In 2022, Montreal Canadiens’ soon-to-be first-overall draft pick Juraj Slafkovsky dominated the Olympic Games as a 17-year-old and caught the eye of the Habs’ brass thanks to his MVP performance. Four years later, Slafkovsky returned to the Olympics with Slovakia, carrying the hopes of a nation. Before the first game, the youngster said he knew it would be a different tournament with NHL players participating, but as the level of competition rose, so did the 21-year-old.

In their first game of the tournament, the Slovaks were taking on the heavily favoured Finns, who had a roster made up almost exclusively of NHL players, with a single defenseman, Mikko Lehtonen, plying his trade outside of the NHL with the Zurich Lions of the Swiss National League. Meanwhile, the Slovaks had only seven NHLers on their roster, but if they were intimidated, it didn’t show, as they skated away with the three points. Their 4-1 win was the product of two brilliant performances: that of Slafkovsky, who had two goals and an assist in the game, and that of goaltender Samuel Hlavaj.

Canadiens: Slafkovsky Motivated To Make A Difference
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According to the pregame coverage, the goaltending was meant to be Slovakia’s weakness, but Hlavaj clearly didn’t get the memo. Finland came out strong, forcing Hlavaj to weather the storm, which he did brilliantly. When the Finns made a mistake trying to exit their own zone, Slafkovsky pounced on the puck and beat Juuse Saros with a brilliant individual effort. After 20 minutes, the Slovaks had a 1-0 lead, and Hlavaj already had 18 saves to his name in a display reminiscent of Latvia’s Kristers Gudlevskis’ performance back in 2014 when he stopped 55 of the 57 shots he faced against Canada in a 2-1 defeat.

HOCKEY H - Juraj Slafkovsky débloque son compteur! 🇸🇰🔥

Le jeune prodige des Canadiens de Montréal fait vibrer les filets olympiques pour lancer le tournoi. C'est 1-0 pour la Slovaquie face à la Finlande. 🏒#MilanoCortina2026#rcsports#hockey#jeuxolympiquespic.twitter.com/Qu8PNYHZMH

— Radio-Canada Sports (@RC_Sports) February 11, 2026

Finland came out strong in the 2nd frame. It tied the score when Eeli Tolvanen completed a great passing play from former Habs Artturi Lehkonen and Joel Armia just as Slovakia’s penalty was expiring. The Finns piled on another 15 shots in that frame but were unable to take the lead as the Slovaks grew more confident with each save Hlavaj made.

Seven minutes into the final frame, Dalibor Dvorsky won a big faceoff in the offensive zone and went straight to the net, where he was able to tap in a rebound to give Slovakia a lead it would never surrender. Just over three minutes later, with Slovakia on the power play, the Finns gave Slafkovsky plenty of time and space, and he went bar down on Saros to make it 3-1 Slovakia.

SLAFKOVSKY AGAIN!!!

This guy loves international games!🔥 pic.twitter.com/ucSPDxDxUs

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) February 11, 2026

The winger came oh so close to getting his hat trick when the Finns had pulled their goalie, but Sebastian Aho managed to make him lose his stick, making it impossible for him to score. Slafkovsky didn’t give up, though; he created just enough obstruction to make sure his teammates recovered the puck and scored, which Adam Ruzicka did, with Tomas Tatar and the Canadiens’ forward getting an assist.

Juraj Slafkovsky 🇸🇰 is a multi-sport Olympian, he’s out there playing hockey AND soccer

https://t.co/rwVP9inouY

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) February 11, 2026

The Slafkovsky we saw on the ice on Wednesday showed just how much he has grown as a player since 2022. He’s much more confident and comfortable with the puck; he’s able to skate with it and slow down the play when needed. If you give him an opportunity, he won’t hesitate to take it and hit you where it hurts. He has poise, he has control, he has size; the world now sees just what the Canadiens saw when they drafted him in 2022.

In just eight Olympic matches, Slafkovsky now has nine goals, passing Marian Gaborik with the third-highest total in Slovakian history. Miroslav Satan is second with just 10 goals in 22 games, and Marian Hossa is first with 14 goals in 19 games. If the youngster keeps up that kind of play, it’s easy to imagine that he could still move up those rankings this tournament.

As for Oliver Kapanen, the Canadiens’ rookie had to look on from the press box as his teammate put on a show since he was a healthy scratch. We’ll see if the 4-1 defeat prompts the Finn to make some changes.

The Slovaks will be back in action on Friday at 6:10 AM ET when they’ll take on the host nation, Italy. Needless to say, they will not be the underdog then, with the Italian roster made up solely of players not in the NHL.

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Memories like these pop up and serve as a reminder of how drastically different things were for the Pittsburgh Penguins, although now way in the past.

In some ways, this moment might have been – if not rock bottom – than certainly a ‘it always gets darkest before the dawn’ for the Penguins. Kovalev was sent off for most importantly what was termed “future considerations”, which meant $3.9 million dollars in cash. That was the biggest amount the NHL would allow to change hands on a trade in a season where the Penguins were expecting to lose money that year, making their already tenuous financial situation that much worse. The Pens also threw in relatively expensive veterans Laukkanen and Wilson to drop even more salary while picking up a hodgepodge of players back from the Rangers without receiving any of their best prospects.

It was an act of survival and desperation in a hockey landscape where the end result of a healthy Penguin franchise was far from a given. At this point there was no Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin (or even Marc-Andre Fleury), there was just the grim financial reality of trying to scrape by and live to see another day. There was no reason to hope things would improve in the future, after all how could a team losing money purge their best players and expect to ever get better while worsening the product and team? That was a vicious cycle started with the Jaromir Jagr trade of 2001 as the team went into a downturn on and off the ice that troubled their very ability to remain competitive.

Of course by now, the sale of Kovalev is water long under the bridge. It took just five years from this point in 2003 to where the Penguins acquired Marian Hossa in 2008 as a sort of a full circle moment where the small time operation had been transformed into something completely different. In retrospect, it’s amazing just how quickly that took place.

A lot happened to get there: a new CBA tied revenue to team player payroll, there was an agreement with the state for a new arena to be built that would allow the team to grow, the draft broke extremely friendly to add players like Fleury, Crosby and Malkin to inject new life and talent get to the point where the shoe was on the other foot. The Penguins were now the fully functional NHL franchise, spending to the maximum limits, a position they would remain financially accessible to be at to this day. There were no more budgetary constraints, the team never had to imagine trading away a prime aged Crosby or Malkin due to salary concerns or even bigger questions about the viability of their team.

And, of course, eight years after they shipped him away, in 2011 Pittsburgh would re-acquire Kovalev as a rental of their own for a playoff run in the ultimate full circle moment. What he came back to by then was different in every way besides the jersey colors and Mario Lemieux from when Kovalev left.

That bright future felt like an extremely unlikely scenario back in 2003, when the Pens were in the NHL in name but hardly as a true franchise capable to operate.

On Wednesday, the Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament began at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan with Slovakia and Sweden opening Group B play with victories. Action will ramp up even further today with four games on the schedule, including Sidney Crosby leading Team Canada against Czechia in Group A while the Americans open Group C play by taking on Arturs Silvos and Latvia.

In other games set for Thursday, Switzerland takes on France in Group A and Denmark does battle with Germany in Group C.

Puck drop for Canada is set for 10:40 AM EST and can be seen on USA or Peacock. For the United States, puck drop is scheduled for 3:10 PM EST, airing on USA or Peacock as well.

Pens Points…

There is plenty of Penguins representation at the Olympics, with Sidney Crosby, Rickard Rakell, Erik Karlsson, and Arturs Silovs all taking part. Even on the women’s side, there are four Penguins’ Elite alumni representing the United States in Milan. [Penguins]

Already a decorated Olympian himself, Erik Karlsson returns to the Olympics with a silver medal on his resume from the Sochi Games in 2014. Now an elder statesman of the bunch, Karlsson is relishing the opportunity to once again represent his country on the Olympic stage. [Penguins]

Between making his NHL debut and his play in the AHL, Avery Hayes is on a heater at the moment and gets the nod for AHL Player of the Week. Taking after Hayes, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are hot as a team, winning five straight with their sights set on a playoff bye. [Pensburgh]

Every summer, we go through the evaluate the Penguins top 25 players under the age of 25 years old. With the team on hiatus for the Olympics, now seems like a good time to check in on our list of prospects from this past summer and see how their seasons are going thus far. [Pensburgh]

In his NHL debut last week against the Buffalo Sabres, Avery Hayes played a starring role with a pair of goals to help jumpstart the Penguins to victory. As a bonus, Hayes was wearing a microphone for the game and the Penguins digital team caught some good sound bites from the rookie. [Penguins]

After years of disappointing bottom six play, this season’s Penguins team has been blessed with routinely great play coming out of the third and fourth lines. Most notably, the current fourth line has been a buzzsaw against opponents, regularly closing down games when asked. [PPG]

NHL News and Notes…

In the first Olympic hockey game featuring NHL players since 2014, Slovakia pulled off a massive upset with a 4-1 victory over Finland. Juraj Slafkovsky, who participated four years ago before being drafted, recorded two goals and an assists to give his country a massive leg up in Group B. [NHL]

It was always going to be an uphill battle for hosts Italy in this tournament and starting off against medal favorites Sweden was a tough draw, but the home side battled away and put a scare into the Swedes before ultimately falling 5-2 in their Olympic opener. [NHL]

Watch Sharks star Macklin Celebrini score in Team Canada's opening Olympic win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Sharks superstar Macklin Celebrini started his Olympic career with a bang.

The 19-year-old scored Team Canada’s opening goal in its 5-0 win over Team Czechia in the Group A Preliminary Round game on Thursday at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milano, Italy.

Celebrini deflected Team Canada defenseman Cale Makar’s shot past Czechia goalie Lukáš Dostál with 5.7 seconds remaining in the first period.

The 2024 No. 1 overall draft pick became the fourth teenager to score a goal in his first-ever Olympic period,
joining Olli Määttä (Feb. 13, 2014 with Finland), Ilya Kovalchuk (Feb. 15, 2002 with Russia) and Oliver Setzinger (Feb. 9, 2002 with Austria), per NHL PR.

By far the youngest player on Team Canada’s roster, Celebrini made his presence felt immediately, setting the tone for a dominant win.

Celebrini entered the NHL’s Olympic break fourth in the league with 81 points, behind Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (96), Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (93) and Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (91).

Celebrini has the Sharks circling the Western Conference playoff picture, and his experience with Team Canada during the Olympics could give him the boost he needs when the season resumes to get San Jose back in the postseason.

Team Canada’s next game comes against Team Switzerland on Friday at 12:10 p.m. PT in Milano.

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It's now been over a decade since the Detroit Red Wings were in this kind of position heading into the NHL Trade Deadline. 

For the first time since 2015, they very well could be buyers rather than sellers with the annual Deadline quickly approaching (March 6) after the conclusion of the Olympic break.

Currently third overall in the Atlantic Division (tied with the Montreal Canadiens, who have a game in hand, at 72 points apiece), the Red Wings would end their lengthy postseason drought and bring Stanley Cup Playoff Hockey to Little Caesars Arena for the first time if they were to begin today. 

That being said, the Red Wings have been linked to multiple players across the NHL who could soon be on the move from their own respective clubs. 

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

While the Red Wings did make a pair of minor acquisitions last season in early March, acquiring goaltender Petr Mrazek and depth forward Craig Smith from the Chicago Blackhawks for underachieving former first-round draft pick Joe Veleno, their lack of meaningful additions drew a blunt reaction from team captain Dylan Larkin. 

In recent seasons, the Red Wings have dealt away players such as Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Tatar, Nick Jensen, Mike Green, Andreas Athanasiou, Vladislav Namestnikov, Tyler Bertuzzi, Nick Leddy, Jakub Vrana, and Oskar Sundqvist at the NHL trade deadline.

Hall of Famer Chris Pronger Weighs In on Red Wings Defenseman Moritz SeiderLongtime Detroit Red Wings nemesis Chris Pronger weighed in on the performance of defenseman Moritz Seider so far this season.

Those teams had fallen out of the postseason race to varying degrees, a stark contrast to the position the current Red Wings find themselves in.

While they're currently in a playoff position, the Red Wings would benefit greatly from adding both a bona fide right-handed defenseman and a top-six forward.

Given Detroit's salary cap flexibility, an acquisition of both would be doable, as the team has nearly $13 million in available space to work with. 

Having posted their best record at this point in a season since 2015, the Red Wings have earned reinforcement at the trade deadline.

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The Detroit Red Wings haven't had a Norris Trophy-winning defenseman since the days of Hall of Famer Nicklas Lidstrom patrolling their blue line. Lidstrom won the award seven times, most recently in 2011. 

However, that drought has a significant chance of ending this season. 

Defenseman Moritz Seider has all the tools to firmly be in the conversation as one of the NHL’s best at his position.

Seider currently leads all Red Wings defensemen in ice time and points while contributing in every situation. He also carries a team-best plus-13 rating.

While the current odds-on favorite to be named the Norris Trophy winner is Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche, Seider is giving him a healthy dose of competition. 

During a recent episode of the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, hosts Ryan Whitney and Paul Bissonnette were joined by Hall of Famer Chris Pronger, and the conversation turned to Seider.

"We mentioned a month ago, the season he's having," Whitney said of Seider. "And I said, 'I don't know if there's been a defenseman as close to Chris Pronger the way Moritz Seider is playing right now....he's mean, he's enormous." 

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

“Are you seeing some characteristics that you had in your game out of him?” Whitney asked.

Bissonnette followed up: “And is he a No. 1 at this point?"

"At this point, yes," Pronger responded without hesitation before delving deeper into the characteristics that he feels a top NHL defenseman should have. 

What makes up a TRUE number one defenseman? @chrispronger explains his perfect formula. pic.twitter.com/YK2CDfXhVL

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) February 9, 2026

The top defensive pairing of Seider and Edvinsson has been at the top of the NHL this season and has been a key part of Detroit's advantageous position in the standings at the time of the Olympic break. 

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What’s next for Brennan Othmann?

It finally appeared as if Othmann was building on momentum at the NHL level. After a hot stretch in the American Hockey League with the Hartford Wolf Pack, Othmann was called up and played in 10 consecutive games for the New York Rangers. 

Sullivan was also giving the 23-year-old forward more opportunity, playing him in a third-line role while also slotting him on the second power-play unit. 

In the Rangers’ final game leading into the Olympic break, Othmann was scratched out of the lineup. 

At first thought, the wide sentiment was that Othmann was scratched due to CBA rules regarding his eligibility to be assigned back to Hartford during the Olympic break. 

However, Mike Sullivan made abundantly clear that this wasn’t his reasoning for holding him out of the lineup. 

Sullivan also didn’t shy away from the fact that Othmann’s play hasn’t necessarily met up to his standards thus far.

“I think there are elements of his game that have to continue to improve in order for him to establish himself as an NHL player,” Sullivan said of Othmann.

In 16 NHL games this season, Othmann has recorded just one point despite his slightly increased role.

As of right now, Othmann still hasn’t been sent down to the AHL, but it’s still entirely possible he does before the Rangers resume play on Feb. 26. 

With the Rangers in the process of “retooling” the roster and more trades likely in the pipeline, Othmann should get another opportunity in the NHL this season. 

Mike Sullivan Holds The Keys To U.S. Men's Hockey Olympic Roster The time has finally come for Mike Sullivan. 

There’s still a level of trust that Othmann has yet to build with Sullivan that may hold him back from earning a permanent spot in the lineup, even despite the Rangers’ emphasis to give young players a chance. 

“You're still trying to earn, and you're still trying to build a little bit of trust from the coaching staff,” Othmann said. “I'm still trying to build trust. I'm still trying to learn.”

No sweat for Dalibor Dvorsky in his Olympic debut.

The 20-year-old St. Louis Blues center, a first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, made his first appearance for Slovakia a memorable one with the game-winning goal and an assist to help the Slovaks upset Finland, 4-1, at Santagiulia IHO Arena in Milan, Italyon Wednesday.

Dvorsky scored on a net front loose puck rebound, beating Juuse Saros (Nashville Predators) at 7:20 of the third period to break a 1-1 deadlock:

DALIBOR DVORSKY GAME WINNING GOAL IN THE OLYMPICS THATS MY GOATpic.twitter.com/9P62ZD11cg

— The Thunderdome (@GoTBirds413) February 11, 2026

Dvorsky would add an assist on Juraj Slafkovsky's (Montreal Canadiens) second goal of the game, a power-play goal at 10:30 to add insurance to Slovakia's upset win and stir the pot to open the men's portion of Group B preliminary round play.

Dvorsky had two shots on goal and was a plus-1 in 11:14 of ice time as the third-line center in the game and was the game's third star; he became the youngest Slovakian player to score a goal in the Olympics (20 years, 241 days) with NHL players, according to NHL public relations:

Dalibor Dvorsky scored Team Slovakia's second goal of the game to give his country a 2-1 lead in the third period. #MilanoCortina2026#WinterOlympics 🇸🇰 #NHLStats: https://t.co/N7zjnnmvsKpic.twitter.com/UVIUNsM4JG

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) February 11, 2026

Suter Honored To Represent Switzerland ... 'We've Got A Good Team'Blues center said not to overlook Swiss at Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympics

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MILAN — The 2026 men’s Winter Olympic hockey tournament produced its first major upset in the opening game, as Slovakia—the defending bronze medalists—stunned the reigning 2022 Olympic champions, Finland, with a commanding 4–1 victory to launch the competition.

Montreal Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovský scored twice for Slovakia, while St. Louis Blues forward Dalibor Dvorský scored the game-winning goal, and Adam Ružička also tallied one for Slovakia.

Minnesota Wild prospect Samuel Hlavaj was nothing short of spectacular in the Slovak crease, stopping 38 shots against the formidable Finnish attack.

Eeli Tolvanen scored the lone goal for Finland.

First Period

Slafkovský capitalized on a costly turnover by Mikko Lehtonen, corralled the puck, and methodically assessed his options before executing a deft deke around a fully outstretched Juuse Saros, tucking it into the gaping net. The goal gave Slovakia a 1–0 lead 12:15 into the opening period.

Up to that point, Finland had largely dictated possession, controlling the pace of play for much of the first half. Yet Hlavaj remained resolute, turning aside several high-quality scoring chances, including a pair of dangerous slot attempts from Colorado’s Artturi Lehkonen. One came off a blistering one-timer, but Hlavaj reacted with lightning reflexes, flashing his blocker at the last possible instant to steer the puck out of harms way. 

Later, Slovakia captain Tomáš Tatar was called for tripping Niko Mikkola, granting Finland its first power play of the contest. The Finns generated a handful of dangerous looks with the man advantage, highlighted by a Mikko Rantanen shot that sailed wide — prompting the former Avalanche star to slam his stick to the ice in visible frustration.

Finland began the second period shorthanded following a heated altercation at the horn to end the first. Joel Armia was assessed a roughing minor in the aftermath of the post-whistle scrum, giving Slovakia the early man advantage to open the middle frame.

Second Period

Finland successfully killed off the Armia penalty and swiftly seized momentum when Matuš Sukeľ was called for holding Mikko Rantanen. This time, the Finns converted their power play opportunity.

At 4:15 of the second period, Tolvanen evened the score at 1–1, detonating a thunderous one-timer from the slot off a precise feed from Armia. The shot beat the goaltender cleanly and ignited the Finnish bench. Artturi Lehkonen was credited with the secondary assist, helping orchestrate the equalizer.

Later in the period, with 10:49 remaining, Slafkovský threatened to restore Slovakia’s lead, but Saros remained vigilant, turning aside the attempt with a sharp pad save.

As the frame drew to a close, Lehkonen found himself with another prime scoring opportunity from the slot. However, he was unable to lift the puck over Hlavaj’s pad, and the Slovak netminder produced yet another remarkable stop, preserving the deadlock heading into intermission.

Third Period

Despite being outshot 35–20, Slovakia regained the lead at 12:40 of the third period. Dvorský, a forward for the St. Louis Blues, seized on a defensive lapse, lifting a precise shot over Saros into the net.

Dvorský had collected a pass in stride just as Sebastian Aho lost his footing and slid to the ice, creating a wide-open scoring lane. The Slovak forward did not hesitate, snapping the puck past Saros to register his first Olympic goal to give his team a 2–1 advantage in the pivotal final frame.

#aurahttps://t.co/NrW5bFQl0s

— (can)ada (@ch1efsglazer) February 11, 2026

Slafkovský struck again with 9:30 remaining, scoring his second goal of the game and marking his ninth career Olympic goal in just eight games. Following a delay-of-game penalty on Miro Heiskanen for shooting the puck over the glass, Slovakia maintained pressure. Šimon Nemec intercepted a clearing attempt at the point, kept the play alive, and fed Slafkovský, who rifled some top-shelf cheese over Saros for an insurance marker, extending Slovakia’s lead to 3–1.

SLAFKOVSKY WITH HIS 2ND OF THE GAME TO TAKE A 3-1 LEAD IN THE 3RD 🤯🚨

His 9th goal in 8 Olympic Games 😵‍💫 pic.twitter.com/qsakgnb4Wp

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 11, 2026

Juraj Slafkovsky makes it 3-1 Slovakia. Big upset brewing right now.

— Ethan Sears (@ethan_sears) February 11, 2026

With roughly six minutes remaining, Rasmus Ristolainen delivered a hard check to Martin Pospíšil into the boards. Pospíšil remained on his knees momentarily before making his way back to the bench under his own power; no penalty was assessed.

Finland pulled Saros for the extra attacker with under five minutes to play, hoping to mount a comeback. Ristolainen’s desperate diving attempt delayed an empty-net goal momentarily, but it ultimately proved futile. A scrum erupted in front of the net as Rantanen tried to cover the puck, but Ružička, a Dallas Stars forward, backhanded it into the cage, sealing a 4–1 victory for Slovakia and extinguishing any hope of a Finnish rally.

Don't assume the Edmonton Oilers are sitting on their hands during the 2026 Winter Olympic break. In fact, general manager Stan Bowman is likely using this time to reassess his roster, plan ahead of the March 6 trade deadline, and speak with other GMs, agents for players on his own team, and perhaps even a former coach. 

It wasn't necessarily Leon Draisaitl's public comments that triggered background conversations among Oilers' management, but during a discussion on Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman made it clear that change is coming in Edmonton. It might not happen during the break or right as it ends, but it is coming. 

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“I think [the Oilers] will look different,” Friedman said. “I just don’t know if it’s going to be that fast.” He added, “One thing I was reminded of today is that you can still sign extensions." He explained that he received a message from an NHL GM telling him not to take his "eye off the ball" when it comes to NHL news, as teams want clarity before the freeze ends.

In other words, while everyone else has their eyes on the Olympics, NHL GMs are making plans and working out potential deals. 

For the Oilers, the key UFAs to monitor are Connor Ingram, Jack Roslovic, and Kasperi Kapanen.  There are others who could be considered, but they aren't as pressing, and for Roslovic, Bowman may want to wait to see how he performs in the playoffs before committing to him. There's no sense in spending big bucks on a long-term deal without some assurance he'll show up when it matters most. 

As for trades, the Oilers and Maple Leafs have been heavily linked by analysts over the past several days. Names range from Bobby McMann to Nicolas Roy and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. 

What About the Paul Coffey Rumors?

Friedman did address the speculation surrounding Hall of Famer and former assistant coach Paul Coffey. There have been mixed reports from insiders that the Oilers are looking at asking him to step back behind the bench.

Friedman isn't sold, and Jason Gregor suggested on Sports 1440 that if Coffey were to return, it could signal a head coaching change. That makes the rumor seem much less likely, given the recent extension Kris Knoblauch just signed. 

That doesn't mean a conversation hasn't happened or won't happen. 

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Longtime Vancouver Canucks play-by-play broadcaster and legend Jim Robson passed away at the age of 91, though his legacy in Canucks history will last for lifetimes. Robson has been at the helm of some of the team’s most momentous occasions, from clinching sudden-death Game 7s to scoring massive playoff goals. Relive some of his best calls and some of the moments that came about with them below. 

“Greg Adams! Greg Adams!” 

Throwback: Greg Adams Scores the Game 5 Winner in 2OT vs Maple Leafs (May. 24, 1994) (ALL CALLS)Greg Adams, in double overtime of game 5 of the 1994 Western Conference Final, scored to send the Canucks to the Stanley Cup Final vs NYR.3 Calls1. Bob Cole ...

It’s such a simple call, but for so many, it’s a call entrenched in Canucks history. Greg Adams was the player who scored to send the Canucks to the Stanley Cup Final in 1994, winning the game by a score of 4–3 for Vancouver with a tally 14 seconds into the second overtime. This was the fourth goal the Canucks scored that went unanswered by the Toronto Maple Leafs, who went on to lose the series against Vancouver in five games. 

“Pavel Bure Has Won It In Overtime!” 

This call is memorable for many reasons. One, the significance of the goal itself — winning the series and sending the Canucks to the second round of the 1994 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Two, the words shared by broadcast partner Tom Larscheid, seeming to allude to the goal being scored even before Bure slipped it past Calgary Flames goaltender Mike Vernon. Three, the excitement exuded from the broadcast that undoubtedly slipped into fans’ homes from their speakers once the game was won. The smooth moves from Bure on the goal don’t hurt, either.

“He Will Play. You Know He’ll Play!” 

For some, it’s the most iconic Jim Robson call. Maybe even the most iconic call in Canucks history. The clock winds down as Trevor Linden continuously gets beaten and bruised, labouring from all that he’d endured throughout that 1994 Stanley Cup Final. It’s Robson who leads the broadcast past the end of the game and onto the next challenge: Game 7 at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. 

“I, as a player, am honoured that I was a part of that. The great Hall of Famer Jim Robson — one of his most famous calls — I was in it, and that’s an honour for me,” Linden shared with Sportsnet 650 on Tuesday regarding being part of such a special moment. 

Despite the changes that have occurred throughout Canucks history — the change of buildings, the shift of management, or the rise of new star players — Robson’s calls will forever echo throughout the walls of any and all buildings the Canucks occupy. The moments themselves may be temporary, but legacies last lifetimes. 

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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Ice hockey may have a reputation for fights breaking out in the US and Canada's National Hockey League (NHL), but that behaviour is prohibited in international games.

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) state in their rulebook that fighting is "not part of international ice hockey's DNA".

This includes Winter Olympic ice hockey games.

Players who do get involved in fights could face penalties or be ejected from the game.

When suspensions are issued, they can be carried over from one IIHF event to another.

For instance, should a player be suspended in the gold medal match at the Winter Olympics, it would carry over to the next IIHF tournament.

However, fighting in the NHL is a regular aspect of the matches, for which both sides can be given a far less harsh punishment of up to a five-minute penalty for individual players.

At the 2026 Winter Olympics, there are 12 men's teams and 10 women's. Great Britain failed to qualify for the Games with either team.

But for the first time since 2014, we will see NHL players from the United States and Canada in action at an Olympics.

What are the Olympic ice hockey rules?

Each team fields six players on the ice, made up of five skaters and a goalkeeper.

The players are continually rotated from a game-day squad of 22 players.

There are three 20 minute periods during the game, where each side will aim to hit a puck into the back of the net.

Should scores be tied, there is a period of overtime, lasting between five and 20 minutes, depending on the stage of the tournament.

Crucially, skaters are reduced from five to three for both teams during overtime.

Whoever scores first in this period wins - and if it is still a tie, the match goes to a penalty shootout, apart from in the gold medal match where the winner must be decided through open play.

This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.

More questions answered...

• Why do we rarely see world records at the Winter Olympics?
• Which country is the most successful at the Winter Olympics?
• What is Olympic ice and how is it made?

While the NHL has been on pause since February 6, the men’s Olympic tournament is only kicking off in Milano on Wednesday with two games in Group B. The first game will feature Slovakia and Finland, while the second will pit Sweden and Italy. In other words, one Montreal Canadiens will make his tournament debut.

Oliver Kapanen is part of the Finnish team, but he was the thirteenth forward when the team trained on Tuesday, and it has now been confirmed that he’ll be a healthy scratch when the Finns take on the Slovaks today.

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Meanwhile, Juraj Slafkovsky will be playing for Slovakia and is expected to play a major role for his country. Back in 2022, his dominant MVP performance at the Olympics helped Slovakia win the bronze medal and spectacularly launched his career, making him the Canadiens’ first-overall pick at the draft held in Montreal. In seven games in Beijing, he scored seven goals, including a pair in the bronze medal game, to lead the tournament in scoring.

The 21-year-old is fully aware that this tournament will be different from his first Olympic appearance since the NHL players are there this time around, but he still wants to make a difference:

I just want to give my best performance. I'll look to help my team and to be the best version of myself. Hopefully, I can help the team win a few games.

Skating on the first line alongside former Hab Tomas Tatar and former NHLer Adam Ruzicka, Slafkovsky should face the opponents’ first line and first defensive pairing, which should prove to be a big challenge in this best-on-best competition.

The Canadiens’ winger will also play on his country’s first power play unit with Tatar, St. Louis Blues’ Dalibor Dvorsky, Libor Hudacek, who plays in Czechia, and New Jersey Devils defenseman Simon Nemec.

Team Slovakia only includes seven NHLers, while Finland only has one non-NHL player on its roster, which makes the Finns the favourite on paper to win today’s tilt, but the game is played on the ice and not on paper.

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