Category: NHL

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- It’s very uncommon for the opening of training camp to showcase so many of the NHL players in one group and so many of the prospects in the other.

Normally, players are split up, mixed and matched until camp gets whittled down to the end and those that are going to make the opening night roster.

But with training camp this year lasting less than two weeks, and as St. Louis Blues coach Jim Montgomery said, “four preseason games and we have five practices,” there is no time for formalities with the regular season opener just 15 days away and the first preseason game on Saturday against the Dallas Stars.

The Blues opened camp Thursday at Centene Community Ice Center with two groups, and it was clear which was more established than the other:

Group A lines/D-pairs #stlblues:

Holloway-Thomas-Snuggerud
McMichael-McTavish-Buchnevich
Neighbours-Dvorsky-Berggren
Johnston-Suter-Toropchenko

Broberg-Mailloux
Lindstein-Parayko
Fowler-Carlo
Tucker-Jiricek

Hofer
Binnington
Proskurin

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) September 17, 2026

Blues Group B defensive pairs:
Rosén-Burns
Buchinger-Fischer
Ralph-Koromyslov
Gaudet

Goalies:
Romanov
Cranley
Gahagen

— Matthew DeFranks (@MDeFranks) September 17, 2026

The Blues (37-33-12 last season) are not opening camp on this day looking to get in a month’s worth of work. They’re banking that players are all in shape, they’re all in hockey sense and that they’re all beyond the pond hockey days.

Thursday’s opening drills were more designed for things they would be doing a couple weeks into camp, or even on the cusp of the season opening.

“By the end of our fourth exhibition game, all we have is four games and we have five practices. The feeling-out process that you used to have in camp is gone,” Montgomery said. “Guys have to be on their toes, they’ve got to be ready, they have to push each other, and we’re trying to put the lines that we think might have a chance to start game one together right away.

“Our objective today was working on being a much harder team offensively getting to the blue paint. We scored seven goals in the scrimmage. That I thought was very successful. I thought we were creating more chaos. I thought the energy and the pace was pretty good. I thought guys (had) second and third effort. We started with 1-on-1 battles and right away, guys were digging in and they were into it and they were pushing each other to be better. I thought it was a very productive Day 1.”

And that’s why Group A pretty much resembled what a lineup will look like on opening night against the Stars in Dallas on Oct. 2.

“Well with my thinking, the Thomas line speaks for itself the way they finished and they scored two goals out there today, so they picked up kind of where they left off; they looked really good,” Montgomery said. “The second line, McTavish for us is a top-six player, McMichael has played in the middle six his entire career and Buchy has played pretty much. So let’s put those three together, see what kind of chemistry we have today. I thought they did some good things offensively. Defensively, we haven’t touched a thing yet. They got scored against, but we still haven’t worked on our D-zone coverage yet because just first day of camp. Third line that we had with the Dvorsky line, I didn’t really notice, I wasn’t coaching that team. I didn’t see an impact in the game. Fourth line looked really good. ‘Torpo’ was flying, ‘Sutes’ is always supporting and this Johnston, you can see how smart a player he is and very vocal on the bench.

“A couple of the D-pair that stood out for me. Fowler and the Carlo pair were excellent, poise, gaps were really good and I thought Lindstein and Parayko did a really good job on my bench as well.”

This wasn’t an off-season where Montgomery and the coaching staff could plan out this longer, drawn-out training camp. It was more compacted and challenging to fit many things into a smaller window.

Off and running with the four forward line combinations from Group A #stlbluespic.twitter.com/YKuCmtxtIg

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) September 17, 2026

“There’s a combination of things that influence the way it was. It was shoring up what we didn’t think were strengths that should be strengths, being hard at the offensive blue paint, being hard at the defensive blue paint,” Montgomery said. “You’ll see that tomorrow. Committing battles in practices and competition in those areas was important for us to get to those areas and create the habits that we need. You saw a lot of driving back posts today, you saw a lot of speed trying to get at the net. That’s why we were doing all those 3-on-1s, 3-on-2s. And then the other thing is the shortened … like I said, we’ve got four games, five practices. That’s nine times on the ice together before we have our team meeting before we have three practices before we play our first game at Dallas. So there’s no time to waste. Once we get past this CBA three-hour rule, we’re going to start having double video sessions. It’s going to be more like NFL training. Those are things that we’ve worked on so that we can be prepared in a three-week camp and a 13-day camp.”

One noticeable omission: the VO2 fitness testing that, well, nobody cares to do but know it was always a must.

“The coaches were really happy,” Montgomery said laughing. “Thank God I didn’t have to do the VO2 max this year. You would like to have fitness testing just because … these athletes are so well-conditioned now. It’s not an issue now like it was in the 70s where camp was six weeks long so you can get in shape to start the season. Now they have their own nutritionists, strength and conditioning coaches, they have speed and acceleration coaches, so they’re well-prepared. The thing is mentally, what you like about having testing is the guys know they’ve got to come and they take great pride in it, so they want to do well on the test to show everyone I’m ready to go. We don’t have that option, but the ice speaks for itself. Didn’t see a lot of guys hovering over sticks. That was not an easy practice. First day of camp, there’s nerves that are going because everybody wants to show well. So you usually can tell just by skating, and you’ll see a bag skate at the end of practice tomorrow that will kind of try and look for that.”

'I Want To Be Here ... I Love This City' -- Jimmy Snuggerud Wants To Be Part Of Long-Term Future With St. Louis Blues2022 first-round pick didn't sign maximum eight-year extension by Tuesday's CBA deadline before new one kicked in that allows max contracts to be seven years, feels process will work itself out when time is rightRyan Reaves, A St. Louis Blues 2005 Draft Pick, Announces Retirement From The NHLFifth-round pick in the 2005 NHL Draft was one of top enforcers in game during his 16-year career, of which first seven years was spent with BluesTen St. Louis Blues Players To Keep An Eye On As 2026-27 Training Camp Opens ThursdayFrom Mason McTavish to Connor McMichael to Robert Thomas to Jordan Binnington to Adam Jiricek, plenty of storylines to unfold with the Blues looking to get back into the Western Conference playoff mix

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The Buffalo Sabres face a number of challenges as they open their 2026-27 training camp on Thursday, with the most challenging being whether they can recover from the offensive deficit created by the departure of winger Alex Tuch and defenseman Bowen Byram. 

After not making any additions to their forward group over the summer, the Sabres are relying heavily on a trio of first-round selected youngsters in Konsta Helenius, Noah Ostlund, and Jiri Kulich to show some growth. One of the advantages they all possess is their ability to play both center and on the wing effectively. Something that head coach Lindy Ruff may have determined before the start of camp.

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"You always plot it out. Does it change during camp? It's possible, I would like to start (Tage) at center, but knowing that even in the playoffs, he ended up on the wing, and had a couple great nights," Ruff said. "You go back to that four-month run; he was in the middle of the ice for us that whole time. I mean, inside some games, there were games where, Ostlund and (Ryan)McLeod stepped in and played center. He played a little bit of wing, which will again happen for sure."

With a shorter exhibition schedule, many NHL clubs are putting together line combinations that they plan to use during the regular season. If Thursday’s practice is any indication, the Sabres plan to start the season with Thompson at center, as he played the middle with Peyton Krebs and Josh Doan. Helenius played the right side and McLeod on the left on a line with center Josh Norris, Östlund played pivot on a line with Zach Benson and Jack Quinn, while Kulich skated on left wing with Sam Carrick and Beck Malenstyn.   

The club will practice on Friday and hold the Blue and Gold Scrimmage on Saturday morning at Key Bank Center. 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffaloTHN.

The Chicago Blackhawks held their first practice of 2026 Training Camp on Thursday at Blackhawks Ice Arena. Most of the players have been skating there for a couple of days now, but Thursday was the first official skate. 

There are some new names, including Ian Cole, Bowen Byram, Cole Smith, Jordan Greenway, and Roman Kantserov. Of course, Patrick Kane is back as well. Connor Bedard is still out as he continues his comeback from shoulder surgery, which will leave a hole in the lineup for a little while longer. 

Right off the bat, there were some line combinations forming. Jeff Blashill had them skating like this: 

Kantserov-Nazar-Kane

Bertuzzi-Frondell-Lardis

Donato-Moore-Teravainen/Mangiapane

Smith-Greene-Greenway/Slaggert

Vlasic-Byram

Kaiser-Levshunov

Cole-Rinzel

Korchinski-Del Mastro

Knight

Soderblom

With Bedard out, Frank Nazar skated as the top-line center. Playing with Patrick Kane, a franchise icon, and Roman Kantserov, a superstar KHL goal scorer, is a great opportunity for Nazar while they wait for the captain to return. 

Anton Frondell skated as the second-line center. Even before Bedard hurt his shoulder, the plan was for both Nazar and Frondell to operate as centers coming into camp. So far, the Blackhawks are sticking to that plan. If it works, they will be much deeper in the long-run than if they were forced to become wingers. 

Skating with Frondell were Tyler Bertuzzi and Nick Lardis. For Frondell, that's two goal-scoring wingers to help him with that transition to the middle of the ice. 

The bottom-six forward group is where things get interesting. Andrew Mangiapane and Landon Slaggert each rotated in and out with Teuvo Teravainen and Jordan Greenway, respectively. Ryan Donato, Oliver Moore, Cole Smith, and Ryan Greene were part of that bottom-six group as well. 

When Bedard comes back, that will push a third player from this group out of the top-12. There are injuries and inconsistencies that will play a factor in these decisions throughout the year, but it is going to be a revolving door. 

It should be noted that AJ Spellacy, who was incredibly noticeable at the Prospect Showcase and appears to be NHL-ready, did not skate with the NHL group on day 1 of training camp. Although he is a candidate to make his NHL debut at some point in 2026-27, it is not likely to come out of camp. 

Sacha Boisvert, who played in the NHL a little bit at the end of last season but was less noticeable at the Prospect Showcase, is also likely to be in the AHL. 

For Spellacy, this is a chance to dominate in the AHL and force the team to have no choice but to call him up. For guys like Boisvert and Marek Vanacker, playing in the AHL will be a great opportunity to advance their skills. 

On defense, Alex Vlasic was paired with Bowen Byram to form the new top pair. If Byram's offensive game continues to improve, this could be an outstanding two-way pair that the Blackhawks can use against anyone. 

Wyatt Kaiser and Artyom Levshunov, who skated together a lot last season, were back together while Ian Cole was paired with Sam Rinzel. The extra pair consisted of Kevin Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro. The Blackhawks are likely to carry a 7th defenseman, which should be Korchinski, while Del Mastro may be destined for waivers/AHL time. 

In goal, it is Spencer Knight and Arvid Soderblom. Some are expecting Drew Commesso to get his chance, but he is with the non-NHL group for now. Due to the two-way contract that he has, becoming a one-way contract at the same time that Soderblom becomes a free agent, expect this to be the mold for the 2026-27 season. Adam Gajan is projected to back up Commesso in the AHL. 

Both Jeff Blashill and Kyle Davidson admitted after practice that the NHL group that skated today is likely where the opening day lineup is coming from.

With training camp being so short, it will take a lot longer than that for someone from the non-NHL group to earn their way up. Spellacy, Boisvert, and Vanacker may not like hearing that, but they will get some good work in with the Rockford IceHogs to boost their confidence and prepare for when their name is called. 

For Spellacy specifically, he can go to Rockford and play so well that the decision makers decide it is finally time to play him over an NHL forward who isn't as impactful as him. 

On Friday, each group will practice again. On Saturday, the non-game group will have a practice at Blackhawks Ice Arena, followed by the game group having a morning skate. Then, the game group will make their way up north for that night's preseason tilt against the Minnesota Wild at Grand Casino Arena. 

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

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NHL training camps are officially back in session.

But, for the Pittsburgh Penguins and everyone else, everything looks quite a bit different.

Per the NHL's new Collective Bargaining Agreement - which took effect on Sept. 16 - there are several changes to how training camps operate with the new 84-game season. For one, camps are much shorter, as more than a week has been eliminated from the drop of the first puck at the open of camp to the drop of the puck on opening night.

Within those 12 or so days, players cannot access camp practices and meetings for more than three hours per day, there are only a small handful of actual camp practices for players to make themselves stand out, and the team cannot exceed four pre-season games, which - for most clubs - are all condensed into a week's time. 

In addition, NHL players with more than 100 games of experience can only play in up to two pre-season games. 

So, in a nutshell, the three initial practice days during training camp and the first two pre-season games - the first on Sept. 21 against the Buffalo Sabres and the second a day later against the Detroit Red Wings - will hold much more weight than they have in previous years, and not everyone is going to earn an opportunity to appear in a game.

"The practice days probably carry more significance for guys," Penguins' assistant general manager Jason Spezza said. "I think you see a little extra level of urgency, [and] we saw it with guys reporting to Pittsburgh earlier. They're used to having a longer camp. They want a shorter camp, and then, they want to make sure they're up and running as well.

"So, for us, we're going to try to have some intersquad mixed in. There's only four pre-season games. There's not going to be opportunity for everybody in the pre-season like we normally would have, so it's a matter of rewarding the guys that have kind of shown that they are getting closer by giving them games and seeing where they are. But, also, [with the] understanding that it is a short camp."

5 Predictions For 2026 Penguins' Training CampThe Penguins have a lot of questions and intrigue heading into camp this year.

But it's not just the player side of things where adjustments must take shape: There is also a whole lot to digest for NHL coaches and front offices, and from an evaluation standpoint, it presents a whole new set of challenges.

"There's not going to be massive decisions made based on a couple days of how you play," Spezza said. "We've talked through these things, sat with [head coach Dan Muse] and talked as a management group... But, really, it's new for all of us. Dan's been very intentional with his practices and how he's planned the pre-season games."

And while Muse himself understands the challenges and demands a shorter camp brings, he tries not to emphasize that difference when it comes to trying different combinations and giving players opportunity.

Penguins Release Full Training Camp Roster: Injuries, Surprises, What To ExpectWith training camp one day away, Pittsburgh's roster is set for the pre-season.

"Over the summer, we talked about things that we want to see," Muse said. "And I say 'we' in terms of all of us - coaching staff, management - and conversations we've had, things that we've discussed. Different things that could be a fit. But, right now, it's a "could be." ... It's going to be fluid, especially early on."

He added: "It's an opportunity for people to make an impression. They have a little bit of a shorter window to make it, to do those things, and it's the same for everybody. I'm not, honestly, going to get too hung up on it or think about it at all. It's the first time for everybody having the camp in this format, and it's the same for everyody throughout the league.

"I think, for us, we wanted to outline things that we wanted to make sure we accomplished over the course of camp. Going into it, [I'm] feeling strongly that we will be able to do that. So, for us, it's just going to be taking it each day looking to execute that plan, looking to provide that opportunity for players to go out there and make the impression that they want to make." 

Penguins Announce Series Of Roster Moves Ahead Of Training CampPittsburgh is working to finalize its roster for training camp later this week.

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Matt Duchene may still be an unpopular subject in Colorado, but recent events around the NHL have made one thing worth reconsidering: for all the frustration surrounding his departure from the Avalanche, Duchene never stopped showing up.

That matters now.

After Colorado finished the 2016-17 season with a 22-56-4 record, Duchene wanted out. He had grown tired of playing for a team that appeared to be going nowhere, and his desire for a trade was hardly a secret. The Avalanche eventually dealt him to the Ottawa Senators in a three-team blockbuster with the Nashville Predators.

Everyone knows what happened from there.

Colorado acquired a collection of assets in the trade, most notably defenseman Samuel Girard, who would go on to become an important piece of the Avalanche's blue line. A few years later, Colorado lifted the Stanley Cup in 2022.

Duchene never did.

That history has made it easy for Avalanche fans to look back at Duchene's time in Colorado with resentment. He wanted out. He didn't want to be part of the rebuild. He wanted to play meaningful hockey somewhere else.

And, frankly, he had every right to feel that way.

But there is something Duchene deserves more credit for, particularly in light of what is happening in Winnipeg right now.

He showed up.

Duchene may have desperately wanted to leave Colorado, but when training camp opened in September 2017, he reported. He didn't refuse to participate. He didn't force the organization to suspend him. He didn't abandon his teammates because he was unhappy with the direction of the franchise.

Instead, he walked into camp knowing full well that everyone knew he wanted to be traded.

You could see the awkwardness of the situation. Duchene wasn't exactly pretending everything was perfect. His body language told a different story, and there was little reason to believe he suddenly wanted to spend the rest of his career in Colorado.

But he was there.

"I'm here to honor my contract. I'm here out of respect for the fans. I'm here for my teammates," Duchene told reporters when he arrived at training camp.

Those words are easy to overlook nearly a decade later, but they carry considerably more weight when viewed through the lens of what is happening with Connor Hellebuyck.

Hellebuyck also wanted out. He publicly confirmed his trade request in August, saying he believed moving on was the best path for himself and his family. But when the Jets opened training camp this week, Hellebuyck did not report. Winnipeg subsequently suspended its star goaltender for an obvious breach of his contract and a lack of professionalism. 

There is an important distinction between the two situations.

Hellebuyck is not wrong for wanting a trade. Players have careers to consider, and asking an organization to explore a move is not inherently disrespectful. In fact, Hellebuyck said he had initially tried to handle the situation privately and respectfully before making his request public.

But once a player chooses not to report, the situation changes.

Duchene understood that distinction.

And while Hellebuyck has something Duchene never managed to obtain — an Olympic gold medal with Team USA at the 2026 Milano Cortina Games — his current situation in Winnipeg has put a different part of his professional reputation under the microscope. His accomplishments on the ice are difficult to dispute, but what happens when a player no longer wants to be where he is can become just as significant as what he does once the puck drops.

His NHL résumé is also difficult to dispute. Three Vezina Trophies, a Hart Trophy and an Olympic gold medal make Hellebuyck one of the most decorated goaltenders of his generation.

But talent has never been the only consideration when an organization evaluates a player.

Trust matters. Commitment matters. Teammates matter.

And now Winnipeg has to navigate a situation in which its franchise goaltender has requested a trade and then failed to report to camp.

That may make an already complicated trade market even more difficult to navigate.

There is an old saying in sports that great players can get away with things other players cannot. Patrick Roy is perhaps one of the clearest examples in Avalanche history. Roy was notoriously intense, demanding and, at times, difficult. But he also helped Colorado win games and Stanley Cups, making the relationship worth navigating for an organization that ultimately benefited enormously from his presence.

Hellebuyck's résumé certainly gives Winnipeg plenty of reason to value him highly. But the current circumstances create a different question for potential suitors: how much does the player himself want to be there?

That's the part of this situation that makes Duchene's departure worth revisiting.

He didn't want to be in Colorado. Everyone knew it.

But he still put on the sweater, walked into camp and went to work.

And nearly nine years later, perhaps he deserves a little more credit for that than he ever received in Colorado.

The Montreal Canadiens took the ice for the first time at training camp on Thursday, and the coach wasted no time in showing his hand. He put his whole top six in Team A, the team that will take on the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Bell Centre on Saturday, and in the process answered two burning questions at Habs’ camp: who would Chris Kreider play with, and who would center the second line?

Despite the Canadiens having one of the best top lines in hockey last season, the bench boss has elected to split it. While that may come as a surprise, the Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovsky unit struggled at even strength in the postseason, and if there’s one place where Kreider excels, it’s in the playoffs.

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To insert Kreider on the top line, the coach elected to put Slafkovsky back with Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov. Given that St-Louis already knows that combination can deliver, and that playing with the two youngsters unlocked a new version of the big Slovak, the decision makes sense. It remains to be seen what the power play units will look like, however. Will Slafkovsky and Demidov join Suzuki, Caufield and Hutson like last season? 

If you're shocked to see Kapanen centring the second line again, remember he scored 22 goals in his rookie season. Yes, he did struggle late in the season and in the playoffs, but it’s far from unusual for a first-year player to hit a wall late in the season. St. Louis said the day before that his second-line center would need to have a good computer, and he repeatedly praised Kapanen for that last season. Some would have you believe that it’s easy to score 22 goals when you’re riding shotgun with Demidov, but you still have to know when to go and convert on the opportunities he dishes out. That's easier said than done.

Asked what he thought about Kreider, Demidov replied:

He reminds me of an older Slaf.

- Demidov on Kreider

Given his size and style of play, that’s a fair assessment and probably part of why St-Louis feels comfortable putting Kreider on his top line. Caufield and Suzuki. The coach knows Kreider very well, and it wasn’t so long ago that he worked with him one-on-one to make him a better player. He didn’t have to do that, but it looks like karma took note and made it worth St-Louis’ while; now he’ll benefit from it.

Team A also included four regular NHL defensemen: Lane Hutson, who was skating with Alexandre Carrier, and Arber Xhekaj with Jayden Struble. Luke Mittelstadt and Owen Protz were also part of the group. Given how well they both did at the Prospect Challenge, it would make sense to give them a game at the Bell Centre on Saturday night.

As for Team B, it took to the ice at 11:50, and it included the rest of the Habs’ NHL lineup. Forwards Alex Newhook, Zachary Bolduc, Kirby Dach, Jake Evans, Philipp Danault, Alexandre Texier and Josh Anderson were all there. Still, the coaching staff elected to test some combinations involving some youngsters, aside from one veteran line made up of Bolduc, Dach and Texier. Meanwhile, Newhook and Evans skated with Brett Berard and Anderson and Danault took some reps with Florian Xhekaj.

On defense, Mike Matheson and Noah Dobson practiced with the second group, just like Adam Engstrom and David Reinbacher. Right now, it doesn’t feel like there’s much chance for a forward to graduate to the NHL from the AHL, but the same cannot be said about defence. Kaiden Guhle’s injury means someone could make the jump, and in an ideal world, that person would be Reinbacher, but will he stay healthy and grab the opportunity with both hands? Time will tell.

Meanwhile, in net, Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler skated with Team A while Samuel Montembeault and Kaapo Kahkonen were with Team B. That should mean Montembeault will get to play in Toronto on Saturday night, away from the scrutiny and pressure of the Bell Centre. As for Dobes, signing a big contract extension certainly hasn’t changed him:

I’m going to try to make the team, and we’ll see about what comes next.

- Dobes on the camp

You have to admire the humility. Everyone knows that right now, on paper, Dobes is the number one. He’s not taking anything for granted, though, and he’s approaching this camp like any other. Given that the Canadiens have three NHL-caliber goaltenders right now, it’s the right approach. All too often in hockey, when a player gets too comfortable, he loses his footing.

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The Senators have added some local flair to their blue line, signing veteran defenceman Ben Hutton to a professional tryout.

Hutton was born in Brockville and raised in Prescott, making him a familiar name in these parts. He also spent more than 200 games in the CCHL with the Kemptville 73’s and Nepean Raiders before playing three seasons at the University of Maine.

The 33-year-old was the chosen by Vancouver in the fifth round of the 2012 NHL Draft, Hutton played his first four NHL seasons with the Canucks before stops with the Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks and Toronto Maple Leafs.

He spent the past five seasons with the Vegas Golden Knights, serving primarily as a reliable depth defenceman who could step into the lineup when needed.

In all, Hutton has appeared in 575 NHL regular-season games, recording 30 goals and 139 points. He also won a Cup with Vegas in 2023, appearing in two games during that run.

Last season, the six-foot-three, 209-pound left-shot D played 55 regular-season games for the Knights, contributing six goals and 15 points. He also dressed for seven playoff games and recorded one assist as Vegas advanced to the Stanley Cup Final.

Hutton’s year-to-year totals have fluctuated, partly because of injuries and partly because of his position on a deep Vegas blue line.

But his 55 games last season showed that he remains capable of handling a fairly steady NHL workload.

At a glance, the Sens don't have an obvious opening for Hutton on the left side. Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot are firmly established in the top four, while Tyler Kleven is expected to hold down the third-pairing role. But all three missed time with injury last year, and there isn't really an obvious fill-in at the AHL level.

The uncertainty is on the right side, where Artem Zub will miss the start of camp as he continues recovering from the lower-body injury he suffered in the playoffs last spring.

Head coach Travis Green said Wednesday that Zub is skating and could rejoin the team within the next week or two. That timetable doesn’t sound especially concerning, but with a compressed training camp, the Sens have to be ready with a backup plan. 

Without Zub, the Senators would almost certainly begin camp with Jordan Spence, Carter Yakemchuk and Nikolas Matinpalo filling the three right-side positions. That would put both Yakemchuk and Matinpalo inside the top six, while leaving the club without an obvious option for the seventh-defenceman job.

Hutton's arrival probably changes that. 

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News

This article was first published in The Hockey News. For more Sens coverage at The Hockey News, click on one of the latest THN Ottawa headlines below:

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Vegas Golden Knights General Manager Kelly McCrimmon doesn’t mince words. He speaks with conviction, and he means every word he says. 

His statement about inking Golden Knights captain Mark Stone to a two-year contract extension was par for the course.

“The organization shifted when we acquired Mark Stone,” said McCrimmon. “For me, that was the player that we thought could be a star— [and he] has been a star. When you factor in the character of his leadership and what he’s meant to the organization, he’s just been a tremendous, tremendous player for the Golden Knights.”

Stone, who has played exactly 400 games in a Golden Knights sweater, is coming off a career year. In 60 games, he scored 28 goals and posted a career-best 73 points. Stone was a crucial part of the Golden Knights’ lethal power play— he scored nine goals and 27 points on the man advantage.

“With him going into the final year of his contract, we were really excited to keep him with our organization for this year, plus two more,” said McCrimmon. “He feels great, and he had one of his best years last year.”

Stone’s on-ice play speaks for itself. He’s an elite two-way winger who makes up for his lack of foot speed with one of the sharpest minds in the game. He kills penalties and is on the ice in every late-game scenario. He’s one of the most underappreciated players in the game, but those lucky enough to watch or play with Stone on a nightly basis have nothing but good things to say about him.

“I think the people in this room appreciate Mark’s contributions as much as anyone does,” said McCrimmon.

If anyone has earned the right to retire a Golden Knight, it’s Mark Stone. He’s the team’s emotional leader, and the amount of effort he gives every game is never in question.

“He’s our original leader,” McCrimmon finished. “I think that we’re thrilled with his level of play, his leadership, and everything that goes with him being our captain.”

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Jimmy Snuggerud isn’t going anywhere and won’t be going anywhere for a while.

Despite not being a part of a flurry of NHL players to get in long-term contracts that could go as long as eight years by the end of the Collective Bargain Agreement that ended on Tuesday at 11 p.m. (CT) before the new CBA kicked in that only offers max contracts at seven years, the first-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft by the St. Louis Blues isn’t concerned about not getting something done by Tuesday.

“No, not at all,” Snuggerud said Thursday after Blues opened training camp for the 2026-27 season. “I think there’s certain ways teams do things and every player is different honestly. Every guy goes through talks and what not. Nothing really occurred and I’m just happy to keep going here. Like I said, it’ll all take care of itself. I’m not too concerned with it.”

Snuggerud, who had 51 points (21 goals, 30 assists) in 70 games in his first full NHL season, enters this season in the final year of his entry-level contract and will be quite the bargain at a $950,000 cap hit that includes a $1.55 million average annual value. But what about beyond? We won’t speculate, but it’s a known factor that the 22-year-old, who was recently engaged, will get a nice, hefty payday. Depending on what the term and dollars come to eventually, Snuggerud has no desire to get a deal done with anyone but the team that drafted him and he most certainly sees himself here for the long term as part of the core.

“For sure. I want to be here,” Snuggerud said. “I would love to be here for as long as I can. I love this city. I love everything about it. It’s calm, people are really nice. Fans are crazy and the home games are fun. When I say it’s going to take care of itself, I think just come to the rink every day and try to do my best as I possibly can. Obviously I would love to be here for as long as possible. I love what we’re doing, the direction has a purpose.”

There were a flurry of deals done on Tuesday by other teams, including Cutter Gauthier (six years, $13.5 million AAV) with the Anaheim Ducks; Drake Batherson (eight years, $10.75 million AAV) with the Ottawa Senators; Ryan Leonard (eight years, $10.75 million AAV) and Justin Sourdif (eight years, $6.35 million AAV) with the Washington Capitals; Luke Evangelista (five years, $7.25 million) with the New Jersey Devils, and Alex Newhook (four years, $5.55 million AAV) with the Montreal Canadiens.

Batherson, Leonard and Sourdif took the max eight years and got their payday now, some didn’t, and in Snuggerud’s case, he preferred to wait it out. And that’s OK with both the player and the team.

It doesn’t mean the Blues aren’t looking at the dynamics and what’s been going on around the league.

“We spend a lot of time discussing all these things internally and what the options are, but at the end of the day, we’re back to our philosophy on how we want to approach it,” Blues general manager Alex Steen said. “We do our best to continually communicate with the players and the representatives. We don’t want our players guessing anything so we keep them as informed as we can and we go from there.”

President of hockey operations Doug Armstrong signed two players coming out of his entry-level contract to long-term deals immediately: Vladimir Tarasenko (eight years, $60 million, $7.5 million AAV) in 2015 and Alex Pietrangelo (seven years, $45.5 million, $6.5 million AAV) in 2013.

“Yeah we've kept an eye on everything that's going on,” Armstrong said. “Our belief all along has been 'trust but verify' on our players. Our philosophy isn't like philosophies of other groups and I'm not saying what's right or wrong -- to rub the crystal ball and to hope things might happen and work out.

“Since 2010, I think we've had two players come out of entry level that signed long-term extensions and that was Tarasenko and Pietrangelo, both second-team All-Stars after their third year. So yeah, my belief and I've shared it with Alex (Steen) and he agrees with me, we trust these guys. We want them to get rich. We want to pay them. We just want to make sure that they've earned that paycheck. So we're willing to allow them to play like we did last year with Broberg and Holloway.”

The Blues signed Broberg to a six-year, $48 million extension ($8 million AAV) on Jan. 10, then extended Holloway on May 1 for five years at $38.75 million ($7.75 million AAV), opting to go for shorter term than the max.

So for Snuggerud, his next contract could fall anywhere in the five to six, and up to seven years, and if making a comparable, he could very well fall into a category that Leonard got in Washington. Just let the process play out and it will get done.

“Come to the rink every single day and do my job,” Snuggerud said. “I’d say it’s there, but I’m not thinking about it. I think I can speak for everyone in this room. We just want to win games and contracts take care of themselves if you win games. I think everyone in here wants to do it. There’s a lot of guys other than me that are going through the same thing. I’d say it’s there, but I just want to win.”

And if you think Snuggerud will want to go for the fame and fortune, think again. He’s not a big city guy coming from Minneapolis. St. Louis is his style of place to live.

“Growing up in the Midwest, it kind of has that Midwest feel,” Snuggerud said of St. Louis. “There’s not too much going on. It’s relaxed, it’s calm and it’s nice to have that. You don’t really get that everywhere in other cities. Kind of that homey feeling that you get. When you get into the games, the fans are unbelievable and they care so much about us.

“I’m just kind of that low-key, relaxed guy.”

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The Utah Mammoth will have a familiar face watching from afar for much of the upcoming season.

Former Mammoth forward Nick Bjugstad is expected to miss four to six months after undergoing surgery last week to repair a torn left pectoral muscle, the New Jersey Devils announced Thursday as NHL training camps begin to ramp up.

Bjugstad sustained the injury during the offseason, putting a significant dent in his first season with New Jersey before he even had an opportunity to get back on the ice. The 33-year-old joined the Devils at the trade deadline last season after being acquired from the St. Louis Blues.

Before that move, however, Bjugstad spent the 2024-25 season with Utah, appearing in 66 games and recording eight goals and 11 assists for 19 points.

His time in Utah represented another chapter in a lengthy NHL career for the 6-foot-6 forward, who was originally selected 19th overall by the Florida Panthers in the 2010 NHL Draft. Bjugstad has since suited up for eight organizations, including the Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Minnesota Wild, Arizona Coyotes, Edmonton Oilers, Utah, St. Louis and New Jersey.

Across 821 career games, he has accumulated 163 goals and 339 points.

Bjugstad reached the 20-goal mark twice in his career, including a 22-goal campaign with Arizona in 2023-24, while his most productive season came in 2017-18 when he established career highs with 19 goals, 30 assists and 49 points in Florida.

His offensive production has dipped considerably in recent years, though, with only 14 goals over the span following his 22-goal season. Last year was particularly difficult, as he managed six goals and nine points in 61 games between St. Louis and New Jersey after posting 19 points in Utah.

The Hockey News wishes Bjugstad a safe and successful recovery. After working to prepare for another NHL season, the veteran forward undoubtedly hopes to put this setback behind him and return to the ice as soon as his recovery allows.

The first day of the Toronto Maple Leafs training camp has concluded, and head coach Jim Hiller is very pleased with how a number of his players performed and worked.

Toronto's bench boss revealed that one player who really caught his attention was 21-year-old Easton Cowan. Cowan, who was positioned on the right wing next to Colton Sissons and Nick Paul, was all over the ice in Hiller's eyes. 

"If I just had to say 'who was the player that just jumped out at you in this morning's session,' to me it would be Easton Cowan," Hiller said. "He makes some plays with the puck, but he was a puck hound. He was everywhere, I thought."

Cowan is entering his sophomore year in the NHL. Last season, he recorded 11 goals and 29 points in 66 games, averaging 14:43 of ice time per game.

Coming into the league, he was seen as a playmaking forward, especially from his days with the OHL's London Knights, winning two OHL titles, a Memorial Cup, and collecting MVP awards in both the regular season and playoffs.

But with a year under his belt with the Maple Leafs to this point, he's providing another dimension to his game.

'The Playmaking Is Elite': How Maple Leafs' John Tavares, William Nylander Believe Gavin McKenna Can Compliment ThemOn the first day of training camp, Gavin McKenna was slotted on the left wing beside John Tavares and William Nylander. Here's how they believe they can be complimented by each other.

"We talked to him about that," the bench boss said. "He's got tremendous skill, but where he can help us best is be a puck hound and then use that skill. And to me, he was all over the ice."

Hiller later added who stood out to him from the second group on Thursday. The second group was mainly filled with players from the AHL's Toronto Marlies.

"I thought Groulx, Lettieri and Mermis," he listed as three that impressed him. "Those three were so dialled in and worked so hard and were complete pros out there. That's really what jumped out of me. And it wasn't one, it was all three of those guys. I was like, wow, did they set the tone for this group. So you hope it goes that way, but you never know. So those three in the second."

Four Maple Leafs Who Must Have A Great Training CampWith 2026-27 upon us, here are four players who must have a great training camp for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Groulx and Mermis both featured for the Leafs last season. 

Groulx played 13 games for the Maple Leafs last season, registering three goals and five points. Mermis featured in 11 appearances, providing one assist.

Lettieri hasn't featured in the NHL for Toronto yet, but he led the American League in scoring during the Calder Cup playoffs. He scored 11 goals and 26 points for the Marlies in that run.

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Sam Malinski has already taken another significant step in his development with the Colorado Avalanche, but standing still does not appear to be an option.

After establishing himself as a full-time NHL defenseman for a second consecutive season and playing all 82 games last year, Malinski arrived at training camp with a simple objective: keep getting better.

“I think there's still a lot of room to grow in my game,” Malinski said Thursday while speaking to Guerilla Sports' Jesse Montano. “So I definitely still have that hunger to just keep getting better.”

The numbers suggest just how much progress Malinski made last season. After recording five goals and 10 assists for 15 points in 76 games during his first full-time season with Colorado, he exploded for eight goals and 32 assists and finished with 40 points in all 82 games last year.

Yet Malinski isn't approaching this season as though he has figured everything out.

His offseason included roughly a month away from hockey, giving him time to return home to Minnesota, reconnect with family, watch his young nephews run around and get out on the golf course before eventually returning to training. Once the work resumed, the focus shifted toward continuing to develop the tools that have helped him become an increasingly dependable part of Colorado’s blue line.

There is an interesting contrast to Malinski's game. The Cornell product has the skating and puck-moving ability to create offense from the back end, including a willingness to walk the blue line and wait patiently for a shooting lane. Reminiscent of fellow Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, the shrewd Malinski can shimmy across the ice, subtly shifting his angle before unleashing a wicked wrister toward the net. His 40-point season demonstrated that his offensive game is no longer merely an intriguing part of his potential.

His 40-point season demonstrated that his offensive game is no longer merely an intriguing part of his potential.

Now, the emphasis at camp is on the other side of the puck.

“You go the whole summer and you work on a lot of skill stuff and shooting and all that,” Malinski said. “So just trying to dial in the little habits of, you know, going back for pucks and defending guys.”

That attention to detail has become a recurring theme in Malinski's development. Rather than point to one secret behind his improvement, he has previously credited the Avalanche's veteran room for showing him how NHL players maintain themselves over an entire season.

He has paid close attention to what his teammates do, from recovery routines to the daily habits that allow veteran players to remain effective over the course of an NHL season. Brent Burns, in particular, caught his attention last year.

For a player who attended an Ivy League institution like Cornell University, there has always been something distinctive about Malinski's willingness—and ability—to learn from virtually everyone around him. His curiosity has become just as important to his development as his skill set, allowing him to absorb lessons from teammates who have already navigated the challenges he is now facing.

That mentality remains intact as he enters another season.

“I don't think I need to treat it a whole lot different,” Malinski said.

The production has already improved dramatically. Now Malinski is looking for the next layer of his game.

On Wednesday, long-time NHLer and Minnesota Wild enforcer Ryan Reaves announced his retirement from hockey with a social media post. 

In his Instagram post, the 39-year-old shared his love for the sport and what it meant to him.

Reaves played 16 NHL seasons, scoring 66 goals and 140 points in 962 games. Reaves spent just one season with the Wild, but he made his mark on the fans and organization as a positive personality. As an enforcer, Reaves wasn't lighting it up offensively, but teammates constantly raved about his energy and his ability to stand up for them on the ice.

In his season with the Wild, Reaves recorded 31 penalty minutes and 1,137 across his NHL career. 

"I never thought this day would come. I thought I was invincible. I thought I could play forever, but like all good things, it must come to an end," Reaves wrote in his retirement post.

"Today, I retire from the sport I’ve loved since I was 5 years old. It was a hell of a ride. Thank you to everyone who supported me throughout this journey. I may not be on the ice anymore, but I know I will always be close to hockey in one way or another. You can rest easy knowing the corners are a little safer today," he added.

"Mic drop, gloves drop. Reavo out."

In his retirement post, Reaves shared several pictures of his NHL career. He began with the St. Louis Blues, who drafted him in the fifth round of the 2005 NHL draft. He then moved to the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Vegas Golden Knights, and the New York Rangers before joining the Wild. After his lone season in Minnesota, he joined the Toronto Maple Leafs and finished his career with the San Jose Sharks. 

Reaves didn't win any hardware and fell just short of the 1,000-game mark, but he will be remembered for his physical style and the impact his personality had on the NHL. 

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Hockey season is official back in South Florida.

The Florida Panthers officially kicked off their 2026 training camp on Thursday at the team’s practice facility in Fort Lauderdale.

On Sunday, the Panthers will play their first of four preseason games when they host the Carolina Hurricanes at Amerant Bank Arena.

We’re now getting our first look at how Florida’s center ice logo will be painted for the 2026-27 season.

There’s a chill in the air 🥶

First look at the ice at @AmerantArena 👀 pic.twitter.com/gt3Cswug3N

— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) September 17, 2026

Over the past two years, the Panthers’ logo has featured the inner bowl of the Stanley Cup, signifying the team’s back-to-back championships in 2024 and 2025.

Now that they’re not the NHL’s defending champs anymore, it’s no longer appropriate to use the league’s historic trophy as part of Florida’s home ice logo.

Florida decision makers did not want to go back to a traditional-looking paint job at center ice, though.

Instead, the Panthers elected to fill the complete circle again, but this time they used Florida’s primary Panthers-head logo and a very cool looking red background with blue horizontal stripes.

The Panthers posted a photo of how the ice looks with its fresh paint job, and the new center ice logo absolutely pops.

Let us know what you think of the new logo in the comments below.

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The on-ice portion of NHL training camps start on Thursday, Sept. 17, and the news from the day before was already busy.

Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck didn't report to camp amid his trade request and was suspended by the team.

Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin is reporting after his trade request but won't be able to take part in practice sessions because he suffered an upper-body injury during offseason training.

Columbus' Adam Fantilli, Detroit's Simon Edvinsson and Carolina's Alexander Nikishin are among the unsigned restricted agents.

Follow along for news and notes from the first full day of training camp:

Quinn Hughes on contract extension talks

Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes, who's entering the final year of his contract, gave an update on whire talks stand.

"I don't feel stressed to do something before the season," he said. "That's not saying something won't, but that's just how it is."

Dylan Larkin won't reveal reason for trade request

Dylan Larkin would not say if he has rescinded his trade request, but he has spoken to his Red Wings teamamtes about the situation.

Asked what triggered the request, Larkin said, "There's a lot there. A lot of personal stuff. To be honest with you − I'm going to try and be honest with you guys today. And that's as far as I'll go on that.

"I understand that there's answers that fans and people that care about this organization around the world want to know. But I'm really not ready to go there. It's maybe something that I may never be. And it wasn't easy to get to that decision. It was very hard. It wasn't a spur of the moment thing."

Larkin, who lost his captaincy, didn't take part in practice because of his upper-body injury. - Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press

Winnipeg Jets address Connor Hellebuyck's absence

Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said no doors are closed on suspended Connor Hellebuyck returning to the team but, "at the end of the day, that will be his choice."

Hellebuyck was suspended after not appearing at a team function on Wednesday. The GM said he will continue to explore trade talks but there is no deadline for getting it done.

"We've been trying to make trades that work for both sides for a long time and will continue to do that," he said.

Cheveldayoff said he hasn't received an offer that's commensurate with a goalie of the caliber of Hellebuyck, who has won three Vezina trophies, a Hart Trophy and an Olympic gold medal.

"I want to get this right," he said.

Nick Bjugstad injury update

The New Jersey Devils said forward Nick Bjugstad had surgery last week for a torn left pectoral muscle and will be out four to six months.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL training camp live updates, news and notes from first day