Oy.

1st Period

Things did not start well at all. Brandon Hagel ended up getting the opening goal within the first 11 seconds of the game after beating his defender clean on body position, and put the puck straight past Swayman for the Lightning to go up 1-0.

Mercifully, the Bruins managed to take advantage of their foes being a bit off-kilter, and Alex Steeves got a centering feed from Michael Eyssimont to tie the game up! 1-1 Everybody.

Then, Morgan Geekie tipped in a goal that seemingly got by everybody, including the commentators on ESPN. 2-1 Bruins!

Then, Viktor Arvidsson decided that he wanted to get in on that, and got a tip-in of his own! 3-1 Bruins!

No further scoring, and we head to the 2nd period!

2nd Period

Oh boy.

Let’s start with the positives. To begin with, that Matthew Poitras kid is back! Let’s see what he’s got!

Nice backhander, kid! 4-1 Bruins!

Then, Morgan Geekie got a two-on-one with David Pastrnak, and hammered it home to make it 5-1 Bruins!

Not too long after this, a significant amount of nonsense occured. There were mass scrums, there was a goalie fight after Jeremy Swayman decided he needed to take out Brandon Hagel…

…and there were penalties. Oh man, were there penalties.

Those penalties came up big for the Lightning. Very big.

First, Oliver Bjorkstrand got a rebound out of a net-front scramble…

…then Darren Raddysh put a missile on from the point…

…and then Nick Paul, who seems to be an eternal haunt of the Bruins, got a tip-in goal. Bringing the period to an end with a 5-4 Bruins lead.

Third Period

While there will be much discussion of the second period and the validity of the penalties called, the sad reality is that the Bruins had plenty of opportunity at even strength during this period to respond, and unfortunately the team that met the moment was the Lightning, and Nikita Kucherov in specific. No penalties, no man disadvantages, just a great pass and a good shot. 5-5 Everybody.

Onto overtime we go.

Overtime

Tampa got another power play in the middle of all this but let’s be real, the Lightning had every shot.

That’s gonna come back to bite you.

Shootout

Jake Guentzel finally completed the steal by scoring on Jeremy Swayman in the Shootout.

6-5, Bruins Lose the Stadium Series.

Game Notes

• Your TOI Leader was Charlie McAvoy, who logged 30:19 tonight.
• This was a winnable game that the Boston Bruins got suckered into giving away. The Bruins got up big thanks to good hard work and an early command of the unusual ice, which seemed to flummox the Lightning and seemingly caused Vasilevskiy to have trouble with tracking the puck. Things were looking really, really good, and then the Lightning started drawing some attention, and that attention turned into violence, which turned into a series of penalties that were either inexplicable to call or completely avoidable. Regardless of what you think of the Lightning, they are still full of extremely talented players, and those talented players made mincemeat of the B’s 5-on-3 PK, which allowed them a chance to get back into this one, and for all the hemming and hawwing we’ve done and will continue to do about those penalties, the game tying goal and the game-starting goal were even strength tallies made by forwards beating the backcheck in front of them fair and square and in extremely inconvenient times. OT wasn’t much better, and while Swayman did what he could in the shootout, Jake Guentzel was just too much. Boston falls to 4-2-0 in Outdoor games.
• The refereeing in this game was, to put it nicely, complete and total buttcheeks. Granted, and given how unhappy we are right now I think we can admit some of the penalties that Boston got through the 2nd and 3rd period were genuine, reckless, and frankly idiotic to take, others were just bizarrely enforced or late whistled or just missed entirely. The Lightning went 3-for-8 tonight where Boston only went 1-for-3 on the power play, and Tampa was only short-handed during the 1st period. That should say everything.
  • I will stop short at calling this game rigged or something like that. Boston made a hard pivot towards a more conservative, defensive shell game after the nightmarish 2nd period and allowed the Lightning to slowly find cracks in their defense; not exactly hard to do given the talent on display. They might’ve been let back in after a major kerfuffle, but the refs are just bad at their jobs, and the Lightning are great at gaming bad refs. Sometimes this becomes enormously apparent like tonight. Right now, the Bruins aren’t good enough to overcome that. The longer term goal is getting to the point where you can. B’s
• Jeremy Swayman faced almost 45 shots tonight; a vast majority of which happened in the second half of the second period. That’s as much an indictment on the defense in front of him as it is the fact he had a truncated version of that defense in front of him for most of the 2nd period. That .891 SV% does not even begin to tell the whole story; he made some heroic saves to keep this team in a truly frustratingly wonky game. He also fought Andrei Vasilevskiy tonight, which I’m sure he enjoyed. Maybe if you wanna goalie fight you should have a couple of practice rounds in your pads at Warrior. Just to get the form.
• I had to watch the NHL in ASL broadcast and I highly recommend it; the ESPN broadcast was miserable as it usually is, and the ASL broadcast by comparison was nothing but crowd noise, basic information, and only occasionally some missed shots but that was a function of the main camera. I can’t vouch for the ASL commentators’ performance, but they both seemed pretty engaged with what was going on and updated the viewer frequently.
• Tonight, the Bruins lost. They played out on dogs#!t ice, got up big, lost it all thanks to bad penalties and even worse refereeing, and still pulled a point off of the division leaders and are rapidly coming for Colorado’s hide in the race for the President’s Trophy. Last time, the B’s were the ones to come back and nearly make it an extra time game. They now know they can at least hang, at least for a little bit. Now they have to start thinking about whether or not they can survive a playoff series against this team; because if things hold as they are, the Bruins will face the Lightning again in April; both in the regular season and playoffs. Plenty of decisions to be made; pre-Olympic deadline is almost here, and the post-Olympic deadline isn’t that far off afterwards. Much to consider here, and let’s hope Don Sweeney is ready to make the best decision for the long-term health of this squad.
• Still just two points at the beginning of February. The game was dramatic and stupid but you gotta get on the bus to Sunrise anyway.

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The Bruins have their final game before the Olympic break on Wednesday, when they take on the Florida Panthers. That game drops the puck at 7pm EST. It’s a TNT/HBO game, so adjust your watching accordingly.

We’ll see you there. Go B’s.

Following a five-game road trip, the Anaheim Ducks returned to Honda Center on Sunday to host the Vegas Golden Knights in a Pacific Division matchup, Anaheim’s penultimate game before the extended Olympic break.

The Ducks were hoping to return to the win column, as they’ve dropped out of a playoff spot entering Sunday and following back-to-back losses against the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers.

Game #55: Ducks vs. Golden Knights Gameday Preview (02/01/26)

Takeaways from the Ducks 2-0 Loss to the Canucks

This game was Vegas’ second in as many days, and they came in with their top spot in the Pacific on the line, desperate for a win, having gone winless in their previous four games, and having only won one of their previous seven.

The Ducks saw the return of a pair of star forwards, as Troy Terry re-entered the lineup after missing 11 games with an upper-body injury, and Mason McTavish re-entered after missing five.

Leo Carlsson remains out with a thigh lesion and was placed on IR earlier on Sunday. Ryan Strome, Sam Colangelo, and Drew Helleson served as the Ducks' healthy scratches, and they lined up like this:

Killorn-Granlund-Sennecke

Kreider-Poehling-Terry

Viel-McTavish-Harkins

Johnston-Washe-Harkins

LaCombe-Trouba

Mintyukov-Moore

Zellweger-Gudas

Lukas Dostal got the start in the Ducks’ net and saved 28 of the 31 shots he faced. He was opposed by Adin Hill in the Knights’ crease, who stopped 19 of 22.

“Across the board, I thought we did a lot of good things, Dosty was solid in net, and we got that good start in the first period,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said after the game. “Then you see some of the plays they (Vegas) can make. It’s a heck of a test and a good challenge for us, and we knew we had to be at our best. We played hard and eliminated some of their possession game. When you see what they can do at the end of the game, we’ll take it.”

Game Notes

Anaheim set the tempo early, controlling game flow and possession time, and generating quality chances off the rush and cycle. Vegas pushed back heavily in the second and even more heavily in the third, but the Ducks’ lead was too great, their defense stingy in the hard areas of the ice, and Dostal rose to whatever challenge he was presented with.

The last two periods didn’t favor the Ducks in any respect, as a combination of them sitting on their lead and Vegas’ push flipped possession numbers. It wasn’t likely a sustainable way to tally standings points, but a big two points went their way nonetheless.

Defensive Zone Coverage: With the return of two potent offensive players in Terry and McTavish, there was a question of whether the Ducks would or could continue to play the same brand of detailed, relatively conservative, defense-first hockey that they’d established and had success with without them.

Remarkably, against an offensive powerhouse, they were able to (for the most part) pressure along the perimeter without overcommitting. When they found themselves drifting too far from the middle of the ice and vulnerable, they tracked back through the middle and broke up several seam pass attempts.

Centers, especially, stayed low in coverage, reading when to support defensemen and wingers, allowing teammates to pressure, and covered to tie up opponents or pounce on rebounds around the crease.

Penalty Kill: An area of weakness on the penalty kill this season, until recently, had been the awareness of the weak side forward to cover the crashing flank toward the back post. Vegas attempted several backdoor, cross-crease passes on their two power plays, but that weak-side forward broke them up deftly.

Ryan Poehling: During the absence of Leo Carlsson, Poehling has been centering lines with more offensive talents than he’d been early in the season, when the roster was at full strength. It’s allowed him to have the puck on his stick more, and in this game with Terry and Kreider, he was afforded more time and space with it. He’s gained noticeable confidence, both on the rush and cycle, even driving play during several shifts. If this continues, the Ducks will have a rare luxury on their roster: a bottom-six center who can provide instant and consistent offense.

Chris Kreider: “Chris Kreider’s made a living being in front of the net,” Troy Terry said of his linemate after this game. Three of Anaheim’s four goals (two of which went to Kreider) came with him parked right in front of Adin Hill, taking away visibility, getting tips on perimeter shots, and crashing while on the rush. He’s more than just a body at the blue paint; he is a distinguished communicator, often directing linemates where to go or where to place pucks from his spot in front of the opposing goal.

The Ducks will play their last game before the extended Olympic break on Tuesday, when they’ll host the Seattle Kraken in yet another critical Pacific Division bout.

Rumor: Ducks "Out" on Panarin, Uninterested in Extension

Ian Moore Is Ducks’ Swiss Army Knife

Takeaways from the Ducks 7-4 Loss to the Oilers

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Nikita Kucherov scored the tying goal in the third period, Jake Guentzel scored the only goal in the shootout, and the Tampa Bay Lightning rallied from a four-goal deficit to beat the Boston Bruins 6-5 in front of 64,617 fans at an NHL Stadium Series game at Raymond James Stadium.

Kucherov finished with a goal and three assists, Brandon Hagel had a goal and two assists, while Oliver Bjorkstrand, Darren Raddysh and Nick Paul all scored power-play goals after Tampa Bay fell behind 5-1 in the second period.

Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 29 saves.

Tampa Bay’s four-goal comeback is the largest in NHL outdoor game history and the largest comeback victory in franchise history.

Morgan Geekie had a pair of goals and three points for the Bruins. Viktor Arvidsson, Alex Steeves and Matthew Poitras also scored for Boston, which improved to 11-1-1 in the past 13 games. Charlie McAvoy had a pair of assists while Jeremy Swayman finished with 41 saves.

The game featured the first goalie fight in outdoor game history when Vasilevskiy and Swayman exchanged blows at center ice in the second period.

HURRICANES 3, KINGS 2, OT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Sebastian Aho scored early in overtime to lead Carolina to a win over Los Angeles.

Brandon Bussi made 11 saves to continue his dominant rookie season, while Jordan Staal and Alexander Nikishin also scored for the Hurricanes, who have earned at least a point in eight straight games (6-0-2).

Samuel Helenius and Quinton Byfield scored for the Kings and Anton Forsberg made 31 saves. The Kings wrapped up their road trip with a 3-1-1 record with one game (last Monday at Columbus) postponed due to severe winter weather.

A winter storm dumped snow all around North Carolina but Raleigh was mostly spared, which made it easier for about 14,000 fans to make it to the arena for the afternoon start.

A day after squandering a three-goal lead in a 4-3 overtime loss at Washington, Aho made sure the Hurricanes didn’t blow a 2-0 lead against the Kings. He beat Forsberg 1:25 into the overtime period after the Kings’ goalie had made two tough saves on Seth Jarvis.

DUCKS 4, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 3

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Chris Kreider scored two goals, Lukas Dostal made 27 saves and Anaheim swept their three-game season series with Vegas.

Cutter Gauthier scored and Ryan Poehling added an empty-net goal for the Ducks. Anaheim earned its eighth victory in 10 games overall despite nearly blowing an early 3-0 lead during a third period dominated by Vegas.

Mitch Marner and Ivan Barbashev scored goals in their third straight games for the Golden Knights, who have lost five straight and seven of eight. Vegas has gone on two five-game skids since Christmas, with an 8-2-0 surge sandwiched between them.

Tomas Hertl scored with 6 seconds to play and Adin Hill stopped 19 shots for Vegas.

Kreider put Anaheim up 2-0 with his first multigoal game since Nov. 6 for the Ducks, who acquired him last June from the New York Rangers.

Everyone loves a goalie fight — and it might be even better outdoors.

In front of a packed Raymond James Stadium, the home of the Buccaneers, Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman and Lightning netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy dropped the gloves during Sunday night’s NHL Stadium Series game in Tampa.

The fight began with 8:59 left in the second period, after Brandon Hagel took one too many pokes at the puck after the whistle — leading to a pair of Bruins players giving him a shove and then Swayman trying to rough him up a bit.

After the refs attempted to cool things down, Swayman noticed Vasilevskiy making his way from the Lightning net toward the action at the other end of the ice, and the two goaltenders squared up.

WE'VE GOT A GOALIE FIGHT AT THE STADIUM SERIES GAME pic.twitter.com/Ji7GQrM6HU

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 2, 2026

The fight didn’t last long as Swayman never got his skates under him and Vasilevskiy quickly got the upper hand in the fight, landing a few punches on the Bruins goaltender.

According to HockeyFights.com, a site that tracks hockey players’ fight records, Sunday’s tilt was the first time either Swayman or Vasilevskiy had gotten into a fight.

Neither seemed to hold a grudge as the two smiled and laughed as they shook hands after the game.

The scrap was the first goalie fight in an outdoor NHL game.

The Lightning defeated the Bruins 6-5 in the shootout after erasing a 5-1 hole that Tampa found itself in midway through the second period.

At the time of the fight, the Lightning had trailed 5-2 and a little more than four minutes later, defenseman Darren Raddysh scored to cut the Boston lead to two.

Nick Paul and Nikita Kucherov scored to eventually even the score, and Jake Guentzel scored the only goal in the shootout for the win.

A crowd of more than 64,000 fans was in attendance and they witnessed the largest comeback in an outdoor NHL game; the four-goal rally was the biggest in Lightning franchise history.

Swayman and Vasilevskiy’s fight was the second goalie fight in the NHL in less than a month after another

Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and Sharks goalie Alex Nedeljkovic fought in a game between the two teams back on Jan. 19.

After missing the entire 2025-26 season up to this point, a Pittsburgh Penguins' prospect finally made his professional debut on Sunday.

Left wing Tanner Howe - selected 46th overall by the Penguins in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft - made his debut in professional hockey for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins of the AHL Sunday against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He registered his first professional point - a secondary assist on a third-period goal by Owen Pickering - en route to a 6-2 for the WBS Penguins.

He played on the second line with Aaron Huglen and Avery Hayes.

Went 1-on-1 w/ Tanner Howe post-game & the boys were sure to give Howe the rookie treatment in his first interview of the year

Joel Blomqvist reached with a water bottle from an exercise bike.

Ville Koivunen yelled out, "POINT PER GAME PRO."

Good composure from Howe today!

— Tony Androckitis* (@TonyAndrock) February 1, 2026

Howe, 20, sustained an ACL tear late last season that caused him to miss the remainder of his WHL season with the Calgary Hitmen as well as all of the 2025-26 season up to this point. In 47 WHL games between the Regina Pats and Hitmen last season - he was traded midseason - Howe registered 18 goals and 46 points. 

He also had the opportunity to share the ice with Ben Kindel last season, the Penguins' 11th overall pick in 2025 who is making an impact at the NHL level this season at the age of 18. Howe is a physical winger who is known for being a menace on the forecheck and excels at playmaking in tight spaces, and he also plays a pretty responsible two-way game.

The 5-foot-11, 183-pound forward will likely spend the rest of the season with Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate, barring performance. 

Takeaways: Penguins Survive Late Push By Rangers To Earn Sixth Straight Win On 2016 Cup Anniversary CelebrationFor the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>, Saturday was a special night for a plethora of reasons.&nbsp;

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Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!   

It's been less than a full calendar year since the Pittsburgh Penguins missed the playoffs for a third consecutive season. 

They finished the 2024-25 season with a 34-36-12 record and sold off some of their players before the 2025 trade deadline closed, including Michael Bunting, Cody Glass, Anthony Beauvillier, Drew O'Connor, and Marcus Pettersson.

It was a necessary step for Penguins president and general manager Kyle Dubas, as he continued to stockpile more future assets for the next few years. 

He was tasked with replacing those players over the offseason, and part of his plan was signing some players to short-term contracts when free agency opened on July 1. Anthony Mantha, Justin Brazeau, and Parker Wotherspoon were three of the players he signed when free agency opened.

Mantha felt like the Beauvillier replacement after Dubas got a second-rounder back for the latter at the deadline. Going into this season, I figured Mantha would score double-digit goals before being flipped to a contender, since I didn't think this would be a playoff team. 

Well, the Penguins are on pace to make the playoffs this season, and Mantha's play is a big reason why. He's been an incredible signing by Dubas and already has 19 goals and 40 points in 53 games. He has five goals and eight points in his last four games, and two of those goals came on Saturday against the New York Rangers. 

He's done a great job going to the net for some greasy goals, but has also shown off some silky moves with the puck on his stick. He started the season on a line with Evgeni Malkin and Brazeau, and those three were humming together before Malkin hurt his shoulder in December and missed a full month.

Lately, Mantha has been skating on the third line with Brazeau and Ben Kindel since Malkin has found some great chemistry with Tommy Novak and Egor Chinakhov, and has fit like a glove. Mantha and Brazeau read each other well, and when you combine that with Kindel's hockey sense and strong playmaking ability, you get a pretty good third line. I don't see any way Dubas moves Mantha unless the Penguins completely collapse before this year's trade deadline. 

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Brazeau was brought in after splitting last season with the Boston Bruins and Minnesota Wild. I had him penciled in for a bottom-six role, but that changed quickly when he scored four goals in four games to open the season on the second line.

He even scored the Penguins' first goal of the 2025-26 season, showcasing some soft hands in front of the net to bury a puck past Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin. He also added an empty-net goal later in the game to help seal the win for the Penguins.

He showed off another move in front of the net two days later against New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin for the game-winning goal. 

Justin Brazeau has three goals in two games this season 👀 pic.twitter.com/1ge3sISava

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 10, 2025

Brazeau has already set a career-high in goals (14) and points (25) this season. He's a threat to score from anywhere in the offensive zone, and I think he'll score more clutch goals for the Penguins as the games get bigger down the stretch. 

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Wotherspoon was by far the best defenseman the Penguins had on the left side heading into the season and was paired with Erik Karlsson right away. The two have been inseparable ever since and have been a great pair for the Penguins this year.

Wotherspoon and Karlsson have played 689 minutes at 5v5 this season and have been on the ice for 54.5% of the shot attempts, 53.2% of the expected goals, 55.1% of the scoring chances, and 56% of the high-danger chances. They carry play every time they're on the ice. 

The best part about Wotherspoon is how steady he is. He's a rock in his own end and has allowed Karlsson to do his thing in the offensive zone. He's good at skating the puck out of trouble and has an active stick in the neutral zone. He also brings a physical element to the blue line, something the Penguins have severely lacked over the last few seasons. 

Takeaways: Penguins Survive Late Push By Rangers To Earn Sixth Straight Win On 2016 Cup Anniversary CelebrationFor the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>, Saturday was a special night for a plethora of reasons.&nbsp;

He was a great find by Dubas after posting some really good underlying numbers for the Bruins in a more reduced role last year. 

As my colleague Kelsey Surmacz wrote in January, you can make a very strong case for Dubas to win the General Manager of the Year award right now, and his odds will improve even more if the Penguins reach the postseason. If he wins the award, these three signings will be a big reason why. 

(Data via Natural Stat Trick). 

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The Buffalo Sabres five-game winning streak came to an end on Saturday, as the Montreal Canadiens scored three third period goals in a 4-2 victory. The Sabres held a 2-1 lead on goals by Owen Power and Noah Ostlund, but could not contain Montreal sniper Cole Caufield, scored the game-tying and game-winning goals. 

With the win, the Habs moved into sole position of third place in the Atlantic Division, and on Sunday, the Bruins moved ahead of Buffalo, with a loser point in a 6-5 shootout loss to Tampa Bay in the Stadium Series. With three games to go until the Olympic break, the Sabres now reside in the second wildcard spot, six points ahead of the surging Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals. 

Other Sabres Stories

Six Former Sabres Who Signed Elsewhere

While most who have observed the Sabres magical run in December and January – where they have gone 20-4-1 – believe the club has finally turned the corner, the final third of the season will be the greatest challenge for Buffalo. 

The nearly three-week Olympic break is coming at the worst possible time for the Sabres. The positive aspect that it will allow injured players such as Josh Norris, Jordan Greenway, Justin Danforth, and Jiri Kulich to work their way to get back in the lineup is outweighed by the fact that Buffalo has been the hottest club in the league. 

There is no way to know how the break will affect the Sabres. They may continue on their winning ways where they left off, but there is also the possibility of them going back returning to the club that struggled through October and November. 

Only time will tell.   

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo]

The first outdoor game in Tampa history had an added bonus: A goalie fight.

The Boston Bruins' Jeremy Swayman and the Tampa Bay Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy squared off in the second period with Boston up 5-2 and tensions high.

During the Lightning's second consecutive power play, a scrum broke out as Tampa Bay's Brandon Hagel slashed Boston's Charlie McAvoy. Swayman jumped into the fray, which led Vasilevskiy to start skating down the ice.

Swayman noticed and skated toward Vasilevskiy. Once the gloves and masks were off, the two threw a few punches at each other at center before the on-ice officials intervened.

WE'VE GOT A GOALIE FIGHT AT THE STADIUM SERIES GAME 💥 pic.twitter.com/Ji7GQrM6HU

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 2, 2026

"Ten out of 10," Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh said to ESPN about the fight.

Sunday's fight took place on the sixth anniversary of the Cam Talbot-Mike Smith fight in 2000. There had been no goalie fights until Jan. 19, 2026, when Florida's Sergei Bobrovsky and San Jose's Alex Nedelkovic squared off.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jeremy Swayman, Andrei Vasilevskiy fight during Stadium Series game

Follow Michael Whitaker On X

As part of the centennial season celebration for the Detroit Red Wings, the iconic No. 91 jersey of three-time Stanley Cup champion and Hall of Fame forward Sergei Fedorov was raised to the rafters at Little Caesars Arena. 

One of the most exciting and dynamic players not only in Red Wings history but in the NHL as a whole, Fedorov electrified fans with his raw speed, elite playmaking ability, and thrilling flair and style.

Sergei Fedorov Reflects on Scotty Bowman’s Lasting LessonsPrior to his official jersey retirement ceremony, Detroit Red Wings Hall of Fame forward Sergei Fedorov reflected on the best lessons that he learned from legendary head coach Scotty Bowman.

However, many younger generations of Red Wings fans may not know the full story of his defection from the former Soviet Union, a saga that could have been lifted straight from a spy movie.

The Red Wings had selected Fedorov in the fourth round (74th overall) of the 1989 NHL Draft while he was in the midst of his tenure with CSKA Moscow, where he was teammates with another future Red Wing, Vladimir Konstantinov (selected 229th overall in the same Draft). 

One of the principal architects behind the extremely risky defection by both Fedorov and Konstantinov from the Soviet Union was Keith Gave, a longtime Red Wings journalist who was employed at the time by The Detroit Free Press. 

"I started covering the Red Wings in 1985, and four years later, they started drafting Russians - they took a few Soviet players, Sergei and Vladdy," Gave explained. "And a week or so after the Draft, I got a call out of the blue in mid-July requesting a lunch meeting from Jim Lites." 

Lites, now CEO and alternate governor of the Dallas Stars (where former Red Wings assistant GM Jim Nill is now general manager), was the Red Wings’ executive vice president at the time. He invited Gave to lunch, where the seeds would be planted of what would eventually become a hockey dynasty.

As Gave put it, Lites began discussing the recent selections of both Fedorov and Konstantinov, and he reacted with understandable skepticism given the political climate of the time.

“We were thinking that because you speak Russian and know the language, and you have NHL credentials, you might be able to slip them a message under the auspices of covering them—to defect and play for the Detroit Red Wings,” Gave said Lites told him.

"The more he talked, the more skeptical I was becoming," Gave continued. "I said, 'Jim, there’s no way I can do this, I work for the Freep, and I’d be putting my job in danger.'" 

Gave eventually left the lunch and returned home to discuss the matter with his wife, but began to reconsider. With several years of experience as a Russian linguist for the National Security Agency, he began to see a viable path to pulling off the hazardous assignment.

"I spent six years in the spy business in West Berlin, working a mile from Checkpoint Charlie, the tip of the spear of the Cold War, and I'd never been given a good cloak and dagger assignment, and I was being offered one, I thought there was a way we might be able to do this," he said. 

After reconnecting with Lites, they began to formulate a plan. As it happened, the Soviet national team was holding a Training Camp in Finland, and with Gave's press credentials, he would be the ideal figure to get as close as possible to the players. 

"I told him that we might be able to make it work on the condition that I won’t take a dime of your money," Gave said. "I’ll cash in miles, I’ll get there and do my best to get access, I’ll write some letters, and explain to them everything you told me about what you want to know." 

However, Gave laid out one simple condition: he wanted to be the first one to break the story when both players eventually made their way to North America.

“I want to be your first phone call when these guys come over,” Gave said to Lites. “I want the first story for the Freep." 

"And a couple of weeks later, I was on my way to Helsinki, writing letters for Sergei and Vladdy, saying the Red Wings wanted them to come over and play hockey in the NHL for Detroit.”

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

The Fateful Defection Is Soon Set In Motion

Gave described how his Russian language training, which was honed during his time in the military, proved just sufficient to get the Red Wings’ message across.

“I was in Russian language school in 1971, 1972, and I left the Army in 1977," he explained. "In 1989, 12 years later, my Russian wasn’t worth shit anymore, but the Army taught me well enough." 

Gave began penning a message to Detroit's future Russian stars, which would be clandestinely slipped between the pages of a media guide. 

"I remembered enough, and I knew how to use the Russian/English dictionary, and I was able to patch together a letter that he could understand and throw the (contract) numbers in there," he said. 

In the note, Gave wrote that the Red Wings were willing to pay both Fedorov and Konstantinov the same figure as Steve Yzerman, who had been named team captain by coach Jacques Demers just three years earlier to begin the 1986-87 campaign. 

Another condition that was stipulated was that the families of both players would be paid $25,000 per year. 

"At the time, that was a ton," Gave said. "You could live like royalty in the USSR at that time with that money." 

After arriving in Helsinki, there were a few obstacles to overcome to even get to the venue where both Fedorov and Konstantinov were. 

"I landed at 4:00 in the afternoon, the hockey game was in three hours, and I didn’t know where it was," Gave explained. "I had to find the arena, find the hockey game, and was asking for directions around the airport; people were looking at me like I had three heads. Finally, I got the answer - they were playing at Olympic Stadium." 

Gave managed to get his hotel information, hail a taxi, shower at his hotel, and then make his way across the park to the venue, which was nearby. He happened upon the rink just as the Soviet players arrived and were getting off their bus. 

Two Lives - And An NHL Franchise - Are Soon Changed Forever

After entering the venue, Gave’s only immediate problem was finding someone who could get him close to the players.

“I flashed my NHL credentials, and I had my Professional Hockey Writers Association card, my Red Wings media pass, and everything," he said. "I had no trouble getting in, but I had trouble finding someone to get me down where the players were. I finally found a guy, a promoter." 

After requesting assistance, Gave was told by the promoter that while he'd help him, the Russian players might not be receptive. 

"I’ll certainly try," Gave said the promoter said to him. "You came all the way from Detroit, but you know how Russians are—you can ask, but they may not play ball."

"The Russians were notorious for limiting access to guys like us," Gave said. 

Eventually, Gave made it down near the dressing rooms, where he noticed an imposing nearby physical presence keeping tabs on him as he waited.

From the start, Gave knew it was someone who, if crossed, could potentially be dangerous. 

"About 8-10 feet away to my left was a guy who kept looking at me, kind of giving me the eye," Gave said. I could tell he was their KGB guy, to make sure nobody defected."

Suddenly, he knew his assignment had become that much tougher. 

“The promoter went into the room, and a long while later, came out and brought Sergei and Vladdy with him," Gave said. "They had just stepped out of the shower with white towels and wet hair."

"I basically introduced myself and showed them I was from Detroit, and showed them the Red Wings' Draft list from 1989. I said, 'Sergei, here you are, 74th overall.’ He showed no signs of emotion overall, and then I showed Vladdy his own name, and he was bouncing up and down like a kid with a shiny new bike for Christmas." 

It was at that moment that Gave realized he had just broken the news to both players for the first time: they had been selected by an NHL team.

"I learned later that this was the moment they realized they’d been drafted by an NHL team," he said. "This was way before the internet, and news traveled slowly then; neither of them had any clue that an NHL team was interested in them." 

After giving both players the business cards for both Jim Devellano and Jim Lites, it was at that moment that Gave made his move - albeit carefully.

"I pulled out the media guides with the letters tucked in and gave them to the players," he said. "Sergei had his in front of him, he looked down and thumbed through it, and he saw the KGB guy. He had noticed the guy a bit earlier; he knew who he was, and he had to be careful.”

“He thumbed through and saw the letter,” Gave said of Fedorov when he began looking through the media guide containing the life-changing message. “He nonchalantly put it behind his back, and I knew it was time to get the f--- out. I shook their hands and said, ‘Good luck, thanks, and hope to see you in Detroit one day,’ and left.”

Having literally just set history in motion, Gave made his exit - while also being sure to make sure that the KGB agent wasn't lurking behind. 

“Walked out of the building and walked around Helsinki for four hours, looking over my shoulder to make sure I wasn’t being followed," he said. 

Thankfully, he was safe and eventually made it back to the hotel. While he admitted he felt some apprehension for his own safety, his chief concern was for Fedorov and Konstantinov and what may have happened to them if the note been discovered. 

 "I was worried mostly for the two kids," Gave said. "Sergei was 19 at the time, and Vladdy, a bit older. But if they get caught with those letters, they were f---ed. They could lose their careers.

I was worried for them, but Russians know how to sneak around and play the game, and obviously didn’t run into any problems." 

After what he described as an uneventful walk around Helsinki, Gave eventually returned to his room and contacted Lites to deliver the news. 

"I got back to my hotel room and noticed it was 7:30 back in Detroit, and I called Jim Lites to say that I made contact with the guys and passed the note along. He was so excited and said, ‘I can’t wait to tell Mr. Ilitch.’

I said one thing: ‘Remember our deal: I want the news first.’ He said, ‘You got it.’

And that was it. I had no more role. I saw Jim Lites 100 times, and we never talked about it—it never came up.”

Two Red Army Players Become Red Wings

Nearly a year after Gave’s risky mission in Finland, he received the news that would not only secure his place in hockey history but also change the course of the Red Wings.

Fedorov had traveled with the Soviets to North America in 1990 to take part in the Goodwill Games in Portland. Lites picked up Fedorov discreetly outside of his hotel, and it wouldn't be long before they were both on Mike Ilitch's private jet en route to Detroit. 

“About 11 months later, I was about to have dinner at my Dearborn home when the phone rang," Gave said. "It was Jim Lites again, giving me another odd call in the middle of July.

He said, ‘Just wanted to let you know that I’m on Mr. I’s airplane flying back to Detroit. Guess who is sitting next to me: Sergei Fedorov.’ I shoved my plate away, grabbed my notebook, talked to Jim for 10 minutes, and hung up the phone.

I called the Freep city desk—they were on deadline—and I said, ‘It’s Keith Gave.’" 

He said that initially, they were confused as to why a hockey beat writer would be calling them in the middle of the summer. 

"I called and asked what the scheduled story on page one was, and said, 'I’m going to blow it out of the water: A Soviet defector on his way to Detroit on Mike’s plane.'

There was a pause, and then he said, ‘You got 35 minutes.’

I hung up, grabbed my laptop, and started typing my ass off. Thirty-five minutes later, I fired off a story. When the newspaper arrived at 6:15 on my doorstep, there it was: Soviet defector coming to play hockey, page one, above the fold—right where you want to be.”

Fedorov entered the NHL with a bang in the 1990-91 season, scoring 31 goals with 48 assists. It wouldn't be long before he won the Hart Trophy as the NHL's Most Valuable Player for 1993-94 after scoring 56 goals with 64 assists. 

Meanwhile, Konstantinov began his NHL career one year after Fedorov and quickly became one of Detroit's most defensively responsible and bruising defensemen.

 

Both players eventually became 2/5 of the iconic "Russian Five" with Igor Larionov, Slava Kozlov, and Slava Fetisov. 

With Fedorov, the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup in 1997, 1998, and 2002. Gave was able to join Kozlov, Larionov, and Fetisov in Russia's famed Red Square with the Cup.

Konstantinov played a key role in Detroit's 1997 win, but his career (and nearly his life) ended just a week later in a limousine accident that also came close to claiming the life of team masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov. 

Both Fedorov and Konstantinov remain beloved former members of the Red Wings and enduring figures in some of the franchise’s greatest successes. Without Gave’s fateful mission to Helsinki, carrying a clandestine note tucked into a media guide, those moments may never have happened.

A more detailed account of his journey can be read in his book, The Russian Five: A Story of Espionage, Defection, Bribery and Courage. 

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The Los Angeles Kings (23-17-14) pushed the Carolina Hurricanes (34-15-6) to the limit Sunday afternoon, but Sebestain Aho's overtime winner sealed a disappointing 3-2 loss for the Kings at Lenovo Center in a winnable game.  

Despite being outshot 34-13, the Kings got excellent goaltending from Anton Forsberg to force extra time before Carolina closed it out in overtime. 

Final from Overtime in Raleigh. #GoKingsGopic.twitter.com/GGK65eiynH

— LA Kings (@LAKings) February 1, 2026

Carolina Strikes First

Carolina opened the scoring midway through the first period on the power play, when Jordan Staal scored off the nice feed from Andrei Svechnikov to make it 1-0. The Canes were the better team early on, generating high-quality scoring chances and converting them, while the Kings couldn't find the net despite creating good chances. 

Los Angeles started to settle as the period came to an end, generating several chances off the rush, but couldn't score, ending intermission trailing by one. 

In other news, though, early in the period, the Kings lost defenseman Mikey Anderson with an upper-body injury and did not return, forcing the Kings to play the remainder of the contest with five defenseman.  

Mikey Anderson Exits Hurricanes Game with Upper-Body InjuryAfter playing like an iron man in all games for the Kings this season, Mikey Anderson looks to have suffered a setback as he left Sunday's game with an injury.

Forsberg Holds the Line in Scoreless Second

The second period and most of the regulation belonged to Anton Forsberg, who turned aside several of the Hurricanes' chances, including several point-blank shots very close to going into the net. 

Drew Doughty was also great in the sequence where the Hurricanes were looking to extend their lead on a 2-on-1 rush play, but Doughty sprinted down the ice and blocked the shot from behind to keep the score 1-0. 

unbelievable effort on the backcheck by Armia. guy never quits. https://t.co/uYZGblcrsg

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) February 1, 2026

With the defense keeping them in the game, the Kings' offense struggled to generate offense and help Forsberg, continually getting turned away by the Hurricanes or missing easy shots on rush plays. 

Helenius and Byfield Bring Kings Back

The game opened up in the third period, with it still being very winnable for the Kings, trailing 1-0. Carolina, though, regained the lead at the 7:03 mark when Alexander Nikishin fired a shot past Forsberg to make it 2–0.

Los Angeles converted 24 seconds later, with Samuel Helenius finishing a play off a Carolina turnover to score his third goal of the season and give Los Angeles its first goal of the game. 

Shortly, though, after scoring, Helenius exited the game and headed to the locker room with about six minutes left in regulation, and didn't return for the rest of the game. No update has been given yet on what happened, but a live update will come shortly after more information is provided. 

A couple of minutes later, at the 3:11 mark, Quinton Byfield tied the game for Los Angeles, restoring the two-goal deficit from earlier in regulation. The goal looked to have given the Kings a lot of momentum after trailing throughout the entire match and going scoreless for 40 minutes. 

No team was able to score in the last two minutes of regulation after 

WHAT A PASS WHAT A GOAL pic.twitter.com/baabWkEZbm

— LA Kings (@LAKings) February 1, 2026

Aho Ends It in Overtime

Carolina refused to let this game slip away after letting the game get close late. Aho delivered the game-winner at the 3:35 mark of overtime after faking a pass to score down the middle of the lane under Forsberg to win it for Carolina. 

Forsberg finished with 31 saves in a strong performance, while the Kings’ power play struggled, going 0-for-2 on the night. Los Angeles was solid in the faceoff battle, matching the Hurricanes (50%), and was more physical than Carolina with 25 hits and 25 blocked shots.

Despite the loss, give credit to Los Angeles, which was battling with physicality and came back from behind to make it a game before coming up just short in overtime. Now, this finally caps off the Kings' road trip, ending it 3-1-1, 7 of 10 points total, and currently fourth in the Pacific Division, one point behind the Seattle Kraken.

The Kings' next game will be on Wednesday against the Seattle Kraken at 7:00 P.M. PT, in a Western Conference showdown for potentially the third seed in the division. 

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The New York Rangers made a surprise pick-up on Saturday, claiming defenseman Vincent Iorio off waivers. 

Iorio was waived by the Sharks, and the Rangers decided to take a chance on the 2021 second-round pick. 

Will Iorio immediately slot into the Rangers’ lineup? That remains unclear, but after trading Carson Soucy to the New York Islanders, Iorio should get an opportunity to earn a spot with the Blueshirts. 

Mike Sullivan hinted about what sort of role Iorio could play and what he expects from the team’s latest acquisition. 

“I don't know a lot about him. I know a little bit about him. I know he's going to bring good size,” Sullivan said of Iorio. “He's a young kid I think he could potentially help us with our puck-moving ability back there. I think he defends pretty well with his size. 

“I know our hockey operations department obviously thinks highly of him, and that's why they claimed him. I look forward to seeing him in person and getting to know him and working with him. We'll see where it goes.”

Rangers Claim Vincent Iorio Off Waivers From SharksThe New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers">Rangers</a> claimed defenseman Vincent Iorio off waivers on Sunday.&nbsp;

After playing nine games over a two-season span with the Capitals, he was placed on waivers, and the Sharks quickly claimed him on Oct. 16, 2015.

The 23-year-old defenseman has recorded four assists in 30 career NHL games.

The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that they have assigned goaltender Aleksei Kolosov to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. 

Kolosov was called up to the Flyers' roster on Saturday ahead of their matchup against the Los Angeles Kings. This was after Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson left the Flyers' Jan. 29 contest against the Boston Bruins early due to a lower-body injury. Yet, with this latest roster move, Kolosov is now heading right back to Lehigh Valley. 

Kolosov has appeared in 21 games so far this season with the Phantoms, where he has recorded a 9-10-1 record, a .908 save percentage, and a 2.52 goals-against average. This is after he had a 5-6-1 record, an .884 save percentage, and a 3.11 goals-against average in 12 games this past season with Lehigh Valley. 

At the NHL level with the Flyers this season, Kolosov has a 0-2-0 record, an .830 save percentage, and a 4.00 goals-against average in four games. In 17 games this past season with the Flyers, the 24-year-old goaltender posted a 5-9-1 record and an .867 save percentage. 

In Saturday night’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens’ power forward Juraj Slafkovsky scored his 21st goal of the season, setting a new career high. As things stand, the 21-year-old has 21 goals and 23 assists for 44 points, well on his way to establishing a new career mark. In the last two campaigns, he put up 50 and 51 points, but right now, he’s on pace to hit 66 points.

Beyond the points, though, the rest of his stats line is impressive. In his first two seasons in the league, he had minus-13 and minus-19 ratings; last season, he was plus-4 and right now, he’s a plus-7. While this may not be the most favoured stat these days, it shows a tendency which is matched by the eye test. He has become a much more responsible forward defensively and has cut down on his giveaways. Last season, he gave the puck away 77 times in 71 games; this year, he has 44 giveaways in 55 games, meaning he’s on pace for just 66 in an 82-game season.

There’s been a visible improvement there since the start of the season as well. At the beginning of this campaign, he often tried to enter the offensive zone on one side only to try a no-look backhand pass, which was frequently intercepted. That has now all but disappeared from his game; he has learned to manage both the puck and the game, making better decisions with and without it.

Furthermore, he has become a much more critical piece of the Canadiens’ attack. He now averages 18:05 minutes of ice time, up from 17:21 last season, and that will keep going up. Even though he’s now on the second line, he’s still on the first power play unit. He averages 3:05 minutes of ice time on the power play (3:06 last season) and already has 17 points on the man advantage this season, while he only had 10 last season. 10 of those 17 points are goals; last season, he only had five power-play goals.

He’s become much more efficient in the bumper position as well, moving to get in space and make himself a viable option for his teammates. His goal against the Sabres on Saturday night was a perfect example of that.

Great passes make great plays 🙂‍↕️

Juraj Slafkovský gets the @CanadiensMTL on the board!

📺: @Sportsnet & @TVASports ➡️ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctFpic.twitter.com/HmjaAy34Np

— NHL (@NHL) February 1, 2026

The fact that he’s now a much more imposing presence physically means that he’s harder to deal with in front of the net; battling Slafkovsky for position is no easy task. He’s also become much more effective at fighting for the puck along the boards.

This season will more than likely be remembered as Slafkovsky’s breakout season, the year he made people realize that Kent Hughes and co. were right when they picked him first overall at the 2022 draft. That doesn’t mean we’ve seen his ceiling yet, though. There’s much to see and discover about Slafkovsky.

---

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The NHL Olympic roster freeze will kick in on Feb. 4 at 3 p.m. EST, and while trades aren’t likely to commence beforehand, the markets for players on the trade block are beginning to formulate.

The St. Louis Blues are no exception, as several of their trade candidates are beginning to draw serious interest from plenty of teams. 

Brayden Schenn, Justin Faulk, and Jordan Kyrou appear on almost every trade board, and to no surprise, they do on The Fourth Period’s.

Schenn is drawing significant interest from teams looking to add a veteran center who can play up and down the lineup. The Vegas Golden Knights have already been linked to Schenn. Recent reports indicate that the Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils, and Minnesota Wild are also considering adding Schenn to their rosters.

The 34-year-old is in the sixth year of his eight-year, $6.5-million contract. Although his production has dropped off over the last couple of seasons, scoring just 12 goals and 24 points in 55 games, he’s a defensively responsible player who can play a physical brand of hockey. 

Another veteran Blues player drawing interest from several teams is Faulk, who has previously garnered interest from the Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Dallas Stars, and the Boston Bruins.

The 33-year-old has another season left on his deal following this year at $6.5 million. Faulk has scored 11 goals and 27 points in 55 games this season, providing offense and defensive fortitude. 

Like Schenn, Faulk’s experience and two-way versatility are enticing traits teams are looking to add to their rosters. 

Blues' Steep Asking Price For Robert Thomas And Justin Faulk RevealedThe St. Louis Blues will most certainly be sellers at the deadline, and the reported asking prices for center Robert Thomas and defenseman Justin Faulk have been revealed.

Outside of Robert Thomas, no other Blues trade candidate might be a more intriguing add than Kyrou. 

The 27-year-old is in year three of an eight-year contract that pays him $8.125 million annually. With just 12 goals and 27 points in 45 games, Kyrou has struggled to match his production from previous seasons, but a change of scenery could do Kyrou well. 

Kyrou has been playing better hockey lately, recording four goals and 10 points in his last 10 games. According to The Fourth Period’s trade board, the Seattle Kraken, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Utah Mammoth, and the Leafs could have interest in trading for Kyrou. 

Whether Kyrou is willing to waive his no-trade clause remains unknown, but the interest is there. 

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