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Unfiltered, Unleashed, and Uncensored: Your Weekly Sports Q&A Session

Can Primeau Have Been the Backup Goalie?

During the three-way duel between the Capitals and the Canadiens, Jakub Dobes stepped up when Samuel Montembeault got hurt. If Cayden Primeau had been at the Bell Centre, could he have donned the goalie gear and become the substitute goaltender?

Sylvain Plante

Answer:Nope, but not due to reasons you might think. You see, during the regular season, each team is restricted to just two goalies on their roster. The home team must provide an emergency goalie, available for both teams in case of an injury. This person cannot be under contract with any team. However, in the playoffs, teams can keep as many players as they want on their roster, including goalies, because there's no salary cap. Even if only two names are on the game sheet, a goalie under contract can put on his gear during the game, as demonstrated by Clay Stevenson for the Washington Capitals last Friday. But, Primeau couldn't have played, simply because the Canadiens hadn't officially recalled him from the American League before 5 PM on the day of the game. Even if he had been at the Bell Centre, he wouldn't have technically been "officially" part of the team yet.

The Benches Clear: A Brawl in the NHL?

When was the last time there was a full-blown brawl (benches clearing) in the NHL or with the Canadiens?

André Dubuc

Answer:First off, let's get this straight—what transpired between the Capitals and the Canadiens last Friday couldn't be called a bench-clearing brawl. Ryan Leonard and Lane Hutson were holding hands, for crying out loud, while David Savard and Brandon Duhaime were chatting like they were on a terrace. I've been around since 1995, and I don't recall witnessing a bench-clearing brawl involving all players from both teams in my lifetime. My colleague Richard Labbé reminded me that the last time it happened in a Canadiens game was back in 1987, during the Conference Final against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Montreal Forum. The fight initiated during the warm-up period, with many players returning to the ice even though they had already taken off their jerseys and shoulder pads. It's a bit surreal to watch these images today, knowing that such practice has been discontinued. After this spectacle, the NHL implemented new rules, including significant suspensions and fines for anyone who leaves the bench to participate in a fight. Since then, we've seen all 10 players, or 12 including the goalies, fight at the same time, but not the benches clearing.

Statisticians in Action: Gathering Hockey Data

Who calculates all the statistics for every hockey player during a game? Do they need to watch the game again to get this information?

Pierre Ouellette

Answer:It's all about technology these days. Each player wears a chip sewn into their jersey that tracks their movements. There are also sensors in the puck. Each NHL arena now has at least 14 cameras that detect the infrared signals emitted by these sensors. There are 60 signals per second sent by the puck sensors and 15 per second by the chips in the jerseys. This results in millions of data points per game. Teams have access to this since 2021, and these statistics are now publicly available on the NHL EDGE website since 2023. Before 2021, this was calculated by NHL officials in person at the arenas. Now, only one person remains on duty to ensure the sensors are reading correctly and to make any necessary corrections.

The ATP Tour Ranking: A Breakdown

What's the deal with ATP 500, etc.?

Alain Cornellier

Response:Well, buddy, in the ATP, there are seven different types of tournaments. The numbers associated with these tournaments represent the points won by the winners that are added to their overall ranking. On the lower end, but still above the ITF circuit, are the ATP Challenger 125 and 175 tournaments. The least-ranked ATP players compete in these. A step higher are the ATP 250 events, then ATP 500, and then ATP 1000. The tournaments in Montreal and Toronto fall under this ATP 1000 category, one tier below the Grand Slam tournaments in terms of prestige and ranking points. The Australian Open, US Open, Roland-Garros, and Wimbledon award 2000 ranking points to their winners. Players gain points for each round won. For example, in Montreal, a player who advances to the second round will add 10 points to their annual total, then 30 points in the third round, and so on, all the way up to 1000 points if they win the championship.

The NHL Draft Lottery: Who's in for 2025?

Will the Boston Bruins be part of the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery?

Claude Charland

Response:You betcha! Here's the lowdown: 16 teams get excluded from the playoffs each season. Now, each year, lottery chances are assigned based on the regular season standings. The last-place team has a 25.5% chance of winning the lottery, the second-to-last team has a 13.5% chance, and so on. The Bruins, finishing 28th, have an 8.5% chance of winning the first pick. There are two drawings to determine the draft order. In the first, the first team drawn gets the first pick, but only if that team finished among the 11 worst in the league. Otherwise, a team can only move up 10 spots, and the last-place team gets the first pick. The second drawing determines the second team to draft. After that, the order is set from worst to best team.

As the rule stands in the NHL, even to serve as an emergency backup goalie during a regular season game, a player like Cayden Primeau must not be under contract with any team, unlike in the playoffs where teams can have more than two goalies on their roster.
In the history of the Canadiens, a full-blown bench-clearing brawl has been absent as we know it, with the encounter between the Capitals and the Canadiens in 2021 lacking the intensity of a classic basketball-style brawl.
The statistics for every hockey player during a game are tracked using technology, with each player wearing a chip in their jersey and the puck being equipped with sensors, generating millions of data points per game.
In the ATP Tour, the different categories of tournaments (ATP 250, 500, 1000, and Grand Slam) are ranked based on the points won by the winners, which are added to their overall ranking. The Boston Bruins, with their 2025 performance in mind, will be included in the NHL Draft Lottery potentially competing for a chance to draft the first pick.