A Sanderson Update, A Kneeling Protest, A League Delay and More

As we wait for the NHL to start, we take a look at how our prospects are doing around other leagues as well as get an update about when our very own league should grace us back with a return. Without further introduction, this week’s edition of the Thursday links.

• Jake Sanderson may be one of the most debated top-10 picks in recent Ottawa Senators history and unfortunately it may be a while before we see the true potential of Sanderson. However, Grand Folks Herald journalist Brad Schlossman was on TSN1200 on Tuesday morning to give us quite the bright update about Sanderson. He mentions how Sanderson seems polished in every area of his game as well as described him as a “low-risk” pick who is guaranteed to be an asset to the team. He reassures critics of his offensive games by praising his jumping in the game skills and while he is more of a “pass guy”, he can surely score if the opportunity presents itself. It’s a great interview that will leave you hyped for Sanderson and what kind of player he may end up being. He also defends Tyler Kleven and praises his shot as well as confirms that the Shane Pinto pick will definitely go down as a steal.
• As most of our prospects come from Univserity of North Dakota, we of course have more news out of our farm college team. Jacob Bernard-Docker is expected to be a core player in the Ottawa Senators defense corps in the near future, and while his stats are always the point of interest, he seems to be impressing with his social principles as well. Along with teammate Jasper Weatherby, both players have decided that they would kneel during the US national anthem when they begin their season against the Miami RedHawks. Both players wanted to highlight the event beforehand to really get a chance to shine a spotlight on the issues of racial injustice. Good on both players as this kind of protest has never been done on a NCAA level before. The ND Fighting Hawks would go on to win their season opener 2-0.
• While we wait for a real update on the return of the NHL, Gary Bettman seems to be frustrated with the news suggesting he is seeking a renegotiation of the terms with NHLPA set in July. With less than a month to go until the previously announced start date of January 1st, how is the NHL planning to organize all the new protocols they still haven’t even agreed on?
• While the NHL is struggling to set a start date, another league is struggling to continue its season. Hailey Salvian and Chris Johnston reported that the Finnish Liiga has decided to take break due to rising COVID-19 concerns. /

#Sens Vitaly Abramov, Lassi Thomson and Roby Jarventie are currently playing in Liiga which will be put on pause until Dec. 19. https://t.co/jO3wHamQip

— Hailey Salvian (@hailey_salvian) December 2, 2020

• When you hear the name Tim Tebow, hockey is the last thing that comes to mind. However, it was announced on Tuesday that along with Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Myles Jack and former NFL player Reggie Hayward, they have officially become the owners of the Winnipeg Jets ECHL affiliate, the Jacksonville Icemen. It will be interesting to see what the influx of the new ownership will do to an ECHL team./