Nash Daily: Winter Classic Shutout; Return of International Hockey?

The Seattle Kraken defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 in the 2024 NHL Winter Classic at T-Mobile Park, home to the MLB’s Seattle Mariners.

While the afternoon had its share of fun moments, the Kraken dominated from puck drop with former Nashville Predator Eeli Tolvanen scoring the eventual game-winning goal a little less than five minutes into the first period. After that, the Kraken never looked back as goaltender Joey Daccord recorded the first-ever shutout in Winter Classic history with his 35-save performance.

HISTORY‼️

Joey Daccord (@JDac35) makes 35 stops en route to the first @pepsi shutout in #WinterClassic history! pic.twitter.com/9ZEXLRo013

— NHL (@NHL) January 1, 2024

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman also made a surprise teaser announcement regarding the potential return of international hockey in 2025 with an in-season international tournament. The specifics will be announced at a later date.

The NBA experimented with an in-season tournament this season without much success, but an international component will always add a bit more incentive for players and also attract many more eyeballs.

Any specifics about the proposed tournament will need to be ironed out between the NHL and the NHLPA, but international games like this do not impact hockey-related revenue, meaning any revenues would be split between the players and the NHL outside of the ordinary 50/50 split that impacts the overall NHL season salary cap.

One final note from a jam-packed New Year’s Day, the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) had its inaugural game in Toronto with New York defeating Toronto 4-0.

Nashville Hockey Now

The hockey world is still curious in the NHL’s decision to overturn Alexander Ovechkin’s goal against the Nashville Predators on Saturday night. I broke down the play and explained why the right call may not have been made.

As the Predators prepare to return to the ice and take on the Chicago Blackhawks tonight at Bridgestone Arena, take a look at the plus/minus report from Saturday’s win in Washington.

Predators prospect Zachary L’Heureux has always played with a bit of an edge, but his latest antics have landed him an AHL suspension after getting physical with Chicago Blackhawks prospect Colton Dach.

Central Division Standings

1. Colorado Avalanche — 23-11-3, 49 points
2. Winnipeg Jets — 22-9-4, 48 points
3. Dallas Stars — 22-9-4, 48 points
4. Nashville Predators — 20-16-1, 41 points
5. Arizona Coyotes — 19-14-2, 40 points
6. St. Louis Blues — 18-17-1, 37 points
7. Minnesota Wild — 16-15-4, 36 points
8. Chicago Blackhawks — 11-23-2, 24 points

Around the NHL and National Hockey Now

Chicago Hockey Now: This isn’t the Blackhawks’ first rebuild, so how does the current one compare to the 2005-06 rebuild that led to their dynastic run?

Colorado Hockey Now: Nathan McKinnon continues to dominate and the month of December was no different.

San Jose Hockey Now: Hockey takes up a lot of an NHL player’s time, but rivalries can start in the realm of fantasy football as well.

Vegas Hockey Now: What happened to Vegas in the Winer Classic?

Follow Clay Brewer on Twitter/X: @ClayBrewer10

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