The annual U17 World Hockey Challenge (WHC) is just a little over two weeks away. The event will take place in Truro, Nova Scotia, from November 2-8. Five nations take part in this tournament: USA, Finland, Sweden, Czechia, and Canada, which brings two teams (Canada White & Canada Red). 

The U17 WHC serves as an important event for NHL scouts, providing them with an initial opportunity to evaluate the promising young talent that will be competing for selection in the NHL draft in a couple of years.

Hockey Canada announced its rosters for their two squads. Out of the 44 CHL players picked, 17 come from the OHL, with the WHL having narrowly beaten them out with 19 representatives. Additionally, seven OHL members in a hockey operations role have been named to the event. 

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Below are the OHL representatives who will be at the upcoming event. 

Team Canada White

F, Kaden McGregor - Peterborough Petes
F, Jaakko Wycisk - Guelph Storm
F, Brock Chitaroni - Ottawa 67’s
F, Brenner Lammens - Sarnia Sting
F, Aleks Kulemin - Kingston Frontenacs
F, Sam Roberts - Oshawa Generals
F, Ryan Hanrahan - Saginaw Spirit
D, Matthew Henderson - Kingston Frontenacs
D, Alexander Forrest - Kitchener Rangers
D, Kaden Aucoin - Sarnia Sting
D, Cooper McAslan - London Knights

Hockey Operations

Dylan Seca - Director of Operations (Sarnia Sting)
Scott Barney - Head Coach (Sudbury Wolves)
Andrew Mercer - Goalie Consultant (Ottawa 67’s)
Alex Darling - Video Coach (Peterborough Petes)
J.R. Grant - Equipment Manager (Windsor Spitfires)

5 Rookies Who Could Dominate The OHL Rookie Of The Year RaceOwen Sound Attack forward <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/ohl/players/owen-sound-attacks-rookie-sensation-has-truly-stepped-up-his-game-positioning-himself-as-a-strong-contender-for-rookie-of-the-year">Pierce Mbuyi</a> was awarded the Emms Family Award as <a href="https://chl.ca/ohl/video/attacks-pierce-mbuyi-earns-emms-family-award-as-ohl-rookie-of-the-year/">OHL Rookie of the Year</a> last season after recording an incredible 29 goals and 52 points in 63 games. He set a new single-season points record by a 16-year-old Owen Sound rookie.&nbsp;

Team Canada Red

F, Max Delisle - Owen Sound Attack
F, Charlie Murata - Flint Firebirds
F, Camryn Warren - North Bay Battalion
F, Ryerson Edgar - Niagara IceDogs
F, John McLaughlin - Windsor Spitfires
D, Peter Green - Brampton Steelheads

Hockey Operations

Dave Drinkill - Director of Operations (Saginaw Spirit)
Brendan Taylor - Assistant Coach (Soo Greyhounds)
Dave Pandolfi - Athletic Therapist (Niagara IceDogs)

Regarding just OHL players, all eyes will be on the first overall pick, Kaden McGregor. His highly anticipated debut came a little late due to an injury, and it has been a slow start for the Jack Ferguson Award winner. 

Following McGregor, scouts will eagerly watch the 2025 second-overall pick, Jaakko Wycisk, from the Guelph Storm, along with the 10th overall pick, Ryerson Edgar, from the Niagara IceDogs, who currently leads all U17 OHL players in points with nine.

Wycisk is the star of the show in my eyes. His game-breaking, star-studded capabilities make him incredibly entertaining to watch. His ability to navigate through traffic with such poise and confidence with the puck on his stick to create scoring chances is remarkable for a player at his stage of development. In my eyes, he has a real good shot at being a top five pick for the 2027 NHL Draft, potentially even being the first to hear his name called. 

Notable 2025 first-rounders who were not announced to either roster include: Noah Laus (Sault Ste. Marie, 7th overall), Brayden Bennett (Sudbury, 11th overall), Jake Murray (Erie, 12th overall), Keaton Ardagh (Brampton, 15th overall), Alexander Sementsov (Barrie, 18th overall), David Buchman (Brantford, 20th overall), and Alex Campeau (London, 23rd overall). 

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Latest OHL News:

Toronto Maple Leafs Prospect Suspended Pending Review For Late Blindside Hit The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs">Toronto Maple Leafs</a> took a flyer on Kitchener Rangers’ enforcer forward <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/fight-breaks-out-at-maple-leafs-development-camp-between-matthew-hlacar-and-rhett-parsons">Matthew Hlacar</a> when they selected him 217th overall in the seventh round of the 2025 NHL Draft. A new philosophy has been adopted in the way Toronto drafts under Brad Treliving compared to former GM Kyle Dubas, and the selection of Hlacar further exemplifies that.&nbsp; Heartwarming Support: Former OHL Teammates Celebrated Maple Leafs Prospect's Debut on the Big StageThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs">Toronto Maple Leafs</a> may have lost their Thanksgiving Monday matinee game against the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings">Detroit Red Wings</a>, but one former OHL MVP, a two-time OHL champion, and a Memorial Cup champion experienced a special moment after spending the first two games of the season in the press box. From OHL to NHL: A Brotherhood Unites with the Montreal CanadiensThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens">Montreal Canadiens</a> beat the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> 2-1 in a shootout in their pre-season opener Monday night. However, Tuesday night, the Habs faithful got to see the Xhekaj brothers, Arber and Florian, suit up in the same jersey for the first time.&nbsp;

The Buffalo Sabres are off to a stumbling start, going 0-3-0 through the opening week of the season before thumping the Ottawa Senators 8-4 on Wednesday.

It doesn't help matters that Josh Norris is currently sidelined with an upper-body injury, leaving them in need of depth at center.

Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic recently looked at several options for the Sabres to address that issue. One could be looking for help in the trade market.

Fairburn suggested the Sabres pursue Rickard Rakell. The 32-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins forward has been a winger for much of his NHL career, but he has played center in the past. He's signed through 2027-28 with an average annual value of $5 million, and had a career high of 35 goals and 70 points in 81 games last season with the struggling Penguins.

Rakell frequently surfaced in trade rumors during the off-season and pre-season. He carries an eight-team no-trade list, which Fairburn acknowledged could be a problem for the Sabres.

The Sabres should consider other trade targets. According to Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Rakell is happy with the Penguins and wants to remain in Pittsburgh.

In Toronto, Nick Robertson's ongoing struggle to earn a larger role with the Maple Leafs has again made him the subject of trade conjecture.

Robertson initially surfaced in the rumor mill during the summer of 2024 when he requested a trade from the Leafs before eventually signing a one-year contract. This summer, he and the Leafs avoided arbitration as he agreed to a one-year, $1.825 million deal.

TSN's Darren Dreger reports the Maple Leafs' depth at forward makes it difficult for Robertson to move up into a top-six role. He said that GM Brad Treliving has spoken with several clubs that may have an interest in the 24-year-old left winger.

Treliving could use Robertson as a trade chip to address any roster issues that arise during this season. However, they might have to bundle him with a draft pick or a prospect to get something worthwhile in return.

Meanwhile, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said the Calgary Flames could be looking at upgrading their backup goalie position. During Monday's episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, he indicated that they were talking to other clubs about a goaltender.

Friedman stated that the Flames intend to give Devin Cooley a fair shot to establish himself as Dustin Wolf's understudy. If they add another netminder, they would have four on one-way contracts. He claimed that the teams the Flames have spoken with want an incentive to take one of those extra goalies in return.

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Former Flyers goalie Carter Hart joins West contender in second NHL shot originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Carter Hart has his next NHL opportunity.

He officially joined the Golden Knights organization Thursday, the team announced. According to a report by TSN’s Darren Dreger, Hart has signed a professional tryout offer, which will eventually convert into an NHL deal.

Wednesday was the first day Hart and four other players involved in the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial were eligible to sign with an NHL club. The former Flyers goalie will be eligible to play for Vegas on Dec. 1. The Golden Knights are a consensus Stanley Cup contender this season.

Vegas visits the Flyers on Dec. 11 (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP) and then the clubs meet again Jan. 19 on the West Coast (8 p.m. ET/NBCSP+).

Hart, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton were found not guilty in July almost a year and a half after being charged with sexual assault, stemming from a June 2018 incident in London, Ontario.

Danny Briere said in September that Hart’s agent contacted the Flyers and pretty much ruled out the possibility of a reunion between the club and goaltender. It’s uncertain if the Flyers had interest in bringing Hart back.

“In light of everything that happened in the last year and a half with Carter, they felt and Carter felt that it was better for them to look for a fresh start,” the Flyers general manager said then. “That’s where it’s at and it’s the only comment I’m going to make on it.”

The Flyers cut ties with Hart in June 2024 when they didn’t issue him a qualifying offer, turning his restricted free-agent status into unrestricted. He had been away from the team since January 2024 after being granted an indefinite leave of absence.

The 27-year-old started in five straight season openers for the Flyers from 2019-20 to 2023-24. He played parts of six seasons for the club.

For Edmonton Oilers forward David Tomášek, every shift right now feels like both a test and a dream come true. The 29-year-old Czech forward, who spent his career in Europe before signing with Edmonton this summer, is making the most of an unexpected chance to showcase himself — including time on the Oilers’ lethal power play with Zach Hyman sidelined.

“It’s a really great group of guys,” Tomášek said after practice. “You can tell we have a really good team. I’m just trying to get in the best way I can with the system and what the coach wants.”

Tomášek has been a staple early in the season on Edmonton's top power play unit, getting prime ice time with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Evan Bouchard. A new NHL player can't ask for a better opportunity to score, which Tomasek has yet to do.

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He admitted that it's been a bit stressful not to pot one of his many dangerous looks -- particularly in the second game of the season at home versus the Vancouver Canucks -- but he's still grateful to be there and he knows the chances will keep coming.

Having never played the net-front on a power play in his hockey career, he admits that it brings its own kind of pressure. Having said that, he's sticking with his game and is focused on playing his style while complementing the Oilers’ superstars. “Help him [McDavid] in any way I can, but also play my game,” he explained. “We had some good looks last night and again in practice, so hopefully we can build on that.”

"I like that I just get the chance to be there."

David Tomasek talks about maximizing his opportunity on the #Oilers power play.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilerspic.twitter.com/1D8XmgEk1R

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) October 15, 2025

The adjustment to North American ice and the NHL pace hasn’t been easy, but Tomášek is grateful for the opportunity — and the reception from his teammates. “It’s not easy to come over, but the guys have been amazing,” he said. “They’ve made everyone feel welcome, and that helps a lot when you’re trying to get comfortable.”

As for his debut, Tomášek called it “a special moment” and something he’ll never forget. Now, with added power-play reps and growing confidence, he’s intent on earning a more permanent role. At the very least, he wants to be a person the Oilers can call on as Plan B for when Hyman returns in November. 

“I just try to do my best job possible, help out the guys, and enjoy it,” he said. “Every game, I want to get a little more comfortable and make plays that help us win.”

The Oilers didn't get any looks on the power play in a 2-0 win over the New York Rangers on Tuesday. They play the New York Islanders Thursday night and the chances the team goes two games in a row without the man advantage feels like a long shot. Tomasek will get another opportunity, perhaps potting his first NHL goal and cashing in when the Oilers are up a man. 

Tomasek Getting First Line Minutes?

** Update: Tomasek looks like he'll be on the top line at 5-v-5 when the Oilers take on the Islanders.  The Oilers lines and pairs at practice ahead of Thursday's game are as follows:

Mangiapane-McDavid-Tomasek

RNH-Draisaitl-Roslovic

Podkolzin-Frederic-Kapanen

Howard-Henrique-Savoie

Janmark-Philp-Lazar

Ekholm-Bouchard

Nurse-Walman

Kulak-Emberson

Stecher

Skinner

Pickard

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A new roster update is live in NHL 26. 

The second roster update since the 2025-26 NHL season has begun, this new roster includes players that have made their NHL debuts in the past week.

Players that have been added or moved to NHL rosters include: Dmitri Simashev, Beckett Sennecke, Brandon Bussi, Matt Grzelcyk, Emmitt Finnie, Oliver Kapanen, Adam Wilsby, Harrison Brunicke, Michael Misa, Curtis Douglas, Cayden Primeau, and Easton Cowan. 

The new roster can be downloaded in the active roster section. It is dated Oct. 14 and was available Oct. 15.

A roster update is live in #NHL26

Players who made their NHL debut over the weekend have now been added to their teams roster. pic.twitter.com/oXojiVGvej

— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) October 15, 2025

For more NHL Gaming news make sure you bookmark The Hockey News Gaming Site or follow our Google News Feed.                

There are a lot of categories to lead the league in, but age usually isn't one that comes to mind - nor is it something one would typically strive for.

As of the first week of the 2025-26 NHL season, the Winnipeg Jets are the league's eldest team. Yes, they are older than Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang's Pittsburgh Penguins. They are older than Alex Ovechkin's Washington Capitals and Brad Marchand's Boston Bru.... err, Florida Panthers.

A veteran-heavy team in last year's postseason, the President's Trophy winning club only got older as the calendar flipped to 2025-26. Sure, the elevation of Nikita Chibrikov and Parker Ford certainly helped bring that number down, but other offseason additions did the exact opposite.

Thirty-seven-year-old Jonathan Toews, Tanner Pearson and Gustav Nyquist singlehandedly raised the average right up to almost exactly 30 years of age.

As it currently stands, the Jets are the No. 1 team in terms of age, with an average age of 29.73 years. Montreal is the youngest at 25.27 years of age. Only four other clubs see averages begin with the digits 29.

But with that age comes experience, right?

Correct.

The Jets have the second-most total NHL games played within their roster among all NHL clubs, trailing only the back-to-back Stanley Cup-winning Panthers (13,236 games played). Winnipeg's 13,112 career games played is No. 2 on the list. 

Teams such as Montreal and Buffalo are sitting in the low 6,000s.

With the veteran additions, Winnipeg is hoping to build upon its second round finish from last season and model its roster after Paul Maurice's club, in hopes of capturing the franchise's first Stanley Cup.

Will the older, more veteran team get the job done? 

Time will tell.

EAST MEADOW, NY — After Ilya Sorokin started the first three games of the season and went winless, the New York Islanders are turning to goaltender David Rittich against the Edmonton Oilers, per head coach Patrick Roy.

Rittich vs. EDM, per Roy. Sorokin vs. OTT. #Isles

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) October 15, 2025

Let’s not pretend this isn’t a massive start for Rittich.

The 33-year-old, who signed a one-year, $1 million deal with Long Island after a tough 2024-25 season with the Los Angeles Kings (2.84 GAA, .886 SV%), wants to prove he can still be a difference-maker at the NHL level.

When it comes to Roy—and most coaches—trust is often the biggest factor in determining playing time. Whether the decision to start Rittich has more to do with Sorokin’s struggles out of the gate or confidence in Rittich himself, the Islanders desperately need a strong goaltending performance Thursday night.

The Oilers haven’t been a dominant offense despite their 2-0-1 record, scoring just eight goals (29th in the NHL). The Islanders rank dead last with seven.

Still, we know how quickly Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl can take over a game.

Rittich’s nickname is “Big Save Dave,” and he’ll need to live up to it.

The job of an NHL backup is, well, to win games—but also to keep his team in them. The worst-case scenario is a backup being the reason for a loss.

To be fair, Sorokin hasn’t quite held up his end of the bargain in that regard. While he’s made some miraculous saves to keep the Islanders in games, costly mistakes—whether from rebound control or positioning—have led directly to goals and losses.

The Islanders don’t just want, but need, Rittich to serve as a stopgap, like an ace starting pitcher in baseball.

It’s a daunting task. But this isn’t just an important game for the Islanders, Roy, the players in the room, and first-year general manager Mathieu Darche—it’s a monumental one for Rittich and his future role.

Last season, when Semyon Varlamov got hurt in late November, the Islanders recalled Marcus Högberg from Bridgeport of the American Hockey League on Dec. 2.

Roy said he trusted Högberg, but still rode Sorokin for 11 straight games before finally turning to Högberg on Dec. 29.

Högberg made a strong first impression, stopping 38 of 41 shots in a 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins—a performance that earned Roy’s trust.

Even if Rittich delivers a tremendous outing, he won’t take over as the club’s starter. That just won’t happen.

But what it would do is give Roy the confidence to go back to Rittich and not feel like he has to overwork Sorokin, who doesn’t look settled at the moment.

Running Sorokin into the ground has become a necessity for the franchise in recent years, and it’s not a sustainable strategy. If Rittich can truly be “Big Save Dave” and help steady things for Sorokin, it would be a massive storyline for the Islanders as the season moves forward.

Let’s see what Rittich’s got when the puck drops at 7:30 p.m. at UBS Arena.

Stay updated with the most interesting Islanders stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

The Blue Jackets host the Colorado Avalanche at Nationwide Arena tonight in the home opener.   

The Jackets have the unfortunate pleasure of hosting the top team in the NHL tonight. The Avs come into Columbus sporting a 3-0-1 record and a high-powered offense, which is a surprise to exactly no one. 

Nathan MacKinnon is, of course, the highest scorer and leading point getter with 8 points, but newcomer Martin Nečas has 8 points as well, so losing Mikko Rantanen seems like less of a blow so far. The Avs' power play is kind of lacking right now, but the CBJ's PK better be halfway decent tonight, or it's going to be a long one. 

The Jackets, on the other hand, come into the game playing like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. There are a few constants to talk about, though. 

1. The Jackets' special teams have been really bad. The power play is 1/9 so far, which is normal. But the PK is what's hurting this team, to the tune of 7/14. You cannot give up 7 power-play goals in three games and be successful, especially against this Colorado juggernaut.
2. Kirill Marchenko has four goals, including a hat trick. Many people expect him to drop 50 this season, and if he keeps this pace up, it just might happen.

The Blue Jackets are 1-2 on the season. 

Blue Jackets Stats

• Power Play - 11.1% - 24th in NHL
• Penalty Kill - 50% - 32nd in NHL
• Goals For - 10 - 21st in NHL
• Goals Against - 9 - T-4th in NHL

Avalanche Stats

• Power Play - 15.8% - 19th in NHL
• Penalty Kill - 83.3 - 15th in NHL
• Goals For - 13 - T-4th in NHL
• Goals Against - 7 - T-2nd in NHL

Series History vs. Avs

• Columbus is 24-39-1-5 all-time, and 12-18-1-3 at home vs. the Avs.
• Blue Jackets are 7-5-3 against Colorado in the last 15 home games.
• The Jackets went 1-1 vs. the Avs last season.

Who To Watch For The Avs

• Nathan MacKinnon leads the Avs with four goals and 8 points.
• Martin Nečas leads the team with 5 assists and 8 points.
• Scott Wedgewood is 3-0-1 with a SV% of .935.

CBJ Player Notes vs. Avs

• Charlie Coyle has 27 points in 40 games against the Avs.
• Sean Monahan has 28 career points in 27 games.
• Zach Werenski has 8 points in 16 games vs. Colorado.

Injuries

• Erik Gudbranson - Day to day - Upper Body Injury
• Miles Wood - Upper Body Injury - Will be out for at least a week

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 1 

How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FanDuel Sports Network. Steve Mears will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.

Let us know what you think below.

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

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Cannon City Quotables: Columbus Blue Jackets vs. New Jersey DevilsLast night, the Columbus Blue Jackets hosted the New Jersey Devils in their home opener. Blue Jackets' Erik Gudbranson Out With Upper-Body InjuryColumbus Blue Jackets' defensemen Erik Gudbranson has been ruled out indefinitely with an upper-body injury.&nbsp; Former Blue Jackets Forward Scores First NHL GoalLast night, former Columbus Blue Jackets' forward Gavin Brindley scored his first NHL goal as a member of the Colorado Avalanche.

The Philadelphia Flyers badly need short and long-term pieces to help fill out their defense, and what better way to do that than to just swing for the big fish right away?

We all know the Buffalo Sabres are the Buffalo Sabres, and while they did just get their first win of the season with an 8-4 throttling of a Brady Tkachuk-less Ottawa Senators team, they're going to have to do more to convince their big guns to stick around.

For years now, Bowen Byram has been a name linked to the Flyers, and while he did sign a two-year, $12.5 million contract extension with Buffalo, he's not exactly out of the woods yet, especially if he doesn't get expanded offensive opportunities.

Those opportunities are currently being afforded to Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin, and while those two are tied down at $8.35 and $11 million cap hits until 2031 and 2032, respectively, the rumored expectation for the Sabres this year is to win. Put all the pieces together, and win.

If they can't? The Flyers might want to swoop in.

The obvious target is Byram, but it's plausible the situation in Philadelphia is similar to that in Buffalo in the sense that the Flyers have Jamie Drysdale, Cam York, and Travis Sanheim vying for power play time.

Byram could very well be a better power play quarterback than all of those players, but it subsequently reduces the ceiling of Drysdale and York, specifically, as well.

NHL Trade Rumors: Flyers Badly Need Defensive UpgradesThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> are reportedly scouring the NHL trade market for much-needed defensive reinforcements, but which players are actually going to be worth their while?

As for Power, well, that's the big swing the Flyers would ideally like to take. The 2021 former No. 1 overall pick is just 22 years old, has a great contract, could benefit from playing out of Dahlin's shadow, and is 6-foot-6.

That checks basically all of the boxes for the Flyers, with the size being one of the key factors in the eyes of management.

Acquiring a player like Power helps the Flyers in a variety of ways in the future, too.

For starters, the Flyers don't have a prospect in the system to point to and declare as a future top-pairing defenseman, though an argument could be made for Oliver Bonk in certain contexts.

The left side is already weak, and the Flyers have only Hunter McDonald, Emil Andrae, and Ty Murchison in terms of prospects there.

At best, the Flyers carry a left side of Power, York, and Sanheim, with the former two both being 24 years old or younger. At worst, Sanheim stays on the right, and the Flyers still need to find a longer-term solution to the third defense pair.

As for a potential trade package, the Flyers are going to have to part with something significant, especially for Power.

NHL Trade Rumors: Flyers Could Swoop Back In for Bowen ByramThe Philadelphia Flyers already tried to trade for star Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram once, and the latest NHL trade rumors indicate they'll try once more.

That could look something like two first-round picks, a good roster player, and at least one top prospect.

In regards to Byram, the Sabres only needed to part with Casey Mittelstadt to pry him from Colorado, and Mittelstadt is already on a new team in Boston just over a year later.

Alex Tuch might not remain with the Sabres beyond this year, and Buffalo can probably do better than Jason Zucker, Josh Doan, and Justin Danforth getting top-nine minutes.

Owen Tippett, who is signed at a $6.25 million cap hit through 2032, will have a modified no-trade clause kick in on July 1 and could be a strong fit in Buffalo.

At the same time, he's a player the Flyers have invested in for a reason, and he's been receiving an expanded role on the penalty kill under Rick Tocchet.

To get, you have to give, of course, and it's not a deal that will come easy for the Flyers. At some point, though, something will have to shake, and there's been an awful lot of chatter about these Sabres defensemen lately.

ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Blues thought they had their game trending in the right direction following a two-game Western Canada sweep.

Wins over the Calgary Flames (4-2) and Vancouver Canucks (5-2) were supposed to get the Blues continuing in their march and trending in the right direction.

Well …

They hit the home ice for the second time in as many games this season, this time against their Central Division rival Chicago Blackhawks, who they had beaten five games in a row and outscored 28-15, but the Blackhawks took advantage of a rare night of shoddy goaltending and poor team habits and play, blitzing the Blues 8-3 at Enterprise Center on Wednesday.

Jake Neighbours had a goal and an assist, Dylan Holloway and Tyler Tucker scored for the Blues (2-2-0), but Joel Hofer, who was terrific last Saturday in Calgary, was pulled in the second period before re-entering the game in the third.

“I thought that our game was building the right way in Vancouver, but our execution today did not match the Hawks’ execution,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “We’re playing the hawks, division rival, our biggest rival. I don’t think that was the case. We didn’t execute well. That’s just our mental sharpness was not great.”

Let’s look at Wednesday’s observations:

* Hofer had a rare bad night – In his young career, Hofer has had off nights, but nothing like this.

He allowed four goals on 14 shots, and the first two that went inset the tempo for what would be a horrendous night. He departed the game at 7:09 of the second period, then Jordan Binnington finished the rest of the period before returning for the third. In the end, it was seven goals allowed on 22 shots. His numbers after one game (2.00 goals-against average, .931 save percentage) ballooned to 5.01 GAA and .824 save percentage at the end of the night.

“Our tandem is excellent,” Montgomery said. “Some nights, you’re going to win games 2-1. We won in Calgary, we won in Vancouver because our goaltenders were excellent. Sometimes we need to win 5-4.”

Hofer is normally so good as a puck handler, and he was already on display killing Chicago’s rims around the net, but when he went behind the net, got a puck, looked up the middle of the ice and tried to play it to Pavel Buchnevich, it was so off the mark and right onto the tape of Ilya Mikheyev, who couldn’t believe his fortune and deposited the biscuit into the net at 3:09 for a 1-0 Hawks lead:

Ilya Mikheyev has goals in three straight games in St. Louis🔥 pic.twitter.com/Q1kTOeHFBR

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 16, 2025

The Blues fought back with Neighbours, who has four goals in four games, finding the back of the net for the fourth time in three games when he collected a loose puck in front of Colton Parayko’s jab at the puck to tie it 1-1 at 4:29:

Like a good Neighbour, Jake's goals are there. #stlbluespic.twitter.com/TZh54mvjbz

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) October 16, 2025

But Hofer allowed another bad goal, this time to Lukas Reichel from a bad angle at the bottom of the left circle on the short side at 5:23 to make it 2-1 Chicago:

things we love to see 🤝 things y'all love to see pic.twitter.com/9aD7zwVrU7

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 16, 2025

They fought back again when Holloway started a play and finished it, getting his first of the season at 14:54 to tie the game 2-2, creating a turnover in the neutral zone, then finishing from the left circle Jordan Kyrou’s pass:

Ain't nobody stopping that shot. #stlbluespic.twitter.com/JBOuv2Xr3k

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) October 16, 2025

“In the first period, we showed good resolve, came back twice and then just our habits just weren’t consistent enough to play winning hockey,” Montgomery said. ‘Can’t give up that many odd-man rushes, we can’t give up that many Grade A looks off the rush.”

The Blues are so used to their goalie tandem either keeping them in a game or even stealing them games. They’re not nearly used to having to bail them out, perhaps a reason why they played so poorly after the first period.

“I don't think we're worried about our goaltenders at all,” Blues captain Brayden Schenn said. “We have two of the best goalies in the league and a great tandem. If you want to talk about the goals, let's maybe talk about the team and how we're giving up odd-man rushes and point-blank chances. You can talk about the goals all you want, but if we're not doing a good enough job in front of them, it's just that simple.

“People are going to look at our goaltenders, (but) I think we're looking at ourselves individually and as a team playing in front of them. We just haven't done enough of a good job defensively, especially at home, in front of them. Obviously the goalies would say different, but as a players we feel that we have to do a way better job.”

Chicago’s expected goals in the game were at 3.09, according to naturalstattrick.com, which tells you that there were too many pucks on this night going in that shouldn’t have, including the one Binnington allowed to Jason Dickinson at 8:52 of the second that made it 5-2:

a Jason Dickinson goal for your feed☺️ pic.twitter.com/xtjdAXizqZ

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 16, 2025

* Two bad results at home – Including the playoffs, the Blues won their last 15 games on home ice and on most of those occasions, done so in convincing fashion.

It’s only two games, yes, and I agree, the result in the opener (a 5-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild) wasn’t as bad as the score indicated, but this marks two games now in which the Blues have not even been competitive in, in front of their home fans, being outscored 13-3.

“That's a fair question. It's been only two games ... I think through two road games, even six periods on the road, we've played four good periods,” Schenn said. ‘We need to clean up a lot of things with our habits and details and tracking and puck play and willingness to compete for one another. I think it starts with that.”

Why has it happened so often here, though?

“The details are obviously not sharp,” Blues defenseman Colton Parayko said. “It’s not our group and not where we want to be. We’re going to rebound as a group, we’re going to come ready to work. We have a great group in this locker room. We all believe in each other. We’re going to rebound, just come prepared to come work for each other in practice Friday and obviously Saturday at the game.”

Former Blue Scottie Upshall said it best in a tweet and I agree with the soft hockey, and that's inexcusable for a team that was a playoff team a year ago and looking to maintain its stature:

Well, on the wrong side of that one tonight!

Blues with a pretty poor effort
in a big statement game on TNT.

Bad goals and pretty soft hockey.

Not the team I picked to win the cup this year that’s for sure

— Scottie Upshall (@ScottieUpshall) October 16, 2025

* Habits weren’t sufficient enough, play looked very soft – The Blues had their fair share of attacks at the Hawks, and had a goalie (Arvid Soderblom) they’d been able to beat up quite a bit (5-0-0), but the times they either didn’t funnel pucks to the goal or were not connecting in the O-zone, they were getting counter-attacked often and giving up prime scoring chances.

It occurred often in the second period when Chicago outscored the Blues 3-0 and at one point held an 8-1 edge in shots on goal.

“Habits and details aren't there, especially at home,” Schenn said. “We have to take pride in playing for one another, especially at home, make it a hard place to play. I take full responsibility for that. Obviously I can help with that and lead the charge. I think one of the things you can control is your compete level and your habits. We, and I, have to be better at that.”

Montgomery mentioned reloads of the puck, and it was not near good enough, which in turn allowed Chicago to play the way the Blues were playing in the two games they won: on their toes, their front feet and transitioning in five-man units.

“We’ll watch the tape, we’ll look back at it,” Montgomery said. “This game got away from us because of our own habits and actions.

“Reloads and gaps are a big part of how we want to play. The reloads were not consistent and that makes it hard on the defensemen.”

* Mailloux's struggles continue – It’s tough to pick on one particular player when so many did not meet expectations, particularly that top line of Neighbours, Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich, which was a combined minus-6 with three shots on goal and on the ice for four goals against.

But for Mailloux, who was a team-worst minus-4 Wednesday and now is a minus-7 for the season in just four games, he’s been on the ice for exactly zero goals-for at 5-on-5 and seven against.

He coughed up the puck trying to rim it around the net early in the second period that was picked off by Connor Bedard that led to Reichel’s go-ahead goal that made it 3-2 at 2:49 that started a snowball affect for the game:

another goal for Lukas Reichel🙂‍↕️ https://t.co/8u9ib3LRo5pic.twitter.com/ewXNMMsS3U

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 16, 2025

I’ll say it over and over that comparing Mailloux to Zack Bolduc is like comparing apples to oranges. One is a defenseman that has barely scratched the surface, one is a forward who has more experience and who was ahead of the curve as far as teaching last season that was coming on.

The Blues believe in the 22-year-old and understand this is going to take time.

“He’s going to be a great player,” Parayko said. ‘You watch him skate, you watch him shoot, he’s steady, he’s strong back there. There’s no doubt about that. I’m looking forward to watching that guy grow and become a dominant force back there. I have full faith in him. He’s a great player. We’re just all looking forward to watching him grow, but at the end of the day, it’s a group effort no matter what. That’s the bottom line. We’re all wearing the Bluenote together.

“It’s got to be difficult obviously going to a new team and you want to play well and things like that. He’s a great player. I have full confidence in him. I’m just looking forward to watching him continue to grow and just keep building.”

We know the offensive capabilities Mailloux has, but here’s an example of a pinch that went awry when he pinched along the right boards, the puck was tipped out and Mailloux is caught out of the play and Frank Nazar turns it onto a goal with Neighbours trying to chase him down when Philip Broberg probably should have:

and absolutely nothing else happened here...🤐 https://t.co/96rEixzgpdpic.twitter.com/Yo2jdXbgbG

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 16, 2025

They’re details that – again – with time will be worked out. By the way, Mailloux did get physical on the play when Neighbours was tackled after the goal when he was trying to defend Hofer after Nazar ran into him in the net.

There are options the Blues will have to look at here.

Do they sit Mailloux in favor of Matthew Kessel? Do they go with seven defensemen inserting Kessel into the lineup to watch some of Mailloux's minutes? Or ... do they send him down to Springfield since he is waiver's exempt? Remember, GM Doug Armstrong said it's Mailloux's job to lose.

“He's played 11 games or 12 games,” Schenn said. “There's a lot of pressure on him coming from outside. I believe in Logan Mailloux, we believe in Logan Mailloux, and the organization does. I think people are always going to look at this one-for-one. It's not a one-for-one. It's a long-term plan, and he's a great player.

“Like I said, he's played four games for us and it's a new organization ... new coaching, new system, there's a lot of stuff that goes into it. Honestly, I think he's getting ... there's no reason to put pressure on the kid. He's young, and he's getting his feet wet, and he's going to be a good player for a long time, and I firmly believe that.”

“We’re going to put that one behind us… it’s early on and I hope we can learn from that as a group.”

Hear from Colton Parayko, Brayden Schenn and Jim Montgomery after Wednesday’s game against Chicago. #stlbluespic.twitter.com/93V5EfnpBM

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) October 16, 2025

The Chicago Blackhawks defeated the St. Louis Blues 8-3 at Enterprise Center. It was an offensive explosion for the Blackhawks, who hadn't scored more than three goals through the first four games of the season. 

The big story on offense was the play of Lukas Reichel, who scored two goals and had one assist. He was in the lineup in place of Nick Foligno, and he took full advantage of the opportunity. 

Reichel doesn't have to be a bona fide top-six center to be successful in the NHL. It doesn't matter where he was drafted. It matters how he helps the team win. The skill is there for him to make an impact, which was on display on Wednesday night in St. Louis. 

Connor Bedard was one of the forwards being double-shifted as a result of dressing 11 forwards and seven defensemen. He had one assist on the power play, which was a beautiful cross-ice feed to Teuvo Teravainen, who put one on net that Tyler Bertuzzi deflected in.

The other two assists came by chipping in on goals scored by fourth liners in Lukas Reichel and Ryan Greene. Jeff Blashill admitted after their win over the Utah Mammoth that they will be going 11/7 often this season, which is a great way to develop the defenseman, but it also gets guys like Bedard more touches. 

Greene's goal was his first in the National Hockey League. This was his seventh career game in the big leagues, and the mostly defensive center finally has his first.

When Greene was at Boston University, he proved that he could make plays, which would make him an even more valuable bottom-six forward in the long term. Right now, it's the right decision to have him on the team out of camp. 

Blackhawks: Ryan Greene Scores His First Career NHL GoalChicago Blackhawks forward Ryan Greene scored his first career NHL goal, which made it 8-3 Blackhawks in the third period.

Connor Bedard doesn't have to do it all by himself anymore. There are some good wingers on the team, like Tyler Bertuzzi, Teuvo Teravainen, and Ryan Donato, but now they have a two-headed monster down the middle. Frank Nazar is turning into a star. 

During this win, Nazar scored a beautiful goal on the rush, which gave the Blackhawks some insurance at a time when the game was much closer. He made contact with Blues goalie Joel Hofer after the puck entered the net, which caused a get-together, but he held his own and still managed to celebrate the goal when it was all said and done. 

After the game was over, TNT had both Bedard and Nazar on the postgame show from the bench for an interview. They were very candid with their answers, while also displaying some confidence in their abilities. 

B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) on XBedsy and Nazar stopped by the @NHL_on_TNT post game and Frank said he loves watching Connor take no s--t this year 😅

Connor Bedard said that he knows he's a good hockey player and that they want to make the playoffs now, not in three years. Those are strong words, but it is the mindset that any team wants their players to have. Finding a winning mentality is half the battle in the NHL, and that was on display on Wednesday night, both on and off the ice. 

Arvid Soderblom made his second start of the season in this win. He made 23 saves on 26 shots. That's not the typical great Soderblom performance, but he did his job well enough to win. None of the goals against were necessarily his fault, but there will be times when the Blackhawks need him at a higher level.

If there was ever a win for a young team to build on, it would be this one. They defeated their biggest rival, who swept them last year, in their first meeting of the 2025-26 season. Nazar mentioned the loss at Wrigley Field in the Winter Classic being used as fuel every time they play them going forward, and it worked. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

The Chicago Blackhawks, while playing the St. Louis Blues, saw one of their bright young players score their first career NHL goal. 

Young Ryan Greene put one into the back of the net for the first time against the St. Louis Blues. Connor Bedard gained the zone, scanned the ice, and sent it back to Lukas Reichel, who centered it where Ryan Greene was able to score for the first time in the big leagues. 

Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xlet's hear it for Ryan Greene👏

Bedard was being double shifted due to dressing 11 forwards and 7 defenseman, and it paid off in a big way. This was the third point of the night for both Bedard and Reichel. 

Greene, who is a defensive center first, does have offensive capabilities when he needs to display them. As the captain of Boston University, he scored some big goals while performing well as a two-way player. 

In the NHL, Greene won't be relied on for offense as much as others, but he is more than capable of making plays from time to time. 

Greene's goal made it 8-3 in favor of the Blackhawks in the third period of their fifth game of the season. This is a goal that he won't soon forget. 

Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xboys are BUZZIN🐝

Greene is the second Blackhawks player to score his first NHL goal this season, joining Sam Rinzel. On the active roster, Artyom Levshunov is the other waiting for his first. Eventually, you'd think Oliver Moore gets his at some point this year as well, but he will have to earn the call-up first. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

The Detroit Red Wings have made sure that the bad feelings from their season-opening 5-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens are but a distant memory. 

Since that night nearly a week ago, they've rattled off three consecutive victories, with the latest being a 4-1 triumph over the Florida Panthers at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday evening. 

THAT'S A #REDWINGS W!!! pic.twitter.com/11weu4Vfe9

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) October 16, 2025

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

The Red Wings were forced to play without forward Lucas Raymond, who was hurt in Monday afternoon's 3-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Panthers were considerably shorthanded themselves, playing without Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, and Dmitry Kulikov. 

First-year Red Wings forward Mason Appleton, who slotted into Raymond's spot on the top line, has made the most of his recent promotion. 

He scored twice on Wednesday, including the game's opening goal early in the second period to break a scoreless tie. He also added a goal late in regulation into the vacated Panthers net.

After tallying the game-winning goal against the Maple Leafs on Monday, Appleton has the hot hand with three goals in his last two games. 

Mason Appleton finds the back of the net! #LGRWpic.twitter.com/62DZx2eTEx

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) October 16, 2025

Patrick Kane scored a power-play goal in the second period to increase Detroit's lead to 2-0, while Michael Rasmussen would add a second empty-net goal in the final few seconds of the third period. 

The Panthers managed to halve Detroit's lead in the second period to 2-1 thanks to the third goal of the campaign from Brad Marchand, but it's as close as the Panthers would get to drawing even. 

Making his third consecutive start, goatlender Cam Talbot continued his strong play by turning aside all but one of the 22 shots the Panthers fired his way. His Florida counterpart in Sergei Bobrovsky made 21 saves in a losing effort. 

Among Bobrovsky's saves was a key third-period stop on rookie forward Emmitt Finnie, who was left all alone in front of the net after receiving a pass from fellow rookie Michael Brandsegg-Nygård. 

The Red Wings will next prepare to face yet another divisional opponent in the Tampa Bay Lightning, who come to town for a Friday night matchup. 

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The Florida Panthers continued their five-game road trip on Wednesday night when they paid a visit to the Detroit Red Wings.

Florida found it difficult to generate offense against the Wings, logging only 22 shots en route to a 4-1 defeat at Little Cesars Arena.

Both teams had their opportunities during the opening frame, but it was the starting goaltenders – Sergei Bobrovsky for Florida and Cam Talbot for the Red Wings – who kept the game scoreless with nine saves apiece.

It didn’t take long for that to change once the second period got going.

Mason Appleton scored on Detroit’s first shot of the middle frame, beating Bobrovsky with a shot along the ice after Dylan Larkin forced a turnover in Florida’s end just over two minutes into the period.

Patrick Kane made it 2-0 for the Red Wings with a 5-on-3 power play goal midway through the period, the first power play goal surrendered by Florida all season.

It took about five minutes, but it was Brad Marchand who finally got the Cats on the board.

Directly off an offensive zone draw won by Anton Lundell, Marchand picked up the puck and swept all the way around the faceoff circle, down below the goal line, behind the net and out the other side before sending a wraparound shot that somehow went through Talbot at the 14:05 mark of the middle frame.

Unfortunately for the Cats, that would be the extent of their offensive output in Detroit.

Empty-net goals by Appleton and Michael Rasmussen sealed the victory for the Red Wings and sent Florida to their second straight defeat.

On to New Jersey.

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Photo caption: Oct 15, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Florida Panthers right wing Mackie Samoskevich (11) takes a shot defended by Detroit Red Wings right wing Michael Brandsegg-Nygård (28) in the first period at Little Caesars Arena. (Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images)

The Hockey News have released their NHL power rankings by Jason Chen on Wednesday. This is the fourth edition of the power rankings, as the first week of the regular season has passed.

In the first power rankings, the Kings were sitting pretty at the No. 10 spot. Since then, they’ve dropped further and further after every week.

For Chen’s latest edition of THN’s power rankings, Los Angeles is in the lowest position they’ve been in during this young 2025-26 campaign.

NHL Power Rankings: Stars Start On Top As The Movement BeginsWe can't overreact yet, but the Stars and Hurricanes lead the way while the Bruins are the biggest surprise in the NHL power rankings.

From last week to this week, the Kings have dropped seven spots, falling from 12th to 19th place. 

Since last week’s power rankings to this week’s, LA have won against the Vegas Golden Knights in a shootout, lost to the Winnipeg Jets in regulation, and lost to the Minnesota Wildin a shootout.

It wasn’t a great week for the Kings by any means in terms of the results the team was getting. A lot of that has to do with their inability to stay out of the box.

Ever since opening night on Oct. 7, the Kings have been shorthanded a league-leading 22 times. In addition, they have allowed the joint-most power-play goals with seven, equalling the Columbus Blue Jackets.

‘When It Rains, It Pours’: Kings’ Disastrous Discipline Costing Wins And PointsDespite a strong effort by the Los Angeles Kings to push for a point against the Minnesota Wild on Monday evening after facing a 3-0 deficit, they can only blame themselves.&nbsp;

Chen highlighted in the power rankings that Los Angeles is still without a regulation win this season. There are only two teams in the entire league that have zero regulation wins and have played four games so far.

The Kings stand between two fellow Pacific Division teams. One spot below LA in 20th are state rivals, the Anaheim Ducks, who are 2-1-0. Ahead of the Kings are the Seattle Kraken, who own a 2-0-1 record and jumped eight spots from the previous week’s power rankings.

Both Seattle and Anaheim are ahead of Los Angeles in the NHL standings.