Dater’s Daily Links: Landeskog speaks out

Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog lent his voice today to the conversation about racial justice that has obviously become more urgent and necessary in the wake of the heinous death of George Floyd in Minnesota.

#Blacklivesmatter pic.twitter.com/I3Y7VHnhJA

— Gabriel Landeskog (@GabeLandeskog92) June 3, 2020

Landeskog has always been one of the more socially conscious players on the Avalanche. Landeskog has always been someone who genuinely cares about others, and it’s not a PR stunt with him. Landeskog is a great dude.

Some hockey stuff:

• Max Kellerman today on ESPN: “In the United States of America, no one really cares about hockey.” I like Kellerman actually, think he’s articulate and fun to watch at times. But, yeah, that’s a dumb statement. Hockey is definitely growing in popularity in the United States, and I could cite a million different statistics showing that, but I don’t need to do that here, now do I? Here’s the clip: https://twitter.com/puck_report2/status/1268220792833277952
• Sidney Crosby spoke out as well (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)
• The LA Times weighs in on the pluses and minuses of every potential playoff hub site (LA Times).
• ESPN weighs in on potential finalists for the big trophies (ESPN)
• The more I have talked to other potential voters around the league’s media corps, the more I think Cale Makar will win the Calder. I think Nathan MacKinnon will get screwed again in the Hart, though. I think Draisaitl is going to win.
• Personally, I think it’s between Vegas and Edmonton for the Western Conference hub site. That’s just my hunch. Vegas has that “all in one” package that no doubt appeals to Gary Bettman. Plus, you know the players are going to want to be in Vegas. Edmonton is a great hockey city and is really pretty in the summer. I think Vegas has the edge, but we’ll see.