Already at the halfway point of the 2026 compressed NHL Preseason, the Anaheim Ducks hosted their rival Los Angeles Kings for their second game of the exhibition season on Wednesday night at Honda Center. 

The Ducks iced an NHL-heavy lineup in their exhibition opener against the San Jose Sharks (who did not) on Sunday, but their roster in this game was far more of a mixed bag and far more equal to that of their opponent. 

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Heading into the game, the player to watch may have been young Jayden Kurtz (18), who was three months removed from his draft and was tasked with first-pair deployment in his first outing on an NHL ice sheet, paired alongside Pavel Mintyukov to start.

Here’s how the Ducks lined up for this game:

Vatrano-Poehling-Sidorov

Mallot-Washe-Colangelo

Pitre-Procyszyn-Caulfield

Nesterenko-Gaucher-Traff

Mintyukov-Kurtz

Mitchell-Luneau

Smith-Warren

Lukas Dostal got the nod in the Anaheim crease for this game and stopped 17 of the 19 shots he faced. He was opposed by Anton Forsberg, who saved 24 of 25. 

Game Notes

This game was a somewhat sloppy affair, as has become custom for preseason tilts with rosters such as these. Combined, the two clubs went 0 for 11 on the power play. Lack of finishing touch was apparent from Anaheim’s group, as on the handful of occasions they were able to generate quality looks, Forsberg made a key save on the doorstep. 

Tristan Luneau: From the Ducks’ perspective, this game was “The Tristan Luneau Show.” He led the team in even-strength TOI (18:57), over three minutes more than Pavel Mintyukov (15:03). He also led the team in power play TOI (5:51) and shorthanded TOI (3:20). 

He displayed every aspect of what can potentially make him a special player at the NHL level. His puck retrievals are now refined, he’s dictating pace when the puck is on his stick, manipulating defenders at the blueline and deep into the offensive zone, and on the defensive side of the puck, his gaps were precise, and his physicality was apparent in the small areas. 

Jayden Kurtz: After a pedestrian rookie camp and tournament, Kurtz made his NHL preseason debut and didn’t seem out of place. His instincts are present, as he has sophisticated weight on his first passes out of the zone, displays an effective gap against the rush, and gets his stick in lanes with consistency. 

He’s still a raw prospect, but this game showed the first flashes of what he can become at the highest level with a few more years of development under his belt. 

Cycle Offense: It’s too early to read into system or style tweaks, but an encouraging sign from this game came from extended cycle sequences when forwards like Frank Vatrano, Nikita Nesternko, Yegor Sidorov, etc. released higher in the offensive zone with possession, opening up new lanes and forcing defensemen to activate, ultimately creating disruption within the Kings’ defensive structure. 

Noah Warren: In his development, Warren has come leaps and bounds in terms of his stride and four-way mobility. He’s now a confident, effective, polished defender in every facet (rush, gap, coverage, angles, etc.). However, to have a true impact at the NHL level if/when he gets a shot with the Ducks, his puck skills and decision making under duress will need to reach a certain floor. He had shots and passes disrupted in precarious situations on multiple occasions in this game, and a simplification of his execution may be in order. 

The Ducks will be right back at it for Game 3 of their four-game preseason on Thursday evening, when they’ll head north to take on the San Jose Sharks. 

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The Senators hoped the stronger half of their split squad would take care of business at home Wednesday night.

Instead, a Toronto Maple Leafs lineup made up largely of players fighting for jobs came into Canadian Tire Centre and handed them a 4–2 loss.

It completed a sweep of the night for Toronto. Across town at Scotiabank Arena, the Leafs dressed most of their stars and beat Ottawa’s other group, 6–1.

The home game was much closer, but Ryan Tverberg broke a 2–2 tie with less than five minutes remaining, and Teddy Blueger added an empty-net goal.

After a scoreless first, Henrik Rybinski opened the scoring on the power play at 3:51 of the second, putting home a rebound at the side of the net. The goal was initially waved off because the puck seemed to go off the crossbar and straight out. But the replay clearly showed the puck entering the net.

Dylan Cozens answered less than three minutes later. He took the puck off Leafs defenceman Blake Smith and beat Anthony Stolarz with a wrist shot to tie the game.

Toronto went back in front midway through the third when Steven Lorentz redirected a Marshall Rifai shot past Linus Ullmark.

Ottawa replied just 41 seconds later, courtesy of Hoyt Stanley. The young defenceman gathered a loose puck, patiently pulled it to his backhand and beat Stolarz to make it 2–2.

Stanley was the Sens top pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, which isn't quite as impressive as it sounds. He was a fourth-round pick because the Sens had traded away their first three picks. But that slick goal won't hurt Stanley's stock with Senators’ evaluators.

Tverberg settled things at 15:43 of the third, beating Ullmark with a snap shot from the left faceoff circle. Blueger added some insurance, scoring into the empty net with eight seconds remaining. Ullmark finished with 20 saves for Ottawa, while Stolarz made 19 for Toronto.

The Senators will get one more split-squad night Saturday, when they face the Montreal Canadiens in simultaneous games in Ottawa and Montreal. Both start at 7 p.m. That will be the club's preseason finale. The regular season begins Oct. 3.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News

It was a rough night for an undermanned Senators squad in Toronto on Wednesday night.

With the Maple Leafs dressing all their top players, they didn't have much trouble with the Senators, defeating them 6-1 at Scotiabank Arena. John Tavares, Auston Matthews and Jack Roslovic all had three points for Toronto, while Tim Stützle had the only marker for the Senators

Stützle gave the Senators an early lead at 6:35 of the first period. Carrying the puck down the left wing, he cut across the crease and tucked a slick backhand past Sergei Bobrovsky. Andre Burakovsky and Christian Kyrou picked up the assists.

The lead lasted just 70 seconds. Jake McCabe tied the game before John Tavares put Toronto ahead to stay late in the first on a two-on-one with William Nylander. Jack Roslovic added a power-play goal in the second before former Senator Zack MacEwen and defenseman Morgan Rielly stretched the lead to 5-1.

Auston Matthews completed the scoring in the third, ripping one off the post and ending Leevi Meriläinen's night.

Meriläinen, who didn't have an NHL-caliber defence in front of him, was under siege all night, allowing all six goals before Jackson Parsons replaced him in the third.

The Senators went 0-for-4 on the power play, while the Leafs went 1-for-3.

The Sens had chances to make the score more respectable. Bobrovsky robbed Stützle on a one-timer from close range. Kasper Halttunen struck iron twice on the same shift.

The Senators did have Stützle, Drake Batherson, Shane Pinto, Michael Amadio, Burakovsky and Tyler Kleven in the lineup, but most of the rest of their roster was made up of players fighting for NHL jobs.

Carter Yakemchuk got the toughest assignment of the group. The Sens effectively threw him into the deep end to see if he would sink or swim. Yakemchuk led the Sens with 25:29 of ice time against a skilled Toronto lineup and had a difficult night. It was a reminder that the role he played Wednesday is a big step up from the limited, well-insulated minutes he saw during his brief NHL looks last season.

It was a rough night in both cities for the Senators. Their more experienced group also lost at home, falling 4-2 to Toronto’s other split squad, which featured a heavy load of AHL players.

The Sens will close their preseason Saturday night with two simultaneous games against Montreal, one at home and one on the road.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News

Joe Veleno is a player who is well positioned to take on a big role for the New York Rangers. 

Over the offseason, the Rangers signed Veleno to a one-year, $1.2 million contract. 

Veleno, coming off a season with the Montreal Canadiens in which he played 61 games, was in search of an expanded role, and the Rangers presented him with that opportunity.

“I think the opportunity and having a bigger role,” Veleno said about why he decided to sign with the Rangers. “Not to say that obviously Montreal was great and the deep run and being part of a winning team. I just feel like there's a lot of potential here too. I think you look on paper and some of the depth that was talked about during the offseason obviously made it a little bit more interesting to want to come here.”

“I think there's a good opportunity here to be really competitive this year, push for a playoff spot, and that's what kind of made it a little bit more exciting.”

Despite being touted as a player with high offensive upside going into his draft year in 2018 when he was selected in the first round by the Detroit Red Wings, that side of his game has not quite translated at the NHL level. 

However, Veleno expanded his two-way game during the 2025-26 campaign with the Canadiens, which helped earn him a spot on the team’s penalty kill. 

Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis built trust in Veleno because of his strong two-way play over the course of the season, ultimately helping grow his overall role with the team. 

“I realized it last year, although my offensive numbers weren't where they wanted to be by any means, I think still having the coach's trust to put me in situations, I kind of knew my role,” Veleno said. “I knew that you know we were a team that lacked a lot of physicality and a lot of defensive habits. 

“We had our star players that took over a lot of the games offensively, but (I) just found a niche and a way to contribute, and I kind of took on that role and embraced it. Took a lot of pride into penalty killing and doing the hard things that not a lot of guys want to do… I want to carry that on over to here and have that responsibility (on the penalty kill), and hopefully be a big part of it.”

To go along with his expanded defensive skill set, Veleno proved to be a reliable presence on the faceoff dot, setting a career-high in his faceoff percentage by raising his efficiency to 51.6%. 

With the Rangers looking to put their top-six forward unit in more situations where they can thrive offensively, Mike Sullivan is hoping for the bottom-six forward unit to match up against the opposing team’s top lines if needed. 

“Our hope is that we can maybe take J.T. and Mika out of those (defensive) situations and deploy them in a more advantageous situation offensively to try and take advantage of their strengths as a group,” Sullivan said.

Through the first week of training camp, Veleno has slotted in as the Rangers’ fourth-line center on a line with Tye Kartye. 

By the looks of training camp practices, it appears as if Veleno is essentially a lock to earn that fourth-line center role, previously held by Sam Carrick before he was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in March.

Sullivan plans to deploy Veleno in a similar manner to the way St. Louis did in Montreal, as he envisions the 26-year-old forward playing penalty killing and a two-way role that goes above and beyond the typical fourth line center. 

“He will without a doubt be a big part of the penalty kill,” Sullivan said of Veleno. “I think he’s also a guy that has shown his ability just with his defensive conscious, we can put him in defensive situations to play against other team’s top players if we need him to. I think the biggest thing that allows him to do that is his size and his skating ability. He can really skate, so I think that is a great attribute as a defensive player… I’m excited to work with Joe. I think he can play a real important role for us.”

For a few tense hours, Philadelphia Flyers fans collectively held their breath as Dan Vladar went down holding his arm just 13 minutes into his preseason debut after a minor collision in the crease that preceded a goal.

That overshadowed everything else in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to the Boston Bruins, but good news would be on the way shortly thereafter.

By Wednesday morning, the cause for concern dramatically decreased. Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet declared his starting goalie "day-to-day."

"I think we dodged a bullet," Tocchet said of Vladar and his injury Wednesday. "He's in good spirits today."

For a game-ending injury, that's about as encouraging news as the Flyers and Flyers fans can get.

Vladar's injury happened with 6:29 left in the first period, when he lurched forward to try and collect a rebound, lost his stick, and took light contact to his arm from Bruins forward Tanner Jeannot, who was skating by the net.

The Flyers later confirmed it to be an upper-body injury and subsequently announced that he would not return to the game, leaving mop-up duty to Aleksei Kolosov.

Given that Vladar, 29, just signed a five-year, $27.5 million extension after leading the Flyers to their first playoff berth since 2020 with 29 wins in 52 appearances and 51 starts, the sight of him disappearing down the tunnel was enough to make the fanbase groan "here we go again" in unison.

However, it is worth noting that, while Tocchet wasn't going to guarantee that Vladar would be available for the season opener against Pittsburgh on Sept. 30, it is certainly within the realm of possibilities here.

Another small silver lining of note: the Flyers sent goalie prospect Carson Bjarnason down to the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms with just two preseason games left to go, and two healthy goalies remaining in Kolosov and newcomer Joseph Woll, who made his unofficial Flyers debut against Washington in Hershey on Monday.

Tocchet said Wednesday he would be "very comfortable" giving Woll some early burn to start the season, and the Flyers can always bring Bjarnason back at any time to give Woll or Kolosov a night off for one of the remaining preseason games, but again, we're talking about a matter of a week.

It would be simpler to just keep Bjarnason on the roster and avoid yo-yoing him back and forth between Voorhees and Allentown as the Phantoms get started with their training camp.

That's all to say that, yes, it certainly seems that the Flyers avoided a worst-case scenario with their No. 1 goalie, and this situation only reinforces the wise move to get Vladar some legitimate support in Woll earlier this summer.

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Last season, Swedish defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka was one of three rookies to make the Detroit Red Wings' opening-night roster.

He ultimately appeared in 68 games during the 2025-26 NHL season, recording seven goals and 14 assists while posting a minus-20 rating.

After returning to the American Hockey League's Grand Rapids Griffins, he appeared in eight Calder Cup Playoff games, recording one goal and three assists.

Sandin-Pellikka has already made his presence felt during the Red Wings' preseason, scoring on a powerful shot in Tuesday's 7-4 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The goal showcased the shot that has fans excited about his potential to become a consistent offensive threat at the NHL level.

🚨SANDIN-PELLIKKA!!!🚨

31 seconds after Appleton makes it 2-1 Axel Sandin-Pellikka makes it 3-1 with a beauty of a shot!!!#LGRW#GoGRGpic.twitter.com/PjKNW0vzZT

— Hockeytown West Podcast (@HockeytownWpod) September 23, 2026

Upon his return to North America after spending the summer in his native Sweden, Sandin-Pellikka said he believes last season's experience will serve him well going forward.

"I'm excited; having that experience and being here that first year is going to help a lot," he said. "Just experience-wise, knowing what's going on all the time and how we play over here, it's a lot easier to adapt. I feel like I've gotten stronger, and I'm excited." 

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Not only did Sandin-Pellikka tally in Detroit's win over the Penguins, but forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, who also made the Opening Night roster last season, scored twice. 

According to head coach Todd McLellan, both Sandin-Pellikka and Brandsegg-Nygård are in a far better position than they were at this point last year, and they have every right to feel confident. 

"Progress": Dylan Larkin Skates In Red Wings Practice, But Not Quite Ready To Play Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin was on the ice for the first time this fall, and has made strides per Todd McLellan.

"He should be confident and feel good," McLellan said. "We went through Axe's progression and how he finished in Grand Rapids, and we said he and (Brandsegg-Nygård ) should come back confident - coming back and feeling good, way better than last year at this time.

He handled the puck, made some really good plays, defended fairly well," he continued. "So, he's where he should be. Just have to keep pushing away and believing in himself, and it'll take over." 

Sandin-Pellikka was selected by the Red Wings in the first round (17th overall pick) of the 2023 NHL Draft, and is entering the second year of his three-year deal carrying a $940,833 salary cap hit. 

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MONTREAL (AP) — George Gillett Jr., who was a former majority owner of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens and part owner of soccer's Liverpool FC, has died. He was 87.

The Canadiens confirmed Gillett’s death in a release Wednesday. No cause of death was given.

Gillett bought the Bell Centre, then the Molson Centre, and a majority stake in the Canadiens for $275 million on Jan. 31, 2001, with the help of $140 million in loans from two banks and the Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec, the province’s pension fund manager.

Gillett owned the Canadiens, one of the Original Six franchises making up the NHL, until agreeing to sell the team and arena to the Molson family on June 20, 2009. The sale was approved by the NHL’s board of governors in December of that year.

“George Gillett’s passion for the Montreal Canadiens and commitment to the city of Montreal were demonstrated throughout his tenure as owner of the storied franchise from 2001 to 2009," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. "He guided the Canadiens through a significant chapter in their history that included preparations for their Centennial Celebration, which honored the franchise’s rich legacy and seminal place in our game.

“George was a friend whose company I always enjoyed, whose counsel was wise, and whose energy was contagious. His contributions to the hockey world left an enduring mark, and his legacy will continue to be felt throughout the game for years to come."

Canadiens owner, president and chief executive officer Geoff Molson echoed Bettman's remarks in a statement.

“George immersed himself in the Montreal community and was appreciated by everyone in the organization. We sincerely appreciate his contributions to the Montreal Canadiens during his time as owner.”

Gillett, along with fellow American Tom Hicks, owned English soccer giant Liverpool from 2007 to 2010.

Born on Oct. 22, 1938, in Racine, Wisconsin, Gillett rose to prominence as the founder of Brook Creek Management Corp., a portfolio management firm. An avid skier, he once owned the Vail and Beaver Creek ski resorts in Colorado.

In 1966, he bought a 20% stake in the Miami Dolphins and became the then-AFL team’s business manager. Two years later, he sold his share and with two partners bought the Harlem Globetrotters, reviving that team with a marketing push. They sold the Globetrotters in 1975.

He also had got into NASCAR in 2007 after buying controlling interest in a team from Ray Evernham. Gillett Evernham Motorsports (GEM) two years later merged with Petty Enterprises to become Richard Petty Motorsports. He sold his share after the 2010 season.

Gillett is survived by his wife of 59 years, three sons, eight grandchildren and a step-granddaughter.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

The Senators had no shortage of injuries on their blue line last season.

At one point, it forced them to bring up two rookies on the same night. Carter Yakemchuk and Jorian Donovan both jumped in a car and drove all night to make their NHL debuts in an important game in Detroit back in March.

The injury bug didn't let up in the postseason either as both Artem Zub and Jake Sanderson were knocked out of their first-round loss to Carolina

As they prepare for their second night of preseason action, Sanderson and Zub are both unavailable again.

The circumstances are different. Sanderson missed the end of the first-round playoff series against Carolina with a concussion, but head coach Travis Green described the current issue keeping him out of Wednesday’s games as minor.

Zub's injury is a much bigger deal.

He's still recovering from the injury he suffered in Game 1 against the Hurricanes, and Green said he now does not expect the defenceman to be ready for the start of the regular season.

To make matters worse, Jordan Spence and Jorian Donovan are also unavailable Wednesday, so the Sens need all hands on deck for their split-squad games against Toronto. 

The Senators opened their preseason Monday with a 3–2 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. On Wednesday, they’ll divide the roster between Canadian Tire Centre and Scotiabank Arena, with both games against the Maple Leafs starting at 7 p.m.

In Ottawa, William Eklund, Dylan Cozens and Fabian Zetterlund remained together at the morning skate. Stephen Halliday centred Claude Giroux and Nick Cousins, while Ridly Greig skated between Sammy Blais and Tyler Boucher. Blake Montgomery, Ryan Suzuki and Xavier Bourgault made up the fourth line.

Thomas Chabot was paired with Hoyt Stanley on defence, with Ben Hutton alongside Cameron Crotty and Tomas Hamara alongside Djibril Touré.

Linus Ullmark and Samuel Ersson were the goaltenders in the home group. Chabot will play, but he's on standby and could leav at any moment to be with his wife Marion, who's expecting their first child any day now.

In Toronto, Tim Stützle centred Andre Burakovsky and Drake Batherson. Shane Pinto skated between Philip Tomasino and Michael Amadio, with the remaining lines featuring Luke Ellinas, Eskild Bakke Olsen and Kasper Halttunen, and Oskar Petterson, Philippe Daoust and Hayden Hodgson.

Tyler Kleven and Carter Yakemchuk were paired on defence, as were Samuel Bolduc and Nikolas Matinpalo, and Scott Harrington and Christian Kyrou. Leevi Meriläinen and Jackson Parsons were the goaltenders in that group.

Zub’s absence, however long it will be, creates an opening on the right side of the Sens defence and another opportunity for the 20-year-old Yakemchuk to make his case. He has had some uneven moments in camp, but the numbers suggest he'll begin the year in Ottawa.

The Senators will split into two groups again on Saturday for simultaneous games against Montreal, bringing their five-game preseason to a close. Wednesday will give Green a look at how some of his lower-end players handle bigger minutes and, as opportunity knocks, which defensemen will respond best.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News

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Following their 7-4 preseason victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday evening, the Detroit Red Wings returned to the ice Wednesday morning at the BELFOR Training Center inside Little Caesars Arena.

Joining them for the first time this fall was former captain Dylan Larkin, who had missed Training Camp and the first two exhibition games while recovering from an off-ice injury sustained shortly before Camp began. 

Dylan Larkin is back on the ice. #LGRW#RedWingspic.twitter.com/huSRuQ9zxP

— Michael Whitaker (@mwhitaker_89) September 23, 2026

Larkin, who participated in multiple drills with his teammates, isn't ready to return to game action just yet, but has made strides forward in the eyes of head coach Todd McLellan. 

Dylan Larkin taking part in board battle drills pic.twitter.com/ExonN6X6xg

— Michael Whitaker (@mwhitaker_89) September 23, 2026

"Progress, simple as that," McLellan said following the skate. "He's been able to progress enough off the ice in the workout room. The trainers felt good (enough) to let him go. He stayed out for the whole practice; I thought it would be just a portion of it." 

"Good progress." 

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Head coach Todd McLellan confirmed that Larkin would not play in Detroit's home preseason opener on Thursday evening against the Buffalo Sabres, but that there was "a chance" that he could play on Saturday in their preseason finale. 

“There's a chance, we’ve got to be smart with it, but there’s a chance,” McLellan said. “I don’t know what the odds are, but there is a chance.”

Larkin, who reached the 30-goal plateau for the fifth straight campaign in 2025-26, sent shockwaves throughout the organization and fan base when he requested a trade over the summer despite having five years left on his contract.

Former GM Steve Yzerman confirmed shortly after the NHL Draft in late June that Larkin had requested a move, but noted there were no guarantees the request would be granted. 

Todd McLellan: Larkin Must Heal, Edvinsson Situation ‘Business Side’Detroit Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan provided updates on injured forward Dylan Larkin, while pointing out Simon Edvinsson's contract situation is out of his control.

Nearly three months later, Larkin remains with the Red Wings, albeit without the captaincy he'd held since early 2021 as the official successor to Henrik Zetterberg. 

During a press conference last week alongside interim GM Shawn Horcoff, Larkin explained he wasn't ready to reveal why he asked for a trade or whether he still wanted to move on. 

Following their final pair of preseason games, the Red Wings open the regular season at Little Caesars Arena on Oct. 2 against the visiting New York Rangers. 

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The Minnesota Wild have begun to reduce their roster, making five cuts.

The organization announced they have assigned defensemen Stevie Leskovar and Jack Peart and goaltender Chase Wutzke to the Iowa Wild, while releasing defenseman Mike Koster and goaltender William Rousseau from their professional tryouts.

Koster and Rousseau will report to Iowa Wild training camp.

Leskovar is a 6-foot-3, 22-year-old left-handed defenseman. The Wild drafted him in the sixth round (174th overall) of the 2024 NHL draft. Leskovar has played six AHL games, spending most of the 2025-26 season in the ECHL.

Peart is also a 23-year-old defenseman, but he stands 5-foot-10 and was drafted in the second round (54th overall) of the 2024 draft. He enters his third full season in the AHL, recently posting four goals and 15 points in 61 games. 

Wutzke was also drafted in the 2024 draft, selected in the fifth round (142nd overall). He enters his first full AHL season after playing 47 games in the WHL last year. He played one AHL game last year and six ECHL games to end the 2025-26 season. 

Charlie Stramel, Hunter Haight Face Final Audition As Wild Take On StarsTop prospects Charlie Stramel and Hunter Haight get one last preseason opportunity to impress the Wild as Minnesota takes on the Stars tonight in Dallas.

Koster, a 25-year-old defenseman, now joins the Iowa Wild training camp and was originally drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2019. The 25-year-old played 13 games in the AHL last year with Iowa, but skated in 38 games in the ECHL. 

Rousseau also split time between the AHL and ECHL last year, predominantly playing in the ECHL. The 23-year-old goalie was undrafted and signed after completing a career in the QMJHL. 

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced their roster for Thursday's pre-season game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

This will be the third of four pre-season games after the Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-1 in their pre-season opener on Monday and lost to the Detroit Red Wings 7-4 on Tuesday. 

Thursday's lineup features many players fighting for roster spots and the top prospects in the system.

Here's the full lineup:

Forwards

Rutger McGroarty

Filip Hallander

David Gustafsson

Connor Dewar

Bill Zonnon

Elmer Soderblom

Tristan Broz

Liam Ruck

Tanner Howe

Ville Koivunen

Mikhail Ilyin 

Markus Ruck 

Atley Calvert

Avery Hayes

Defensemen 

Jake Livanavage

Ilya Solovyov

Ryan Graves

Owen Pickering

Chase Pietila

Harrison Brunicke

Caleb Jones

Goaltenders 

Sergei Murashov

Collin Delia

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Murashov will likely play at least half the game, and he may play the entire game. He's trying to lock up his roster spot before next Wednesday's season opener against the Philadelphia Flyers. 

It'll be good to see the Ruck Twins for at least one more preseason game before they head back to Medicine Hat. They played extremely well on Tuesday against the Red Wings. 

Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET and you can listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'

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The Oilers’ controversial hiring of Mike Babcock as head coach this offseason sent waves through the NHL.

And Hockey Hall of Famer and former Oilers captain Mark Messier, who spent 12 years and won five Stanley Cups with Edmonton, made clear he’s among the critics of the move.

On ESPN’s NHL opening night media call, Messier said he didn’t understand the move at all.

“I am absolutely shocked they hired him,” Messier said. “I’m absolutely shocked from the stories that I heard from very good, reputable, character people about the way they were treated. It’s been no secret…Maybe the game has changed, and that’s the way it’s going. Great. I don’t know. It certainly wasn’t like that.”

“I think there has to be a separation of powers on the structural level of any team…The leadership of your team have to protect the players inside the dressing room,” he continued. “How can you do that when you’re directly involved with the decisions they’re making at the management level and hiring of the management and coaches? I don’t understand it.”

Babcock’s last head coaching job in 2023 with the Blue Jackets ended without him coaching a single game. He resigned from Columbus after allegations of inappropriate behavior by several players led to an investigation by the NHL Players’ Association.

And prior to Columbus, Babcock was under fire as head coach of the Maple Leafs. During the 2016-17 season, he told then-rookie Mitch Marner to rank his teammates based on their work ethic. Babcock then shared this with the team.

Marner’s teammates stood behind Marner and directed their anger at the “list incident” toward Babcock.

Messier explained his biggest concern with the Babcock hire.

“I just don’t know, if it does go bad and players are having difficulties, who do they turn to? Because if they turn to the leadership, the leadership is management,” Messier said. “There’s no separation there. I am just horrified about the whole thing, to be honest with you. I could go on and on and on, but I think you get my point.”

The NHL conducted an investigation into Babcock’s past coaching stints before clearing him for hire. The Oilers made the decision official on June 23.

The NHLPA, after the league’s investigation said there wasn’t a “current basis” to stop Babcock from being employed.

“While we found the allegations of Mike Babcock’s conduct as the Columbus Blue Jackets’ head coach very concerning, the League has decided that there is no current basis on which to restrict his employment,” it said. “Moving forward, we expect that Mr. Babcock will uphold the high standards required of NHL head coaches.”

The Vegas Golden Knights are getting closer to their regular-season roster, and another round of cuts has brought their training camp group down to 28 players.

Vegas assigned nine players to AHL Henderson on Wednesday, while five others were placed on waivers with the intention of joining the Silver Knights. Three more players remain sidelined with injuries, and another five prospects are headed back to junior hockey as the Golden Knights continue to shape their roster for the 2026-27 season.

The nine players assigned directly to Henderson are Mathieu Cataford, Jackson Hallum, Viliam Kmec, Carl Lindbom, Mitch McLain, Matyas Sapovaliv, Tuomas Uronen, Alex Weiermair and Cameron Whitehead.

Five players — Jeremy Davies, Jakub Demek, Joe Fleming, Adam Ginning and Jaycob Megna — were placed on waivers. Assuming they clear, they can join Henderson for the start of the AHL season.

Vegas will also be without Ben Hemmerling, Lukas Cormier and Kai Uchacz for the time being. All three remain listed as week-to-week with injuries.

Meanwhile, five players are headed back to their respective junior clubs for the start of the 2026-27 season: Sean Burick, Will McLaughlin, Mateo Nobert, Noel Pakarinen and Jonah Sivertson.

That leaves 28 players still with the Golden Knights as preseason winds down.

Golden Knights Forwards

The 16 forwards remaining in camp, listed alphabetically by last name:

• Ivan Barbashev
• Braeden Bowman
• Trevor Connelly
• Nic Dowd
• Jack Eichel
• Marc Gatcomb
• Tomas Hertl
• Alexander Holtz
• Brett Howden
• William Karlsson
• Tanner Laczynski
• Raphael Lavoie
• Mitch Marner
• Victor Olofsson
• Jonas Rondbjerg
• Mark Stone

Golden Knights Defensemen

Ten defensemen remain in the mix:

• Rasmus Andersson
• Dylan Coghlan
• Noah Hanifin
• Ville Heinola
• Jeremy Lauzon
• Brayden McNabb
• Juho Piiparinen
• Antti Tuomisto
• Parker Wotherspoon
• Shea Theodore

Golden Knights Goaltenders

Two goaltenders remain:

• Carter Hart
• Adin Hill

The Golden Knights will get another look at their remaining group Thursday night when they return to T-Mobile Arena for a preseason matchup against the Utah Mammoth. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT.

Vegas will close out its preseason schedule Saturday against the San Jose Sharks.

Here are the players the Penguins are bringing to Columbus for their preseason game tomorrow night.

From the team:

Below is the Penguins’ lineup for Thursday night’s preseason game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM ET, and fans can tune in to the game on the Penguins’ official flagship radio station, 105.9 ‘The X’.

FORWARDS

2 – Rutger McGroarty
11 – Filip Hallander
13 – David Gustafsson
19 – Connor Dewar
23 – Bill Zonnon
25 – Elmer Soderblom
26 – Tristan Broz
34 – Liam Ruck
40 – Tanner Howe
41 – Ville Koivunen
70 – Mikhail Ilyin
80 – Markus Ruck
84 – Atley Calvert
85 – Avery Hayes

DEFENSE

4 – Jake Livanavage
7 – Ilya Solovyov
27 – Ryan Graves
38 – Owen Pickering
44 – Chase Pietila
45 – Harrison Brunicke
82 – Caleb Jones 

GOALIES

1 – Sergei Murashov
39 – Collin Delia

The final preseason game will be played Saturday in Buffalo. The new rules dictate that NHL veterans with 100+ games can appear in a maximum of two games, thus why most of the major players on the team aren’t playing in Columbus and presumably will go Saturday night instead. That means Connor Dewar and Elmer Soderblom won’t be playing in the finale, should they play again.

A goalie decision for the starter hasn’t been announced but it stands to reason the team might ramp Sergei Murashov into playing the full 60 minutes, as Arturs Silovs did last night. Delia joins him as an option as a pro tryout.

Otherwise, the majority of the lineup is composed of players that need a good game to stay on the radar, like Avery Hayes and Rutger McGroarty. Ville Koivunen, who missed his planned preseason debut with an injury, has been listed here again. The push for those players to make a case at a roster spot will be one of the key focuses as the team gets to hold them up against players like Dewar, Soderblom and Filip Hallander to get a look at some down-the-lineup options on the same night against the same competition.

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- The St. Louis Blues trimmed their training camp roster by seven down to 32 by assigning six players to Springfield of the American Hockey League.

The Blues assigned forwards Justin Carbonneau and Nikita Susuev, defensemen Quinton Burns, Arseni Koromyslov, and Colin Ralph and goalie Will Cranley. 

Also, forward Felix Trudeau has reported to Springfield to continue rehabilitation for an upper-body injury that he sustained while playing in a two-game prospect set recently against the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Blues have two more preseason games remaining before the regular season opens Oct. 2 against the Dallas Stars and will continue it when they host the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Enterprise Center before playing the Blackhawks on Saturday in Chicago. 

Thursday's game will be broadcast on Matrix Midwest (Spectrum Ch. 186, DISH Ch. 31, Over-the-Air Ch. 32.2, 32.3) and available to stream for free on both stlouisblues.com and the Blues app. The broadcast and stream will carry the same territorial restrictions as a normal regular-season broadcast. Fans can visit the “Where to Watch” page on the Blues website to find out if their zip code is included in the broadcast territory.

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