Former Rangers Defenseman Signs In KHL

Ben Harpur (

© Matt Marton-Imagn Images)

According to Championat's Anton Pachenko, former New York Rangers defenseman Ben Harpur has signed a one-year contract with the Shanghai Dragons of the KHL. 

Harpur signing in the KHL comes after he did not land a contract with the Florida Panthers after participating in their training camp on a professional tryout (PTO). Now, the former Ranger will be playing overseas with the Dragons, where he should be a solid part of their blueline.

Harpur played in 42 games with the Rangers during the 2022-23 season, where he recorded one goal, five assists, six points, 57 blocks, 63 hits, and an even plus/minus rating. This is the last season that he played at the NHL level, but he did play the 2023-24 and 2024-25 campaigns exclusively with the Rangers' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.

In 29 games during the 2024-25 with Hartford, Harpur posted one goal, four assists, five points, 48 penalty minutes, and a minus-4 rating. 

In 198 career NHL games split between the Ottawa Senators, Nashville Predators, and Rangers, Harpur recorded two goals, 19 assists, 21 points, 143 penalty minutes, 221 blocks, and 317 hits.

Blues Announce Hall Of Fame Class Of 2026

The St. Louis Blues announced their Hall of Fame class of 2026, which features Alexander Steen, Barret Jackman and Al Arbour.

The announcement of the class was made in front of the Enterprise Center crowd during the first period of Wednesday's game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

The team will officially induct the players into the Blues Hall of Fame on Monday, Jan. 12, during a ceremonial dinner at the downtown Missouri Athletic Club. The inductees will then be honored prior to the game when the Blues host the Carolina Hurricanes the following evening at 7 p.m. at Enterprise Center. 

Steen, the Blues' soon-to-be general manager, played 12 seasons with the organization, scoring 195 goals and 496 points in 765 games. The Winnipeg, Man., native won a Stanley Cup with the Blues, playing as a depth forward with veteran leadership later in his career. Steen ranks fourth in Blues history in games played, sixth in assists and points, and 10th in goals. He is also one of five players in franchise history to dress in at least 90 playoff games.

Jackman played 13 seasons with the Blues, skating in 803 games and scoring 28 goals and 181 points. Jackman was a first-round pick (17th overall) of the Blues in the 1999 NHL Draft. Jackman leads all defensemen and ranks second in franchise history overall in games played, while his 1,026 penalty minutes are fourth. In 2002-03, Jackman was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team and became the first player in franchise history to earn the Calder Trophy. Jackman was named the Director of Alumni earlier this season.

Arbour, the first captain in Blues history and was a member of the original Blues team in 1967-68 after being drafted from Toronto in the 1967 expansion draft. Arbour spent four seasons with the Blues, leading them to the Stanley Cup Final in each of the team’s first three campaigns. The Sudbury, Ontario, native was a 1969 NHL All-Star and finished fifth in voting for the Norris Trophy that season. Arbour also served as head coach of the Blues for parts of three seasons (1970-71 to 1972-73), leading them to the NHL Semi-Finals in 1971-72.

As Flames Sink to NHL Bottom, Big Questions Loom Over Culture and Direction

The Calgary Flames wanted progress this season. What they’ve shown is uncertainty.

Calgary enters the week sitting tied for last in the NHL standings and the frustration is mounting. At 1.67 goals-per-game, the offence is stagnant, and the defensive structure is unraveling.

Now the whispers around the team have already shifted toward the long game — or more precisely, the 2026 NHL Draft and expected first-overall pick, Gavin McKenna. The potential of adding a franchise-changing forward is tempting, but - hypothetically speaking - what kind of environment would he be walking into?

That’s the real question for Calgary.

General Manager Craig Conroy made his intentions clear last season: this organization isn’t about shortcuts. It’s about competing, developing, and sustaining a culture that hates to lose. Tanking, at least philosophically, isn’t part of the plan. But with a 1-5-0 start and a minus-15 goal differential, the Flames look far from the kind of team that embodies that mindset.

Saturday’s 6–1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights was the latest example of their problems. Vegas dictated the pace, picked apart the Flames’ defensive coverage, and exposed just how disorganized Calgary has been in its own zone. Odd-man rushes, missed assignments, and poor coverage around the crease continue to hang goaltender Dustin Wolf out to dry.

© Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Wolf, fresh off signing a seven-year deal, hasn’t been perfect — but the defensive breakdowns in front of him have made it nearly impossible to evaluate his play. For a goaltender expected to anchor the next era of Flames hockey, the lack of structure around him is concerning.

The path forward is murky. Calgary needs defensive stability, but trading a top-pair blueliner like Rasmus Andersson (as rumoured in the offseason) seems almost counterintuitive. Veterans such as Nazem Kadri or Blake Coleman could bring value back, but both are key dressing-room voices on a team already light on identity.

© Stephen R. Sylvanie | 2025 Oct 18

If there’s a silver lining, it’s been the effort from the fourth line— particularly Ryan Lomberg and Adam Klapka. Lomberg’s energy and willingness to step up physically, including his fight with Colton Sissons in response to an earlier hit on rookie Zayne Parekh, injected some spark. Klapka’s forechecking, fighting and physical presence have followed suit. However, when your fourth line is your best line, it’s a symptom of a bigger problem.

The schedule doesn’t get easier — two games against Winnipeg and a visit to Montreal loom. While it’s far too early for Conroy to make panic moves, the questions are starting to pile up faster than the answers.

If the Flames truly want to build a culture around competitiveness, it has to start showing up in the results. As tempting as the McKenna sweepstakes might be, culture and complacency don’t coexist — and right now, Calgary is teetering dangerously close to the wrong side of that equation.

Red Wings' Rookie Emmitt Finnie Scores First NHL Goal vs. Oilers

Detroit Red Wings rookie forward Emmitt Finnie picked a good time to score his first goal in the NHL, only one game after his fellow rookie Axel Sandin-Pellikka did the same. 

Finnie buried a rebound of a shot by Jacob Bernard-Docker past Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner midway through the second period of Sunday afternoon's game for the milestone marker: 

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Immediately after the goal was scored, Red Wings team captain Dylan Larkin, who had just scored himself minutes earlier, retrieved the puck out of the net for a keepsake souvenir he'll keep for the rest of his life. 

The Red Wings drafted Finnie in the seventh round (201st overall) of the 2023 Draft, and he's quickly made a name for himself in his short time since making the team. 

Sandin-Pellikka also recently notched his first career goal, beating Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy with a quick wrist shot from near the top of the slot on Friday evening.

Finnie, Sandin-Pellikka, and Michael Brandsegg-Nygård are all playing in their inaugural campaigns in the NHL as rookies thanks to their strong showings in Training Camp and the pre-season. 

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Injuries To Chytil And Lekkerimäki Cast A Shadow Over Canucks’ Gutsy 4–3 Win Against The Washington Capitals

The Vancouver Canucks pulled together a gusty effort to take a 4–3 win against the Washington Capitals today, though this victory was not without worry, as Vancouver lost two players due to injury by the start of the second period. Elias Pettersson, Tyler Myers, Kiefer Sherwood, and Teddy Blueger scored for the Canucks, while Thatcher Demko made 29 saves on 32 shots faced in his fourth start of the season. 

After lots of chatter surrounding the play of Pettersson to start the season, it was the center who found the first tally of the game less than a minute into the first period. He fired a traditional seeing-eye shot past Charlie Lindgren to nab his first of the season. Pettersson finished the game with two shots and two timely blocks near the end of the third period. 

As a result of Brock Boeser’s absence, Vancouver shifted things around on their power play once again. In Boeser’s place was Sherwood, who got his first little bit of first-unit power play time of the season and made the most of it immediately. The forward honed in on the net at the perfect time, taking advantage of Washington’s poor penalty killing to start the season. 

Despite the excellent start to the game, things took a turn near the end of the first period when Tom Wilson took Filip Chytil out with a big hit. The center, whose injury issues have been well-documented throughout his career, had trouble getting off the ice and needed assistance from the training staff and teammate Conor Garland. While the hit was initially called as a major, the referees decided it was a “good hockey hit” and took the penalty away completely. Chytil was ruled out for the rest of the game.  

By the time the second period rolled around, the news kept getting worse. Jonathan Lekkerimäki, who came into the lineup for Boeser, was also taken out of the game. His ailment looked like it was sustained as the result of a hit from Matt Roy committed late in the first period. 

The rough stuff continued into the second period. Victor Mancini dropped the gloves with Brandon Duhaime, with both players feeding one-another big punches in an impressive effort for the young Canucks defenceman. Arshdeep Bains, part of the speedy Calder Cup line that has been fantastic at bringing pucks to the net, crashed into more than just the net today after he collided with Lindgren. 

Vancouver’s solid play was made even more notable considering their circumstances. Not only were they playing well when down to 10 forwards today, this was also their third game played in four days. For a team that’s been playing more often than not, especially at an early hour in pacific standard time, their early effort was notable. Players stepped up when needed and did well when taking on extra minutes. 

The third period was all Washington, with the home team controlling play more effectively in the o-zone than the Canucks. This included a brief stretch of o-zone time for the Capitals even during a Vancouver power play with around five minutes left in the third. Despite a full-sale push for the Capitals, including a late goal to cut their deficit to 4–3, Vancouver came up when they needed to and sealed their third straight win of the road trip. 

Oct 19, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren (79) makes a save against on Vancouver Canucks left wing Arshdeep Bains (13) as Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin (38) chases during the second period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Stats and Facts: 

  • With an assist on Kiefer Sherwood’s goal, Quinn Hughes extends personal point streak against the Capitals to five games 
  • Quinn Hughes passes Thomas Gradin for sixth in career assists (354) scored by a Canuck 
  • Tyler Myers scores his 100th career NHL goal 
  • Conor Garland leads all forwards in TOI with 22:20 played 

Scoring Summary: 

1st Period: 

0:59 - VAN: Elias Pettersson (1) from Conor Garland 

17:11 - VAN: Tyler Myers (1) 

17:52 - VAN: Kiefer Sherwood (4) from Conor Garland and Quinn Hughes (PPG) 

2nd Period: 

4:54 - VAN: Teddy Blueger (1) from Evander Kane and Tyler Myers

13:42 - WSH: Ryan Leonard (2) from Tom Wilson and Dylan Strome (PPG) 

3rd Period: 

9:01 - WSH: Jakob Chychrun (2) from Hendrix Lapierre and Rasmus Sandin 

17:46 - WSH: John Carlson (1) from Dylan Strome and Tom Wilson 

Up Next: 

Vancouver’s next match of their road trip takes place on Tuesday, in what will be their fourth of five away from Rogers Arena. The Canucks will take on the Pittsburgh Penguins in what will be their first time facing former goaltender Artūrs Šilovs since trading him back in July. Puck drop is scheduled for 4:00 pm PT. 

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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The Hockey News

Trading Places: Ottawa Senators Loan Merilainen To AHL Belleville, Call Up Sogaard

The Ottawa Senators raised some eyebrows on Sunday morning with the announcement that backup goalie Leevi Meriläinen has been loaned to the AHL’s Belleville Senators. In a corresponding move, Mads Søgaard has been called up from the B-Sens.

At a glance, one might think the Senators had suddenly lost faith in Meriläinen, four days after he and the team were shelled in Buffalo on Wednesday night, falling 8–4 to the Sabres. But this probably isn't a demotion, not after only one game, and not after you see that Sogaard isn't off to a great start either. This is about getting Merilainen some real game action.

The Senators don’t have a back-to-back situation in their game schedule until October 27–28. The Sens will host Edmonton on Tuesday of this week, the Flyers on Thursday, then travel to Washington on Saturday before hosting the Boston Bruins a week from Monday. Barring injury, it's likely that Ullmark will start all of those games, including the one against his old team, then the Sens will probably turn to Meriläinen in Chicago on the 28th.

Travis Green After Senators 5-4 Loss To Islanders: 'A Lot Of Things We Took Pride In Last Year, We Weren't Good At Tonight'Travis Green After Senators 5-4 Loss To Islanders: 'A Lot Of Things We Took Pride In Last Year, We Weren't Good At Tonight'Sens head coach Travis Green: "It hurts that we didn't get a point tonight, and I think our game's a little sloppy right now."

In the meantime, the Senators want to get Meriläinen playing for two reasons. First, they don’t want him getting rusty from going almost two weeks without playing, and just as importantly, they don’t want him stewing too long about his difficult season debut in Buffalo.

Merilainen is starting for the B-Sens on Sunday afternoon when they host the Syracuse Crunch. They may also let him start again in Laval on Wednesday, and one of the two games against Toronto on Saturday and Sunday before bringing him back.

As for Søgaard, he recently cleared waivers after camp, so he's waiver-exempt for a couple of more weeks. In the meantime, the Sens just need him for practice and to wear the ball cap on the bench in Ottawa. Based on his two games so far in the AHL, his current .864 save percentage isn’t exactly a statistic that demanded an immediate call-up to the NHL.

So Meriläinen’s assignment to Belleville should not be regarded as a demotion, but instead as a much-needed tune-up – both physically and mentally.

More Sens headlines at the Hockey News Ottawa:
Senators Send Swedish Winger Down To The Minors on Friday
Tkachuk Has Successful Thumb Surgery And Will Miss 6-8 Weeks
Sens Call Up Kaliyev As Tkachuk Goes On IR
Senators Suffer Discouraging 8-4 Loss At Buffalo
Senators Lose Sebrango, Claimed Off Waivers By Florida
An Early Glance At The Senators' Goaltending Pipeline

Maple Leafs' Rielly Has Stepped Up Offensively To Start The Season

The Toronto Maple Leafs had to be concerned that the departure of Mitch Marner would result in an offensive dropoff this season, as they have been dependent on the “Core Four” group carrying the bulk of their scoring load for most of the last decade.

Through the first six games of the regular season, Toronto is third in the NHL with 22 goals, and part of that excellent production has been the play of defenseman Morgan Rielly

The longest tenured Maple Leaf had a difficult season adjusting to new head coach Craig Berube’s style of play last season.

Like he has in previous seasons, Rielly cycled through numerous D-partners until it was finally remedied when Leafs GM Brad Treliving acquired Brandon Carlo from the Boston Bruins at the trade deadline.

The right-handed Carlo provided a stable defensive presence for the offense-minded Rielly, who finished with a subpar 41 points last season. However, the 31-year-old did produce in the playoffs, scoring four goals and three assists for seven points.

Rielly’s defensive issues have always been a focal point of criticism, and that was highlighted in Game 7 of their second-round loss to the Florida Panthers when he put up a minus-three rating.

That led to off-season rumors that Treliving would try to get the veteran to waive his no-movement clause.

Instead, he spoke to Rielly after the season about needing more from him. That resulted in him coming to training camp in great shape, with a new attitude, and that has been displayed on the ice, as he appears less tentative and willing to jump into offensive situations. 

'My Goal Was To Leave No Stone Unturned': How Morgan Rielly's Summer Could Set Him Up For Success With Maple Leafs'My Goal Was To Leave No Stone Unturned': How Morgan Rielly's Summer Could Set Him Up For Success With Maple LeafsShortly after the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/maple-leafs-reveal-73-player-training-camp-roster-for-2025-26">Toronto Maple Leafs</a> were eliminated by the Florida Panthers in May, Morgan Rielly and general manager Brad Treliving sat down to review the year.

“I thought (Morgan) had a really good game, skated well, moved the puck well, good reads, defended well, he was solid," Berube told reporters after Rielly scored the game-winner against the Montreal Canadiens in the season opener.

"(It) was great to see him have a good game. (There was) a lot of good, and there’s stuff that we’ve got to work on, but we did a good enough job to win the game. I thought our third period was our best period, (we did a) good job protecting the lead, closing it out,” the Leafs' bench boss added.

His six points put him tied for third in the league among defensemen, behind Cale Makar and Shayne Gostisbehere.

Rielly's scoring includes goals against the Habs and on Saturday in a 4-3 overtime loss to the  Seattle Kraken. The biggest change for Rielly is his return to being the quarterback of Toronto's power play after Marner took the point of the team's five-forward power-play unit last season.

Morgan Rielly (Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images)

The unit with Rielly at the helm has struggled early in the year, going just two for 14, striking at 14.3 percent, which is tied for 24th best in the league.

The blueliner’s lack of a heavy shot from the point has always been a criticism, but in the past, he has made up for that with his excellent playmaking.

The effectiveness of the Leafs on the man advantage will be a significant factor in whether Toronto can have the same level of success they had with Marner in previous seasons and perhaps advance further than they did with him in the playoffs.  

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&quot;They Have To Experience It&quot;: Todd McLellan Prepares Young Players For Oilers Tilt

Following their disappointing 5-1 setback to the Montreal Canadiens last Thursday evening to begin their centennial campaign, the Detroit Red Wings have since rattled off four consecutive victories. 

Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that those wins have come against three tough Atlantic Divisional opponents in the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, and Tampa Bay Lightning. 

Sunday afternoon will mark Detroit's first non-Atlantic opponent, but things won't get any easier for them considering that Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers are arriving at Little Caesars Arena for what will be their only appearance in the Motor City this season barring a Stanley Cup Final matchup in June. 

It may be a daunting task for a Red Wings team with three rookies going up against two of the best players in the world in McDavid and his equally impressive teammate Leon Draisaitl, whom Todd McLellan is already well familiar with from his days as Oilers coach. 

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Having already coached McDavid and Draisaitl in his career, McLellan will be sure to inform his current team about the tendencies of Edmonton’s stars that they can exploit, while also stressing that Detroit’s rookies cannot afford to play tentatively against such talented opponents.

"They have some tendencies, but the last thing you wang to do is scare the living daylights out of your younger players," McLellan said. "They can't go out there and play tentative and fearful, but both Connor and Leon have tendencies we'll make our players aware of, and then they'll have to play and experience it."

That being said, McLellan also noted that the rookie trio of Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, and Emmitt Finnie have already faced talented competition so far in their young careers.

Red Wings' Axel Sandin-Pellikka On First NHL Goal: "It’s Unbelievable"Red Wings' Axel Sandin-Pellikka On First NHL Goal: "It’s Unbelievable"Detroit Red Wings defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka netted his first goal in the National Hockey League on Friday evening, a feeling that he still calls "unbelievable".

"They've already gone against (Auston) Matthews, (Nick) Suzuki, (Cole) Caufield, Brayden Point, some of these players are perennial All-Stars and Olympic stars," he said. "They've faced some of these players already. It'll be a couple others, and they'll be fine." 

The Red Wings will need all of them at their best on Sunday afternoon after the news was confirmed that Patrick Kane (upper-body) will be unavailable, while the status of Lucas Raymond, who has missed the last two games with an upper-body injury of his own, hasn't yet been determined.

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Kraken Recall Young Defenseman From AHL

Ville Ottavainen (Bob Frid-Imagn Images)

The Seattle Kraken have recalled defenseman Ville Ottavainen from the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

The move comes just a day after Brandon Montour was announced out due to a personal family matter. There is no timetable for his return, and Ottavainen's promotion to the NHL is to serve as the Kraken's seventh defenseman.

Cale Fleury made his season debut last night against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Montour's absence. The 26-year-old finished the Kraken's 4-3 overtime win with one shot on goal in 11:45 of ice time.

The 23-year-old Ottavainen has played one NHL game in his career, earning a call-up to the NHL late in the 2024-25 season. He notched an assist in 14:24 in his NHL debut. 

Currently, Ottavainen will be a backup, ready to step into the lineup if another defenseman suffers an injury or is unable to play. Standing 6-foot-5, 210 pounds, the young Finnish defenseman has shown plenty of promise playing in the AHL since he was drafted in the third round (99th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft. 

The Kraken are back in action on Monday when they take on the Philadelphia Flyers on the road.

Shane Wright Scores Against Hometown Team In 100th Game As Kraken Beat Maple Leafs 4-3 In OvertimeShane Wright Scores Against Hometown Team In 100th Game As Kraken Beat Maple Leafs 4-3 In OvertimeShane Wright recorded a goal and an assist in his 100th career NHL game as the Seattle Kraken took down the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in overtime.

Nashville Predators 'fell behind 8-ball' in first period against Winnipeg Jets

Up until Saturday's game against the Winnipeg Jets, the Nashville Predators didn't have a lot of issues when it came to starting off games. 

In four of their first five games of the season, if Nashville wasn't scoring in the first period, it was scoring the first goal of the game. The 7-4 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs was the only game out of the first five where the Predators didn't have a first-period goal or score the first of the match. 

Facing off against the reigning Presidents' Trophy winners, the Winnipeg Jets, following that trend would've been critical for the Predators to keep pace with Winnipeg. That did not happen. 

Steven Stamkos took a hooking penalty a minute into the game, allowing the third-best power play in the NHL to go to work and take a 1-0 lead less than three minutes into the game. 

Halfway through the period, Nino Niederreiter snuck past the defense and scored on a breakaway to make it 2-0 Winnipeg. Six minutes after that, Brady Skjei was called for hooking. 

A disastrous first period put the Predators in a hole that they were unable to dig themselves out of, falling to Winnipeg, 4-1. 

"We didn't start on time," Predators head coach Andrew Brunette said. "We took a bad penalty right away against a really good power play and made a mental mistake on the second goal. It was a lot of things we've haven't done this year so far that crept into the game a little bit." 

The Predators struggled to get the offense going in the first period as well, getting outshot 11-5 before registering 10 more shots in the second period. To Nashville's credit, outside of a bad fight by Michael McCarron and a slashing peanlty by Roman Josi that led to a Jets goal in third period, the Predators evened out the game. 

Throughout this four-game road trip, where the Predators posted a 1-2-1 record, Nashville has shown flashes that they can be a good team and play complete periods. 

"You see the images of when we play a certain way and it's a good picture," Brunette said. "For us, going forward, we need to be a little more consistent with that from the puck drop. For the most part, through this trip, we have been." 

The biggest thing the Predators need to avoid is bad habits from last season. The power play needs to improve as it is sitting at a low 8.7% efficiency. Its offense needs to start scoring more, as its 15 goals for in six games is tied for the 10th lowest in the league. 

Then there's the penalty minutes. The Predators are smack dab in the middle of the league with 49 penalty minutes in six games, but it's about the type of penalties that are taken and when. 

McCarron, who was one of the league leaders in penalties and led the Predators in fights last season with nine, squared off against Logan Stanley when the Predators were down 2-0 in the second period. 

While McCarron was likely trying to "fire up" the Predators, Nashville was playing predominantly better already than in the first period. It outshot Winnipeg 15-4 and went to the power play three times. 

Returning to Nashville with a balanced 2-2-2 record, the Predators have a five-game home stand to take advantage of and potentially turn things around halfway through the first month of play. 

'The Big Thing For Us Is Puck Touches': Explaining Why Forward Prospect Liam Ohgren Was Sent Down

Before its game against the Philadelphia Flyers, the Minnesota Wild sent forward Liam Ohgren down to the AHL and recalled forward Tyler Pitlick.

Pitlick, 33, has played in 420 NHL games before his Wild debut on Saturday. The native of Minnesota has 56 goals, 53 assists and 109 points in his NHL career. He also has 54 goals, 86 assists and 140 points in 280 career AHL games.

But for Ohgren this is a chance to actually play top minutes and get more puck touches. Wild head coach John Hynes that was the big reason why Ohgren was sent back down and even Ohgren himself agreed.

The Wild's 19th overall pick from the 2022 NHL Draft was given a chance in training camp to take the Wild's second line left wing spot with the absence of injured forward Mats Zuccarello. Ohgren did not play the best in preseason and opened the season on the fourth line.

"It's a situation where we've given him different opportunities in different situations and when you look at it, he hasn't taken one," Hynes said on Ohgren.

A team starving for even-strength offense and goal scoring, kept Ohgren on the fourth line and played him only 9:10 a night. He was a minus-four, had four shots and zero points in five games.

"At the same time, we are looking at where he's playing and what he's doing. It's only his second year over here in North America. Let him go down, play and find his game," Hynes said on the decision. "The big thing for us is puck touches. Without the puck, he has been responsible and his details were certainly growing but now, with a faster game and less time and space, it's just the puck touches and establishing himself more offensively."

Ohgren, 21, had 19 goals, 18 assists and 37 points in 41 AHL games last year. He was sent down to get more puck touches because despite the lack of scoring and being a young prospect who's top ability is scoring, the Wild felt the need to continue to play him on the fourth line.

Last year the Wild recalled Ohgren in January. He played in the top-six for four games and had two assists. He played on a line with Marco Rossi and Matt Boldy and fit in. He had a goal and two assists in seven games during that run.

After, the Wild dropped him down in the lineup and later sent him back down to the AHL were he tore it up.

When Marcus Johansson missed a game against the Seattle Kraken in March, the Wild recalled Ohgren again and stuck him on a line with Freddy Gaudreau and Gustav Nyquist. Ohgren scored in a 4-0 win and was sent back down with Johansson coming back the next game.

Wild Youngster Scores First Of The SeasonWild Youngster Scores First Of The SeasonThis Wild youngster scored his first goal of the season.

He finished the season with two goals and three assists in 24 NHL games. When he was in the top-six getting 15 minutes a night, Ohgren produced and looked good offensively. The defensive side was a work in progress but that is expected for a 20-year-old at the time.

But nine minutes a night on the fourth line this year is not the best thing to do when it comes to developing a scorer. So Ohgren was sent down to the AHL to play top minutes in all situations.

"I think with more ice time and with opportunities to get his confidence us is something we felt was important and he agreed," Hynes said.

So of course in his first game with Iowa, Ohgren scored.

Point being, you can see Ohgren is an offensive player. He has one heck of a shot. But playing in a fourth line role in the NHL is not going to suit his game. Giving him more time in the AHL is the right decision.

If there is a time this year that he is recalled, Ohgren has to be in a top-six role or there isn't a point in calling him up. Hence why the Wild recalled Pitlick to replace him on the fourth line.

Confidence is a big thing, especially for a young kid. Ruining that is not what you want to do. Hopefully this gives Ohgren confidence that he can one day score in the NHL and be a impactful top-six forward. That time is not now for Minnesota. Despite the lack of 5-on-5 scoring. But that is okay. His time will come and the Wild still believe in the youngster.

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The Hockey Show: Panthers, Rangers struggling to score, Carter Hart signs PTO in Vegas, a great Calder race and more!

There was a lot to get to on this week’s episode of The Hockey Show.

Co-hosts Roy Bellamy and David Dwork were joined by a couple of guests this week to help get into the bevy of hockey news and happenings going on.

They first welcomed Shayne Goldman, NHL writer for The Athletic, who did not hold back when discussing the Vegas Golden Knights signing former Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart to a PTO.

Hart and four other Hockey Canada players were indicted but found not guilty in a sexual assault case stemming from when each were teenagers and celebrating their World Junior Championship victory in 2018.

Also discussed with Shayna were the issues surrounding the New York Rangers and the Florida Panthers, an exciting early race for the Calder Trophy and who the next player to get a big contract will be.

The Hockey Show also welcomed actor, comedian and former MLB prospect Gerard Michaels to the show to discuss his career, but perhaps more importantly, his being a huge Rangers fan yet absolutely despising their biggest star, Artemi Panarin.

He also has experience working with THS producer Rose Arias, which was another interesting topic to dive into, especially for Roy.

This week’s wins and fails included some revenge in Colorado for a former Avs player, an incredible defensive effort from one of the best offensive players in the league, David Pastrnak, and the NHL once again falling over themselves to give some fake recognition to Sidney Crosby.

You can check out the show and full interviews in the videos below:

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Jets Recall Former First Round Pick Ahead Of Road Stretch

The Winnipeg Jets announced Saturday before their 4-1 win over the Nashville Predators, that they have recalled forward Brad Lambert from their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose.

The 21‑year‑old Finland‑born forward has played in two games with the Moose so far this season, following a 35‑point campaign (seven goals, 28 assists) in 61 games during the 2024‑25 AHL season. Over his career with the Moose, Lambert has 93 points (30 goals, 63 assists) in 139 career AHL contests. 

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Born in Lahti, Finland, Lambert has steadily progressed through the Jets organization and has drawn attention for his playmaking ability and polish at the AHL level. Earlier in his career, he broke out as a rookie, posting 55 points (21 G, 34 A) in 64 games, earning All‑Rookie Team honors. 

This recall comes as Lambert has already appeared in six NHL games for the Jets, picking up two assists. He was originally selected by Winnipeg in the first round, 30th overall, in the 2022 NHL Draft.

It's unclear as to what his role on the team will be just yet with the team experimenting with their lineup, playing rookies in Nikita Chibrikov and Parker Ford in a number of roles with nothing sticking as impactful. Hopefully, Lambert will get an opportunity to show what he has to offer with his game in likely their next contest on Monday in a road game versus the Calgary Flames.

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NHL fines Brad Marchand for 'unsportsmanlike conduct' after he ripped apart Rasmus Dahlin's helmet

The first Florida Panthers player to incur a fine from the NHL Department of Player Safety this season is Brad Marchand.

Well, this regular season.

Marchand was fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for “unsportsmanlike conduct.”

This stems from an incident that occurred during Saturday’s game between the Panthers and Sabres in Buffalo.

During the second period, Dahlin came up behind Marchand and cross-checked him in the lower back.

Marchand responded as many would expect, going after Dahlin and trying to fight him, eventually skating away from the scrum he created with Dahlin’s helmet in his hands.

As he got to the Panthers penalty box, Marchand began ripping the straps off of the helmet before tossing the damaged bucket back on the ice.

You can check out video of the incident by clicking here.

Florida will be back in action on Tuesday when they wrap up their disaster of a road trip in Boston.

Can the Cats salvage a single point on their five-game roadie? We’ll find out Tuesday!

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Photo caption: Oct 18, 2025; Buffalo, New York, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand (63) looks to pass during the first period against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. (Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images)

Panthers’ Marchand Fined $5,000 For His Actions Against Dahlin And The Sabres

NHL player safety has fined Florida Panthers left winger Brad Marchand $5,000 for his unsportsmanlike conduct and his actions against the Buffalo Sabres during Saturday’s game.

The $5,000 fine is the maximum fine allowable under the CBA.

In the middle of the second frame between the Panthers and the Sabres on Saturday, Marchand flew off the hinges, following a cross-check from Buffalo’s defenseman Rasmus Dahlin.

Dahlin cross-checked Marchand in the back, with the puck away from the two of them. Marchand went down as a result of the cross-check, but there was no call on the play.

Not long after, Marchand followed Dahlin to the other side of the blueline, stepping into the Sabres' D-man, taking him to the ground.

From that point, Marchand jumped on Dahlin and began whaling punches on him. Buffalo center Tage Thompson stepped in to pull Marchand away from the team’s captain.

In the aftermath, Marchand was called for interference and roughing on Dahlin, and Thompson was sent to the box for roughing Marchand.

Brad Marchand (Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images)

That wasn’t the end of the theatrics from the Panthers veteran. As Marchand headed for the penalty box, he was carrying Dahlin’s helmet. When he was stepping into the sin bin, Marchand began ripping the straps off Dahlin’s helmet and tossing it away.

The Sabres capitalized on Marchand’s penalties. Right winger Josh Doan scored his second power-play goal of the game to make it 2-0 for Buffalo.

Buffalo went on to defeat Florida 3-0 with goaltender Alex Lyon earning the shutout.

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