Former Toronto Maple Leafs president and Hockey Hall of Fame forward Brendan Shanahan has wrapped up his Hockey Canada assignment on Ontario junior hockey, and the result is a set of 11 recommendations aimed at improving development and care for athletes.
Shanahan was asked to examine Ontario junior hockey and lay out a path forward through 2026. His first recommendation is a standardized billeting policy that would give teenagers more flexibility to play across Ontario. He also wants Hockey Canada to create both an advisory committee and an executive position to oversee the policy changes and the rest of his recommendations.
Shanahan, who now works in the NHL league office, made clear he is not interested in that executive job. He told Chris Johnston of The Athletic:
It’s going to be a key hire. Somebody that has worked and lived in that space, but yet has the ability to take a step back and see the bigger picture and sort of put all of the different leagues and organizations in the best position to thrive. That’s not me.
Another major piece of his report calls for all Ontario junior leagues to line up with the rules of the Ontario Hockey League. Shanahan’s approach, by design, avoids getting overly specific; the goal was to give Hockey Canada clear steps it could start on quickly. Hockey Canada president and CEO Katherine Henderson said those changes will begin as soon as this season.
Around the league, Detroit Red Wings coach Todd McLellan said the team won’t have a full picture of its blue line until Simon Edvinsson is signed, according to Max Bultman of The Athletic. McLellan said Detroit can’t really think “long term” when it comes to fringe defenders such as Anton Johansson or Axel Sandin Pellikka and whether they make the final cuts.
Sandin Pellikka appeared in 68 games for Detroit last season and finished his rookie year with 21 points and minus-20, with much of his ice time coming alongside Edvinsson or Ben Chiarot. If Edvinsson ends up missing the start of the season - something Detroit appears likely to avoid - the Red Wings could have enough room on defense for both Johansson and Sandin Pellikka.
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin has also made a change off the ice, switching agents as his trade request remains unresolved. The 24-year-old has parted ways with Quartexx Hockey and hired Paul Theofanous, per PuckPedia.
Theofanous represents Russian stars including Kirill Kaprizov, Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky, and he’ll now handle negotiations for Nikishin, who is still an unsigned restricted free agent with only days left before the regular season begins. Nikishin had 11 goals and 33 points in his rookie NHL season last year, and despite his issues with Carolina, a return to the KHL is reportedly not on the table for the Stanley Cup-winning defenseman.
In Other News...
Flames Already Have A New Blue Line Question After Camp
The Red Wings added another layer to their blue line plans by claiming defenseman Andreas Englund off waivers from Calgary, giving them a veteran depth piece as camp moves into its final stretch. Englund, 30, signed a one-year deal with the Flames, but his time there ended quickly after he was outplayed in camp, and Detroit now gets a player with NHL experience across several teams at a position where extra bodies can matter.
For the Red Wings, the move fits into a broader defensive picture that still has one important unfinished piece. They are working to finalize a deal with restricted free agent Simon Edvinsson, and until that is settled, there is still some uncertainty about how the back end will line up when the roster takes shape for real. Englund does not change the headline as much as he adds insurance, but in September, that kind of insurance can be useful. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Roster Battle Just Got A Lot Tougher To Call
Mason Appleton has made himself part of one of the more interesting decisions lingering over Red Wings camp. His work in training camp and the preseason has stood out enough to keep him in the conversation, even as younger players push hard for jobs and the roster picture begins to take shape. Coach Todd McLellan has made it clear this is still a competition, and Appletons case is built on showing he can bring value in a crowded fight for spots.
The pressure is real because some of the younger players have already done enough to stick, while others are still trying to win over the coaching staff. Carter Mazur is among the names in that second group, and his situation helps explain why the final decisions are not so simple. For Appleton, the challenge is straightforward but unforgiving: keep performing well enough that the team has no choice but to keep him around. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Final Preseason Game Will Force Tough Roster Calls
The final preseason game against the Columbus Blue Jackets is arriving at the right time for the Red Wings, because the roster picture is getting crowded in the areas that matter most. Detroit has already begun sorting through a group that includes Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Anton Johansson, Carter Mazur and Mason Appleton, while the goaltending tandem of John Gibson and Daniil Tarasov looks set heading into the regular season.
What remains unsettled is the kind of late-stage trimming that can reshape the back end of the roster and the forward mix all at once. The Red Wings still need to make more cuts to get under the required limits, and the final defense spot is part of the problem, with several young blue-liners still in the mix and at least one candidate working through an injury, leaving the front office with a few difficult decisions to settle before opening night. [Read more 🡒]