Category: Ice Hockey

Former Edmonton Oilers forward Derick Brassard is officially coming out of retirement. 

According to Nicolas St-Pierre, Geneve-Servette of Switzerland's National League has signed Brassard for the rest of the 2025-26 season. 

Seeing Brassard sign overseas is certainly surprising, as the 38-year-old forward has not played professionally since the 2022-23 season when he was a member of the Ottawa Senators. However, he is now resuming his career overseas, which is undoubtedly cool to see. 

Brassard will now provide Geneve-Servette with a player with a ton of NHL experience. The 2006 sixth-overall pick played 16 seasons in the NHL, where he recorded 215 goals, 330 assists, and 545 points in 1,013 games.

Brassard spent a small amount of his NHL career as a member of the Oilers. In 15 games for the Oilers during the 2021-22 season, the longtime NHL forward posted two goals, one assist, 21 hits, and a minus-2 rating. 

The New York Rangers are set to play the Chicago Blackhawks tonight at 7:30 PM EST at United Center.

Here’s all you need to know ahead of this matchup: 

Projected Lineup:

Forwards:

Artemi Panarin - Mika Zibanejad -  Alexis Lafrenière

Conor Sheary - Vincent Trocheck - J.T. Miller

Will Cuylle - Noah Laba - Brett Berard

Jonny Brodzinski - Sam Carrick - Jaroslav Chmelař

Defensemen:

Vladislav Gavrikov - Braden Schneider

Carson Soucy - Will Borgen

Matthew Roberston - Scott Morrow 

Goaltenders: 

Igor Shesterkin 

Jonathan Quick

Notable Storylines: 

• Igor Shesterkin is set to start for the Rangers. 
• The Rangers are coming off of a 3-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. 
• Adam Edström was placed on long-term injured reserve due to a lower-body injury. 
• The Rangers currently hold a 15-12-4 record. 
• The Blackhawks are coming off of a 7-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. 

The Buffalo Sabres have announced that they have signed forward Trevor Kuntar to a one-year, two-way NHL contract for the remainder of the 2025-26 season.

Kuntar signed an AHL deal with the Sabres' AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, back in July. Clearly, he has impressed the Sabres with his play in Rochester, as he has now earned this new NHL contract.

Kuntar has certainly been making an impact with Rochester so far this season. In 24 games on the year with the AHL squad, he has recorded nine goals, four assists, 13 points, and 43 penalty minutes. This is after he posted three goals and 12 points in 54 games this past season with the Providence Bruins. 

Kuntar was selected by the Boston Bruins with the 89th overall pick of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. He has yet to make his NHL debut, but he has a good amount of AHL experience. In 148 career AHL games over three seasons split between Providence and Rochester, he has posted 22 goals, 23 assists, 45 points, and 232 penalty minutes. 

The Montreal Canadiens called up multiple prospects from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Laval Rocket, on Dec. 9.

Among the players who have been recalled to the Canadiens' roster is forward prospect Owen Beck. This comes with forward Jake Evans set to miss the Canadiens' Dec. 11 game against the Pittsburgh Penguins due to personal reasons. 

With this call-up, Beck now has a golden opportunity to try to prove to the Canadiens that he can be a legitimate option for their bottom six. There are spots to fight for right now in their lineup, and Beck will be looking to make a real case for himself to stick around. 

Beck is currently in the middle of a solid season down in the AHL with Laval. In 22 games so far this season with the AHL club, he has posted three goals, eight assists, and 11 points. This is after he recorded 15 goals, 29 assists, and 44 points in 64 games with Laval this past season. With this, the young forward has offensive upside. 

It is going to be very interesting to see how much of an impact Beck makes during his latest call-up to the Canadiens' roster. In 15 career NHL games over three seasons, he has recorded one assist, 10 blocks, and 23 hits. 

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While it appeared that the NHL opportunities for former Detroit Red Wings forward Robby Fabbri were limited after he failed to secure a roster spot with the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier in the fall, he's now been given a chance to return where it all began.

Fabbri has been signed by the St. Louis Blues, the same club that drafted him in the opening round (21st overall) in the 2014 NHL Draft, has returned to the franchise by signing a one-year, two-way contract. 

We’re excited to bring Robby Fabbri back on a one-year, two-way contract. #stlblueshttps://t.co/0ANBODNsiR

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) December 10, 2025

He'll earn $775,000 at the NHL level, while earning $300,000 at the AHL level. He's scheduled to join the team immediately for their impending matchup on Thursday evening against the Nashville Predators. 

The signing coincides with the Blues placing forward Jordan Kyrou on Injured Reserve with a lower-body injury. 

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

Fabbri spent the first portion of his NHL career with the Blues, winning the Stanley Cup in 2019 while contributing a goal in 10 postseason games during their run; he lifted the Cup at TD Garden following their Game 7 triumph over the Boston Bruins.

Fabbri was then traded to the Red Wings in November 2019 for Jacob de la Rose, and was one of the few bright spots for the club in what was otherwise an extremely trying campaign in 2019-20. 

He would play the next several seasons with Detroit, culminating in his best offensive output since 2015-16 by scoring 18 goals with 14 assists. Detroit then sent him to the Anaheim Ducks during that offseason, where he scored eight goals with eight assists while playing just 44 games. 

As he has been throughout his career, Fabbri's season was cut short because of injury. He's undergone multiple ACL surgeries during his time in the NHL, along with meniscus surgery last season. 

He was signed to a professional tryout agreement with the Penguins for this season, but was unable to secure a roster spot. 

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By Gary Pearson, BetMGM

Of the seven Canadian NHL teams, only the Edmonton Oilers would have a chance to win the Stanley Cup if the playoffs started today. 

For hockey fans in the Great White North, it's a good thing there's still a ton of hockey to be played. I can assure you that nobody north of the border will want to repeat the 2015-16 NHL playoffs, which had no Canadian participants. 

To avoid that unlikely and unthinkable scenario, what do Canadian teams need to do to rise from the doldrums?  

Defensive Frailties Headline Shortcomings

Going purely by the Stanley Cup odds, you won't be surprised to learn that the Oilers are the only Canadian outfit in a playoff position.

But if you looked at the standings a couple of weeks ago and not since, you'll be taken aback by the current pecking order.

All but one Canadian team ranks in the bottom 15 according to points percentage, with the Montreal Canadiens the best of the bunch. With a .569 points percentage, they rank 16th. 

Where Do Canadian Teams Rank Defensively?

Poor defensive play, subpar goaltending or a combination of both are the primary reasons for the sluggish start to the 2025-26 season. 

Four Canadian teams rank among the bottom 10 in three primary defensive categories, including goals against, goals against per 60 minutes at 5-on-5, and goals against above expected. 

The Vancouver Canucks allow the most goals per game (3.60), the most goals per 60 minutes in all situations (3.55) and, logically, have conceded the most goals overall (108). 

The Canadiens allow the second-most goals per game (3.55), the third-most goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 (2.9) and the third-most goals against above expected (5.65). 

The Oilers, meanwhile, concede the fifth-most goals per game (3.47) and the eighth-most goals against above expected (-1.82). 

And then there are the Ottawa Senators, which allow the ninth-most goals per game (3.31) and goals per 60 minutes in all situations (3.25), and the most goals against above expected (10.32).

 

Four Best Long Shots To Win The NHL's Eastern And Western ConferenceThe Ottawa Senators and Minnesota Wild among the NHL squads that are long shots to advance to the Stanley Cup final, but can they pull it off?

Thanks to a recent defensive resurgence, along with solid goaltending from the now-injured Joseph Woll and call-up Dennis Hildeby, the Toronto Maple Leafs have climbed out of the basement in most categories, where they were entrenched for the first quarter of the season. 

You might be surprised to learn of the Calgary Flames' absence from those ignominious stats. The polar opposite issue plagues the Flames, whose offense is about as toothless as a four-month-old baby. 

Most tellingly, only one Canadian team – the Winnipeg Jets – ranks in the top half of the league in overall goals against.

You don't have to be a hockey savant to know what is causing insomnia for the coaches north of the 49th parallel. 

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Newly signed St. Louis Blues forward Robby Fabbri will make his debut on Thursday against the Nashville Predators, coach Jim Montgomery said on Wednesday.

Fabbri, 29, who was signed to a one-year, two-way contract for $775,000 NHL, $300,000 AHL, on Wednesday with the Blues currently without five forwards (Jordan Kyrou, lower-body; Nick Bjugstad, upper body; Alexey Toropchenko, leg burns; Jimmy Snuggerud, wrist, and Nathan Walker, upper body) out with various injuries.

Fabbri, who was with the Pittsburgh Penguins on a professional tryout but released during training camp and also signed an amateur PTO with the Florida Panthers, has played in three games recently with Charlotte of the American Hockey League and had a goal and an assist.

"The good thing about Robby Fabbri is he's played all three positions, he's familiar with the city, he's familiar what the Blues mean and the city of St. Louis and the honor and privilege is it to wear the Blues jersey," Blues coach Jim Montgomery said Wednesday. "We're going to use him; we've got to see where he's at with everything. I know he's played three games down in the American (Hockey) League and he's looked good. that's why we added a player that's played a lot of NHL games (and) has over 100 goals in the league. Someone that's going to give us a veteran mentality, understands game management and stuff pretty well."

As for Bjugstad, who departed a 5-2 loss to the Boston Bruins on Tuesday 5:24 into the second period with an upper-body injury, Montgomery said the 33-year-old will miss "at least the next five days."

And Toropchenko, who sustained what the Blues termed "scalding burns to his legs" in a home accident, the progress is positive; he has missed the past five games.

"He's progressing pretty good," Montgomery said. 'If anyone's going to be back the quickest of any of the guys that are out, there's a good chance it's him.

"He's started on those steps of getting back on the ice already."

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The Stars have ascended to the top of the standings to challenge the Avalanche, though by points percentage, they still have some ways to go. 

The closing gap, however, means the Avs will have a serious challenger for the NHL power rankings lead and the Presidents' Trophy, though they're still on pace to match the Bruins' record-setting 135 points in the cap era. 

The rest of the standings is cramped like sardines or like an Italian-made ice rink. Only eight points separate the third-place Capitals and the 22nd-ranked Sharks.

It’ll be a busy month as the holidays approach, both with the Olympic teams being selected and a looming trade deadline that will come soon after the conclusion of the Games.

Here are this week's NHL power rankings.

1. Colorado Avalanche (21-2-7, +48. PR: 1)

After a 6-3 loss to the Isles, which was just their second (!) regulation loss of the season, it does seem like the margins are getting tighter. The Avs pulled off two one-goal wins and then nearly pulled off a comeback win against the Preds. Alas, they can't win any shootouts. 

2. Dallas Stars (21-5-5, +29. PR: 3)

The Stars were 3-3-1 in the first two weeks but since then have basically kept pace with the Avs, though they're still a little behind on points percentage. Regardless, this is shaping up to be the Stars' best season in the cap era with a killer power play that ranks third after finishing 17th last season.

3. Anaheim Ducks (19-10-1, +13. PR: 5)

No idea how they've managed to pull off the wins they have with Ville Husso in net, especially Tuesday against the Pens when they were outshot 47-28 with Beckett Sennecke forcing overtime with 0.1 seconds remaining on a shorthanded goal (!) and winning in a shootout. What a great pick by the Ducks, by the way, when they took Sennecke third overall in 2024 when he wasn't even ranked in the top 10 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting. 

4. Washington Capitals (18-9-3, +28. PR: 7)

The Caps' dressing room vibes are second to none, and they've lost just once in regulation since Nov. 17, ripping off a 10-1-1 record and limiting opponents to two goals or less seven times. They're doing this without Pierre-Luc Dubois and John Carlson, which is really impressive.

NHL Hart Trophy Rankings: There's No Doubt About Who's The MVPColorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon has his team posting excellent results, while Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini remain in our top five front-runners for the NHL's Hart Trophy.

5. Minnesota Wild (16-9-5, +4. PR: 2)

Good goaltending can mask a lot of deficiencies, and Jesper Wallstedt and Filip Gustavsson's hot streaks have come to an end, resulting in a 2-2-0 record during their road trip. Note the Wild are one of the league's worst possession teams, per naturalstattrick.com, so we shall see if the Wild can stay at the top.

6. Carolina Hurricanes (18-9-2, +15. PR: 9)

It's been a pretty uneven stretch for the Canes lately, and I do believe part of it is their loyalty to the struggling Frederik Andersen and being stubborn about having a three-goalie rotation. Since Nov. 11, they're just 6-5-2 and ranked 20th in points percentage. 

7. Vegas Golden Knights (14-6-9, +4. PR: 10)

The Knights are leaving points on the table with a league-leading nine losses in overtime or shootout; otherwise, they might be near the top of the league. An important part of the story is goaltending, where it does seem like Carter Hart has the inside track on the starting job until Adin Hill returns.

8. Tampa Bay Lightning (17-11-2, +18. PR: 4)

Some mild panic with a four-game losing streak, but then they righted the ship with a 6-1 win against the Habs on Tuesday in the second game of a back-to-back on the road. The Lightning survived – thrived, even – when Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov were out of the lineup, but can do the same without Andrei Vasilevskiy? Victor Hedman, who's barely missed time throughout his career, has suddenly become injury-prone this season.

9. Los Angeles Kings (14-8-7, +3. PR: 9)

After a string of losses in extra time, I think it's a testament to the Kings' resilience that they avenged a 2-1 loss to the Hawks by beating them 6-0 in the following game, and then making quick work of the Mammoth with a 4-2 win. And, what's this, a defenseman on the Kings' top power-play unit?! Does Jim Hiller know he's allowed to do that?!

10. Detroit Red Wings (16-11-3, -7. PR: 11)

I swear, the Red Wings rollercoaster has more twists and turns than a Knives Out mystery. After going 0-3-1, the Wings are back on the right track, going 3-0-1 over the past week. They needed some help, and John Gibson turned in some (surprisingly) solid performances, but as long as they can peel off winning streaks here and there, they should be playoff-bound.

Who's Hot And Cold In The NHL: Seider Impresses, Heineman FizzlesThe Oilers' Draisaitl and Red Wings' Seider are among the NHL players who had stellar weeks. But other players had weeks to forget.

11. Pittsburgh Penguins (14-7-7, +7. PR: 13)

The loss of Evgeni Malkin will hurt, but the Pens continue to play well and got some bad luck losing two shootouts in a row in games that they could've won. The NHL has a Masterton award for dedication to the game, but I do wish there were also a comeback player of the year award. Tristan Jarry's definitely in the running for that. 

12. Philadelphia Flyers (16-9-3, +7. PR: 14)

At what point do we stop joking about how the Flyers are overachieving and admit that they're actually pretty good? Part of me wonders when their goaltending will fall off, but the other part acknowledges that they have a pretty balanced lineup without a superstar.

13. New York Islanders (17-11-3, +3. PR: 17)

What a resurgent season by Ilya Sorokin, and the Isles' lone loss over the past week was when he didn't start. Impressive wins against the red-hot Lightning, the league-leading Avs and then a (sort of) comeback win against the Knights cap off an impressive run. 

14. Boston Bruins (18-13-0, +5. PR: 22)

It's been a soft part of the schedule, but kudos to the Bruins for taking advantage, winning three of five games without David Pastrnak before his return Tuesday night. They're in the hunt for the Atlantic Division title… which is a wild sentence to type considering their pre-season outlook. 

15. New Jersey Devils (17-12-1, -4. PR: 8)

A five-game losing streak was snapped against the Sens, and that stopped the Devils from plummeting down the rankings. Prior to Tuesday's win, the Devils had scored just one goal in three games. Nico Hischier is a very dependable player, but he's been streaky on offense, so without Jack Hughes, it's been hard for the Devils to score when Hischier's not productive. Acquiring Quinn Hughes might help, though. Make the calls, Fitzy. 

16. New York Rangers (15-12-4, +2. PR: 21)

Discount the back-to-back overtime losses against two of the toughest teams in the West, and the Rangers are 5-1-0 with wins against some top-tier teams. They're still having trouble winning at home, but their turnaround is a really good sign, and now they find themselves right in the midst of the wild-card race.

17. San Jose Sharks (14-14-3, -16. PR: 15)

Still too many blowout losses where the Sharks aren't really in it, and they're winless when Macklin Celebrini doesn't score a point. We're nitpicking here because it's been quite fun watching them, and if the Sharks finish the season at .500, I'd call that a win. 

18. Montreal Canadiens (15-11-3, -12. PR: 20)

Some Bronx cheers for Sam Montembeault in a 6-1 loss to the Lightning Tuesday night, though Jakub Dobes didn't fare much better. Any time the Habs look like they're going on a run, they just seem to crash. After a brilliant 8-3-0 in October, they won just once in regulation over their next nine games. After a strong bounce-back game against the Leafs following an 8-4 loss to the Caps, the Habs won two more games before going 2-4-0 with zero regulation wins. Good news: the Habs called up Jacob Fowler. 

19. Toronto Maple Leafs (14-11-4, +4. PR: 23)

Things looked so dire when the Leafs were 9-10-3 with a 5-2 loss to the rival Habs, but since then, they’re 5-1-1 and getting some excellent goaltending from surprise hero Dennis Hildeby. They're on a scoring binge with 19 goals in five games, though I do want to point out I don't think Auston Matthews gets enough credit for his two-way game.

20. Ottawa Senators (13-12-4, -6. PR: 12)

A horrendous 1-6-1 run has dropped the Sens to the bottom of the East, saved only by the Sabres. They don't score enough goals, and Linus Ullmark is having a tough season once again. Kinda weird that this is happening with Brady Tkachuk back in the lineup, but you can't pin the lack of goals at even strength and back-breaking giveaways in their own zone on him alone. 

21. Chicago Blackhawks (12-11-6, -5. PR: 16)

Connor Bedard is still performing at a high level as the Olympic selection deadline approaches. It's one thing to go through growing pains, but it's slightly concerning the Hawks are getting blown out lately with back-to-back losses where they were outscored 13-1. 

22. Edmonton Oilers (13-11-6, -7. PR: 27)

Just a sad state of affairs in the West when the Oilers can go 4-4-2 and still hold down a wild-card spot. They were a little lucky to get one point out of the Sabres when Connor McDavid tied it with one second remaining, but it's really unsustainable to count on him to win every game by himself. I still can't believe the Oilers brass have the wherewithal to look at this team and say, "Yup, we're good, no need to make any moves yet." 

23. Florida Panthers (14-12-2, -2. PR: 25)

The smart money is still probably on the Panthers to make the playoffs – they're only four points out – but you can see the concern after a four-game winless streak and needing the Verhaeghe-Bennett-Marchand line to go off just to avoid a multi-goal loss to the Jackets. 

24. Columbus Blue Jackets (13-11-6, -12. PR: 24)

Considering how many leads they've blown this season and their general inability to close out games, the Jackets are actually one of six teams that have yet to lose a game after holding a lead after the first or second periods… in regulation. The kicker is the Jackets are the league leaders in overtime losses when leading after the second period, so they're constantly allowing teams to earn a point by forcing overtime and then giving away the extra point by losing. They're just constantly throwing away points, especially to conference opponents, such as the Leafs and Panthers. 

25. Seattle Kraken (11-10-6, -16. PR: 18)

There was hope, but as I noted in previous rankings when readers kept pointing out I ranked the Kraken too low, their lack of regulation wins and elite players are legitimate causes for concern. They're 0-5-1 and cannot seem to score or keep pucks out of their net. 

26. Winnipeg Jets (14-14-1, -1. PR: 19)

It's really not looking good for the Jets sans Connor Hellebuyck, going 3-6-1 since he last started. Only two teams have been worse during that span: the Canucks and Kraken, which are both 2-6-1. Scott Arniel can mix up the lines all he wants, but what they need – desperately – is Hellebuyck to return before it's too late.

Should The Winnipeg Jets Regret Signing Jonathan Toews?There's still time for Jonathan Toews and the Winnipeg Jets to turn their season around, but the team made two mistakes with him, and signing him is not one of them.

27. Nashville Predators (11-14-4, -25. PR: 30)

That's now five wins in seven games, including a thriller against league-leading Avs. Did Preds GM Barry Trotz's biting criticism of his team work? A poor start against the Canes aside, Juuse Saros has won four of his past five with a .938 SP. 

28. Calgary Flames (12-15-4, -13. PR: 31)

The wolfpack is back. After a tough 2-9-2 start to the season, Dustin Wolf and the Flames have now won three straight and seven of their past 10, with the only real inexcusable loss coming in Nashville. However, it's times like these where we ask ourselves if winning right now is in the Flames' best long-term interests…

29. St. Louis Blues (11-13-7, -30. PR: 28)

Winning four of their past seven is certainly an improvement, and it's keeping their bleak playoff hopes alive. But I think what's really going to dominate the discussion with the Blues in the coming weeks is how Jordan Binnington, currently one of the league's worst goalies, will be the starter for the defending 4 Nations champion and gold medal favorites at the Olympics. 

30. Utah Mammoth (14-14-3, +3. PR: 29)

Losing Logan Cooley is a massive blow for a Mammoth team that has long yearned for a true No. 1 center. Their woes started a while ago, however, with a 6-11-3 record since Nov. 1. It will be difficult to make the playoffs without a reliable center, even with all the talent that they have.

31. Buffalo Sabres (12-14-4, -14. PR: 26)

The Sabres won in overtime to snap a three-game losing streak, but it still doesn’t feel great considering they nearly blew a 3-0 lead against the Oilers. Lackluster play, lack of improvement from their young core, general inconsistency and a bungled three-goalie rotation will quickly knock the Sabres out of the playoff race if they don't do something soon. 

32. Vancouver Canucks (11-16-3, -23. PR: 32)

A surprising 4-2 win against the Wild brought some reprieve, but this is a team that's hurtling toward another massive turning point for the franchise, and not in a good way. Trade talk concerning captain Quinn Hughes seems to have hit a fever pitch. The question now is whether the Canucks address this situation now and avoid going through further turmoil like they did last season, or if they keep waiting and hope things work out. (A strategy, by the way, that hasn't worked out for them on numerous occasions). The return of Thatcher Demko buys some time, but the clock is still ticking. 

---

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After Tampa Bay Lightning forward Oliver Bjorkstrand dished out a shove to the face of Bobby McMann, the Toronto Maple Leafs forward's stick came down and struck his opponent in the helmet.

The Lightning bench erupted after it happened, leading to McMann being given a match penalty and ultimately, a one-game suspension from the NHL's Department of Player Safety.

Mere seconds before the McMann incident, Gage Goncalves collided knee-on-knee with Maple Leafs defenseman Dakota Mermis, forcing the forward out of the game with an injury. He's now expected to miss a month "at least," head coach Craig Berube said on Wednesday afternoon.

The NHL was silent regarding any potential discipline for Golcalves, whose hit on Mermis started everything else that occurred at center ice. Toronto eventually came out with a 2-0 win, however, days later, Berube wasn't happy that McMann was the only player to face discipline.

"To be honest with you, I don't really know. I mean, I think we lose a guy for probably a month at least," Berube added. "I thought it was more of (McMann) getting kind of bumped and the stick kind of [comes down]. I know you've got to be in control of your stick, but I don't think it's worth the suspension."

According to NHL Player Safety, "After being shoved by Bjorkstrand, McMann brings the raised stick downwards towards Bjorkstrand from a dangerous height, striking him in the head with sufficient force to merit supplemental discipline. This is high sticking," they said in a video, explaining the one-game suspension.

“It is important to note that this is not the typical motion of a player merely bringing a raised stick down to the ice and accidentally making contact with an opponent. This is also not a situation where a player simply loses control of his stick, or where an off-balance player is careless in an attempt to steady himself.

"McMann is in full control of both his stick and his own body at all times during this play, and simply must display more control to ensure his stick does not directly strike his opponent's head in this situation."

This is the first time McMann has ever faced supplemental discipline in the NHL over his 169-game career. McMann had been playing fairly well as of late, scoring six points in his last five games. Through 29 appearances this season, the forward has tallied eight goals and 14 points.

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The NHL says it is “disappointing” that the main ice hockey venue for the Winter Olympics will not be ready until the new year – and warned that its top players will not show up unless the ice is shown to be safe.

The men’s and women’s tournaments are expected to be among the highlights of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games with the NHL stars showing up for the first time since 2014.

Related: Organizers admit ‘no plan B’ if hockey arena not ready for 2026 Olympics

However, the buildup continues to be marred by construction delays and questions over why the rink at the Santagiulia Arena in Milan is smaller and wider than in the NHL, as well as concerns over the quality of the ice. And while the International Olympic Committee insisted on Tuesday that everything would be ready on time, the NHL commissioner, Gary Bettman, made it clear he was not entirely happy.

“The fact that the building at this point still isn’t completed is – and I won’t use any other adjectives – disappointing,” Bettman said.

Meanwhile the NHL deputy commissioner, Bill Daly, warned organisers that the 14,700-seat arena had to be able to withstand three games in a day otherwise the players would not show up. “If the ice isn’t ready and it’s not safe, then we’re not going,” Daly said. “I mean, I think that’s pretty self-evident.”

Construction delays have meant that there will be no ice in the arena before the new year – with the test event now being pushed back to 9-11 January. The IOC president, Kirsty Coventry, insisted that despite the hiccups, it would be a case of all right on the night.

“We need to push through and continue until the very last moment,” she said. “But we’re very impressed, very happy with everything that we’re seeing and hearing. As we get close, we just need to keep our finger on the pulse in terms of the ice hockey rink.

The IOC sports director, Pierre Ducrey, also insisted that concerns around the small rink size had now been “successfully resolved” with the NHL and its players. “So we are very happy with where we stand at present,” he said.

Elsewhere the IOC made light of sluggish ticket sales, saying that 70% of the tickets for the Games had now been sold.

An official with the International Olympic Committee acknowledged Wednesday that organizers are behind schedule on installing the ice at the main arena for the upcoming Milan Cortina Games, while another insisted the rink dimensions are “exactly what it should be.”

Christophe Dubi, the Olympic Games executive director, told reporters that ice will start being produced at Santagiulia Arena “toward the end of the year.” An IOC spokesperson had previously told The Athletic the rink would be completed in mid-December.

Though Dubi said the ice-making equipment is still being installed at a facility due to host 33 games between the men’s and women’s tournaments, he expressed optimism about the viability of the event based on a test conducted at the secondary Milan Rho Arena this week that he deemed “successful.” Rho’s rink has the same dimensions as Santagiulia’s.

“It bodes extremely well for what is coming,” Dubi said.

The status of the facilities in Milan has been the cause of significant concern for the NHL and NHL Players’ Association ahead of their first Olympic tournament in 12 years. That included news last week that they’ll be playing on ice surfaces that don’t match the typical NHL specifications.

It’s too far along in the process to change those dimensions.

The International Ice Hockey Federation confirmed Monday that the rink will be 196.85 feet by 85.3 feet, more than 3 feet shorter than the NHL’s standard layout of 200 feet by 85 feet and also substantially narrower than the international standard of 196.85 feet by 98.4 feet.

The parties had agreed on using NHL-sized ice in their Olympic agreement, signed last summer. Asked this week why there was a discrepancy, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the IIHF “had a different interpretation of what NHL meant than maybe we would have.”

Pierre Ducrey, the IOC’s sports director, said Wednesday that “everybody’s now aligned.”

“The ice rink measurements is exactly what it should be,” he said. “We can compete at the highest level on this ice rink. … We are now very clear regarding the measurements of the ice rink.

“We can move forward.”

The next big step is completing construction at Santagiulia Arena in time for a test event scheduled for Jan. 9 to 11. Any issues that arise there will need to be resolved by Feb. 5, when the puck drops on the women’s Olympic tournament.

“We’re still having a test event that will replicate the conditions of the Games, which is three matches per day, so that we really put the ice under the right level of tests,” Ducrey said. “It’s just been delayed a couple of weeks so that we can have all of the circumstances to test the venue. But also to have spectators in the venue so that we can really replicate as close as possible the circumstances we would have during the Games.”

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

NHL, Olympics, Women's Hockey

2025 The Athletic Media Company

"Big Game Brass" still believes he has a few big games left in him.

According to a report from former Sens play-by-play man Nicolas St-Pierre, now with the “Dans le Vestiaire” podcast, former Senator Derick Brassard is attempting a pro hockey comeback at the age of 38, signing a one-year contract with Genève-Servette HC in Switzerland. 

In June of 2024, Brassard announced his retirement after 1,013 NHL games, 201 of them played in Ottawa. The Gatineau native had two stints here: the first included Ottawa's amazing run to the 2017 Conference Final, where Brassard finished third in team playoff scoring.

But the following season, as the long rebuild began and the Sens began to sell off veterans, Brassard was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins, launching a journey of eight NHL team stops in four years. In 2022-23, he returned to Ottawa on a professional tryout and earned a spot on the club.

Brassard played well that season with 38 points in 58 games. Unfortunately, it ended badly.

He suffered a torn ligament in his ankle during the late stages of the 2023 season and was never able to recover enough to make a return. So he's been out of hockey for almost two and a half years.

Brassard was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets sixth overall in 2006 and spent six seasons with the club before being traded to the Rangers. The Sens acquired him from New York in 2017 when they gave up on their 2011 sixth overall draft pick, Mika Zibanejad.

In both of his stints here, Brassard was well-liked by his Ottawa teammates. Drake Batherson still frequently wears the commemorative t-shirt from Brassard's 1000th game under his gear. The fondness the players have for Brassard was vividly on display on Brassard's milestone night in 2023 when they made this special presentation.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News 

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