Live Wire: EJ turns 85 ... COVID hits Canada's World Junior camp ... Lemieux comes up big again

Inspired by Hot Button, a round-the-clock feature that summarizes the non-Pittsburgh sports world, we're starting a Penguins-based Live Wire. Similar vibe, similar speed, only it's focused squarely on the city's hockey team. And at the same time, it offers our readers a single commenting platform committed to anything you'd prefer to discuss related to the Penguins, NHL, or hockey in general.

The wire begins below ...

EJ TURNS 85

10 p.m. Tuesday: Former Penguins general manager and head coach Eddie Johnston turned 85 today. -- Taylor

PHILLIPS SCORES
FOR PENN STATE

9:30 p.m. Tuesday: Penguins defense prospect Clayton Phillips scored his first goal of the season in Penn State's 7-3 loss to Wisconsin on Tuesday.

You can find more videos and details on Phillips here.

COVID HITS CANADA'S
WORLD JUNIOR CAMP

11:15 a.m. Tuesday: Canada's World Junior selection camp is on pause after two players tested positive for coronavirus, Hockey Canada announced in a statement.

"Upon learning of the positive test this morning, the decision was made to postpone the Red-White game scheduled for this morning at the Westerner Park Centrium, and to suspend all camp activities for today. As per Hockey Canada’s safety protocols, all players, coaches and staff members took mandatory COVID-19 tests upon arrival at camp and have continued to be tested regularly throughout the past ten days. For precautionary reasons, we will also ensure that all players and team personnel go through an additional test before resuming camp activities. The appropriate local and provincial health authorities have been made aware of the situation, and we will continue to work closely with Alberta Health Services. We will have no further comment at this time.”

Penguins prospect Samuel Poulin is a participant in the camp. -- Taylor

LEMIEUX STEPS UP

10:20 a.m. Tuesday: Mario Lemieux put up some impressive numbers during his playing days, and has a chance to do it again as an owner over the next month or so.

The Mario Lemieux Foundation announced that he will match all donations to the foundation, up to $500,000, until Dec. 31.

"I established the Lemieux Foundation to provide hope to those who need extra strength in their darkest moments," Lemieux said in a statement released by the foundation. "In the days of COVID-19, (wife) Nathalie and I recognize the responsibility to do our part, which is why we will match donations to the Lemieux Foundation during this holiday season."

The foundation release said it has given over $31 million to cancer research and patient care in the 27 years since it began. -- Molinari

BLACKHAWKS, GOLDEN KNIGHTS
ANNOUNCE NEW HIRES

4 p.m. Monday: This isn't Penguins-related, but the Blackhawks and Golden Knights both announced a couple of awesome hires today.

The Blackhawks added three to their hockey operations staff, including Team USA's Kendall Coyne Schofield as a player development coach and youth hockey growth specialist. She's the first woman to be named a player development coach in the league.

In 2019 Coyne became the first woman to compete in the NHL's All-Star skills competition, recording a time of 14.326 seconds in the fastest-skater challenge. She most recently worked as an analyst with NBC Sports and NBC Sports California on Sharks broadcasts.

The Henderson Silver Knights, new AHL affiliate of the Golden Knights, named former NHL players Jamie Heward and Joel Ward assistant coaches on Monday. Ward recently announced his retirement from playing professional hockey, and Heward was last coaching the Vancouver Giants in the WHL. -- Taylor

CAM LEE SCORES
TWO IN SLOVAKIA

1 a.m. Monday: Penguins defense prospect Cam Lee scored the first two goals of his professional career in Slovakia. Here's a look at the first:

The full highlights and more details can be found here. -- Taylor

CROSBY'S FIRST
CAREER TIKTOK

8 p.m. Friday: Sidney Crosby made a video for the Penguins' TikTok account showing off the new fourth jerseys:

ORIGINAL PENGUIN
SCHINKEL DIES

5 p.m. Friday: Ken Schinkel, an original member of the Penguins, died at age 87, the Penguins announced on Friday.

Schinkel was chosen in the expansion draft by the Penguins and named an alternate captain. At the time of his retirement in 1973 he was the franchise leader in games (636) and points (325). He replaced Red Kelly behind the Penguins bench for the 1973-74 season and was moved to a front office position that February. He was again named head coach in Jan. 1976 and remained behind the bench for the 1976-77 season. He worked in the Penguins front office until 1989, serving as an assistant general manager and scouting director. -- Taylor

DROZG SCORES FOUR
IN ALPS LEAGUE GAME

1 a.m. Friday: Penguins prospect Jan Drozg had a four-goal game yesterday for Olimpija in the Alps League. His third goal of the game was this sick between-the-legs move:

The highlights of all of Drozg's goals yesterday can be found here. -- Taylor

POULIN SCORES IN
CANADA CAMP

8 p.m. Wednesday: Samuel Poulin scored a great goal in Canada's World Junior selection camp. -- Taylor

MARIO MODELS
NEW JERSEY

4 p.m. Wednesday: Alright, if you didn't like the new reverse retro jerseys before, what about after Mario modeled it? -- Taylor

NAILERS SIGN TWO

12 p.m. Wednesday: The Nailers signed two defensemen, Dane Birks and Yale grad Matt Foley. Birks was the Penguins' sixth-round pick in 2013 and was traded to Arizona in the Phil Kessel trade and spent last year in the ECHL in Rapid City. -- Taylor

TAYLOR'S STORY ON
GOALIE CALLE CLANG

8:10 p.m. Tuesday: I spoke with Penguins third-round pick Calle Clang for a story, which you can find here. Really nice kid. When I got his contact information from a member of Kristianstads IK's communications staff and reached out, he said that doing an interview sounded "really fun," which is something you don't hear too often from players about speaking with reporters. On the phone he told me that this was one of his first ever English interviews and that he was excited about that, calling it "good training." The guy is preparing for the NHL both on and off the ice. -- Taylor

HALL OF FAME
ANNIVERSARY

7:05 p.m. Tuesday: Mario Lemieux was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame 23 years ago today. -- Taylor

DAVE TALKS WITH
TODD REIRDEN

5 p.m. Tuesday: In case you missed it, Dave Molinari spoke one-on-one with assistant coach Todd Reirden about a number of subjects. Here are those stories:

Reirden's goal: Find ways to score with extra man
Reirden likes personnel on Penguins' defense
Reirden expects Marino to build on strong rookie season

DIAGONAL 'PITTSBURGH' 
JERSEYS RETURN

10 a.m. Monday: The Penguins unveiled their 'reverse retro' fourth jersey for next season, and it's a play on the 90's diagonal 'Pittsburgh' jersey as expected. -- Taylor

TROTMAN BACK IN TOWN,
ATTENDS STEELERS GAME

11:05 p.m. Sunday: Defenseman Zach Trotman is back in Pittsburgh and was at Heinz Field for win No. 9 on Sunday, along with his very pregnant wife Jeanna. This is the couple's first baby (unless you count their German Shepherd, Murph). -- Taylor

REVERSE RETRO JERSEYS
TO BE REVEALED MONDAY

11:10 p.m. Saturday: The NHL's "reverse retro" fourth jerseys will be officially revealed on Monday. The Penguins' jersey is expected to be a white version of the diagonal "Pittsburgh" Snoop Dogg jerseys.

There are various rendering of predictions floating around the internet based on the sneak previews teams have put out, but I was told by someone within an organization who has seen the jerseys for each team that not all of the renderings being circulated are totally accurate. Have to wait until Monday to see the real deal. 

From what we've seen so far, it looks like the pigeon logo was not invited to the party. -- Taylor

JARRY AND RUST RAISE
MONEY FOR MOVEMBER

11 a.m. Saturday: Tristan Jarry and Bryan Rust are raising money for men's health for Movember. The link to donate is below. -- Taylor