Locally, the fishermen jersey will always bring mixed feelings for older Islanders fans who lived through the mid-to-late 90s debacle which included this logo change.
This latest revival of the jersey gives the Islanders the chance to change their legacy with the jersey:
The Fisherman returns tonight, but can today's #Isles change its troubled legacy?
The fishermen is a beautiful design, and is consistently one of the most sought-after jerseys in the league.
Its finishing fourth overall in the entire poll speaks volumes about how much people like the concept of the jersey.
The jersey makes its debut tonight inside UBS Arena against the Carolina Hurricanes, the defending Stanley Cup Champions.
What better way for the Islanders to kick off the new era than by knocking off the team that's eliminated them from the playoffs three times in the last 8 years?
Puck drop is scheduled for just after 7pm, with the game being an ESPN+ Exclusive.
The Hockey News' Stefen Rosner will join the Islanders' Radio Broadcast during the first intermission and answer some questions:
The Florida Panthers defeated the Chicago Blackhawks in Sunrise on Wednesday night. The NHL broadcast this 5-3 loss on TNT. Overall, it turned out to be a game that put national negativity on the Hawks.
The TNT panel, which consisted of Ryan Reaves, Paul Bissonnette, Liam McHugh, Anson Carter, and Henrik Lundqvist, blasted the Blackhawks at multiple points throughout the show. They were on during the pregame, intermissions, and postgame, going to town on all the shortcomings that Chicago is dealing with.
“I don’t see a lot of identity,” Bissonnette said. “I see a soft team. They don’t check well; they don’t forecheck well. They don’t really do anything well.”
The man known as "Biz" used other terms like "Mickey Mouse", "soft", "horrible", and "pathetic", among others.
That is the national perception of the Blackhawks, who are off to the worst start, 4-11-3, during the Kyle Davidson rebuild era. Nothing he said is incorrect, and now a larger audience will be influenced by that opinion. Jeff Blashill, after the game, did comment on what was said.
"I like Biz, I respect Biz, I don’t agree with his opinion,” Blashill said. “I don’t think that we’re soft. I don’t think we’ve won enough games, so when you have the record that we have, you put yourself in a position to be criticized. We’re going to have to accept that criticism. I don’t agree with his verbiage. I’m sure he doesn’t break our tape down on a regular basis, but again, we’re subject to that criticism.”
Bissonnette was an enforcer who did not score goals or make plays on a regular basis, but he was a plus player in 202 games played. Plus-minus is not a great stat in 2026, but he managed to be +7 as a 4th liner on mostly bad teams. He was also either an All-Star or a champion at every pro level in North America below the NHL. He has a smart hockey mind in a lot of ways.
At the same time, this take can come off as a bit performative, but the results are the results. Perhaps people will like what Henrik Lundqvist, who is a very level-headed former Hall of Fame goaltender, has to say.
"When you’re in a rebuild and you try and get out of it, it’s not about being the best team every night,” Lundqvist said. “You have to be smart and have awareness."
The conversations around the team making changes are growing louder and louder with each loss that piles up. Things won’t get much easier as the Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes are the next two teams on deck for the Hawks. Thursday night will see them in the second half of a back-to-back vs Tampa, their first such situation of the season.
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Dallas Stars- 9-5-1 - 19 Points - Won 2- 3rd in the Central
Columbus Blue Jackets - 6-7-0 - 10 Points - Won 1 - 6th in the Metro
Player Notes Per CBJ PR
Damon Severson has 3-9-12 in 22 career GP vs. DAL, including points in 4 straight (1-3-4) and scored on Oct. 1.
Adam Fantilli has 2-5-7 in seven career matchups against Dallas, including notching points in two of his three career games at Nationwide Arena (1-2-3).
Conor Garland has notched 5-13-18 in 20 career games against the Stars, with 2-6-8 in 10 career home matchups.
Kent Johnson has tallied 2-5-7 with points in six of eight career contests against the Stars and has points in two of his three outings vs. Dallas at Nationwide (1-1-2).
Sean Monahan has posted 6-12-18 in 30 career games against Dallas and has tallied 2-4-6 in his past 11 overall.
Zach Werenski has notched 5-9-14 in 22 career GP, with points in eight of 12 career contests vs. Dallas at Nationwide Arena (5-6-11) with goals in four of his past six on home ice (4-2-6).
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 17.1% - 24th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 72.5% - 24th in the NHL
Goals For - 35 - 31st in the NHL
Goals Against - 41 - 6th in the NHL
StarsStats
Power Play - 23.5% - 11th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 90% - 2nd in the NHL
Goals For - 43 - 24th in the NHL
Goals Against - 35 - 1st in the NHL
Series History vs.Stars
The Blue Jackets are 35-36-7 overall, and 19-16-5 at home vs. Dallas.
Columbus lost to Dallas on 10-31.
Columbus has won three of the last four games in the series, outscoring Dallas 13-8 since Feb. 25, 2025.
The Jackets have won the past two games against the Stars played at Nationwide Arena.
The winning team has won by multiple goals in seven of the last eight meetings of the series, including three by three goals or more.
The Blue Jackets have gone 29-of-32 (90.6 pct.) on the penalty kill in the past 16 games of the overall series.
Who To Watch For TheStars
Mikko Rantanen leads the Stars with 8 goals, 10 assists, and 18 points.
Jason Robertson has 8 goals and 18 points.
Jake Oettinger is 8-3-1 with a SV% of .909. His last start was on 11-3.
Casey DeSmith is 1-2-0 with his last start being on 10-27.
Injured Reserve & Other Injuries
Isac Lundestrom - Achilles Surgery - LTIR - 13 Games Missed - Lightly skating. Could return soon.
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 37
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be simulcast on The Blue Jackets Hockey Network and 97.1 The Fan, with Steve Mears behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
TV: CBJHN - Spectrum HD Ch. 320/1320; IP Ch. 349; Prime Video, Fubo. DirecTV Ch. 660 (streaming), 660-1 (satellite). U-Verse (1735/735)
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PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 08: Arturs Silovs #37 of the Pittsburgh Penguins protects the net against the Boston Bruins at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 8, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Who:Boston Bruins (11-4-1, 23 points, 1st place Atlantic Division) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (5-8-2, 12 points, 7th place Metropolitan Division)
When: 7:00 p.m. eastern
How to Watch: Locally televised game on Sportsnet Pittsburgh and NESN, streaming for out of market at ESPN+
Pens’ Path Ahead: California awaits, the Pens head out west for the next three games against all the CA teams. First up will be Los Angeles on Saturday, then a quick turn over to nearby Anaheim on Sunday night. After that, they’ll head north to San Jose for a game next Wednesday.
Opponent Track: The Bruins hosted and defeated Vegas 3-2 in a shootout on Monday in their last game, their second win in a row. Before that they lost two games, and before that they won two games. Overall it’s been a great start to the season with a 9-2-1 record in their last 12 games and an aggregate score of 48-27 in that stretch.
Season Series: These two teams won’t see each other again after tonight until March 6th, when the Pens take their lone trip of the season to Beantown. The Bruins then come back to Pittsburgh on March 11th to finish out the three game set.
Hidden Stat: Per Pens PR, Tommy Novak has four points (3G-1A) in his last five games versus Boston, including a two-point performance (1G-1A) in the team’s last matchup with the Bruins on March 8, 2026. Novak also recorded a goal and an assist last game against Vegas.
Getting to know the Bruins
Projected lines
FORWARDS
JJ Peterka – Pavel Zacha – David Pastrnak
Marat Khusnutdinov – Fraser Minten – Morgan Geekie
Casey Mittelstadt – Elias Lindholm – James Hagens
Tanner Jeannot – Sean Kuraly – Mark Kastelic
DEFENSEMEN
Hampus Lindholm / Charlie McAvoy
Nikita Zadorov / Will Borgen
Frederic Brunet / Mason Lohrei
Goalies: Jeremy Swayman and Michael DiPietro
Potential scratches: Matthew Poitras, Connor Clifton, Jonathan Aspirot
Injured Reserve: None
On the injury front it looks like Kuraly will set to return after a minor injury kept him out last game. Poitras is travelling with the team but a little further behind and not expected to play tonight. Frederic Brunet appears ready for a return of his own on the blueline.
Old friend Connor Clifton, who signed a two-year contract worth $2.25 annually, has been a healthy scratch lately and only appeared in one game since October 10th.
On paper, the rumored pursuit of Dylan Larkin makes a lot of sense for the Bruins, though Larkin reportedly isn’t willing to go to Boston at this time. Add him as some center help and this team could really be cooking with gas, depending on what they’d have to subtract from the playing roster to get a trade done.
A run of good health has led to a lot of stability so far in Boston. 15 of their 18 skaters have played in at least 15 of the team’s first 16 games. Add in Charlie MacAvoy, who has played all 10 games he has been eligible after serving a six-game suspension incurred last season, and that means pretty much every key player has appeared in every game so far.
James Hagens (2G+3A in the last five games) looks like he’s coming along nicely as a rookie. Hagens played a season-high 17:27 and scored a goal last game against Vegas.
Nice to see DiPietro getting his first sustained NHL chance and making the most of it at age 27. He’s been in the AHL since 2019 and one of the league’s best goalies down there for quite a while. Swayman is the unquestioned No. 1 (and no slouch himself as one of the league’s top goalies) and quietly the Bruins have a very good netminder behind him for depth.
Key to the game: Can the Penguins stack up against one of the league’s best early season teams?
It’s still early but it’s hard to look stronger under the hood than the Bruins do. They control play enough to be top-10 in both expected goals for and against. Their goaltender is awesome and has elevated them to some of the stingiest results around, helping them to a literally off-the-charts 65.5% 5v5 goal differential there in the top righthand corner (38 for to 20 against) that is tops in the whole NHL right now. Their finishing has been sufficient, driven by players like Pastrnak who can create and convert on chances.
Based on how this first month or so has gone, Boston is one of the top-performing teams right now in the NHL. This is going to be a very tall task for the Pens tonight to try and measure up with a quality club that is backed by a top goaltender.
And now for the Pens
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Tommy Novak – Sidney Crosby – Rickard Rakell
Egor Chinakhov – Ben Kindel – Evgeni Malkin
Ville Koivunen – Hendrix Lapierre – Justin Brazeau
Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Nick Robertson
DEFENSEMEN
Sam Girard / Erik Karlsson
Spencer Stastney / Kaeden Korczak
Declan Carlile / Kris Letang
Goalies: Arturs Silovs and Sergei Murashov
Potential Scratches: Andrei Kuzmenko, Ilya Solovyov, Jake Livanavage
IR: Ryan Graves, Trevor van Riemsdyk, Elmer Soderblom, Bryan Rust
Based on comments made by Dan Muse yesterday, it looks like the Pens are hopeful that Malkin will be retuning to the lineup tonight.
That would mean one of Koivunen or Kuzmenko, who rotated on the third line in practice yesterday, will be coming out of the lineup as a result.
Defensively there were no indications that the six who played on Tuesday won’t be used in the same manner again tonight, which, yeah feels frustrating after seeing the struggles for that group. Muse launched a thoughtful defense of Carlile when asked about why that player has been keeping his spot in the lineup.
Sidney Crosby passes Marcel Dionne to claim full ownership of sixth in all-time scoring with one more point. Crosby was on the ice for two goals last game and had an influence on both but did not record a point out of last game.
On Wednesday night, Dan Milstein, Montreal Canadiens winger Ivan Demidov’s agent, appeared on the DFO Insider Podcast. While he mainly spoke about the hot topic of the week in the NHL, Nikita Kucherov’s relationship with the Tampa Bay Lightning, he also shed some light on the Demidov injury.
The agent confirmed that Demidov suffered a fractured ankle during the preseason and that he kept playing through the pain. Milstein explained:
He walked up to me after the first game of the season in Toronto. After the game, he walked up to me and said, “Hey, something is bothering [me]; something is not right.” And then he went out and played the second game, and so we did the MRI. As a matter of fact, a year ago I had the same issue with Artyom Levshunov of Chicago. Those young kids, they play through pain, and then we realized two weeks later that he had an issue that needed medical attention too. So hopefully Ivan will be back on the ice in a very short while, and he’ll help the Montreal Canadiens start winning some games.
Still, according to Milstein, his client is getting ready, and it will probably be a few more weeks or so before he’s back in the lineup. While this isn't the best news, we’ve seen Demidov progress over the last week. On Saturday morning at the Bell Centre, we spotted him walking in sneakers to the Canadiens’ dressing room after what looked like a session of ball hockey. Then, early this week, he was filmed skating carefully at the Bell Centre. The way he skated made it clear he wasn’t on the verge of returning.
For those asking, this is a confirmed real video of Ivan Demidov skating today at the Bell Centre.
His injury wasn’t an upper-body injury; he had to stay off the ice for four weeks, so it makes sense that he needs time to rehabilitate his ankle and won’t go full steam ahead right away. There’s no sense in rushing back and making matters worse. As things stand, the Canadiens are second in the Atlantic Division and sixth in the NHL; they can get by without the young Russian until he’s fully healthy. As for when that will be, we’ll have to wait for another update from the Canadiens to know for sure, but Milstein’s declaration that it will be a few more weeks makes perfect sense. Patience, Habs fans; you know Demidov is well worth the wait.
One last contest at PPG Paints Arena for the Pittsburgh Penguins before hopping on a plane and heading back out west for their annual California swing that begins on Saturday. Tonight the Boston Bruins come to town as leaders of the Atlantic division and owners of the fourth best record in the NHL at the moment. It will be another difficult test for the Penguins team who continues to drop in the standings as the losses begin to pile up.
Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM and will be broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh.
Pens Points…
A little over a month into the season and the direction of the 2026-27 Penguins is becoming a little more clear each passing game. While no one wants to suffer through a bad season with losses piling up, big picture wise it might be the best route they could take. [Pensburgh]
Down on the farm, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins continue their up and down start to the season by splitting a weekend pair of games with Utica and Hershey. It should have been a clean sweep, but a blown 3-1 cost them in their matchup with the Comets. [Pensburgh]
You can’t qualify or eliminate yourself from playoff contention this early in the season, but you can dig a hole too difficult to escape from down the line. As the Penguins continue to slide down the standings, that hole gets a bit bigger after every game they drop. [PPG]
Tuesday’s loss to the Golden Knights put the spotlight on the power play struggles in a major way, especially after coming up empty on a late 5-on-3 advantage. Despite constant tweaks to the power play units, there is still much work to be done to get it where it needs to be. [Trib Live]
Another glaring issue for the Penguins as of late has been the play of defenseman Declan Carlile. While fans lobby for him to get replaced in the lineup, head coach Dan Muse offered support to his beleaguered blue liner. [Trib Live]
NHL News and Notes…
After a contentious standoff ended with Connor Hellebyuck being dealt away from the Winnipeg Jets as he requested, the goaltender posted a lengthy goodbye to the city he called home his entire NHL career and thanked the Jets fans for all their support over the years. [NHL]
NEWARK, NJ - NOVEMBER 03: Connor Hellebuyck #37 of the New Jersey Devils looks on during a game between the Edmonton Oilers and New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on November 3, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck says “very challenging circumstances” involving his family were among the reasons he requested a trade out of Winnipeg.
In a letter to Jets fans posted Wednesday on Instagram, Hellebuyck acknowledged his trade request disappointed those who had supported him throughout his career in Winnipeg.
“I understand those feelings, and I want everyone to know it was an extremely difficult decision,” he said. “After a lot of thought and discussion, we ultimately felt that making a change was the best thing for our family.
“We’ve chosen to keep those personal circumstances private, and I hope people can respect that.”
Hellebuyck was traded Oct. 23 to the New Jersey Devils for forwards Dawson Mercer, Alexander Command and Nick Bjugstad, goaltender Nico Daws, a 2027 seventh-round pick and a 2029 second-round pick.
The trade came a month after Hellebuyck, a three-time Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL’s top goaltender and the 2024-25 MVP, publicly demanded a move. The Jets later suspended him for failing to report to training camp.
While the relationship between the Jets and the one-time face of their franchise ended on a sour note, Hellebuyck stuck a conciliatory tone in his letter.
“I’m sincerely grateful to (co-owner) Mark Chipman, (GM) Kevin Cheveldayoff and the entire Jets organization for the opportunity they gave me and the trust they showed in me over the years,” he said.
“To my teammates, coaches, trainers, equipment staff and everyone behind the scenes, thank you for your friendships, support and memories that I will always carry with me.”
He saved some of his kindest words for Winnipeg’s fans, noting how he felt a connection to the city through his love of the outdoors.
“To the great Jets fans who supported me and my family, thank you,” he said. “I’ll never forget the pride I felt representing Winnipeg, and I wish the Jets and the entire community nothing but the best.”
It remains to be seen if Jets fans will reciprocate his feelings when the Devils visit Winnipeg on Tuesday.
Hellebuyck is among several prominent American NHL players who have pushed for moves from Canadian teams to clubs south of the border.
Two of Hellebuyck’s U.S. Olympic gold-medal teammates have faced hostile receptions in their former NHL cities. Brady Tkachuk, the longtime Senators captain, was heavily jeered when his Florida Panthers recently visited Ottawa. Former Canucks captain and current Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes also heard boos upon his return to Vancouver.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Adrian Kempe had a hat trick and an assist, Quinton Byfield scored two goals, and the Los Angeles Kings routed the San Jose Sharks 7-2 on Wednesday night.
Erik Haula and Joel Armia also scored for the Kings and Darcy Kuemper made 30 saves. Artemi Panarin had four assists.
It was the 37th multigoal game Kempe has had with the Kings, moving him past Dustin Brown for sole possession of ninth place in the history of the franchise. Kempe returned to the lineup after missing a 3-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday because of an undisclosed injury.
Macklin Celebrini and Ivar Stenberg scored power-play goals and Yaroslav Askarov made 20 saves for the Sharks, who have now lost three games in a row. Erik Gustafsson assisted on both goals.
Kempe scored his first goal just 1:23 into the game and added a second later in the first period as the Kings jumped to a 3-0 lead after one. Kempe completed the hat trick with a power-play goal with 4:09 left in the second period. The Kings were 3 for 5 on the power play in the game.
The game marked the NHL debut for San Jose defenseman Eric Pohlkamp, called up from the AHL before the game.
Up next
Sharks: Visit the Minnesota Wild on Friday night.
Kings: Host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Evander Kane is taking his talents to Russia, and if this is the end of his NHL career, well, it's been quite a ride around the National Hockey League.
The 35-year-old forward is expected to sign with a KHL team in the coming days, according to his agent, Dan Milstein, after spending the offseason without an NHL contract.
“We had a couple of things here in North America, but in the end, Evander decided to take his talents to Russia,” Milstein said. “We're very close to signing a deal with a KHL team. So, over the next couple of days or so, we'll make an announcement.”
Kane played 1,001 NHL games that included 339 goals and 648 points with Atlanta, Winnipeg, Buffalo, San Jose, Edmonton, and Vancouver. He scored 30 goals twice, reached two Stanley Cup Finals with the Oilers, and was one of the league's more physical forwards there for a time.
Kane was selected fourth overall by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2009 and made his NHL debut at 18. He scored 30 goals with Winnipeg in 2011-12, although his time with the Jets ended in 2015 after a series of disagreements, including a widely reported incident involving Dustin Byfuglien throwing Kane's tracksuit into a shower.
He was traded to Buffalo shortly afterward, spending parts of four seasons with the Sabres before joining the San Jose Sharks in 2018.
Kane was a productive player during those years, although his disciplinary record and problems away from hockey were becoming an increasingly significant part of his reputation.
In 2021, he filed for personal bankruptcy, listing millions of dollars in debts. He was also suspended 21 games by the NHL for violating the league's COVID-19 protocols by submitting a falsified vaccination card.
The Sharks eventually terminated his contract in January of 2022, citing a breach of his standard player contract. The NHLPA filed a grievance challenging that decision, and the matter was subsequently settled.
Kane also faced serious allegations concerning his personal life, some of which he denied. Those allegations shouldn't be treated as established facts, although the public disputes and investigations contributed to the attention surrounding his career.
By the time Edmonton signed him in January of 2022, Kane was one of the most controversial players in the NHL.
Kane scored 22 goals in 43 regular-season games during his first year with the Oilers, then led the NHL playoffs with 13 goals in just 15 games.
Edmonton signed him to a four-year, $20.5-million contract that summer, and Kane became an important part of the team's attempts to win a Stanley Cup.
Kane suffered a serious wrist injury in November of 2022 and later dealt with several other health issues, missing the entire 2024-25 regular season before returning for the playoffs.
He was part of Edmonton's consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Final, although his production had declined considerably by the time the Oilers traded him to Vancouver in June of 2025.
Kane finished his final NHL season with 13 goals and 31 points in 71 games for the Canucks, who didn't bring him back when his contract expired.
By 35, his offensive production had been declining, and he'd accumulated a lengthy injury history, on top of a deeply questionable personal life. Though, Kane also helped establish the Hockey Diversity Alliance in 2020 to address racism and discrimination in hockey.
Kane will likely never return to the NHL, and his legacy across the league is one of considerable debate for his performance on and off the ice.
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Samuel Ersson made 24 saves in the win for the Senators, who entered the game having lost three of their last four games, including a 6-3 setback against Anaheim on Sunday.
Colten Ellis had 28 saves for the Sabres, who had their three-game win streak halted.
PANTHERS 5, BLACKHAWKS 3
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Sandis Vilmanis had the first two-goal game of his career, Sam Reinhart provided a goal and two assists, and Florida beat Chicago to wrap up a three-game homestand.
Seth Jones scored against his former team and Carter Verhaeghe had a goal and an assist for the Panthers, who are 4-1-0 in their last five games and 7-3-0 in their past 10. Vilmanis added two assists to finish with four points.
Florida improved to 9-0-1 when allowing three goals or fewer this season. Reinhart’s goal was an empty-netter to seal the win with 1:27 left.
Frank Nazar had two third-period goals and Roman Kantserov also scored for Chicago. Ethan Del Mastro got two assists — his first points of the season, and the first multi-point game of his career. Connor Bedard had two assists.
Samuel Ersson made 24 saves in the win for the Senators, who entered the game having lost three of their last four games, including a 6-3 setback against Anaheim on Sunday.
Colten Ellis had 28 saves for the Sabres, who had their three-game win streak halted.
Up next
Senators: Host the Utah Mammoth on Saturday in the opener of a three-game homestand.
Sabres: Host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday in the second game of a four-game homestand.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
The Chicago Blackhawks lost to the Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Florida, on Wednesday night. This was their fourth straight loss, and they are now 4-11-1 through 16 games this season. They are also still winless on the road following this loss.
Like every other game this season, the Blackhawks were thoroughly outplayed in almost every area of the game. Before the opening period was 5 minutes old, the Panthers had a 1-0 lead, and they took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.
In the second period, the Hawks started to find their legs a little more, and the shot counter started to even out. They weren't all quality shots compared to those of the Panthers, but it was an undoubted improvement over the first period.
Despite their better play, it was Florida that scored the first goal of the period. Seth Jones threw one on Spencer Knight, and it beat him to make it 3-0. It's a tough goal for Knight, who was traded for Jones, to give up.
The Blackhawks did respond before the period was over, however. Roman Kantserov scored his 7th goal of the season to get the Blackhawks on the board. This ended a stretch of 8 unanswered goals given up by the Blackhawks, going back to their previous game against the Colorado Avalanche.
Kantserov, who leads the Blackhawks in goals, also leads all NHL rookies. This marker passed James Hagens of the Boston Bruins and Trevor Connelly of the Vegas Golden Knights for sole possession of the lead.
Entering the 3rd period down 3-1, the Blackhawks had a near-impossible hill to climb. They had a hard time scoring as it was, and they needed two just to have a chance at winning the game.
Shockingly, the Blackhawks did briefly get within one thanks to a short-handed goal by Frank Nazar. Cole Smith sprung him for a breakaway, and a nifty move allowed him to beat Jacob Markstrom on the backhand.
That didn't last for as long as Chicago would have liked, however, as Sandis Vilmanis scored his second goal of the game to make it 4-2 for Florida. His line with Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe was magnificent in this game, as they scored all of their even-strength goals on a goalie.
Frank Nazar didn't hear a bell, however, as he scored his second of the period to get the Blackhawks within one for the second time. While the Blackhawks were trying to complete the comeback with Spencer Knight on the bench, Sam Reinhart threw one into the empty net and sealed the 5-3 victory for Florida.
Some of the younger players on the Blackhawks were clearly giving it their all until the very end, but it was not enough to overcome what was a mostly sloppy game for Chicago. This win completes a season sweep of the Blackhawks for the Panthers.
The Chicago Blackhawks will continue their road trip with a Thursday night game against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Tampa, Florida. This is the first time that the Blackhawks will be playing in a back-to-back situation.
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Evander Kane is taking the his talents to the KHL. Agent Dan Milstein has confirmed that Kane received a couple of offers to play in the North America, but has ultimately decided to head to Russia where he will play the 2026-27 season.
An unrestricted free agent, Kane was unable to secure a contract with an NHL teams. He spent last season with the Vancouver Canucks after being acquired in a trade from the Edmonton Oilers.
His last five seasons have mixed solid production with injury trouble. He scored 22 goals in 43 games after joining Edmonton midseason in 2021-22, then managed 16 goals in 41 games in 2022-23. He bounced back with 24 goals and 44 points in 77 games in 2023-24. A long layoff limited him to 21 games and 12 points in 2024-25, and he was dealt to Vancouver that summer. In 2025-26 he finished with 13 goals and 31 points in 70 games for the Canucks.
This will likely signal the end of Kane's playing career in the NHL. A solid winger, he was one of the premier power forwards in the NHL for several seasons. Off-ice drama played a significant role in his career and in many ways, it will unfortunately be what he's most remembered for.
"Evander Kane decided to take his talents to Russia"
Dan Milstein breaks that his client, Evander Kane will play this season in the KHL.@JeffMarek | @TheFourthPeriod
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Star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck says “very challenging circumstances” involving his family were among the reasons he requested a trade out of Winnipeg.
In a letter to Jets fans posted Wednesday on Instagram, Hellebuyck acknowledged his trade request disappointed those who had supported him throughout his career in Winnipeg.
“I understand those feelings, and I want everyone to know it was an extremely difficult decision,” he said. “After a lot of thought and discussion, we ultimately felt that making a change was the best thing for our family.
“We’ve chosen to keep those personal circumstances private, and I hope people can respect that.”
Hellebuyck was traded Oct. 23 to the New Jersey Devils for forwards Dawson Mercer, Alexander Command and Nick Bjugstad, goaltender Nico Daws, a 2027 seventh-round pick and a 2029 second-round pick.
The trade came a month after Hellebuyck, a three-time Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL’s top goaltender and the 2024-25 MVP, publicly demanded a move. The Jets later suspended him for failing to report to training camp.
While the relationship between the Jets and the one-time face of their franchise ended on a sour note, Hellebuyck stuck a conciliatory tone in his letter.
“I’m sincerely grateful to (co-owner) Mark Chipman, (GM) Kevin Cheveldayoff and the entire Jets organization for the opportunity they gave me and the trust they showed in me over the years,” he said.
“To my teammates, coaches, trainers, equipment staff and everyone behind the scenes, thank you for your friendships, support and memories that I will always carry with me.”
He saved some of his kindest words for Winnipeg’s fans, noting how he felt a connection to the city through his love of the outdoors.
“To the great Jets fans who supported me and my family, thank you,” he said. “I’ll never forget the pride I felt representing Winnipeg, and I wish the Jets and the entire community nothing but the best.”
It remains to be seen if Jets fans will reciprocate his feelings when the Devils visit Winnipeg on Tuesday.
Hellebuyck is among several prominent American NHL players who have pushed for moves from Canadian teams to clubs south of the border.
Two of Hellebuyck’s U.S. Olympic gold-medal teammates have faced hostile receptions in their former NHL cities. Brady Tkachuk, the longtime Senators captain, was heavily jeered when his Florida Panthers recently visited Ottawa. Former Canucks captain and current Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes also heard boos upon his return to Vancouver.
In the 2026 offseason, the Philadelphia Flyers sought to upgrade their defense, but the one transaction they completed just left things worse for wear. Fortunately, the NHL waiver wire has again presented management with an opportunity to fix things.
In the only real move the Flyers made this summer, goalie Sam Ersson, defenseman Emil Andrae, and a third-round pick were traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for goalie Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit.
Benoit, 28, has struggled to establish himself for the Flyers as a rotational veteran, temporarily falling behind Hunter McDonald on the depth chart while also ceding reps to prospect David Jiricek early in the season.
A historically limited player offensively, Benoit has no points in 12 games for the Flyers this season, and has just six goals and 30 assists in 364 career regular season games.
The Flyers, who already produced little offense as it is, are going to need much more from their blue line in order to make something of this season.
Fortunately for them, the good news is that Andrae, still just 24 years old, is available for free on the NHL waiver wire.
The 5-foot-9 Swede has struggled to find his footing this season, having featured as a depth piece for the Columbus Blue Jackets, who picked him up as an auxiliary asset in the Kirill Marchenko trade that sent the star Russian winger to Toronto.
Despite that, though, Andrae has produced two points in five games, assisting on Matthew Knies's first Blue Jackets goal on Oct. 1, and picking up another helper against the Maple Leafs in his most recent appearance for Columbus on Oct. 20.
The unfortunate reality for Andrae is that he's not going to surpass Ivan Provorov, Zach Werenski, or Denton Mateychuk on the depth chart to earn playing time on the left side of the defense, leaving him to play a seventh or eighth defenseman role as a 24-year-old.
If the Flyers were to claim Andrae from waivers for a reunion, though, the undersized defenseman could presumably slide right back into his bottom-four role on defense, and it undoubtedly helps that Andrae already knows Rick Tocchet's system and the majority of the players on the team.
While things weren't perfect at times under Tocchet, Andrae still enjoyed a breakout campaign last year with the Flyers, playing in a career-high 61 games and scoring two goals, 11 assists, and 13 points with a +15 rating, which was the second-best mark on the team.
He doesn't contribute much on special teams, but Andrae is undeniably an upgrade over Benoit and Jiricek, and probably an aging Nick Seeler, too.
Emil Andrae was quietly a very strong two-way defenseman for the Flyers in his depth role. (HockeyStats.com)
His puck-moving skills would help ease the Flyers' overreliance on players like Travis Sanheim, Jamie Drysdale, and Oliver Bonk, who have been working overtime in offensive situations with the Flyers frequently in need of a goal or two... or three.
As things stand, the Flyers are the fourth-worst team in the NHL with their 4-9-4 record and 12 points, which makes them, by extension, the fourth team in the waiver order.
If they want to reunite with Andrae and upgrade the defense for free, only the Los Angeles Kings, Chicago Blackhawks, and Vancouver Canucks have higher waiver priority.
Originally trading Andrae to the Maple Leafs in the Woll deal was the cost of doing business for the Flyers, who had been counting on having the defenseman in their plans until that deal came along.
In fact, they even had Hometown Remix gear made for Andrae that went unused!
But again, now that Andrae is on waivers, the Flyers have a golden opportunity to reunite with a player they never necessarily wanted to lose to begin with, and it couldn't come at a better time in the season than now.
