The Columbus Blue Jackets have 14 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #14. 

Let's take a look.

Ray Whitney - 2001-2003 - Drafted by San Jose in 1991. 

Whitney played 151 games as a Jacket and was the Captain for one. During the one year he was the Captain, he scored 24 goals and totaled 76 points, which set a CBJ record. Ray Whitney is the best player to have worn #14 for the Blue Jackets.

When Ray Whitney was traded to the Blue Jackets, the 28-year-old had already played 528 games in the NHL spanning 10 seasons. But he had never played a full 82-game season; he only averaged 53 games a year. So, when the CBJ traded for him in 2001, fans were as excited as ever for the fledgling franchise. They were getting a goal-scorer and a relatively young playmaker.

After his time with Columbus, he went on to play for another 10 years and a total of 1,330 games. He played a total of 22 seasons in the NHL and had over 1,000 points. He would retire in 2015. 

In a game at Nationwide Arena in November 2001 against the St. Louis Blues, Whitney scored this goal, which is still a legendary goal in CBJ history. The radio call from play-by-play icon George Matthews, with his partner Bill Davidge, still gives me chills.

Greg Mauldin - 2004 - Drafted by Columbus in 2002. 

Played 6 games for Columbus and had no points. He went on to play 30 more NHL games after leaving Columbus.

Mauldin left for Europe in 2012, where he played in Switzerland, Russia, Germany, and Norway. He played until 2024 before retiring. 

Raffi Torres - 2009-2010 - Drafted by the New York Islanders in 2000. 

Torres played 111 games for the Jackets and had 51 points. He was traded to the Buffalo Sabres on March 3, 2010. 

Torres retired on November 5, 2016.

Grant Clitsome - 2011-2012 - Drafted by Columbus in 2004.

He played 93 games for Columbus and had 36 points before being put on waivers on February 26, 2012. 

On June 1, 2016, Clitsome retired after suffering a serious shoulder injury. 

Blake Comeau - 2013-2014 - Drafted by the New York Islanders in 2004. 

Comeau played 79 games and had 21 points for the CBJ. In the summer of 2014, he left in free agency to join the Pittsburgh Penguins.

He would go on to play 909 games in the NHL and retired during the 21-22 season. 

Dean Kukan - 2015-2022 - Kukan is undrafted out of Volketswil, Switzerland.

Dean Kukan made his NHL debut in March of 2016 after playing the majority of the season with the Lake Erie Monsters. After playing in 8 games near the end of the season, he was sent back to Lake Erie and would help the Monsters win their first-ever Calder Cup. He had 5 points in 17 playoff games.

Kukan would bounce up and down between Columbus and Cleveland until 2022. He would play a total of 153 games for the CBJ and total 30 points. He excelled in the minors, though. He played in 142 games for Lake Erie/Cleveland and totaled 59 points as a fairly skilled two-way defenseman.

After the 2022 season, Kukan made the decision to return to Europe. He returned to his home country of Switzerland to play for his original club, the ZSC Lions, on a five-year contract. 

Kukan is also routinely chosen to represent the Swiss in international competitions. He played in the 2025 IIHF World Championships, where he scored 9 points in 10 games. He also played in 5 games for Switzerland at the 2026 Olympics. 

Gustav Nyquist - 2020-2023 - Drafted by the New York Islanders in 2004. 

Nyquist played 200 games as a Jacket before being traded to the Minnesota Wild in 2023. During his time in Columbus, which included a missed season due to injury, he scored 43 goals and had 117 points. 

After being traded to the Wild, he would leave that summer and sign with the Nashville Predators in 2023 on a two-year deal. On 1 March 2025, he was traded back to the Wild to finish the season. On 2 July 2025, Nyquist signed a one-year contract with the Winnipeg Jets. He is currently unsigned. 

Gus Nyquist and his family still live in the Columbus area. 

Joseph LaBate - 2025 - Drafted by Vancouver in 2011. 

LaBate played a total of six games for the Blue Jackets during the 2024-25 season. He originally signed a PTO with the Cleveland Monsters, but in November, the CBJ signed him to a one-year deal, which allowed him to play for Columbus. 

LaBate signed a one-year deal with Vancouver this past offseason. 

There are 14 days left until opening night at Nationwide Arena. 

Drake Batherson is staying in Ottawa for the long haul.

The Hockey News' Steve Warne and co-host Gregg Kennedy break down Batherson’s eight-year, $82-million contract extension, including the timing, trade protection and why his commitment matters after a turbulent summer for the Senators.

Also discussed:

Batherson’s new deal: Is $10.25 million per season a fair price, and could the contract eventually become a bargain?

The NHL’s salary explosion: How offer sheets, a rising cap and massive young-player contracts could affect Thomas Chabot, Artem Zub and other Senators.

An unusually short training camp: With few roster openings and limited preseason action, do Ottawa’s bubble players have any real opportunity?

The end of fitness testing: Why the NHL’s new training-camp rules have left some coaches concerned.

Ottawa’s prospects shine: Jaxon Cover’s seven-point weekend headlines an impressive showing that also included Kasper Halttunen, Christian Kyrou and others.

Goaltending questions: Cam Talbot lands in Columbus, while Ottawa must decide whether to begin the season with Linus Ullmark, Samuel Ersson and Leevi Meriläinen.

That's all in this episode of Sens Nation, the official Senators podcast of The Hockey News.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News

On Thursday, training camp officially begins for the Philadelphia Flyers, and for some, the next two weeks will be an important inflection point in their careers.

Opening night is less than two weeks from now, with the Flyers starting their season against the archrival Pittsburgh Penguins in a playoff rematch on Sept. 30.

By then, the Flyers will have played four preseason games and cut their roster in half, going from 46 players to the allotted 23 they'll begin the season with.

This is all to say that anyone fighting for a roster spot, or anyone fighting to prove themselves to head coach Rick Tocchet and the coaching staff, isn't going to have a whole lot of time to make it happen. Every practice session and preseason game will be of great importance.

But, not everyone has to prove their skills on the ice. For some, it's about everything else.

Matvei Michkov

At the age of 21, Matvei Michkov already has 114 points in 161 games and quickly established as one of the Flyers' premier forwards, despite the fact that he averaged just 14:50 of ice time last season and 15:45 in his NHL career to date.

As we all know by now, the Russian phenom joined up with the Flyers last training camp at a weight much higher than he should've been (205, according to his own words), but Michkov now claims to be 176 pounds and at 10% body fat, acknowledging that he can already feel the difference.

This will go a long way towards getting back in the good graces of Tocchet and the Flyers. If Michkov is truly rejuvenated and in the best shape of his NHL career, Year 3 should be the best one yet, considering he now has two full seasons of experience to draw on.

Of course, Michkov will need to show his progress on the ice and in the weight room throughout training camp if he is to assume a top-six role under Tocchet.

If that test is passed, it will be a massive relief for all parties involved.

David Jiricek

The Flyers have high hopes David Jiricek, the sixth overall pick in the 2022 draft, will take a step forward and prove that he is ready for the NHL limelight.

The 22-year-old is no longer waivers-exempt and will have to be exposed to the other 31 NHL teams if the Flyers deem he has to spend more time in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

On the other hand, is spot on the roster is the most obvious for the taking, with Noah Juulsen now out of the picture and leaving a third-pair vacancy behind Jamie Drysdale and Rasmus Ristolainen.

There are a few boxes Jiricek will need to check, primarily in regards to decision-making and defending, but the puck skills and shooting ability are there. Even if Jiricek begins as a power play specialist, it's a starting point that opens the door for him to grow into an expanded role from there.

Jiricek is on his third NHL organization since being drafted, and it's likely now or never to establish himself as an every-day NHL player. With the Flyers, he has the best possible opportunity to make it happen.

Jett Luchanko

To preface, Jett Luchanko probably won't and shouldn't be expected to stick on the NHL roster out of the gate as he did the previous two seasons; it's not the best thing for his development.

That said, though, Luchanko is probably as healthy as he's been in a long time after undergoing a procedure to correct a nagging injury, which has considerably improved his already good skating - his No. 1 trait as a player.

The 20-year-old former 13th overall pick needs only to make the decision a hard one for the Flyers and show that he will be gunning to make this roster in the near future.

In my first edition of the Flyers' depth chart, I noted that I expect the Flyers to bring Luchanko up first if any of their centers go down with an injury, especially if the injury is significant. That allows for more reps for one of their most talented forward prospects.

With a strong training camp performance, Luchanko can re-establish himself as a premier prospect in the system and set himself up for a strong first professional season.

At full strength and with a shortened training camp, Luchanko should show the Flyers his best hockey yet.

The Montreal Canadiens' training camp opened on Wednesday, but there were no on-ice sessions scheduled, unlike previous years, and thanks to the new CBA, players didn’t have to face grueling physical tests. On Wednesday, all they had to do was undergo medical tests. While they were doing that, coach Martin St-Louis was back in the conference room fielding questions from the media.

The bench boss made it clear he’s happy the camp is streamlined and won’t last as long as it did before; St-Louis wants to hit the ground running. From the start, we’ll see the 57 players invited to camp split into three teams: A, B, and C.

Canadiens: More On The Newhook Contract
Canadiens: The Big Question With The Xhekaj Contract
Canadiens’ Bolduc Thought It Was Important To Stay As Long As Possible

On Thursday, Team A will hit the ice first at 10:30 AM and will feature the players who will take on the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Bell Centre on Saturday night. Team B, who’ll practice at 11:50 AM, will feature the players who will take on the Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday evening. As for Team C, it will take to the ice at 1:00 PM,

While the coach was very forthcoming last season in telling the media that Kirby Dach would be starting camp as the second-line center, he made no such declaration this time around. St-Louis played it safe, saying his team has some good depth and some options. He didn’t go as far as naming those options, but one can imagine they include Oliver Kapanen, Kirby Dach, and Alex Newhook. Despite how last season's playoffs ended, it would be surprising if they considered Jake Evans. What is the pilot looking for in a second-line center? That he was willing to share:

You have to be pretty good on draws. Guys who play center usually need a good computer and to complement other players; there’s not just one thing. Suzuki is our first center; there’s no debate on that, but looking at the other spots in the lineup, I don’t see it as: this is the first line, this is the second line, this is the third line. I don’t see it that way. I think we have a lot of depth, and of course some lines have more opportunities to provide offence, while others are relied on more to contribute defensively, but that doesn’t mean they don’t play offensively and our top guys don’t play defensively. So, you ask me what I want from a center who perhaps plays with more offensive players: I want him to have a balanced game, to be able to do pretty much everything on the ice.

- St-Louis on what he needs from a second-line center

Given how short the camp is, the first player that the Habs try in that position may very well be the one St-Louis sees as the frontrunner right now. We’ll see when the three groups hit the ice on Thursday.

Unsurprisingly, St-Louis was also asked about the possibility of playing Arber Xhekaj as a forward, and you could tell that’s not his first choice. He said he wouldn't be afraid to do it, especially if Xhekaj wasn’t going to play as a defenseman on a given night and the Habs had injuries up front, but he added that he’s first and foremost a defenseman and could still improve in that role.

As things stand, the Habs are set to practice at the CN Sports complex in Brossard on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. On Monday, Team A will be practising in Trois-Rivières, while Teams B and C will be in Brossard. The players will have a day off on Tuesday, then return to practice in Brossard on Wednesday the 23rd, Thursday the 24th, Friday the 25th, and Saturday the 26th.

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The Penguins get to work today officially for the start of the franchise’s 60th season. Pens Points is back to catch up on news and notes for the occasion.

The top storylines we’re tracking for the start of camp, which just so happens to be about the exact same questions as last year. [PensBurgh]

And here’s the opening camp roster with an early schedule through the weekend. [PensBurgh]

Sidney Crosby hasn’t signed a contract extension yet, but is feeling no rush to do so with his agent and the team handling talks. [Tribune Review]

A look at the philosophies and personality behind how Kyle Dubas works at re-shaping the Penguins. [Post-Gazette]

The Penguins have signed a deal with US Steel to jump on board as the team’s new helmet sponsor. Perhaps wisely it’s only for a promotional sticker and not for the manufacture of said equipment. [Penguins.com]

Cheers to former Penguin Ryan Reaves, who announced his retirement yesterday after 16 NHL seasons and 962 career games. [TSN]

With Reaves hangin’ the skates up, only three players remain for next season in the NHL who don’t wear a visor with that rule grandfathered in. Can you guess without clicking (answer below) [Reddit]

Speaking of grandfathered equipment changes, there’s only one new rule change for players in the NHL in 2026-27: any player who makes their NHL debut this season and beyond are required to wear a neck guard. Such protection remains optional for all players who already have played at least one prior NHL game. [Toronto Sun]

A list of players who must clear waivers for the first time in 2026-27 in order to be sent to the AHL. Pittsburgh entries: goalie Taylor Gauthier and forward Ville Koivunen. [Puck Pedia]

Good guy Marc-Andre Fleury didn’t forget his billet family, reaching out to invite them to be included with his QMJHL Hall of Fame proceedings. [CBC]

Former Penguin Jordan Staal has extended his contract in 2027-28 with Carolina for a $4.9 million cap hit with up to $5.1 million (!) more in performance bonuses. [Hurricanes.com]

New Utah teammates Vincent Trocheck and Logan Cooley have a long history dating back to their days in Pittsburgh. [NHL.com]

After shoulder surgery last month, Columbus goalie Elvis Merzlikins has failed a physical and isn’t expected back ‘anytime soon’. The Blue Jackets have recently added 39-year old goalie Cam Talbot to join Jet Greaves in net. [X – Portzline]

Mat Barzal’s status for the start of the regular season is in question after the announcement he won’t be skating at all for the next two weeks due to ‘inflammation’. (The Pens and Islanders don’t meet for the first time until January though, if you were wondering). [Islanders.com]

Drew Doughty is the new captain of the LA Kings. [NHL.com]

Connor Hellebuyck, who made a trade request public, decided not to show up to the start of Winnipeg’s training camp. The Jets have now suspended Hellebuyck, who won’t be getting paid in the regular season until he reports to the Jets or gets that trade in a situation that might get even uglier and messier in the coming weeks. [Sportsnet]

A handful of players got polled at media day about hot topics around the NHL like expansion, trade requests and what coach they would like to play for. [The Athletic $]

Trivia answer from above – the three remaining visor-less players signed to the NHL this year: Ryan O’Reilly, Zach Bogosian and Jamie Benn.

Time to drop the puck and get to work!

The Islanders open training camp — which are now shorter than past camps per the new CBA — with news that Mathew Barzal will not skate for all of it “due to aggravation of a prior injury that has caused some inflammation.”

So we are starting the season with Barzal out, and on Health Watch. That’s, that’s a bummer, man.

Islanders News

• Here is the Isles’ PR statement announcing Barzal’s status, which amusingly includes the uncharacteristic and unattributed line, “There is nobody more committed than Mathew to getting his body to the level where he thrives on the ice.“ [Isles]
• Here’s the full training camp roster. No alarms and no surprises, please—oops, too late. [Isles]
• The beatwriters try to add a bit more context on Barzal. [Newsday | Post]
• Andrew Gross also got the ol’ “5 questions” treatment as the Isles begin camp. [Newsday]
• Or call it a “bevy” of questions from Sears. [Post]
• Kashawn Aitcheson spent some time this summer training with Bo Horvat, the new captain who will presumably one day be cashing some on-ice checks that Aitcheson writes, so to speak. [Isles]
• The Islanders are doing another season of their docuseries (more on that below). [Newsday]

So yes, On The Island, Season 2 has begun. This one covers Kyle Palmieri’s offseason recovery and the Single Malte draft. (Does not cover Anders Lee’s departure, alas.) The prospects’ interactions with kids is pretty heartwarming, too. The title references a scout who’s been here nearly 50 years, who’s dad (passed away in 1979) helped convince Bill Torrey to pick Mike Bossy (How have we not heard this before? Have we heard this before?). Also, Eric Boulton looking like your beer league teammate and Trent Klatt like Ray Liotta:

Elsewhere

• Ooooh the drama in Winnipeg escalates, as Connor Hellebuyck does not report to camp, gets suspended. (Come on, man. Understand that your position and the huge contract you signed just a couple years ago might take a while to trade.) [NHL]
• In totally unrelated news, fellow trade requestor Dylan Larkin will miss the start of Red Wings training camp due to an injury with “no timeline.” [NHL]
• Gabriel Landeskog is old school, says he’s not sure all these trade demands are good. [Sportsnet]
• The Leafs have enlisted a couple former first-overalls, a future free agent and a robot, to help mentor Gavin McKenna. [NHL]
• But one of them, Auston Matthews, is totally committed to the Leafs, I swear. [NHL]
• Here’s the jukebox treatment on why Matthews is still a Leaf and will be one forever, I swear. [Sportsnet]
• Brent Burns has a new beard and is 57 games away from matching Phil Kessell’s ironman record. [NHL]
• A general primer on the Houston or Austin expansion situation, including info on the multi-club owner. [ESPN]

We made it, folks. It’s less than two weeks to Opening Night, there’ll be an actual hockey game involving some NHL players by the end of the weekend, and before we know it we’ll be marveling at a banner being hung in the Lenovo Center rafters—which may look different if promotional materials sent out to fans and photo shoots are any clue:

As things begin Thursday and members of the media will get their first real chance to chat with members of the team before things kick into high gear, here are a couple of the storylines to keep your eye on as they take the Wake Competition Center ice.

Alexander Nikishin Missing

It shouldn’t be a surprise following the blurb that Pierre LeBrun dropped earlier this week that Nikishin won’t be on the ice to start camp. Truthfully, without any sort of contract to play, there’s no reason for him to risk injury and get on the ice.

So after the fanfare to get him over from Russia to his debut in the 2025 playoffs and then a good but not great rookie season, the two sides continue to be at a stalemate. It’s one of those situations where you truly see both sides. Nikishin and his camp see some of new contracts that young players have been signing and feel they should be getting commiserate value. The Hurricanes have the leverage though, cause no other team can sign him and he couldn’t plead his case to an arbitrator. Perhaps if he had come over to the United States earlier he’d be in a position to where he could do that, instead the Canes are understandably in a mode of not wanting to sink a lot of money when the potential is there but hasn’t fully shown itself.

As for the desire of the Nikishin side to get a trade, again the Canes have most of the leverage. While they know he may not be a great fit for them they know his value and aren’t going to just give up on him. The sole leverage the Nikishin camp has is not having any promise to sign long term to a new team, thus decreasing his value.

What does this mean now that hockey is actually starting? Really, not much. As much hype as Nikishin had coming in, no one a) expected the team to trade for K’Andre Miller last summer and b) that turn out to be one of the best moves they could have made. The Canes’ blue line looks more solid than it did when Nikishin arrived, and thus there are several young defensemen who’ll be battling to take that spot as well as depth pieces the Canes signed. We’ll see if a deadline forces movement, because in the end Nikishin loses in that he’s in the United States and not earning anything.

Stable Roster

Besides Nikishin how stable is the Canes roster? They lost all of one person from last year’s Cup winning team—Frederik Andersen who is already out with injury for Edmonton. They filled that spot from within as Pyotr Kochetkov comes back to the team fully healed from lower body surgery this past winter and with the chance in the last year of his deal to really cash in—either with the Canes or someone else as he’ll be a UFA next year. Beyond that, everyone that lifted the Cup for the Canes is back, and this is reflected in the Training Camp roster released by the team on Wednesday.

Camp is going to see two groups of players take the ice, and there’s no mixing of the groups. One group is your defending Cup Champs, the other is the group of players that will likely start the season in either Greensboro or Chicago.

So, the only chance players will have to really show what they can do with the main players is before and during the four Pre-Season games. On those days, the camp changes from the major/minor league rosters to game/non-game skaters. That’s likely where we’ll get some sort of clue of any player that has impressed.

Competition for open spots

Despite the amount of stability, the fact remains that there is at least one open spot available to players to start the year, and perhaps two depending on what happens with Nikishin.

The spot is the one belonging to Seth Jarvis. While he’s been spotted on the ice doing some drills before formal camp, there’s still every indication he’ll miss the first couple months of the season so his shoulder can finally be 100%. After a performance that won him a spot in the Four Nations, the Olympics, and hero of the Stanley Cup Game Two, he’s earned the right now to sit back and make sure he’s 100% for hopefully another long run.

Thus, the question is how the lines will be shaken up while Jarvis recovers? Will the team bring up a Bradley Nadeau to give some time, build a true enforcer fourth line with the likes of Nicholas Deslauriers, give Jesperi Kotkaniemi one last real chance to impress so they may be able to fetch a good price for him on the trade market, or all of the above? It also makes one wonder how the lines will be constructed, as Jarvis had been shuffled between the Aho and the Staal lines, and it’s difficult to see the Stankoven line being broken up at least to start.

Short lead up

If you’re thinking that we’re going from zero to hockey in a very short time, you’re not wrong. This is going to be the first season of the 84 game schedule. This was done to bring the NHL back to the setup where you play your division four times, the other division three, and the other conference twice. To commit to playing two more regular season games the players asked for concessions in the preseason which—my guess is—the owners weren’t too upset about giving up.

This means a much shorter Training Camp, two less preseason games, and—much to the dismay of coach Rod Brind’Amour—no more fitness test.

Joking aside, we’ve seen the result of a reduced camp and preseason in the other big contact sport—the NFL—and while you can’t blame the players for wanting to reduce the grind, you can’t help but to think it’ll hit the Hurricanes the hardest of all the teams because of how late they played AND they were spending the time celebrating their Cup win. It’ll be interesting to hear how Brind’Amour speaks of the drills and camp with significantly less time to get his team ready to defend their crown.

The short leadup is probably also going to lead to a rush of information once camp is over. Normally the end of camp carries a four or five day break before the season opens, but this season the Canes play their last preseason game on Saturday, September 26th then open the season on Tuesday, September 29th. Thus once the final horn sounds next Saturday, expect the social media build to be fast and furious.

Are you ready for the season to begin?

The tallest order on the Anaheim Ducks’ late-summer “to do” list has been completed, and just in the nick of time. On Tuesday evening, the team announced they’d signed star forward Cutter Gauthier to a six-year contract extension that carries an AAV of $13.5 million. 

The timing of this signing was significant because not only was this contract signed hours before the expiration of the previous CBA, which limited aspects like maximum number of years and bonus structures, but pen was put to paper two days before the Ducks were set to open their 2026 training camp, thus avoiding a fourth contract negotiation in four years with a high-profile RFA extending into camp.

Ducks Sign Cutter Gauthier to Six-Year Contract Extension

Takeaways from the 2026 Ducks Rookie Camp/Tournament

This will be yet another pivotal year in the Ducks’ build toward true contention, as they’ll now hand the majority of responsibility over to their young, blossoming core and battle the repercussions of losing several key contributors to their successes a year ago. 

The Ducks released their training camp roster and details on Wednesday morning, and they’re inviting 48 players, including 29 forwards, 14 defensemen, and five goaltenders. 

Training camp will both raise and answer several questions for the team as it pertains to the upcoming 2026-27 season. Here are the top storylines to follow ahead of this relatively compressed training camp and preseason:

Who Will Start the Season as LaCombe’s Partner?

Jackson LaCombe is far and away the Ducks’ No. 1 defenseman, and in some views, their only “good” blueliner. He’s their all-situations ice time leader, and his eight-year, $9 million AAV contract kicks in this season. His partner for 861 minutes at 5v5 in the 2025-26 season, Jacob Trouba, has a new home with a division rival after signing a four-year contract with the San Jose Sharks when he hit unrestricted free agency on July 1, leaving the role as “Jackson LaCombe’s Partner” and “Top Pair Defenseman” up for grabs. 

There are several question marks surrounding each of the four candidates up for the role heading into training camp, and the lineup will likely remain a fluid situation on the blueline well into the season.

Drew Helleson (25) is a long-time close friend of LaCombe, but he had his struggles at 5v5 last season, and the pair didn’t have spectacular numbers in their 320 minutes together. The only NHL acquisition the Ducks made on the blueline was Nick Jensen (35), who’s coming off of a knee injury and his days as a top-four defenseman are likely in the rearview. Tristan Luneau (22), although technically not a rookie, is projected to play his first full season at the NHL level. Inserting him directly into a top-pair role, regardless of how talented he is, may be ill-advised. 

Ian Moore (24) may be the frontrunner for the position, as it currently stands. He has the skating ability, IQ, and habits to become a modern-day shutdown defender in head coach Joel Quenneville’s system. Though he surprisingly finished the year as a fourth-line right winger, he played 92 minutes alongside LaCombe in 2025-26, and the pair accounted for 60.6% of the expected goals at 5v5. 

How Many Rookies Will Make the Opening Roster?

From their forward group, the Ducks lost top-six pieces Mason McTavish and Chris Kreider, while Troy Terry is slated to miss the first 2-3 months of the upcoming season. Off the blueline, they lost Jacob Trouba, John Carlson, Radko Gudas, and Olen Zellweger. 

Due to the sizable (to say the least) contracts signed by Leo Carlsson, Pavel Mintyukov, and Cutter Gauthier, the front office wasn’t able to meaningfully replace those players during the offseason. However, after an elongated rebuild, the Ducks’ pipeline is teeming with players desperate for a crack at making the opening night roster and filling a supplemental scoring need. 

The two most notable and highest-profile in that group of players looking to make their NHL debuts and make an immediate impact at the sport’s highest level are Roger McQueen (10th overall in 2025) and Nikita Klepov (15th in ’26). McQueen is fresh off a successful yet relatively unproductive freshman season in the NCAA with Providence College, but brings a pro-ready frame, skill set, and habits. The Ducks surprisingly signed Klepov to an ELC, so he’s either destined for the NHL or OHL in 2026-27. He has an abundance of skill and tenacity in every facet, but has never played against professionals in his career. 

The Ducks will likely need one of, or both, these players to make an immediate impact to mitigate some of what was lost in the offseason and what they’ll be without early in the regular season. Relying on rookies to contribute off the bat can be a dangerous gamble, but the Ducks have had success in this realm in the recent past with Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, and Beckett Sennecke. 

Will Frank Vatrano Earn Back Trust?

The Ducks signed veteran forward Frank Vatrano to a three-year contract extension in the winter of 2025, and the first year of said extension didn’t go as anticipated in the slightest. After averaging 26 goals and 48 points through his first three seasons with the organization, he hit an unexpected speed bump in 2025-26.

While dealing with a new coach and system that aren’t quite conducive to his play style, Vatrano suffered a significant shoulder injury and dealt with an off-ice personal situation. Once a meaningful piece of the Ducks’ present and future, Vatrano finished the season with just nine points (5-4=9) in 50 games. 

Much like the case with Klepov and McQueen, there will be openings in the Ducks’ top nine heading into the season, as they’ll be without half of their top six from a year ago, at least to start the year, until Troy Terry returns from injury. If Vatrano can bounce back in any meaningful way and to any extent, coupled with internal growth from the young core and a rookie or two making an impact, there’s a real possibility the Ducks’ forward group can make up for the losses of McTavish and Kreider in the aggregate. 

Vatrano has proven that when placed in a position to succeed, he can provide his team with instant, depth scoring while impacting play with a high motor and forechecking prowess. 

Three Biggest Storylines Heading into Anaheim Ducks Rookie Camp

Report: Ducks to Place Chris Kreider on Waivers for Purposes of Contract Termination

Last season, Noah Laba proved that a strong training camp will be rewarded.

The same rule still applies as multiple Rangers rookies prepare for the first on-ice session of the 2026-27 preseason Thursday.

Of the 16 would-be rookies on the training camp roster, however, only two stand out as having the most legitimate chances before even stepping on the ice.

Goalie Dylan Garand and defenseman Alberts Smits are both in the mix for the few open spots in the Blueshirts lineup.

The backup job behind star netminder Igor Shesterkin is up for grabs after it was vacated by the since-retired Jonathan Quick.

Garand will go toe-to-toe with veteran goaltender Joonas Korpisalo for the role, which the 24-year-old started making a case for last season with a 2-0-1 record through his first three NHL games.

Korpisalo was still brought in from Boston this summer — for Kalle Vaisanen and a 2028 fourth-round draft pick — to ignite some internal competition.

“I think [Garand] showed us late in the season last year that he’s very capable of making saves in this league,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “That, in and of itself, just his overall growth and development, has given us a little bit more legitimate depth at the goaltending position. Korpy is a guy that I think is a bona fide NHL goalie that’s had success and has a body of work in this league that shows that he can be an effective goaltender, especially at the backup position.

“He’s done an admirable job in the places that he’s been. He’s done an admirable job in the places he’s beenWe feel like that position right now is competitive. I think ultimately as an organization the ultimate goal is to have fierce internal competition, healthy competition at all the positions.”

As for Smits, Sullivan noted that the 18-year-old’s history of playing in international men’s leagues has paved the way to his current position.

Despite acknowledging that Smits has a chance to make the Opening Night roster out of training camp, Sullivan also showed the organization’s caution.

President and general manager Chris Drury also has publicly stated the Rangers’ wish to do what’s best for his development.

Since the Rangers drafted him fifth overall in June, there appeared to be some distaste for the narrative of Smits being the most NHL-ready defenseman in the 2026 class and how it could affect him.

“We’re impressed with his game,” Sullivan said. “I think the most important thing is, and we have talked about this internally, is that in the big picture, the sooner that Smits becomes part of our roster the better. But we also have to make sure that we do the right thing for him, both in the short term and in the long term.

“We’ll see where it goes. We’re going to watch him in training camp with our veteran players, and his play will tell us where we think he fits and what’s best for him.”

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Sullivan noted that Pavel Dorofeyev can skate on both the right and left wings. As for where the 25-year-old Russian will start the season, Sullivan said there will be some experimenting.

“I think a lot of it’s going to come down to what we think is the best fit based on the combinations that we put together,” Sullivan said. “We’re going to explore different options to figure out how we can create the balance that we think is necessary to win consistently, but also to set players up for success. Him included. I would anticipate probably seeing him on both sides throughout the course of the next couple of weeks.”

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Cole Beaudoin is day to day and Aidan Thompson is week to week with undisclosed injuries.

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The new CBA that kicked in Wednesday notably reduces the maximum contract term to seven years for players re-signing with their current team (down from eight years) and six years for external free agent signings.

Multiple teams locked down young talent to the maximum term late Tuesday night, such as the Capitals and Ryan Leonard (eight years, $84 million), the Sabres and Noah Ostlund (eight years, $52.8 million) and the Senators and Drake Batherson (eight years, $86 million).

Asked if there was any inclination to approach, say, Gabe Perreault, or any other of their youngsters for a maximum contract, Drury declined to reveal his stance on the matter.

“As you all know, I’m not going to get into contract negotiations publicly,” he said. “All or any conversations I have with players or agents, keep that private. We’re happy with where we’re at. We’re happy with where our roster is at. We’re happy with our cap projections going into this year and in the future. We’re excited to see Gabe and other young players continue to grow, take on more responsibility, earn more responsibility here and have good productive years for us.”

Former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Ryan Reaves officially called it a career on Wednesday.

Reaves, who played for the Penguins during the 2017-18 season and compiled four goals and eight points in 58 games, announced his retirement via his official Instagram account. He played 16 NHL seasons and was one of the league's top enforcers. 

"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. Today, I retire from the sport I’ve loved since I was 5 years old," Reaves wrote on Instagram. "It was a hell of a ride. Thank you to everyone who supported me throughout this journey. There are too many to single out, so you’ll hear from me at some point."

"You can rest easy knowing the corners are a little safer today."

Ryan Reaves on InstagramDear Hockey, It’s hard to put into words what you meant to me. What ...

In addition to his time with the Penguins, he played for the St. Louis Blues, Vegas Golden Knights, New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild, Toronto Maple Leafs, and San Jose Sharks. 

Reaves compiled 66 goals and 140 points in 962 NHL games.

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Award-winning goalie Connor Hellebuyck, a U.S. Olympic gold medalist, did not report to the Winnipeg Jets' training camp and is being suspended as a result, the team said.

The announcement on Wedesday, Sept. 17, comes amid Hellebuyck's request to be traded. He asked earlier in the offseason and then went public with the request on Aug. 27.

"Several months ago, I privately requested a trade," Hellebuyck said in a statement released through his agent in August. "I have tried to handle the situation quietly and respectfully while giving the organization time to explore its options. With training camp approaching, I felt it was important to publicly confirm my request. My position has not changed, and I believe moving on is the best path forward for me and my family.

"I appreciate everything Winnipeg Jets fans have meant to me throughout my career and hope that a resolution can be reached soon."

The Jets said general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff will address the matter on Thursday.

Hellebuyck signed a seven-year extension averaging $8.5 million a year in July 2023 and is entering the third year of that deal.

In addition to the gold medal, Hellebuyck was voted the Hart Trophy winner in the 2024-25 season. He has won three Vezina Trophies, including back-to-back in 2024 and 2025.

Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin, Hellebuyck's Olympic teammate, also requested a trade, but he agreed to report to camp.

He won't take part in early on-ice sessions, though, because he suffered an upper-body injury during offseason training, interim GM Shawn Horcoff said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jets' Connor Hellebuyck suspended for not reporting to training camp amid trade request

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — The Winnipeg Jets suspended goaltender Connor Hellebuyck on Wednesday night for failing to report to training camp.

The team said general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff would address the media Thursday morning. It did not specify the length of the suspension for the U.S. Olympic star.

Hellebuyck, a three-time Vezina Trophy winner and 2025 Hart Trophy winner as NHL MVP, publicly requested a trade from the team on Aug. 27.

In a statement posted on X by his agent, Ray Petkau, Hellebuyck said he had privately requested a trade “several months ago” and that he gave the organization time to address it “queitly and respectfully.”

“Winnipeg has been my home for my entire NHL career, and I will always be grateful for my time there,” Hellebuyck said. “I have never forgotten June 23, 2012. That’s the day Winnipeg took a chance on a goalie playing in Odessa, Texas. I gave everything I had from that moment to prove that the Jets made the right decision.”

Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff had said before June’s NHL draft that he was listening to offers for Hellebuyck. At the time, he did not confirm that the goaltender had asked to be traded.

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See AP’s full NHL coverage here

The leaves are changing, there’s a nip to the air, and pumpkin spiced lattes are out in full force. All those things, and a back-to-school Target special, signal that hockey is just a stone’s throw away.

Admittedly, no temperature or aesthetic changes are happening in Las Vegas– palm trees’ leaves don’t change colors, and it’s still 93℉ and sunny. Nevertheless, the start of the 2026-27 season is right around the corner, and after a long summer, the Vegas Golden Knights are preparing to head to Training Camp.

Of course, the Golden Knights had a shorter summer than most, as their 2025-26 season didn’t end until June 14th, when they had to stand and watch as the Carolina Hurricanes were awarded the Stanley Cup. I imagine that, as the runners-up, the Golden Knights’ offseason felt impossibly long.

But finally, at long last, it’s Training Camp Eve, and the Golden Knights are just one sleep away from their revenge tour. Tomorrow, they’ll embark on their quest for redemption. Tomorrow, they’ll be given the opportunity to attempt to right all their wrongs, to write themselves a new story in which they emerge victorious.

Tomorrow, all the questions will be answered. But for tonight, here are the three biggest questions heading into training camp.

1. Who Will Become the Golden Knights’ New Goalscorer?

Turnover is inevitable in hockey, but the Golden Knights did their best to keep the band together. As it stands, their roster is almost identical to the one that fell just two wins short of the Stanley Cup. 

Almost identical. Almost.

When the Golden Knights take the ice on September 29th, they’ll do so without a former mainstay in their lineup: Pavel Dorofeyev. General Manager Kelly McCrimmon is never afraid to make difficult decisions, and he hammered that point home when he traded Dorofeyev, a sharpshooter who led the team in goals for the past two years, to the New York Rangers at the NHL Entry Draft. This year, they’ll have to look elsewhere for a late tying goal or game-winner.

But where will they look? The Golden Knights are a team that does things by committee and takes pride in their depth scoring, but 35-goalscorers don’t just grow on trees. They’ll likely need one of their two superstars to step up and prioritize shooting the puck. They’ll also probably need a healthy season from William Karlsson and a bounce-back season from Tomáš Hertl.

2. Can the Golden Knights Replicate their Elite Power Play?

Looking back, the Golden Knights’ 2025-26 season was like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde– it was the tale of two seasons. 

They entered the playoffs on shaky ground, but most of their regular season failures were overshadowed by their postseason success. For three rounds, the Golden Knights would not be denied. They cut through the Utah Mammoth, shot down the Anaheim Ducks, and militaristically dismantled the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche.

Essentially, the Golden Knights’ postseason was nothing like their regular season. In the regular season, they were a fragile team. They rarely scored first and, as a result, spent a concerning amount of time trailing in games. Their defensive woes resulted in an inability to keep the puck out of the net and an occasionally devastating struggle to stop the bleeding. 

Honestly, for most of the season, the Golden Knights had just one saving grace: an utterly lethal power play. And, boy, was it ever magnificent. That power play helped Mark Stone enjoy a career year at age 34. The Golden Knights trotted out a five-forward unit with Mark Stone at the goal line, Jack Eichel at the half wall, Hertl in the bumper, Pavel Dorofeyev as the one-time option, and Mitch Marner as the quarterback. 

Now, Pavel Dorofeyev is gone, and the Golden Knights will need to find a way to replace his team-leading 20 power-play goals.

3. Which Goaltender Will Take Control of the Net?

While some teams are desperately searching for a starting goaltender, the Golden Knights have the opposite problem. Both netminders will be looking for redemption, but both Carter Hart and Adin Hill are more than capable of shouldering a starter’s load.

Carter Hart struggled during the regular season, but thrived under latecomer head coach John Tortorella and looked unbeatable until the Stanley Cup Final. Then, he came back down to earth, setting records for all the wrong reasons while showing signs of fatigue. Hart is one of the biggest reasons that the Golden Knights swept the Avalanche, and he’ll look to regain that form and prove to new head coach Ryan Craig that he’s the right man for the starting job.

Adin Hill, who backstopped the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup in 2023, is coming off of a season he’d like to forget. He fell victim to the injury bug, started just 27 games, and posted a career-worst .871 average save percentage. He lost the net to Hart when Tortorella took over for Bruce Cassidy, but with a new head coach behind the bench, Hill has the chance to reestablish himself as the starter.

A new CBA kicks in this year, and the regular season grows from 82 to 84 regular games. Both netminders will get their chance to make their case for the starting role, and only time will tell who will win the job. 

Ryan Reaves is calling it a career. 

The NHL enforcer announced Wednesday that he was retiring from hockey in a lengthy post on social media. 

“Today, I retire from the sport I’ve loved since I was 5 years old,” he wrote on Instagram. “It was a hell of a ride. Thank you to everyone who supported me throughout this journey. There are too many to single out, so you’ll hear from me at some point.

“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. Mic drop, gloves drop. Reavo out.”

View this post on Instagram

Reaves, who turns 40 in January, played 16 seasons in the league with stints on the Wild, Blues, Penguins, Golden Knights, Rangers, Maple Leafs, and most recently, the Sharks. 

Known more for his fights than his play, Reaves carved out a career as one of the NHL’s most feared enforcers.

Last October, Reaves got into an on-ice fight with Rangers enforcer Matt Rempe, who was left with a broken thumb.

After coming over in a trade with the Golden Knights in 2021, Reaves quickly became a fan favorite at Madison Square Garden.

His first fight as a Ranger came that November, when Canadiens rookie Michael Pezzetta challenged him at the Garden. Reaves pummeled Pezzetta in the one-sided bout before earning a standing ovation from the home crowd.

He played 81 games with the Blueshirts, recording five goals and 13 points, and appeared in 18 playoff games during their run to the Eastern Conference Final in 2022. 

The Rangers traded him to Minnesota that November.

The 6-foot-2, 225-pound winger finished with 66 goals and 140 points in 962 regular-season games, while piling up more than 1,100 penalty minutes.

He finished his career with three goals in 50 games for San Jose last season.

The San Jose Sharks's 2026 Training Camp is set to start on Thursday, so let's take a look at each individual player and discuss a question surrounding each of them heading into the 2026-27 season.

Forwards:

Alex Barre-Boulet: Can he bring elite scoring to the Barracuda, or potentially even steal an NHL roster spot? 

Filip Bystedt: Is it finally his time to break into the NHL?

Ethan Cardwell: Has he been passed on the depth chart by too many players to ever have a chance at cracking the NHL roster?

Macklin Celebrini: How many of his own franchise records can Celebrini break this year?

Igor Chernyshov: It's clear he belongs in the NHL at this stage, so where does he fit and whose job does he take? 

Ty Dellandrea: Can he hold off some young guns pushing for a roster spot or will be be buried in the AHL?

Tye Felhaber: Can Felhaber get back to his AHL scoring pace from the 2024-25 season?

Andre Gasseau: Historically, Rookie Faceoff standouts tend to regress in training camp against stiffer competition. Can Gasseau be the exception?

Adam Gaudette: Does Gaudette's edge on goal-scoring save him from being the 13th forward or does he sit on most nights?

Patrick Giles: What does Giles need to do to move from a fringe player to legitimately competing for an NHL job? 

Barclay Goodrow: If enough young players outperform Goodrow in training camp, how far can his leadership and off-ice qualities go toward keeping him in the lineup?

Collin Graf: Considering Stenberg seems set for the first line in an ideal scenario and both Marchment and Chernyshov are expected to get top-six roles which line makes sense for Graf?

Jake Gustafson: How much can Gustafson learn in his first NHL training camp and what effects does it have on his WHL performance this season?

Donavan Houle: Can Houle establish himself as a full-time AHL option or is the ECHL in his future once again? 

Jimmy Huntington: Can Huntington's experience and leadership help him earn a few depth call-ups this season?

Brett Leason: After a season spent mostly in the AHL, can Leason return to his previous form and force himself into an NHL role once again?

Cam Lund: While it's clear he's a talented player, can Cam Lund stay healthy enough to earn another chance in the NHL at some point this season?

Mason Marchment: Many on social media have stated that they feel signing Marchment was unnecessary given the Sharks' logjam of forwards, can he prove them wrong?

Michael Misa: The Sharks are banking on Misa being their second-line center of the future, but after a relatively disappointing Rookie Faceoff, can he take that role right out of the gate?

Quentin Musty: Does Musty's new style of play, which embraces the grit required to play a bottom-six role, help him break into the NHL?

Zack Ostapchuk: Even though his new contract carries a relatively low cap hit, signing any bottom-six player with just over 100 games of NHL experience for four years is risky. Can Ostapchuk show that he's worth that commitment?  

Kiefer Sherwood: Sherwood's goal-scoring dropped off considerably after joining the Sharks, can he return to the same pace he had with the Vancouver Canucks last season?

Will Smith: Is this the season that Smith joins Macklin Celebrini in superstardom and massive contracts?

Ivar Stenberg: How quickly can he adapt to the North American style of play and do the Sharks follow the same development plan they've used with Smith and Misa?

Tyler Toffoli: Is age starting to catch up with Toffoli or was last season just an outlier?

Anthony Vincent: Can Vincent maintain his role with the Barracuda despite the new additions?

Alexander Wennberg: How long can Wennberg hold off Misa and remain the Sharks' 2C?

Carson Wetsch: Can Wetsch use his momentum from the Rookie Faceoff to snatch away a bottom-six role at the NHL level in his first professional season?

Defensemen:

Nolan Allan: Allan hasn't played in the NHL since the 2024-25 season when he appeared in 43 games for the Chicago Blackhawks, can he take the final defensive job?

Luca Cagnoni: Are the Sharks confident enough in Cagnoni's ability to play with on his off-hand side to give him the final spot on the blue line?

Sam Dickinson: Early last season, Dickinson seemed like he wasn't quite ready for the NHL but had to be there due to a lack of options. Is he truly ready now?

Libor Hajek: North American hockey fans haven't seen Hajek in roughly four years, is he an NHLer or AHLer at this stage?

Mattias Havelid: Havelid missed some time with the Barracuda last season, appearing in just 44 games. Can he stay healthy enough to provide a boost to the blue line?

Alexander Karmanov: Karmanov's size was a huge advantage and helped overcome his skating issues in the Rookie Faceoff, will he look out of place against NHL level talent?

Michael Kesselring: Last season, Kesselring struggled to get anything going in Buffalo. Will he bounce back to being the player we saw in Utah?

Roland McKeown: Can McKeown's leadership help the Barracuda when times get tough?

Darnell Nurse: Will Nurse's change of scenery truly be beneficial?

Mack Oliphant: Will Oliphant be able to secure himself a full-time role with the Barracuda or is he Wichita bound?

Dmitry Orlov: Heading into the final season of his contract, do the Sharks look to prioritize youth and play the veteran in a lower role or do they give Orlov substantial ice time on a nightly basis?

Eric Pohlkamp: Pohlkamp looked solid at the Rookie Faceoff and his shot seems to be a game-changer on the power play, can that elevate him into the NHL right away?

Leo Sahlin-Wallenius: How quickly can Sahlin-Wallenius adapt to North American hockey, especially in a rough league like the AHL?

Phillip Sinn: Coming out of the DEL, not much is truly known about Sinn at this point in time. What does he bring to the table and at what level?

Jacob Trouba: Trouba's contract has earned the Sharks a lot of flak this summer, can he prove that he's worth his cap hit?

Goaltenders:

Yaroslav Askarov: Can Askarov truly step up and prove that he deserves to be the Sharks' long-term starting goaltender or should they start looking toward a future with Ravensbergen?

Eric Comrie: While many feel like Comrie is destined for the AHL, he's been in the NHL for quite a while at this point. Can he use his experience to unseat one of the Sharks' other goalies?

Matt Davis: Can Davis do enough to convince the Sharks to sign him to a two-way deal or will he remain on an AHL contract moving forward?

Brady Knowling: At the Rookie Faceoff, Knowling seemed to be playing well above expectations. Can he keep the momentum rolling?

Alex Nedeljkovic: Can Nedeljkovic unseat Askarov as the starting netminder, will he remain the backup, or will he be passed by Comrie?

While quite a bit of the Sharks' roster already seems set, there are a lot of questions that still need to be answered and only time will reveal the true answer.