From old guys chasing the Stanley Cup to new players breaking in, what to watch in the NHL playoffs
The puck drops on the first round of the NHL playoffs Saturday when Winnipeg hosts St. Louis followed by the must-see matchup of Colorado and Dallas. The other six series get going next week, from the Toronto-Ottawa Battle of Ontario to Tuesday’s opener of another cross-state showdown between Tampa Bay...
NHL sets another attendance record, topping 23 million fans for the 1st time
NEW YORK — The NHL has set another attendance record and surpassed 23 million fans for the first time. The league on Friday reported an attendance figure of 23,014,458 over the 1,312-game regular season. That represents 96.9% capacity over 32 teams with the Montreal Canadiens making up the biggest share...
Panthers’ Puljujarvi suspended 2 games for illegal check to head of Lightning’s ChaffeeVideo
SUNRISE, Fla. — Florida Panthers forward Jesse Puljujarvi, formerly of the Pittsburgh Penguins, was suspended two games for an illegal check to the head of Tampa Bay Lightning forward Mitchell Chaffee, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced Thursday. Puljujarvi received a match penalty after running his right shoulder into...
Spencer Carbery coached the Capitals to 1st in the East. His NHL colleagues rave about how he did itVideo
WASHINGTON — Spencer Carbery integrated several offseason additions to perfection, helped the Washington Capitals become the first NHL team to qualify for the playoffs this season and navigated Alex Ovechkin’s successful pursuit of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s career goals record. All that makes Carbery a prime candidate to win the Jack...
Who will win Stanley Cup? Odds, math and probability collide on picking champVideo
Everybody’s got a hunch this time of year, a thought about the so-called Presidents’ Trophy “curse” or maybe a dark-horse Stanley Cup pick. Only one team of the 16 in the NHL playoffs gets to be champion, and even before the first round begins Saturday, there is rampant disagreement on...
Judge rejects defense that Gaudreau brothers contributed to their deaths by cycling while impaired
SALEM, N.J. — The family of NHL hockey player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew listened in pain Tuesday as lawyers debated whether the men’s own drinking contributed to their deaths when they were hit by an allegedly drunken and enraged driver as they cycled at night. After nearly two...
Sharks’ Logan Couture expected to announce end of career because of an injury
SAN JOSE, Calif. — San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture is expected to announce he will end his playing career because of a debilitating injury that has sidelined him for more than 15 months. The Sharks announced Monday that Couture and general manager Mike Grier will hold a news conference...
U.S.-based Original Six Red Wings, Rangers, Bruins, Blackhawks eliminated from playoffs for 1st time
The Original Six teams based in the United States have a rich history, combining to hoist the Stanley Cup 27 times. And now, they share an unwanted distinction. Detroit, Boston, Chicago and the New York Rangers will all miss the playoffs in the same year for the first time in...
First Call: Report says Steelers have WR target if George Pickens trade happens; see goal of the year from future No. 1 NHL pickVideo
Are the Pittsburgh Steelers quietly planning to trade George Pickens? If so, they may also have a plan to replace him. Support is growing for Shedeur Sanders after an initial slip down the draft board. We look at the Pirates’ next opponent as they return home for a full week...
Former Penguins goalie Casey DeSmith allows 3 goals in last minute of regulation, as Canucks make NHL history with comeback win over Stars
DALLAS — Kiefer Sherwood set an NHL record three weeks ago by accumulating the most hits in a season. He helped the Vancouver Canucks made history Tuesday night with a big comeback in the final minute of regulation. Sherwood scored with 1 minute, 16 seconds left in overtime after the...
Mark Madden: Alex Ovechkin’s record-breaking goal renews debates
Alex Ovechkin eclipsing Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career record for goals has renewed a debate: Who would be on hockey’s Mt. Rushmore? The correct answer: Nobody. There will never be a Mt. Rushmore for hockey or baseball or football or anything but Mt. Rushmore. Mt. Rushmore doesn’t even seem to be...
How Alex Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goals record
Alex Ovechkin became the greatest goal scorer in NHL history because of a never-before-seen combination of a wicked shot, consistency over two decades and remarkable durability that kept him on the ice long enough to break Wayne Gretzky’s record. Ovechkin scored his 895th career goal Sunday against the New York...
Alex Ovechkin breaks Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record by scoring his 895thVideo
NEW YORK — Alex Ovechkin fired just about the perfect version of his signature one-timer that has defined his remarkable career. When the puck hit the net, it made him the top goal scorer in NHL history. Ovechkin scored his 895th career goal Sunday in the Washington Capitals’ 4-1 loss...
Wayne Gretzky has been helping Alex Ovechkin long before this record goal chaseVideo
WASHINGTON — A little more than three decades before Alex Ovechkin’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record, the “Great One” had his own chase. Gretzky was in hot pursuit of Gordie Howe’s record in the spring of 1994. Howe was there when Gretzky tied and passed him. His...
Ovechkin ties Gretzky’s record with his 894th goal
WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin tied Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goals record by scoring the 894th of his career. Ovechkin scored his second goal of the Washington Capitals’ game Friday night against the Chicago Blackhawks on the power play with 13:46 left in the third period. And he did so with Gretzky...
Avalanche’s Cale Makar becomes NHL’s 9th defenseman to score 30 goals in a single seasonVideo
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Avalanche’s Cale Makar scored against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night to become the NHL’s ninth defenseman — and the first with Colorado — to reach the 30-goal plateau in a season. The sixth-year player is the NHL’s first defenseman to reach the 30-goal mark...
U mad, bro?: Perpetual position problems, Tony Award-level QB drama fatigues fans in PittsburghVideo
It’s Final Four week. But we’ve got many more entries than that for this week’s “U mad, bro?” None of them reference college basketball, though. With so much going on surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers’ QB hunt, Penguins goaltending uncertainty and early Pirates woes, our blind rage over Duke making another...
NHL and Rogers announce a 12-year Canadian media rights deal through the 2037-38 season
TORONTO — The NHL and Rogers Communications announced a new 12-year national media rights deal Wednesday to air games on multiple platforms in Canada. The agreement, which was first reported Monday, is valued at $11 billion Canadian dollars, or roughly $7.7 billion. The new deal runs through the 2037-38 season....
First Call: Ben Roethlisberger has some QB advice for the Steelers; watch Alex Ovechkin score yet again
Wednesday’s “First Call” has advice for the Steelers from former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. He also questions the franchise’s full faith in Mason Rudolph. DK Metcalf apparently wanted to leave Seattle long before he was traded to Pittsburgh. And you can watch Alex Ovechkin’s latest step toward breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL...
Alex Ovechkin scores No. 891, needs 3 to tie Wayne Gretzky
BOSTON — Alex Ovechkin moved four goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record after scoring the 891st of his career in the Washington Capitals’ game against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night. Ovechkin gave Washington a 2-0 lead with about four minutes left in the first period, when the...
Trump tariff tumult has ripples for sporting goods, puts costly hockey gear in price-hike crosshair
MINNEAPOLIS — Calls from the U.S. to Roustan Hockey headquarters in Canada in recent weeks have been anything but routine, as bulk orders of name-brand sticks have suddenly become complicated conversations. “These customers want to know: When their orders ship, will they have to pay an additional 25% tariff? And...
Alex Ovechkin leads entire Capitals team in tribute to Wild’s Marc-Andre Fleury with special postgame handshake line
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Alex Ovechkin didn’t score for Washington, staying at 889 career goals and six away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record. Ovechkin did initiate a memorable moment on the ice in Minnesota on Thursday night, though. The three-time NHL MVP, who has been in the spotlight for...
Flyers fire coach John Tortorella in midst of another losing season
The Philadelphia Flyers fired coach John Tortorella on Thursday with nine games left in another losing season for a franchise that hasn’t been in the playoffs since 2020. The Flyers are last in the Metropolitan Division at 28-36-9 for 65 points under the notoriously brusque Tortorella. The Flyers suffered their...
Capitals re-sign defenseman Jakob Chychrun to an 8-year extension worth $72 million
The Washington Capitals have re-signed defenseman Jakob Chychrun to an eight-year extension worth $72 million. General manager Chris Patrick announced the contract Tuesday, hours before the Capitals played at Winnipeg in a matchup of the top two teams in the NHL. Chychrun will count $9 million against the salary cap...
Capitals are 1st to clinch a playoff spot after being last in last year
WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals became the first NHL team to clinch a playoff spot this season, doing so after winning in their 69th game and getting the help they needed elsewhere around the league. They are the only team since the playoffs expanded to 16 teams...
