Category: NHL

Former Toronto Maple Leafs star Phil Kessel was one of five individuals who were inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2026. Phil's sister, Amanda, as well as TJ Oshie, Ryan Suter and Stan Wong were also inducted.

Kessel is the first former member of the Maple Leafs to be inducted into the U.S Hockey Hall of Fame since former president and GM Brian Burke was inducted in 2023. Before Burke, it was former Maple Leafs head coach Ron Wilson, who was inducted in 2017.

As for former players, Mathieu Schneider was the last player to be inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame who served for Toronto in their career. He was inducted in 2015.

Kessel represented the Maple Leafs for a large chunk of his career. In fact, it was the longest stop at any destination throughout his 17-year NHL career.

The right winger played six seasons for the Maple Leafs, from 2009-10 to 2014-15. He appeared in a total of 446 regular-season games for the club, scoring 181 goals and 394 points. His best season came in 2011-12 when he notched 37 goals and 82 points in 82 games. Kessel never went on to score more goals in one year.

Maple Leafs Join Hockey Community In Mourning The Passing Of Barry MelroseMelrose spent three seasons with the Maple Leafs and was behind the bench as an opponent for one of Toronto's most crushing playoff defeats in the 90s.

He also played for the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, Arizona Coyotes, and Vegas Golden Knights, winning two Stanley Cups with the Penguins in 2016-17 and 2017-18, and one with the Golden Knights in 2023.

Kessel's all-time best campaign was with Pittsburgh in 2017-18 when he scored 34 goals and 92 points in 82 games.

He currently holds the record for most consecutive NHL games played, with 1,064 outings in a row. The 2022-23 season was his last year in the NHL. In total, he's played 1,286 NHL games, scoring a total of 413 goals and 992 points.

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On Friday evening, Philadelphia Flyers rookie camp officially begins with an on-ice training session at the PPL Center in Allentown, Pa., at 4 p.m., and from there, we'll have the two rookie series games on Saturday night and Sunday night.

Top prospects like Porter Martone, Alex Bump, and Denver Barkey will be the headlining acts for rookie camp, and they will joined by 2026 first-round pick Maksim Sokolovskii, who was interestingly included on the training camp roster as well.

Players like Brek Liske, Matthew Gard, Nathan Quinn, and Ilya Pautov, for example, were excluded.

The Flyers may want to just have Sokolovskii under their watch for a while longer, or they intend to have the hulking defenseman play in a preseason game before sending him back to the OHL London Knights.

In either case, fans heading to Allentown or the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees over the next week will have several opportunities to watch Sokolovskii further.

Here's the full Flyers rookie camp schedule as follows:

The Stunning Result of Matvei Michkov's Rigorous Offseason TrainingAfter an entire summer of vigorous training, Philadelphia Flyers star Matvei Michkov is lean, mean, and primed for a breakout after shedding a ton of extra weight.

Friday, Sept. 11: Training session at PPL Center from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 12: Morning skate from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., game vs. Rangers prospects at 7:05 p.m. at PPL Center

Sunday, Sept. 13: Morning skate from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., game vs. Rangers prospects at 5:05 p.m. at PPL Center

Monday, Sept. 14: Training session at to-be-announced time at Flyers Training Center

Tuesday, Sept. 15: Training session at 11:15 a.m. at Flyers Training Center

Wednesday, Sept. 16: Day off

Thursday: Sept. 17: Flyers training camp begins

In just over two weeks, the Flyers will have played their last preseason game against Washington on the 26th, then dive right into the season opener against Pittsburgh on the 30th.

Many roster battles will have to be settled in a short period of time, in which case it helps that the rookie camp roster and training camp roster are mostly separate.

Martone, Barkey, and Bump will see some extra work, of course, but it's fair they put some extra time in for having what are effectively guaranteed roster spots.

The Edmonton Oilers signed Alex Formenton to a one-year, $850,000 contract Wednesday, bringing the 26-year-old back to the NHL for the first time since the 2021-22 season.

Edmonton was connected to Hart after he, Formenton, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube and Cal Foote were acquitted in the Hockey Canada sexual assault case. Hart had already spent six seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers when the league allowed the five players to sign contracts again.

Stan Bowman addressed Hart during training camp last September and said Edmonton wasn't looking at "those types of situations." The Oilers went through the season without him and eventually rebuilt their goaltending again this summer.

One year later, Formenton is an Oiler.

All five players were acquitted, and Formenton was also made immediately eligible for Hockey Canada programs this summer; Bowman pointed to that decision when discussing Edmonton's willingness to sign him. Bowman said he had multiple conversations with Formenton before the organization offered him a contract.

The Oilers clearly did their homework, and somebody within the organization decided Formenton was worth bringing in.

Formenton hasn't played an NHL game since 2022. He scored 18 goals and 32 points in 79 games during his final season with Ottawa. He spent the following years with HC Ambri-Piotta in Switzerland where he had 13 goals and 23 points last season.

Formenton can kill penalties, which he'll have to do for Matt Savoie, and scored 18 goals during his only full season with Ottawa. An $850,000 contract also carries very little financial commitment. Formenton can earn his place during camp and give Mike Babcock another option in the bottom six.

"It's Been Great So Far": Draisaitl Says Babcock Has Been Blunt With His Communication StyleLeon Draisaitl praises Mike Babcock’s blunt communication style, revealing why the Oilers’ leadership embraced a direct coaching approach to push the franchise toward a long-awaited championship.

But again, why is Edmonton willing to take on everything surrounding Formenton now?

Hart was available last year when Edmonton needed a goalie. He had played 227 NHL games and was well regarded as a capable goaltender around the league. His career numbers included a .906 save percentage and a 2.94 GAA, and the Oilers decided not to pursue him.

Formenton was an available UFA this summer with 109 NHL games under his belt and almost five years removed from his last NHL game. In his most recent season, he only had 23 points in Switzerland.

Bowman made it clear last September that he didn't want to get involved with players coming out of that situation. There wasn't much ambiguity in the answer at the time. Now, he likely believes enough time has passed.

Oilers Announce 2026-27 Rookie Camp RosterFresh draft picks join seasoned prospects as Edmonton’s top young talents report for medicals before kicking off the season with a high-stakes clash against the Calgary Flames.

There's less attention on the players now than last year, and several organizations have had to make decisions about them, and the NHL's reinstatement process has been in place for a full year.

Still, four seasons away from the league is a long time, and his production in Switzerland leaves a lot to be desired. Sure, the ice is bigger, and it often strengthens the defensive side of a player's game, but an NHL forward should score more than 23 points. It remains to be seen whether he can handle a regular role under Babcock.

Edmonton publicly stated last year that it wanted no part in this conversation, but has now willingly put itself directly into it.

Edmonton wasn't willing to make that decision with Hart last year, but is with Formenton now. Something changed inside the organization during those 12 months, and the Oilers should explain what it was.

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The Detroit Red Wings are only days away from starting Training Camp in preparation for the upcoming 2026-27 NHL campaign amidst a feeling of uncertainty. 

Not only have the Red Wings not found Steve Yzerman's successor as general manager, but RFA defenseman Simon Edvinsson has yet to be signed to a new deal, while captain Dylan Larkin has reportedly not rescinded his trade request. 

That hasn't stopped Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat from expressing optimism about the upcoming campaign despite the departure of his good friend and longtime teammate Patrick Kane. 

"I think we have a majority of our team coming back," DeBrincat said at the NHL/NHLPA North American Player Media Tour. "Obviously Kaner is gone, but we got a couple of additions that will really help us out. Going into the year, we're looking essentially the same as last year." 

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The Red Wings signed Viktor Arvidsson, who scored 25 goals with the Boston Bruins last season, on the opening day of free agency. They also acquired hard-nosed forward Keegan Kolesar and signed backup goaltender Daniil Tarasov. 

Last season, Detroit lost what was a comfortable points cushion entering the month of March for the third consecutive year; they're now mired in the NHL's longest active postseason drought.

For DeBrincat, the new campaign represents a chance to correct the mistakes that have plagued them during critical times in previous seaosns. 

"I think it's a fresh start, we can get our mindset and get confident again and learn from our mistakes last year, I think that's the biggest thing," he said. "We made too many mistakes late in the season, and it ended up costing us. But the first 60-75 percent of the season was really good; we were right at the top, but we just fell off a cliff."

"Try and get back that confident side of the game and hopefully not go through that same lull."

Unsigned RFA Simon Edvinsson Reportedly Expected To Join Red Wings At CampThe good news for Detroit Red Wings fans amid the current uncertainty surrounding the general manager position and Dylan Larkin’s long-term future with the club is that Simon Edvinsson reportedly will be at Training Camp despite currently lacking a contract.

Last season, DeBrincat became the first Red Wings player since Marian Hossa in 2008-09 to reach the 40-goal plateau, many of which were assisted by Kane. 

However, Kane decided to return to the Chicago Blackhawks, who will pay him $8 million a season over the next two years. While it's a disappointing loss for the Red Wings, DeBrincat believes the future Hall of Famer still has lots left in the tank. 

"I think he's got a lot more (left) than people give him credit for," he said. "I feel like everyone thinks that he was a great player, but I think he still is. He's still almost a point per game, the way he still controls the play and makes passes and slows it down. Obviously still a power-play guy." 

"I think Chicago is lucky to have him," he continued. "Obviously, we wish he were still in Detroit, but I guess if he's going anywhere, it's probably good that he's going back there, and the fans will treat him well there." 

The Red Wings start Training Camp on Sept. 17, followed by their first preseason contest against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday, Sept. 21. 

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23 years after the Nashville Predators selected Ryan Suter seventh overall in the 2003 NHL Draft, he's set to be immortalized as a member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame's Class of 2026. 

Suter, a native of Madison, Wisconsin, is more widely remembered for his time with the Minnesota Wild these days, but his professional career began in Nashville. After being drafted by the Predators, the defenseman spent one more season at the University of Wisconsin before remaining in his home state to start his professional career with the Milwaukee Admirals. 

It didn't take long for the highly-touted prospect to get a chance in the NHL, as he made his debut after just a single season in the American Hockey League. While Suter would go on to play 1,526 games, the 21st most in NHL history, only 542 of them were spent with the Predators. In 2012, he opted to sign a 13-year contract with the Wild as an unrestricted free agent.

Suter is joined in the Class of 2026 by Phil and Amanda Kessel, TJ Oshie, and Stan Wong. 

Earlier today, The Hockey News took a closer look at Braeden Bowman’s mindset heading into the 2026-27 season.

The 23-year-old forward wanted to prove he belonged in the Vegas Golden Knights’ long-term plans. He wanted to turn last season’s promising NHL debut into something more permanent and show that he was more than a player simply passing through the lineup.

As it turns out, Bowman didn’t have to wait very long for an answer.

The Golden Knights had already made up their minds.

Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon announced Thursday that the organization had signed Bowman to a six-year contract extension worth $3.4 million annually, keeping him under contract through the 2032-33 season.

It is a substantial commitment to a player who, not long ago, was still trying to establish himself within the organization.

Bowman made his NHL debut against the New York Islanders on Nov. 13 and wasted little time making an impression. He scored in three consecutive games and recorded a point in five straight, tying franchise rookie records in both categories. He finished the season with 26 points — eight goals and 18 assists — in 54 games, tying for seventh among Vegas forwards.

But his impact went beyond his initial NHL audition.

Bowman continued to dominate when he returned to the Henderson Silver Knights, recording 26 points in just 20 AHL games during the 2025-26 campaign. Fourteen of those points came during an eight-game stretch in April, earning him AHL Player of the Month honors.

His 1.30 points-per-game rate was the highest among AHL forwards who played at least 15 games last season.

That production helps explain why Vegas was willing to make such a significant investment now.

Bowman wanted this season to be about proving he was worth a permanent place in the Golden Knights’ lineup.

Instead, Vegas just gave him six more years to show exactly why he was worth it.

The Winnipeg Jets open training camp next week, and goalie Connor Hellebuyck is likely hoping that a trade will occur before that. The Vezina and Hart Trophy winner revealed his trade request late last month and according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, there appears to be no chance of reconciliation between the Jets and the netminder who has played 625 games over 11 seasons in Manitoba since 2015.

“Some things that happened last year that were out of the Jets control, post-Olympics, that have made the situation impossible to resolve. I think the Jets were hopeful that  maybe it would change, but I don’t think that’s possible at all.” Friedman said on Thursday’s 32 Thoughts podcast. ““I do think the Jets understand that now & we'll see where this goes over the next few days.”

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Friedman indicates that a Hellebuyck trade may move more swiftly, since the 33-year-old has a much larger list of destinations than other players who looked to move this summer, but that deals that were discussed around the NHL Draft in June are not possible now, since assets that were involved in trade offers (such as first round picks, players or prospects) were either selected, used in other deals, or unavailable due to no-trade clauses that fell into place after July 1. 

Specific to Buffalo, the fourth overall pick (used to select defenseman Daxon Rudolph) is now unavailable, and goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen five-team no-trade clause came into effect in July. The Florida Panthers were reportedly interested, but some of the pieces offered in the deal for Hellebuyck were since used to acquire forward Brady Tkachuk and goalie Jacob Markstrom from New Jersey.

Friedman indicated that it is imperative for Winnipeg GM Kevin Cheveldayoff to do well in a Hellebuyck trade, and is looking for a hockey trade rather than future assets to keep the Jets as a competitive club. Along with the Sabres, the Utah Mammoth and Carolina Hurricanes are still in the mix, but there are mixed signals of whether the New Jersey Devils are.  

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Phil and Amanda Kessel have each been elected to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame’s 2026 class.

During his 4 years with the Penguins, Phil Kessel helped the team win two Stanley Cup titles as a key part of the franchise’s infamous “HBK Line” alongside Carl Hagelin and Nick Bonino.

In his 4 seasons in Pittsburgh, Phil Kessel scored 110 goals and added 193 assists in 328 games.

After leaving Pittsburgh, Phil Kessel added another Stanley Cup title to his resume with the Vegas Golden Knights, completing his career with 992 points in 1,286 games.

“Obviously, this is a great honor,” Phil Kessel said to NHL.com. “I loved playing for USA Hockey over the years, enjoyed my time, enjoyed all the friends I made. It was always a great honor to play for the team, and I’m just happy to be inducted. This is a great class. Obviously, I’m excited to go in with my sister. She was a great player.”

At the international level, Phil Kessel represented the United States at the Winter Olympics in 2010 and 2014, bringing home one silver medal.

Phil Kessel’s younger sister, Amanda, who is currently serving as the Penguins’ Director of Minor League Operations and Assistant General Manager of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, had an outstanding international playing career, representing the United States at the the Winter Olympics three times, winning gold once and silver twice.

“It’s, obviously, really special to go in with my brother, who’s helped me a ton throughout my career, and I couldn’t be more proud of him as well,” Amanda Kessel said.

In addition to her international career, Amanda Kessel won three national championship titles at the University of Minnesota and played two seasons in the NWHL.

The Kessel duo will become just the second brother-sister pair to be elected to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, joining Cammi and Tony Granato, the latter having served as a Penguins assistant coach under Dan Bylsma.

The official enshrinement ceremony will take place on November 30.

One of the more shocking bits of news to come out of the tail end of the offseason is that the Anaheim Ducks are moving on from veteran winger Chris Kreider.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Anaheim is expected to place the 35-year-old on waivers for the purpose of mutually terminating his contract, a move that requires Kreider's approval and will make him an unrestricted free agent. 

The decision stems from a cap crunch in Anaheim after the Ducks matched Philadelphia's five-year, $90 million offer sheet for center Leo Carlsson, leaving them roughly $9 million in space while still needing to lock up restricted free agent Cutter Gauthier, who scored 41 goals last season.

Kreider is coming off a 50-point season and has shown he still has plenty left in the tank, even if his overall numbers have trended down from his peak years with the New York Rangers. It begs the question of whether the Detroit Red Wings should consider making a run at him, given how much the team could use his production, the veteran presence he'd bring to a young locker room, and the boost he could provide to a club still trying to end the NHL's longest active playoff drought.

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There is a real caveat here is Detroit doesn't currently have a general manager, and by the time the search wraps up, Kreider may already be off the board. There's also the matter of what Kreider himself wants. 

He's never won a Stanley Cup, and after leaving a playoff-caliber roster in Anaheim, he may prefer to chase a ring with a more established contender rather than help rebuild one. Friedman has reported that Kreider, a Boxford, Massachusetts, native who spent his first 13 NHL seasons with the Rangers, wants to head back East to be closer to family, and he won't report to training camp if claimed by a team he doesn't want to play for. 

The Boston Bruins have emerged as the perceived frontrunner given his ties to the area and his time at Boston College, with the Rangers and a handful of other Eastern Conference clubs also mentioned as possibilities.

Still, if Detroit can move quickly once a GM is in place, adding a former 50-goal scorer like Kreider could be a worthwhile swing for a team looking for difference-makers, potentially even slotting him into a top-six role. 

It's an unlikely outcome given his stated preference to stay East, but the NHL has a way of producing surprises, and with Anaheim's cap crunch forcing its hand, a proven goal-scorer like Kreider landing in Detroit's lap isn't entirely out of the question.

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Ahead of the 2026-27 campaign, NHL.com has released its top 26 prospects list. As expected, 2026 first overall pick Gavin McKenna took the top spot, followed by Porter Martone and Anton Frondell. The list also featured one Vancouver Canucks prospect, with Caleb Malhotra being ranked 22nd overall. 

Malhotra was selected third overall by Vancouver during the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. The 18-year-old had an OHL campaign to remember, recording 84 points during the regular season before adding 26 points in 15 playoff games. Malhotra is headed to the NCAA this year, where he will play for Boston University.

NHL.com's Top Prospects For The 2026-27 Season:

1. Gavin McKenna
2. Porter Matrone
3. Anton Frondell
4. Ivar Stenberg
5. James Hagens
6. Cole Hutson
7. Tij Iginla
8. Michael Hage
9. Caleb Desnoyers
10. Chase Reid
11. Konsta Helenius
12. Viggo Björck
13. Carson Carels
14. Ilya Protas
15. Roger McQueen
16. Victor Eklund
17. Alberts Šmits
18. Carter Yakemchuk
19. Brady Martin
20. David Reinbacher
21. Anton Silayev
22. Caleb Malhotra
23. Roman Kantserov
24. Jacob Fowler 
25. Keaton Verhoeff
26. Trey Augustine

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Two months after the Philadelphia Flyers tendered an aggressive $90 million offer sheet to Leo Carlsson, the Anaheim Ducks are beginning to pay the price for matching the blockbuster contract.

Former Flyers draft pick Cutter Gauthier, now a 40-goal-scorer just two years into his NHL career, is still in need of a new contract from the Ducks and remains an RFA.

After matching the Carlsson offer sheet and making a handful of auxiliary signings, the Ducks had just $9 million in cap space to reach an agreement with Gauthier, and as we now know, that was never going to happen.

As a result, Anaheim was forced to consider gutting their roster depth and salary dump players to free up space for Gauthier, and again, no takers were found.

So, on Wednesday, veteran winger Chris Kreider was placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of contract termination, and on Thursday, Kreider cleared waivers, making him an unrestricted free agent and freeing up $6.5 million in cap space for the Ducks.

Kreider, 35, was in the last year of his contract anyway, but because the Flyers put the Ducks in such a bind with the Carlsson offer sheet, Anaheim loses a winger with 958 regular season games of experience, and a player who scored 22 goals and 50 points for their club last year.

Flyers GM Danny Briere Pushes Back on Leo Carlsson Offer Sheet CriticismPhiladelphia Flyers general manager Danny Briere doesn't think his Leo Carlsson broke the NHL and its free agent market.

The first domino has fallen.

Replacing Kreider and his 22 goals and 50 points won't be an easy task for the Ducks either, as Troy Terry will miss the start of the season due to injury, and other depth options include Frank Vatrano, who scored five goals and nine points in 50 games last year; and newcomer A.J. Greer, a career fourth-liner who exploded for 17 goals and 32 points last year after having previously never scored more than six goals and 17 points in a single season.

That leaves a lot of heavy lifting for Carlsson, who wouldn't have to do so on the Flyers, Gauthier, and Beckett Sennecke. Their only support offensively will come from Alex Killorn, Mikael Granlund, Vatrano, Greer, Ryan Poehling, Nathan Gaucher, Jeff Malott, Nikita Nesterenko, and Tim Washe.

Of course, it goes almost without saying that the motivation behind all of this was the Flyers simply trying to pull a lever that was available to them to try and acquire a young No. 1 center.

It didn't work out for them, clearly, but it also isn't working out too well for the Ducks right now. After losing Kreider for free, they have $15.5 million to re-sign Gauthier, and there's no telling if that will even be enough to get it done.

Barry Melrose never needed much introduction.

The mullet, goatee and oversized suits made him instantly recognizable, but it was Melrose’s voice—and the unmistakable personality behind it—that made him one of hockey’s most memorable figures.

The former NHL player, coach, and beloved analyst died on Wednesday, his wife, Cindy, informed ESPN’s Steve Levy. He was 70. 

“For decades, Barry Melrose was one of the most distinctive and trusted voices in hockey,” ESPN said in a statement. “His knowledge of the game was deep, his candor was refreshing, and his passion was unmistakable.”

Melrose stepped away from broadcasting in 2023 after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. At the time, Wayne Gretzky described him as being “bigger than any team,” a fitting reflection of the impact Melrose had beyond the bench or broadcast booth.

His path to becoming a television personality was anything but conventional.

Melrose grew up in Kelvington, Saskatchewan, and began his professional career with the Cincinnati Stingers of the World Hockey Association in 1976. He spent three seasons with the club, including one alongside a young Mark Messier, before moving to the NHL following the WHA’s collapse.

He played for Winnipeg, Toronto and Detroit, finishing his NHL career after the 1985-86 season with 10 goals and 33 points in 300 regular-season games.

Melrose subsequently turned his career to coaching. 

After leading the Adirondack Red Wings to a Calder Cup championship in 1992, Melrose was hired by the Los Angeles Kings. In his first season behind the bench, he guided a Gretzky-led Los Angeles team on an unforgettable playoff run that ended in the Stanley Cup Final against Montreal.

The Kings ultimately fell in five games, but Melrose had established himself as one of hockey’s most colorful coaches.

Broadcasting eventually became his defining role. He joined ESPN in 1996 and became a fixture on the network’s hockey coverage, briefly leaving television in 2008-09 to coach the Tampa Bay Lightning before returning to the booth.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman remembered Melrose as someone who could make people love the sport simply by talking about it.

“His passion was unmistakable,” Bettman said, praising Melrose’s ability to bring humor, personality and genuine enthusiasm to the game.

That may be Melrose’s lasting legacy: He never simply analyzed hockey.

He made it entertaining for everyone. 

Former Winnipeg Jets defenceman, NHL coach and longtime ESPN analyst Barry Melrose has died at the age of 70 following a battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Melrose was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2023, prompting his retirement from broadcasting after more than 25 years with ESPN.

A native of Kelvington, Sask., Melrose broke into the NHL in his Canadian prairies, suiting up in parts of two seasons with the Jets during his playing career.

The rugged defenceman went on to appear in 300 NHL games between Winnipeg, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings, recording 10 goals and 33 points while accumulating 728 penalty minutes. Before joining the NHL, Melrose also played three seasons in the World Hockey Association with the Cincinnati Stingers.

"The Winnipeg Jets and True North Sports + Entertainment are saddened to hear of the passing of Jets alumni Barry Melrose," the team said in a statement. "Our deepest condolences go out to all of Barry's family and friends across the National Hockey League."

While Melrose enjoyed an 11-year professional playing career, his greatest impact on the sport came after hanging up his skates.

He began coaching in 1987 and immediately guided the Medicine Hat Tigers to a Memorial Cup championship. After stops with the Seattle Thunderbirds and AHL's Adirondack Red Wings, Melrose was hired as head coach of the Los Angeles Kings in 1992.

In his first season behind the Kings' bench, Melrose coached a Wayne Gretzky-led Los Angeles squad to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final, where it fell to the Montreal Canadiens in five games.

Melrose later became one of hockey's most recognizable television personalities after joining ESPN in 1996. With his trademark mullet, colourful suits and unmistakable personality, he remained a fixture of the network's NHL coverage for nearly three decades.

"From the flowing locks of his distinctive mullet to the flared lapels of his trademark long suit coats, Barry Melrose cut an unmistakable figure whenever you were fortunate enough to run into him at a rink or catch him on your television screen," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.

"You were even more fortunate if you engaged him in conversation or listened to his analysis, because he never failed to boost your love of the game of hockey."

Bettman described Melrose as a "hockey original," offering condolences to his wife, Cindy, sons Tyrell and Adrien and his many friends and colleagues throughout the sport.

Melrose briefly left ESPN in 2008 for another opportunity behind an NHL bench, coaching 16 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning before eventually returning to the network.

Between playing, coaching and broadcasting, the Saskatchewan product spent five decades as one of hockey's most colourful personalities.

"We mourn the passing of a hockey original," Bettman said.

Braeden Bowman knows how quickly things can change in the NHL.

One minute, he was an unheralded prospect in the Vegas Golden Knights’ system. The next, he was skating on the top line alongside Jack Eichel, taking reps on the top power-play unit and showing he belonged in the greatest hockey league in the world.

Now comes the hard part.

Nothing is guaranteed in the NHL, and Bowman knows that better than most. He got his opportunity last season. What he wants now is to make sure it wasn’t a one-time thing.

The undrafted forward from Kitchener, Ontario, went from a relatively unknown name in Vegas’ development system to an NHL regular in a matter of weeks. But Bowman isn’t interested in simply making a cameo.

He wants to make the NHL his permanent home.

“That’s my goal, to become a full-time player with the Knights,” Bowman said Tuesday at the team’s annual golf classic at TPC Summerlin, via the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Danny Webster. “I’m excited. The team’s looking really good again. Vegas always has a strong team, so I’m just trying to establish my identity on the team and we’ll see where it goes.”

Bowman, 23, received his first NHL call-up after captain Mark Stone broke his finger and missed roughly a month of action.

He didn’t waste the opportunity.

Bowman scored five goals and 11 points in his first 15 NHL games, quickly earning the trust of the coaching staff and opportunities in some of the most valuable minutes a player can receive.

For an undrafted player, it was about as good of an introduction to the NHL as he could have imagined.

But the NHL has a way of humbling everyone eventually.

After his blistering start, Bowman’s production cooled in the second half of the season, as he recorded just 15 points after that point.

He has the talent and the skill. Now he needs to learn how to handle the demands of an 84-game NHL season and, perhaps more importantly, how to maintain the level that initially earned him a spot on one of the best teams in the NHL.

Now he enters the season with something he didn’t have when he first received that call-up: experience.

And he knows the opportunity is waiting for him again.

The question isn’t whether Bowman can play in the NHL. He already proved he can.

Now, can he prove he can do it every night?

That’s the next step for Bowman.

And the sky is the limit. Imagine if Bowman has a breakout campaign. With a cap hit of just $875,000 through the end of this season, he could end up being one of the biggest steals for the Golden Knights. 

On Wednesday night, the hockey world lost a Hall of Fame human being when Barry Melrose passed away at the age of 70. For as important as he was to the game of hockey at the rink, he was equally as important away from it. The way he loved the game was infectious. 

Melrose was a player, coach, and legendary broadcaster for most of his life. As an NHL player, he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, and Detroit Red Wings. Melrose, a defensive defenseman, scored 10 goals and 23 assists for 33 points in 300 career games. 

Before that, Melrose spent time playing for the Cincinnati Stingers of the WHA. He also had stints in the AHL during and after his NHL career. Once his playing days ended, he made a name for himself as a coach with the Los Angeles Kings and Tampa Bay Lightning. 

Melrose really captured the hearts of hockey fans through his career in broadcasting. In 1995, Melrose joined ESPN on a permanent basis as a color commentator. He was also a frequent contributor to NHL Network.

His stint as the Lightning head coach came in the middle of his broadcasting career, but it was short-lived. He returned to ESPN on January 1st, 2009, so he could cover the Winter Classic between the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks at Wrigley Field.

He would continue his broadcasting career all the way through 2023, when he retired so he could spend more time with his family following a Parkinson's disease diagnosis. 

Speaking of the Blackhawks, Melrose played against them as a player more than any other team. 23 of his 300 NHL games came against them, just edging out the Blues, who he played against 22 times. 

1 of his 10 career goals came against the Blackhawks, as well. While he was playing for the Maple Leafs, he scored a goal on Tony Esposito on March 22nd, 1982. Stew Gavin assisted on the goal. On the same day came one of Melrose's 23 assists as well, as he helped set up a goal scored by Rocky Saganiuk. 

Melrose had three total points against the Blackhawks in his career. The third was an assist almost a year to the day later, on March 20th, 1983. Melrose assisted on a goal scored by Peter Ihnacak against Murray Bannerman.

Maple Leafs Join Hockey Community In Mourning The Passing Of Barry MelroseMelrose spent three seasons with the Maple Leafs and was behind the bench as an opponent for one of Toronto's most crushing playoff defeats in the 90s.

It is never easy to say goodbye to someone like Barry Melrose, but it is easy to think about how much good he did for the game we love. Cooler than cool. 

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