Formenton Turns Himself In, Laine Enters Assistance Program, Stadium Series Jerseys Released, and more

Links, news, and notes to start your week:

• Alex Formenton has officially turned himself in to London Police in connection with the 2018 Hockey Canada alleged sexual assault case. His lawyer says, "Alex will vigorously defend his innocence and asks that people not rush to judgment without hearing all of the evidence.” The London Police are set to host a press conference on Monday, February 5th to provide an update on the case.
• Dan Robson of The Athletics outlines how so many people are to blame for this Hockey Canada story, with failings at every level. He talks about how this alleged sexual assault occurred almost six years ago, and it shouldn't have nearly taken this long to get to this point—it's hard to disagree there. I sincerely hope the victim finds some peace when this is done because I can't imagine how difficult it must be for her to have this being so public.
• Patrik Laine is entering the NHL Player Assistance Program, citing his mental health as something he needs to focus on. He doesn't need to provide a reason, though, and hopefully people will respect his privacy during that time. All the best to Patrik.
• The 2024 Stadium Series jerseys were released on Friday, with lots of love for the New York Rangers sweater but not much for the New York Islanders one.
• The Edmonton Oilers won again on Saturday, and their winning streak is now at a whopping 16 games – just one behind the all-time record of 17 set by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992-93. They now have a bye week and won't be back until February 6th when they will play in Vegas against the Golden Knights. If they win, they'll have a chance to set the record on February 9th on the road against the Anaheim Ducks.
• New York Rangers forward Filip Chytil will miss the remainder of the season due to an undisclosed upper-body injury. He had played just 10 games this season and had 0 goals and 6 assists. The Rangers will certainly be in the market for a forward—Sean Monahan, Adam Henrique, or Elias Lindholm perhaps?
• The Senators hosted their "Sens Skills" on Sunday, with lots of fun being had. You can see a recap of all the events on Ottawa's "X" page, with maybe the biggest surprise being Josh Norris winning the fastest skater!
• Auston Matthews was the first player to 40 goals this season, as he reached the milestone on Saturday. He set a record for the quickest player to 40 goals (46 games) in Maple Leafs history, and it was also his 600th career point. He's on pace for 71 goals—can he be the first since Teemu Selanne and Alex Mogilny hit that mark in 1992-93?
• USA Hockey has mandated for next season that all hockey players under the age of 18 must wear a neck guard while playing. When I played hockey growing up, it always perplexed me to see American teams without neck guards, because it was always mandatory in Canada. Regardless, it's a good step for USA Hockey, and I hope older leagues follow suit too. If you wear it all the time, you really don't notice it.
• 39-year-old Zach Parise has signed a 1-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche. I had, frankly, completely forgotten he hadn't yet retired, and I'm assuming this will be his final season. He went to the Final once with New Jersey but they lost to Los Angeles, so picking Colorado as his team makes a lot of sense.