Canadian forward Nic Petan, 30, has signed a two-year contract with HC Ambrì-Piotta, the National League club announced on Monday.

Petan spent last season in the KHL with Ak Bars Kazan, where he recorded 50 points and 30 penalty minutes in 60 regular-season and playoff games. Prior to that, he had spent his entire career in North America.

“I chose Ambrì for the next chapter of my career because not only have I heard great things about the city, the fans, the staff and also the players, but I think it’s gonna be a great fit for me and the style of play that I bring,” Petan said in a social media video. “Coming from an Italian background, the culture and all that comes with it, I think it’s going to be a great fit.”

Born in Delta, BC, Petan played minor hockey for the North Shore Winter Club in North Vancouver and junior hockey for the Portland Winterhawks. In 2012-13, Petan led the WHL in assists, won the CHL top scorer award, helping Portland to a league title and a berth in the Memorial Cup.

In 2013, Petan was chosen in the second round, 43rd overall, by the Winnipeg Jets in the NHL Entry Draft. Between 2015 and 2024, he played 170 NHL games for the Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks and Minnesota Wild, recording 35 points and 46 penalty minutes. He was also briefly in the New York Rangers system.

Another Finnish D-Man Leaves Toronto For Europe Finnish defenseman Topi Niemelä, 23, has signed a one-year contract with the Malmö Redhawks, the SHL club announced on Monday.

At 5’9” and 174 lbs, Petan was undersized by NHL standards and spent most of his time in the AHL.

“I’m a smaller, skilled, competitve forward,” said Petan. “I’m a playmaker but I also love scoring goals. I bring speed, quickness, and a playmaking ability to the game. I do respect the defensive side of the game, so as I’ve gotten older, I like to bring an offensive side but also a defensive side to my game.”

Internationally, Petan played for Canada at the 2014 and 2015 IIHF World Junior Championships, winning a gold in the latter.

Petan’s signing comes days after Ambrì-Piotta signed Chris Tierney, who also played last season in the KHL. In addition to Petan and Tierney, Ambrì-Piotta has under contract for next season former NHLers Tim Heed, Chris DiDomenico and goaltender Gilles Senn.

Photo © Bob Frid-Imagn Images: Nic Petan playing for the Vancouver Canucks in the 2022-23 season. 

Chris Tierney Moves From KHL To SwitzerlandCanadian center Chris Tierney, who turns 31 on July 1, has signed a one-year contract with Ambrì-Piotta, the National League club announced via social media on Friday. The contract is reportedly for one year plus an option.

The first big deal of the 2025 NHL offseason saw the Philadelphia Flyers trade center Ryan Poehling, the 45th pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, and a fourth-round pick to the Anaheim Ducks for forward Trevor Zegras.

The Flyers are buying low on a supremely talented player in Zegras, a former No. 11 pick, who has scored just 18 goals and 47 points in only 88 games across the last two seasons.

Zegras, 24, has been hampered by a variety of injuries in recent seasons, including a broken left ankle suffered last January. At his best, though, the 6-foot forward is a versatile, skillful agitator who scored north of 60 points in each of his first two full seasons in the NHL.

The Flyers, desperate for centers and talented left-shot wingers, will be happy to take the risk on Zegras, who was being sold extremely low by the Ducks.

In his NHL career, Zegras has played left wing, center, and right wing, though the context of this Flyers trade suggests he'll be playing center.

It can be safely presumed that Zegras is now the primary running mate for star sophomore Matvei Michkov, giving the Flyers at least three forward duos they can rely on: Zegras and Michkov, Sean Couturier and Travis Konecny, and Tyson Foerster and Noah Cates.

The flexibility Zegras brings with his positional versatility is key, as it allows the Flyers to choose whoever they want with the No. 6 pick in the 2025 draft without thinking too much about long-term ramifications.

Flyers Scouting Top Russian Prospects Ahead of NHL DraftWith the 2025 NHL Draft now less than a week away, the Philadelphia Flyers are continuing their due diligence down at the Gold Star Hockey Development Camp in Florida, which runs until June 26.

Playmaking centers like James Hagens and Jake O'Brien work equally as well as a cerebral sniper like Porter Martone; Zegras is now the chess piece the Flyers can move around freely.

Grade: A

This trade was a slam dunk for Danny Briere's first transaction of the offseason. The Flyers badly needed some fresh faces and, more than anything else, a higher floor and a higher ceiling offensively.

It would be dishonest to say that Ryan Poehling isn't a loss for the Flyers, too. Indeed, Poehling is on the last year of his contract and effectively a fourth-line center, but he is capable of playing up and down the lineup in a pinch, skates like the wind, works hard, and kills penalties.

Centers like Poehling are valuable in the NHL, but the Ducks got one from the Flyers at a cost that many wouldn't agree with.

Reiterating the assumption that Zegras plays center for the Flyers, Philadelphia's immediate center depth will consist of Zegras, Couturier, and Cates with someone like Jett Luchanko, Karsen Dorwart, Rodrigo Abols, or perhaps a free agent signing slotting in behind them.

It should be noted that Zegras, like Poehling, is in the last year of his contract, but will instead be an RFA at the end of the season. The former top Ducks draft pick carries a salary of $5.75 million, which is no issue given the Flyers have $15 million in cap space still remaining.

To earn any kind of substantial raise, Zegras will assuredly have to return to his 60-point form, if not better.

Looking ahead to the 2025 draft later this week, the Flyers still have six picks in the first two rounds, including all three of their first-round picks.

This is key, as acquiring that high-upside talent in Zegras leaves the Flyers with their best trade assets still in hand. Or, they could simply use those picks on prospects. The choice is theirs.

In the second round, the Flyers still own the 36th, 40th, and 48th picks.

With previous rumors surrounding defensemen like Nicolas Hague and Alexander Romanov, as well as the persisting talk around prized KHL free agent Maxim Shabanov, look for the Flyers to remain busy and active over the next several days.

The Trevor Zegras era in Anaheim has come to a close. On Monday, he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for forward Ryan Poehling, the 45th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft and a 2026 fourth-round pick.

“While this was a difficult trade to make, we have and will continue to look at retooling our roster over the next couple of months,” Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said in a team statement. This transaction is part of that process. We wish Trevor the best of luck with the Flyers.” Verbeek also thanked Zegras for his contributions and efforts over the last six seasons.

On the surface, this trade comes at a strange time. Zegras’ trade value had plummeted after two difficult seasons under Greg Cronin, not to mention long-term injuries curtailing both of those seasons. The offensive production wasn’t consistent, but there were signs that he was capable of getting back to the 60-plus point campaigns he’d had as a rookie and sophomore in the NHL.

With one year remaining on the three-year contract he’d signed after a contract dispute in 2023, Zegras was likely on the outside looking in when it came to receiving an extension beyond his current deal. He had been shifted to the wing after coming into the league as a natural center and his limited deployment on the power play suggested that he did not figure into Anaheim’s long-term plans.

“When the players are in those circumstances, we all take everything year-by-year,” Verbeek said when asked in April about Zegras and pending UFA Jacob Trouba fitting into the organization long-term. “I’m certainly going to be watching to see how each of them perform and take in the whole course of the season to decide where we go. They’re obviously quality hockey players. We’ve got a lot of quality hockey players in our system, so there’s going to be a lot of things that are going happen and we’ll have to be able to figure that out and assess that at the appropriate time.”

Joel Quenneville’s hiring as head coach this past May suggested that Zegras may get an opportunity to play in the NHL under a head coach who knows how to utilize him properly. Comparisons to how Patrick Kane, a player who Zegras looks up to, was deployed in Chicago came to mind.

Chris Kreider, one of Zegras’ good friends, was also acquired by the Ducks via trade earlier in June, further suggesting that a better environment was being put in place for the former ninth overall pick.

Instead, that will come in Philadelphia with the Flyers under new head coach Rick Tocchet. Zegras reunites with good friend and former roommate, Jamie Drysdale, who was traded to the Flyers in Jan. 2024 for Cutter Gauthier and a second-round pick.

Poehling has one year remaining on the contract he signed with the Flyers in Jan. 2024, which carries a $1.9 million cap hit. A collegiate star at St. Cloud State, Poehling was drafted 25th overall in the 2017 NHL Draft by the Montréal Canadiens but has found it difficult to lock down an everyday role in the NHL.

He seemed to have found a home in Philadelphia after a short stop in Pittsburgh following his departure from the Canadiens, setting career-highs in points in both of his seasons in the City of Brotherly Love.

In Anaheim, Poehling will likely fill a bottom-6 role, as he’s done over the past few seasons for the Penguins and Flyers. He can play both center and wing and has some edge to his game. He could also see time on the penalty kill, he had three shorthanded goals in 2023-24.

Swapping Zegras for Poehling-plus gives the Ducks some wiggle room financially—not that they need it very much right now. But with the ability to sign players like Leo Carlsson, Jackson LaCombe and Cutter Gauthier to contract extensions on Jul. 1 and Mason McTavish and Lukáš Dostál needing new deals this offseason, something was always going to have to give. 

For the Flyers, it gives them a chance to see what Zegras can do—likely at center—before it comes time to extend him. A fan favorite in Anaheim, Zegras’ eventual return to Honda Center will be highly anticipated.

Featured image caption: Apr 7, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks center Trevor Zegras (11) during the second period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

On Monday morning, the Rockford IceHogs announced that their captain, Brett Seney, would return on a two-year AHL deal. He signed this contract ahead of becoming an unrestricted free agent. 

This differs slightly from Seney’s last contract, which was a two-way deal. The Blackhawks are likely not going to need Seney in their lineup anymore, but he is a great mentor for the young players who will play with Rockford in the coming years. 

Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) on XCAP IS BACK ‼️ We’ve signed forward Brett Seney to a two-year AHL contract. See you back home, Senes 🫡 📰: https://t.co/2haLKapqrp

Seney has already done a great job with some of the young guys who he has been around over the last handful of seasons. Rockford, as a whole, has been strong at developing players before they reach the NHL. They are a great foundational base for Blackhawks prospects to begin their pro career if needed. Seney is a big part of that. 

Although Chicago’s NHL roster is going to be very young in 2025-26, mostly filled with guys who spent time with Rockford, there will still be plenty of raw players looking to grow down in the AHL. 

With a new coaching staff, both in the NHL and AHL, coming into this year, a captain like Seney will be important for guys to have around. 

In terms of hockey, Seney will help Rockford win games, too. In 2024-25, he had 10 goals and 29 assists for 39 points in 58 games played. The younger guys will be relied on for more offense, but the depth and leadership he provides will continue to be incredibly helpful. 

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

It's a big week for Ottawa Senators general manager Steve Staios and his amateur scouting staff. They'll gather to make a total of six amateur player selections this Friday and Saturday in the annual NHL Draft.

However, in a strange twist this year, Staios and his team won’t actually be at the draft.

In a classic case of trying to fix something that didn’t appear to be broken, the NHL has made a major change to decentralize the event. In other words, the Senators and the 31 other NHL teams will be staying home to make their selections. 

Here's how it's expected to play out.

Staios and his staff will meet somewhere in Ottawa on Friday and Saturday to make their selections remotely. They’ll begin with their first pick at 21st overall, relay that choice to a Senators employee in Los Angeles, and the selection will be announced by a special guest.

That guest could be a current or former player, or a celebrity with ties to the team. That's a trend the Senators may have nudged forward in 2020 when former Jeopardy host, the late Alex Trebek, announced Tim Stützle’s name in a recorded message.

The only exception to this new format will be the New York Islanders’ first overall pick, which Commissioner Gary Bettman will announce.

As for the players, the NHL has invited only the top 50 prospects to attend in person, based on the final rankings from NHL Central Scouting. Other prospects are welcome to go, but they didn't get a formal invitation.

Once the Senators make their first-round pick, the player will be brought into what the league is calling a “virtual hockey house,” complete with Senators branding in the background. There, through a two-way camera setup, the newest Senator will meet Staios and the rest of the staff for the first time, a virtual interaction that may be televised. There may also be a reporter in the room for a quick in-person interview with the player.

The move to this decentralized format was announced earlier this year, but by the time the GM meetings rolled around in March, some general managers had already begun to rethink it. It hasn’t turned out to be the cost-saver many had hoped, raising the possibility this could be a one-and-done experiment.

But it should be an interesting one, and one thing is certain. The incredible, high-tech 2024 Draft presentation at The Sphere in Las Vegas has left Los Angeles with an extremely tough (impossible) act to follow.

Your Handy 2025 Senators Draft Guide

After their splashy 21st overall selection, and barring a trade, Senators fans are in for a long wait before their next pick. Barring a trade, they won’t select again until the final pick of the third round, or 96th overall.

Here's what they have in their draft arsenal and how they acquired each pick:

Round Two:

They don’t have a second-round pick. It was packaged up back in March as part of the Fabian Zetterlund trade.

Round Three

They do have a third-round pick, but it’s not their own. The Sens traded away their original third-rounder last summer as a sweetener to convince the St. Louis Blues to take Mathieu Joseph’s contract off their hands.

The 2025 third-round pick they do have came from the Florida Panthers at last year’s deadline in the Vladimir Tarasenko deal. But its value dropped sharply over the past two months after Florida went on to win another Stanley Cup. So, it’s the final pick of the third round.

Round Four

While the Senators may hold the last pick of the third round, they’ll have the first pick in the fourth—originally belonging to the San Jose Sharks, the NHL’s worst team this season. That gives Ottawa back-to-back picks at 96 and 97.

The fourth-rounder came in the Zetterlund deal. The Senators dealt away their own fourth-round pick last July to the Edmonton Oilers as part of the Roby Jarventie trade, which brought back Xavier Bourgault and Jake Chiasson.

Et cetera

The Senators then have one pick in each of the fifth, sixth, and seventh rounds, all their own.

Round one of the NHL Draft is set for this Friday night (June 27th) at 7pm in Los Angeles.

Steve Warne, Site Editor
The Hockey News Ottawa
(Banner image credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images)

More Sens Headlines at The Hockey News:

Bonus Round: Claude Giroux’s Contract Talks In Ottawa Coming Down To The Wire
Would Kings Defenceman Jordan Spence Be A Fit With The Senators?
Should The Senators Have Surrendered This Year's First-Round Draft Pick Instead?
Senators Bring Back First-Rounder For Second Tour Of Duty
Rewriting The Draft: A Decade Of First-Round 'What-Ifs' for the Senators
Potential First-Round Draft Targets For The Ottawa Senators: Defenceman Blake Fiddler

Justin "Regs" Reguly has won the Caps Gaming Heatwave HUT Summer Showcase in NHL 25. 

The tournament had five days of qualifying rounds with players using base HUT cards before the 16 top players advanced to a best-of-three playoff bracket.  

On his run to the finals he defeated Babs91babs91 2-1, Geimer 2-0, and Erikeu1989 2-0. He then defeated Sauceshow 2-1 in the finals to take home the $1,000 grand prize. 

Regs was the runner-up at the NHL 24 Gaming World Championship and won the CBJ Gaming Winter Cup in February. 

It is great to see NHL Esports tournament like this in a year where there will be no NHL Gaming World Championship.

Congratulations to our Caps Gaming Heatwave HUT Summer Series Presented by @McDonalds Champion: @regs_84!

Shoutout to the runner-up Sauceshow, our signed jersey winner Shlarchey, and our signed puck winner Capitals SC.

See you all in the next one!

Powered by @leaguegamingpic.twitter.com/SPKAJkdClj

— Caps Gaming (@capsgaming) June 23, 2025

For more NHL 25 news make sure you bookmark The Hockey News Gaming Site or follow our Google News Feed.   

Photo Credit: Caps Gaming

Mitch Marner and the Vegas Golden Knights continue to be paired together, and once again, Insider Elliotte Friedman had a lot to say when connecting the player and the organization. 

On Friedman's podcast, 32 Thoughts, the insider once again reiterated that, based on everything he is hearing, the Golden Knights are leading the race and are considered the front-runners, alongside the Carolina Hurricanes. 

“I think there's a lot of people just wondering about, is Vegas the team to beat here? “If you ask most people about Marner and where they think, you know, a lot of people are kind of like, they think, rightly or wrongly, they think that Vegas is the team to beat.”

As it stands, the 28-year-old is still with his hometown team and the team that drafted him fourth overall in the 2015 NHL Draft, but come July. 1, Marner will be free to sign elsewhere. Throughout his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Marner has been praised and cherished as a hometown hero, but he has also been ridiculed and criticized for his playoff performances and the perception that he drained the Maple Leafs for every dollar in his first contract.

Following his entry-level contract, Marner signed a six-year, $10.93-million AAV, making him the third-highest-paid player on the team and resetting the market. In the regular season, Marner was worth every cent, but in the playoffs, the Markham, ON native struggled to live up to his cap hit. In 70 career postseason games, Marner has scored 13 goals and 63 points, but in games 5-7, Marner has zero goals and just seven assists in 20 games. 

If Marner signs with the Golden Knights, he would instantly become their highest-paid player, although Jack Eichel could surpass him on his next deal. Some reports have stated that Marner may take his time with the process and doesn't feel pressured to sign on July 1st, which would build up the suspense and could cause a stressful offseason for the Golden Knights front office. 

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

Ilya Samsonov Won't Return To The Golden Knights; Testing Free AgencyGoaltender Ilya Samsonov will not return to the Vegas Golden Knights and will test the free agency waters, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox. 

The Bridgeport Islanders announced they have hired Rocky Thompson as the team's new head coach. 

Thompson spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers. Prior to that he spent parts of two season as an associate coach with the San Jose Sharks, one of those seasons was under now Islanders assistant coach Bob Boughner. 

The 47-year-old won a Memorial Cup as head coach of the Windsor Spitfires in 2017 and the 2022 Memorial Cup as a consultant with the Saint John's Sea Dogs. 

The Calgary, Alta., native was head coach of the AHL's Chicago Wolves from 2017-2020, leading the team to the Calder Cup Finals in 2019. In those three seasons Thompson amassed a record of 113-79-21.

The Islanders finished dead last in the AHL last season with a 15-50-4-3 record and a lowly 37 points. They won the fewest home games in a season in AHL history. 

His resume also includes time as an assistant coach with the Edmonton Oilers in 2014-15, and four seasons as an assistant with the AHL's Oklahoma City Barons from 2010-2014.

The @NYIslanders announced today that Rocky Thompson has been named Head Coach of the Bridgeport Islanders. He becomes the 10th Head Coach in team history.

➡️ https://t.co/LtallBmuWopic.twitter.com/ccyUuwRlri

— Bridgeport Islanders (@AHLIslanders) June 23, 2025

In his playing career Thompson recorded 69 points in 566 career AHL games over 11 seasons and zero points and 117 penalty minutes in 25 career NHL games over parts of four seasons.  

Check out The Hockey News' New York Islanders team site for more updates. 

Make sure you bookmark The Hockey News' AHL Page for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more.    

Photo Credit: © Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

In one week, NHL free agency opens, and changes are expected for the New Jersey Devils as general manager Tom Fitzgerald looks to provide his coaching staff with an improved roster come September. 

Head coach Sheldon Keefe led his team to the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs but was eliminated in Game 5 of Round 1 at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes. 

The Devils' core of Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Timo Meier remain under contract. Still, Fitzgerald will once again scour both the trade and open market for the right complementary pieces.

Here is everything you need to know about next week:

When Does The NHL Draft & Free Agency Take Place?

The NHL Draft will be held later this week on June 27 and June 28, 2025, and will take place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California. 

New Jersey's first-round pick now belongs to the Calgary Flames as the result of the trade that sent goaltender Jacob Markstrom to the Devils in exchange for defenseman Kevin Bahl and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade). 

The 2025 NHL free agency market will open at noon ET on Tuesday, July 1. 

How Much Cap Room Do The Devils Have To Work With? 

On June 18, the Devils cleared $3.15 million off the cap by trading veteran Erik Haula to the Nashville Predators. 

New Jersey currently has $14,394,167 to work with, and three restricted free agents, including Luke Hughes (21), Cody Glass (26), and Nolan Foote (24). 

Which Devils' Players Are Unrestricted Free Agents? 

Forwards: Nathan Bastian (27), Justin Dowling (34), Curtis Lazar (30), and Daniel Sprong (28).

Defensemen: Brian Dumoulin (33)

Goaltenders: Jake Allen (34) 

What Offseason Moves Have The Devils Made So Far? 

• Signed forward Arseniy Gritsyuk to a one-year, entry-level contract starting in 2025-26.
• Signed forward Lenni Hameenaho to a three-year, entry-level contract beginning in 2025-26.  
• Parted ways with Assistant Coaches Ryan McGill and Chris Taylor.
• Pending unrestricted free agent, Tomas Tatar signed overseas in Switzerland. 
• Added Brad Shaw to coaching staff.
• Signed forward Juho Lammikko to a one-year, one-way contract worth $800,000.
• Haula was traded to the Predators for defenseman Jeremy Hanzel and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

With regards to the Devils' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Utica Comets:

• Re-signed forward Nathan Légaré to a one-year, two-way contract.
• Defenseman Santeri Hatakka signed a two-year contract with HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League. 
• Forward Filip Engaras signed with Södertälje SK in Sweden. 
• Parted ways with Head Video Coach Jerry Dineen and Utica Comets Assistant Coach David Cunniff.

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

The Mental Side of the Game: Devils Players & Mental Skills Coach Andy Swärd Take You Behind the Scenes

Hischier's Manager Patrick Fischer: 'He's Driven to Succeed, but Not Easily Satisfied'

Photo Credit: © Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Former Montreal Canadiens goaltender Patrick Roy will be immortalized with a bronze statue in his hometown of Quebec City. According to TVA’s Stéphane Turcot, the Saint-Patrick statue will be placed next to the Centre Videotron on Place Jean-Beliveau. There are already five statues by the arena: those of Jean Beliveau, Joe Malone, Guy Lafleur, Real Cloutier, and the Statsny brothers.

The work of art won’t depict the Canadiens’ legend wearing the Sainte-Flanelle, though; he will be depicted raising the Memorial Cup in 2023. Coaching the Quebec Remparts, Roy won two Memorial Cups and was the fastest coach ever to reach 500 wins in the QMJHL. He was the sixth coach to accomplish the feat, but he did it in just 815 games; the fastest coach to reach the milestone before him had done it in 948 games.

Should The Canadiens Take A Run At Tavares?
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Canadiens: Will Price Get The Call?

For years, Roy also served as the Remparts' general manager, being fully in charge of the team’s destiny. While he left the junior outfit in 2013, he returned after coaching the Colorado Avalanche for three seasons, winning the Jack Adams Trophy as the top coach in his first year. He didn’t leave the Avalanche on the best of terms, however, walking away because he didn’t have enough of a say in player personnel decisions in August 2016. The way he quit left a blemish on his coaching jacket, and he would have to wait years to get another NHL coaching job.

His second stint as the Remparts’ coach lasted from the 2018-19 season to the end of the 2022-23 season, when the Remparts won the league’s championship. At that stage, Roy felt ready to return to the NHL and left, having accomplished everything he had set out to do in the QMJHL.

Wonderful work by the artists to immortalize not only the Stastny but Quebec’s love affair with table hockey #Stastny#tablehockey#proamgagnébergeronpic.twitter.com/vZZXHaKR7s

— Karine Hains (@KarineHains) August 9, 2019

He only had to wait for half a season before getting another opportunity in the NHL when the New York Islanders fired coach Lane Lambert in January 2024 and announced Roy as his replacement on January 20, 2024.  So far, he has led the Islanders to 55 wins in 119 games and taken them to the playoffs in his first season.

Considering the impact he made with the Remparts, the statue is a well-deserved recognition of his accomplishments. One can wonder if Casseau will also have a bronze statue by the Bell Center one day. As things stand, Howie Morenz, Maurice Richard, Jean Beliveau, and Guy Lafleur are the four great immortalized in bronze by the Bell Centre. Given that Roy was the main reason the Canadiens were able to win their last two Stanley Cups, one could argue that he deserves the honour.

Photo credit:  Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

---

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On Monday, the New York Islanders announced that they have hired Rocky Thompson to serve as Bridgeport's head coach.

Bridgeport #Isles announce that Rocky Thompson has been named head coach.

Was an assistant with Philly the last three seasons.

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) June 23, 2025

For the past three seasons, the former 10-year NHL vet had served as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers under John Tortorella. 

He was unable to help the Flyers' power play, averaging a 14.1% success rate in his three season behind their bench (2022-2025).

How much of that was on Tortorella, who knows. 

What likely made Thompson an enticing option for Bridgeport was that he led the AHL's Chicago Wolves to a Calder Cup Final appearance in 2019 and won a Memorial Cup championship with the OHL's Windsor Spitfires. 

His track record in development is rock solid -- pun intended -- and that's a clear need for the Islanders' organization, with the likes of Cole Eiserman, Danny Nelson, likely Matthew Schaefer, Kamil Bednarik coming sooner than later, along with getting the most out of the prosepcts who alread reside in Bridgeport. 

Thompson does have a familiar face in the organization in new assistant coach Bob Boughner, who served as his associate coach during their time in San Jose.  

Having strong leadership in Bridgeport was a priority after the failures of the last few seasons, particularly this past year, when they set an AHL record with just four home wins and finished last in their division, yet again. 

Despite a lack of analytics success in Philadelphia, there is no question that Thompson's time there will have value for Bridgeport.

The Flyers are a young team, and there is a discipline and mentality required when dealing with youngsters.

Inside the unique way the Flyers are trying to fix their biggest problemFlyers assistant coach Rocky Thompson is tasked with fixing the power play, which finished with a 12.2 percent success rate last season.

Rick Kowalsky, who served as Bridgeport's head coach for the last two seasons after being on Brent Thompson's staff for years, struggled to get Bridgeport to play a disciplined brand of hockey.

Without discipline, particularly in terms of structure, team chemistry, and a willingness to compete, it's impossible to build a winning culture. 

Making Bridgeport a place where prospects can grow and become legitimate NHL options for head coach Patrick and general manager Mathieu Darche will be Thompson's task.

We'll see how it goes. 

Based on past experiences, the AHL head coach is typically the person responsible for running the club's development camp and speaking to the media. 

The Islanders will be opening development camp on June 27, so if Rocky is running it, that will be our first chance to get a look at Thompson with the club's most promising prospects. 

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.

PHOTO: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

(Header/feature image courtesy of David Reginek-Imagn Images)

In the whirlwind of the NHL draft process, some stories rise above the rest—and Joshua Ravensbergen’s is quickly shaping up to be one of the best.

The 18‑year‑old netminder for the Prince George Cougars has gone from being overlooked in the 2021 WHL Bantam Draft to putting himself firmly on the radar for NHL teams, including the Philadelphia Flyers, who reportedly have significant interest in making him their pick.

There’s a reason Joshua Ravensbergen is the top-ranked North American goaltender according to NHL Central Scouting…

This is that reason!@PGCougars | #NHLDraftpic.twitter.com/JrL3xCcaSP

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) June 22, 2025

Ravensbergen’s path to this point is a testament to his resilience, and an almost stubborn belief in himself. Not selected in the WHL Bantam Draft, he refused to let that stop him from continuing to pursue hockey.

“I didn’t give up on my dream. I just kept working and waited for my shot,” Ravensbergen told RG.

And that’s exactly what he did. After bouncing around to different teams' camps, a fateful invite to the Cougars’ preseason roster became an opportunity he refused to waste, and by the end of the season he had worked his way into the starting role.

That rise didn’t happen by accident. It came from countless hours of fine‑tuning his craft and making himself a more composed, calculated presence in the crease.

“I worked a lot on calming down my game this year and making sure I wasn’t too aggressive,” Ravensbergen said. “I used to challenge guys a lot and chase the play, and now I let the play come to me and attack what’s in front of me.”

That shift in approach has made a world of difference. Ravensbergen has evolved from a raw, energetic prospect into a poised, technically sound goaltender with an advanced understanding of angles and positioning.

You can trace the threads of his influences in the way he plays. He cited Dallas Stars goalie Jake Oettinger as inspiration, along with former Boston Bruins backstop Tuukka Rask. Growing up a Bruins fan, he also "loved Brad Marchand because he was relentless."

The results speak for themselves. This past season with Prince George, Ravensbergen established himself as one of the WHL’s best young goalies, using that improved approach and tireless mentality to prove that teams made quite the mistake not taking him in the WHL draft. What he lacks in early draft hype, he makes up for with consistency, resilience, and a rising ceiling that has a lot of teams doing a double‑take.

(Not to mention, on the human side, in 2019, Ravensbergen and some of his friends helped save a child that was dangling from a chairlift on Grouse Mountain in Vancouver.)

Joshua Ravensbergen is a goaltender for @PGCougars.

In 2019, Ravensbergen and his friends saved a kid dangling from the chairlift on Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver. His heroic act got him an invite to appear on Ellen and a visit from Canada’s Governor General. #NHLDraftpic.twitter.com/Pf4xjqMY6o

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) June 22, 2025

Which brings us to the Flyers. According to reports, Philadelphia have the 6-foot-5 goalie on their draft list, and for good reason. The Flyers are in an intriguing position when it comes to the crease — long‑term questions remain, and the organization has shown a willingness to invest in goaltending when the right talent presents itself. Ravensbergen, potentially available late in the first round or early in the second, could fit the bill.

With the Flyers holding seven picks in the first 48 selections of this year’s draft, this is an ideal moment to deepen their goaltending pipeline. Ravensbergen may not be the biggest name, but he’s earned every chance that’s come his way and has a lot of the tools that translate well at the pro level. His calm demeanor, sharp positional play, and internal drive are the bedrock of a goalie that can rise to the challenge when the lights get brighter and the pressure intensifies.

Nothing fills an appetite quite like a Joshua Ravensbergen selection at the 2025 NHL Draft. @PGCougars | #NHLDraftpic.twitter.com/kzhqdZhCoZ

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) June 20, 2025

If the Flyers do call his name, it wouldn’t just be a bet on a player — it would be a bet on a mindset. The kind of mindset that refused to be defined by an early setback. The kind that turns doubt into fuel and quietly reshapes the story that people tell about you. Joshua Ravensbergen has been doing that every step of the way.

With the draft approaching and teams locking in their lists, one thing is certain: Joshua Ravensbergen is no longer just a hopeful invitee. He’s a legitimate target for a franchise like the Flyers, one that has an eye for character, resilience, and raw potential.

In a league where goaltending can make or break a team, Ravensbergen could be one of the best long‑term investments available — and the Flyers appear ready to find out just how far this underdog can rise.

The contract negotiations of two notable defensemen have drawn considerable interest recently in the NHL rumor mill. 

Noah Dobson of the New York Islanders will become an RFA with arbitration rights on July 1. PuckPedia indicates he's completing a three-year contract with an average annual value of $4 million.

Meanwhile, Rasmus Andersson of the Calgary Flames is a year away from UFA eligibility but can sign a contract extension starting on July 1. He's entering the final season of a six-year contract with a $4.55-million cap hit. 

Both defensemen seek significant raises on their next contracts. However, there's no certainty they'll get them with their present teams. 

On June 19, Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reported the Dobson camp wants an average annual value of $11 million. That would make the 25-year-old defenseman the Islanders' highest-paid player in terms of annual cap hit. 

Seravalli claimed there were no trade talks involving Dobson. The next day, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said he'd heard the Islanders were quietly testing the market for the blueliner. 

Friedman said nothing was set in stone but suggested the Isles have three options: re-sign Dobson and trade him later if it doesn't work out, go through arbitration and possibly lose him to free agency at the end of his arbitration-awarded deal or trade him now. 

It's not unusual for a player's representatives to set a high asking price as a starting point in negotiations before settling for a lower number. Nevertheless, the Islanders could consider trade options if the Dobson camp digs in its heels.

Detroit Hockey Now's Bob Duff cited Friedman, saying the Red Wingsshowed an interest in Dobson. Checking-line forwards J.T. Compher and Jonatan Berggren were supposedly part of the offer, with the Red Wings willing to add draft picks to the deal. However, The Hockey News’ Stefen Rosner reports that the pitch isn’t believed to be accurate. 

However, Russ Macias of NYI Hockey Now believes the Islanders would want a more substantial return for the puck-moving Dobson. He cited Seravalli recently linking them to Buffalo Sabres right winger JJ Peterka.

As for Andersson, Friedman reports in his latest 32 Thoughts column that the feeling around the league was that he wanted something new. He believes the Flames could move the blueliner at their price. It's no secret that GM Craig Conroy has been seeking a second-line center with a right-hand shot. 

TSN's Pierre LeBrun indicated that multiple sources claimed contract talks between Flames management and the Andersson camp didn't go well. Given how valuable right-shot defensemen are currently, LeBrun thinks there won't be any shortage of interest. 

The Flames can afford to wait until the trade deadline if they can't reach an agreement with Andersson. However, it would raise questions about his future, becoming an unwelcome distraction during the season.

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This time last year, the hockey world was wondering who would be elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame, and most were surprised to learn that Shea Weber was getting in on his first year of eligibility. I didn’t think the former Montreal Canadiens was a shoo-in to get in so quickly, mainly because he had never won a Stanley Cup and had never won any of the major individual awards. However, he did receive the Mark Messier NHL Leadership award in 2015-16 (the season immediately preceding his trade to the Habs). However, it’s not the NHL Hall of Fame and international play counts, so his two Olympic gold medals, gold and silver World Championships medals, and World Cup gold did count.

This year, another Hab is eligible for the Hall for the first time: Carey Price. Being officially retired is not a criterion for entry; a player only needs to have not played professional hockey for three years to be eligible. The former face of the franchise last manned the Canadiens’ net on April 29, 2022, in a 10-2 rout of the Florida Panthers’ “C-team”, since the Cats rested most of their regulars.

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As a result, he’s eligible to get the call for the first time this year, like Zdeno Chara, Ryan Getzlaf, and Duncan Keith, to name a few. Like Weber, Price never won hockey’s ultimate prize. He fell short in a Stanley Cup Final loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2021 playoffs. Still, he had been simply spectacular in the first three rounds, finishing the postseason with a 13-9-0 record, a 2.28 goals-against average, and a .924 save percentage.

In fact, from the 2013-14 season, Price was clutch in the playoffs, posting brilliant numbers and achieving save percentages of .919, .920, .933, .936, and .924, along with goals against averages of 2.36, 2.23, 1.86, 1.78, and 2.28. If the Canadiens never won the Cup with him in net, it was no fault of his own; it was down to Montreal’s anemic offense. Price and the Tricolore might have reached the Cup Final in 2013-14 as well had it not been for the infamous Chris Kreider incident. The goaltender was dominant that year, but when Kreider crashed into him in Game 1 of the Conference Final against the New York Rangers, the Canadiens’ dream of a 25th Stanley Cup came crashing down as well.

From an individual standpoint, Price won every trophy he was up for in 2014-15 netting the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goaltender, the Hart Trophy as the most valuable player for his team, the William M. Jennings Trophy for the fewest goals allowed, and the Ted Lindsay Award as the most outstanding player as voted by the members of the NHLPA. In 2021-2022, he was awarded the Bill Masterton Trophy for his dedication to the game and his perseverance. Price overcame substance abuse with the help of the Player Assistance Program and fought through numerous injuries in his career.

While those were his only individual awards in the league, he was voted as the toughest goaltender to play against in the NHL by the players year after year. He was recognized as one of the most intimidating netminders to play the game. When the NHL held its playoffs following the shortened COVID-19 season and included a preliminary round, no one wanted to be pitted against Price because he could win the series almost on his own, which he did with the Canadiens, eliminating the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 3-1 series win.

On the International scene, he won the World Cup, the 2014 Sochi Olympics gold medal, and the 2007 World Junior Championships, going 6-0 with a 1.14 GAA and a .961 SV. In that tournament, he was incredible in a 14-shooter shootout battle with the USA in the semi-final.

In the 15 years that his NHL career lasted, Price led the Canadiens to the playoffs 10 times, a fantastic feat considering the Habs were too often a middle-of-the-pack outfit. He also became the winningest goaltender in the history of the Sainte-Flanelle, posting 361 wins. He’s fifth in team history for GAA with a .917 save percentage and eighth in GAA with a 2.51. While these are not the top marks, he got them while playing 712 games. By comparison, SV leader Ken Dryden finished his career with a .922 SV, but that was across 397 games. Price’s body of work is impressive because he was so good for so long in perhaps the most high-pressure job in the league.

If Weber was granted entry to the Hall of Fame right away, Price should be as well. I will be shocked if he doesn’t get the call on June 24, even though there are plenty of other worthy candidates. I wouldn’t be surprised either if nemesis Chara was also inducted right away, just like former Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith, who won three Stanley Cups and two Olympic gold medals.

Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

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The 2025 NHL Draft is mere days away, and the Anaheim Ducks hold nine total picks in the seven rounds of the draft, including the tenth overall selection after dropping two spots at the NHL Draft Lottery, where they had the eighth-best odds of winning.

The number ten pick will be their seventh straight top ten pick and hopefully their last, as they intend to push for a playoff spot in the 2025-26 season.

The 2025 draft class is a fascinating one for the Ducks (and every team), as there isn’t an obvious franchise-changing forward or two (or three, or four) at the top like there was in 2023, and there isn’t a plethora of highly-touted defensemen projected to go inside the top ten like there was in 2024.

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The Ducks have one of the deepest and most complete prospect/young roster player pools in the NHL, so any top ten talent would be a luxury addition.

On a nightly basis, the Ducks ice young core pieces like Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Mason McTavish, Trevor Zegras, Jackson LaCombe, Pavel Mintyukov, Olen Zellweger, and Lukas Dostal.

In the pipeline and hoping to break through and join the aforementioned group in the next year or two are pieces like Beckett Sennecke, Stian Solberg, and Tristan Luneau.

Looking ahead to the 2025 Draft, where there are a lot of excellent and translatable players that will likely be available for the Ducks at ten, which among them represent the best fits for the Ducks’ future core?

Defenseman Matthew Schaefer appears to have pulled ahead as the projected first overall pick to be selected by the New York Islanders on Friday afternoon in Los Angeles. Immediately following Shaefer is a sizable list of talented forwards that includes Michael Misa, James Hagens, Porter Martone, Caleb Desnoyers, and Anton Frondell. Should any of those players be available to the Ducks at number ten, they’d likely be the easy, slam-dunk, home run pick.

Two players who are a little less certain, but will likely fall somewhere in the middle of the top ten, are centers Brady Martin and Jake O’Brien. Again, they aren’t expected to be available at ten, but if they are, they’d be excellent fits with high upside for the Ducks: Martin being a potential emotional and physical driver of an entire team, and O’Brien being a crafty and cerebral play-creator.

If those eight players are selected within the top nine, as can be expected, that will leave a handful of talented players with varying skillsets for the Ducks to potentially choose between.

Roger McQueen

Were it not for a back injury, specifically a fracture in the L4/L5 vertebrae, there’s a high likelihood McQueen would have been selected well within the top five of this draft, based on talent and prior production alone.

As it stands, however, McQueen was only able to suit up for a total of 17 regular season games for the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL, where he scored 20 points (10-10=20). He was able to briefly return to action in the WHL playoffs, notching one goal in three games before he suffered a muscle strain reportedly caused by overcompensation from his recovering back.

He is said to be 100%, but his situation is eerily similar to that of 2024 fourth overall selection Cayden Lindstrom, who suffered a disc injury early in his draft season and missed the entirety of his first post-draft season.

On the ice, McQueen is a truly unique blend of size and skill who even compares his game to that of Ducks legend Ryan Getzlaf. He’s not quite as physically engaged as Getzlaf was throughout his career, but the puck skills and usage of space on the ice are similar.

What McQueen brings that Getzlaf only flashed in his career is a willingness to unleash his above-average shot. McQueen is as good at finding open ice off-puck as he is at finding teammates for looks when on-puck. He can create off the cycle and the rush with equal potency and has a willingness to provide a 200-foot impact.

McQueen is one of the highest-risk/highest-reward draft-eligible prospects in recent memory, but if he hits, a potential 1-2-3 punch down the middle in Anaheim featuring Carlsson, McTavish, and McQueen is as physically and skillfully imposing as any center trio could hope to be and McQueen could fit seamlessly between wingers of any skillset.

Radim Mrtka

Of the six recent top ten picks in the Ducks organization (Zegras, McTavish, Gauthier, Mintyukov, Carlsson, Sennecke), there sits only one defenseman.

Among young defensemen in the organization, LaCombe had a breakout season in 2024-25, Zellweger is a former CHL defenseman of the year, Solberg continues to impress at every level in which he plays, and Luneau made the 2024-25 AHL All-Rookie team, but a reasonable question could be raised about the ceilings of the individuals in that stable of blueliners. Is there a true elite number-one defenseman among them?

It’s highly unlikely Mrtka is that truly elite number-one defenseman, but his skillset would round out any future defensive core in the NHL.

At a towering 6-foot-5.75 and 218 pounds, Mrtka has rare elite shutdown capabilities given his stride, four-way mobility, and angling intellect. He’s excellent on retrievals, quickly finding optimal outlets to ignite clean exits, and he patrols the offensive blueline with deftness and poise.

Drawbacks to his game are few, but a lack of physical assertion and questionable compete levels may be cause for him to drop outside the top ten of this draft.

After a tough 21-game start to his 2024-25 campaign in his native Czechia, Mrtka made the transition to North America to play in the WHL for the Seattle Thunderbirds. The fit was impactful and immediate, as he finished the season with 35 points (3-32=35) in 43 games while logging an astounding amount of minutes in all situations. He added three assists in six playoff games and notched four points (1-3=4) in five games at the U18 World Championship, playing for Czechia.

If some of the intangible aspects of his game can be ironed out, Mrtka has top pair potential. If the Ducks were to select him with the tenth overall pick, he could one day be a perfect complementary piece to one of the supreme offensive talents like LaCombe, Mintyukov, or Zellweger on the left side of the Anaheim blueline.

Victor Eklund

There seems to be an ever-increasing belief that Eklund won’t hear his name called in the first ten picks on Friday evening, despite his talent perhaps dictating his deservedness. When it comes to the top of the draft, general managers and front offices are more risk-averse and tend to select players with desirable size and who play premium positions.

Of his five first-round selections in his first three drafts as general manager of the Ducks, the slightest player Pat Verbeek has selected has been Pavel Mintyukov, who measured in at 6-foot-1.5 and 194 pounds at his draft combine.

Aside from his 5-foot-11, 169-pound frame, Eklund has every tool necessary to be a high-end producer at the NHL level. His skating is explosive, shifty, and slippery. He’s a puck hound, he gets pucks to the dangerous areas of the ice seemingly at will, and he possesses a high hockey IQ. He simply impacts play over all 200 feet of ice surface on every shift and is dangerous whether the puck is on his stick or not, and if it’s not, it soon will be.

In 2024-25, Eklund scored 31 points (19-12=31) in 42 games for Djurgardens IF of HockeyAllsvenskan. He represented Sweden at the World Junior Championships, where he notched six points (2-4=6) in seven games en route to a loss in the bronze medal game. Djurgardens won the league and were promoted to the SHL for the 2025-26 season. Eklund scored seven points (2-5=7) in 16 qualification games.

Should the Ducks consider drafting him with the tenth pick, Eklund’s brand of pace, skill, and tenacity would pair well with any combination of linemates the Ducks currently have on the roster or in the organization. He can make high-speed reads off of dynamic transition players like Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier, or he can dominate a cycle game alongside Mason McTavish.

Looking back on the 2020 and 2021 drafts, players with similar profiles to Eklund were Lucas Raymond and Victor’s brother, William Eklund. They both weighed in at 5-foot-10 or 5-foot-11 and roughly 170 pounds. Raymond was selected with he fourth overall pick in 2020, and William Eklund was selected with the seventh in ’21. Both were able to add necessary strength to compete at the NHL level, and both would have strong cases to be selected in the top two in a redraft of their respective draft classes.

If Victor Eklund is selected outside the top nine of the 2025 NHL Draft, he will likely have fallen farther than he should have. There’s little doubt his selection will be seen as a remarkable value pick, wherever that may be.

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Top Photo Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images