NHL News
Talk about the last preseason game with Pens fans here!
The game will be broadcast locally on Sportsnet Pittsburgh+ and MSG-B in the respective local areas for Pittsburgh and Buffalo. Nationally, it will be carried on NHL Network. It will be available via audio on the internet/radio from 105.9 The X.
ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues kept their depth forwards in tact on Saturday.
The team assigned Oskar Sundqvist, Nathan Walker and Jack Finley to Springfield of the American Hockey League after none of the three were claimed on waivers.
Each was exposed on Friday after not being on the ice, while Zach Dean and Dillon Dube were, indicating that those two won out the battle for the 13th and 14th forward slots, something that should become a formality when NHL rosters are due to be reported to the league by 4 p.m. (CT) on Monday.
The training camp is now down to 25 and the Blues have to make two more transactions, and those are expected to be goalie Georgii Romanov, who will back up Joel Hofer against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, will go on waivers Sunday for the purpose of getting him to the Thunderbirds, and with Calle Rosen still with the big club, it is expected that Tyler Tucker is likely headed to injured reserve with a tweaked right knee.
(9-26-26) Blues-Blackhawks Preseason Gameday LineupBlues to play near-full lineup in preseason finale to prepare for regular-season opener Oct. 2 in Dallas; Hofer to get full game; Dean to play in all four exhibitions
Zach Dean, Dillon Dube To Make St. Louis Blues Opening Night RosterForwards won out competition over Oskar Sundqvist, Nathan Walker, Jack Finley, who were put on waivers Friday
Blues Assign Four Players To Springfield, Including 2024 First-Round Pick Adam JiricekDefenseman, who was exceptional in 1-0 win over Blackhawks on Thursday, goes to Thunderbirds along with Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, Dylan Peterson, Otto Stenberg
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A former Colorado Avalanche defenseman could be running out of chances to stick in the NHL.
Caleb Jones, the younger brother of Stanley Cup champion Seth Jones, was placed on waivers Saturday by the Pittsburgh Penguins with the intention of reassigning him to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
The 29-year-old has appeared in just 13 NHL games over the past two seasons, splitting that time between the Los Angeles Kings and Penguins. Jones played seven games for Pittsburgh last season, recording one assist.
Now, his NHL future is once again uncertain.
Jones began his professional career in the Edmonton Oilers organization after being selected in the fourth round of the 2015 NHL Draft. After several seasons developing between the Western Hockey League and AHL, he earned his first NHL opportunity in December 2018, making his debut with Edmonton against the Philadelphia Flyers.
He eventually moved on from Edmonton in 2021, when the Oilers traded him to the Chicago Blackhawks as part of the deal that brought veteran defenseman Duncan Keith to Edmonton.
After two seasons in Chicago, Jones signed with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2023. He never played a regular-season game for Carolina, though, as the Hurricanes traded him to Colorado on Oct. 10, 2023, in exchange for forward Callahan Burke.
Jones had already been assigned to the Colorado Eagles before the trade and eventually made his way into the Avalanche lineup. He appeared in 25 games for Colorado during the 2023-24 season, recording five assists.
That proved to be his only season in burgundy and blue.
Jones left Colorado as a free agent the following summer and signed with the Kings. He appeared in six NHL games with Los Angeles during the 2024-25 season but went scoreless and spent most of the campaign with the Ontario Reign.
Pittsburgh then gave Jones another opportunity, signing him to a two-year, $1.8 million contract in July 2025.
That deal has not gone as planned. Jones was suspended for 20 games without pay in February 2026 for violating the NHL and NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program. He has since bounced between Pittsburgh and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Now, the Penguins are looking to send him back to the AHL once again.
The Chicago Blackhawks lost Jordan Greenway to injury earlier in the week. He tweaked a lower-body injury and was considered day-to-day.
On Saturday, ahead of their morning skate, Greenway was out there with a non-contact sweater. He hasn't played since last Monday's preseason game against the Minnesota Wild, but it was never considered a long-term thing.
After practice, Jeff Blashill confirmed that he won't play against the St. Louis Blues in the preseason finale, but he should be good to go on Tuesday night against the Vegas Golden Knights in the regular-season opener. If that ends up being the case, he won't have missed more than a week with the injury.
The Blackhawks took Greenway back in the deal to land Bowen Byram, but he will be useful to them this season if he is able to stay healthy for most of it. He brings a physical toughness that they don't have much of.
More details about the final preseason game can be seen in the post below:
Blackhawks Vs Blues: Projected Lineup, How To Watch, & More Ahead Of Preseason Game 4The Chicago Blackhawks will face the St. Louis Blues in the final preseason game at the United Center. 
Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay up to date on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
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There we are, one night of hockey left before the Montreal Canadiens wrap up their preseason. Much like Saturday, they’ll split it in two: one group will host the Ottawa Senators in Montreal, while the other will head to Ottawa to take on the other half of the Sens. Perhaps wisely, considering what happened to Ivan Demidov last preseason against the Sens (that forearm slashing thanks to Nick Cousin) and the fact that he missed practice a couple of times this week, Martin St-Louis has decided that the young Russian won’t be playing tonight, just like Lane Hutson, who will also be a healthy scratch.
Meanwhile, it will be a special night for Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki as he faces his brother Ryan for the first time in an NHL game, even if it’s just an exhibition one. Suzuki and the top line will lead the group playing in Montreal tonight. The lines and pairings are expected to be as follows:
Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Chris Kreider
Alex Newhook – Phillip Danault – Juraj Slafkovsky
Alexandre Texier – Jake Evans – Josh Anderson
Florian Xhekaj – Owen Beck – Tyler Thorpe
Mike Matheson – Noah Dobson
Luke Mittelstadt – Alex Carrier
Maksymilian Szuber – Etan Samson
Jacob Fowler
Samuel Montembeault
St-Louis said in his post-practice presser that Fowler and Montembeault would split the game in Montreal tonight, while Jakub Dobes will play the whole game in Ottawa. This will be the first time Montembeault steps between the posts at the Bell Centre and a great way to see if he can perform well in the pressure cooker that is the Habs’ home.
THN Poll Doesn’t Have Caufield As Rocket Richard Trophy Favourite
Canadiens Guhle Back At Practice, What Does That Mean?
Canadiens Working On Their Special Teams
As for the squad who'll play in Ottawa, its lineup will be as follows:
Zach Bolduc – Oliver Kapanen – Kirby Dach
Jared Davidson – Laurent Dauphin – Alex Belzile
Brett Berard – Hunter McKown – Sasha Pastujov
Samuel Poulin – Filip Mesar – Dillan Bentley
Jayden Struble – Arber Xhekaj
Adam Engstrom – David Reinbacher
Owen Protz – Reilly Walsh
Jakub Dobes
Kaapo Kahkonen
If you were hoping to see the big questions answered in tonight’s lineup, you’ll have to wait a bit longer. The first line seems set in stone; the second line probably is, too. As for the last two lines, it’s a bit more complicated. NHL contracts probably mean the youngest, Xhekaj, will head down to Laval, even if he’s unlikely to spend the whole year there, and Dach will be the 13th forward to start the season.
On the blueline, the Matheson-Dobson pairing seems to be there to stay, but it’s hard to predict what the rest of the defense corps will look like. David Reinbacher had a great camp, and he’ll have another opportunity to show what he can do in Ottawa tonight. Since he’ll be skating in the same game as the oldest Xhekaj and Struble, it may be a bit easier to compare the three and call the shots. With Kaiden Gule still sidelined, Reinbacher appears to be the front-runner to stick around to start the season. Will it be as the seventh defenseman or in the actual lineup? That is the question. And if it is in the lineup, whose spot is he taking?
Earlier today, the Habs announced that 12 players had been assigned to the Laval Rocket, including Vincent Arsenault, Alexander Legkov, and Xavier Simoneau, among others. Essentially, they were the guys in Group C at the start of camp and were always destined for the AHL at the end of camp. The rest of the answers will have to wait a bit longer. There might be cuts tonight after the two games, but teams have until Monday at 5:00 PM to submit their 23-man, cap-compliant roster, and the Habs have tomorrow off.
Les joueurs suivants ont été cédés au Rocket de Laval · The following players have been assigned to the Laval Rocket:
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) September 26, 2026
V. Arseneau, J. Dion, A. Dubinsky, B. Hache, H. Jones, F. Lapenna, A. Legkov, K. Mandolese, K. McCallum, I. Mianscum, J. Nadeau & X. Simoneau.
Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.
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The Columbus Blue Jackets have 5 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at everyone's favorite number - Jersey #5.
Let's take a look at who wore 5, and where they are now.
Jamie Pushor - 2001-2006 - Drafted by Pittsburgh in 1989.
Heward played 97 games with Columbus and had 30 points. 69 of his games came during the inaugural season for Columbus.
After several years in Europe, he returned to the NHL and retired with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2009. Pushor has been the AGM and Director of Player Personnel for the Tampa Bay Lightning since 2018.
Darryl Sydor - 2004 - Drafted by LA in 1990.
Sydor played a total of 49 games for Columbus during the 2003-04 season. He was traded to the Jackets in the Summer of 2003 and then traded to the Lightning during that season. He had 15 points for Columbus.
He went on to play another five NHL seasons before retiring on July 13, 2010. After retiring, he transitioned into coaching, serving as an assistant for the Blues and Wild. He also owns the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL.
Christian Bäckman - 2009 - Drafted by St. Louis in 1998.
Bäckman played 56 games for the Jackets in 2008-09 after being acquired by Columbus in the trade that sent Nikolai Zherdev and Dan Fritsche to the Rangers.
He left for Europe in 2009, where he signed with Frölunda HC in Sweden. He retired in 2015.
Aaron Johnson - 2012 - Drafted by Columbus in the 3rd round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.
Johnson played 172 games for the Jackets over two stints. Scouts said of Johnson was "A puck-moving defenseman, Johnson is a very good skater. Has good offensive instincts and can quarterback the power play. Can play a tough and physical game. Needs to improve his play in his own end."
During his time with Columbus, he also spent three years with the AHL Syracuse Crunch, where he had 73 points in those three seasons.
In 2016, he left North America and signed on with Adler Mannheim of the DEL in Germany. He then left for England, where he played for the Sheffield Steelers of the EIHL. In 2021, he became a player-assistant Coach for a season. He came back home to Columbus in 2021 and joined the Jackets as a Team Consultant. Last season, he was the Team Relations Specialist for the Jackets.
Jack Skille - 2014 - Drafted by Chicago in 2005.
Skille played 61 games for Columbus and had 12 points. On July 6, 2013, Skille was signed as a free agent by the CBJ, but the following summer, he left in free agency. On October 5, 2014, Skille was claimed off waivers by Columbus, where he would play in 45 games. He left Columbus again and would play a season in Colorado and a season in Vancouver.
In 2017, he left for Europe, where he played in Russia, Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. He retired in 2021 and went into coaching. He was the skills coach and the Director of Skills Development for the ECHL's Utah Grizzlies franchise in 25-26, and is currently an asst. coach for the Schwenniger Wild Wings of the DEL in Germany.
Gavin Bayreuther - 2022 - Undrafted out of Canaan, New Hampshire.
Bayreuther played 103 games for Columbus and totaled 23 points over three seasons. He also played for the Dallas Stars.
He was made famous in 2021 when he was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the NHL Expansion Draft. One week later, he signed a two-year deal with Columbus, marking the end of his long tenure with Seattle.
After playing a season in Switzerland for Lausanne HC, he came back to North America and played for the Chicago Wolves of the AHL last year. He is currently unsigned and is running the Bayreuther Hockey Club in Maine. BHC is a skills camp for young hockey players.
Denton Mateychuk - 2025 - Drafted by Columbus in 2022.
Mateychuk was called up midway through the 24-25 season and never looked back. He played in 45 games for the CBJ and scored 13 points. He was also a plus-4, which isn't bad for a young defenseman.
Before being called up from the Cleveland Monsters, he was having a good season in the AHL. Playing in just 27 games, he scored 9 goals and totaled 25 points, so the Jackets had no choice but to call him up.
Mateychuk earned a spot on the NHL's All-Rookie Team for his play in 24-25 and put up 31 points in his first full NHL season last year.
This season, Mateychuk will be expected to take yet another step forward and help his club into the playoffs.
The Vancouver Canucks are in a complicated situation with their goaltenders. As of writing, Vancouver has four goalies on the NHL roster in Thatcher Demko, Kevin Lankinen, Nikita Tolopilo and Leevi Meriläinen. With all needing waivers to be sent to the AHL, the Canucks could lose one or even two for free during the 2026-27 season.
The first piece of the puzzle Vancouver needs to sort out is the Demko timeline. At this stage of the year, there is no clarity on when the 30-year-old will return. All that is known right now is that Demko will be placed on some form of IR to start the season, meaning he will not count toward the 23-man roster.
Shifting to the other three goaltenders, it appears a decision will soon be made on whether someone will be exposed to waivers. Given that the Canucks just claimed Meriläinen, it appears that Tolopilo would be the odd-man out if Vancouver elects to keep just two goalies on the NHL roster. When asked about keeping three goaltenders on the NHL roster, GM Ryan Johnson had this to say.
"It's not something that I've intended to do, kind of all summer," said Johnson. "Obviously, we'll get through tomorrow night. Three goaltender system, from my experience, at any level is is complicated for everybody and more so the the goalies themselves. But like I said, we've got to just take it a step at a time here. Get through tomorrow night's game and make some decisions on Sunday."
The big question Johnson and his staff have to ponder is whether they'll lose Tolopilo on waivers. The 26-year-old struggled in 2025-26, but has shown well in the AHL since arriving in North America three years ago. Like with every player, there is risk in placing Tolopilo on waivers, but it may be an unavoidable decision the Canucks have to make.
How Vancouver manages its goaltenders this year will be worth watching. Whether it is this week or when Demko eventually returns, Johnson and his staff will have to make tough decisions that could result in a player being lost on waivers. While having multiple NHL-level goaltenders in the organization is a positive, it can create problems, especially when all need to pass through waivers.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:
Canucks Place Filip Chytil On IR, Expected To Miss Start Of The 2026-27 Season
Canucks Re-Assign Forward Braeden Cootes To The AHL
Canucks Claim Leevi Meriläinen Off Waivers, Matt Stienburg Headed To Abbotsford
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The Chicago Blackhawks are going to close out the preseason with a match against the St. Louis Blues. The United Center will be the setting as the Blackhawks look to get certain players ready for the regular season one last time.
Players who have more than 100 games of NHL experience are not allowed to play more than two of the four preseason games. For Chicago, this eliminates eligibility for Frank Nazar, Landon Slaggert, Kevin Korchinski, and Wyatt Kaiser.
Chicago also made it clear that they are saving Patrick Kane's first appearance at home for the regular season, so he will sit this one out as well.
Scouting St. Louis
The St. Louis Blues are going to go with a mostly NHL lineup for this game against the Blackhawks. On the final night of the preseason, St. Louis is also looking to get their guys ready for the games to begin for real.
The Blackhawks faced the Blues two nights ago in St. Louis, and they used a lineup that was about half of their opening night group. There was no captain Robert Thomas, Dylan Holloway, Philip Broberg, or Jimmy Snuggerud among others. Some of them may get action in this game.
Jordan Binnington was the starter in the last game (and shut out the Blackhawks), so you can expect to see Joel Hofer in this one at the United Center.
UPDATE: This is the lineup that the St. Louis Blues will be using:
#stlblues projected lineup vs. Chicago:
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) September 26, 2026
Holloway-Thomas-Snuggerud
Buchnevich-McTavish-McMichael
Neighbours-Dvorsky-Berggren
Toropchenko-Suter-Dean
Broberg-Mailloux
Lindstein-Parayko
Fowler-Carlo
Hofer
Romanov
#stlblues projected lineup vs. Chicago:
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) September 26, 2026
Holloway-Thomas-Snuggerud
Buchnevich-McTavish-McMichael
Neighbours-Dvorsky-Berggren
Toropchenko-Suter-Dean
Broberg-Mailloux
Lindstein-Parayko
Fowler-Carlo
Hofer
Romanov
(9-26-26) Blues-Blackhawks Preseason Gameday Lineup -- #stlblues to get good look at majority of their regular season lineup in preseason finale; Dean to play in all four preseason games: https://t.co/2r4c2PLt1i
— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) September 26, 2026
Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago
The Blackhawks, as mentioned before, have a few different reasons for this not being a true Opening Night group to close out the preseason. Instead, they will line up like this:
Bertuzzi-Frondell-Mangiapane
Donato-Moore-Greene
Teravainen-Kantserov-Lardis
Boucher-Toninato-Smith
Vlasic-Byram
Del Mastro-Levshunov
Cole-Rinzel
Knight
This is a chance for Andrew Mangiapane, Teuvo Teravainen, and Ethan Del Mastro to make a last chance effort to impress the coaching staff before some hard decisions are made.
The Blackhawks are going to get a look at Roman Kantserov at center for the first time in a preseason game. Kantserov is seen in North America as a goal-scoring winger, but he actually played center for most of his KHL season last year, in which he led the league in goals.
Anton Frondell and Oliver Moore will be the centers ahead of Kantserov in the lineup. Behind them is Dominic Toninato, who will be with the IceHogs this season as a great veteran.
The last time Bowen Byram was on the ice for a preseason game, Monday at the United Center, he scored a hat trick capped off by an overtime winner. He will once again be paired with Alex Vlasic in this one.
Spencer Knight is scheduled to play the entire game for the Blackhawks. Arvid Soderblom was excellent in St. Louis on Thursday, and Knight is going to go in this one. For now, this is your tandem headed into 2026-27.
How To Watch
You can hear the game locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. You can watch the game locally on CHSN. The puck will drop shortly after 6:00 PM CT. National audiences can also watch the game on NHL Network.
Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay up to date on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive, and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.
The end of the preseason concludes on Saturday for the St. Louis Blues (1-2-0), who will close things out with another game against the Chicago Blackhawks (1-1-1) at United Center at 6 p.m. (stlouisblues.com, Blues app, ESPN 101.1-FM).
The Blues and Hawks will play for the second time in three days after the Blues took a 1-0 win on Thursday at Enterprise Center, thanks to a third-period Calle Rosen goal, just one of 36 shots the Blues were able to get past Arvid Soderblom, who was really good for Chicago.
It was a game in which the Blues could have conceivably scored anywhere from 3-6 goals had it not been for the Chicago goalie, and even in preseason, it’s more of what Blues coach Jim Montgomery was looking for after a couple of less-than-stellar identical 2-1 losses to the Dallas Stars.
“Yes, and the physicality and winning battles was excellent,” Montgomery said of Thursday’s game. “We were really connected and we were really hard. Everybody was pulling on the rope.”
- - -
The Blues will play most of their opening night lineup in this one and left for Chicago on Friday to get acclimated with travel with the regular season slated for Oct. 2 against the Stars, and with the new CBA in place that limits those that have 100 or more games of NHL experience, there are a couple of players that cannot play in tonight’s game because they have already played in two preseason games, and they include Ross Johnston, Dillon Dube and Jordan Binnington.
So Zach Dean, who barring anything unforeseen by Monday’s 23-man NHL-mandated roster deadline of 4 p.m. (CT) will be on the opening night roster, will play on the fourth line in place of Johnston.
“Just continue to improve his game all around,” Montgomery said of Dean. “He’s shown really well. We’re excited about him. Show the speed, show the tenacity, get pucks to the net. Has had great chances, just hasn’t buried on them.”
Dean and Dube have won out the 13th and 14th forward slots with Oskar Sundqvist, Nathan Walker and Jack Finley all placed on waivers Friday and will know their fates by 1 p.m. (CT) Saturday whether any of them are claimed by someone or not, and if not, each will be assigned to Springfield of the American Hockey League.
- - -
Blues Projected Lineup:
Dylan Holloway-Robert Thomas-Jimmy Snuggerud
Pavel Buchnevich-Mason McTavish-Connor McMichael
Jake Neighbours-Dalibor Dvorsky-Jonatan Berggren
Alexey Toropchenko-Pius Suter-Zach Dean
Philip Broberg-Logan Mailloux
Theo Lindstein-Colton Parayko
Cam Fowler-Brandon Carlo
Joel Hofer will start in goal and play the full game; Georgii Romanov will be the backup.
- - -
Blackhawks Projected Lineup:
Tyler Bertuzzi-Anton Frondell-Andrew Mangiapane
Ryan Donato-Oliver Moore-Ryan Greene
Teuvo Teravainen-Roman Kantserov-Nick Lardis
Dillon Boucher-Dominic Toninato-Cole Smith
Alex Vlasic-Bowen Byram
Ethan Del Mastro-Artyom Levshunov
Ian Cole-Sam Rinzel
Spencer Knight will start in goal; Drew Commesso is projected to be the backup.
Zach Dean, Dillon Dube To Make St. Louis Blues Opening Night RosterForwards won out competition over Oskar Sundqvist, Nathan Walker, Jack Finley, who were put on waivers FridayBlues Assign Four Players To Springfield, Including 2024 First-Round Pick Adam JiricekDefenseman, who was exceptional in 1-0 win over Blackhawks on Thursday, goes to Thunderbirds along with Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, Dylan Peterson, Otto Stenberg
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Lenni Hämeenaho got his first taste of the NHL last season, making his debut with the New Jersey Devils and getting a brief glimpse of life at hockey’s highest level.
A second-round draft pick in 2023, the organization showed patience with Hämeenaho as he adjusted to the pros in North America, delaying his NHL debut until mid-January.
After that night, the Finnish winger played 33 NHL games, scoring two goals and finishing his rookie season with eight points.
After the season ended, Hämeenaho met Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe for his exit interview, and the message from coach to player was simple: It would be a big mistake to leave and make any assumptions about what his future looks like.
“He has got to put in the work and continue to get better,” Keefe said on Thursday. “If he was going to make any sort of assumption, the one that I told him to make is that we are going to be a better team when he returns than the one that he played 30 games for.”
Since returning to New Jersey, Hämeenaho has skated alongside either Riley Tufte and Colin White or Ben Steeves and Matyas Melovsky. The common thread among all four players: each was slated to begin the season in the American Hockey League with the Utica Comets.
With offseason additions of Anthony Mantha, Luke Evangelista, Evan Rodrigues, Amadeus Lombardi, and Jesper Boqvist, it was clear Hämeenaho would head to Utica.
“There is more competition,” Keefe said. “There is more depth. That would be the biggest thing that [Hämeenaho] and others are trying to navigate and find their way through.”
In two preseason appearances, Hämeenaho picked up one assist. He averaged 17 minutes and was credited with one shot on goal, three blocked shots, two hits, and one giveaway.
“What ends up happening when you play in the (NHL) like he did last year was that I have seen him do it at the level, and I know some of the things he is capable of,” Keefe said. “That will always serve him well, and I think that has helped his confidence when I have talked to him, and when I have watched him.”
With the Comets, Hämeenaho will play top-line minutes in all situations, which is exactly what he needs to develop. It will serve him better than sitting in the press box or playing a limited role every few games.
“The goal every off-season is for the team to improve, and I think we have done exactly that,” Keefe said. “Because of that, it is that much more difficult, but it is all part of being a young player in the league. You maximize every opportunity that you get to show well and earn a spot, be it right away or be the first guy called up.”
Now the question is whether Hämeenaho will see NHL minutes this season, when the Devils currently have Jesper Boqvist and Stefan Noesen skating as extra forwards with the NHL group.
The Comets will open their season on Friday, Oct. 2, against the Providence Bruins in Rhode Island.
Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.
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The Rangers assigned six more players to Hartford on Friday morning as they continue to cut their roster down ahead of the start of the regular season.
Among that group was forwards Liam Greentree and Cole Beaudoin.
The young duo were two of the biggest standouts throughout both rookie and pro camp and preseason play, but there weren’t many openings to be had on the NHL roster.
That doesn’t mean the organization isn’t excited about their potential.
In fact, head coach Mike Sullivan had nothing but good things to say about the both of them just hours after they received the boot from their first pro camp.
“We’re excited about them,” he said. “Great kids, very coachable, very talented -- big, strong, competitive -- they are two different players, but both have all of the attributes that are important to succeed at the NHL-level.
“They are players we believe have a ton of upside -- they are starting that journey, and I believe they have a chance to be impactful NHL players -- the energy and enthusiasm is contagious, they love hockey -- sky’s the limit for them.”
Both recently acquired prospects are heading into their first professional campaigns after enjoying successful careers with their respective clubs in the OHL.
Greentree, a scrappy high-skilled winger, has topped the 30-goal mark each of the past three seasons skating with the Windsor Spitfires and is just two years removed from a 100+ point campaign.
Beaudoin is a big center who has only continued developing his two-way game, and is coming off a season where he posted career-highs across the board with the Barrie Colts.
Though they’ll both start the season down with Hartford, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them make an impact at the pro-level this at some point now just one phone call away.
And if not now, the future is certainly looking very bright on Broadway.
9/26/26 - 3:00 pm at Key Bank Center in Buffalo, NY
Buffalo – 1-1-1 | - 0 points – 6th place in the Atlantic Division
Pittsburgh – 1-2-0 | - 0 points – 6th place in the Metropolitan Division
Starting Goalies
Buffalo –Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen / Colten Ellis
Pittsburgh – Sergei Murashov / Arturs Silovs
Other Sabres Stories
Mrtka Looking To Take The Next Step Towards The NHL
Sabres Line Combinations and Pairings
Forwards
Peyton Krebs - Tage Thompson - Josh Doan
Zach Benson - Noah Ostlund - Jack Quinn
Ryan McLeod - Josh Norris - Konsta Helenius
Tyson Kozak - Sam Carrick - Beck Malenstyn
Defense
Rasmus Dahlin - Zach Metsa
Owen Power - Conor Timmins
Matt Grzelcyk - Louis Crevier
Goaltenders
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Colten Ellis
Pittsburgh Lineup
Preseason finale in Buffalo 🙌
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) September 26, 2026
Lineup and info: https://t.co/nitumcr0Fapic.twitter.com/ZLOh5hl0kg
Notes
Courtesy of Sabres.com
The Sabres will be down two of their presumed starters on defense. Olen Zellweger is in concussion protocol but expected to be ready for the start of the regular season, Lindy Ruff said. Mattias Samuelsson, however, remains week to week with his lower-body injury.
Buffalo signed veteran Matt Grzelcyk to a one-year deal on Friday, adding depth to the left side of the defense corps. Grzelcyk will make his team debut against the Penguins, drawing into the lineup along with Zach Metsa.
How the Sabres arrange their defense pairs minus Samuelsson and Zellweger remains to be seen. The team has worked with a variety of pairs at practice, including time spent by Louis Crevier alongside both Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power.
Ruff said he intends to stick with consistent power-play units to start the season in a bid to grow chemistry. We’ve seen the same two groups of five for the duration of camp, both of which will be fully intact for today’s game:
PP1: Doan, Thompson, Benson, Quinn, Dahlin
PP2: Helenius, McLeod, Ostlund, Norris, Power
The Sabres have made their power play a focus in camp. The organization’s analytics department did a deep dive on power plays around the league during the summer and produced a lengthy report for Buffalo’s coaches, who in turn whittled it down into digestible information for the players.
In their previous preseason game featuring the NHL lineup, the Sabres went 0-for-3 on the power play but had plenty of opportunity. Today offers one final tune-up for the two units ahead of the regular season.
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The Penguins have announced their roster for this afternoon (3:30pm start) against Buffalo.
FORWARDS
2 – Rutger McGroarty
11 – Filip Hallander
14 – Nick Robertson
17 – Bryan Rust
18 – Tommy Novak
22 – Hendrix Lapierre
23 – Bill Zonnon
26 – Tristan Broz
41 – Ville Koivunen
59 – Egor Chinakhov
67 – Rickard Rakell
71 – Evgeni Malkin
87 – Sidney CrosbyDEFENSE
6 – Kaedan Korczak
45 – Harrison Brunicke
49 – Sam Girard
57 – Trevor van Riemsdyk
58 – Kris Letang
65 – Erik Karlsson
72 – Declan CarlileGOALIES
1 – Sergei Murashov
37 – Arturs Silovs
One forward and defenseman will need to be scratched from the list.
This isn’t a pure dress rehearsal game, new rules limit veterans of 100+ games to playing in only two preseason games. At the same time, teams must dress a certain number of veterans per game, so players like Elmer Soderblom and Connor Dewar who are likely to be in the opening night lineup to start the regular season can’t play in this one. In their spot are players like McGroarty, Broz and Zonnon.
On defense, it’s interesting to see Harrison Brunicke (and not Ilya Solovyov) take part in the proceedings, if only as the seventh defenseman who will get scratched after warmups. Brunicke hasn’t made as noisy and flashy of a run to a lineup spot in this training camp, compared to 2024 and 2025 when he was one of the biggest subjects around, yet he looks to be in good position just the same. The team has plenty of right shot defenders and may choose to start Brunicke in the AHL where he can play, but at this rate he might not remain in Wilkes-Barre for very long.
There’s no surprises in goal, where it looks as if Sergei Murashov has nudged ahead of Joel Blomqvist when it comes to nailing down an NHL roster spot. That situation played out as expected, and seemingly as the team wanted to make their star young goalie prospect the first in line for NHL minutes this season over his competition.
Ryan Graves and Justin Brazeau are both off the ice recently with undisclosed injuries. It looks like Graves is far outside the NHL picture but this mysterious recent ailment might allow him to be attached to injured reserve at the start of the season instead of going on waivers at the end of training camp for the second year in a row. A conspiratorial mind could have field day on the timing of this, but we’ll see what comes of Graves’ status as the regular season approaches. No matter how it shakes out a return to the NHL roster seems the most unlikely at this point given how his preseason went from placement in practices with AHL players to more unsteady performances in exhibition games.
The Sabres, the home team for this final day of preseason action, are also bringing a quality roster to the table for their last tune up game.
Today’s game will be broadcast in the local market on SNP+ and be carried nationally on the NHL Network.
As the Vancouver Canucks continue to trim their roster, one familiar name remains. After missing most of the 2025-26 campaign with injury, defenceman Guillaume Brisebois is focused on becoming a full-time NHLer. The 29-year-old fan favourite has performed well through the pre-season and could be on the verge of making Vancouver's opening-night roster.
Brisebois's journey with the Canucks has been a roller coaster. The organization drafted him in 2015, but constant injuries have derailed any momentum he's tried to build at the NHL level. Over a decade since he was drafted, Brisebois remains motivated and ready to do whatever he can to impress the coaching staff.
"I approach it pretty much the same way," said Brisebois. I want to make the team and just trying to work hard and keep going. I've had some injuries. I've been battling some stuff. So feels good coming into this camp being healthy. So I don't have to really think about that anymore."
The injury issue has been a major problem for Brisebois. Since making the jump to the pros in 2017, he has played 306 AHL games and 30 NHL games, including just nine AHL games in 2025-26. As Brisebois explained, dealing with injuries is difficult, but his love for the game keeps him motivated to keep playing.
"It's been really hard. But at the same time, it's my passion for hockey. I love hockey, and I want to get better. So every time I come back from injury, that's what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to get better, and I try to persevere through it."
This past off-season, Brisebois signed a one-year extension with Vancouver. In fact, as of contract signing date, he is the longest-tenured player in the organization. When asked about his continued loyalty to the organization, Brisebois mentioned his bond with the Canucks new GM.
"Just the way they treat me and the way they've been treating me, especially through injuries. They've been there through those tough times. With Ryan Johnson also, I've been with him for the past 10 years that I've been here. We've had a really good relationship, and that's what keeps bringing me back. They help me get to the player I am and also the person, so I am really grateful for that."
If Brisebois is going to make the NHL lineup, he needs to impress not just Johnson but also his former Abbotsford Canucks coach, Manny Malhotra. The two had success in the AHL, including winning the 2025 Calder Cup. As Brisebois explained, Malhotra is not just a strong coach on the ice, but off it as well.
"He brings positivity to the group. He's an amazing leader. He's a great human. So I think the whole combination of being a good human, being a good like he's got really good hockey knowledge. So when you mix everything together, it's a really good mix, and especially for that group. I think it's going to be really beneficial."
As mentioned, Brisebois has become a fan favourite within the organization. Whether he is playing in the NHL or AHL, he receives a lot of support from Canucks Nation on social media. Brisebois is well aware of how fans feel about him with the constant support being one of the reasons he chose to re-sign yet again.
"I obviously appreciate it. I am very grateful for that, and I'm happy that they're behind me. It helps a lot. Especially through tough times, when they could say some stuff about the injuries and everything. But they've been really good to me, and everyone's been great in Vancouver. That's also a reason why I wanted to come back and make it through with them and not with another organization."
Overall, Brisebois has a simple goal this season. He wants "to play games" and wants "to be healthy". A player who is easy to cheer for, Brisebois will make an impact this year regardless of where he plays.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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On Friday, it was announced that the San Jose Sharks have placed forward Jimmy Huntington and goaltender Eric Comrie on waivers with the purpose of reassignment to the American Hockey League.
Neither player is a surprise, as Huntington has been a mainstay at the AHL level in recent seasons. He served as an alternate captain for the San Jose Barracuda last season, recording 48 points (15 goals and 33 assists) in 71 games for the Sharks' farm team. During the preseason, Huntington played in three games for the Sharks, scoring a goal and adding a pair of assists.
Comrie on the other hand, has been an NHL regular in recent seasons. He served as the backup to Connor Hellebuyck with the Winnipeg Jets in each of the last two seasons. Prior to that though, he was often used as a "tweener," splitting time between the NHL and AHL, which will likely be the role he serves in San Jose. If either Yaroslav Askarov or Alex Nedeljkovic suffer an injury, Comrie will probably be the first player recalled to the NHL.
Comrie appeared in one game for the Sharks in the preseason, allowing two goals against on 16 shots in just over 30 minutes of ice time.