EDMONTON – The Calgary Flames rookies earned a 6–5 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night, holding off a late push in an entertaining matchup at Rogers Place.
After giving up the opening goal to the Oilers, the Flames responded with a tally of their own before the end of the first period, when Hunter Laing capitalized on a rebound in front to even the score at 1–1.
Calgary controlled the second period, striking three times to build a commanding lead. Nathan Brisson put the Flames ahead 2-1, then Sam Honzek finished off a crisp power-play passing play, and Aydar Suniev added to the lead with a one-timer off the rush to make it 4–1 at the break.
In the third, Matvei Gridin and Parker Bell each found the back of the net to extend Calgary’s advantage to 6–2. Edmonton answered with three goals in the final few minutes, but the Flames held strong to secure the 6-5 victory.
Owen Say picked up the ‘W’ between the pipes for Calgary.
The two teams meet again for a rematch in Calgary at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Sunday.
It was meant to be a triumphant homecoming for Livonia, Mich., native Mike Modano, a longtime Dallas Stars forward who had battled the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Playoffs multiple times before signing a contract to play for his hometown team.
Things couldn't have started better for Modano, who scored in his Red Wings debut at Joe Louis Arena in October 2010 against the Anaheim Ducks.
— Red Wings Goals In Order (@RedWingsVids) July 28, 2025
Unfortunately, Modano missed a large portion of what became his final NHL season after a teammate’s falling skate sliced a tendon in his right wrist in late November. He underwent surgery, was sidelined for several months, and didn’t return until late February.
His most productive years were well behind him at that point, and he ultimately scored just four goals in the 40 games he appeared in wearing the Winged Wheel.
He was recently a guest of the Ozzy and Keats podcast consisting of newly-retired FanDuel Sports Detroit host John Keating and former Red Wings goaltender Chris Osgood, and he revealed that he was close to signing with the Minnesota Wild in the 2010 offseason before receiving a call from then-Red Wings GM Ken Holland.
"If anybody else was calling besides Detroit, I would have been like, 'Thanks for the call, but I'm just going to pass and maybe call it a day,'" Modano explained.
As a youth, Modano played for the Detroit Little Caesars AAA Hockey Club before moving to Saskatchewan. Drafted first overall by the Minnesota North Stars in 1988, he remained the face of the franchise when the club relocated to Dallas and went on to become the highest-scoring U.S.-born player in NHL history and helped the Stars win the Stanley Cup in 1999 alongside future Red Wings forward Brett Hull.
He recognized that his days with the Stars were numbered in 2010, and jumped at the chance to play for the Red Wings when the offer came from Holland.
"It was a chance to go home and play with some great players, be at home, play with the Wings," he said. "I loved Kenny Holland at the time, we thought he was a great guy. I loved the Ilitch Family and what they did for us as far as our minor hockey with Little Caesars and what they did for me growing up there in that city. I thought I'd give it a shot and go back, and realized how out of shape I was."
Modano’s unfortunate injury derailed a season in which he said he felt he was in the best playing shape he had been in over the previous two to three years.
"Probably around Thanksgiving, I felt I was about the best shape I'd been in in two to three years....but then I got hurt," Modano explained. "If I didn't get hurt, I think my idea, my feelings obviously and my whole demeanor would have changed. It was just a hard struggle to get back, it was a rare, crazy injury."
"I figured I was done at that point.....it didn't pan out well."
Modano remained diplomatic when asked about the infamous decision by then-coach Mike Babcock to scratch him late in the regular season, a move that kept him from reaching what would have been his 1,500th career game.
"It was just an odd phone call, I just didn't expect to get at that point, knowing I was so close. And then he dressed me in Chicago to end up with 1,499. It was frustrating at the time, I got to the rink and he just kind of let it be known that he brought me in to win a Cup, not get 1,500 games."
"I didn't play much in the playoffs, and I knew the writing was on the wall at that point."
Modano retired following the season was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014, his first year of eligibility.
When a young netminder from Sorel, Quebec made his NHL debut on Oct. 10, 2003, it's difficult to imagine that folks in Pittsburgh, Pa. knew what was in store for the next decade and a half.
Marc-Andre Fleury allowed just two goals on 48 shots that day against the Los Angeles Kings, which was a 3-0 loss for his Pittsburgh Penguins. The 18-year-old was selected first overall by Pittsburgh just a few months prior, and it was his first taste of hockey at the highest level as well as everyone's first taste of "Flower."
Fast forward about 15 years, and Fleury - along with the core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang - helped lead the Penguins to three Stanley Cup championships. In those last two runs - back-to-back championships in 2016 and 2017 - Fleury did help his team win a few playoff series, but there was another young, up-and-coming goaltender in Matt Murray who was beginning to supplant Fleury as the team's starting goaltender.
Knowing and understanding the situation at hand, Fleury departed the Penguins for the 2017 expansion draft, becoming the face of the new Vegas Golden Knights franchise and its first draftee. He did win a Vezina Trophy with the Knights in 2020-21, and he ventured onward to the Chicago Blackhawks and then to the Minnesota Wild, where he spent the final three-plus seasons of his NHL career.
Even though he had strayed - and saying goodbye to Pittsburgh was hard for him and his longtime teammates - there was always some degree of inevitability when it came to Fleury reuniting with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
And that all manifested on Friday when he signed a professional tryout (PTO) contract with the Penguins so that he would be able to retire in Pittsburgh black and gold.
It's no secret that there were some tough times with Fleury and the Penguins near the end of his tenure with the team. Prior to the back-to-back runs, the Penguins were mired in a stretch of lackluster post-season appearances and faltering expectations, and goaltending was certainly a part of that. The emergence of Murray resulted in young, fresh blood between the pipes, which is what the Penguins needed at the time - regardless of how difficult it would be to, potentially, say goodbye to a franchise legend.
And - if we're being honest - it was always going to come to that if a younger successor to Fleury ever came about. It wasn't fair to the goaltender who had given so much to the Penguins' organization - and to the city - to play second-fiddle to a 20-year-old rookie when, at 32, he was still capable of playing some high-level hockey in the blue paint.
At the time, Fleury and the Penguins simply weren't on the same page anymore, and moving on was the right thing to do, no matter how painful. Fleury deserved to start somewhere, and that wasn't going to happen in Pittsburgh any longer.
But, somehow, everyone always knew that he would make his way back east someday. There was simply too much history, too much brotherhood, and too much mutual love and respect to ignore. Pittsburgh missed Fleury as much as Fleury missed Pittsburgh, and given his illustrious NHL career, he deserved to go out on his terms when he made the decision to hang up the skates at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season.
And his terms included skating one last time with the team that drafted him. The team that trusted him to be their franchise backstop for more than a decade. The team that molded him, won with him, fought alongside him. The team and the city that he called home for a large part of his life as an NHL player.
The Penguins mean something to Fleury, and the second-winningest goaltender in NHL history means something to the Penguins. There is - as 'Swifties' would say - an invisible string between the two entities, and it's an indestructible bond that has stood the test of time.
Fleury will hit the ice twice more in a Penguins' uniform. The first will be during team practice at training camp on Sept. 26, and the second will be in a pre-season game in Pittsburgh against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sept. 27.
In case you're wondering, tickets are already going for - at minimum - $311.00 on StubHub. And that price continues to rise. People are eager to give the greatest goaltender in franchise history - and one of the greatest to ever do it - the best possible sendoff as he rides into the sunset.
And he'll be riding into that sunset on the Fort Pitt Bridge, departing the city that he loves. Just as it should be, and just how it was always meant to be.
We got to see some actual hockey on Friday when the Pittsburgh Penguins prospects took on the Boston Bruins prospects in the Prospects Challenge.
It was the first of three games for the Penguins, and they kicked it off with a 2-1 win, thanks to a late game-winning goal from forward Avery Hayes. Hayes scored with less than a minute left in the third period after receiving a really nice pass from defenseman Owen Pickering. Hayes fired the puck glove side past the Bruins’ goalie, and the Penguins’ prospects were able to finish the game off with relative ease.
Hayes was still buzzing about that pass after the game when he met with reporters.
Outside of Hayes, let’s take a look at a few other players who had good performances in this game.
Quinn Beauchesne
Beauchesne, a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, was a goal shy of a Gordie Howe hat trick. He got a secondary assist on Ville Koivunen’s first goal before getting into a fight with Bruins forward Dylan Edwards after he delivered a big hit on Penguins forward prospect Benjamin Kindel. Beauchesne took exception to the hit and defended his teammate with a good tilt.
He came close to scoring a goal later in the game and really showcased his skating ability throughout. Beauchesne would've been picked two or three rounds higher if he were a bit bigger, but that's not the Penguins' problem. All that matters is that he's in the system, and he may turn into a fan favorite if he hits his ceiling. He's set to play for the OHL's Guelph Storm again this season after finishing last year with six goals and 24 points in 47 games.
Ville Koivunen
Koivunen opened the scoring in the first period with a heck of a snipe. Fellow forward prospect Tristan Broz got the primary assist on the goal. The goal for Koivunen is for him to show that he's too good for this type of tournament, and he started to do that in this game.
He's one of the young pieces that will push for a full-time roster spot once training camp opens up next week. Koivunen got a crack at the NHL at the end of the 2024-25 season and looked the part, compiling seven points in eight games. He got time with both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin at 5v5 and even got to play on the top power play.
Both goaltenders (Sergei Murashov and Gabriel D'Aigle).
Murashov and D'Aigle split the playing time in this game and looked the part. Murashov played the first half and made all 11 saves before D'Aigle came in. Murashov's movement in the crease continues to be really impressive. He was also challenging opposing shooters when they had the puck and never looked rattled. He's going to be in contention for the full-time starter's role in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this year.
D'Aigle came in at the halfway point and had to help the rest of the team kill off a four-minute double minor. He made the saves he needed to make in that period, including one on Fraser Minten from up close.
D'Aigle looked even more confident during the third period, even when the Penguins' prospects were under siege from the Bruins. Some fans were a bit down on the D'Aigle pick when he was selected in the third round of the 2025 NHL Draft, since his numbers weren't that good this past season, but that's because he played on a terrible Victoriaville Tigres team in the QMJHL. The Tigres finished the 2024-25 season with a 17-43-4 record. Put D'Aigle on a better team, and there's no doubt his numbers improve.
Harrison Brunicke
Brunicke didn't have any points in this game, but his skating continues to be a treat to watch. The way he walks the blue line and jumps deeper into the offensive zone with the puck on his stick is great.
He also jumped into the play on the penalty kill and got a dangerous chance for a shorthanded opportunity, but the puck didn't find its way to the back of the net. He spent the game paired with Emil Pieniniemi, who is set to play in Wilkes-Barre this year.
Brunicke's goal is to make the NHL roster this season after coming really close last year. He got to the end of training camp, but was one of the final cuts.
Next up for the Penguins' prospects is a date with the Blue Jackets' prospects on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET.
San Jose Sharks hockey is back, at least in a sense. The Sharks’ prospects took the ice on Friday night against the Anaheim Ducks at the Golden State Rookie Faceoff.
The Sharks had five first-round draft picks in their lineup for the matchup, including second-overall pick Michael Misa, Joshua Ravensbergen, and Sam Dickinson.
It didn’t take long for the Sharks to get on the board, as Cam Lund opened the scoring just over 30 seconds into the game, beating Russian netminder Vyacheslav Buteyets. Quentin Musty and Filip Bystedt got assists on the play.
The Ducks’ fifth-round pick from this summer, Alexis Mathieu of the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, got his team on the board 7:59 into the first period with a shot from the point.
The Sharks got their first power play opportunity of the night halfway through the first period, when Ethan Procyszyn was called for cross-checking. Despite some strong zone pressure and some great opportunities, including one from Collin Graf, the Sharks were unable to beat Buteyets.
The power play came to a premature end when Igor Chernyshov was called for tripping on Tarin Smith. The Sharks successfully killed off the Ducks’ abbreviated power play. In the moments following the penalty kill, Ravensbergen would be forced to make a couple of big saves, including a high-danger shot from the slot.
Ryan Lautenbach would be called for slashing with just over five minutes remaining in the first period. Sam Dickinson would hit the post moments before Mattias Havelid restored the Sharks’ lead with a power play goal, making it 2-1.
Throughout the first period, Haoxi (Simon) Wang had a couple of dangerous giveaways, one of which led directly to a high-danger scoring chance for the Ducks. He did show some signs of promise, but overall he’s a player who could benefit massively from this tournament as he did improve over the course of the night.
Nearly two minutes into the second period, Misa was called for slashing, giving the Ducks their second man-advantage of the night. Stian Solberg shot the puck from the point just moments into the period, and Tim Washe tipped it into the net.
20 seconds after the goal, the Sharks would get another opportunity on the power play as they looked to regain their lead. They failed to convert, but a few minutes later, Jackson Wiebe was called for holding, giving the Sharks another chance.
Some tic-tac-toe hockey eventually found its way to Musty in front of the crease who put it away, making it 3-2 in favor of the team in teal.
Carson Wetsch dropped the gloves with Anaheim’s Konnor Smith after a big hit on Teddy Mutryn, however Smith’s size advantage was too much for the Sharks’ winger.
As time expired on the second frame, the two teams had to be pulled apart as things were getting chippy. Wetsch was once again in the middle of it, but Mutryn and Yegor Sidorov were the only ones given penalties for their role in the scrum. The Sharks carried their lead into the second intermission, however at that stage it was still anyone’s game.
Michael McIvor took over in net for the Ducks to start the third period, which started with two minutes of four-on-four play. Ravensbergen would make a phenomenal save on a breakaway, as Beckett Sennecke made him stretch from post-to-post to deny his shot. Cam Lund immediately went down to the other end and scored his second goal of the night, extending the Sharks’ lead to 4-2.
McIvor was forced to make a couple of big saves before Will Francis, a three-time cancer survivor, was called for hooking. Graf would add a power play goal of his own about a minute into the penalty, making it 5-2 for the Sharks with Michael Misa and Kasper Halttunen registering assists on the play.
Jake Furlong would be called for tripping at 5:29 in the third period, giving the Ducks an opportunity to get themselves back into the game. Sidorov wouldn’t wait long to take advantage, as his shot beat Ravensbergen 44 seconds into the power play, making it a 5-3 game with just under 14 minutes left to play.
Halttunen and Solberg dropped the gloves for a quick scrap with just over eight minutes remaining in the final frame. Francis and Braden Hache would do the same with just over six minutes remaining following a big hit on Lund that left him shaken up. Moments after the fight, Lund went down the Sharks’ tunnel, and the Sharks were awarded a power play as a result of the hit.
With 4:02 remaining, the game descended into chaos as a giant scrum led to another fight and a couple smaller skirmishes. During the ensuing four-on-four play, Luca Cagnoni scored an empty net goal, making it 6-3 in favor of the Sharks.
The Sharks walked away with a convincing win, elevated by their three power play goals on the night. They’ll take the ice again tomorrow afternoon against the Los Angeles Kings’ prospects.
On another note, it’ll certainly be interesting to see if any of the grudges from tonight’s affair carry over into the preseason, as the Sharks will face the Ducks later this month in Anaheim.
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Nikita Grebenkin popped off the bench in overtime, took a drop pass and zipped a shot into the net.
And just like that, the Flyers were celebrating Friday night at PPL Center.
With the club’s front office and new coaching staff watching from upstairs, the Flyers beat the Rangers, 4-3, in the first of two rookie games this weekend at the home of AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.
Nikita Grebenkin scores overtime winner for Flyers on nice shot.
“There’s a lot to like and a lot to be happy with,” John Snowden, the Phantoms’ head coach who runs rookie camp, said. “Obviously we don’t have a whole lot of time to put together what our plan is and I thought they did a heck of a job at executing it. We saw a ton of plays, we saw some skill come out, which I think we all wanted to see.”
• The Flyers’ decision-makers had to be pleased with the contributions from some forwards who will be knocking at the door throughout the season.
“He finished in an important moment of the game for us,” Snowden said. “He made a lot of plays below the goal line. … It was a good start for him in this camp.”
The 22-year-old Russian winger played seven games for the Maple Leafs last season and will be vying for his Flyers debut this season.
“The biggest thing about him is that he’s just so competitive,” Snowden said. “He’s a smaller guy, but he plays like he’s 6-4. How many puck battles did he win tonight?”
The 5-foot-9 winger will have to overcome the undersized label.
“It has kind of been the story of my life, always have been a smaller guy,” Barkey said. “So ever since a young age, I’ve always had to be a heads-up player and think ahead.”
Karsen Dorwart didn’t hurt his chances at trying to work his way into the Flyers’ bottom-six picture at center. The 22-year-old collected a pair of assists. On Gendron’s game-tying 2-2 goal at shorthanded, Dorwart sparked the rush. His second helper came on Grebenkin’s winner.
“I think last spring was huge for me to kind of get out of the mindset of, ‘Whoa, this is the NHL,'” Dorwart said. “Now my goal is to make the team. That’s what I wanted to do all summer, it’s what I want to do now. Just doing everything I can in these couple of games and then going into to training camp to prove that I can make the team.”
Devin Kaplan made a slew of impressive moves to set up Gaucher’s game-tying 3-3 goal in the third period. The 21-year-old winger made his NHL debut in last season’s finale.
Devin Kaplan with a very good guy to teach him net-front stuff in Wayne Simmonds. pic.twitter.com/NrpKChTqtl
• Alex Bump, the rookie camp headliner, played on the Flyers’ top line with Jack Nesbitt and Samu Tuomaala.
The 21-year-old winger didn’t crack the scoresheet, but he had his offensive savviness on display. He also exhibited his improved strength by protecting the puck to extend possession on a few plays.
“He’s a cerebral, intelligent hockey player, especially when it comes to the offensive side of the game,” Snowden said Friday after morning skate. “He is so strategic as for where he needs to go, he never puts himself outside of a scoring area, he always re-routes back into the interior. So he’s always putting himself into good spots.”
Bump has a legit shot to make the Flyers’ season-opening roster. Before now, he had never been in a training camp because of school.
“I’m prepared for it,” Bump said Friday after morning skate. “I don’t really think there should be pressure if I’m prepared for it.”
Alex Bump with a nice stop and go, takes some contact and then finds a way to get this puck through for a look. pic.twitter.com/3kSbrGYwxM
• An under-the-radar defenseman would be Ethan Samson, who played an athletic and comfortable game at the point of the power play. The 22-year-old has good size and two AHL seasons under his belt.
“Samson I thought looked pretty good tonight,” Snowden said.
• Carson Bjarnason, the Flyers’ 2023 second-round pick, played the full game and converted 21 saves on 24 shots.
He allowed two goals a little over four and a half minutes into the action. The second one he needed to stop. Bjarnason saw the shot, but the puck popped past him after it appeared to hit his stick.
“The first period, I want those back, definitely,” Bjarnason said. “I’ll take the blame on those, those are my fault.”
The 20-year-old was playing his first game since April 1 in the WHL playoffs. His first pro season is ahead of him with Lehigh Valley.
• Sawyer Boulton fired up the crowd in the second period when he fought Corbin Vaughan and then jawed with the Rangers’ bench.
Vaughan dropped the gloves earlier in the period when he gave Gaucher a round of punches. Gaucher was defending Kaplan, who took a big hit.
Boulton then stood up for Gaucher by giving it back to Vaughan.
• Oliver Bonk was out because of a maintenance day, but the 2023 first-round defenseman is expected to play Saturday against the Rangers in the second rookie game (5 p.m. ET).
Bjarnason will play the first half of the game before camp invite Joey Costanzo comes on in relief.
Fleury, 40, played in his final season with the Minnesota Wild during 2024-25. He played the last four years with the Wild where he went 64-42-10 with a .902 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.90 goals-against average (GAA).
During his career, Fleury spent 13 seasons in Pittsburgh where he went 375-216-68 with a .912 SV% and a 2.58 GAA. He played in 691 games with the Penguins from 2003-2017.
He ranks first in Penguins franchise history in games played (691), wins (375), shutouts (44) and goals-against average (2.58). He ranks second in save percentage.
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Season 1 of Hockey Ultimate Team is officially underway in NHL 26.
One of the biggest HUT content drops players have ever received, there are new Check My Game, Icons, Heroes, Rookies, Captains, XP, and Ranked cards that have been added.
40+ of the new cards are in the video below.
The master set cards in the Check My Game Event are 85 overall Brent Burns, Igor Shesterkin, Jack Eichel, Rasmus Dahlin, and Matthew Tkachuk. These cards can be built by trading in any three 82-84 CMG cards and any two additional 82-84 cards.
The base CMG cards are led by 84 overall Will Cuylle and Jonathan Toews in his return to HUT.
There are Check My Game moments, objectives, and Wildcard XP tiers players can use to acquire players and collectibles. The collectibles can be used to build an 84, 82, or 80 overall player.
The three new Icons are 86 overall Joe Sakic, Dominik Hasek, and Paul Coffey. The three new Heroes are Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Doug Gilmour, and Dan Boyle.
You must trade in three 83-85 alumni for an Icon. The Heroes cost three 81-83 alumni.
The three new Rookie cards are 84 overall Jordan Binnington, Quinn Hughes, and Sidney Crosby. Players who completed the Jump Start Objectives in NHL 25 will receive a free 82 overall Calder Cup card in the HUT store. This card can be traded-in along with any two 81+ cards to earn a Rookie choice pack. The rookies can also be built for any five 81-83 cards.
There are also new Captains and XP cards. The XP path has reset and can be completed by earning 740,000 XP. Completing tier 60 will earn players and 87 overall Macklin Celebrini.
There are also 85 overall cards available for moving up ranks in ranked play.
The HUT content in NHL 25 was often lackluster but we are off to a fantastic start in NHL 26. This is one of the best release days in HUT history and has a little something for everyone.
During the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, the Vancouver Canucks used their second-round pick to select goaltender Aleksei Medvedev. The recently turned 18-year-old was drafted 47th overall, becoming the first goaltender the Canucks have chosen in the top-50 of the draft since Thatcher Demko in 2014. Listed at 6'2", 178 lbs, Medvedev has already been signed by the organization and will be heading back to the OHL next year to once again play for the London Knights.
The last few months have been a whirlwind for Medvedev. Since being drafted, he has attended Development Camp in Vancouver and played pre-season games for the Knights. No, Medvedev is back with the Canucks and looking forward to playing in the 2025 Prospects Showcase against the Seattle Kraken.
"Yeah, it's a great experience", said Medvedev. "It's a big opportunity for me to showcase myself and start earning the coaches' trust and build that relationship with them. So great opportunity."
NHL Training Camps can be intimidating for recently-drafted rookies. The experience includes working with new coaches and practicing against current NHL players. Luckily for Medvedev, he has current and recently graduated OHLers like Riley Patterson and Krill Kudryavtsev to lean on as he enters his first Prospects Showcase and Training Camp.
"It's really nice, especially coming into my first rookie showcase. My first experience like this. They help a lot. They make you feel comfortable, and when you're comfortable in the room, you play better on the ice. So it's great."
As for Training Camp, Medvedev can't wait to hit the ice in Penticton. As mentioned, he will get the opportunity to work with Vancouver's entire coaching staff, while also learning from goaltenders like Demko and Kevin Lankinen. Training Camp also provides Medvedev with a chance to face shots from NHLers, which will be a key part of his development this year.
"I'm really excited for that. It's going to be a great experience. Those shots make you better. You can improve your reads and stuff like that. It's a different game, pro hockey, so learning that and getting to know that is a great experience."
Looking ahead to 2025-26, Medvedev is ready to help London get back to the Memorial Cup, which is being hosted in Kelowna next May. Last season as a back-up, he posted a 22-8-2 record along with a .912 save percentage and three shutouts. As for this year, Medvedev will be the Knights' starter and is ready to help London capture their third-straight OHL Championship.
"We want to go back to the Memorial Cup. And for myself, I don't want to look too far ahead, honestly. Just want to take it day by day. When you start looking too far ahead or look into the future too much, it might not work out that well for you. So just focus on winning games and being there for my team every night. I love London. It's the best place to be. So for me, the best option is to stay in London as long as possible."
Medvedev will be a player to watch at both the Prospects Showcase and during Training Camp. He has the potential to be an NHLer and is ready to do whatever it takes to be successful. In the end, selecting Medvedev is looking like a smart move by the Canucks as they may have found their starter of the future.
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.
Following their subpar 13-17-4 start to last season, Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman decided that a change was in order.
Head coach Derek Lalonde and assistant coach Bob Boughner were dismissed, with Todd McLellan hired as the new head coach and Trent Yawney joining as an assistant.
Detroit's play began to shift almost immediately, and they managed to rattle off a pair of separate seven-game winning streaks as they vaulted back into a postseason position before ultimately falling short thanks to another lull in the month of March.
Still, a full season beginning with Training Camp next week under McLellan should pay off for the Red Wings in the words of Patrick Kane.
"It's a good situation for me, especially coming in with Todd McLellan as a coach," Kane said recently during the NHL's Player Media Tour in Las Vegas. "I played a lot better under him when we made the switch. The team started playing more aggressive and playing better. Playing in the top six, playing on the power play. As you get older you want to win and I think we can do that there."
Kane’s resurgence under McLellan was clear, as he tallied 16 goals and 29 assists in the second half of the season following the coaching change.
As for ending the club’s lengthy postseason drought, which dates back to 2016, the season after Kane helped the Chicago Blackhawks win their third Stanley Cup in six years, Kane believes the Red Wings can achieve that this season.
"That's the goal, to get into the playoffs," he said. "We really feel we're on the verge and we should do it this year."
Over an 82-game pace, the Red Wings’ 26-18-4 record would have translated to 96 points, enough for the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference behind the Ottawa Senators (97 points), and comfortably ahead of the Montreal Canadiens (91 points), who ultimately claimed that spot.
Kane once again agreed to sign a one-year contract extension to remain with the Red Wings, which will be his second full season with the club he joined as a free agent in December 2023.
Winnipeg native Reece Vitelli aims to carve out a meaningful role on his hometown team this upcoming season.
The Winnipeg Jets organization is filled with intriguing storylines across every level of its development system from the early stages in the ECHL with the Norfolk Admirals, all the way up to the NHL, where star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is making headlines as a frontrunner for the Hart Trophy as the league’s Most Valuable Player.
Amid the spotlight on big names and major accolades, there are also compelling narratives emerging from the AHL, where rising talents are quietly shaping the future of the franchise. One such storyline centers around Reece Vitelli, the newest member to the Manitoba Moose and a hometown native of Winnipeg.
After spending three seasons throughout the AHL and ECHL in the Arizona Coyotes organization, Vitelli returned home with a call up to the Manitoba Moose towards the end of last season. The 24-year-old forward is excited for the chance to play at home once again and is looking forward to working on carving out a meaningful role at the AHL level.
"It's definitely cool to come home and play, my whole goal last year was to get called up somewhere and then I heard it was, it was back in Winnipeg, It was truly cool and to have those last few months here was something I'll never forget for sure,” Vitelli said.
The former Prince Albert Raider has been spending the off-season improving on his shot as Vitelli has struggled scoring at the AHL level with a pair of goals in just 36 games. When asked on how to transition his game from the ECHL to the AHL, he noted it was confidence that’s the biggest factor.
"It all comes down to confidence, I think coming in last year, I was just trying to just play my game and everything, but also, trying to not make mistakes and stay in the lineup and stuff, so hopefully try and come into the year and just be more confident with the puck and know that I have that skill I can make plays and just help produce more offense for the team," he said.
When describing his play style, Vitelli used a comparison on the current Jets roster as a player that can be used in multiple positions, up-and-down the ice and make an impact in different ways.
"My biggest assets is probably my speed, my skating, I like to use my feet a lot, and get the forecheck first and and be reliable, and kind of just be a Swiss army knife out there, play anywhere the team needs me to play and to be reliable, in all those, those different positions, kind of like an Anthony Cirelli kind of player or even Alex Iafallo up with the Jets too,” Vitelli explained ”They're playing in a lot of different positions, penalty kill and getting thrown on the power play and that kind of thing, so those are definitely some guys that I look up too."
One of the most interesting aspects of Vitelli’s career so far has been the players that he’s been on the same team as that have broken out into big roles at the NHL level. The notable two are Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring, who Vitelli played with during his time with the Coyotes AHL affiliate in the Tuscon Roadrunners. He stated that he could tell the players were going to make a difference in the NHL some day during their time playing together.
"Obviously great players, you can tell by how they play, and they're great people, too,” Vitelli said “Great teammates,I had a blast playing with them in Tucson and it was a fun two years with them, so it was super good and they're just great players and they're definitely gonna help out Buffalo this year."
The hope is now the narrative turns to Vitelli and now he gets his chance to make an impact, this time closer to home than ever before. Moose head coach Mark Morrison has a system more reliant on aggressive forechecking in speed, according to Vitelli and he noted this goes well with his game. Hopefully Moose fans can rally behind one of their local hometown players and help him keep his confidence to play well enough to stay at the AHL level.
Top Philadelphia Flyers center prospect Jett Luchanko will be out for rookie camp, but his return to the ice should be imminent.
According to an update released by the Flyers Thursday, Luchanko, 19, is expected to be ready for the start of training camp next week.
The 2024 first-round pick was, however, held out of Thursday's rookie camp practice session for precautionary reasons, potentially related to the groin injury that held him out of development camp two months earlier.
Luchanko is not expected to play against the New York Rangers in the first rookie series game between the two teams Friday night, which effectively rules him out for the second game Saturday, too.
To that end, defenseman Oliver Bonk, who also didn't participate on the ice at development camp in early July, is also out against the Rangers for Friday night's game.
It would appear that the Flyers truly are just exercising the most caution to ensure two of their recent first-round picks have every opportunity to compete for an NHL roster spot, starting with training camp next week.
Luchanko will either have to make the NHL or return to the OHL this season, whereas Bonk will be turning pro and will be closer to home under the watchful eye of the Flyers, whether he's in the NHL or in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Watch for Luchanko to return to the ice for the Flyers within the week as training camp creeps around the corner.
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