Author: NHL Hockey News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

He hasn’t played a competitive hockey game in more than two years, but Slovak goaltender Jaroslav Halák never officially ended his career … until now.

“I’m done,” he said in a recent interview with Tomáš Prokop of Denník Šport. “I’ll never wear the pads again.”

Halák played 25 games for the New York Rangers in 2022-23 backing up all-star goalie Igor Shesterkin. Since then, there was a PTO with the Carolina Hurricanes in the autumn of 2023 that lasted only two weeks. Then in February of 2024 he signed with his hometown club, Slovan Bratislava of the Slovak Extraliga, but that didn’t lead to any games either.

“We agreed on the last day of the transfer period, which was already a pretty crucial date in the season,” Halák was quoted last summer. “After signing, I evaluated all the pros and cons.”

His last real shot was last summer, when he was hoping to get one final chance to try out for an NHL team.

“Last year I completed summer training,” Halák said. “I wanted to go on the ice in Boston, but when nothing came of it, I told myself it was pointless. After that I didn’t even try anymore. I’m officially ending my career. I would like to thank my family, friends, fans and especially my wife Petra, who has been by my side my entire career.”

Former Knights, Sens Goalie Signs In Slovakia Canadian goaltender Dylan Ferguson, 26, has signed a one-year contract with HK Nitra, the Slovak Extraliga club announced on Thursday.

As recently as two weeks ago, there were rumblings that a Czech team was interested in Halák.

“Maybe there was something, but it went away,” Halák dismissed. “I wanted to stay in America, especially for the kids, since they go to school there and the sports training there is better than in Europe.”

So Halák, who turned 40 in May, won’t play long enough to match the uniform number 41, which he wore for much of his career.

A native of Bratislava, Halák was a ninth-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Between 2006 and 2023, he played 581 NHL regular-season games and 39 more in the playoffs for the Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Buffalo Sabres, Washington Capitals, New York Islanders, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks and Rangers.

The defining year of Halák’s career was 2010. That February, he backstopped Slovakia to a fourth-place finish at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, playing all seven of his team’s games while posting a 2.41 goals-against average and .911 save percentage. Then in April and May, he led eighth-seeded Montreal to playoff upsets over Alexander Ovechkin’s Capitals and Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins in the first two rounds.

Slovak Ex-Rangers Goalie Returns To KHL Slovak goalie Adam Húska, 28, has signed a one-year contract with Admiral Vladivostok, the KHL club recently announced on social media.

Halák finishes with 295 career NHL wins. He admitted last summer that getting to 300 wins was part of his motivation for wanting to continue, but he’s since backed off that stance.

“It’s been two years and I’ve come to terms with not reaching 300,” he admitted. “Looking back on my career, it’s been a good one. It would have been nicer with 300 wins, but I’ll be happy with 295.”

Now, his focus is primarily on his children. At least two of them are trying to follow in his footsteps.

“Since my son Nathan has been a goalie for three years, I’ve been focusing on him,” said Halák. “This year, my older daughter Inna joined him. Since January, she’s been trying to be a goalie as well.”

Photo © Eric Bolte-Imagn Images.

Another Goalie Moves From NHL To KHL Canadian goaltender Louis Domingue, 33, has signed a one-year contract with Sibir Novosibirsk, the KHL club announced on Thursday.

Welcome back to the second part of our summer-long series ranking NHL media meals. With the schedule revealed this week, I've started booking road trips for the upcoming season, which is also making me hungry and excited for the media meals next season. This week, we count down the No. 17 through 24 media meals in the NHL.

Ranking Every NHL Arena's Media Meal Part 1: The Bottom 8 Revealed (Nos. 25–32)As I write this, I feel blessed that I get to travel as often as I do. And while on the road covering the Toronto Maple Leafs, I like to see what every city has to offer in terms of restaurants, amenities, etc.

These are better than most media meals, but not what I would call S-tier. But who knows? Perhaps that will change in 2025-26. One of my plans for this season is to give every city a chance to move up or down the rankings following each visit.

With that said, here are rankings for the mid-tier to lower-ranked media meals in the NHL.

TikTok · David AlterCheck out David Alter’s video.

No. 17:Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers boast one of the fanciest setups in the NHL, featuring a small, specially-appointed table with a fancy cloth and real cutlery reserved for home front office executives. This meal used to be quite expensive at $20 plus tax and tip, but they've since reduced it to $15, which was a welcome change. The decreased price appeared to correlate with a smaller protein selection, though the quality remained decent. For some reason, they had an abundance of salad dressings. You name it, they had it. And they had a lot of it. They also offered a great dessert selection from a local Alberta creamery. Even though there was a fee, I was on a list and didn't have to pay, which I appreciated. They also serve pizza during intermissions and offer various snacks and assorted drinks.

No. 18:Florida Panthers

From Stanley Cup finalists to Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers are not winners of the media meal prize. They usually offer a choice of one or two proteins. It's not bad for just $13 US. They have cherry coke on fountain, which I always appreciate, as many venues do not. You also get hot dogs and cookies; during the playoffs, they even changed it up, offering a marshmallow and Rice Krispy treat covered in chocolate on a stick. Upstairs, they usually have some sort of hot food, such as chicken 'tendies' or empanadas, along with chips. They also had candied popcorn in the colors of the Florida Panthers, which I really liked. It's these little bonuses that stopped them from falling further down the list.

TikTok · David Alter331 likes, 9 comments. “#Leafs #media #meal for Game 6 against the Panthers. The hot dog was great. Same with the chicken and plantains. Hopefully there will be some more left this #NHL season.”

No. 19: Vegas Golden Knights

The drawback to Vegas is that they take cash only, and I actually didn't have any on me. So, a shout-out to the Mayor of Las Vegas, Gary Lawless, for telling the staff not to charge me for dinner, which I very much appreciated. They offered a good selection, although I didn't have time for the three-color cauliflower. What truly elevates the Vegas experience is the amazing candy and treat selection upstairs. This contributed to a great dining experience. They also offer cold brew coffee for those hot Vegas nights, which I definitely dig.

No. 20:Toronto Maple Leafs

Since I am based in Toronto, I don't have to frequent the media meals. However, I often choose to partake. During the height of the pandemic, they reverted to free meal vouchers, which I loved because I could use the $25 credit and pay a few extra dollars to get some delicious Edo sushi. In December 2023, the media meals returned. They were okay, but sometimes consisted of nothing more than basic burgers and worse. It's not bad, but for $15 plus taxes, it could be better. Sometimes they'd offer Mexican food, and it was okay. Their best nights are when they offer Asian cuisine. During the playoffs, they switched to vouchers where $15 would get you $25 worth of concession food. It's not a great value proposition, and the selection was limited to 300-level choices, excluding any of the new, fancier restaurants due to renovations. I'm looking forward to seeing what's in store for next year, as I believe they have the potential to move up the list. Upstairs, many media members settle for the free Pizza Pizza.

TikTok · David Alter143 likes, 14 comments. “It’s #media #meal time for Game 5 between the #Leafs and Panthers in the #NHL #stanleycup playoffs. Refusing to have the voucher so I enjoyed the free #pizza. And jelly beans.”

No. 21: Calgary Flames

The Flames' media meal is fairly basic, with the main event typically being chicken thighs. For Alberta, I was hoping for some Grade-A beef. The real saving grace that kept them from falling further down the list is the adjacent commissary for employees, which offers a vast and reasonably priced selection. Media members were also allowed to partake, and I opted for this over the main meal, at a fraction of the cost.

No. 22: Columbus Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets offer a decent meal at an okay price, but it's not particularly memorable. The best part of their offerings is an ice cream machine. Also, their Tim Hortons coffee seems to be superior to any other Tim Hortons coffee I've had. This could be because there's a standalone Tim Hortons location right next to Nationwide Arena. It's hard to explain. The Blue Jackets are the only team that has an emotional support dog greeting you as you come out of the elevator. His name is Jaxon, and he's a very good boy.

TikTok · David Alter1292 likes, 36 comments. “Media #meal time in Calgary for #Leafs vs #Flames. Unique to this city, they have a staff cafeteria where the value proposition absolutely slaps.”

No. 23:Washington Capitals

The Capitals actually spent a season operating on a voucher system similar to the Maple Leafs, where $10 would get you $30 worth of food, and it was actually really good. However, I do like that they eventually transitioned to a traditional media meal. It's another one of those small buffet spreads, typically featuring only one protein option. If you didn't like the dressing they put on the beef, you pretty much weren't eating. The Caps do have a good snack game in the press box, though, with more sweets than savory options.

No. 24:Winnipeg Jets

The Jets' meal is fairly pricey at $17 plus tax, and there wasn't much going for it. Winnipeg is a very underrated food city, and they actually have an awesome food court next door that many of my colleagues opt for instead. I went to Saburo for an awesome Korean Fried Chicken platter. It was delicious.

(Top Image Credit: David Alter on TikTok)

The Chicago Blackhawks haven’t made any huge splashes this offseason. They have made it clear that 2025-26 is another developmental year. There was no reason to overspend on free agents who won’t be as helpful when the team is ready to win. 

Kyle Davidson, however, is not shy about adding pieces that he thinks can help the team in the long term. On Thursday, a player like that may have become available. 

Rumors are out there that Yegor Chinakhov has requested a trade away from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Now, every team that could use a talented forward for their bottom-six is going to be inquiring. 

Yegor Chinakhov, 24, still has youth on his side, so he will be attractive to the Blackhawks. There is some upside to his game, which makes him worth considering for a team that lacks NHL forward depth. 

His upside likely won't lead to him becoming a star, but he's a productive bottom-six forward with some skill. In 175 games with the Blue Jackets, Chinakhov has 71 points. Having that many points in a limited role isn't anything to ignore.

When he's healthy, which has been somewhat of an issue, he can be a productive player. He has a great shot, which is his ace tool, but he has to be on the ice to use it. If a fresh start is what he's looking for, Chicago may be a good landing spot for him to rejuvenate his career. 

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

Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins have been full of surprises throughout the summer.

And - aside from the hypothetical day when some big trade news drops about Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell, or Bryan Rust - perhaps they'll have yet another one up their sleeve.

On Thursday, it was reported by agent Shumi Babaev that Columbus Blue Jackets right winger Yegor Chinakhov has requested a trade. The trade request, reportedly, comes as a result of "misunderstandings" with Blue Jackets' head caoch Dean Evason.

Chinakhov, 24, just finished his fourth NHL season with Columbus, registering seven goals and 15 points in 30 games. The intriguing young forward has the ability to put the puck in the net with his sniping ability, and his high hockey-IQ and excellent vision would pair well with both the veterans and the other young players in Pittsburgh's top-nine.

The biggest issue for Chinakhov throughout his NHL career up to this point has been his ability to stay healthy. Across four seasons, he has played in a total of only 175 games, and he has put up 34 goals and 71 points in that time. He was sidelined with a back injury that kept him out for most of last season and in 2023-24, which would be a reasonable concern for any GM or team interested in his services.

Through his agent, Shumi Babaev, it appears that #CBJ Yegor Chinakhov has requested a trade https://t.co/0DrRnTtWlm

— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) July 17, 2025

It was even a concern for his own GM in Don Waddell, who admitted that the winger struggled after his return last season - and was surprised that Babaev went public with the trade request. 

“I’m surprised he went public,” Waddell said. “But I’m not surprised because we’ve talked about it. He got back [from injury] and didn’t play well, and [he and Evason] fell out of favor. I told [Babaev], 'He has value, I will talk to teams. I have talked to teams. But I’m not just going to trade him because you said to trade him'.”

Given all of this, is this a player worth taking a chance on if you're Dubas and the Penguins?

For the past several weeks, there have been rumors abound concerning the future of Penguins' winger Rust, who has generated a ton of interest on the trade market. Per a report from The Fourth Period on Tuesday, Rust has recently been linked to three teams: the Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Columbus. We did discuss the idea of a Rust trade to Columbus involving Chinakhov a few weeks back, but with Chinakhov on the block, could it make even more sense now?

3 Trade Destinations For Penguins’ Winger Bryan Rust - And What The Return Should Look LikeAccording to many, Day One of free agency has been a bit of letdown.

It very well could. 

With teams still poking around on Rust - and Chinakhov now in play - he could be the kind of player that pushes a deal over the finish line. If a hypothetical deal were to happen between Pittsburgh and Columbus involving Rust and Chinakhov, though, more would have to come back from Columbus in the deal.

Rust is a proven top-six scoring winger, having registered six consecutive 20-goal seasons, including a career-high 31 goals in 2024-25. Dubas has also reiterated on a few occasions that Rust will not come cheap and that he and the Penguins would have to be "blown away" in order to accept an offer for the 33-year-old veteran, who is a valuable piece of the puzzle both on the ice and in the locker room for the Penguins.

So - that being said - the starting point is, probably, a first-round pick for Rust. 2026 first-round picks are going to be valuable commodities in terms of trade value this season - especially fringe teams like Columbus - because the draft lottery happens to feature a generational talent in Gavin McKenna next season.

If Chinakhov is part of the deal, Pittsburgh may either need to accept a 2026 conditional first-round pick or a straight-up 2027 first-round pick. Pushing back the first-rounder could also, potentially, mean that the Penguins may be able to squeeze one more asset out of the Blue Jackets in this trade scenario - possibly a B-level prospect or another pick.

Is this the right price for Rust? Honestly, who knows. It was reported by Frank Seravalli on Thursday that the Penguins are still "asking for a ton" for both Rust and Rakell, who has also generated a high degree of interest on the trade market after a career year (35 goals, 70 points). It's fair to assume that any Rust trade proposals thrown out into existence are, likely, lacking something if the asking price is truly that high.

Frank Seravalli: Dubas has been asking for a ton for both Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell, he's still asking for a lot for Erik Karlsson on the basis he's going to retain - Bleacher Report (Jul 15)

— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) July 17, 2025

But if the Penguins are truly interested in getting younger and acquiring young talent given the chance, Chinakhov is probably the type of player to take a flier on. Although Chinakhov alone isn't enough for Rust, he did register 10 goals and 17 points in 32 games for Omsk Avangard of the KHL in 2020-21 as well as 27 goals and 69 points in 56 games for Omskie Yastreby of the MHL - Russia's top junior league - during his draft year in 2019-20.

The 21st overall pick of the Blue Jackets in the 2020 NHL Draft, Chinakhov has not quite met expectations yet in the NHL. But it's safe to say that the talent and the potential is there, and these higher-ceiling young players are the exact kinds of guys Dubas should be taking chances on.

Even if Rust isn't the player going to Columbus as part of a bigger package, the Penguins have more than enough assets at this point to expend a few and take a chance on a player in need of a change of scenery. At the very least, Dubas should be making some phone calls to Waddell. 

NHL Trade Rumors: Penguins' Bryan Rust Linked To 3 TeamsPittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust is one of the NHL's top trade candidates right now. With the Penguins retooling, the 33-year-old winger would have the potential to land them a significant return if they decided to trade him.

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Former Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Louis Domingue is continuing his playing career overseas.

Domingue signed a one-year deal with the KHL's Sibir Novosibirsk on Thursday after spending the 2024-25 season with the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack, the AHL team of the New York Rangers. He finished the season with a 7-20-1 record, a 3.32 goals-against average, and a .896 save percentage. 

He had been with the Wolf Pack for the previous three seasons after spending the 2021-22 season with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Domingue played in six playoff games for the Penguins against the Rangers in 2022 because of injuries to Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith, finishing with three wins, a 3.65 goals-against average, and a .898 save percentage. 

DeSmith was the starter for Game 1 of the series but got hurt during the game, paving the way for Domingue to take the net until Jarry was healthy enough for Game 7. The Penguins had a 3-1 lead in the series before the Rangers stormed back to win it in seven games thanks to an Artemi Panarin overtime goal. 

Domingue was picked by the Arizona Coyotes (now the Utah Mammoth) in the fifth round of the 2010 NHL Draft. 

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Featured Image Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Patrick Kane is back for another season with the Detroit Red Wings after agreeing to another one-year extension, and he could soon set NHL history. 

Kane, who has amassed 1,343 career points, is only 32 from passing Mike Modano's record of 1,374 points to become the highest scoring U.S.-born player of all time. 

Looking ahead to 2025-26

Patrick Kane of the @DetroitRedWings sits 32 points away from passing Mike Modano for the most all-time by a U.S.-born player. Modano has held the mark since passing Phil Housley on Nov. 7, 2007. #NHLStatspic.twitter.com/nE8kYsYgWa

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) July 17, 2025

Modano spent the final season of his NHL career with the Red Wings in 2010-11, though he missed multiple weeks after suffering a frightening wrist injury against the Columbus Blue Jackets in November 2010. 

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

Kane, who only needs eight more goals to reach 500 for his career, has spoken glowingly about his time with the Red Wings, which was made easier when he first signed in December 2024 thanks to the presence of his former Chicago Blackhawks teammate and good friend Alex DeBrincat.

“It’s been great,” Kane said of his time with the Red Wings toward the end of last season. “Obviously really appreciative of Steve (Yzerman) and the organization to take a chance on me coming back from the surgery, and I think even last year it maybe didn’t so much feel like it was home, or like it was my team, or the team I played for. But coming into this year, and especially now, I definitely feel like a Red Wing now. It’s been a great place for me to continue my career, and I’ve really enjoyed it.”

Following a slower start than he or the Red Wings would have liked last season, Kane immediately returned to his dangerous form when Todd McLellan took over behind the bench in late December. 

McLellan soon began skating Kane on a line with DeBrincat centered by rookie Marco Kasper, a combination that Red Wings fans can likely expect to see at the start of next season. 

The Red Wings will need Kane at his best next season if they are to have a chance at bringing playoff hockey to Little Caesars Arena for the first time next spring. 

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The Stanley Cup is back in South Florida.

After spending some time in Quebec with A.J. Greer and Roberto Luongo once it was engraved with the names of the 2025-26 Florida Panthers, the Stanley Cup made the trip back to Broward County this week for some fun in the sun.

On Wednesday, longtime Panthers equipment manager Scott Tinkler took his turn with the historic trophy.

Tinkler, who has been with the Panthers since their first season all the way back in 1993, did one of the most South Florida things you could do with the Stanley Cup.

He brought it to Flanigan's.

According to a video posted by Flanigan's on social media, and photos posted by @maimiguydylan on X, the Cup was filled with several of the restaurant’s staple items.

We’re talking chicken wings, the banzai brownie dessert and, of course, Flanigan's famous rib rolls.

While there have been plenty of exotic and memorable Panthers’ Stanley Cup days over the past year-plus, this is one of the more localized ones.

Flanigan's has been staple in South Florida since opening in the 1950s.

The image of Joe “Big Daddy” Flanigan on the eatery’s large, green plastic cups are famously seen all over the region, from parties on the boats and the beach to random kitchen cabinets, and even in the Amerant Bank Arena press box during Panthers games.

If you’re from South Florida and don’t have a Flanigan's cup somewhere in your home, you might be one of the only ones.

And that being the case, close your computer or put down your phone right now and drive to the nearest Flanigan's.

You won’t be sorry, and hey, you might run into the Stanley Cup while you’re there!

LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA

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Photo caption: The Stanley Cup made an appearance at the Flanigans in Hallandale Beach on Wednesday. (Photo source: @miamiguydylan on X) 

The Vancouver Canucks’ schedule for the 2025–26 season has officially been released. The team begins 2025–26 at home on October 9 against the Calgary Flames, and concludes the regular season on April 16 on the road against the Edmonton Oilers. Let’s take a look at some of Vancouver’s can’t-miss games occurring throughout the season. 

October 9: Home Opener Versus Calgary

As mentioned, the Canucks start the 2025–26 season at home against the Flames, with this game beginning at 7:00pm PT. This is the second year in a row that Vancouver has started their season at home against Calgary on October 9, as they had the exact same season-opening date and matchup the year prior. Many remember last season’s opening blunder in which Vancouver got off to an early 4–1 lead in the first period only to lose 6–5 in overtime. In 2025–26, the team will look to repair this with a win to start off their season. 

October 11: First Match Against Edmonton

Vancouver’s next game in 2025–26 is none other than a match against the Oilers in Edmonton. Edmonton is coming off their second straight Stanley Cup Finals loss to the Florida Panthers, meaning they’ll be coming into the season with revenge on their minds. Previous Canucks and Oilers matchups have been very entertaining — for example, the January 18 game in Vancouver in which both Connor McDavid and Tyler Myers were suspended for three games due to some end-of-game action. 

Another aspect of this game that makes it intriguing is the fact that this will be newly-acquired Canuck Evander Kane’s first game against his former team. It’s no secret that Kane plays with an edge, so any in-game scrappiness could be due to something he starts. Regardless, Canucks vs. Oilers games are always exciting ones for both fanbases to watch. 

October 17: Kiefer Sherwood’s Revenge

On March 15, in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks in Vancouver, former Canuck Jason Dickinson threw a dirty hit on Filip Chytil that crunched the latter painfully into the boards. Chytil was taken out of the game and ultimately did not play again for the rest of the season. Postgame, a few players expressed their disdain for the hit, but none more than newcomer Kiefer Sherwood. 

“[Dickinson’s] going to have to answer the bell next year because I know we don’t play them again. That was a dirty hit,” Sherwood had said at the time. “And then he doesn’t have the ‘whatever’ to step on the ice afterwards. [Forbort] asked him [to fight] and it is what it is. We’ll get him next year.” 

With this in mind, Vancouver’s first game against the Blackhawks during the 2025–26 season is on October 17 in Chicago. Whether Dickinson fights or not is something that will remain answerless until both teams step on the ice, but regardless, Vancouver clearly has plans to exact their revenge. 

October 28: J.T. Miller Returns To Vancouver

October 28 may be one of the highest-awaited games of the Canucks’ calendar year. Former Canuck J.T. Miller will be playing at Rogers Arena for the first time since being traded, with his last game in front of Canucks fans being January 25 against the Washington Capitals. With how popular Miller was in his time with Vancouver, it’s likely that he’ll be getting a pretty long tribute video when he arrives. 

Sentimental aspects aside, it’ll surely be a game to watch when the Canucks take on the New York Rangers for the first time in Vancouver with Miller in the lineup. With a healthy Elias Pettersson hopefully in the lineup, many will likely be comparing the two players’ performances against one-another. 

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November 5: Connor Bedard Comes To Vancouver

It’s always fun when a superstar rolls into town. For Vancouver, one of the most exciting players to watch at Rogers Arena is Connor Bedard. The forward, who is originally from North Vancouver, is expected to play against his hometown team on November 5 when the Blackhawks come to Vancouver. Bedard has already played at Rogers Arena twice in his NHL career, both in the 2024–25 season, which will make this matchup his third. 

November 17: First Match Against The Back-To-Back Stanley Cup Champions

As part of their usual annual trip to Florida, the Canucks will take on the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Panthers on November 17. Florida is coming off their second straight Stanley Cup. Despite many of their players being eligible for free agency in 2025, the Panthers retained all of their key free agents, meaning their championship core will stick around for quite some time. Last season, Vancouver secured their first win of the season against the Panthers in Florida. 

December 30: Rick Tocchet Returns To Vancouver

Vancouver’s December 30 match against the Philadelphia Flyers is important for more than just the fact that it’s their last game of 2025. This game also marks the return of former Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet, who will be coaching the Flyers in his first game back in Vancouver since April 16. Accompanying Tocchet back to Vancouver will be former Canucks assistant coach Yogi Švejkovský and former Canucks defenceman Noah Juulsen. 

January 23: The Hughes Bowl

On January 23, one of the more recent NHL traditions will take place — the Hughes Bowl. The New Jersey Devils, the team of Jack and Luke Hughes, will come to Vancouver and face the Canucks and their captain, Quinn Hughes. The first Hughes Bowl of 2025–26 will take place earlier in the year, on December 14 in New Jersey. This installment will be the first to occur in Vancouver since the Canucks were crushed 6–0 by the Devils on October 30, 2024. 

Vancouver Canucks Announce 2025-26 Regular Season ScheduleThe Vancouver Canucks have announced their schedule for the 2025-26 season. Just as last year, the Canucks will open the season at home, while the league will pause in February as players head to the 2026 Winter Olympics. Here is a look at Vancouver's schedule this season:

January 25: Artūrs Šilovs’ Return To Vancouver

Just two days after the Hughes Bowl, Canucks fans will welcome back a former fan favourite. Artūrs Šilovs, who was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday, will return to Rogers Arena alongside his new team on January 25. It’s currently unknown whether Šilovs has a chance at starting in that game or not, but regardless, there’s a chance the Calder Cup champion could still be in the building for his first game back. 

April 14: Vancouver’s Final Home Game

Vancouver ends the 2025–26 regular season on the road, meaning their last home game will take place a little earlier than some other teams’. The Canucks will host the Los Angeles Kings on April 14 in their final regular season game in front of their fans. With that being said, there’s always the possibility that they could be back in the building after this date, but they’ll need to qualify for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs in order to do so. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more from The Hockey News. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

The Detroit Red Wings haven't had a true, homegrown goaltender since the days of both Jimmy Howard and Chris Osgood, both of whom got their starts after being drafted by the club by working their way up through Detroit's minor-league affiliates. 

Osgood ultimately won the Stanley Cup three times with Detroit, twice as a starter. And while Howard unfortunately wasn't able to do so, he still ranks third all-time in franchise history in victories and games played. 

The Red Wings are hoping that both Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine, who are two of the more highly-regarded goaltending NHL prospects today, will fit the bill. 

Cossa has already begun his professional career with the Grand Rapids Griffins, amassing a total record of 43-24-15 over the last two combined seasons. He also picked up his first NHL victory in a relief appearance for the Red Wings last December in what has been his only appearance in the big show to date. 

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

Augustine, who has decided that he'll be returning to play his junior season with the Michigan State Spartans, has received attention from a recent NHL.com ranking of the best goaltenders 25 years old and under, clocking in at No. 6 overall. 

The puck stops here 🙅‍♂️ #NHLYoungStarsWeek

Read more from @NHLdotcom ➡️ https://t.co/l0ZQ2r2jN6pic.twitter.com/MiWZ1tEIz1

— NHL (@NHL) July 17, 2025

Additionally, Augustine was ranked third overall by The Athletic's Scott Wheeler in his recent rankings of the best drafted NHL goalie prospects; Cossa came in at No. 8 overall. 

My annual top 20 drafted NHL goalie prospects ranking is out at @TheAthletic!

Featuring full evaluations, projections, tiers, and more, all packaged in our user interface.

The 2025 edition: https://t.co/RTNrl8MyQ1pic.twitter.com/efFBmUQjjw

— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) July 15, 2025

Augustine put together a sparking 19-7-4 record in his sophomore season with the Spartans, complete with an equally solid .924 save percentage and 2.08 goals-against average. Oh, and he was also named the 2024-25 Big Ten Goaltender of the Year. 

His skills have also been put to the test in international competition. He's a five-time medal winner, including consecutive gold medals at the 2024 and 2025 IIHF World Junior Championships. In doing so, he became the winningest goalie in United States history at the IIHF World Junior Championships.

A 2023 second-round Draft pick of the Red Wings, Augustine's career trajectory thus far shows no sign of not being able to eventually become a highly successful goaltender for Detroit in the future.

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Despite an excellent rookie season in the KHL, Philadelphia Flyers goalie prospect Egor Zavragin has yet to prove himself in the eyes of some experts.

After starting the season 3-3-0 with HK Sochi and owning a .941 save percentage, Zavragin, 19, re-joined his parent club, SKA St. Petersburg, and effectively became the KHL powerhouse's full-time starter.

 The Flyers' 2023 third-round pick played a total of 37 regular season games for SKA, posting a 2.55 GAA, a .912 save percentage, and a 17-11-3 record to go along with three shutouts.

Zavragin's fellow netminders, Artemi Pleshkov and Pavel Moysevich, combined for 17 wins in the 41 games played between them, and Zavragin is younger than both.

But those stats at that age with that kind of responsibility didn't do much for him in the eyes of Scott Wheeler, one of The Athletic's NHL prospect experts.

In Wheeler's latest rankings of the top 20 drafted goalie prospects, Zavragin managed to rank just 17th, ahead of only Carl Lindbom, Jakub Dobes, and Lucas Beckman.

But, what's interesting is that Zavragin still placed in Wheeler's second tier, which spanned from No. 3 goalie Trey Augustine down to No. 18 goalie Lindbom.

Philadelphia Flyers Leave NHL Draft with 2 Fatal FlawsThe Philadelphia Flyers did well at the 2025 NHL Draft, but they were painfully close from going from good to great.

Despite his low ranking, Wheeler was plenty complimentary of Zavragin's game and didn't note any negatives, which should come as good news for Flyers fans eagerly anticipating the Russian prospect's arrival in the coming years.

Still, given his extremely young age (still 19 despite being drafted in 2023, born Aug. 23, 2005), Zavragin has a much longer developmental runway than some of his counterparts on the list, and he's already nearing a dominant level of play in a league like the KHL.

Some of this year's draftees, like Joshua Ravensbergen, Pyotr Andreyanov, and Jack Ivankovic, all placed inside of the top-10.

And, somehow, Devon Levi, the second-oldest player on the list, placed seventh despite failing to cement his place in the NHL on a team like Buffalo.

Effectively, yes, while all these goalies are talented, it's hard not to feel like Zavragin was slighted, even just a little bit, in the rankings, but the Flyers and many of their younger prospects are happy to be the underdogs.

Flyers' Egor Zavragin Repeats Rare KHL Club AchievementTop Philadelphia Flyers prospect and SKA St. Petersburg goalie Egor Zavragin continues to build on an impressive debut season in the KHL, accomplishing a rare feat that has only been done twice.

As an aside, Wheeler ranked five 2025-drafted goalies ahead of Zavragin, and many of you who follow me online or followed my draft coverage here know that I was adamant about the Flyers taking a goalie with one of their top picks, including as high as the first round, with the poor performances all throughout the organization and perceived uncertainty around the NHL futures of Aleksei Kolosov and Ivan Fedotov.

And Zavragin is actually the most recent goalie the Flyers have drafted, too (alongside draft classmate Carson Bjarnason), so, it makes you wonder. Philadelphia basically has all its eggs in those two baskets right now.

The Buffalo Sabres revealed their 2025-26 regular season schedule on Wednesday, with the club opening the 82-game schedule against the New York Rangers at Key Bank Center on Thursday, October 9. The Sabres schedule is home-heavy early in the season, but each month has a game that is intriguing. 

Here are seven home games for each month of the season:

October - Friday 10/24 vs. Toronto - Narrowly beating out the first meeting with the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, the first Leafs-Sabres match with Key Bank Center loaded with Toronto fans is always a signature event. Buffalo regularly dominated the Leafs on home ice, but Toronto has fared better in recent years.

November - Tuesday 11/4 vs. Utah - Possibly the most anticipated game of the season, with JJ Peterka returning to Buffalo for the first time since forcing his way out. It will also be Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan’s first chance to play against the newly-named Mammoth.    

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December - Monday 12/1 vs. Winnipeg - The Sabres only play four games at home in December, and the other three are against non-playoff teams (Philadelphia, NY Islanders, and Boston), so the game against the President’s Trophy-winning Jets wins by default. 

January - Monday 1/12 vs. Florida - The best of eight home games in January is against the Stanley Cup Champions, with three former Sabres in Sam Reinhart, Dmitri Kulikov, and Evan Rodrigues sporting a ring on each hand.

 February - Thursday 2/5 vs. Pittsburgh - Slim pickings in the year’s shortest month, since the Sabres play only once at Key Bank Center because of the Olympic break, but at least we get to see Sidney Crosby before he hops on a plane to Italy. 

March - Tuesday 3/3 vs. Vegas - There is still a buzz in the air when Jack Eichel comes to town, and now that Mitch Marner has joined the former Sabres team captain, the Golden Knights may be the most hated club in the Niagara Peninsula.  

April - Monday 4/6 vs. Tampa Bay - One of only three home games and the last Atlantic Division game at KBC in the regular season, something that the Sabres hope means something for playoff implications down the stretch. 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo    

The Chicago Blackhawks have plenty of promising young players on their roster. Goaltender Spencer Knight is one of them, as he has the potential to emerge as a very impactful goalie at the NHL level. 

Knight has already shown promise over his four-year NHL career thus far, as he has recorded a 49-33-9 record, a 2.83 goals-against average, and a .904 save percentage in 95 games. Now, after being traded to the Blackhawks from the Florida Panthers in the Seth Jones deal, he will have the opportunity to finally be a full-time starter. 

Knight's potential and success so far at the NHL level have now landed him some serious praise. In a recent article for NHL.com, Kevin Woodley ranked Knight as the second-best goalie in the NHL who is under 25 years old heading into the 2025-26 season. The only goalie Woodley had ahead of him was Calgary Flames rising star Dustin Wolf.

Overall, when looking at what Knight has done so far during his career, it is certainly fair that he has earned the No. 2 spot on Woodley's list. The 2019 first-round pick has the tools to become something special for the Blackhawks as they look to take that next step, and it will be fun to see what kind of campaign he has in 2025-26 from here. 

Blackhawks Sign Intriguing New Goalie ProspectThe Chicago Blackhawks have added a new goalie prospect to their system. 

Photo Credit: © Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

Former St. Louis Blues forward Dakota Joshua is on the move. 

The Vancouver Canucks have announced that they have traded Joshua to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a 2028 fourth-round pick.

General Manager Patrik Allvin announced today that the #Canucks have acquired a 4th round pick in the 2028 NHL Entry Draft from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Dakota Joshua.

DETAILS | https://t.co/1RN12Vv1zEpic.twitter.com/Wwb65BRum2

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) July 17, 2025

Joshua's name has been floating around the rumor mill this off-season as the Canucks look to shake up their roster. Now, the Pacific Division club has officially dealt him to the Maple Leafs, where he will look to be a solid part of Toronto's bottom six.

Joshua appeared in 57 games this past season with the Canucks, where he had seven goals, 14 points, 193 hits, and a minus-13 rating. This is after he set career highs with 18 goals, 14 assists, 32 points, and 245 hits in 63 games with the Canucks during the 2023-24 campaign.

This is a reunion of sorts, too, as Joshua was initially selected by the Maple Leafs with the 128th overall pick of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. Yet, he never played a game with Toronto after being drafted by them, as he was traded to the Blues during the 2019 off-season for future considerations. Yet, with this trade, he will now get the opportunity to make his Maple Leafs debut 11 years after being drafted by them. 

In 42 games over two seasons with the Blues from 2020-21 and 2021-22, Joshua recorded four goals, five assists, nine points, 100 hits, and a plus-3 rating.

Blues Made Sneaky Good Move Signing New ForwardEarlier this off-season, the St. Louis Blues signed forward Nick Bjugstad to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $1.75 million. With the Blues needing more center depth, seeing them bring in Bjugstad ultimately made sense. This is especially so when noting that Radek Faksa ended up leaving St. Louis and going back to the Dallas Stars in free agency.

Photo Credit:  © Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

The NHL’s off-season free-agent and trade frenzy has now died down, which means it’s time to evaluate how each squad has done so far.

We’re kicking off The Hockey News’ NHL summer splash rankings. Day by day, we’re ranking which teams did the most to improve, based on acquisitions, departures, hirings and firings.

The general criteria is examining which teams improved, stayed the same or got worse. There are exceptions for teams that kept star players off the market by re-signing them and clubs that didn’t necessarily get much worse but did significantly less than what was expected.

The last-place squad in this series fits into one of those exceptions – you can guess which one.

The NHL summer splash rankings begin with Team No. 32 – the Buffalo Sabres.

Additions

Josh Doan (RW), Justin Danforth (RW), Michael Kesselring (D), Conor Timmins (D), Alex Lyon (G)

The Breakdown: The Sabres made their defense corps deeper by adding Kesselring (via the JJ Peterka trade) and Timmins (via the Connor Clifton trade). Kesselring has potential as a top-four defenseman, but neither D-man can be considered a massive difference-maker.

Similarly, young winger Doan has shown promise in his game, scoring seven goals and 19 points in 51 games while splitting this past season between the NHL and AHL. But he’s a depth player, as is 32-year-old former Columbus Blue Jackets winger Danforth, who gives experience to Buffalo’s bottom six forwards.

Lyon signed as a free agent to compete with youngster Devon Levi for the supporting role behind starting goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

Departures

JJ Peterka (RW), Sam Lafferty (C), Connor Clifton (D), Jacob Bernard-Docker (D), James Reimer (G)

The Breakdown: Peterka was traded to the Utah Mammoth, where he quickly signed a five-year deal with an average annual value of $7.7 million. Clearly, either Buffalo wasn’t willing to offer that contract, Peterka wasn’t willing to sign the same deal with the Sabres or both. 

Meanwhile, depth center Lafferty was dealt to Chicago, Clifton was shipped off to Pittsburgh, Bernard-Docker signed a free-agent deal with Detroit, and Reimer, 37, remains unsigned.

The Bottom Line

The Sabres’ off-season moves are extremely underwhelming. They lost a dynamic point-producer in Peterka and ostensibly used his cap space to re-sign young defenseman Bowen Byram. 

But while Buffalo’s defense corps now has solid depth, its overall offense has taken a hit, and that’s not good news in the highly competitive Atlantic Division. They scored the 10th-most goals-for this past season, and Peterka was their second-top scorer, with 68 points. 

The Sabres have about $7.39 million in cap space, but a chunk of that will have to go to RFA goalie Levi and RFA blueliner Timmins. All in all, Buffalo hasn’t improved, and they’ve gotten worse in the grand scheme of things.

Sabres fans don’t need to be reminded, but their team hasn’t made the playoffs in 14 years. They were one win away from making the playoffs in 2022-23, with 91 points, and subsequently finished with 84 and 79 points in the following two seasons. How patient can a fan be?

If the Sabres extend their playoff drought to 15 years by missing out on the post-season in 2025-26, the Sabres should be radically remaking their front office and starting over to at long last come up with a team that can compete with the best organizations in the NHL.

They haven’t done nearly enough to go toe-to-toe with top Atlantic teams like Florida, Toronto and Tampa Bay, and Buffalo’s lack of improvement this summer is probably dooming them to another letdown season. That's why they're last in the NHL summer splash rankings.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired another forward.

The Maple Leafs have added Dakota Joshua from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a 2028 fourth-round pick. The 29-year-old played 57 games with the Canucks last season, scoring 14 points (seven goals and seven assists).

The Maple Leafs selected Joshua in the fifth round (128th overall) in the 2014 NHL Draft. Toronto then traded him to the St. Louis Blues for future considerations in July 2019, after four years at Ohio State University.

Since then, the Dearborn, Michigan forward has appeared in a total of 241 NHL games, split between the Blues and Canucks. Joshua has played most of his games in the NHL with Vancouver, where he has dressed in 199 games, scoring 69 points (36 goals and 33 assists) in that span.

Mitch Marner's Return To Toronto And Other Key Dates As Maple Leafs Unveil Full 2025-26 NHL Regular Season ScheduleThe Toronto Maple Leafs unveiled their 2025-26 regular season schedule on Wednesday.

Joshua is entering the second season of a four-year, $13 million contract he signed with the Canucks in June 2024. The annual average value of the contract is $3.25 million. After this trade, the Maple Leafs have just over $2 million in cap space, according to PuckPedia.com.

The forward's most productive year in the NHL came during the 2023-24 season. Joshua had 32 points in 63 games before coming up huge in the playoffs for Vancouver, scoring four goals and four assists in 13 games.

He'll join a Maple Leafs team which is full of depth. The left-shot forward lined up on the left wing with Vancouver for most of last season.

'Just Putting Rims On A Prius': Which NHL Teams Took Shots At The Maple Leafs In Their Schedule Reveal Videos?For the first time, the NHL had a coordinated schedule release where clubs had a chance to flex their creativity. Of course, this also gave some clubs (not all) a chance to poke fun at the Maple Leafs. Some took the high road, and others did not. Either way, I sat through the other 31 NHL clubs’ videos (if they made one, some of them did not participate) to show you what might make for some bulletin board material.

Last summer, Joshua was diagnosed with testicular cancer and underwent surgery in September, forcing him to miss the first few months of the regular season. He made his season debut against the New York Islanders on November 14.

"Dakota went through a lot last season before the year even started and we were very impressed in how he handled such a difficult off-ice situation," said Canucks GM Patrik Allvin in a statement. "Once healthy, he tried hard to help the team in many ways, and we want to wish him the best moving forward in Toronto."

(Top photo of Joshua: Bob Frid / Imagn Images)