Former Montreal Canadiens goalie Jake Allen has reached a very impressive career milestone.
Allen appeared in his 500th career NHL game in the New Jersey Devils' 4-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.
Allen certainly put together a solid performance in his milestone game. This is because the former Canadiens netminder saved 20 out of 21 shots he faced. With this, he finished the contest with a strong .952 save percentage.
An NHL goalie reaching the 500-game mark is always impressive. Allen has had himself a solid career, and he will now be looking to continue to have success as it carries on.
In 500 career NHL games split between the St. Louis Blues, Canadiens, and Devils, Allen has a 227-202-45 record, a .907 save percentage, and a 2.75 goals-against average. He also was a member of the Blues' 2019 Stanley Cup winning team.
Allen spent four seasons with the Canadiens from 2020-21 to 2023-24. In 127 games over that span with Montreal, he posted a 41-68-15 record, an .899 save percentage, and a 3.30 goals-against average.
Kent Hughes began to break the logjam on the left side of the Montreal Canadiens’ blueline on Friday night by sending Jayden Struble to the Nashville Predators. For the last four seasons, Struble had been competing for a roster spot with Arber Xhekaj for the last three seasons and was poised to do it again this season. This time, however, Adam Engstrom had joined the fight, and with Kaiden Guhle ready to jump back into action, something had to give.
Fans have generally welcomed Struble being dealt, even though the 25-year-old sometimes partnered with Lane Hutson; he wasn’t the fan favourite, but Xhekaj and his gritty side were. This past offseason, Xhekaj took some time to sign his new deal, likely because the blueline was so crowded.
This season, Xhekaj has seen more action in four games, though that's a small sample. In all but one game, he played 12 or more minutes. He’s been used on the penalty kill, and after getting hit with a ten-minute misconduct on Thursday night, he wasn’t benched. Martin St-Louis still used him. Granted, as Lane Hutson said after the game, it was a questionable call, one that might not have happened had he not been called Xhekaj, but still. In game five, he only had 7:30 of ice time, but there were seven defensemen in the lineup, meaning less ice-time to go around.
The Hamilton native seems to have a longer leash this season, and he might have been craving that last year; at the smallest mistake, he was stapled to the bench. Still, Xhekaj doesn’t see Struble being traded as a vote of confidence from the organization to him:
I don’t look at it that way really. There are still a lot of guys, still a lot of good prospects, so I still have to earn my spot every day, work on my game. I don’t look at it like that.
- Xhekaj on his reality
Xhekaj isn’t wrong; with Guhle back in action, the Canadiens will dress seven defensemen on Saturday night. When the same question was put to St-Louis, the coach found a nifty way to sidestep the question:
Well, yes, I mean, with Strubs [Jayden Struble] we reached a point where we cannot give him what he deserves a bit more. He’s an NHL defenseman, and I think he’ll get a better opportunity to grow his game. He gave us great hockey; he's a great guy, so we wish him the best.
- St-Louis on Struble
He might not have said that Xhekaj has earned a vote of confidence, but the proof is in the pudding: he’s been using the hulking defenseman more than before and whichever way you look at it, he’s still in Montreal while Struble isn’t. When the bench boss was pushed a bit more about Xhekaj, he explained:
I think he’s – Arber gave us some good minutes. He’s helped us on the kill, in managing ice time. I think he can be dangerous in the offensive zone on the right side. He’s got a big one-timer and stuff. So overall, I’ve liked what I’ve seen.
- St-Louis' assessment of Xhekaj's season start
It remains to be seen whether Xhekaj stays in the lineup when the Canadiens revert to a more traditional six-blueliner, 12-forward formation, but so far, so good for the fan favourite.
Dealing with a rash of untimely injuries and a woeful, winless 0-4-2 start, the Philadelphia Flyers have made more roster moves in search of a spark for the slumping roster.
On the heels of a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of the Boston Bruins on Saturday afternoon, the Flyers have re-called top defense prospect Oliver Bonk from the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
In a corresponding move, the Flyers placed standout winger Travis Konecny on injured reserve retroactive to Oct. 8, ruling him out at least a week from that date. Konecny, 29, has three assists this season, and appeared to have suffered an injury late in Thursday night's game against the Ottawa Senators.
On Sunday night, the Flyers will have the tall task of facing the reigning Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes without Konecny and top-four defensemen Cam York and Rasmus Ristolainen, and the absence of the latter, in particular, creates the opportunity for Bonk to play.
Defenseman Helge Grans, who remained with the NHL club due to his placement on season-opening injured reserve, was given the chance to play against the Bruins on Saturday, but he and veteran defense partner Simon Benoit were distressfully ineffective.
As a result, the Flyers are going to change things up at the position, re-calling a defenseman like Bonk instead of a forward to replace the injured Konecny.
Grans, 24, will have to pass through waivers in order to be re-assigned to the Phantoms should the Flyers elect to send him down.
This will be a bit of a precarious position for Bonk to be in, having just played for the Phantoms on Saturday and getting thrown right into a back-to-back, but that was also his first game since Oct. 3.
Assuming Bonk's legs are fresh - he had two assists, three shots on goal, and a +2 rating in a 5-4 overtime loss to Cleveland on Saturday - he should be able to help keep the Flyers moving in the right direction going up against a ferocious Carolina forecheck.
The 21-year-old played in two NHL games last season, one in the regular season and one in the playoffs, scoring one goal and one assist.
Here is a quick update of the prospects the Sabres who are not currently in the NHL:
Prokhor Poltapov – LW - 33rd overall in 2021
The 23-year-old winger slogged through his first two KHL seasons, playing a depth role with CSKA Moscow, but after scoring just 13 points (5 goals, 8 assists) in 56 regular season games in 2024, Poltapov tripled his career-high with 40 points (17 goals, 23 assists) in 68 games in 2025. Poltapov signed a two-year contract extension to remain with CSKA, and finished last season with very similar totals (16 goals, 24 assists in 68 games.
The Sabres have indicated that Poltapov is in their plans once his KHL deal has elapsed. This season, he is tied for the club lead with seven goals in 14 games.
Topias Leinonen– G – 41st overall - 2022
The big 22-year-old Finn wallowed at various levels of the pro league in his home country, but improved when he shifted to Sweden and thrived with Mora IK (13-10-0 record, 2.31 GAA, .910 save %, and four shutouts) in 2025. Leinonen was brought over to North America last season and alternated between AHL Rochester and ECHL Jacksonville, putting up subpar numbers. With Devon Levi gone, it was expected that Leinonen would share duties with Scott Ratzlaff with the Amerks, but an injury in off-season training has found the big netminder on injured reserve since the start of training camp.
The Sabres have a number of right-handed blueliner prospects, including their last two first-round picks, Radim Mrtka and Daxon Rudolph. Komarov’s offensive game from junior did not translate to his first two pro seasons (6 goals, 23 assists in 124 games), but this season the 22-year-old has started well with three assists in four games for AHL Rochester.
Jake Richard - RW - 170th overall - 2022
The Jacksonville, FL, native made impressions at the prospect tournaments and summer development camps the last few seasons, and as a sophomore at the University of Connecticut, where he averaged over a point per game (15 goals, 28 assists) in 34 games. His numbers dropped as a junior (27 points), and Richard signed a pro deal with the Sabres this summer. The 22-year-old is getting a top-six opportunity with the Amerks with most of the club’s forward prospects playing in the NHL, and in four games, the winger has his first professional goal and an assist in four games.
The Buffalo Sabres dropped under .500 on the season and are having difficulties at both ends of the ice and between the pipes after a 4-1 loss to the Utah Mammoth on Saturday night. Head coach Lindy Ruff shook up his lineup after a shutout loss to Dallas on Thursday, but the tinkering did not help in providing a more consistent effort from his struggling club.
Unlike the first three home games against Chicago, Minnesota, and Dallas, the Sabres opened the scoring, and ended their lengthy streak of ineptitude on the power play, as Tage Thompson notched his third of the season eight minutes into the game, but the lead lasted all of 2:12 before Kailer Yamamoto tied the game.
The Mammoth pulled away with a pair of tallies late in the second from Nick Schmalt and Anders Lee, and added some insurance early in the third on the power play from John Marino. Buffalo went 1 for 4 on the man advantage, but surrendered a pair of power play goals on five opportunities.
" We haven't been connected, we're trying to find who we are." Ruff said after the game. "We weren't able to carry that momentum. W e talked about power play. It did a lot of good things, even in the third period. Could have got a couple more. Our entries were a lot better. That part of the game seemed connected. (We) were using some different pieces (penalty) killing. We got to improve that part of the game."
Goalie Colten Ellis made 26 saves, but was more steady than Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been in each of his three starts, but more concerning to the Sabres has to be their lack of firepower through the first two weeks of the regular season. The club has 11 goals in five games, and has a -8 goal differential (29th in the NHL).
The worry going into the season was the overdependency on youngsters like Zach Benson, Josh Doan, Konsta Helenius, Jiri Kulich, and Noah Ostlund being able to make up the firepower lost by the departures of Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram. Add that to the absence of veteran Jason Zucker (recovering from offseason core muscle surgery) and the Sabres are minus 68 goals from last season.
Through five games, Ostlund, Helenius, and Kulich have one goal, and Benson and Doan have none. The Sabres finish up their homestand against the Florida Panthers on Columbus Day afternoon.
When we first looked at the 2026-27 schedule, we had to look at it sideways because the Blue Jackets had a full 5-day break between games 3 and 4. After what we saw on Saturday, it seems the NHL did the CBJ a favor. They also have two separate three-day breaks sandwiched in between home games.
But where he was most impressive was at the faceoff dot. Fantilli won 16/20, for an 80% win percentage.
He followed that up in game two on Saturday night against Utah by going 15/20 for a 75% win percentage. It's not like he was facing off against minor leaguers either.
Bowness told the media that defenseman Damon Severson is expected to play this weekend. They play the Penguins on Friday, and then travel to St. Louis to take on the Blues on Saturday.
Bjorkstrand scored his first two goals as a member of the Rangers in the contest, with his second being the game-winner. With this, there is no question that the former Blue Jackets forward delivered for the Rangers in this matchup.
The Jackets took 5 penalties in the 1st period, 9 in the 2nd, and 7 in the 3rd for a total of 21 penalties for 68 minutes. In total, the Pens got 8 power plays out of the chaos. But what's even crazier is that the CBJ went 8-for-8 on the PK.
Higgins lawyers said in documents that the Gaudreau's were actually riding in the northbound lane, and not on the shoulder as previously reported by state police. The new report also says that Higgins "could not have reasonably avoided them." The new report comes from an accident reconstruction team hired by the defense.
In the interview, he was asked what the main reason was for Marchenko wanting out. Varitsky said, "The athletic component. Kirill wanted to play for a big club and make the playoffs. During his four years in Columbus, there was virtually no prospect of making it. Every year, the coaches change, and a new one comes in with their own vision."
With the win, Talbot became the first NHL goaltender to win a game with nine different teams. Yes, NINE different teams. Some people look at this record and think he's bad. I look at this record and see longevity. Will he be able to keep it up this season? Time will tell.
Damon Severson(1) and Mathieu Olivier(2) scored the goals in regulation, and Kent Johnson scored the only goal for either team in the shootout to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night at Nationwide Arena.
Val Nichushkin(1), Kent Johnson(2), and Cole Sillinger(2) scored the goals for Columbus, and Jet Greaves stopped 22 of 26 Blues shots in a 5-3 loss to St. Louis.
The Jackets held 2-0 lead in the first period and got hammered for the rest of the game.
This loss halts a 6 game losing streak to the CBJ for the Blues.
Next Up For Columbus: The Blue Jackets are back home on Tuesday to take on the Florida Panthers.
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On Saturday, a promotion attempt went wild when an inflatable hot dog and bun went on to the ice at Bell Centre in Montreal during a TV timeout in the third period against the Red Wings.
Fans in the crowd worked together to try to place the large inflatable hot dog into the giant inflatable bun across the arena. Yet the dog, with “Go Habs Go!” on the side of it, went over the glass and onto the ice as fans clapped and cheered. The bun, which featured a Canadiens logo, shortly followed, just barely getting over the glass and the Canadiens’ bench.
As it came down, captain Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovský attempted to poke the bun with their hockey sticks.
It also hit Noah Dobson and Zachary Bolduc as it bounced onto the ice.
Despite some not-so-thrilled looks from players and officials, the fans cheered and seemed to have fun with the in-game antics.
The fan event is a new promotion at Canadiens games and Saturday was its first appearance at Bell Centre.
“Yeah, that didn’t work out too good for them,” Suzuki said, per The Athletic.
“That was crazy,” Montreal’s Kaiden Guhle added. “I covered my mouth because I was laughing, and no one else was really laughing and it was just me. I’ve never seen that before. But the fans were having fun, so that’s good.”
An inflatable hot dog lands on the ice at Bell Centre on Saturday night during a game between the Canadiens and the Red Wings. X @NHLAn inflatable hot dog bun hits the Canadiens’ bench while falling onto the ice at Bell Centre on Saturday night. X @NHL
The hot dog activity was made popular starting at MLB games.
The Montreal Canadiens have had their fair share of injuries in this young season: Kaiden Guhle, Oliver Kapanen, Ivan Demidov, and Samuel Montembeault have all missed time, but they’re still in much better shape than the New York Rangers. Jeff Gorton’s former team has lost its star goaltender, Igor Shesterkin, for the season thanks to a gruesome lower-body injury. To make matters worse, backup goaltender Joonas Korpisalo is also out for four weeks, leaving the Rangers with rookies Dylan Garland and Callum Tung as their netminder tandem. Together, they have five games of NHL experience.
Can they ride the storm with them? And even when Korpisalo is back, will they be comfortable with their tandem? In Montreal, the Canadiens barely bat an eyelid at the news that Montembeault would be unavailable for 10 to14 days, because they’ve got another NHL-ready goalie in Jacob Fowler. The Florida native had a statement game Saturday night, stopping 30 shots in 65 minutes and another six in the shootout. He was flawless, and he did it with poise. His positioning was on point, making the saves look easy. His performance reminded those in attendance of former franchise cornerstone Carey Price.
That was his second game in a row, and while he didn’t win his first outing, he played well enough to earn a second start and keep Jakub Dobes on the sideline. When Montembeault returns, the Canadiens will have no choice but to return him to the AHL. Kent Hughes has made it clear he doesn’t want another three-goalie carousel this season. Unless, of course, the Habs could find a landing spot for Montembeault, who’s in the last year of his contract, then they could keep Fowler in the NHL. According to Frank Seravalli, the Rangers have put Shesterkin on LTIR, but not season-ending LTIR; still, that gives them $3.97M in cap space, so New York could easily take on Montembeault’s $3.15M contract.
The Canadiens couldn’t find a trade partner for Montembeault this summer because they didn’t receive a good enough offer for the Becancour native, but the end justifies the means. Now that the Rangers find themselves in such a precarious position between the pipes, they may be willing to match the Canadiens’ ask.
While some thought it would be tricky for the Habs to make a deal with the organization that fired Jeff Gorton in 2021, a lot of water has run under the bridge since then, and the Habs traded with the Rangers this summer, sending William Trudeau back for Brett Berard. It was a minor league deal, but it’s still a deal.
Of course, Montembeault needs to be healthy to help the Rangers, but he’s expected to miss only 10 to 14 days. That’s not too long, and the rookie goalie tandem may be able to hold down the fort for the Rangers until then.
Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see what happens with the goaltending in Montreal now. Jakub Dobes finished training camp as the clear number one. He was instrumental in the Canadiens beating the Toronto Maple Leafs in their first game but then had a couple of tough outings against the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Carolina Hurricanes. After three games, it made sense to have the backup take on the Nashville Predators, and with Montembeault injured, Fowler stepped in.
Most expected Dobes back for game five, but Martin St-Louis chose to return to Fowler because the team hadn’t had a full practice in a couple of days. That’s an interesting move. Last season, the coach would have gone back to his number one. Does that mean Dobes doesn’t have as long a leash as Montembeault did? What will that do to Dobes’ confidence? Or does it simply mean that St-Louis has learned from last year’s goaltending woes and will go with the hot hand? If that’s the case and Fowler keeps up his play, the coach certainly won’t want to see him sent back down to the AHL.
There’s never a dull moment in Montreal, but finding a new home for Montembeault would allow the organization to keep its two young goaltenders in the NHL, where they belong.
On Saturday night, the Chicago Blackhawks hosted the Carolina Hurricanes at the United Center. It was the second home game of the season for Chicago, but not nearly as successful as the first.
Now, following a lousy loss to the Hurricanes, the Blackhawks are 1-5-0 after six games. It is not where they wanted to be, despite having a very tough schedule to open up the year. The issue now is that it doesn't lighten up any time soon.
It is easy to understand why the Blackhawks players and coaches are frustrated following this one. They were run out of their own building early in a season that is already falling off the rails.
When asked, Patrick Kane said that the frustration level of the team was "very high". This, of course, came after a tough game, but it's a sign of the overall team outlook.
"D-zone and being better with the puck, whether it's living to fight another day sometimes or making better plays out there,” Kane said when asked about where the team needs to improve. “Supporting, demanding it, wanting it, those types of things."
Kane knows what it’s like to be on a team as good as the Carolina Hurricanes. He spent the first half of his career almost exclusively on those types of teams. At least for now, he has incredible confidence that this current group will get there one day.
"I have a lot of confidence in the group," Kane said. "We definitely have enough talent, speed, and skill. What kind of team are we going to be? That's something we need to figure out."
Kane believes this young Blackhawks group has what it needs to "take a page" out of Carolina's book. If anyone on the team has an opinion worth trusting on this type of topic, it's Patrick Kane.
Roman Kantserov, who scored his first career NHL goal on Saturday, spoke about how it wasn't his plan to lose the game that he got his first, but he did admit that finally turning that 0 next to his goal total into a 1 will give him confidence going forward.
When Kantserov was leading the KHL in goals, it was obvious that this ability would translate to the NHL. It was just a matter of how long. He is still figuring things out, but getting that first will go a long way.
It wasn't only players trying to balance frustration with confidence following Saturday's loss. Head coach Jeff Blashill was not shy on either end of the conversation.
"Do I think frustration builds when you haven't won and you're not having enough success? Of course it does," Blashill said. "Those are the challenges we're going to have to face."
Coach Blashill often talks about process. He thinks that a team's process is more important than results because wins will come if you do things the right way. As of now, sitting in his coach's chair, he believes in this group.
"I'm going to tell you right now, I have absolute 100 percent belief in this group," Blashill continued. "This group is going to win. I can't tell if we're going to start winning Tuesday, next week, [or] a year from now. I have no idea when it's going to be, but this group is going to win, 100 percent."
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LAS VEGAS -- In a city that has embraced Stanley Cup champions, WNBA superstars, NFL personalities and some of the biggest names in professional sports, Ryan Reaves belongs in a rather exclusive category.
Not necessarily among the five greatest athletes to wear a Las Vegas uniform.
But among the five most beloved?
Absolutely.
And it isn’t particularly difficult to make the argument.
Long before the Vegas Golden Knights lifted the Stanley Cup, before the Las Vegas Aces established their championship pedigree and before the Las Vegas Raiders settled into their new home, Reaves helped introduce a different kind of professional sports personality to Southern Nevada.
He wasn’t going to lead the league in scoring. He wasn’t going to win an MVP award. And nobody was confusing his offensive production with that of the NHL’s elite.
But Reaves could bring more than 18,000 people to their feet without scoring a goal.
Sometimes all it took was one thunderous hit, a dropped pair of gloves, or that unmistakable grin that told everyone inside T-Mobile Arena he was having the time of his life.
And Las Vegas loved every minute of it.
Now, after 16 NHL seasons, 962 regular-season games and a career built on toughness, personality and an unwavering willingness to stand up for his teammates, the man affectionately known as “Reavo” has officially retired.
And how is retirement treating him?
"Horrible, absolutely horrible," Reaves said with a laugh during an exclusive interview with The Hockey News at the Golden Knights' 10th-anniversary festivities. "I’m bored. I don’t know what to do with myself. Trying to fill the time in the wrong ways. So we’ll see. I’m gonna get going and doing something soon."
One thing he won’t have to figure out is where he’s going to live.
Las Vegas isn’t simply another stop in his hockey career.
It’s home.
<i>Former Golden Knights Pierre-Édouard Bellemare and Ryan Reaves share a laugh on stage during the Golden Knights' 10th-anniversary Fan Fest festivities. <b>PHOTO: Courtesy Golden Knights</b></i>
A City That Embraced Reavo
Reaves arrived in Las Vegas in February 2018, joining the expansion Golden Knights during their remarkable inaugural season and helping a franchise nobody expected to contend reach the Stanley Cup Final.
But the relationship between Reaves and Southern Nevada became something much bigger than hockey.
"This community opened their arms to me," Reaves said. "I started a business here, and then people flooded out to the bars when I was there, pouring beer and really supported that."
His beer business, 7Five Brewing Co., became another connection between the rugged forward and a community that couldn’t get enough of his personality.
And while millions of visitors associate Las Vegas with casinos, nightlife and the Strip, Reaves discovered the city beyond the tourist attractions.
"The people are just so nice here. The city is great," he said. "I don’t think many people know what kind of city really lies outside that Strip. And so, yeah, we fell in love with this place. And right now I’m calling it home for sure."
For the good times and all the hits that rocked The Fortress, thank you and welcome back Ryan Reaves! 🥊 pic.twitter.com/NGnwyA5Dt0
Reaves also witnessed the city’s transformation into a major professional sports market, with the Golden Knights, Aces and Raiders establishing their places in the community and Major League Baseball on the horizon.
"This is obviously a new sports city, but you can see how vibrant the sports city is," he said. "This place loves its sports. It probably took a little longer than it should have, but good on the fans for coming out and supporting everything and really growing the sports in the city."
Perhaps nowhere has that growth been more evident than in youth hockey.
Reaves remembers a market that was still finding its hockey identity. Today, new ice facilities, youth programs and competitive teams have helped establish a thriving hockey culture in the desert.
"You just go around the rinks, the practice rinks and all the new rinks that are being built, and there’s kids everywhere, and they love the game," Reaves said. "The sport’s really growing here, and it’s going to continue to go up as long as the Knights are here."
An Unforgettable Walk Down The Tunnel
Ask Reaves about his favorite memory inside T-Mobile Arena, and he doesn’t immediately mention a fight, a goal or even the Golden Knights’ extraordinary run to the 2018 Stanley Cup Final.
Instead, he remembers the first time he experienced the building as a Golden Knight.
"I think the first time I walked down the tunnel, that John Wick song came out. The place was absolutely erupting," Reaves recalled. "It was the coolest sporting moment I think I’ve seen. Not just playing in, but just being part of, seeing live."
For a player who spent parts of 16 seasons in NHL arenas across North America, that is quite a compliment.
"I just thought the entertainment that this place puts on is like nothing in North American sports," he said. "I always remember that first day walking down the tunnel."
There was another important element to his time in Vegas.
Former coach Gerard Gallant, affectionately known as “Turk,” helped Reaves understand that his value extended beyond intimidating opponents.
Reaves said Gallant’s confidence in him allowed him to become a more complete player, particularly during his second season with the franchise.
"He really trusted me," Reaves said. "We played against a lot of top lines, and he trusted us in all situations. We played 10, 12 minutes as a fourth line, playing a lot of shutdown stuff."
For someone accustomed to limited minutes and long stretches on the bench, that trust changed everything.
"When you’re more involved in the game, you feel better on the ice," Reaves said. "Turk really just allowed me to kind of be myself and play the way I can."
One More Fight? Evander Kane, Of Course
No conversation with Reaves would be complete without discussing the fights.
And when asked whether there was anyone he regretted not dropping the gloves with more often, Reaves didn’t hesitate.
"Oh man, I regret not dropping more with Evander Kane," he said. "I think I got him once, but I regret not getting him every time we played."
That competitive streak apparently hasn’t disappeared in retirement.
In fact, Reaves might have stumbled onto a rather unusual business opportunity.
Teaching other hockey players how to fight.
Reaves said he spent some time this summer working with players on fighting techniques when Golden Knights broadcaster Daren Millard suggested turning those lessons into a camp.
"I’ve actually thought about just flying around and helping teams with, or whoever wants it, just kind of breaking down general basics of what you’re looking for in a fight, how to set your feet, your grabs," Reaves said. "I think it would be cool, but I don’t know if there’s a market for it."
Imagine that.
The same guy who once terrorized opponents with his fists could someday be traveling around the NHL teaching the next generation how to throw them.
Hockey, Television and Fatherhood
Reaves hasn’t ruled out remaining involved in the NHL, whether through coaching, management or broadcasting.
He plans to experiment with television and social media opportunities this season before deciding on a more permanent direction.
"I think I’m going to dabble a little bit in some broadcasting, some social stuff with the NHL, and I’m going to see how I like it this year," he said. "I’m going to spend some time with the family. I’m not going to do anything too permanent."
He also offered a favorable early assessment of the current Golden Knights, particularly rookie Trevor Connelly, whom he skated with during the summer, and first-year head coach Ryan Craig.
"He’s played really well," Reaves said of Connelly. "He looks poised to have a really good season his first year up."
Reaves also praised Craig’s approach and the talent assembled around Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner and Mark Stone.
"This is one of the most talented teams, I think, in the NHL," Reaves said. "The sky’s the limit for this team, as it always is."
But for now, his most meaningful assignment isn’t behind an NHL bench or in front of a television camera.
It’s coaching his son.
"I’m coaching my kid, my son, in hockey a little bit, and I’m just having fun spending time with them right now," Reaves said.
It’s a fitting next chapter for a player whose identity was never limited to the intimidating figure opponents encountered on the ice.
Years ago, Reaves could be seen patiently introducing his young son to skating on the same ice where he entertained thousands of Golden Knights fans attending practices.
Now, instead of worrying about his next shift, his next opponent or his next fight, he can enjoy those moments without the demands of an NHL schedule.
And while retirement may have left Reaves wondering what to do with all his free time, there’s something rather appropriate about where his journey has brought him.
He became one of the city’s most recognizable and beloved sports personalities.
And after 16 NHL seasons, countless fights and memories that will endure long after his playing days, Ryan Reaves isn’t leaving the city that embraced him.
Val Nichushkin(1), Kent Johnson(2), and Cole Sillinger(2) scored the goals for Columbus, and Jet Greaves stopped 22 of 26 Blues shots in a 5-3 loss to St. Louis.
The Jackets held 2-0 lead in the first period and got hammered for the rest of the game.
This loss halts a 6 game losing streak to the CBJ for the Blues.
First Period - SOG 10-4 CBJ
Both teams played a bit sloppily in the first period, with little offense to speak of. They were awarded a power play, though, at 8:44 into the period when Robert Thomas was called for hooking on Damon Severson. The power play was disjointed and netted no shots on Blues goalie Jordan Binnington.
Val Nichushkin scored his 1st goal of the season at the 16:10 mark, assisted by Erik Gudbranson and Sean Monahan. Gudbranson slung a puck off Binnington's stick that shot to the front of the crease and went in off of Nichushkin.
With 12 seconds left in the period, Kent Johnson scored his second goal of the season, with assists coming from Adam Fantilli and Zach Werenski. Johnson's goal marks his second of the season.
Second Period - SOG 12-3 Blues
The second period started with a bang when Mathieu was challenged by Ross Johnston to a fight. The pair exchanged punches, but Olivier left Johnston's head bleeding.
Damon Severson gave the Blues their first power play when he was called for interfering with Jimmy Snuggerud with 16 minutes left in the period.
The Jackets killed the penalty, but Jake Neighbours would score a few seconds later to cut the score to 2-1 for the Blue Jackets. Neighbours put his stick into the ear of Carson Soucy, but play was allowed to continue.
9:00 into the second, Jimmy Snuggerud scored to tie the game at two. At the 12:32 mark, Jimmy Snuggerud scored his second goal of the game to give the Blues a 3-2 lead.
Third Period - SOG 11-10 Blues
The third period started much better for Columbus, as they seemed to be playing like they did in the first. That being said, Cole Sillinger tried the game at 3 when he scored his 2nd goal of the season at 6:50 into the third period.
At 9:33 into the period, Jonatan Berggren scored his 1st of the season to give the Blues a 4-3 lead.
Pavel Buchnevich scored with the net empty to seal the game for the Blues.
The Jackets fall 5-3.
Final Stats
CBJ APP
Player Stats & Notes
Val Nichushkin scored his first goal of the season.
Kent Johnson scored his 2nd goal and had 3 shots.
Cole Sillinger scored his 2nd goal of the season and won 66.7% of his faceoffs.
Sean Monahan got his 1st assist.
Erik Gudbranson picked up his first assist and point of the season.
Adam Fantilli recorded an assist.
Zach Werenski tallied his 4th assist of the season, had 4 shots, and won 64.3 of his faceoffs.
Charlie Coyle got his 4th assist of the season and was a minus-2. He also won 84.6% of his faceoffs.
Carson Soucy recorded his first point as a CBJ with an assist.
Team Stats
The Jackets went 0/1 on the power play.
The Columbus PK stopped the only man advantage the Blues had.
Columbus won 57.6% of the faceoffs - 34/59
The Blue Jackets had 17 hits and 19 blocks.
Next Up For Columbus: The Blue Jackets are back home on Tuesday to take on the Florida Panthers.
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Gavin McKenna has always been advertised as a playmaker. That has been true since being drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs this past summer, as well as during his WHL and NCAA career.
His puck skills are off the charts, and it doesn't take a genius to see that's a strength of his game. But what hasn't been talked about nearly as much as his playmaking is McKenna's ability to skate and his quickness.
In Toronto's outing against the Vegas Golden Knights - a 4-3 shootout loss on Thursday - McKenna reached 23.34 miles per hour (37.57 kilometers per hour). That's the fastest speed captured by an 18-year-old since NHL Edge began capturing it in 2021-22.
San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini and New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer were also able to break the 23 miles-per-hour mark when they were 18, clocking 23.10 and 23.09 miles per hour, respectively.
McKenna's top speed from the Leafs' clash against the Golden Knights ranks in the 99th percentile of the NHL. So far this season, McKenna's 23.43-mile-per-hour burst is the fastest burst on the team this season.
Toronto's head coach Jim Hiller noticed McKenna's speed earlier in the year.
"If you ask me what's the one part of his game that has caught you off guard, I would say it's his skating," Hiller said after the Leafs' second pre-season game on Sept. 23. "It's his speed. I don't know if he was talked about that way, but his skating and his straightaway speed has been really good. Of course, we know he's got great agility, but that's the thing that's jumped out at me so far.
The Maple Leafs rookie recorded an assist in that game against Vegas and added another helper in Saturday's game against the Colorado Avalanche, which makes for four points in six games.
McKenna is tied for the league lead in NHL rookie scoring, alongside Chicago Blackhawks' Anton Frondell and Boston Bruins' James Hages.
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Welcome to this edition of the Vancouver Canucks “3 Standouts From The Game.” In this recurring series, The Hockey News’ Canucks team will do a deep dive into three standouts from Vancouver’s last game. This article will focus on the Canucks' most recent 4–1 loss to the New Jersey Devils.
Jake DeBrusk
While he didn’t end up on the scoresheet on Saturday, Jake DeBrusk was easily the Canucks’ most noticeable forward. It was difficult for Vancouver to generate offence against the Devils on Saturday, but when they did manage to, DeBrusk was often involved in the play. The winger finished the game with the team’s high in shots with seven and played in the second-most minutes by a Canucks forward with 17:15.
As a whole, however, DeBrusk and his line of Elias Pettersson and Jonathan Lekkerimäki were notable offensively. The trio combined for their team’s highest volume of scoring chances-for with seven. They also logged five high-danger scoring chances-for while surrendering only one.
Leevi Meriläinen
Leevi Meriläinen put up a strong performance today despite dealing with equipment issues mid-game. He surrendered only one goal before a hard shot knocked the blade off of his skate, taking him out of the final five minutes of the first period. Meriläinen’s skate blade popped out another time, during the second period, though this time he didn’t need to come off the ice for an extended period of time.
Even with the awkward flow of the game for Meriläinen, the goaltender stopped 31 of 34 shots faced and did not allow a goal-against on 27 even-strength shots faced. His stats on the season are now up to a .929 SV% and 2.18 GAA.
Linus Karlsson
Vancouver’s lone goal-scorer in Saturday’s game was Linus Karlsson, who potted his first of the 2026–27 season and is now up to five points in six games so far. The forward wound up on Vancouver’s first power-play unit after Elias Pettersson briefly left the ice, finding the back of the net early into the elevated opportunity.
Adding to his game-opening goal is the fact that Karlsson drew the early penalty for Vancouver after ending up on the receiving end of a hook by Anthony Mantha.
Oct 10, 2026; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Vancouver Canucks center Linus Karlsson (94) controls the puck against the New Jersey Devils during the third period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Salus-Imagn Images
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The Montreal Canadiens faced the Detroit Red Wings for the first time this season as the Michigan team came to town last in the division with a 1-3-0 record. On Friday, Georges Laraque had suggested on BPM Sports airwaves that fans should try to seduce Dylan Larkin with cheers and chants. Timid attempts were drowned out by the Bell Centre’s pregame show early on, but fans didn't boo the American anthem, and in the first frame, when Larkin took the ice, the “We want Larkin!” chants were clearly audible.
For the second time in as many games, the Canadiens appeared to score early, but the goal was called back. This time, Cole Caufield appeared to score from an impossible angle, but after a lengthy review, they determined the puck didn’t cross the line.
The Canadiens didn't let the setback get to them and kept going strong; with 6:35 left in the first frame, they led 9-2 in shots, but a couple of penalties to Kirby Dach and Jake Evans gave Detroit 27 seconds at five-on-three.
Given the state of the Habs’ special teams, one would have been forgiven for thinking they'd surrender at least a goal, but Jacob Fowler decided otherwise. The young netminder made five saves on the PK, and while he did give a couple of juicy rebounds, his teammates were able to prevent the Wings from getting to them, and he gave them credit:
The killers were great; even in the last game, they were really good. It only came down to a couple of tips. Love the effort, love kind of the intensity, the urgency to get pucks out, and I think the boys just stuck up for one another, from the kill all the way out. It’s a big win for the group.
As calm as ever, the youngster stood tall and held his ground, even stopping a late push in the dying seconds of the first frame. Allowing a goal there would have been a gut punch. He kept up the good work in the second frame, stopping an early chance and even getting his stick on the crease to block a shot.
When the Habs couldn't score on the PP, he stopped Alex DeBrincat, who was alone in front of him, once again keeping things from going sour for the Canadiens. All night long, his positioning and tracking were flawless, all the way to the six-round shootout. A well-deserved shutout for the youngster.
Power Play Struggles
The Canadiens dominated the Wings in the second frame, taking 11 shots on net, but they still couldn't bury their chances. Their golden opportunity came on the power play; they were up a man while Detroit had to make do with four players but three sticks. The Habs kept trying the same play, moving the puck to the wings for one-timers instead of adapting and taking more shots from the middle with traffic in front of the net.
Maybe give Zach Bolduc a shot on the first power-play unit to shake things up. With a power play that has one goal on 17 opportunities, changes are needed to shake things up. Waiting for Ivan Demidov’s to come back won’t do.
Bolduc Made Up For It
The Trois-Rivières native is off to a great start, and he’s already found the back of the net a few times, scoring three goals in the first four games. On Saturday, he played another solid match, and it was fitting that he was the one to put an end to it with a shootout goal after Alexandre Texier’s goal in OT was waived off for an offside he caused:
I don’t know if I felt owed that goal, but I felt a bit guilty about the offside I caused in overtime. I’m disappointed I cost my stall mate, Tex [Alexandre Texier], a goal, but I’m happy with how it ended.
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It took some time before Martin St-Louis gave Bolduc the nod to have a shot on Daniil Tasarov, but he put that time to good use:
You’re always looking forward to your turn; you try to get ready as well as possible. You try to analyze as much stuff as you can when your teammates are taking their shots. You’re always looking forward to it; you’re always a bit nervous, but it’s a good stress- it’s excitement.
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While Bolduc might have felt guilty about costing Texier a goal, the Frenchman wasn’t the only one to see a goal overturned during the game. After Caufield's early goal, the referees also waived off Bolduc's own goal because Jake Evans interfered with the goaltender in the crease.
The referees don't have an easy job, and it could be easier if the NHL followed soccer’s example and put a tracker in the puck to prove whether it went in. Still, St-Louis didn’t want to entertain that thought:
I think they’re doing their best; I’m not sure I agree that they don’t have the technology. I think it’s rare for the calls to be wrong. I think they do a good job, so I’m going to stay on the right side.
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The coach didn’t want to get on the referees’ or the league’s bad side, but in those kinds of instances, human error and unnecessary lengthy delays could be removed from the game, and that’s something the league should look into.
In the end, the Canadiens got the two points, but it certainly wasn’t easy or quick. The first period featured a lengthy review, and the rest of the game featured a myriad of icing calls and offsides; the Habs had to work hard for those two points, and they will certainly make it easier to have a good day off on Sunday.
The 0-4-2 Philadelphia Flyers remain the last team in the Eastern Conference without a win, and the tall task of earning a victory will get no easier on Sunday night when they host the first-place 4-1-1 Carolina Hurricanes at 7 p.m. at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
This is already the second meeting of the season between the two teams. Back on Oct. 3, the Flyers hosted the Hurricanes and were able to drag the reigning Stanley Cup champs to overtime, but a power play overtime goal from old Shayne Gostisbehere ended the contest in unceremonious fashion.
The Flyers were out-shot 30-12 through the first two periods of that game, and 40-18 overall. This has, unfortunately, been far too common a theme for the winless Flyers, who still look incapable of doing the basics with any level of consistency.
Injuries exacerbated the Flyers' already existing issues, as Cam York, Travis Konecny, and Rasmus Ristolainen were all out for the team's 5-1 smackdown suffered at the hands of the Boston Bruins on Saturday afternoon.
After a largely unsuccessful three-game road trip, the Flyers return home with the gift of facing the Hurricanes and the danger of losing a seventh straight game looming large.
Where does it all go from here if they do, in fact, lose again?
Flyers lines vs. Hurricanes
Christian Dvorak - Trevor Zegras - Tyson Foerster
Owen Tippett - Sean Couturier - Matvei Michkov
Denver Barkey - Noah Cates - Porter Martone
Michael Bunting - Noel Acciari - Garrett Wilson
Travis Sanheim - Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler - David Jiricek
Simon Benoit - Helge Grans
Joseph Woll (S), Dan Vladar
Hurricanes lines for Flyers game
William Carrier - Sebastian Aho - Andrei Svechnikov
Taylor Hall - Logan Stankoven - Jackson Blake
Nikolaj Ehlers - Jordan Staal - Jordan Martinook
Mark Jankowski - Jesperi Kotkaniemi - Eric Robinson
Sunday night's Flyers game can be found on NHL Network, NBC Sports Philadelphia, Sportsnet+, and TVAS.
Flyers player to watch
On the second leg of a back-to-back, goalie Joseph Woll is expected to make his fourth start of the season for the Flyers.
Woll, 28, has been phenomenal so far this season, owning a 2.61 GAA and .927 save percentage despite the unflattering 0-1-2 record that is completely unreflective of his own performance.
Woll stopped 37 of 40 shots in the Flyers' first meeting against the Hurricanes eight days ago, and he'll be the only chance Philadelphia has of winning this one, especially if they continue to play in front of Woll the way they have all season.
