NHL category, Page 23
Marc-Andre Fleury can’t help but smile about his career in goal, even if he’d rather skip the fussVideo
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The two decades Marc-Andre Fleury has spent in the NHL have passed as quickly for him as the airborne pucks that speed toward him in the net each time he takes the ice. Now the fourth goalie in history to appear in 1,000 games, a mark...
Marc-Andre Fleury becomes 4th goalie to play in 1,000 NHL gamesVideo
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Marc-Andre Fleury became the fourth goalie in NHL history to play in 1,000 games on Sunday in the Minnesota Wild’s game against the Winnipeg Jets. Martin Brodeur (1,266 games), Roberto Luongo (1,044) and Patrick Roy (1,029) are the only goalies to have played in more games...
Senators fire coach D.J. Smith, replace him with former Penguins assistant Jacques Martin
The Ottawa Senators fired coach D.J. Smith on Monday, replacing him on an interim basis with Jacques Martin and adding Hall of Famer and former captain Daniel Alfredsson to the staff as an assistant. It’s the latest shakeup for the NHL team in Canada’s capital city in three months since...
Death of Adam Johnson sparks renewed interest in guard mandates for youth hockey
SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn. — A day after professional hockey player Adam Johnson suffered a fatal cut to his throat during a game in England, Dan Sacco went out and ordered his 10-year-old twins new neck guards. Colton and Harper Sacco play together as squirts — 9- and 10-year-olds — for...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Keep NHL players away from ’26 Winter Olympics
The NHL is mooting whether to send players to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. It’s at the final discretion of the league, not the players. Big fail by the NHL Players Association, though pressing for control would have served just a small percentage of the membership. I’m against it....
Blackhawks say Corey Perry engaged in unacceptable conduct, move to terminate contract
CHICAGO — The Chicago Blackhawks said Corey Perry engaged in unacceptable conduct and took a step Tuesday toward terminating his contract, the latest twist involving the veteran winger who mysteriously was scratched and sent home last week without explanation. The Blackhawks in a statement said an internal investigation showed Perry...
Patrick Kane is signing with the Detroit Red Wings, an AP source says
Patrick Kane is joining the Detroit Red Wings for the rest of the season, choosing the championship-rich franchise over other suitors for the four-time All-Star’s return to the NHL from hip surgery. A person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Kane has agreed to...
Marc-Andre Fleury defies NHL, wears custom mask on Native American Heritage night
Marc-Andre Fleury wore a custom mask for the Minnesota Wild’s Native American Heritage night Friday after being told by the NHL it was not allowed. Fleury took the ice for the team’s game against the Colorado Avalanche wearing the specially designed mask. Agent Allan Walsh confirmed earlier in the day...
NBA, NHL and MLB unveil a 30-second ad promoting responsible sports bettingVideo
NEW YORK — The NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball have joined forces to produce a 30-second ad promoting responsible sports betting. The “Never Know What’s Next” commercial unveiled Tuesday is a coordination of the three leagues, sportsbook operators DraftKings, Fanatics, FanDuel, PENN Entertainment and the National Council on Problem...
Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic pleads not guilty to assaulting wife
BOSTON — Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic was released on personal recognizance bail Tuesday after pleading not guilty to assaulting his wife. According to a Boston Police Department report, Lucic appeared intoxicated when officers arrived at his North End apartment early Saturday after his wife reported that he tried to...
Adam Johnson’s UK team retires his jersey number after skate-cut death
NOTTINGHAM, England — The English hockey team that Adam Johnson played for retired his No. 47 jersey Saturday as part of a memorial game honoring the American who died after an opposing player’s skate cut his neck during a game. Nottingham Panthers players appeared to be wearing neck guards, too,...
A man arrested over death of Adam Johnson whose neck was cut with skate blade is released on bail
LONDON — A man who was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in the death of American ice hockey player Adam Johnson, whose neck was cut by a skate during a game, was released on bail Wednesday. Johnson, 29, was playing for the Nottingham Panthers against the Sheffield Steelers on Oct....
Oilers fire coach Jay Woodcroft, name Kris Knoblauch replacementVideo
Jay Woodcroft is out as coach of the Edmonton Oilers after a team that was supposed to be a Stanley Cup contender lost 10 of its first 13 games. Woodcroft was fired Sunday at the end of the team’s road trip, which wrapped up with a 4-1 win at Seattle...
Capitals’ Nicklas Backstrom unlikely to play again this season
ARLINGTON, Va. — Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said it’s unlikely Nicklas Backstrom plays again this season after the Swedish center stepped away from the team last week, citing the ongoing issues with his surgically repaired left hip. MacLellan stopped short of ruling Backstrom out for the remainder of...
First Call: DeAndre Hopkins expected to play vs. Steelers; watch Logan Cooley’s first NHL goal
Thursday’s “First Call” has an important injury update for this evening’s Steelers-Titans game. We have more details about that reported Steelers trade with the Bears that never happened on Tuesday. A Pittsburgh-area NHL player just notched his first goal. And we remember a Pittsburgh connection to the late Bobby Knight....
Ottawa’s Shane Pinto suspended 41 games, becomes 1st modern NHL player banned for gambling
The NHL suspended Ottawa Senators forward Shane Pinto for 41 games on Thursday, making the 22-year-old American the first modern-day player banned for sports gambling. The league said the half-season ban was for “activities relating to sports wagering” and that its investigation found no evidence Pinto bet on NHL games....
NHL rescinds ban on rainbow-colored Pride tape, allowing players to use it on the ice this season
NHL players will be allowed to use Pride tape this season after all with the reversal of a ban that sparked a backlash around hockey and among LGBTQ+ advocates in sports. The league, players’ union and a committee on inclusion agreed to give players the option to represent social causes...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Barry Melrose belongs in Hockey Hall of Fame
We’ve lost the plot when it comes to Halls of Fame. Halls of Fame used to be grandiose and special. Look at the Baseball Hall of Fame’s first class: Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Honus Wagner and Babe Ruth. Unimpeachable. It was a special honor for special athletes. Halls...
Flames prospect Topi Ronni, 19, being investigated for rape in native FinlandVideo
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Calgary Flames prospect Topi Ronni informed his Finnish Elite League team on Thursday that he is under investigation for a rape allegation that occurred two years ago in his native Finland. In an announcement posted on its website, Tappara Tampere said Ronni is stepping away from team...
First Call: Steelers reportedly move on from Desmond King; Evgeni Malkin snubbed from another Top 100 list
Wednesday’s “First Call” starts with a surprising move by the Pittsburgh Steelers and a surprising omission for the Penguins from an ESPN list. Plus, it was a memorable night for a former Penguin, and an ex-Pirates executive may land a big-time job back in Major League Baseball. Well, that was...
First Call: Fox rates Mike Tomlin 3rd-best coach; James Harrison on T.J. Watt setting the sack record
Thursday’s “First Call” illustrates the love the national media still has for Mike Tomlin. James Harrison applauds T.J. Watt while J.J. Watt discusses the scrutiny of Matt Canada. Also, Connor Bedard scores his first NHL goal, and an ex-Pittsburgh Penguin gets off on the right foot. Laying it on a...
Jonas Johansson wins in debut as Lightning beat Predators in NHL season openerVideo
TAMPA, Fla. — Jonas Johansson made 29 saves in his first start in place of the injured Andrei Vasilevskiy, Nicholas Paul had two third-period power-play goals and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Nashville Predators, 5-3, in the NHL regular-season opener Tuesday night. Johansson was signed to be Vasilevskiy’s backup....
Barry Melrose retiring as ESPN’s longtime hockey analyst after Parkinson’s disease diagnosis
Former NHL player and coach Barry Melrose is stepping away from his career as one of hockey’s most recognized analysts after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, ESPN announced on Tuesday. The news of Melrose’s illness and retirement was made on ESPN’s SportsCenter on the same day the NHL 2023-24 season...
As NHL season begins, long-anticipated salary cap boom coming in summer 2024Video
Welcome to what folks around the NHL hope is the last season of the flat cap era. Since the pandemic depleted the hockey business like so many others and after the playoffs were bubble wrapped to award the Stanley Cup, the league has been digging out of a hole deeper...
NHL issues updated theme night guidance, which includes a ban on players using Pride tape on the iceVideo
The NHL sent a memo to teams last week clarifying what players can and cannot do as part of theme celebrations this season, including a ban on the use of rainbow-colored stick tape for the Pride nights that have become a hot-button issue in hockey. The updated guidance reaffirms on-ice...
