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

The Rangers lost a point they could have won and all The Maven has heard since is the lame line, "The Ref made a bad call."

Everybody makes mistakes, refs included, but for Mike Sullivan yapping about a double-minor late in the third period in the Vegas' game is an example of the coach auditioning for the lead role in "Alibi Ike."

So, Rangers defenseman Will Borgen and Vegas' left wing went off for roughing. So, what's the problem, it's even-Steven my fine, feathered Mr. Sullivan. 

Using the alleged "bad call" as an excuse to blow a late third period lead and then blow the game because you put the wrong players out there late in the overtime, is theater of the absurd.

For crying out loud the face-off was deep in the Vegas' zone, what more could the Rangers ask for with 14 seconds left in overtime?

No, Pal Mike, your guys blew it. Harvey (Hutch) Cohen, who has been a hockey coach for decades, fingered the Rangers' culprits.

"Any good coach and high school defenseman would have been prepared for the long pass that successfully went to Jack Eichel," Hutch explains. "The three Rangers on the ice were terribly ill-prepared. That was the only play that could beat the Rangers, and it did.

"All the Rangers defenseman had to do was stay behind the closest Vegas' player, Eichel. But the D-man got a late start because he wasn't watching Eichel, who was the biggest threat."

Listen up Sir Sullivan; one more point from Hutch: "I told my players there's an 'In' box and an 'Out' box when playing hockey. The 'In" box contains things you can control such as behavior, wrist shot, slap shot, plus. 

Blueshirts Forecast: The Team Appears On The Rise: But is it Really?After the Rangers had lost in overtime to Vegas, the MSG Networks post-game interlocutor Steve Valiquette suggested that the club's solid play against some of the NHL's elite teams is cause for optimism.

"The 'Out' box has those things you can not control -- and that includes officiating, bad bounces and broken sticks. I told my players, 'Don't worry about 'Out' box things."

As for the overtime blunder that cost the Rangers a vital point, Jess Rubenstein adds: "What about the other two Rangers who were on the ice with Matthew Robertson?"

Blaming the refs is for Beer League games – and Hutch Cohen's "Out" Box!

The Chicago Blackhawks are set to return their home ice on Wednesday night. They will take on the New York Rangers in their first matchup of the season with this Original Six rival. 

Chicago is back home following a four game road trip out west. They played the Vegas Golden Knights, Anaheim Ducks, and Los Angeles Kings twice on the trip. 

The Blackhawks went 1-2-1 for three points out of eight during this stretch, so they are looking for a nice rebound once they return home. The last two games, Los Angeles and Anaheim, were blowout losses so a bounce-back performance is much needed. 

There is a lot we learned about the Hawks while they were on the road. These are the five biggest takeaways: 

Connor Bedard will show up and produce no matter what

Over the four game losing streak that mostly went bad for Chicago, Bedard had two goals and one assist. Despite a lousy effort from most of his teammates, Bedard brought his best at a high intensity level. 

Bedard is one of the best players in the NHL right now and he's only going to get better. There will be wins and there will be losses. There will be good road trips and bad homestands. Through it all, it is fair to expect the superstar on the team to always be producing offense, which will give them a chance to win on most nights. 

The Blackhawks have tremendous respect for Anze Kopitar

After Chicago's second game of the trip against the Los Angeles Kings, the entire team waited to shake hands with their captain Anze Kopitar. 

Although it didn't involve many active players on either team, Kopitar and the Kings had some intense battles with the Blackhawks over the years. The two teams won a combined five Stanley Cups in the 2010s. They also battled each other in a handful of Western Conference Finals through those runs. 

It is obvious that even the new players recognize that and made sure to honor one of Chicago's all time greatest playoff foes. 

The second half of back-to-backs are a problem

The Chicago Blackhawks have played in two sets of back-to-backs now. In each of them, they were blown out. They lost 9-3 to the Buffalo Sabres earlier in the year and this trip's bad loss to the Anaheim Ducks to end it. 

The one against the Sabres felt like an anomaly at the time, but it can't be ignored that it happened again when they faced the same situation against the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday. Back-to-backs are a part of the NHL and teams must perform well in those games. Jeff Blashill and his staff must work on a way to fix this issue.

Sam Rinzel has a long way to go before he’s an NHL star

On Monday, the Chicago Blackhawks sent Sam Rinzel (and Landon Slaggert) to the AHL for some work. For Rinzel, this is a good opportunity for him to gain his confidence back, impact games in a bigger way, and get more ice time. 

During the road trip, Rinzel had a couple of tough plays that led to goals for the opposition. These games forced the team to do something they didn't want to do, which was part ways with him to the AHL for now. 

Rinzel showed signs of being an NHL star late last year and early this year, but has hit a bit of a rookie wall. He has a long way to go before becoming an elite player, but the tools are there for him to be successful. This stint in the AHL will be great for him in the long-term. 

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

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The St. Louis Blues have reportedly signed Dillon Dube to an AHL contract, according to insider Frank Seravalli.

Dube was one of five Hockey Canada players acquitted of sexual assault charges in July from a 2018 incident in London, Ont. Dube joins Carter Hart and Cal Foote as players from this case to sign contracts back in North America. Michael McLeod remains in Russia, and Alex Formenton remains in Switzerland. 

Dube hasn't played any hockey this season, but did skate with Dinamo Minsk in the KHL last season, scoring four goals and 11 points in 42 games. 

Prior to departing for Russia, Dube was a figure in the Calgary Flames' bottom six. He played in 325 games, notching 57 goals and 127 points. Dube also has AHL experience, skating in 56 games and recording 19 goals and 56 points. 

The former 2016 second-round pick (56th overall) is a bit undersized at 5-foot-11, but plays a hard-nose game and isn't afraid to be a physical presence. 

Due to several injuries the Blues are facing, the Springfield Thunderbirds' roster is thinning out. The Blues have recalled Dalibor Dvorsky, Matt Luff, Hugh McGing and Matthew Kessel from the AHL. Dube will provide additional depth to the Thunderbirds' roster. 

Dube's reported agreement is an AHL deal, so if the Blues did want to call him up, they would need to sign him to an NHL contract. 

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There were a few injury updates for the New York Rangers to come out of Tuesday’s practice. 

First off, Matt Rempe made an appearance for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury on Oct. 23 after a fight against Ryan Reaves. 

He was placed on long-term injured reserve and has been sidelined for the past 22 games. 

The 23-year-old forward practiced on Tuesday in a non-contact jersey, and Mike Sullivan confirmed he will travel with the team to Chicago, despite not being available for Wednesday’s game against the Blackhawks, indicating that he’s making significant progress. 

“He skated a fair amount on his own with our skills coaches,” Sullivan said of Rempe. “The next step is to get him around the group in a team setting in a non-contact jersey.”

Adam Fox has not practiced with the team, but he resumed on-ice activity according to Sullivan, skating twice on his own. 

He was placed on LTIR after suffering a shoulder injury on Nov. 29 in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Mike Sullivan Is ‘Disappointed For The Players’ After Rangers' Overtime Loss To Golden Knights It was another overtime heartbreaker for the New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers">Rangers</a> on Sunday night in their 3-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.&nbsp;

According to Vince Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic, the Rangers are expecting him to miss multiple weeks due to a left-shoulder injury and he’ll be reevaluated around Christmas.

Meanwhile, Adam Edström has been notably absent since suffering a mysterious lower-body injury during practice last week. 

Edström hasn’t practiced or played in a game with his long-term status still unclear. 

Sullivan confirmed that Edström will not travel with the team to Chicago, but is still skating on his own.

The Dallas Stars suffered a blow to their forward lines last week when Tyler Seguin suffered an ACL injury against the New York Rangers. On Saturday, they placed the 33-year-old forward on long-term injury reserve.

According to Lia Assimakopoulos of The Dallas Morning News, that move provides the cap-strapped Stars with some salary-cap relief, but not the full $9.85 million of his average annual value. Due to recent changes in LTIR rules, the benefit is limited to last season's average annual salary of $3.8 million.

That's because the Stars don't know yet how long Seguin will be sidelined. If he can return later in the regular season or during the playoffs, then they only get the $3.8 million in LTIR relief.

However, if it's determined that Seguin's recovery period will stretch beyond the post-season, they can move him to season-ending LTIR (SELTIR) status, which would then enable them to receive cap relief up to his $9.85 million cap hit.

If Seguin goes on SELTIR, TSN's Chris Johnston believes they will aggressively search the trade market for a replacement. He indicated that the Stars were among the clubs linked to Vancouver Canucks winger Kiefer Sherwood.

The feisty 30-year-old Sherwood plays a different style than Seguin, but his physical game is suited for the grind of post-season hockey. He also carries an affordable $1.5-million cap hit for this season.

RG.org's James Murphy stated the Stars were among the clubs interested in Calgary Flames winger Blake Coleman. The 34-year-old is signed through next season with an average annual value of $4.9 million and a 10-team no-trade list.

Turning to the Los Angeles Kings, NHL insider Frank Seravalli reported Saturday that Phillip Danault has been the subject of growing trade chatter.

Danault, 32, is signed through 2026-27 with an average annual value of $5.5 million. He also has a 10-team no-trade list.

Seravalli said the thin market for centers this season has multiple teams inquiring into Danault's availability. He's seen third-line duty this season with the Kings.

Danault has a well-deserved reputation as a solid two-way center, especially when he helped the Montreal Canadiens reach the 2021 Stanley Cup final. He had a career-high 54 points with the Kings in 2022-23, but his production has declined, with just five points in 29 games this season.

The Kings have struggled recently, which could explain the interest in Danault. However, they're still jockeying for a playoff spot and aren't likely to become sellers unless they tumble out of contention by the March trade deadline.

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The Chicago Blackhawks on Monday announced that they sent Sam Rinzel and Landon Slaggert to the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League.

Landon Slaggert has been a healthy scratch a lot in recent games, so sending him down, where he will play big minutes every game, is great for him and his confidence. 

Blackhawks Assign First-Rounder & Forward To AHLThe Blackhawks have sent two players down to the AHL.

As for Rinzel, this is a move that the Blackhawks desperately didn’t want to do. They made him a healthy scratch for a game in mid-November, but he didn’t respond the way that they were hoping. 

With the Blackhawks, Slaggert has 1 goal in 10 games played, while Rinzel has 1 goal and 7 assists for 8 points in 28 games played. Now, they can take their talents to the AHL,  where they can work on things that will make them successful when they return to the NHL. 

On Tuesday, the Blackhawks announced that Dominic Toninato would be called up to the NHL. 31-year-old Toninato has 5 goals and 12 assists for 17 points in 24 games played for the IceHogs this year. His two game-winning goals led the team. 

hi Dominic👋

📰 ➡︎ https://t.co/duXmTFFicBpic.twitter.com/biVepaBjUQ

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 9, 2025

Toninato’s first chance to get in the lineup will come on Wednesday when the Blackhawks take on the New York Rangers. 

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

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The Pittsburgh Penguins will play their next five games at home, starting with the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night.

The Ducks are off to a great start this season with an 18-10-1 start, good for first in the Pacific Division. They've won two in a row and six of their last 10 games, including Sunday's 7-1 thrashing of the Chicago Blackhawks. 

This is a team that has gotten great production from their young players and their veterans. Leo Carlsson, the Ducks' first-line center, has been outstanding this season, compiling 16 goals and 38 points in 29 games. 

Cutter Gauthier is second on the team in points (33) and is tied for first on the team in goals (16). Troy Terry only has seven goals in 29 games, but thanks to his playmaking ability, he's a point-per-game player.

Beckett Sennecke is also someone to watch. He was the third overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and is off to a heck of a start this season with nine goals and 24 points. His speed has been noticeable in each game he plays. 

Penguins fans know a whole lot about Chris Kreider, dating back to his days with the New York Rangers. He's a Penguins killer, scoring two goals against them, including the game-winner, when these two teams met in Anaheim back in October. He also has nine goals and 13 points in his last 10 games against the Penguins.

The Penguins were getting closer to being fully healthy before Evgeni Malkin and Blake Lizotte got hurt. They got Justin Brazeau and Noel Acciari back for Sunday's game against the Dallas Stars, but will now be without Malkin and Lizotte on a week-to-week basis. 

Before Tuesday's morning skate, the Penguins called up Danton Heinen and Sam Poulin from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Poulin didn't participate in line rushes, but is still an option to play while both centers are sidelined. 

Here are what the full lines looked like during the skate: 

Forwards

Novak-Crosby-Rust

Mantha-Hayes-Brazeau

McGroarty-Kindel-Koivunen

Dewar-Heinen-Acciari

Defense

Wotherspoon-Karlsson

Shea-Letang

Graves-Clifton

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Arturs Silovs will start in goal for the Penguins, giving Tristan Jarry a night off. Silovs will look to bounce back from his last start, which came on Nov. 29 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He gave up four goals before he was pulled. 

Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Fans can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'

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TORONTO - Dennis Hildeby earned the first shutout of his NHL career in a 2-0 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night.

The 24-year-old rookie is the interim starter with Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz out with injury, and he has come up huge for Toronto in the meantime.

With Hildeby's recent performances, recording a .936 save percentage and a 2.15 goals-against average in nine appearances and five starts, he's giving the Leafs a luxury.

"What I see in that is he's trusting his ability and his size and, you know, staying pretty calm and cool in net," coach Craig Berube said afterward. "His puck play has been good, but overall, his mindset is really good."

With 'The Beast' playing the way he is now, along with Woll and Stolarz waiting to come off the injured reserve, the Maple Leafs could have the beginnings of a three-headed monster in the crease.

While Toronto's tandem hasn't been the most reliable in terms of health, they have tremendous depth at a bargain price. Hildeby earns $841,667 per year for the next three seasons, not to mention that Woll and Stolarz together earn less than a combined $7-million cap hit this season and less than $7.5 million next year.

With the Leafs owning three valuable goaltenders, should GM Brad Treliving consider trading one of them?

It's still relatively early in Hildeby's NHL career, but the Swedish netminder has been there when the Leafs needed him most in a limited sample size.

Plenty of teams around the NHL would love to have additional help between the pipes. Woll and Stolarz are exceptional goaltenders in their own right, even with their injuries.

A team like the Edmonton Oilers, which has been searching for a goalie at a low price, could be attracted to one of Toronto's netminders and would be willing to give up assets for help in net.

What that return for the Maple Leafs could be is uncertain, but depending on Woll and Stolarz's individual play, some clubs would be willing to throw a first-round pick for their services on their current contracts.

Stolarz, 31, has a 16-team no-trade clause on his contract for this year and the next, making $2.5 million against the cap this season, which jumps up to $3.75 million for the following three.

As for Woll, he earns about $3.67 million per season, and that deal lasts through the 2027-28 campaign. In addition, the 27-year-old has an eight-team no-trade list in the final year of his contract.

Sure, a first-round pick or prospects aren't helpful for a team looking to win now, but those future assets attract teams near the bottom of the standings who are looking to sell.

Toronto doesn't have a first-round pick until 2028 and is pretty thin in its prospect pool, too. So moving out a goaltender is a risk, but it provides an opportunity for Treliving to look for a way to bolster his roster toward the NHL trade deadline.

If teams are desperate enough for a goaltender, and the Leafs have three solid ones, it's not a terrible idea to see what could be received in return. Making a deal to move out a goaltender isn't about clearing cap space; it's about nabbing other resources that could be used to make some notable additions.

At the moment, Toronto has over $4 million in salary cap space. Moving off of either Woll or Stolarz could bring that up around the $7-million mark, leaving plenty of room for Treliving to work his magic.

In the meantime, Hildeby will look to build on a solid start to his NHL career. Every strong outing by Hildeby from this point onward will be a huge help to the Leafs – and also a pleasant problem if he's proven he's too good to head back to the minors.

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Martin St-Louis has said it many times since he was hired as the Montreal Canadiens coach: the toughest thing for young players to achieve is consistency. Which is why a team must know what they are getting when they use their tried-and-tested veterans: those players know what the league is about and how to play their best hockey.

This season, the Habs aren’t exactly getting that from some of their more experienced players. In fact, according to Moneypuck.com, Montreal has three of the bottom five players when it comes to on-ice goal differential.

Two Canadiens Involved In The Rookie Scoring Race
Canadiens Prospect Invited To World Junior Championship
Canadiens: Big Divisional Clash

Amongst players with at least 50 minutes of ice time, Canadiens center Jake Evans is 722nd, dead last at minus-28, defenseman Alexandre Carrier is 720th with a minus-25, and Evans’ linemate Josh Anderson is 718th with minus-23.

When playing his contract year last season, Evans was on fire offensively and proved that he could be very reliable defensively, so much so that the Canadiens’ GM signed him to a four-year contract extension worth $2.85 million, which at the time sounded like a great deal. This year, however, Evans is on pace for just 23 points after scoring a career-high 36 points last season.

Clearly, the coach is starting to lose patience with the vet. In the Canadiens’ December 2 game against the Ottawa Senators, Evans saw just 9:22 of action spread across 14 shifts. In that game, he had a 25% success rate at the faceoff dot, winning just two of the eight draws he took. He bounced back in the following game, skating for 16:22 and winning 73% of his faceoffs, but then, on Sunday against the Blues, he won just 3 of his 12 faceoffs, meaning another 25% success rate that night and just 12:37 of ice time.

There’s no two ways about it, Evans needs to be better if the Canadiens are to make the playoffs this season. Granted, his life has changed this past year with the arrival of twins, but that’s a new reality he needs to adapt to, and the sooner, the better. With the hectic December calendar the Canadiens face, St-Louis has to be able to count on Evans to shoulder some of the ice time; Nick Suzuki cannot spend more time on the ice than he already does.

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The St. Louis Blues have recalled forward Hugh McGing from the AHL's Springfield Thunderbirds.

The 27-year-old has played 18 AHL games this season, notching four goals and six points. McGing has played in 298 games in the AHL, scoring 60 goals and 156 points.

McGing has been called up by the Blues previously, skating in six NHL games, but is still searching for his first goal and point. 

McGing's call-up comes following the injury news of Jordan Kyrou. The 27-year-old was involved in a collision during the Blues game against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday and has been given a day-to-day status. Unfortunately, his return date is unknown, and no update has been given about his status for tonight's game against the Boston Bruins.

Matt Luff was recalled last week and made his season debut on Sunday, replacing Kyrou in the lineup against the Montreal Canadiens. He finished the game with one hit and two blocks in 8:33 of ice time. 

Clarification on who will be in the lineup tonight, between McGing, Kyrou, and Luff, will likely be provided during this morning's skate or during warm-ups tonight. 

Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. CST at the Enterprise Center.

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The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced Tuesday that Toronto Maple Leafs winger Bobby McMann will have a hearing following a high-stick on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Oliver Bjorkstrand.

McMann’s stick came down on the Lightning forward, and he was immediately issued a match penalty.

“That's a tough one. It really is. I mean, I got to look at it more closely, which I didn't,” Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said following the Leafs’ 2-0 win against Tampa. “From our view on the bench, I couldn't really see it too well. So I'll take a look at it; I had a tough time with that, to be honest with you.”

It is rare for a hearing not to result in a suspension of some kind.

The infraction occurred during a larger scrum that saw Gage Goncalves receive a five-minute major and a game misconduct for kneeing Maple Leafs defenseman Dakota Mermis. Mermis left the game and did not return; the Leafs stated he would need further evaluation to determine the extent of the injury.

Here’s the only angle I’ve seen of the Bobby McMann match penalty for high sticking @sdpnsportspic.twitter.com/L2eXdKmlwl

— Jesse Blake (@JesseBlake) December 9, 2025

McMann has recorded eight goals and six assists in 29 games this season. He has never been suspended in the NHL, a factor that may influence the length of any potential ban. However, he did receive a five-minute major and a game misconduct for boarding Anaheim Ducks defenseman Pavel Mintyukov on Jan. 3, 2024. The league reviewed that hit but decided against issuing a suspension or fine.

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We’re less than a month away from the 2026 NHL Winter Classic.

This year, the Florida Panthers will host the New York Rangers at loanDepot park in what will be the southernmost Winter Classic ever played.

The game is set for Friday, Jan. 2 with an 8 p.m. ET puck drop.

For fans who are getting excited about the big game, they’ll have more opportunities to wet their appetites in the weeks leading up to the affair.

That’s because on Wednesday, the NHL is debuting a new season of Road to the NHL Winter Classic, the annual series that provides exclusive behind-the-scenes access to both the Panthers and Rangers as they gear up for the game.

The four-part series will premiere Wednesday at 6:30 ET on TNT and will be simulcast on truTV and HBO Max.

Panthers fans should buckle up for more in-depth looks at how their Stanley Cup championship team prepares for games, as well as the injury recovery process for players like Matthew Tkachuk.

For the full series schedule, click here.

You can check out the trailer for Road to the NHL Winter Classic below:

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It is no secret that Nikolaj Ehlers' offseason decision to move on from the Winnipeg Jets and sign with the Carolina Hurricanes as an unrestricted free agent hurt general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, head coach Scott Arniel and president Mark Chipman.

At the time, the parties involved all said the 'right things', indicating it was a good time for the player and team to go their separate ways. 

For an organization so keen on drafting and developing its players to stick around through the completion of their NHL playing careers, the sting of Ehlers' departure met many with sadness, some with skepticism and others with a sense of good riddance. 

He did not have the swiftest of starts to his tenure in Raleigh. It took until game No. 12 to record his first goal with the 'Canes and 16 to hit 10 points on the season. 

But as of late, the Dashing Dane's feet are moving at their expected rate and he continues to deliver for a team already known for its speed and strong transitional play. 

On the season, 'Fly' has six goals and 19 points in 28 games. 

In looking at it from a different perspective, the four players brought in to replace Ehlers, Jonathan Toews, Gustav Nyquist, Tanner Pearson and Cole Koepke, have a combined 25 points in 93 games played between the four of them. 

It's no secret that the 2025 Presidents' Trophy winners are struggling offensively, which has greatly contributed to their dismal, near-.500 record on the season. Currently sitting at 14-13-1, Winnipeg is 26th place in the league and two points back of San Jose for the final Wild Card playoff spot in the Western Conference. 

The most recent attempt to alter the course of the 'one-line team' is separate Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Gabe Vilardi, who are contributing nearly 75 percent of all the team's offence since Connor Hellebuyck went down with a knee injury.

Should that work, the Jets will no longer have a bona fide No. 1 line, but will hope to have goal scorers on each of their four lines - something Arniel is striving for. 

Since Hellebuyck's injury, the Jets have gone 3-6-1 and have fallen completely out of the postseason picture. Backup goaltender Eric Comrie has fared alright in Hellebuyck's absence, but the presence of the reigning Hart Trophy winner and back-to-back Vezina and Jennings Trophy victor is most certainly felt throughout the organization. 

AHL call-up Thomas Milic also performed well in his NHL debut and subsequent relief appearances. But he has since been relegated back to Manitoba, where Domenic DiVincentiis has now popped up onto the Jets' active roster in replacement as Hellebuyck continues to work his way back from injury. 

With the Jets having performed so poorly on their two lengthy road trips thus far (2-4-0 and 1-3-1) Winnipeg needs to capitalize on its current four-game homestand to begin stacking wins together in a venue it knows how to do just that. Its last game at Canada Life Centre was a strong 4-1 performance over the Buffalo Sabres.

The Jets will look to replicate that effort in games against four teams all sitting comfortably in the playoffs (Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals and Ottawa Senators) as the homestand continues over the next seven days. 

Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM central time on Tuesday for Winnipeg's test against their Central Division opponent, Dallas. 

‘Extremely emotional' moments have Murchison ready for NHL debut with Flyers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Ty Murchison will never forget FaceTiming his parents and sharing the news he had always dreamed of breaking to them.

He was headed to the NHL.

“It was early morning back in Arizona, so I woke them up,” Murchison said. “I was choked up trying to get the words out. As soon as I told my mom, she was screaming for my dad to get in the room.”

The 22-year-old prospect will have his mother Allyson and father Ken on hand for his NHL debut. Murchison will be on the Flyers’ third defensive pair Tuesday against the Sharks at Xfinity Mobile Arena (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

He’ll have around 20 people in attendance.

“I’ve got a big entourage coming from all over the place,” Murchison said Tuesday with a smile after morning skate. “California, Arizona, Prince Edward Island.”

Murchison grew up in California and was drafted by the Flyers out of the U.S. national team development program. He spent four seasons at Arizona State before signing his two-year entry-level contract in March.

He has gone from a fifth-round pick in 2021 to a shot with the Flyers.

“Extremely emotional,” Murchison said Monday after practice. “There have been a lot of periods throughout the last 48 hours where I’ve been getting a bit choked up just thinking about it because I’ve been thinking about this every day of my life.”

The 6-foot-2, lefty-shot defenseman earned his opportunity with the big club. He plays with a hard-nosed style and definitely opened some eyes in training camp. With AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley, Murchison has recorded a goal, three assists and a plus-9 rating in 21 games.

“He’s the type of guy that’s a culture guy,” Rick Tocchet said Monday. “I thought from Day 1 — and I don’t think we gave him an exhibition game — he was really impressing me in practice. He was pissing guys off, he was blowing up guys on cycles and stuff like that. And he has played really well.

“That’s what we’re trying to build around here, guys that are competitive. I don’t know how he’s going to play, but I do know he’s competitive and he skates well. I think he deserves a shot. That’s how we build the crest around here.”

Flyers’ defensive pairs

Nick Seeler-Travis Sanheim
Emil Andrae-Jamie Drysdale
Ty Murchison-Noah Juulsen

Murchison said he likes to play “a fast-paced, physical game.” The Flyers are hoping he can help them squash plays quickly, an aspect of defending that Tocchet has wanted improvement from his team.

The Flyers have had some competition on their back end. Murchison will become the ninth defenseman to suit up for them this season.

“It’s good for the room, they see a guy like that working his way up, it puts other people on notice,” Tocchet said. “That’s how you build the competitive balance in the locker room.”

When they lost their last game to the St. Louis Blues, the Montreal Canadiens missed a golden opportunity to leapfrog their divisional rival to take the lead in the Atlantic Division. Still, on Tuesday night, they’ll at least have a chance to overtake the Tampa Bay Lightning in the standings. This game will be the first of four duels between the two sides this season.

Jon Cooper’s men will be playing the second half of a back-to-back tonight after suffering a 2-0 loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs last night. That was their fourth loss in a row and a second shutout in a row. Nikita Kucherov made his return to the lineup after missing a couple of games, but goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and defensemen Ryan McDonagh and Erick Cernak are all still sidelined.

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There’s no word yet on who will be in net for the Habs tonight, but given the fact that Jakub Dobes has played the last two games and that Kaapo Kahkonen was returned to the Laval Rocket after the previous match, Samuel Montembeault should be back in net. The Becancour native has a 3-3-1 record against the Bolts with a 2.85 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage. As for Dobes, he has faced the Lightning only once and was pulled after allowing three goals on eight shots after 21 minutes of play. That means he has an 8.54 GAA and a .625 SV.

As for Tampa Bay, Jonas Johansson was in the net on Monday night and made 22 saves on 23 shots, and Brandon Halverson is expected to start tonight. The 29-year-old has only played two NHL games since the 2017-18 season, bouncing between the AHL, the ECHL and spending a season in Germany’s second division league. He has never faced the Canadiens. As for Johansson, he’s 2-2-0 with a 4.52 GAA and a .852 SV.

The Canadiens will want to keep an eye on the usual suspects tonight. Victor Hedman has 51 points in 51 career games against the Habs, Kucherov has 44 points in 38 meetings, and Brayden Point wraps up the top three with 24 points in 29 games. Jake Guentzel isn’t far behind with 22 points in just 18 games.

Meanwhile, Montreal only has four players who have reached double digits against Tampa Bay, and that includes the injured Patrik Laine. Brendan Gallagher is the team’s most productive player against the Bolts with 19 points in 37 games, but he is struggling mightily this season with only 10 points in 28 games, and he has been held off the scoresheet in the last six games. Nick Suzuki has 12 points in 18 tilts, while Josh Anderson has 10 points in 21 duels. As for Cole Caufield, who is on an 11-game point streak, he has only 6 points in 12 games.

The Bolts aren’t the Canadiens’ favourite team; the Florida outfit has won seven of the last 10 games between the two sides, including the previous meeting. They are currently in second place in the Atlantic Division, just one point ahead of the Canadiens, who are fourth in the division and outside the playoff picture, one point behind the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Rangers, who are in the wildcard spots. It’s worth noting that the Rangers have already played 31 games, while Montreal has played only 28 so far. Interestingly, the Habs will be taking on those two teams later this week, visiting Pittsburgh on Thursday night and New York on Saturday.

Tonight’s game is scheduled at 7:00 PM, and you can catch it on RDS, TSN2 and The Spot.

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