DALLAS (AP) — Jake Oettinger stopped 14 shots and earned his 17th career shutout as the Dallas Stars beat the San Jose Sharks 5-0 on Monday night for their first victory of the season.

The Sharks were without star center Macklin Celebrini, who was scratched a few minutes before the start of the game due to a lower-body injury.

Jamie Benn had a goal and an assist, and Miro Heiskanen, Joel Kiviranta, Jason Robertson and Mikko Rantanen also scored for Dallas.

Heiskanen’s goal on a backhand shot with 1:09 left in the first period proved to be the winner.

Yaroslav Askarov had 21 saves for the Sharks.

Celebrini, who was recently named San Jose’s captain, took part in warmups but left the ice earlier than usual.

Former Stars forward Ty Dellandrea made his season debut in place of Celebrini, the 20-year-old face of the franchise who assisted on Igor Chernyshov’s overtime goal Saturday that made San Jose 2-0.

Celebrini over the summer signed a five-year, $94 million extension.

LIGHTNING 4, FLYERS 1

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Pontus Holmberg and Ilya Mikheyev each had a goal and assist, Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 13 shots to move into a tie for 20th place on the NHL career wins list, and Tampa Bay beat Philadelphia.

Vasilevskiy’s 372nd victory moved him into a tie with Andy Moog. Vasilevskiy needs two more wins to tie John Vanbiesbrouck for 19th place.

Brayden Point and Brandon Hagel also scored for the Lightning, who have won two games since an opening-night loss to the New York Rangers.

Tyson Foerster scored for Philadelphia and Dan Vladar finished with 32 saves.

The Flyers are winless (0-2-2) through four games to start the season for the first time since 2013-14. Philadelphia has been held to two or fewer goals in all four games.

Point scored his first goal of the season with a deflection off a wrist shot from John Carlson at 16:05 of the first period. Holmberg scored 17 seconds into the second period off the rush for a 2-0 lead.

Foerster wheeled a shot from the top of the left circle that hit Tampa Bay defenseman Charle-Edouard D’Astous in front of the net to bring Philadelphia with one at 7:22.

Mikheyev made it 3-1 with a wraparound with three minutes to play. Hagel added an empty-netter.

Nikita Kucherov picked up two assists and now has 1,128 career points to move past Mike Bossy and Joe Nieuwendyk for 67th place.

SENATORS 4, BRUINS 1

BOSTON (AP) — Tim Stutzle had two goals and an assist and goalies Linus Ullmark and Samuel Ersson combined to stop 18 of 19 shots as Ottawa defeated Boston.

Stutzle’s multi-point game moved him into sole possession of sixth place for most points in Ottawa history with 413.

Ullmark started in goal for Ottawa, but wasn’t on the ice at the start of the third period. The onetime Bruin netminder, who stopped all 10 shots he faced in the first two periods, was on the bench five minutes into the final period. Ersson made eight saves in the final period for the Senators.

Ottawa’s Michael Amadio had a goal and assist, and Drake Batherson also scored.

Boston rookie James Hagan spoiled Ottawa’s shutout bid with a goal in the third period. Jeremy Swayman made 20 saves for the Bruins, who have lost two straight after opening the season with two wins.

Boston was outshot 24-19 and failed to score on four power plays.

JETS 3, PENGUINS 2

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Alex Iafallo had a goal and an assist, Clay Stevenson made 29 saves, and Winnipeg beat Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh’s Declan Carlile scored 8:53 into the third period to tie the game at 2-2, but Cole Perfetti scored the winner on a wrist shot just nine seconds later, assisted by Josh Morrissey, to put the Jets ahead to stay.

Adam Lowry also scored for the Jets, who have won two in a row after losing their season opener.

Benjamin Kindel also scored for the Penguins and Carlile added an assist. Sergei Murashov made 30 saves for the Penguins.

The Jets outhit the Penguins by 12, 23 to 11.

DALLAS (AP) — Jake Oettinger stopped the 14 shots and earned his 17th career shutout as the Dallas Stars beat the San Jose Sharks 5-0 on Monday night for their first victory of the season.

The Sharks were without star center Macklin Celebrini, who was scratched a few minutes before the start of the game due to a lower-body injury.

Jamie Benn had a goal and an assist, and Miro Heiskanen, Joel Kiviranta, Jason Robertson and Mikko Rantanen also scored for Dallas.

Heiskanen's goal on a backhand shot with 1:09 left in the first period proved to be the winner.

Yaroslav Askarov had 21 saves for the Sharks.

Celebrini, who was recently named San Jose's captain, took part in warmups but left the ice earlier than usual.

Former Stars forward Ty Dellandrea made his season debut in place of Celebrini, the 20-year-old face of the franchise who assisted on Igor Chernyshov’s overtime goal Saturday that made San Jose 2-0.

Celebrini over the summer signed a five-year, $94 million extension.

Up next

Sharks: At the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.

Stars: At the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Alex Iafallo had a goal and an assist, Clay Stevenson made 29 saves, and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 on Monday night.

Pittsburgh's Declan Carlile scored 8:53 into the third period to tie the game at 2-2, but Cole Perfetti scored the winner on a wrist shot just nine seconds later, assisted by Josh Morrissey, to put the Jets ahead to stay.

Adam Lowry also scored for the Jets, who have won two in a row after losing their season opener.

Benjamin Kindel also scored for the Penguins and Carlile added an assist. Sergei Murashov made 30 saves for the Penguins.

The Jets outhit the Penguins by 12, 23 to 11.

Up next

Jets: Host the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night.

Penguins: Visit the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

Up next

Jets: Host the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.

Penguins: At the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

Pregame

The Penguins rotate Ville Koivunen back into the lineup and give Filip Hallander the night off. Sergei Murashov gets the start for his first appearance of the season.

How we're lining up vs. the Jets.#LetsGoPenspic.twitter.com/PutUOtZiom

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 5, 2026

The Jets bring the following lineup to the table, including ex-Penguin Jack St. Ivany who gets to make his debut for Winnipeg against his former club. In net, Clay Stevenson makes his first appearance for his new team.

Mud makes his JETS DEBUT ✈️@PlayNowManitoba | #GoJetsGopic.twitter.com/htCucpha3L

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) October 5, 2026

First period

Rookie Viggo Bjorck took a penalty two minutes into the game having to hook into Ben Kindel to deny a scoring chance, the Penguins don’t do much with the early power play.

Later on Murashov makes his first big save of the game following a failed clearing attempt by Connor Dewar ended up resulting in a nice chance on the doorstep for Gabe Vilardi before Murashov’s quick lateral move sealed up the bottom of the net.

Sergei Murashov with a BEAUTY of a save 🙅‍♂️

Stream exclusively on Sportsnet+ 📺 pic.twitter.com/t8lSF3arNR

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 6, 2026

An Erik Karlsson turnover gives Vilardi another look, his shot goes off maybe Murashov and then definitely the post and the score stays 0-0.

The Penguins assortment of defensive bumbles and getting out of their own zone keeps piling up. The Jets get a few more really good chances by picking off various passes and mishandlings but Murashov is reading the play beautifully and square to everything coming his way. He’s sharp and it’s a good thing because that’s the only reason the period ends as a scoreless one.

The Pens started pretty well, then things soured big time. Shots end up 12-11 WPG through 20 minutes. Pittsburgh played a little too casual and hurried in the early going to find much success.

Second period

The teams trade chances early, Sidney Crosby gets a redirection in front of the net and then Kyle Conner hits the iron and sets up Mark Scheifele but Murashov robs him with a glove save.

The Pens get the second power play of the night, Josh Morrissey is off for tripping. Even the officials are sloppy, messing up the time and causing a long delay to get it right. The Pens aren’t any better, as they continue to show no sharpness or ability to make a pass or hold the puck very well.

Pittsburgh is able to score the first goal after all that. Ben Kindel wins an offensive zone faceoff and gets to the front of the net. Declan Carlile sends in a fluttering shot where the puck started way high but then dipped down low enough for Kindel to deflect it past Stevenson. The refs wave the goal off at first but a video review overturns that iniital call since Kindel’s stick was below the crossbar of the goal. 1-0 Pens.

WHAT A REDIRECT BY KINDY 🤩 pic.twitter.com/vWpXKy8hVT

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 6, 2026

Blake Lizotte takes the first Pittsburgh penalty of the game with a boarding minor. Winnipeg gets some zone time and a few looks on quick passing plays but are unable to score.

The Pens hold on to get to the locker-room up by a goal. Another Dewar failed clearing attempt ended up on Neal Pionk’s stick, his shot going off the crossbar and out of play in the last minute.

Shots are 22-21 PIT after two, hasn’t been the prettiest (to say the least) yet they’re up by one goal after two periods.

Third period

The Pens’ first line has a good shift but can’t score. Winnipeg does soon after. They shoot on the rush, Murashov makes a save and kicks out a rebound that Karlsson can’t corral and ends up pushing back towards the net. Alex Iafallo is there to slam it home. 1-1 game with 15:17 to go.

Surf's up! starring Alex Iafallo 🏄🏻‍♂️ 🌊 🤘🏻 pic.twitter.com/qPtZ5tADIC

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) October 6, 2026

Winnipeg is able to build on that momentum and take their first lead. Dylan DeMelo jams Nick Robertson up at the blueline, the Pens can’t clear the puck and are in trouble from then. Iafallo, having himself a period, drives hard to the net. Murashov sprawls to deny that effort but the puck ends up sitting in the crease for Adam Lowry to drive hard to the crease and put it in. 2-1 Jets.

OHH CAPTAIN!! 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/n8k3BzHBxH

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) October 6, 2026

Pittsburgh’s able to fight back and turn the table to tie the game. It’s another great play by Kindel, who knocks down the Winnipeg pass and Ville Koivunen collects it. Koivunen sends it down low to Kindel who makes a great touch pass back to Declan Carlile. Carlile picks his spot on the blocker side and it’s 2-2.

That's two goals in two games for Declan Carlile 👏 pic.twitter.com/igKgyrX7T8

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 6, 2026

The tie game only lasts nine seconds before Winnipeg re-establishes their lead. Morrissey gets a pass over to Cole Perfetti and his shot beats Murashov. 3-2 now as the gates come open on the scoring in a hurry in the third.

they scored a goal 🙁

WE SCORED A GOAL EIGHT SECONDS LATER!!! 🙂 pic.twitter.com/ExUxorbiL8

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) October 6, 2026

Murashov gets pulled for an extra attacker with about two minutes to go. The Pens take a timeout with 1:21 remaining to rest their players for a final push. They get a few looks but can’t solve Stevenson before the clock runs out.

Some thoughts

• Some interesting line matching, the Jets started the game with their checking line (Adam Lowry) so the Penguins kept Erik Karlsson off the ice at the beginning of the game so that he could match up against the top scoring line (Mark Scheifele). The Pens didn’t run from starting the Crosby line against the Jets’ top checkers.
• Boy, this one was a slog, especially through the first two periods. And that’s putting it kindly. The Penguins were credited with 12 official giveaways in the first half of the game, which was charitable since it could have been double that. Nothing was working for them. Players who usually can move the puck like Erik Karlsson, Tommy Novak and Sam Girard (who combined for seven of the first 12 official giveaways) were in shambles. It wasn’t just those three, it was endemic all over the lineup. Once on the power play in the second period, Crosby won the draw but the puck slowly skidded back. Crosby pulled up and didn’t skate to the puck, neither did anyone else in a black jersey. Kinda crazy how a team clicking enough to score 13 goals over the first two games of season can look like a bunch of beer leaguers that have never played together in no time flat. The beautiful game!
• Everything was a struggle for Karlsson in particular. It can be jarring on his off nights to see him fight the puck, the first goal against was a bit of bad luck but given how the first 40 minutes went, it’s no surprise the puck went off his stick with him unable to get it out of danger.
• Did you check that line on the ice for the first goal of the game? Kindel was with Dewar and Lizotte, a little spot shift for all (and to help manage the minutes of players in this case of Lapierre, Kuzmenko and Koivunen from the bottom lines that weren’t up to much). Kindel won the faceoff, soon after the puck was in the net. Paid off to mix and match and get some of the more important/better-playing bottom six guys extra time. Always nice to see a little wrinkle by the coaching staff to search for a little something missing.
• The success of that goal led to the change lasting a little longer, as you might expect, to shuffle combinations around for the rest of the night. Hendrix Lapierre and Koivunen got shifts with Crosby, Koivunen was out there with Kindel on the second goal due to a line change in progress.
• Murashov did have a 21-save shutout in his second NHL start last season, so tonight might not be a clear-cut ‘best game ever’ for him so far, but it was pretty darn good. Maybe you’d like to see a save on the third goal in the situation just seconds after the team rallied to tie, though a goalie can only be expected to do so much on a given night.
• Much like his run in Wilkes-Barre last spring, sometimes Murashov can be a little over-active in aggressively leaving his crease in the attempt to help the team when they’re struggling defensively, it didn’t burn him tonight due to his athleticism to recover. That’s something to watch for the future, though at this point it’s a hallmark in his game that he might try to do a little too much with good intentions to do what he can to help out.
• Kindel had two really nice plays on his goal and assist, it’s early yet but man he looks well on his way towards taking that next step into becoming a really solid player in the league. That’s about where the positives stop on this game, though shoutout to Carlile for scoring a goal for the second game in a row, doubling his NHL career goal total in the last 48 hours.
• Third periods still look like an adventure this season based on the last two games. Granted, the Pens were mighty fortunate to be up 1-0 (and not conceded a goal, thanks largely to Murashov) going into the third and it wasn’t a massive collapse tonight. Then again, they gave up three goals in the last period and lost because of it, which is a troubling continuation adter last year and especially last game’s 5-1 mess turning into 5-5. It’s not very comfortable for the Pens holding leads yet again, having given up six goals in the third periods of the last two games to get back into uncomfortably familiar territory.

Given the situation of playing a home game against what could be a lower level (or middle of the road) team, who were on the second-half of a back-to-back, the result is disappointing for the Pens. You can’t say it was an unworthy outcome either, which is where the disappointment hits hardest. The team was sloppy and surely left everyone from players to coaches to fans frustrated by being unable to play clean or even connect with simple, routine plays at times. Can’t say that was expected after the fast start of what they showed in the early games, though such is life sometimes as performances ebb and flow from night to night. It was pretty obvious that the Penguins weren’t on their A-game in this one and they end up with their first loss of the season as a result. Now with a first small taste of some adversity, we’ll look for how the bounce back goes in a rivalry game on Wednesday night on the road against the Capitals.

All Times EDT

Tuesday, Oct. 6

MLB - Playoffs

N.L. Division Series - Game 3

L.A. Dodgers at Atlanta, 6 p.m.

Milwaukee at San Diego, 9:30 p.m.

NBA - Preseason

Brooklyn at Charlotte, 7 p.m.

New Orleans at Oklahoma City, 8 p.m.

Denver at Utah, 9 p.m.

L.A. Lakers at Golden State, 10 p.m.

NHL

Carolina at Montreal, 7 p.m.

Minnesota at Buffalo, 7 p.m.

Nashville at Toronto, 7 p.m.

Ottawa at Detroit, 7 p.m.

Utah at New Jersey, 7 p.m.

N.Y. Islanders at N.Y. Rangers, 7:30 p.m.

St. Louis at Chicago, 8 p.m.

Vegas at Seattle, 9:40 p.m.

Florida at Los Angeles, 10 p.m.

MLS

Vancouver at Chicago, 8:30 p.m.

_____

The NHL is putting its “Hot for Hockey” audiobook campaign on ice. 

Less than a week after the NHL started releasing a series of short stories in audiobook form that feature current players in real-life NHL storylines through the lens of a romance novel, the league has discontinued the marketing initiative, Front Office Sports reported.

In fact, the NHL has wiped Spotify completely of the seven 30-to-90-second audio stories that had already been released last Thursday, most of which received negative feedback on social media.

The NHL was trying to capitalize on the popularity of the hockey-themed romance novel trend as well as the new interest from fans of the hit shows “Heated Rivalry” and “Off Campus.” 

Initially, Sports Business Journal reported that the NHL planned to release these short stories throughout the season, but the league told Front Office Sports on Monday that the marketing campaign was only meant to be a one-week thing associated with the start of the season. 

@HalfordBrough#WWL The NHL has launched the "Hot for Hockey" campaign in response to the popularity of Heated Rivalry and other hockey romances.

This is “Chasing Connor”

@MikeHalford604@SadClubCommish@AndyCole1984pic.twitter.com/HDEiQ3H4au

— Justin in East Van (@EastVanJustin) October 1, 2026

A league spokesperson did not explain why the stories were removed from Spotify. 

“As a start of the season concept, these were matchup specific posts created by authentic authors, illustrators and voice actors designed to run during our opening games in the first week. Our marketing now is focused around many other activations including our Hockey Hits Different celebrity campaign, tune-in messages and other initiatives,” the league spokesperson said.

No actual romance was involved in the audio stories, but they did evoke a similar feel to the style that hockey romance novels are meant to convey.

The SBJ report announcing the campaign indicated that the league had contracted popular hockey romance authors to write and narrate the stories released by the NHL. 

Among the first installments released was one featuring Jack Eichel and another that included Sebastian Aho. 

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters in Pittsburgh that the “data is overwhelming in terms of new fans that we acquired last year who were first introduced to hockey either through Off Campus or Heated Rivalry” before adding that “since it seems to be a cultural phenomenon, we figured why not get on board.”

The NHL’s endeavor into the hockey romance novel or “BookTok” space shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, considering the popularity Bettman noted, but the league’s somewhat checkered history with it does raise some eyebrows. 

Three years ago, former Kraken forward Alex Wennberg, who now plays for the Sharks, and his wife, Felicia, had to put out a statement condemning the “BookTok” fan fixation on Wennberg that she described as “​​sexual harassment, inappropriate comments.” 

“What doesn’t sit with me is when your desires come with sexual harassment, inappropriate comments and the fact that, with the Internet, we can normalize behavior that would never be OK if we flipped the genders around to a guy doing this to a female athlete,” she wrote at the time.

Logan Stanley hasn’t had much time to catch his breath.

It has been just over a week since the 6-foot-7 defenseman was signed by the Islanders, arriving after missing all of training camp and the preseason.

But on a day off following a 6-0 win over the Devils, Stanley toured his new surroundings on Long Island’s North Shore and walked into a cute neighborhood shop to grab a coffee.

“I think it cost me like nine dollars,” Stanley said with a smile.

Welcome to New York.

Outside of a 17-game stint in Buffalo — which acquired him at last season’s trade deadline — Stanley has essentially spent his entire life in Canada, including six seasons in Winnipeg. Just last month, the former first-round pick was staying in shape by skating with his former junior team in Kitchener, Ontario.

Now, Stanley is living alone in a hotel, awaiting the arrival of his pregnant wife and 3-year-old daughter.

But he is starting to feel at home.

“I’m the new guy here, but I can already tell after getting traded last year, I got a version of it coming to a new group and I never really settled in in Buffalo,” Stanley said following Monday’s practice. “The guys were great there, but I never really felt like it was home or it was comfortable. This feels great. Everyone’s been super welcoming and I’ve enjoyed every day I’ve been here.

“Being in the West my whole career, I didn’t know much about Long Island or the Islanders in general, but the way they’ve treated me and my family has been unbelievable. I really like it here. I took a drive [Sunday] and was checking out some neighborhoods and it’s beautiful.

“A little busier than Winnipeg.”

Stanley’s debut in his new home couldn’t have gone much better.

In just his second game with the Islanders — just six days after his first practice with the team — the 28-year-old had two assists and three blocked shots, while tying a team high with four hits in the win over the Devils at UBS Arena.

“I thought he was really good,” Islanders head coach Pete DeBoer said. “I think he’s gotten better every time out. He’s a big man, he moves well, he’s got good puck skills, good teammate, not much not to like.”

Last season, Stanley recorded a career-high nine goals and 17 assists in 76 games after averaging less than 41 games per season over his first five years. After going unsigned all summer, Stanley signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Islanders after they sent down Isaiah George.

Though the towering defenseman — who has been paired with Tony DeAngelo — is still playing catch up, he doesn’t feel as far behind as it might seem.

“The system is not too unfamiliar,” Stanley said. “I played a version of it in Winnipeg last year. There’s a few changes that might take some time to burn into my brain, but for the most part it’s pretty simple and straightforward. They’re direct in what they want you to do. It’s good for us as a group because we know where everyone is gonna be on the ice. We’re all on the same page. There’s no second-guessing where the puck is supposed to go. It’s pretty black-and-white and I think that’ll help us get out of our end.

“I missed training camp and a lot of these guys have been playing together for a while, but I’m starting to feel more comfortable now.”

The Buffalo Sabres have a five-game homestand to start the season, which began with a 4-3 comeback victory over Chicago on Saturday. Head coach Lindy Ruff started Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in both games, but with veteran Alex Lyon on the mend, he indicated that he would be looking to get third-stringer Colten Ellis a game in short order. 

That appears to the Sabres next game against Minnesota on Tuesday, which is the one-year anniversary of the St. Louis Blues draftee being claimed by the Sabres off of waivers. Ellis, who turned 26 on Monday, practiced in the starter’s net at KeyBank Center on Monday morning and is likely to get the start against the Wild, who are a 2-0 to start the season. 

Other Sabres Stories

Mrtka Looking To Take The Next Step Towards The NHL 

"It's  what  you  worked  for  all  summer, to  finally  get  to  showcase  what  you  worked  on,  and i'm  super  excited  to  play  for  everybody  in  here and I'm really  looking  forward  to  it."  Ellis said. “"Looking  back  a  year  ago ,  it's  pretty  crazy. With  all  that's  happened  in  the  past  year. I'm super  grateful  for  the  opportunity,  and   not  that  I  was  expecting  it  or  anything,  but  to  be  able  to  get  picked  up  and  play  the  whole  season  here  was  a dream  come  true,  and  you're  just  kind  of  living  the  dream  and  doing  it  day  in  and  day  out." 

The club made a few line combo changes on Monday, swapping Jiri Kulich from the fourth to third line, where he centered Peyton Krebs and Konsta Helenius, while shifting Ryan McLeod down to play center Beck Malenstyn and Sam Carrick. Ruff also tinkered with the struggling power play, moving Josh Doan off of the top unit in favor of Noah Ostlund.  

In ex-Sabres news, the family matter that resulted in Bowen Byram missing his return to Buffalo on Saturday was finally explained, as the blueliner’s wife gave birth to twin baby girls on Saturday afternoon. 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo 

The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled defenseman Juuso Valimaki from the Chicago Wolves of the AHL.

The 27 year old was one of the final cuts from Canes training camp and has been one of Chicago's top defenders since joining the organization back in January.

Valimaki has 271 games of NHL experience, recording 11 goals and 72 points in that span. Charles Alexis Legault was reassigned by the Hurricanes on Saturday, leaving the team with only six defensemen as Mike Reilly slotted in against the Flyers.

Carolina is in Montreal on Tuesday to take on the Canadiens and so the 6-foot-2 Finnish lefty could potentially make his team debut then, or he might just have been recalled for depth purposes.

---

Recent Articles

Despite Loss, Hurricanes Relish In Opportunity To Raise Championship Banner With Caniacs

The Inside Scoop On The Carolina Hurricanes New Championship Bling

Eric Tulsky Talks Season Opener, Roster Decisions, Alexander Nikishin and More

Pyotr Kochetkov 'Very Happy' To Be Remaining With Hurricanes

'You Don't Want To Be One-Dimensional': Carolina Looking To Work Its Penalty Killing Magic On Logan Stankoven

---

Stay updated with the most interesting Carolina Hurricanes stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

---

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.

The New York Rangers have placed Matthew Robertson on waivers. 

Robertson was held out of practice on Monday due to roster management reasons, as it was quickly revealed that he was waived by the team.

Selected in the second round of the 2019 NHL Draft by the Blueshirts, Robertson spent multiple seasons playing in the American Hockey League for the Hartford Wolf Pack before finally getting his NHL chance during the 2025-26 season. 

The 25-year-old played in 72 games for the Rangers last season, as he finally seemed to cave out a consistent role. 

However, 2026 fifth-overall pick Alberts Šmits stood out throughout training camp and took over Robertson’s position as the Rangers’ third-pair left-handed defensemen. 

Robertson made the Rangers’ opening-night roster out of training camp, but he has been scratched for all four of New York’s games to kick off the 2026-27 campaign.

With Robertson waived, it’s safe to say that the Rangers have confidence continuing to use Šmits moving forward and he’ll remain in the NHL barring any major regression in his play.

Joe Veleno also suffered a lower-body injury during the Rangers’ Sunday night game against the Utah Mammoth, which may have led to Robertson’s waiving since Veleno’s availability is in jeopardy and the Blueshirts only have three active centers on the roster.

After a strong start to the 2026–27 season that saw him register four goals and two assists in his first four games as part of the Vancouver Canucks, Paul Cotter has been named the NHL’s third star of the week. He currently leads the NHL in goals scored alongside Edmonton Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard and Utah Mammoth forward Nick Schmaltz. 

Cotter joined the Canucks via free-agency signing during the 2026 off-season, coming to Vancouver after two seasons with the New Jersey Devils and three with the Vegas Golden Knights before that. He scored a career-high of 16 goals in his first season with the Devils back in 2024–25. 

Two of the four goals Cotter has scored so far came in Vancouver’s first game of the regular season, a 6–5 overtime win against the Oilers on September 29. He is one of only six players in Canucks history to record a multi-goal game in their debut. 

Also named to the NHL’s Stars of the Week list are New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin, who scored a goal and posted a 1.67 GAA, and Bouchard, who has scored four goals and four assists in Edmonton’s first four games of the year. 

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: 

Vancouver Canucks NCAA Prospects Opening Weekend Recap

Canucks To Host Ovechkin One Final Time Later This Year

3 Standouts From Game #4: Golden Knights 3, Canucks 2

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.

Flyers lose four straight to start season for first time since 2014-15 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers were outshot by a healthy margin again as they lost to the Lightning, 4-1, Monday night at Benchmark International Arena.

Tampa Bay made it 3-1 with three minutes left in the game and added an empty-net goal to finish things off.

Tyson Foerster provided the Flyers’ lone goal. The club’s power play went 0 for 3 and is 0 for 11 on the season.

The Flyers fell to 0-2-2. They’ve dropped four straight to start the season for the first time since 2014-15, when they also went 0-2-2.

The Flyers have had all kinds of trouble with the Lightning in their last five meetings. They’ve gone 0-5-0 and have been outscored 21-4. They face Tampa Bay two more times this season.

• A positive for the Flyers was Dan Vladar.

The 29-year-old looked much more like himself, converting 32 saves on 35 shots. His previous outing was the 7-0 drubbing to the Penguins in the season opener.

The Flyers did not help Vladar on the three goals he allowed to the Lightning.

On Ilya Mikheyev’s 3-1 marker, David Jiricek had a bad turnover to Pontus Holmberg, who then deked the Flyers’ defenseman.

The Flyers gave up a 3-on-1 rush to Tampa Bay just 17 seconds into the second period. Cam York got stuck in the neutral zone. Holmberg, who may have interfered with York, buried the goal to put the Flyers down 2-0.

The Lightning opened the scoring with 3:55 minutes left in the first period when Brayden Point converted on an excellent deflection. Vladar had little to no chance to make the save.

Andrei Vasilevskiy, the two-time Vezina Trophy winner, stopped 13 of the Flyers’ 14 shots.

• Has complacency seeped in with the Flyers? Or is it possible they’re rusty and sluggish from last season? Because this offseason was new territory for them.

The Flyers had their summer break cut down by a month because of the playoff run and the addition of two games this season. You have to wonder if the Flyers are feeling that right now. Or if they’re just not used to it.

They have not looked at all like the team that was stingy and connected down the stretch last season. They’ve been outshot a staggering 158-76. That’s a minus-82 shot differential.

“It’s still early in the year, small sample, but it’s still alarming a little bit I would say,” Sean Couturier said Sunday after practice. “I think structure-wise, we’re not as sharp, we don’t seem to be on the same page. At least the effort is better and we’re competing more, but we’ve just got to smarten up, work harder, but smart, as well. And I think we’ll eventually get back to the playing style we want to play.”

• Some of the guys the Flyers were ready to rely on offensively had not been there through games.

But Foerster and Porter Martone found a spark in Game 4. Foerster’s goal came on a shot with traffic around the net. Martone was battling Charle-Edouard D’Astous in front as the puck went off the Tampa Bay defenseman.

Martone was super engaged. He drew two penalties and stirred the pot. Good signs.

“I expect a lot more from myself to contribute to this team and help this team win games,” Martone said Saturday morning after the first two games.

Trevor Zegras and Christian Dvorak, two significant additions last season, have combined for no goals, two assists and seven shots through four games this season.

• Denver Barkey made his season debut after missing the first three games because of a lower-body injury.

At practice Sunday, the 21-year-old forward looked poised for a return this week. He took plenty of contact to test things out.

Denver Barkey going through a bunch of contact here with Garrett Wilson and Simon Benoit. Really pushing it conditioning-wise. pic.twitter.com/X9mn4JfE2W

— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) October 4, 2026

To make room for Barkey on the roster, the Flyers placed Nikita Grebenkin (upper body) on injured reserve. Barkey entered the lineup for Alex Bump, who was a healthy scratch.

Barkey went scoreless in 13:06 minutes.

Rasmus Ristolainen did not play after taking a shot to his left hand in the Flyers’ 3-2 overtime loss Saturday night to the Hurricanes. The good news is that he joined the Flyers for the three-game road trip, so the injury appears to be more short term than long term.

• The Flyers are back in action Thursday when they visit the Senators (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

Heading into their fourth game of the young 2026-27 season, the Philadelphia Flyers are in desperate need of getting back in the win column, and things aren't getting any easier for them with a road matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning at 7 p.m. Monday night at Benchmark International Arena.

The Flyers have put themselves in a tough position to start this campaign, barely looking like a hockey team while earning just two of a possible six points, both through overtime losses, against divisional opponents in Pittsburgh, New Jersey, and Carolina.

With their goals against Carolina, Owen Tippett and Matvei Michkov became the first two Flyers forwards to score a goal this season... in the third game.

Moral victories are hardly helpful, especially against division rivals, but it is something to build off of if nothing else.

Newcomer Joseph Woll has been nothing short of amazing in net for the Flyers, saving 78 of the first 84 shots (.929) he's faced wearing the Orange and Black, though he's 0-0-2 for his efforts after facing 40+ shots on goal in each of his first two starts for the club.

At some point, the Flyers will not be able to rely on goaltending to keep them in games, and what better time to start than the present?

Flyers lines (projected) vs. Lightning

Travis Konecny - Christian Dvorak - Matvei Michkov

Carl Grundstrom - Trevor Zegras - Owen Tippett

Tyson Foerster - Noah Cates - Porter Martone

Denver Barkey - Sean Couturier - Noel Acciari

Cam York - Travis Sanheim

Nick Seeler - Jamie Drysdale

Simon Benoit - David Jiricek

Dan Vladar (S), Joseph Woll

Rasmus Ristolainen is reportedly a game-time decision, and Denver Barkey was activated from injured reserve with Nikita Grebenkin going on injured reserve to make room for his return. Barkey figures to replace Alex Bump, who has played very little to start the year, in the lineup, at least for now.

Veteran Garrett Wilson is expected to serve as the undressed extra forward.

Lightning lines (projected) for Flyers game

Gage Goncalves - Brayden Point - Nikita Kucherov

Jake Guentzel - Anthony Cirelli - Brandon Hagel

Pontus Holmberg - Zemgus Girgensons - Ilya Mikheyev

Jeff Viel - Conor Geekie - Scott Sabourin

J.J. Moser - John Carlson

Victor Hedman - Erik Cernak

Ryan McDonagh - Max Crozier

Andrei Vasilevskiy (S), Dennis Hildeby

How to watch Flyers game vs. Lightning

Monday night's Flyers game against the Lightning will be broadcast on The Spot, NHL Network, and NBC Sports Philadelphia. 

Flyers player to watch

Starting goalie Dan Vladar is my Flyers player to watch tonight. Last year's breakout star is looking to shake off a season-opening 7-0 loss to Pittsburgh, and while that game wasn't his fault, Vladar now has competition from Woll for starts and ice time.

In his career, Vladar is 2-3-0 in five games against the Lightning with a 4.23 GAA and .851 save percentage.

Washington Capitals forward and longtime Pittsburgh Penguins nemesis Alex Ovechkin announced on Monday that the 2026-27 NHL season will be his last. 

Ovechkin has played in a lot of iconic games against the Penguins, both in the regular season and the playoffs, and has compiled 44 goals and 80 points in 83 regular season games against the Penguins. 

Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have played against Ovechkin throughout their careers and reacted to the news to the Pittsburgh media after the morning skate. 

"He's done everything," Malkin said. "He's played, what, 22 years? He understands the league really good. It's not easy; same like myself, maybe it's my last year too. I still love his game, but again, it's not easy to play every game every night. It's hard because he’s legend, fans love him. He’s done everything for team, for league. I hope he play good this year, no injury. He just stay healthy, score goals, and enjoy the game."

Crosby echoed those comments when he was asked about it.

"Definitely have had some great battles over the years, and obviously, when you get to our age, it's something you have to make decisions on, and for him, as long as he's happy and enjoying it, that's the biggest thing," Crosby said. 

The Penguins will play the Capitals four times this season, including this Wednesday in D.C. Ovechkin's final game in Pittsburgh will be on Mar. 13. 

---

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more! 

Days after an opening night beset by booing and "Sell the team!" chants, Detroit Red Wings owner Christopher Ilitch responded via social media.

In a message posted on his LinkedIn page, Ilitch addressed the fan disenchantment with the franchise, made vocal on the evening of Friday, Oct. 2 – and then again, two days later – during games at Little Caesars Arena.

"I recognize fan frustrations," Ilitch wrote. "I get it and certainly feel the same. Like our city, the Red Wings have experienced incredible triumphs and faced difficult challenges but have always met them with grit and determination. 

"As the franchise begins its 101st season, I remain focused on building the championship-level organization that our Red Wings family and fans deserve."

PLAYERS REACT: 'No one is digging graves' as Detroit Red Wings start season 0-2

Ilitch began his missive with a nod to the franchise's history – it was in fall of 1926 a hockey club, then named the Cougars, arrived in Detroit. (They were eventually renamed the Red Wings after being purchased by James E. Norris in 1932.)

"Opening night in the NHL is always something special," Ilitch wrote. "And Friday night, as our Detroit Red Wings began a new season at Little Caesars Arena, Hockeytown showed up," Ilitch wrote. "A century of hockey, and more Stanley Cup wins than any other American NHL team, only happens with dedication and resilience. That Red Wings spirit is a constant through the seasons, from the coaches and players to the arena staff —like our incredible Ice Crew and broadcasters — and of course, generations of fans. I enjoyed visiting with many of them before the game to thank them for their part in our story and continuing it forward."

The "Sell the team!" chants come at a time of turmoil seen by the franchise since Ilitch's parents, Mike and Marian Ilitch, bought the club in 1982 from Bruce Norris (James' son), who had run it into the ground. Even during the pandemic years, when the Red Wings were showing the effects of having used first-round picks to stoke their 25-season playoff streak that lasted from 1991-2016, there was never this level of fan outrage.

It comes after a summer during which then-captain Dylan Larkin requested a trade, Steve Yzerman was ousted in mid-July as general manager, and the 2026-27 season began with restricted free agent Simon Edvinsson unsigned. (He has since indicated he would prefer, like Larkin, to be traded.)

The Red Wings next play at home against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday (7 p.m., Detroit SportsNet), as part of a season-opening stretch that features seven of their first eight games at LCA.

Contact Helene St. James at Hstjames@freepress.com.

Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. 

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Owner Christopher Ilitch responds to Detroit Red Wings fan outrage