Boqvist’s goal midway through 3rd lifts Cup champion Panthers over Blackhawks
Jesper Boqvist batted in the go-ahead goal with 10 minutes, 20 seconds left in the third period as the host Florida Panthers defeated the Chicago Blackhawks, 3-2, on Tuesday night in the season opener for both teams. Sergei Bobrovsky made 17 saves to earn the win for the two-time defending...
Islanders rookie, No. 1 overall pick Schaefer officially named to roster
After turning 18 a month ago, defenseman Matthew Schaefer now is set to make his NHL debut for the New York Islanders on Thursday in the team’s season opener. Schaefer, the No. 1 overall selection in June’s NHL Draft, officially was named to the Islanders’ roster Monday. New York will...
Connor McDavid signs 2-year, $25 million contract extension with the Edmonton Oilers
Connor McDavid signed his long-awaited contract extension with the Edmonton Oilers on Monday, refusing a raise on a short-term agreement as he pursues his first Stanley Cup championship. The three-time MVP and the only NHL organization he has played with finalized a two-year, $25 million contract on the eve of...
Edmonton Oilers are still class of Pacific Division for everyone else to chase
Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the Edmonton Oilers, for all the questions swirling around them, remain the class of the Pacific Division when it comes to success when it matters most. Sure, McDavid is in the final year of his contract and goaltending remains an uncertainty, but they’ve won the...
The Stanley Cup still runs through Florida and an Atlantic Division as dominant as ever
Of the NHL’s four divisions, the Atlantic has stood above all recently, and that is not going to change this year if the threepeat-minded Florida Panthers have their say. No matter how many games — 314 including playoffs — the two-time defending champion Panthers have logged making three straight Stanley...
NHL’s Central Division remains a gantlet through the season and playoffs
Mikko Rantanen was a staple for Colorado, helping the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup as part of his dominant decade in Denver. Then, all of a sudden last winter he was gone, traded to Carolina and by spring back in the division with bitter rival Dallas. “Someone was like, ‘Yeah,...
Old guard still runs Metropolitan Division, though times could be changing soon
The winds are beginning to change in the NHL’s Metropolitan Division, though not before the old guard gets at least one more shot. Washington easily won the division last season and has much of the same lineup back, potentially with career goal scoring leader Alex Ovechkin playing his final season...
Panthers face daunting task of trying to win another Stanley Cup without captain Aleksander BarkovVideo
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Images of Aleksander Barkov hoisting the Stanley Cup are scattered all over the Florida Panthers’ team facility. It’s the ultimate reminder of the last two championship seasons: the team captain being the first one to lift hockey’s chalice. Now, the Panthers face perhaps the ultimate challenge:...
NHL sees benefits to changing landscape after NCAA allows CHL players to compete at U.S. collegesVideo
The NCAA’s decision allowing Canadian Hockey League players to compete at the U.S. college level for the first time won’t alter how the NHL evaluates draft-eligible talent. Wherever players are competing, the scouts will be there, NHL Central Scouting chief Dan Marr said. What Marr envisions changing as a result...
Islanders top pick Matthew Schaefer headlines NHL rookies to watchVideo
Matthew Schaefer being the first NHL No. 1 pick out of the Ontario Hockey League since Connor McDavid in 2015 is pressure enough. Then there’s following Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini into the league. Bedard with Chicago and Celebrini with San Jose immediately were put into prominent roles. Bedard won...
Here’s what to expect from the 9 NHL teams featuring new coachesVideo
Dan Muse and Mike Sullivan swapped ZIP codes over the summer, and they are among nine new coaches in the NHL this season. Muse took over for Sullivan as the Pittsburgh Penguins head coach after spending the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the New York Rangers. Sullivan,...
Super prospect Gavin McKenna collects 2 assists in Penn State debut
TEMPE, Ariz. — Gavin McKenna had two first-period assists in his Penn State debut, helping the Nittany Lions beat Arizona State, 6-3, on Friday night. Expected to be the No. 1 pick next year in the NHL draft, the 17-year-old McKenna set up Aiden Fink’s power-play goal with 9:05 left...
Defenseman Luke Hughes signs 7-year, $63M deal with Devils
The New Jersey Devils signed defenseman Luke Hughes to a seven-year, $63 million contract Wednesday. The 22-year-old restricted free agent will join the Devils for practice Thursday, the team announced. Hughes recorded 44 points (seven goals, 37 assists) and 60 blocks in 71 games with New Jersey in 2024-25. He...
Columbus Blue Jackets fight sloppiness in preseason loss to Washington Capitals
The Blue Jackets’ preseason is winding down, but they’ve got some ramping up to do. Despite facing a team that dressed only a handful of NHL veterans, the Blue Jackets struggled defensively in a 4-3 loss to the Washington Capitals on Sept. 30 at Nationwide Arena and iced a lineup...
Minnesota Wild sign Kirill Kaprizov to richest deal in NHL history, $136 million over 8 years
The Minnesota Wild signed star left wing Kirill Kaprizov to an eight-year, $136 million extension on Tuesday, giving him the richest contract in NHL history. Kaprizov will count $17 million against the salary cap beginning next season. It’s the highest annual average salary of any player since the league’s cap...
Florida’s Aleksander Barkov could miss season after knee surgery
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Florida captain Aleksander Barkov could miss the entire regular season because of a knee injury, a major blow to the Panthers and their quest to win a third consecutive Stanley Cup. Barkov got hurt Thursday in his first official practice of training camp and was undergoing...
Hall of Famer Bernie Parent, who led the Philadelphia Flyers to two Stanley Cup titles, dies at 80
PHILADELPHIA — Bernie Parent, the Hall of Famer considered one of the great goalies of all time who anchored the net for the Philadelphia Flyers’ only two Stanley Cup championships in the 1970s during their Broad Street Bullies heyday, has died. He was 80. The Flyers made the announcement Sunday...
Kings captain Anze Kopitar says he will retire after his upcoming 20th season
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Kings captain Anze Kopitar said he will retire after the upcoming season, ending a 20-year NHL career spent entirely in Los Angeles. The 38-year-old Kopitar made the announcement Thursday at a news conference with his family after the first practice of training camp. “My mind is...
At 40, Alex Ovechkin’s future past this season remains uncertain
ARLINGTON, Va. — The chase is done. Is the farewell tour next? Alex Ovechkin remained reticent about his future Thursday when he spoke with reporters at the Washington Capitals’ media day. A day after his 40th birthday, the NHL’s career goal-scoring leader said he hasn’t been thinking much about what...
Current captains of every NHL team for 2025-26 season
Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby remains the longest-tenured captain in the NHL heading into the 2025-26 season, having earned the “C” in May 2007. Crosby’s run is followed by Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (2010) and Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (2012). New York Rangers forward J.T. Miller,...
New York Rangers name J.T. Miller captain on the eve of training camp
NEW YORK — The New York Rangers named J.T. Miller captain Tuesday, putting him in the key leadership position three weeks before the start of the NHL season. The Rangers announced Miller, who was raised in Coraopolis, would be getting the “C” on the eve of the start of training...
Hall of Fame Canadiens goaltender Ken Dryden dies of cancer at age 78
MONTREAL — Ken Dryden, the Hall of Fame goaltender who helped the Montreal Canadiens win six Stanley Cup titles in the 1970s, has died after a fight with cancer. He was 78. The Canadiens announced his death early Saturday, saying Dryden’s family asked for privacy. A team spokesperson said a...
Panthers’ Tkachuk says he’s undecided on whether to have surgery to address last season’s injuries
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk said he is still undecided whether to get surgery this offseason to address the significant injuries he suffered in the the 4 Nations Face-Off his year. Tkachuk told ESPN in a story posted Friday that, while he’s hoping to return to...
Kraken mascot has a close encounter with a brown bear during video shoot in Alaska
SEATTLE — Seattle Kraken forward John Hayden and the team’s blue-haired troll mascot had a close call with a brown bear during a promotional video shoot in Alaska. Hayden and the mascot named Buoy were on a fly-fishing outing in Katmai National Park as part of a trip promoting youth...
Alex Ovechkin partners with Russian tech company to make biopic
Alex Ovechkin has partnered with a Russian technology company to produce a movie, series or documentary about his NHL career. Yandex and its streaming platform, Kinopoisk, announced the agreement Tuesday. Ovechkin this past spring broke Wayne Gretzky’s career goals record and has scored 897 going into the final season of...