Stan Bowman spent more than 30 minutes answering questions Wednesday, and much of that time was spent discussing a decision the Edmonton Oilers knew would anger part of their fan base.

Alex Formenton signed a one-year, $850,000 contract with Edmonton earlier this month, and a petition calling for the Oilers to terminate that contract has since collected more than 65,000 signatures. Bowman said Wednesday that the reaction was considered before the organization made the signing.

“Yeah, I would say we knew going into it that this was something that wasn't going to be universally accepted or embraced,” Bowman said.

The Oilers considered the reaction and signed Formenton anyway. Bowman said the organization spent significant time looking into the situation before reaching a point where it was comfortable offering him a contract.

“I understand that people are going to view it differently, and that's okay,” Bowman said. “That's one of the things that I'm a big believer in: that we don't all have to agree on everything here, and people are entitled to their opinions and have strong feelings on it.”

Underneath everything that has followed since the signing, a decision about Formenton's on-ice performance remains at the heart of the issue, and the Oilers seem to believe Formenton can be part of their plans for future success.

His last NHL season was in 2021-22 with the Ottawa Senators, when he scored 18 goals and 32 points in 79 games. He has since spent the past three seasons playing in Switzerland and now returns to the NHL at 27, with probably his only chance to revive his NHL career.

Bowman Prepared To Gamble On Savoie's Contract, He Might Be RightAs rivals lock up young talent with massive extensions, Edmonton resisted the pressure to overpay early, prioritizing roster flexibility and definitive proof of Matt Savoie’s long-term value. Was it the right decision?

“We also knew that it is something that is a polarizing topic, and that's why we did spend as much time looking into it to get us to the point where we do feel comfortable,” Bowman said. “Alex is member of our team. He's going to be, and we believe that he's going to be an asset to our team, on the ice, but also as a teammate.”

The Oilers also considered the years that have passed since the 2018 incident. Formenton and the four other former Canadian world junior players charged in the case were acquitted in July 2025, and Bowman said his conversations with Formenton played a role in Edmonton's decision.

“You know, I've had a lot of conversations with Alex, and you know, he's grown a lot in the intervening years, from where he was then to where he is now, and he's shown that growth,” Bowman said.

Bowman Admits Controversial Formenton Signing “Wasn’t Going to Be Universally Accepted”Oilers general manager Stan Bowman defends the Oilers' polarizing decision to sign Alex Formenton, but gives fans who dislike the move room to voice their frustration.

That belief will be tested during Formenton's time in Edmonton because the organization has attached its own reputation to the decision. Bowman said the Oilers believe in the person they signed and expect him to contribute as a teammate, leaving Formenton's conduct within the organization as part of how the signing will eventually be viewed.

More than 65,000 signatures on a petition to terminate Formenton's contract represent substantial opposition to the signing, and Bowman acknowledged Wednesday that some people may also be tired of Edmonton becoming associated with second chances.

“That's understandable,” Bowman said. “I think each person is going to have to navigate that the way that feels right to them. It's not for me to say whether they should or shouldn't feel a certain way.”

It's worth acknowledging the size of the market the Oilers operate in. The truth is, no matter how upset a portion of Oil Country becomes, Rogers Place will still be full every night. Attendance won't tell us much about whether the feelings that are so loud now will change.

What Fans Want To See From Training CampThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers#google_vignette">Edmonton Oilers</a> step onto the ice for their first day of training camp Wednesday with a new head coach, several injured players and plenty to work on after the way last season ended.

Some fans will eventually stop talking about the signing, while others signed that petition because the issue matters enough to affect how they view the organization, and Formenton's performance won't necessarily change that.

Bowman understands personally how Edmonton responds to an organization willing to offer another opportunity. He referenced his own experience on Wednesday when discussing the support he has received since becoming general manager.

“It is a privilege to be here working in this city for these fans here,” Bowman said. “I've been blown away by the support that the fans show to the team here.

“So you want to do right by the community, and you want to make people proud of you,” Bowman said. “I think that's really maybe the message I would say is we're trying to do the right thing and give us a chance to make them proud and be judged on what we do moving forward here.”

Who From Oilers Rookie Camp Could Be The Next Guy Up?The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers#google_vignette">Edmonton Oilers</a> finished rookie camp with a 6-1 win over the Calgary Flames, giving several prospects one final opportunity to show the organization what they could do before heading back to their respective organizations.

Because Formenton is on a one-year contract, the Oilers have only this season to see what whether it was worth it. His performance in the Swiss League and the NHL are not all-star nurmbers, and Bowman's comments indicate they expect something from him as a teammate as well.

The reaction from fans was something Edmonton was willing to accepted when they signed Formenton. More than 65,000 people have now put their names in support of the opposite, leaving the Oilers to spend much of this season deciding what Formenton provides after four years away from the NHL and whether he has a future with the organization at all.

Training camp is going to look a little different for the Florida Panthers this month than it has in past years.

That’s what will happen when you combine a longer-than-usual offseason and an abbreviated training camp and preseason schedule.

This year was the first over the past five that the Panthers did not play hockey until at least late May. They reached the second round during the 2022 playoffs and then played in the Stanley Cup Final in 2023, 2024 and 2025, winning championships during the latter two trips.

Now the Cats are entering a new season after not making playoffs for the first time since 2019, and they’re doing it in a year where the regular season is two games longer and training camp and the preseason have been cut shorter.

“There is no team in the league that's gone through what the teams will go through,” Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice said Wednesday. “This is the shortest camp that I'll have ever been a part of. Fewest number of exhibition games, mandates on the number of games guys can play, veterans can play, so we have to learn real fast what the right (process will be).”

Maurice explained that he plans to change the way he handles his players during camp, now choosing to work his veterans early in the preseason instead of holding them back longer.

He also wants to get into the regular season meetings and preparation sooner rather than later, and this new way of running his veterans lends into that mindset.

“The longer you keep your teams in split groups, you can't work your special teams because you've got power plays on two different surfaces against different killers,” Maurice said. “It's not right, so we're going to run hard early with those, and then shut them down, and look at the last six days of training camp as a between series break in the playoffs. We’ll go right to special teams and things that we usually push till much later in the camp. But what we're doing with the new guys is exactly what we're doing with the veterans. If every player in this training camp had played for us last year, we’re going right back to basics, right back to the simplest things we do, the hardest things we do, and we're starting there. So, for the new guys, this is a great time to come here because we're starting with day one video.”

Considering the long offseason, the consensus from Panthers players this week has been that they just wanted to hit the ice and get started.

Regardless of how long or short training camp ends up, Maurice’s guys feel they’ll be ready when the games start to count.

“It doesn't matter,” said Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad. “There could be a three-day training camp, and we'll get ourselves prepared.”

Florida’s first official training camp practice started at 10 a.m. on Thursday.

They’ll run a few days of practices before getting into their four-game preseason schedule, which will take place over a seven-day span starting on Sunday against the Carolina Hurricanes.

“I think it's a unique experience for everybody,” said Panthers forward Brady Tkachuk. “Everybody's got to go through that shorter camp than what we've expected and what we've gone through in the past.”

With Maurice planning to push his veteran players harder during the early stages of camp, it will be interesting to see how they respond to the workload.

Last year, when Florida brought over 20 more players to their camp than this year (72 to 51), Maurice held his veterans back during the first days, abbreviating their exposure with such a large group and essentially giving them a preview of what this year’s shorter camp could be like.

“Once you start, the only thing that probably changes is you're probably able to do a little bit more on ice, get those reps in at a higher pace, as opposed to getting your rest as much as possible,” said Panthers forward Sam Reinhart. “The shorter training camp is something everyone's going through. It’s something that’s not really new to us; we tried it out a little bit last year. The quicker you can feel up to your best and get that pace high and intensity high, the better off you'll be.”

It certainly helps that many of Florida’s veteran players, including Ekblad, Reinhart, the Tkachuk brothers and Panthers captain Sasha Barkov, have all be taking part in informal workouts at the team’s practice rink in Fort Lauderdale over the past several weeks.

Sometimes working with skills coaches, sometimes setting their own pace and drills, the players have been ramping themselves up in anticipation of hitting the ground running when Opening Night arrives at the end of the month.

That’s why for some, the shorter training camp doesn’t feel like much of a difference.

“I still think training camp is too long, but that's maybe just me,” said Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk. “Guys have been here since like August 20th. Maybe we haven't been doing Paul's skates at the end of practice, but they've still been hard. Everybody's still pulling the rope the same way right now. Guys are in the weight room all day. We've been at this for at least a few weeks now, so I don't think we should have an issue once camp starts, once the season starts.”

Ultimately, the plan for camp is something that Maurice and his staff worked and tinkered with throughout the summer.

It’s a process that started immediately after last season ended, continued when the coaches and managers returned to South Florida around the NHL Draft and free agency, and finally came to fruition as the players began making their way back to Fort Lauderdale.

“One of the things I wrestled with this summer was how to tackle this,” Maurice explained. “The first one is we run a hard camp, but if you power your team for let's say 10 days, you're not right for two days after that, so it has to be a little bit more selective, but I still have to get that message across, and it still has to be hard and it has to be fast.”

Under Maurice, Florida has become one of the hardest teams to play against, combining speed, puck possession and suffocating checking.

It’s an incredibly difficult way to play on a daily basis, and it something the Panthers have strived at.

We’ll see if Maurice can keep the train moving amid the new adjustments to training camp.

“Sometimes you don't know when you tweak your drills, what's going to happen,” he said. “But we'll go real hard.”

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Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is entering his 22nd season in the NHL and has a chance to set another goal-scoring record.

But the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer's opening news conference for the 2026-27 season also dealt with his appearance in a political ad for the United Russia Party, which supports president Vladimir Putin.

MultipleRussian news outlets have published images and video of the commercial showing Ovechkin, a Moscow native, standing behind Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, a prominent figure in Putin's Kremlin and the leading parliamentary candidate for the United Russia Party. Other Russian celebrities appeared in the ad.

"They asked me to do this, and I said yes," he said at the opening of his news conference, which occurred on his 41st birthday.

He said there was no hesitiation on his part.

"I'm Russian and I support my country," he said.

He's planning to live with his family is Russia after he retires.

"I'm for peace and love and I hope everything is going to be OK," he said.

After four seasons in the NCAA, Charlie Stramel finally signed an entry-level contract with the Minnesota Wild, and excitement around his arrival is high.

Leading up to his draft year, Stramel was considered a top-10 pick, or at the very least a candidate to land in the top 10. As a late-2004 birthday, Stramel missed the cutoff for the 2022 draft and was selected by the Wild in the first round (21st overall) of the 2023 NHL draft. 

His first two seasons of college hockey with the University of Wisconsin were very underwhelming, but the move to Michigan State unlocked his game. In his first season with the Spartans, his junior year, Stramel posted nine goals and 27 points in 37 games. But his senior season is when things finally came together, as the 21-year-old scored 19 goals and 44 points in 37 games.

Stramel morphed into one of the better players in college hockey and proved to the Minnesota brass that he was ready to begin his professional career.

After signing his entry-level contract, Stramel will have the opportunity to compete in training camp and pre-season to make the opening-night NHL roster. The question is whether he has the tools to play a bottom-six role, or if his skill stands out enough to warrant a spot in the top six.

If he can provide neither, he'll likely start in the AHL, but he is gunning for an NHL job.

"That’s for sure a goal of mine,” Stramel told reporters last week during the team’s prospect camp. “I’m going to have to bring it in camp and hopefully show them what I’m capable of. But at the end of the day, if it doesn’t happen right away, it doesn’t happen right away.”

Minnesota Wild Announce 2026-27 Training Camp Roster, Preseason ScheduleQuinn Hughes and fresh additions join Kirill Kaprizov in St. Paul, while Jesper Wallstedt takes the spotlight in net with Filip Gustavsson sidelined by early-season injury.

There is no shame in starting in the AHL; for many prospects, it helps them acclimate to the style of play and speed they may face in the NHL. But with some of the off-season departures the Wild faced, it would be great to see a top prospect like Stramel force his way into the lineup. 

Stramel has the physical tools, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 212 pounds. His game is built on his playmaking, as he excels in small areas of the ice. His hockey IQ is arguably his greatest strength, and he uses that to be a step ahead of the game.

His ability to play on the wing or up the middle could be another valuable trait that helps him land an NHL job. 

Six Questions Facing The Wild Entering Training CampFrom contract tension surrounding Quinn Hughes to a high-stakes battle for the top center spot, Minnesota enters camp balancing Stanley Cup ambitions with critical roster uncertainties.

But it won't be an easy task for Stramel. If he starts on the wing, he can't beat out Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy in top-six roles, and in the bottom six, Stramel doesn't have the physicality of Yakov Trenin or Marcus Foligno to beat them. Additionally, Blake Coleman provides offense and penalty killing, and Nick Foligno is a veteran leader who also brings physicality. The two players he can truly compete with are Maxim Shabanov and Bobby Brink, but they, too, have more NHL experience than Stramel.

Up the middle, Stramel won't beat Joel Eriksson Ek, doesn't bring the physicality of Michael McCarron on the fourth line, nor the veteran experience of Ryan Hartman, and like Brink and Shabanov, he is likely unable to beat out Danila Yurov.

It's more than an uphill battle, but Stramel will be given the opportunity to prove himself.

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On Wednesday, the Winnipeg Jets announced that goaltender Connor Hellebuyck had been suspended indefinitely for failing to report to camp, and that GM Kevin Chevaldayoff would speak to the media on Thursday. After benefiting from the Anaheim Ducks’ cap crunch less than a week ago, could Kent Hughes and the Montreal Canadiens swoop in to land an (albeit interested) hand?

After all, the Habs GM said he was fine with starting training camp with three NHL goaltenders, but not starting the season, and while Jacob Fowler could be sent back to Laval, that’s probably not ideal. Looking at the list of invited players to training camp, it’s easy to see that the Canadiens are ready for the possibility of a Samuel Montembeault trade; they have seven goaltenders at camp (Montembeault, Jakub Dobes, Fowler, Kaapo Kahkonen, Hunter Jones, Francesco Lapenna and Hunter Jones), meaning a pair for the Habs, one for the Laval Rocket and one for the Trois-Rivières Lions, with a spare.

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Meanwhile, in Winnipeg, if Hellebuyck holds firm and the team keeps him suspended as they struggle to find a good match on the trade market, Stuart Skinner is set to be their number one netminder. While he once led the Edmonton Oilers to a couple of Stanley Cup finals, he hasn’t posted a save percentage above .900 since 2023-24, which hardly inspires confidence. Down in the depth chart are Thomas Milic, who’s seen only two NHL games; Dom DiVincentiis, who’s yet to make it past the AHL; and Isaac Poulter, who has spent time between the AHL and the ECHL. As for Samuel Hrenak and John Parsons, they’ve only just been drafted.

As things stand, the Jets have $4.4 M in cap room and getting an experienced goaltender with NHL experience could be tempting. Montembeault could be an option; he has only a year left on his contract and a $3.15 M cap hit. While the Bécancour native had a horrendous year last season (10-8-4 with a 3.43 goals-against average and a .872 save percentage), many believe he will bounce back. In the four seasons before his collapse, he posted a SV above .900 and was Canada’s third-best netminder at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

The question is whether the Jets would be willing to make it worth the Canadiens’ while. Hughes isn't in the business of giving away assets, but to avoid another three-goalie carousel last season, he traded Cayden Primeau (an RFA) for a seventh-round pick. Of course, Montembeault has more value than Primeau did, but trading him away could remove a thorn from Hughes’ side. It may be time for Hughes to lower his asking price for the goaltender. 

Of course, if the Jets could trade Hellebuyck in a deal that includes an NHL-level goaltender, the issue would go away, but they’ve been trying to move him for some time now, and plenty of netminders have been moved this offseason. Winnipeg will be a team to watch in the coming days/weeks…It's an awful position to find yourself in, especially after the goalie said in 2023 that he could see himself "being a Jet for life." What a difference an Olympic gold medal makes...

With Connor Hellebuyck officially not reporting to Jets training camp, let’s revisit what he said after signing his 7-year extension in 2023 😭🤐 pic.twitter.com/v3puR9cLmr

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) September 17, 2026

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

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The Calgary Flames are officially back on the ice.

Following Wednesday’s media day, which saw players take part in headshots, promotional shoots and the usual start-of-season activities, the Flames opened training camp Thursday morning with their roster divided into two groups.

Team Red features much of the expected NHL group, while Team Black is made up largely of players expected to start the season with the Calgary Wranglers, along with several prospects looking to make a strong impression.

With preseason games coming up, here are some of the names and storylines worth watching from each group.

Reporting for camp 🫡

🔗: https://t.co/Jc49osPtiXpic.twitter.com/K3XXn8ICMu

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) September 16, 2026

Team Red: The NHL Group

Team Red features plenty of familiar faces, including Mikael Backlund, Matt Coronato and Morgan Frost, while Dustin Wolf and Devin Cooley make up the goaltending tandem.

For the most part, this is the group that gives us an early look at the players expected to be competing for spots on the Flames’ opening-night roster.

There is also an interesting prospect mixed into the group.

Chase Harrington, the Flames’ second-round pick from the 2026 NHL Draft, gets an early opportunity to skate alongside NHL veterans.

Harrington is coming off his junior career with the Spokane Chiefs, where he recorded 57 points, including 28 goals and 29 assists, in 61 games last season.

At this point, camp is about getting a first look at how prospects fit into the bigger picture. For Harrington, being around the NHL group provides an opportunity to show what he can do against stronger competition.

For Calgary Flames Roster Hopefuls, Preseason Is Their ChanceThe Calgary Flames Celebrity Charity Golf Classic has become something of an unofficial kickoff to hockey season in Calgary.

Team Black: Wranglers Core and NHL Hopefuls

Team Black is largely made up of players expected to form the core of the Flames’ AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to watch.

Andrew Basha, Jonathan Castagna, Rory Kerins, Sam Morton and Aydar Suniev are among the younger players looking to make an impression and put themselves into the conversation for NHL opportunities.

The "Show Me" Season: Can Rory Kerins Stick in the NHL?Rory Kerins has spent the last few years doing things the right way, but now he faces the ultimate test: turning AHL dominance into a permanent NHL career. At 24 years old, the Caledonia, Ontario native is no longer just a "prospect", he’s a player with a proven track record of finding the back of the net at the AHL level, and he knows exactly what the Flames are looking for.

A strong camp doesn’t necessarily mean an immediate NHL roster spot, but it can go a long way toward establishing where a player sits on the organization’s depth chart when injuries or roster needs arise during the season.

William Strömgren is another player worth keeping an eye on.

After getting an NHL call-up last season, Strömgren enters this year’s camp with some experience at the next level and another opportunity to push his way further up the organization.

Brzustewicz in the Blue-Line Mix

One of the bigger names on Team Black is defenceman Hunter Brzustewicz.

Brzustewicz appeared in 34 games with the Flames last season, recording two goals and five assists for seven points.

That NHL experience gives him something to build on as he enters another training camp.

The Flames added Simon Nemec and Jake Middleton to the blue line this offseason, creating another layer to the competition for NHL spots.

For Brzustewicz, the task is pretty straightforward: have a strong camp, carry over what he learned from last season and make the decision as difficult as possible for the coaching staff.

What to Watch as Camp Continues

The roster split gives us an early snapshot of how the Flames are organizing their group, but there is still plenty of time for things to change.

The preseason will provide a better indication of where some of these players fit, particularly among the prospects and younger players competing for NHL opportunities.

The New Jersey Devils 2026-27 roster is mostly set.

Yes, players have just started to report and media day just came around yesterday, but let’s face facts. With the way the New Jersey Devils roster is currently structured, training camp is a mere warm-up for the preseason which is warming the team up for the regular season. While that might sound exactly like what the definitions of those things should be, training camp in thew NHL has had its surprises in the past. Some young players have excelled to the point of making the team out of nowhere, while players that would be expected on the roster have shown themselves to not be ready for NHL action.

The Devils made enough adjustments in the offseason to fill out their forward and defense group, leaving very little room for anyone to come out of obscurity and make their way onto the opening night squad. If you’re still not sold on the idea, take a look at the Devils page on Puckpedia. Oh sure, maybe there’s one fourth line/press box guy that’s currently listed at the NHL level who will be swapped with one currently listed at the AHL level. Maybe Vladislav Kolyachonok is the 7th defender rather than Declan Chisholm when the opening night roster is announced. Perhaps the Devils choose to carry three goalies and have one less forward on the roster, at least at the start of the season. While there’s a few small details that are still to be ironed out, there’s no room for any major surprises.

That means unfortunately for anyone wanting Anton Silaev on the opening night roster, (barring a slew of injuries in preseason games) it’s going to have to wait until at least 2027-28. The players who just appeared at the team’s rookie camp/matchup against the Islanders? Don’t expect to see any of them cracking the lineup either. Players like David Rittich and Amadeus Lombardi (who were alluded to earlier with the “press box guy” label) were already being penciled into the Devils’ roster as they wouldn’t have signed/traded for guys who need to be placed on waivers if they did not intend to play them, although in Rittich’s case, third goalies do sometimes get signed and placed on waivers for depth purposes.

Training camp this year will be about training for these Devils. It will serve as an introduction to some of the younger players through practices and maybe the first or even first two preseason games. Beyond that, with a shorter, four game preseason, the team will be looking to just get all of the new pieces to mesh and figure out who is going to play with who and where on the depth chart. Between signing Anthony Mantha in free agency, and bringing Evan Rodrigues in and Jesper Boqvist back from Florida while also acquiring Luke Evangelista from Nashville. That’s four new forwards at a minimum; with a shorter preparation period, the Devils probably won’t be looking to work in too many other new parts.

Training camp and the preseason will be coming at us quickly, with the first game already slated for this coming Sunday. For the Devils, however, there won’t be much to figure out before the regular season starts. A couple minor things for sure, but the larger parts are already sorted; this preseason, roster formation is a mere formality.

What are your thoughts about the Devils’ training camp; do you feel there’s room for a roster surprise, or do you agree there’s just no space for it this season? Is there anyone you want to see make a strong showing even if it doesn’t result in an NHL spot? If there’s injuries, who do you think could step up? Leave any and all comments below and thanks as always for reading!

Bruins Opening Night lineup projection 1.0: Where should James Hagens play? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The first practice of Boston Bruins training camp took place Thursday at Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton.

The Bruins underwent a retool last season and surprised a lot of people by making the playoffs. The expectations have increased as a result. Can the Bruins not only make the playoffs again, but also win a round? They have advanced past Round 1 only once since 2021.

Bruins general manager Don Sweeney added a few good players to the roster in the offseason, most notably winger JJ Peterka and defenseman Will Borgen. But if the Bruins are going to take the next step and be a contender, they really need some of their young players to step up and fill a larger role.

James Hagens, who the Bruins selected with the No. 7 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, is at the top of that list.

Let’s dive into our first Opening Night roster projection of camp.

JJ Peterka was the Bruins marquee offseason addition, and getting him off to a strong start is important. Playing alongside Pastrnak is the best way to accomplish that objective. Peterka plays with great speed and has scored 25-plus goals each of the last three seasons. It wouldn’t be surprising if Peterka hit the 30-goal mark with Pastrnak, who set a career high with 71 assists last season. Asking Fraser Minten to be the first-line center is a lot of responsibility for the 22-year-old forward, but the B’s did outscore opponents 23-7 at even strength last season when he played with Pastrnak.

Geekie scored a career-high 39 goals last year. Getting to the 30-goal mark for the third straight season would be impressive. Geekie and Zacha only played about 111 minutes together at even strength last season, per Natural Stat Trick, but the B’s had a plus-42 edge in shot attempts, a plus-19 advantage in shots on net, and a plus-13 lead in high-danger chances during that ice time. Mittelstadt is entering the final year of his contract and has all the motivation to be more productive offensively.

James Hagens is a real X-factor for the B’s this season. The team’s top prospect has immense offensive talent, which was on full display earlier this week when he scored four goals in a 4-3 overtime win over the Sabres in the 2026 Prospects Showcase.

“I was so happy and I’m glad he played in that tournament,” Bruins head coach Marco Sturm said at a press conference Wednesday. “I’ve seen in the past with some other guys I had. It’s a great opportunity to shine, and he did. It gives him a little bit of a head start. I think he feels pretty good today. I saw him around, he was smiling. That means he’s going to be ready for tomorrow and that’s all what I’m looking for.

“He doesn’t have to be doing this and doing that. No, he’s just got to be James Hagens. He worked extremely hard, like [Don Sweeney] said, this summer. Now he should just reward himself and play free. It’s different, it’s not playoff hockey. It’s training camp. He’s going to be ready to go tomorrow. I’m excited, too, to see him play in preseason.”

Lindholm has disappointed offensively since signing a seven-year free agent contract with the Bruins in 2024, but he’s still a very good defensive center. He can handle those responsibilities and allow Hagens to jumpstart the attack. Hagens’ speed would also mesh well with Khusnutdinov, who also plays with plenty of pace. Hagens could eventually move into a top-six role, but a third-line spot is probably the best spot for him to make a complete transition to regularly playing against NHL competition.

The fourth line speaks for itself. This group played well last season. There’s no reason, at least at the moment, to break it up.

Charlie McAvoy’s six-game suspension to start the season is a tough setback for the Bruins considering he’s by far their best defenseman. It also makes putting together these pairings much more difficult. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Sturm try a bunch of different combinations in camp.

The Bruins have 10 waiver-eligible defensemen, so unless someone is traded, they might risk losing one of these defensemen to another team through waivers if they are sent down to the AHL’s Providence Bruins.

Sturm admitted Wednesday that he wants to see the blue line produce more offensively this season.

“Sometimes I think the offense was kind of the one thing, one area, it kind of got lost a little bit,” Sturm said. “I think there’s times we could have maybe joined the rush more. We could have been more active overall as a defensive group. That’s something we’re going to touch on starting tomorrow to be more involved, I would say, in our offensive game.”

Two young players who could provide some offensive punch from the back end are Mason Lohrei and Frederic Brunet. Lohrei is in the final year of his contract and has proven to be a good skater with playmaking ability, but defensively he still has a ton of room for improvement. Brunet is the Bruins’ top defenseman prospect and excelled in Providence last season with 36 points (12 goals, 24 assists) in 65 games. Having a good camp and preseason is important for both players. It’s possible both players could play Opening Night, but Jonathan Aspirot should be in the mix, too.

Aspirot and Nikita Zadorov played 160:23 of even-strength ice time together last season and the B’s outscored opponents 11-5 and had a .939 save percentage during those minutes, per Natural Stat Trick.

The one thing we know about this blue line is there will be plenty of internal competition over the next two weeks.

“I think the competition is going to play out,” Sweeney said Wednesday. “Clearly, we had an eye toward the fact that Charlie wasn’t going to start the year for six games. You get through training camp, albeit it’s a little shorter than what it has been in the past. You could run into injury troubles, last year we did, and we tested that pretty quickly. We’re in a good spot there. Will we have to make a move? Time will tell in that sense, in how the players play, how their health is. At some point in time, we will have to get to the waiver question and make smart decisions as a result.”

Goaltenders

• Starter: Jeremy Swayman
• Backup: Michael DiPietro

Swayman had a great bounce-back season in 2025-26 and was voted a Vezina Trophy finalist for the first time. He was the Bruins’ best and most valuable player throughout the regular season, and in the playoffs.

The unknown coming into the 2026-27 campaign is whether the Bruins will increase his workload after he played in a career-high 55 games last season. Michael DiPietro has earned a chance to be an NHL goalie after excelling for Providence the previous two years, highlighted by an AHL MVP award in 2025-26. But he only has one game of NHL experience. If he’s not ready, Swayman might need to play a ton of games.

“We’ll see, time will tell,” Sturm said Wednesday when asked about Swayman’s workload. “He had a pretty good run last year, and that’s why there’s a lot of nights we even talk about who’s going to be in net the other night or the next night. Sometimes we had to go with him because he was pretty hot for a while, so hopefully he’s going to have stretches like this again, regardless of who’s going to be the backup, a veteran or a young kid like Mikey [Michael DiPietro].

“We just want to give him the best opportunity, and hopefully he’s going to have another year like this, like he had last year for us, and get us a lot of good saves and a lot of points on the board.”

For the average person, $30,000 is a sizeable chunk of an entire year's salary.

For Connor Hellebuyck, it could soon become the approximate cost of a single day away from the Winnipeg Jets.

The Jets suspended their star goaltender Wednesday after Hellebuyck failed to report for medicals and physical testing ahead of training camp. Winnipeg will hit the ice for its first practices Thursday morning at hockey for all centre without the three-time Vezina Trophy winner.

And there it is.

Connor Hellebuyck has been suspended by the #NHLJets.

He remains in Michigan. https://t.co/1W9gWCseZI

— Carter Brooks (@CBrooksie84) September 17, 2026

Hellebuyck isn't yet sacrificing regular-season salary, with NHL players not receiving their regular pay during training camp. But should his absence continue once the regular season begins, the financial implications become staggering.

Hellebuyck is in the third season of a seven-year, $59.5-million contract carrying an $8.5-million annual cap hit.

Depending on the calculation applied to his actual salary and the number of days in the NHL pay period, we are talking tens of thousands of dollars for every day Hellebuyck remains suspended - roughly $30,000-plus per day.

A week? More than $200,000.

A month? Potentially approaching $1 million.

And yet, for now, Hellebuyck isn't budging. The 33-year-old publicly confirmed his trade request on Aug. 27, saying he had privately asked the Jets for a move several months earlier.

“I have tried to handle the situation quietly and respectfully while giving the organization time to explore its options,” Hellebuyck said in the statement released by his agent, Ray Petkau. “My position has not changed. I believe moving on is the best path forward for me and my family.”

Three weeks later, Hellebuyck has backed those words with action.

The Jets included him on their 51-player training camp roster, but when players reported Wednesday, Hellebuyck wasn't among them. Winnipeg responded by suspending him for failure to report.

General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff is scheduled to address reporters Thursday morning, with Hellebuyck's future certain to dominate the conversation.

Hellebuyck has spent his entire 11-year NHL career in Winnipeg, appearing in 625 games while winning three Vezina Trophies and the 2024-25 Hart Trophy. But after requesting a trade and now refusing to report to camp, the relationship between Hellebuyck and the only NHL organization he's ever known has reached its most significant impasse yet.

Training camp has officially begun in Winnipeg. Connor Hellebuyck is nowhere to be seen. And if that remains the case into October, staying away is going to start getting very expensive.

Rangers fans, it’s here. 

After another summer that featured several changes to this still-retooled roster, training camp is officially here. 

The Blueshirts hit the ice for the first time on Wednesday.

Camp is shorter with the changes made to the NHL schedule this year, but there are still some big storylines going in.

Here are five of the biggest to keep an eye on…

Shortened camp

One of the big things to watch, not just for the Rangers but the entire league, is how this shorter camp changes things. 

Head coach Mike Sullivan said that it should switch things up significantly. 

“When you look at starting [Thursday] to Opening Night against Boston, we have 12 days,” he explained. “We have four exhibition games and two off days built into those 12 days, so we essentially have 10 practices, six when we’re not including a game that night -- so, time is of the essence.” 

There are 13 fewer players on the camp roster this year compared to last, none of whom are on professional tryouts, and no junior-level players have been invited.

Again, every team is facing the same schedule, but getting off to a slow start could be costly for a revamped team looking to return to the playoffs after back-to-back down seasons. 

The backup goalie competition

There’s no question that Igor Shesterkin will be back in the No. 1 spot for the Blueshirts, but the team has a two-way battle for his backup. 

Sullivan said that it will be a “fierce, internal competition.”

Rookie Dylan Garand seemed like the favorite after his strong late-season cameo, but the front office felt goalie was one of the areas they needed to add veteran depth. 

Because of that, Joonas Korpisalo was brought in in a summer deal with the Bruins. 

Korpisalo is coming off back-to-back down campaigns in Boston, but his $3 million cap hit over the next two years likely puts him in the front seat for the spot. 

With the shorter preseason schedule too, Garand may not get too many opportunities to unseat Korpisalo, as Shesterkin will likely appear in at least two of the four games. 

It’ll be interesting to see what the Blueshirts do if that’s the case, though, as the 24-year-old may need to pass through waivers if they try to send him down to Hartford.

Who rounds out the revamped d-core?

Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov are back leading the way, and Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi were brought in in offseason trades an effort to solidify the second pair. 

Braden Schneider remains in the mix on a one-year deal after being floated in trade rumors again, but who slides in next to him on that third pairing still isn’t set in stone. 

Matthew Robertson seems like the favorite heading into camp after his breakout campaign in his first real opportunity at the pro level last year. 

Sullivan already said that 2026 first-round pick Alberts Smits will have the chance to earn himself a spot out of camp too, but the team will also play things smart with him. 

21-year-old Drew Fortescue could be in that mix as well, or they could turn to Urho Vaakaninen or Justin Dowling if they are looking for more experience in the lineup. 

Right-handed d-men Scott Morrow and Vincent Iorio are back on one-year deals and figure to be in the mix for the seventh spot on the depth chart. 

All in all, this group has strong depth and should be sharper this season. 

Will any youngsters crack the team?

For the first time in a long time, the Rangers have some intriguing young talent knocking on the door at the NHL level. 

Some of the youngsters have already been mentioned above. 

Smits, Fortescue, and Morrow are the most notable to keep an eye on as things progress in the defensive battle. 

As far as the forwards, the offseason additions may make it a bit tricky to scratch out anything more than a bottom-six spot, but you never know. 

Just look at Noah Laba last season, carving out a regular role for himself during his rookie campaign after coming into camp as one of the longer shots. 

Taylor Raddysh and Matt Rempe appear to be favorites, but someone like Jaroslav Chmelar could unseat them with a strong camp showing. Keep an eye on Liam Greentree and Cole Beaudoin, as well. 

What will the top six look like? 

Out with the old, in with the new. 

The Rangers knew they needed to add some goal-scoring after moving on from their most consistent scorer, Artemi Panarin, ahead of last trade deadline. 

So, Drury went out and landed himself a big fish, bringing in Pavel Dorofeyev in a blockbuster Draft Day deal with the Vegas Golden Knights. 

Dorofeyev, who also immediately inked a seven-year extension, comes to the Big Apple seemingly only getting better and better with each passing season -- the big question that remains is who his new linemates will be. 

It’ll be interesting to see if Sullivan decides to pair him with top center Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere or bumps him down to the second line. 

Zibanejad, Lafreniere, and young Gabe Perreault were clicking on all cylinders after being put together down the stretch last season. If Sullivan elects to keep that trio together, Dorofeyev would see himself skating alongside J.T. Miller and Oliver Bjorkstrand or Will Cuylle. 

There are many different ways the Blueshirts can go; we'll see soon enough how they line up to start the year. 

The Calgary Flames have trimmed their training camp roster, reassigning seven prospects to their respective junior clubs.

The moves come following Monday night’s 6-1 preseason loss to the Edmonton Oilers in the NextGen game at the Scotiabank Saddledome, as the Flames prepare to open their main training camp later this week.

The seven players reassigned are:

• Riley Boychuk (LW) - Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
• Joe Iginla (RW) - Vancouver Giants (WHL)
• Simon Katolicky (LW) - Sarnia Sting (OHL)
• Bode Laylin (D) - Everett Silvertips (WHL)
• Jakob Leander (D) - Calgary Hitmen (WHL)
• Brett Olson (C) - Vancouver Giants (WHL)
• Mace’o Phillips (D) - Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)

With those seven players heading back to junior, 17 players remain in camp and are expected to take part in the Flames’ main training camp activities beginning this week.

The roster will continue to take shape as Calgary’s coaching staff and management work through the next stage of preseason evaluations.

Following the Detroit Red Wings' prospect tournament, and with training camp and the preseason on deck, the organization will have plenty of young players getting a crack at the main roster. 

With Detroit undergoing a changing of the guard, there's a real chance a few of these names make the jump all the way to the NHL sooner rather than later. Last season, three rookies made the opening night roster in Emmitt Finnie, Michael Brandsegg-Nygård and Axel Sandin-Pellikka. This time around we're looking at three more youngsters who could make the opening night roster. 

Carter Bear

The Red Wings' 13th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft has quickly established himself as one of the organization's most promising prospects and is expected to make the jump to professional hockey next season.

After gaining valuable experience in preseason games, Bear returned to the Everett Silvertips and helped lead the team to its best record in franchise history while shifting his game from primarily offensive to a more physical style. Although his regular season production dipped slightly to 77 points in 53 games, he showed his scoring ability in the playoffs with 22 points in 18 games.

Carter Bear(1st round’25)
GOAL🚨 he sends the teddy bears flying!!!!!#LGRWpic.twitter.com/BhINujglOY

— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) December 7, 2025

At six foot, 187 pounds, Bear has become more effective physically and around the net without sacrificing his playmaking and scoring skills, making him a strong candidate to begin next season with Detroit.

Nate Danielson

Danielson, the former ninth overall pick back in the 2023 NHL Draft, posted seven points in 28 games as a rookie before a season-ending lower-body injury in February, and will look for a steadier role in his second full crack at the NHL.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.  

The good news for Detroit is that the injury is not expected to linger into the new season, with Danielson expected to be fully healthy heading into training camp. Given that he's already tasted NHL action and shown he can handle the speed and physical demands of the league, along with his ability to play down the middle, Danielson may hold a slight edge over other prospects competing for a full-time role, and a strong camp could be enough to lock down a permanent spot in Detroit.

Michael Brandsegg-Nygård

He wouldn't be a new name on the Red Wings roster but the 20-year-old has a better chance than ever to make a lasting run at the NHL level. Through his first nine games with Detroit to begin the season, Brandsegg-Nygård recorded an assist and tied for the team lead in hits with 28, while averaging roughly 12 and a half minutes of ice time per night. 

He would go on to play five more games with the Red Wings to close out the season, but the bulk of his year was spent in the AHL with the record breaking Grand Rapids Griffins.

Brandsegg-Nygård experienced his share of highs and lows in his first full North American professional season, but he found his footing as the year went on. He finished with 20 goals and 24 assists for 44 points in 60 games with Grand Rapids, and carried that momentum into the postseason, posting four goals and four assists for a point per game pace during the Griffins' disappointing eight game playoff run. 

The hope is that he can put it all together, arrive at training camp and the preseason with solid work behind him, and crack the lineup on a full time basis, finally making his impact felt at the NHL level.

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With training camps kicking off around the NHL, a former Philadelphia Flyers forward who had enjoyed an impressive end to the 2025-26 season has finally landed with a new team.

After adding Noel Acciari, and with the expected continued development of rookies like Porter Martone, Alex Bump, and Denver Barkey, the Flyers had no real need to add another depth forward this summer.

That, of course, meant that they had to let go of some established depth forwards, including Rodrigo Abols, Garnet Hathaway via trade, and Luke Glendening.

Hathaway and Glendening were two veterans who played a pivotal fourth-line role for the Flyers down the stretch, and while Hathaway ended up in Florida, Glendening remained unsigned throughout free agency despite his positional versatility and faceoff prowess.

On Wednesday, that changed, though, as the former Flyers forward agreed to a professional tryout with the Stanley Cup contending Tampa Bay Lightning, reuniting with his former club after a one-year break split between New Jersey and Philadelphia.

Glendening, 37, played 158 regular season games with the Lightning between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, scoring 14 goals, four assists, and 18 points while adding a goal and an assist in 10 playoff games.

Glendening found his form after joining the Flyers late last season via waiver claim from New Jersey, scoring two goals, three assists, and five points in 18 regular season games down the stretch, and adding another goal in the Flyers' 10 playoff games.

Previously, the Flyers and GM Danny Briere left the door open for the veteran to return, but ultimately, as we now know, the two sides went in separate directions, especially with the Flyers having little need to add more bodies at the forward position in training camp.