Jets promote associate coach Scott Arniel to replace Rick Bowness
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — The Winnipeg Jets promoted associate coach Scott Arniel to head coach Friday, replacing the retired Rick Bowness. The move comes almost three weeks after Bowness retired. A former Jets left wing, Arniel joined Bowness’ staff in 2022. The 61-year-old Arniel helped Bowness lead the Jets to a...
Don Waddell steps down as Hurricanes president and GM
Don Waddell stepped down as president and general manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, ending a run that had him build a roster that reached the NHL playoffs for six straight years. The team announced Waddell’s decision in a news release Friday, saying assistant general manager Eric Tulsky would work as...
The Rangers need to find answers quickly against the Panthers, or their Cup wait will reach 31 yearsVideo
NEW YORK — After two rounds of the NHL playoffs, there were hopes the New York Rangers had a chance to end their 30-year Stanley Cup drought. The defending Eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers needed only one game into the third round to give New York a reality check. The...
Bobrovsky makes 23 saves for first shutout of the postseason, Panthers beat Rangers in Game 1
NEW YORK — Sergei Bobrovsky had a long stretch without seeing a shot on goal in the middle of the game, and then there was a flurry in the third period. No matter, he stopped everything that came his way. Bobrovsky had 23 saves for his first shutout of the...
Rick Tocchet voted NHL’s coach of the year for guiding Vancouver Canucks to Pacific Division titleVideo
NEW YORK — Rick Tocchet was honored as the NHL’s coach of the year Wednesday after guiding the Pacific Division champion Vancouver Canucks to their second playoff berth in nine years. Tocchet appeared on 109 of 114 ballots for the Jack Adams award submitted by members of the NHL Broadcasters’...
Devils hire former Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe
NEWARK, N.J. — Sheldon Keefe is being hired as the coach of the New Jersey Devils, less than two weeks after he was fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs. A source close to the franchise confirmed the hiring in a telephone call with the Associated Press, adding the official announcement...
Stars in West final after knocking out last 2 Stanley Cup champs
DALLAS — The top-seeded Dallas Stars are in the Western Conference final after knocking out the last two Stanley Cup champions, one of those featuring a pair of 100-point scorers. Edmonton had the NHL’s only other duo of 100-point scorers in the regular season, with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl...
NHL will have new Stanley Cup champion this century as lengthy droughts take center stage
No matter which team wins the Stanley Cup championship this year, it will be a first this century. The Dallas Stars won their lone championship in 1999, months before the world worried computers would malfunction at the start of a new millennium. The New York Rangers haven’t done it since...
Presidents’ Trophy-winning Rangers set to face Panthers in Eastern Conference final
The Florida Panthers are back in the Eastern Conference final one year after reaching the Stanley Cup Final. The Presidents’ Trophy-winning New York Rangers have made it there for the second time in three years. Now, the East’s division winners will meet in the playoffs for just the second time...
Lightning trade with Predators to bring veteran defenseman Ryan McDonagh back to Tampa Bay
Ryan McDonagh is returning to Tampa Bay, hoping to help the Lightning win the Stanley Cup again after two seasons in Nashville. The Predators traded McDonagh back to the Lightning on Tuesday, giving the veteran defenseman a welcome homecoming with the organization he helped to two championships and clearing some...
Retaining former Penguin Jake Guentzel among top offseason priorities for Hurricanes
RALEIGH, N.C. — The Carolina Hurricanes have locked up their biggest free agent in coach Rod Brind’Amour. The work ahead could prove more challenging for president and general manager Don Waddell. The Hurricanes have had six straight playoff trips, including at least one series win every time and two trips...
Aleksander Barkov, the Panthers’ reluctant star, leads without having to say much
SUNRISE, Fla. — Here’s the list of Aleksander Barkov’s top highlights from the Florida-Boston series: the go-ahead goal that sparked a Game 2 victory, scoring a spectacular game-winning goal to cap a comeback in Game 4, then blocking a shot late in Game 6 to keep things tied about 90...
Dallas Stars into 2nd straight West final after knocking out last 2 Cup champions
DALLAS — The Dallas Stars finally get a little bit of a breather after avoiding another Game 7 on the way to their second Western Conference Final in a row. They knocked out the last two Stanley Cup champions while playing 13 games in 26 nights. The last one stretched...
Former Blues coach Craig Berube officially hired to coach Maple Leafs
ST. LOUIS — Craig Berube has a new home. Berube was hired by the Maple Leafs on Friday afternoon, as the former Blues coach takes over perhaps the most high-profile job in the NHL. Berube coached the Blues for parts of six seasons before he was fired in December after...
Avalanche try to forge ahead after losing Valeri Nichushkin to 6-month suspension
DENVER — The nameplate above the locker for Valeri Nichushkin already has been removed at the Colorado Avalanche’s practice facility. It could be just for now — or possibly for good. For a second consecutive year, the Avalanche are on the brink of elimination from the playoffs with Nichushkin, one...
Coaching carousel spins fast in the NHL, with only 5 in current job for more than 2 years
Paul Maurice is in his second season coaching the Florida Panthers, trying to guide them to a second consecutive appearance in the Stanley Cup Final. It was pointed out to him not long ago that, in his current profession, two years seems like an eternity. Such is the life he...
Canucks’ Carson Soucy suspended 1 game for cross-checking Oilers star Connor McDavid in the faceVideo
EDMONTON, Alberta — Vancouver Canucks defenseman Carson Soucy was suspended one game on Monday for a cross-check on Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid. A skirmish began after the final buzzer sounded in Vancouver’s 4-3 victory in Game 3 on Sunday night. Soucy shoved McDavid behind the Canucks’ net and McDavid...
From 1 goal to 3, no lead is safe in these NHL playoffs
If you went to sleep midway through either of the Western Conference NHL playoff games the past two nights, there’s a good chance you woke up to a different winner than you thought. On Tuesday night, Dallas led Colorado, 3-0, after the first period and lost 4-3 in overtime. Roughly...
Toronto Maple Leafs fire coach Sheldon Keefe after another early playoff exit
TORONTO — Sheldon Keefe is out as coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, fired Thursday after another early exit from the NHL playoffs. The move had been expected after Toronto lost to rival Boston in Game 7 last weekend, the fourth time in five years under Keefe the team has...
What will Utah’s NHL team be called? Here are 20 options
Ownership of the NHL’s team in Utah has given fans 20 choices to vote on for the franchise’s new name, according to a survey sent out Wednesday by Smith Entertainment Group. Owner Ryan Smith has told The Associated Press the team will have a name starting with Utah. The inaugural...
First Call: Steelers welcome RB on tryout; Patriots may want ex-Steeler as GM; Jake Guentzel scores twice for Hurricanes
Wednesday’s “First Call” features a former Pittsburgh Steeler up for an important post in New England. The Steelers are welcoming a new running back. A local product plays a big role in New York’s win over the Carolina Hurricanes in Stanley Cup playoff action. And a former WPIAL star looks...
Senators hire Travis Green as coach to take over for Jacques Martin
OTTAWA, Ontario — The Ottawa Senators have hired Travis Green as coach, signing him to a four-year contract through the 2027-28 season. The team announced the move Tuesday, with Green taking over for interim coach Jacques Martin. Green most recently served as interim coach of the New Jersey Devils after...
PWHL Playoffs: Women’s hockey takes center stage in Toronto while Hilary Knight, Marie-Philip Poulin renew rivalry
Step aside, Auston Matthews. Women’s hockey is taking center stage in Toronto, where Natalie Spooner, Sarah Nurse & Co. open the PWHL playoffs against Minnesota on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the sport’s most prominent faces — Boston’s Hilary Knight and Montreal’s Marie-Philip Poulin — are adding a new wrinkle to their longstanding...
St. Louis Blues remove interim tag, name Drew Bannister full-time coach
The St. Louis Blues have removed the interim tag from Drew Bannister’s title and named him their full-time coach. President of hockey operations and general manager Doug Armstrong announced the move Tuesday. Bannister, 50, signed a two-year contract to remain in the role after replacing Craig Berube when the 2019...
After special teams play keyed Rangers’ series-opening win, Hurricanes focused on getting betterVideo
The Rangers and Hurricanes were among the top special teams units during the regular season. Carolina was second on the power play and first on the penalty kill, and New York was third in both. After special teams play keyed the Rangers’ 4-3 win in the series opener, the Hurricanes...
