Hundred Proof: The 2016-17 NHL Season, Ten Years Later

Sawyer Haber: Welcome back to another episode of Celly Central. I'm your host, Sawyer, aka B G with No Hockey. We're going to do a little blast from the past, the 2016-2017 NHL season. Been thinking about this for a while, and I thought, hmm, no time like the present. That was the NHL centennial season, 100 years of the league. We had incredible teenagers coming in the league. Auston Matthews, Patrick Laine Mitch Marner, William Neelander, Zach Werenski Matthew Tkachuk Sebastian Aho, and Jake Guentzel Just those names alone spark fear in all hockey fans. I mean, just incredible talent right there. And without further ado, let's get right into the centennial NHL season. So, as we know, the rookie class, like I was just talking about, Auston Matthews takes home the Calder, aka the rookie of the year. He had 40 goals, 29 assists, 69 points, led all rookies in goals and points, and shots on goal with 279. Tied for second in the entire league in goals. Also first time ever in hockey. His debut, he had four goals. It took place October 12th in Ottawa. Toronto per usual. Torontoing their way. They lost by a score of five to four. Matthews just put on a clinic. And he also was the first rookie to hit 40 goals since Alex Ovechkin, who did it in 2005-2006 season with 52 goals. Also beating out Wendell Clark's rookie, rookie year with 34 goals. So truly incredible. Second in the discussion was Patrick Laine with 36 goals, 28 assists, 64 points in 73 games. Missed nine games due to concussion. Led the Jets in goals as an 18-year-old first player in NHL history to have three hat tricks before his 19th birthday. I mean, he was the real deal before, as we know, a Fortnite injury ruined his career. And then lastly, Zach Werenski Zach Werenski out of Michigan for the Columbus Blue Jackets. 11 goals, 36 assists, 47 points, led all rookie, defensemen in goals, assists, and points, a plus 17, the best for any rookie. And he was also paired alongside Seth Jones and Columbus. The 2016 2017 NHL rookie team, which is voted upon from the player association. Auston Matthews, Patrick Laine, Mitch Marner, Zach Werenski. Ranger legend, Brady Skjei who's now with the Nashville Predator Organization. And Matt Murray was the goalie, as you know, the deep lore we know with Matt Murray. The rest of this rookie class, truly incredible. Like I mentioned before, Marner had 61 points in 77 games, broke the Leafs record for assists by a rookie with 42 apples. Truly incredible. Then Knee Lander as well, 22 goals, 39 assists, 61 points. Sebastian Aho, 24 goals, 49 points. And then, I mean, Matthew Tkachuk point, Konecny and also Charlie McAvoy made his debut that playoff for the Boston Bruins. And I just want to highlight a guy who's actually playing for my Tampa Bay Lightning. His name's Jake Guentzel He did not win the Calder. He had 16 goals, 33 points in 40 regular season games. But then in the playoffs, he turned into an utter monster. Eight goals in his first nine playoff games. The only players to do that were Maurice Richard, Wayne Gretzky, and Super Mario, who also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins. He also had five game winning goals in one postseason, most by any rookie. That is a rookie record, also scoring the game winner in both Game One and Two of the Stanley Cup final, second rookie to ever do that. He also finished his rookie postseason debut with 13 goals, 21 points, tying Dino Cicerelli's 1981 rookie season. Truly incredible. Next up, Connor McDavid. I mean, at 20 years old, 100 points, 30 goals, 70 apples. The league's first 100 point season since Sidney Crosby did it in the 2013-14 season. Took home the Art Ross, Hart, and Ted Lindsey. Just sweeped them off the board. Also, the youngest captain in NHL history, named Captain of the Edmonton Oilers, October at 19 years old. And he's lived up to the hype ever since he came into the league. Edmonton made the playoffs for the first time since 2006, beating out the San Jose Sharks. However, losing to Anaheim in seven games after the Ducks, as we know in game five, came back with three minutes and sixteen seconds left to force overtime and steal it. there was goaltender interference in that. But again, obviously, you know, goalie interference isn't what it was back then like it is today. I think that goal should have been called back, that Ryan Kessler was on Cam Talbot's pad. But that's just me. What do I know about hockey? Next up, the Pittsburgh Penguins repeat as Stanley Cup champions. The Penguins beat the Predators in six game. The Predators' first ever opportunity trying to win a Stanley Cup. Their first Stanley Cup appearance in history. Incredible Cinderella stuff, Cinderella run for them. Ended by somebody who they once drafted. In Game 6 with 18-25 elapsed to the third period. A guy by the name of Patric Hörnqvist scored a goal that ricocheted off Pekka Rinne back Fun fact, he was drafted by the Predators. I want to say in the early mid 2000s. And obviously, as we know, he goes on and beats the team that drafted him. So, you know, that's that's hockey, baby. It's a business at the end of the day, as we know. And just bear with me, my AirPods are not charging. All right, we're good, we're chilling, they're charging now. Again, like I mentioned, it was Predators' first ever Stanley Cup final in their history. And Subban and Crosby were just beefing the entire time. I thought that was great. Matt Murray, who came in for relief of Marc-Andre Fleury, had back-to-back shutouts in games five and six. The hardware, the art, I'm sorry, the Hart, Art Ross, and Lindsay, as we know, McDavid, 100 points at age 20. The Rocket Richard, 44 goals, Sidney Crosby taking that home. The Vezna Sergei Bobrovsky 41 wins, 17 losses, and five overtime losses, slash shootout losses with a goal differential of 2.06. Also, Columbus went on an insane win streak where they won 16 straight, second longest streak ever in their franchise. The Norse taken home by Brent Burns. Congratulations to him beating out Victor Hedmann and Erik Karlsson that year. Selke, Patrice Bergeron, one of the greatest defensive centers of all time. That was his fourth. Tying Bob Gainey for the fourth most all time. The Calder, like I mentioned, taken home by Arizona's truly and USA hockey captain Auston Matthews. The Jack Adams Torts took it home. Truly incredible. I mean, just looking at these names and who won, just insane. The President's trophy, the Washington Capitals took it. But as we know, the curse lives on. And lastly, the Conn Smythe Crosby won it back to back years. Congratulations to him. I just want to talk about Tampa Bay Lightning and what happened this year. So they finished with 94 points with a record of 42, 30, and 10. They missed the playoffs by one point. Toronto got into the final wild card spot with 95. The Islanders also missed the playoffs by one point. Their captain at the time, Steven Stamkos, only played 17 games as he tore his lateral meniscus November 15th in Detroit with a collision. He actually scored in the same game, and then that was it. Goaltender Ben Bishop was traded away at the deadline for what would be Eric Cernak and a bunch of other pieces, cementing the fact that the big cat would get the net moving forward for the franchise. Kuch 40 goals, 85 points in 74 games. That was his breakout. And then Hedmann, 72 points, a Norris trophy finalist. Not a single lightning player that year played all 82 games. Killorn led them with 81. So a lot of injury there. Steve Yzerman a lot of questions there, if I may be honest. As we know, that year we had the Vegas expansion draft. The team would go into, you know, the next year as their first ever inaugural year in the NHL. The NHL released the hundredth greatest players for obviously their centennial year. There was a stadium series at Heinz Field. There's a winter classic. By the way, the stadium series would be was between The Penguins and the Flyers. And then the Blues hosted the Blackhawks. Typical, I mean, for so many years, it was the Blackhawks versus the Blues. Blackhawks playing Detroit. It was just always Chicago with Kane and Toews And then the World Cup of hockey that year. Canada beat Team Europe. We had Team North America twenty-three and under. That was probably the most entertaining thing I've watched since the four nations in the Olympics. And then it was also Jaromír Jágr final full NHL season at age forty five in Florida. Now to go into how every team did. Like I mentioned, the Capitals won the president's trophy, second straight in franchise history. Ovechkin hit a thousand points. However, the team just could not get it done in the end. So what had happened was the New York Rangers clinched the playoffs in the first wild card. They had a goal against the Montreal Canadians. A lot of people thinking the Habs were going to win that series. The Rangers won in six. The Ottawa Senators playing the Boston Bruins. The Ottawa Senators beat the Bruins in six. Caps beat the Leafs in six. Five of those six games going to overtime. And I mean, I'll never forget Auston Matthews goal in game six, where the puck ricochet is off the board. He gets his own rebound. And I mean that place was bumping. And then Pittsburgh beats Columbus in five. As we know, that was Zach Werenski infamous taking the shot off the face, bleeding. Needing to get his whole face restitched and he comes back like it's nothing. Then out in the West, the Nashville Predators. Again, their Cinderella run started then. They swept the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blues beat the Minnesota Wild. Quote, the state of hockey who can never win a playoff series. The Ducks sweep the Flames and the Oilers in six dismantle the Sharks. Then in round two, the Penguins beat the Washington Capitals in seven. The Rangers lose in six to the Ottawa Senators. The Predators stunned the Blues by beating them in six. And like I mentioned, the Ducks lose. I'm sorry, the Ducks beat the Oilers in seven. Connor McDavid's first ever taste of playoffs, defeated in seven. Then the Eastern Conference Finals, Pittsburgh beating the Ottawa Senators in game seven. Kunitz a drive, as we know, that eliminated the Ottawa Senators. And ever since then, the Sens have never been the same. That goal single-handedly broke that franchise. And then over. In the West, you had Nashville beating the Ducks in six. And like I mentioned, the Stanley Cup final, the Penguins end up beating the Predators in six in Nashville. And the Predators were so close in that game six. There was a goal that got called back because a ref didn't see the puck. Thought that should have been a goal, but again, woulda shoulda coulda. Shoulda put up more shots on net and try to score. So funny enough, you know, I mentioned the fact that Crosby wins the Conn Smythe. And 24 games played, eight goals, nineteen assists, twenty-seven points, but Malkin in twenty-five games, ten goals, eighteen assists, twenty-eight points. Again, he had more points, but I mean Sid the Kid is Sid the Kid, so I understand why he got the Conn Smythe. Like I mentioned, Marc-Andre Flurry started the playoffs because rookie goalie Matt Murray got hurt in warm-ups before game one. Flurry went nine and six. And then come the Eastern Conference Finals, Matt Murray came in, three shutouts, a 170 goals against a 930 save percentage. And then six weeks later, as we know, Fleury went to the Vegas Golden Knights after the season ended, which I know left a lot of fans very upset and frustrated. I mean, if you really think about it, a hundred years of the NHL, right? Truly incredible. I mean, the talent that we've had come through. I mean the league in general. I mean, crazy enough, that same year the Detroit Red Wings missed the playoffs for the first time. Their long, you know, consecutive streak of making the playoffs at Joe Lewis Arena done. It's dunzo. also on top of that, like I mentioned, the Vegas Golden Knights became an NHL team that year, and then that offseason. They had their expansion June 21st, 2017. Again, I didn't think that they were going to make it all the way to the Stanley Cup final. but a lot of people are talking about the difference between them and Seattle. And if I'm being honest, I think a lot of teams learn from Vegas because what happens is when you have shit contracts, right? Teams have to obviously give Vegas some sort of compensation to take on a player. So Clayton Stoner, as we know with the ducks. Up there in age, they made a deal. You take Clayton Stoner Clayton Stoner, you then get Shea Theodore, who's become a franchise defenseman out in Vegas. same thing. A bunch of guys who were on terrible deals were taken and the compensation were first round picks. Don't blame Vegas for not even exploiting the system, but just understanding that they're able to get what they can get. Seattle wasn't able to do that. And that is why Vegas is thriving to where Seattle You know, made the playoffs once and lost in the second round when they did. Also, Henrik Lundqvist passed Dominik Hašek for most wins by a your a European-born goalie and got his 400th. King Hank did his thing in that first round. They beat Montreal on six. I mean, I thought it was an amazing playoff. Price versus Lundquist, two of the greatest goalies to never be able to win a Stanley Cup. But again. As we know, the Rangers won and six. I'll never forget staying up for that overtime in game five, where Kreider tries to get it over to Zibanejad Forgot whose stick of the Montreal defenseman's the defender, the puck went off the Montreal defender and went right to Zibanejad for that game five winner. Tanner Glass scored a goal in game one. Michael Grabner just had a beautiful forehand backhand goal. I mean, what a what a legend there to say so myself. And also to end off here, Patrick Kane had his 10th straight 20 goal season, first ever by an American born player. I mean, just truly incredible here. I mean, yeah, I'm looking at this right now. Vancouver missed the playoffs, but the Henrik Sedin at least got his 1000th point. And on top of that, five of the original six teams made the playoffs. The only one that didn't, like I mentioned, was Detroit. Five Canadian teams made the playoffs after zero made it the year prior. And also the salary cap at that point was 73.1 million. Now it's I want to say over a hundred million. So insane. I mean, if we're gonna talk about this, Matthews is now the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs coming off knee surgery, should be back by mid September. Zach Werenski is a franchise defenseman. Matthew Tkachuk has single-handedly changed the Florida Panthers' identity, and that's why they won two Stanley Cups, or teams are feared to play them. Mitch Marner, too, that same year in June, a kid who was playing in what's called the AJHL, which is below Canadian junior. It's like junior A. His name was Cale Makar He was drafted fourth overall. A lot of people thought Joe Sakic was crazy, but Makar is probably the best NHL defenseman. Currently, you could argue that Quinn Hughes is better, but I gotta go with Cale Makar Utter game changer, and then a guy whose NHL career unfortunately never panned out. Nolan Patrick due to concussions. And yeah, Toronto still hasn't won a Stanley Cup. you know, nothing's new in that sense. Just and just incredible looking back on this. I mean, it sucks that kids nowadays, I mean, I'm not saying it sucks. You know, you got Macklin Celebrini, Connor Bedard, Will Smith. I mean, I would say those are the guy those are the faces of the NHL currently, Leo Carlsson as well. But I mean, at my age, being in high school, it was actually my freshman year of high school, getting to see a guy like Connor McDavid come back after his rookie year. After separating his shoulder and putting up a hundred points is just mind-boggling to me. And he is honestly the best athlete on this planet from all four sports: hockey, baseball, football, basketball. Connor McDavid is a transcendent talent. That's all I gotta say. With that being said, I just want to thank you all for listening to this episode of Celly Central. Looking back at a hundred years back in 2017. 10 years later, after that, where we stand, it's just truly incredible. The centennial year for the NHL, it was it was a golden age. The talent is here, the future of the NHL is now. With that being said, I will see you guys on the other side of the glass, and bye-bye.