After whirlwind stretch, Dan Bylsma settles into first few days as Kraken head coachVideo
SEATTLE — At some point, Dan Bylsma will get a semblance of an offseason and a little downtime. Right now, it seems like nonstop chaos for the new coach of the Seattle Kraken. “It’s good to get here and kind of get focused on just the Kraken,” Bylsma said. “The...
States with no income tax have NHL free agency advantage
When the Tampa Bay Lightning made moves at the NHL Draft to clear salary cap space, general manager Julien BriseBois hoped a variety of factors would entice players to sign as free agents. One, of course, was the organization’s penchant for winning and the talent already on the roster. Another,...
NHL schedule features Stanley Cup rematch on Dec. 16, Stamkos’ homecoming on Oct. 28Video
Newly relocated free agents Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault had big reasons to circle their calendars when the NHL released its full regular-season schedule Tuesday. So, too, did newly hired coaches in Craig Berube, Sheldon Keefe and Dan Bylsma. As for the Stanley Cup Final rematches, the defending champion Florida...
Analysis: Big spenders across the NHL made winners out of free agents across the league
Brad Treliving kept hearing the message from agents he talked to at the start of NHL free agency. “The cap’s going up,” the Toronto Maple Leafs general manager said. “They reminded me the cap was going up.” The salary cap went up significantly for the first time in several years...
First Call: What the Steelers are worth vs. other NFL teams; lots of ex-Penguins on new teams
Tuesday’s “First Call” compares the value of the Pittsburgh Steelers versus the rest of the NFL. We also preview the upcoming Pirates-Cardinals series, recap some team-hopping from a bunch of ex-Penguins, and get news about a Robert Morris hockey player who is getting a look from one of the NHL’s...
NHL reinstates Bowman, Quenneville after being banned for their role in Blackhawks assault scandalVideo
The NHL lifted its ban on longtime coach Joel Quenneville and executives Stan Bowman and Al MacIsaac on Monday, clearing the way for their return to the league more than two years after they were punished in the fallout from the Chicago Blackhawks sexual assault scandal. “For more than the...
Predators make free agency splash by signing 2023 playoff MVP Jonathan Marchessault
The Nashville Predators made a huge splash when NHL free agency opened Monday by signing Stanley Cup champion forwards Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault as part of a jaw-dropping series of moves topping $100 million that made Smashville the center of attention across hockey. Stamkos left Tampa Bay after 16...
Tampa Bay Lightning acquire the rights to Jake Guentzel on the eve of free agency
The Tampa Bay Lightning got a head start on free agency by acquiring the rights to high-scoring winger Jake Guentzel on Sunday. The Lightning sent a 2025 third-round draft pick to Carolina. The move allows the Lightning to sign Guentzel before he hits the open market on Monday. Guentzel is...
Lightning, Capitals make significant trades on NHL Draft’s 2nd day
It is retooling time around the NHL before the start of free agency, and a handful of teams in the Eastern Conference used the second day of the draft to shake up their roster for next season and beyond. The Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals were the most active,...
Utah Hockey Club makes splash, trades for for Mikhail Sergachev, John MarinoVideo
LAS VEGAS — Whether it’s owner Ryan Smith’s contagious drive, the excitement of adding two centers in the first round of the NHL Draft, or the new blue suit, tie and Utah Hockey Club pin on his lapel he wore, general manager Bill Armstrong woke up energized Saturday. “I woke...
Avalanche draft Peters Township’s Christian Humphreys in 7th roundVideo
LAS VEGAS — Christian Humphreys wasn’t at the NHL Draft in Nevada. There were profound reasons to be elsewhere. He was on vacation with his family in the Turks and Caicos. “Whatever happens, happens,” Humphreys said by phone earlier this month. “It’s going to be great to spend family time....
San Jose Sharks select Boston University’s Macklin Celebrini with No. 1 pick in NHL Draft
LAS VEGAS — Macklin Celebrini headlined an NHL Draft by going first overall to the San Jose Sharks on a night hockey and Las Vegas royalty mixed company under the visual spectacle the Sphere on Friday night. French-Canadian chanteuse Celine Dion and longtime boxing announcer Michael Buffer shared the stage...
Stars, Flyers buy out Suter, Atkinson as NHL teams clear space for offseason moves
Buyout season is underway around the NHL as teams clear salary cap space for upcoming moves. The Dallas Stars on Friday bought out the final year of veteran defenseman Ryan Suter’s contract after his disappointing playoffs. The Philadelphia Flyers are moving in the same direction with underproducing winger Cam Atkinson,...
Mark Madden: As always, NHL fails to recognize the value of star power
Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final drew 7.7 million TV viewers in the U.S., the NHL’s biggest audience in five years. The WNBA game between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese this past Sunday, thought of as a breakthrough for women’s pro basketball, was watched by 2.3 million. It was...
Intrigue of NHL Draft expected to begin after top pick
LAS VEGAS — San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier is trying to keep whom he’s selecting with the first pick in the NHL Draft on Friday a mystery, even after he more than hinted at his intentions last month. After excitedly noting the big opportunity it was for a...
Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon wins Ted Lindsay Award for 1st time
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon was the big winner at Thursday’s NHL awards show, taking home the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league’s MVP and the Ted Lindsay Award as the league’s most outstanding player as decided by the NHL Players Association. MacKinnon, who helped lead the Avalanche to the...
Oilers, GM Ken Holland part ways after 5 seasons, Stanley Cup Final
EDMONTON, Alberta — The Edmonton Oilers said Thursday general manager Ken Holland will not have his contract renewed, calling it a mutual decision between the veteran executive and the NHL club. Holland spent the past five seasons as the Oilers’ GM and built a team that advanced to Game 7...
Oilers coach: Stars Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl played through injuries in playoffs
EDMONTON, Alberta — Edmonton Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said Wednesday that some of the team’s top stars were playing through injuries during their Stanley Cup playoff run. The Oilers lost 2-1 in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final to the Florida Panthers on Monday night. “It’s obviously disappointing. It’s...
Hall of Famer Glen Sather retires after 6 decades highlighted by Oilers dynasty
NEW YORK — Hockey Hall of Famer Glen Sather, who built and coached the NHL’s last great dynasty with the Edmonton Oilers in the 1980s and helped resurrect the New York Rangers in the early 2000s, is retiring after six decades in the sport as a player, coach and executive....
NHL, Fanatics unveil new jerseys for 2024-25 season
Fanatics and the NHL on Wednesday unveiled new on-ice player jerseys for the 2024-25 season, which officials say have been tested and refined well before making their debut in games this fall. It is the first time the company has designed and made in-game uniforms with its own branding for...
First Call: Looming questions about Penguins goalies, Mike Tomlin’s player appeal, Steelers radio play-by-play job
Aside from posting “U mad, bro?” on Thursday morning, “Breakfast With Benz” is taking a quick break for a few days. This will be the final “First Call” for the week. We’ll get back in gear Monday. For Wednesday’s “First Call,” I thought I’d do something different and address a...
The Panthers took a long road to the title. The Stanley Cup proves the path was right
SUNRISE, Fla. — Matthew Tkachuk decided to go for a little swim as his offseason was beginning Tuesday morning. The Florida Panthers forward took a few steps off the sand and into the water of Fort Lauderdale Beach, then dove in while hanging onto his new best friend. The Stanley...
No time for a Stanley Cup hangover as the NHL offseason is already here
The Stanley Cup was still on the ice when Patric Hornqvist offered a sobering thought surrounded by former teammates and other family revelers holding cans of beer during the celebration. The newly crowned champion Florida Panthers had work to do already because the offseason already is here for them and...
Paul Maurice, a hockey lifer, now has a Stanley Cup. And it was worth the wait
SUNRISE, Fla. — Paul Maurice was once the last player picked in the NHL draft. An afterthought, almost. He never made it to the league as a player. And there were many times when he wondered if his name would ever be on the Stanley Cup. Wonder no more. It...
Edmonton’s Connor McDavid wins Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in losing cause
SUNRISE, Fla. — Connor McDavid won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP on Monday night despite Edmonton’s Stanley Cup Final loss to Florida, a nod to one of the greatest postseason performances in NHL history. McDavid, who was held without a point the final two games of the final,...
