f***ing coffee cup that’s missing! Just say that from the beginning when he picks up the phone, and then we don’t have to play this stupid f***ing charade during every commercial break!
2. Following Her Dreams Into Taxidermy – Geico
Woof. This one could easily have taken the pole position, but was saved by the fact that if you could watch it only once, you might think that it’s a decent and perhaps even chuckle-inducing spot.
But you haven’t watched this commercial only one time, have you? I don’t even need to include the video for you to know which one I’m talking about (though I’m still including it), do I?
Poor Idina. Poor, poor, stinking rich and pretty famous Idina.
She couldn’t have known how many times they were going to play this ad when she signed on to do this. If she had, she would have realized that she was potentially losing thousands of fans by participating, and no popular recording artist/Broadway star/Frozen voice actress in their right mind would take that risk. Alas, it has happened, and now I’m done with Idina, just like I’m never buying any kind of insurance from Geico, even if switching actually saves me 20%.
As an aside, remember when John Travolta introduced her at the Academy Awards as “the Wickedly talented Adele Dazeem?” That was the Idina (or Adele) that I once knew and loved. Bring back Adele Dazeem!
HE READ THAT WRONG, OH YEEEEEAAAAAAAAH!
1. Five… Five Dollar… Five Dollar Footlooong! – Subway
I. Cannot. Believe. Subway. Is. Still. Using. This. Campaign.
Where Idina Menzel saved herself by at least signing on to do a spot that’s semi-tolerable in small doses, Charlie Puth made a deal with the devil by signing on with Subway. He knew exactly what he was getting himself into when he agreed to sit down in front of a Casio keyboard and sing the worst jingle of a generation.
Remember this Subway “commercial” from Happy Gilmore? Well, never have I wanted to tee up a Cold Cut Combo like Happy and launch it into somebody’s sandwich hole more than I do when Charlie appears on my screen.
They should just use that Happy Gilmore commercial as their actual commercial in perpetuity.
Anyway, congratulations, Charlie. Most hockey fans seemed to have no idea who you were before, but now that they do know who you are, they will hate you forever.
A milestone episode for the guys calls for a very special guest!
This week, Sound of Hockey welcomes Lance Lopes, Executive Vice President and General Counsel for the Seattle Kraken. Lance was technically the very first employee hired by the Oak View Group in Seattle to make Climate Pledge Arena a reality, and as such was one of the most influential people in bringing the 32nd NHL franchise to life. Lance shares some fantastic behind-the-scenes stories about the arena processes and the triumphant 2018 season ticket drive. This is a very interesting interview.
Also in this episode, you will hear some solid NHL Bubble chatter from John, Andy, and Darren, and some good ribbing of Mike Milbury for an atrocious tweet.
Segments this week include Bad Boys, Weekly One-Timers, and Tweets of the Week.
SEATTLE — Against an impossibly blue sky, a crane swung a steel beam around before lowering it down to two workers perched up high on the frame of the structure. The workers secured the beam into place as hundreds of their fellow BN Builders crew members on the ground looked on. Once secured, the final beam in the Seattle Kraken’s Northgate practice facility was installed.
Monday’s activities were what are known as a ‘topping off’ ceremony and is a celebration of a major milestone in the construction of the Northgate Ice Centre.
Two workers celebrate the installation of the final beam at the Northgate Ice Centre. (Brian Liesse photo)
The three-sheet practice facility, which will also serve the community by allowing public access to the ice, has taken shape. All three rinks are visible, although made of dirt rather than ice at the moment, and missing boards, benches, and glass.
To reach this point in the project, which broke ground in February, crews had to excavate 25,000 cubic yards of dirt and install just short of 3 million pounds of structural steel.
Installation of the final beam on Monday was the result of 2,700 man hours and the crew celebrated with raucous cheers as the beam was set in place. All of the workers got a chance to sign the beam before it was hoisted in the air, forever cementing their names into the Northgate project.
Inside, in one of the rinks, prior to the beam being secured, BNB workers, along with team staff and visitors, gathered in front of giant flag with the now widely popular Kraken ‘S’ on it.
“We’re really here today to honor you,” Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke said to the group. “We believe in unions and we believe in what you’ve done here. I just want to give thanks to each and every person here and I hope you never forget what you’ve done here. In these times, to come to work and put these masks on, to not step away, it’s truly the American spirit.
“We know that under this roof that you’ve built, amazing things are going to happen…you’ve played a really important role. Never, ever forget, and forever take credit…I can’t wait to come back and invite all these men and women back. I’m buying the beer and we’re going to celebrate.”
The Northgate Ice Centre is an 180,000 square foot project, located on the east side of the mall where the Macy’s Department Store had been, and will serve as a practice space for the NHL club as well as house its staff. Along with the three rinks, the facility will feature a restaurant and a Virginia Mason Clinic.
One of the three rinks at the Northgate Ice Centre practice facility. (Brian Liesse photo)
Phase one of the project is targeted to be finished in June of 2021 which includes the team office area and main rink. The remainder of the project is set to be finished in September of 2021.
“This is thrilling,” Kraken executive counsel Lance Lopes said. “It’s been fantastic to see this thing take its final structure. We’ve known how big and impressive it was going to be for some time. But, until you actually see it in place, it really hits you. We’re so excited about what we’re about to bring to Seattle.”
Work on the project was briefly stopped in March as the State limited what construction projects could be worked on during the COVID pandemic.
Eventually given the green light, the work continued with workers following strict social distancing and masking procedures. With the final beam in place, work can now begin on completing the structure, putting in walls, windows, and at some point, next summer, ice.
“We have a lot of work to do still but we’ve been able to continue to stay on pace,” Lopes said. “We’re really happy with the way our construction teams have stepped up and stayed safe. We’ve haven’t had any positive tests out here. The team has really been paying attention and we have a safe site and an on-time site.”
Check out pictures of the structure in a gallery from photographer Brian Liesse:
