VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — The Vancouver Canucks added two more names to their extensive list of injured players.
Vancouver on Monday placed winger Brock Boeser and defenseman Zeev Buium on injured reserve after getting hurt in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Boeser caught an elbow to the head from Pittsburgh's Bryan Rust in the final seconds of the game while stationed at the top of the Penguins' crease and crumpled to the ice.
NHL Player Safety posted on X, formerly Twitter, that Rust will have a hearing Tuesday about the hit to Boeser’s head.
Buium was hit in the face with a puck in the first period, but returned wearing a bubble visor on his helmet and finished with 15:41 in ice time in the game.
Boeser and Buium join goalie Thatcher Demko (undisclosed), defenseman Derek Forbort (undisclosed) and center Marco Rossi (lower-body injury) on the injured list.
Vancouver recalled forward Jonathan Lekkerimaki and defenseman Victor Mancini from the Abbotsford Canucks of the American Hockey League on Monday.
Injured Toronto Maple Leafs star William Nylander flashed his middle finger during Sunday's game when he noticed a TV camera was filming him and other non-playing teammates in the press box.
The gesture cost him $5,000 on Monday, Jan. 26.
The NHL said he was fined the maximum amount because he violated a policy that "prohibits inappropriate and offensive remarks, and the use of obscene, profane or abusive language or gestures in the game."
“This serves as a reminder the code of conduct governing players extends throughout the arena at NHL games and in public game situations," NHL disciplinarian George Parros said in a statement.
Nylander suffered a groin muscle injury on Jan. 15 and went on the injured list on the 19th. Sunday's game was the fifth one he missed. The last four have been losses.
He apologized on social media on Sunday for his "moment of frustration" and also Monday in person during a meeting with reporters.
"I'm just not playing," he said of why he's frustrated. "I just want to be out there with the guys."
He said he received a text message right after the gesture was shown on the TV broadcast.
"I was like, 'Not a good idea, not a good thing to do,'" he said. "Like I said, I apologize about that."
Nylander, who sat out 10 other games with injury this season, said he hopes to return to action during the team's upcoming road trip, which runs from Jan. 29 to Feb. 3.
ST.
LOUIS – It
happened in an instant and wasn’t even something that Steve Ott
wanted to consider.
One
moment, the then-St. Louis Blues associate coach was with the team in
Edmonton when he was asked on a dime if he’d like to take on the
role as head coach of the Springfield Thunderbirds of the American Hockey League, some
2,500-plus miles away.
“It
happened after the Edmonton game and was asked if I would consider
taking this job and after speaking with my family, my wife right
after the meeting, we talked for about two minutes and I thought the
decision was an easy one,” Ott
said via Zoom on Monday.
“It’s a great opportunity for myself, but not only that, I get to
stay in an organization that I truly love and to help develop our
young guys with the development side of the coaching, it’s really
exciting for myself. It’s a great opportunity.”
Two
minutes. That’s it.
A
career that lasted into a ninth year as an assistant and ultimately,
an associate coach in a place the Summerside, Prince Edward Island
native would call home, suddenly picks up and embarks on a new
challenge.
But
ultimately, the 43-year-old Ott’s goal is to become a head coach,
and although this may have been a ‘Whoa’ moment, it’s one that
came with no regrets and no time to ponder.
“It
is quite a change,” Ott
admitted.
“First of all, Mr. (Tom)
Stillman,
‘Army’, ‘Steener’, the fans, the players have been so special
to me for overall these years. When you get asked if you’d consider
that opportunity, I take it as a big honor. It’s not an easy lift
for everybody. It’s a situation that I love being a part of
obviously the NHL club but to stay here and be a part of the growing
of the future, I think that’s a job I don’t take light or easy.”
Ott
feels the time was right. He’s been working with and under a number
of coaches in St. Louis who have been successful and/or won, like
Craig Berube (2019 Stanley Cup champions), Claude Julien and now Jim Montgomery, who traded
messages with Ott after his first win with the Thunderbirds, a
come-from-behind 4-3 overtime win on Friday against Toronto in which
Springfield trailed 3-1 after two periods.
“I’m
really excited for him,” Montgomery said. “You can tell he’s
jacked up. The text messages are flying back and forth. That’s
natural. He’s going to be an excellent head coach. He has all the
qualities of understanding the feel for the dressing room, the feel
for the players, understanding the Xs and Os of the game and
understanding momentum in a game, the players that create momentum
and players that don’t.
“I
just told him how much I believe he’s ready for this and how good
he will be at it because that’s what I truly believe in my heart.”
Ott
has interviewed for vacant head coaching positions in the NHL in the
past but felt he wasn’t ready for those challenges … until now.
But this steppingstone will serve its purpose in getting him ready
for it when the opportunity arises again.
“Yes
to be honest with you, I’ve had multiple NHL head coaching job
interviews and I thought they went extremely well,” Ott
said.
“I think there’s one part of the puzzle piece that’s missing is
the head coaching experience. You get down and you do well in these
interviews and you’re right down to the end and that final card is
something you need to have, that last feather in your cap. It’s
something that you have to earn it as well. That’s where my mindset
is, is earning those opportunities and definitely want to be a head
coach in the NHL someday.
“It’s
something that I’ve kind of been growing as an assistant to an
associate coach. I watch obviously the head coaches very closely over
these last (nine)
years in St. Louis, how they deal with their staff. Not only that,
but the medical and training staff as well and the managers. I’ve
kind of just been observing for a long time waiting for this type of
opportunity so that when I have it now, I would be ready for it. To
be honest since I’ve got here, it’s been a great energy around
the dressing room, it’s an exciting place right now. Everybody’s
on the same page of what the expectations are from the organization
from top down, especially where we are down here. We want to make
sure our players are looked after.
“I’m
very thankful for ‘Army’ giving me those opportunities over the
years to take those interviews. It was more the experience that you
were getting from those interviews. They’re likely Zoom calls with
the preparation of your systems, how would you run the team, the
communication, your culture aspects. They’re very, very detailed
and when you present those, you’re just continuing to grab this
valuable experience. I’m lucky for those opportunities. It wouldn’t
have happened without the leadership from the top allowing me to do
that. When you get those opportunities, you just continue to build
yourself as a coach. When those moments come and it is your turn to
be a head coach, that you’re ready. I wasn’t ready the first few
years for that opportunity even after winning, wasn’t even close.
It’s the 10 years later to get your opportunity to know that when
you do, you want to be very thorough and extremely ready to seize
that moment.”
Learning
from Montgomery has been a great experience, and now that Ott serves
as the voice of the next generation of Blues players, there will be a
great pipeline of communication there.
“’Monty’
has been a mentor to me,” Ott
said.
“I’ve taken a lot of great aspects from him. He’s a Jack
Adams-winning coach and I’m lucky enough to work beside him. For
the most part, I think we see the game very similar and it makes it
very easy to talk hockey. It’s a constant talking, text messaging,
phone calls, picking each other’s brain on situational play. Not
only that, it’s great because I can give the development of the
young guys down here.”
So
who will the Thunderbirds be getting after Steve Konowalchuk?
“I
wanted to be open and honest with them from the get-go,” Ott
said.
“There was a feel in the room no different when you’re struggling
in the standings, it’s a tough place sometimes to want to come to
the rink, you want to continue to get better and you just want
information and why and how can we help. I wanted to make sure that
we were going to focus on the details of our game without the puck
first and that was the first week. This upcoming week is not going to
be a training camp but a teaching camp. It’s things that our young
players and
depth players need to learn. It’s the game management, it’s not
going around pylons, it’s the experiences that I’ve learned
throughout the game is line changes, is setting up the next shift.
All those little areas of the game that go unnoticed is something
that I want to really help with them. So when they do get that
opportunity, it’s seamless towards the NHL.”
There’s
no telling at the moment where this will lead after the season ends,
Ott said. They’ll revisit things in the summer, but for the time
being, Ott, whose family will stay behind in St. Louis with kids in
school and playing hockey, just wants to focus on the here and the
now, and that’s trying to get the Thunderbirds back on track.
“The
goal is to get this team and prospects playing as good as we can,
including with that if we do so and sneak into a playoff spot here in
the next little while, I think that would be a great ending to this
season if we can continue to get as many games as we can here,” Ott
said.
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The 2025–26 season has been a bit of a weird one for the Vancouver Canucks. Injuries forced multiple players into roles they probably didn’t expect themselves to be in at the start of the year, while a couple of big trades resulted in Vancouver’s D-core getting shaken up a bit mid-season.
One of the players most impacted by these changes is Canucks defenceman Elias Pettersson. While the defender was one of a couple expected to push for a full-time roster spot at the start of the season, changes throughout the year resulted in him being sent down to the AHL for a couple of stints. He spoke a bit about the changes that have occurred this season after Vancouver’s practice on Saturday.
“I think it’s been a little up and down since I came back from Abbotsford,” Pettersson told The Hockey News on Saturday. “This time I feel like I’m getting more and more into my game and feeling better and better.”
Pettersson stunned many last January when he made his NHL debut against the Washington Capitals and played himself into a full-time roster spot, knocking veteran Carson Soucy out of the rotation and giving the Canucks the freedom to trade him. This was Pettersson’s first full season of playing hockey in North America, and already, it’d seemed as though he was ready to make the jump to the NHL. With more experience under his belt heading into the 2025–26 season, the defenceman made note of one particular thing he’s approached differently compared to the 2024–25 season.
“I say mindset all the time, just trying to get better every day. It’s a lot to learn.”
One player who has found himself in a similar situation to where Pettersson was in 2024–25 is Tom Willander, who made his NHL debut in October and has since stuck in Vancouver’s lineup. Both defencemen have seen the positives and negatives to a full-NHL season as young players throughout 2025–26.
“I think it’s good, [I] think we’re both learning every day and trying to get into the league in a good way,” Pettersson explained. “We’ve got really good sources here with the older guys to coach us, so I think it’s just really good for us.”
Jan 21, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Elias Pettersson (25) skates prior to the start of a game against the Washington Capitals at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
The ‘older guys’ in question could refer to a few different players around the locker room. From veterans like Marcus Pettersson to younger players who have more NHL experience like Nils Höglander, there’s been no shortage of guys for Pettersson to lean on throughout his first couple of seasons in the NHL.
“It’s always good to have the older guys around you. They help a lot,” he said, particularly of some of the Swedes on the team. “It’s always nice to have those guys around you [to] talk the same language, do something outside the rink. It’s always nice to have those guys around.”
With the Olympic break nearing, there’s always the chance that younger players like Pettersson could end up being sent back down to Abbotsford in order to get some games in while the league pauses for nearly a month. Once the NHL starts back up again, the Canucks will be in a situation that will force them to consider what direction they want to take the franchise in. For Pettersson, the next couple of months will be used to help retain a steady pace of play.
“Just trying to be more steady out there, keep getting better every day.”
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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It was a bruising weekend for the Winnipeg Jets at the NHL level, but their AHL affiliate ensured the organization still had plenty to celebrate.
On Saturday night, the Jets were handed a sobering 5–1 defeat by the Detroit Red Wings, a lopsided loss that underscored Detroit’s sharp form. At the same time, the focus shifted to the AHL, where the Manitoba Moose faced off against Detroit's AHL affiliate in the Grand Rapids Griffins for a compelling two-game series that told a very different story.
Entering the weekend, the Moose were sizeable underdogs against the Griffins, Detroit’s AHL affiliate and the league’s dominant force for much of the season. Grand Rapids had been tearing through opponents, breaking records and posting one of the best starts in AHL history.
The opening contest on Friday suggested the gap between the two clubs might not be as wide as expected. Manitoba pushed the Griffins to the limit in a tightly contested game that was tied after both the first and second periods.
Grand Rapids eventually found the breakthrough in the third period, scoring the decisive goal to secure a narrow 2–1 victory. Despite the loss, the performance gave the Moose confidence that they could compete with a top-tier opponent like the Griffins.
On Sunday, the game was again close throughout as Grand Rapids carried a 2–1 lead into the third period and the Griffins appeared poised to continue their dominance. Instead, Manitoba stunned the league.
The Moose erased the deficit with two late goals, capped by a dramatic game-winning marker from Winnipeg blue-chip prospect Brad Lambert with under 30 seconds remaining. The victory snapped Grand Rapids’ AHL-record 17-game road point streak, ending a historic run. Even with the loss, the Griffins remain atop the league standings with a commanding 32-4-2-1 record.
For Manitoba, the win meant far more than just two points. The Moose have now won three of their last four games and improved to 20-15-3-0, which is third best in the Central Division. Defeating a team of Grand Rapids’ caliber provides a significant momentum boost as Manitoba prepares for a two-game home set against the Rockford IceHogs this weekend.
While the Jets endured a tough night against Detroit at the NHL level, their AHL affiliate delivered a reminder that the organization’s depth and future continue to trend in the right direction.
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The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that they have activated defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen off injured reserve. In addition, the Flyers shared that defenseman Hunter McDonald has been assigned to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Ristolainen has not played for the Flyers since their Jan. 13 contest against the Tampa Bay Lightning due to an upper-body injury. However, with the right-shot defenseman coming off injured reserve, he is now set to return to action for the Flyers.
Ristolainen has played in 13 games this season with the Flyers, where he has recorded zero goals, three assists, 16 hits, 24 blocks, and a minus-3 rating. This is after he had four goals, 19 points, 97 hits, and a plus-3 rating in 63 games last season for the Flyers.
McDonald was called up to the Flyers' roster on Jan. 17 but never made his NHL debut during his call-up. Now, he will be heading back to the Phantoms' roster, where he will be aiming to make an impact. In 33 games this season with Lehigh Valley, he has recorded five assists, 61 penalty minutes, and a plus-7 rating.
The St. Louis Blues’ season has seen almost nothing go right.
Aside from prospects like Dalibor Dvorsky, Otto Stenberg, and Jimmy Snuggerud, who are fitting in at the NHL level, the team’s veterans have underperformed, and the team sits in 31st place in the NHL.
With their issues, changes will certainly be made, and it appears that the Blues are going to be moving on from several players before the trade deadline, at least that’s what’s been reported.
Robert Thomas, Brayden Schenn, Jordan Kyrou, Pius Suter, Oscar Sundqvist, and Justin Faulk have all generated trade discussions. Schenn and Kyrou, if moved, could fetch strong returns, but the two biggest trade chips in St. Louis might be their No.1 center, Thomas, and their veteran defenseman Faulk.
A recent report by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on Thomas indicates that the Blues either have to be blown away by an offer to the point where they can’t say no, or they are offered another top-six forward who is younger than Thomas.
In terms of Faulk, Friedman reported that the Blues are looking for a Rasmus Andersson-type return. The Calgary Flames were able to fetch 29-year-old defenseman Zach Whitecloud, defenseman prospect Abram Wiebe, a conditional first-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft, and a conditional second-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft.
The trade deadline is a little over a month away, and although no teams have really stood out as potential suitors for Thomas and Faulk, the coming weeks should clarify the market for those players.
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CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Blackhawks assigned forward Nick Lardis to Rockford of the American Hockey League on Monday.
The 20-year-old Lardis, one of the team's top prospects, made his NHL debut on Dec. 13. He had five goals and two assists in 21 games with the Blackhawks.
“I think he's done a solid job,” coach Jeff Blashill said of Lardis before the move was announced. “He came in and early on probably was trying to find his way a little bit. I thought he got more confident. So I think he's done a good job of making a first impression to the coaching staff.”
Teuvo Teravainen is expected to return for Tuesday night's game at Minnesota. The veteran forward has been sidelined by an upper-body injury since Jan. 12.
Lardis was selected by Chicago in the third round of the 2023 draft. He had 71 goals and 46 assists in 65 games last season with Brantford in the Ontario Hockey League.
The Vancouver Canucks have 30 games remaining in the 2025-26 season. While the organization had hoped Vancouver could get back to the playoffs this year, the campaign has now turned into an opportunity to secure first overall in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. At this point, the focus needs to be on the development of young players as well as evaluating which experienced players should remain for the rebuild.
One younger player who the Canucks should give more of an opportunity to is goaltender Nikita Tolopilo. The 25-year-old has played in six games with Vancouver this season and looks ready to make the jump to the NHL as a backup. With very little travel over the final 30 games, after the Olympic break is the perfect opportunity to give Tolopilo the reins and show that he can handle a bigger workload in the NHL.
Before diving into what a plan could look like, it is important to note that Tolopilo getting more starts is only possible if Thatcher Demko is shut down for the season. According to GM Patrik Allvin, there is a chance Demko could be done for the year, but the organization is still exploring all options. For the sake of this article, it will be assumed that Demko is not returning for the rest of the season, leaving Vancouver with a tandem of Tolopilo and Kevin Lankinen.
While Lankinen should get the majority of starts leading up to the 2026 Winter Olympics as he will be representing Finland at the event, the final 25 games are a different story. As mentioned, with playoffs no longer an option, the Canucks should be focused on developing Tolopilo, which could mean giving him more starts than Lankinen over the final few months of the season. The organization should still have Lankinen play games, but a close to 50% split, or 13 games for Tolopilo, would be best for his development moving forward.
As mentioned, Vancouver's schedule is very home-heavy after the Olympic break. In fact, the Canucks will only play four games not in the Pacific Time Zone. With virtually no travel and only three back-to-backs, splitting the net between Lankinen and Tolopilo should not be an issue as long as both stay healthy.
Jan 17, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks goalie Nikita Tolopilo (60) makes a save against the Edmonton Oilers in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Overall, how Vancouver manages players over the next few months will be interesting. Trades should open up roster spots, which could be filled with those currently playing for the Abbotsford Canucks. Ultimately, the organization will have the opportunity to see if younger players are ready for bigger roles, which will help with evaluating team needs for the 2026-27 season.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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The Los Angeles Kings have officially signed forward Taylor Ward to a two-year contract extension worth an average annual salary of $875,000, keeping him under contract through the 2027-28 season.
The @LAKings have signed forward Taylor Ward to a two-year contract extension worth an average annual value (AAV) of $875,000 through the 2027-28 season.
The deal is believed to be due to Ward's strong stretch over his limited minutes and a vote of confidence in the organization to reward him for his recent play.
Ward was recalled from Ontario to play for the Kings in early January due to injuries within Los Angeles' forward group and took full advantage of the opportunity. In his two games, Ward has scored two goals and two points, all resulting in a Kings victory.
The statsheets may not show much, but the 27-year-old winger has consistently brought energy and earned the coaching staff's trust in his role for the Kings' forward unit.
During the 2025-26 season, Ward has played nine games, scoring two goals, recording two assists, totaling four points, and posting a plus-3 rating. The numbers might not pop for fans, but his value on the ice, being a reliable two-way force and bringing energy on the ice for the starting group, brings a different level of energy for the team.
Ward's recent production against the New York Rangers and the St. Louis Blues, scoring a goal and assisting on plays that have helped the Kings win both games, has reflected the organization's desire to sign him and the coaching staff's trust in his performance.
The King's decision to extend Ward highlights the hard work he's put in this season, starting off in Ontario and never looking fazed at all when he stepped on the ice playing his first NHL game.
With a cap hit of $875,000, Ward provides flexibility while remaining NHL-ready and will continue to grow under the Kings' system and leadership. It's a great contract that represents taking advantage of the moment you've been waiting for in your career.
After being called up out of necessity, the Kings could've easily sent Ward back once their group returned from injury, but chose to trust his production and realize he belongs at the NHL level.
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The Florida Panthers have been blessed with some excellent goaltenders in recent years.
While receiving Stanley Cup-caliber netminding from starter Sergei Bobrovsky, the Cats have also been backstopped to some huge wins by the consistent play of their backups.
From Alex Lyon to Anthony Stolarz to Vitek Vanecek, Florida’s Goaltending Excellence Department, headed by Roberto Luongo, has continuously targeted tendies who could step in and thrive for the Cats.
This is also the same group that saw Devon Levi as draftable before anyone else, and who brought in Brandon Bussi this offseason, only to see him get plucked away on the waiver wire by the Carolina Hurricanes. All Bussi has done with Carolina is have the best start to an NHL career by a goalie in league history.
The latest goaltender who Luongo and his guys set their sights on was Daniil Tarasov.
Early on, Florida didn’t make things easy on their newest goalie. The Panthers scored a combined six goals during Tarasov’s first four starts, which is why it’s not terribly surprising that he went 0-3-1 in those outings despite allowing only 10 goals against.
Between late-November and mid-December, Tarasov struggled through a stretch in which he allowed four or more goals in three of five starts, but he’s bounced back in a big way since the calendar flipped to 2026, with four straight victories under his belt.
“Every game I’m feeling more confident, especially when the guys are playing unbelievable in front of me,” Tarasov said after his most recent win on Sunday in Chicago. “They didn't give any chances like in the past two games I played, and it's really easy and you're just kind of like, waiting when the puck comes to you and just trying to make easy and more predictable saves.”
It’s probably not a coincidence that as the Panthers have gotten healthier and the play in front of him has improved, so has Tarasov’s record.
The 26-year-old started the month with an impressive 2-1 win over the NHL-best Colorado Avalanche, a game in which 10 of his 27 saves were on high-danger shots.
“So calm, so steady,” Panthers defenseman Gus Forsling said of Tarasov. “It makes it very easy for the D core; he gives us a lot of confidence.”
Each of Tarasov’s previous three wins, which have all come in the past 10 days, were all away from home.
He stood tall on the back end of a back-to-back when the Cats wrapped up a six-game roadie in Washington, stopping all six high-danger shots he faced.
It was an important win at the time, sending Florida home with an even 3-3 mark on an extremely tough trip and giving them some deservedly good vibes.
“Every time he’s stepped in, he’s given us a chance to win, and that’s all we can ask for,” said Panthers forward Sam Bennett.
The strong and consistent play from Tarasov was rewarded when he was given two of the three starts on last week’s trip.
Those games came in cities – Winnipeg and Chicago – where Florida had not won in several years.
All the Cats did was come through with two of their absolute best defensive efforts of the season, and Tarasov rewarded his teammates with a pair of victories in which he allowed a total of two goals.
“It was kind of a rough start this season, and now I’m getting more of an understanding of how we play and what I should do,” said Tarasov. “Don’t try to just make unbelievable saves, but just kind of like, stay in the crease, be calm and just wait for the puck to come to you.”
The combination of a composed and confident Tarasov between the pipes and a healthy, defensive-minded group of Panthers in front of him has led to an impressive month, statistically.
In addition to the 4-0-0 record, Tarasov has skated to a sparkling .944 save percentage and a tidy 1.22 goals against average, allowing just five goals against on 8.63 expected goals.
“He played really well for us at the start of this year, and we couldn’t score a goal for that poor fella, and his game was good,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice, adding, with a smile, “I think he’s rounded back, and he’s figured out he may have to keep it at one (goal against).”
Now well into the second half of their season, the Panthers have little margin for error.
Entering play Monday, Florida sits three points behind the Boston Bruins for the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, holding one game in hand. The Cats are also four points back of the Buffalo Sabres for third place in the Atlantic Division (yes, you read that correctly), with each having played 51 games.
If Florida can avoid any additional major injuries, and it certainly seems as though they’ve cashed in enough of those chips this season, they should continue to gain momentum and show more overall consistency while continuing to welcome previously wounded players back into the lineup. That includes a pair of regular defenseman; Seth Jones and Dmitry Kulikov.
What that means for Tarasov and Bobrovsky is that they will be playing behind the kind of suffocating and physical defense that teams have struggled against in each of the past several postseasons.
It should be an interesting few months.
“We take care of each other in our locker room, and we're battling for each other on ice,” Tarasov said. “You kind of feel like a family in our style of game.”
Photo caption: Jan 22, 2026; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Florida Panthers goaltender Daniil Tarasov (40) warms up before the start of the second period against the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre. (James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images)
The Ottawa Senators may have found an excellent young player in their notoriously thin list of NHL prospects.
The recent sports hernia injury to veteran David Perron left the NHL door open again for Stephen Halliday, who was recalled from AHL Belleville four days ago. Halliday has been up and down this season, appearing in 18 NHL games and posting 6 points. Halliday's latest promotion last week was his third of the 2025-26 season.
But the Ajax, Ontario native didn't just get his foot in the door this time; he kicked it wide open.
In the last three games in Ottawa, Halliday has three goals and four points, and could have had a lot more. The 23-year-old has suddenly found another gear in the NHL, which makes what happened on Sunday night all the more disappointing.
As the Senators were beating up on the Vegas Golden Knights, Halliday was having the finest game of his young NHL career with two goals and an assist in an eventual 7-1 Senators win.
But he wasn't around for the final horn.
In the third period, Vegas forward Tomas Hertl hit Halliday into the angled plexiglass and stanchion at the Knights' bench. Halliday hit his head, fell hard to the ice, and had to be helped off the ice towards the Ottawa dressing room.
While head coach Travis Green didn't have an update after the game, Sens captain Brady Tkachuk provided one when asked about Halliday.
"I mean, he played amazing," Tkachuk said. "And I just talked to him. He feels good, feels okay. So hopefully it's nothing too severe."
Tkachuk, who helped set up three goals against Vegas, also took a moment to give the rookie a glowing review.
"And yeah, I mean, every single game he plays, he just keeps getting better and better, the confidence, the poise. And he's a player who's gonna really help us moving forward."
Halliday is a classic late bloomer.
He was passed over in two NHL Drafts before the Sens finally scooped him up as a 20-year-old in the fourth round of the 2022 Draft. His 95 points in 62 games at Dubuque in his fourth USHL season were too good to pass up, especially that late in the draft.
The Pierre Dorion-led Senators never minded going after the odd overager or a player who was passed over in a draft or two. They also picked Drake Batherson, Egor Sokolov, Cole Reinhardt, and Mark Kastelic, to name a few.
At 6-foot-4, 212 pounds, Halliday was a fine scorer at every level, including Ohio State and then Belleville, but NHL scouts were skeptical about his skating. It's something he's worked on, and in the mould of a Mark Stone, his stride isn't elite, but it's way better than it was on draft day.
It was good to hear from Tkachuk that the first-year Senator was feeling okay after the game. From what we've seen lately, Halliday is not just a temp or a fill-in anymore. Whether the Sens jump back into this playoff race or not, Halliday is tracking to be an important player for the foreseeable future.
Steve Warne The Hockey News Ottawa
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The Flyers showed little life Monday night and lost to the Islanders, 4-0, at Xfinity Mobile Arena. They gave up two even strength goals, a power play goal and a shorthanded goal.
They heard boos after the second-period horn and the final buzzer. It was a good crowd when you consider the game was not even 24 hours after a snowstorm.
“We just got our butts kicked on home ice in a game where it’s probably tough to get to, and a lot of fans in the building,” Jamie Drysdale said. “We have to be better and we will be better.”
“To be a good team, you have to handle prosperity,” Tocchet said. “You’ve got to let the game go, even though it’s a good game for you, let it go and get your business hat on for the next game. And obviously we didn’t.”
Tocchet’s club also had two days of rest with Sunday’s practice being canceled because of the snowstorm.
But the Flyers (24-18-9) failed to sustain any of the momentum and missed an opportunity to move into playoff position. They’re now four points back of the Islanders (28-19-6) for third place in the Metropolitan Division.
“We knew it was a big game, a four-point game in the division,” Trevor Zegras said. “We just kind of came out and thought it would be easy, I guess. They played a good game, they didn’t give us much. Just wasn’t our best tonight.”
The Flyers have won consecutive games only once since the calendar turned to 2026.
“That’s on me, I’ll wear it, I’ve got to get these guys ready to play after a win,” Tocchet said. “I don’t know what guys were doing for the last two days, but I don’t even know if anybody played well.”
The Flyers are 2-1-0 in their four-game regular-season series against New York. They recorded a pair of 4-3 shootout wins in the opening two months of the season.
The clubs wrap things up April 3 at UBS Arena.
• Making his fourth straight start and seventh straight appearance, Samuel Ersson denied 19 of 23 shots.
A bad tone was set for the Flyers when their power play gave up a first-period goal.
Ersson played a bouncing puck to the corner, where Casey Cizikas took it and found a wide-open Jean-Gabriel Pageau streaking to the net. Drysdale and Bobby Brink both went after Cizikas. There was no help behind them.
“There was no effort coming back,” Tocchet said. “We didn’t even have the puck and then we had two guys go to the same guy and then one guy doesn’t backcheck. … Who knows if we’re 0-0 after the first, but it seemed like when they scored, some guys accepted it.”
The Flyers’ 1-0 deficit grew to 3-0 in the middle stanza.
Mathew Barzal scored on a redirection 5:41 minutes into the period. Then, a little over seven minutes later, former Flyer Tony DeAngelo struck on the power play. Cam York was in the box and Emil Andrae couldn’t handle a pass at the offensive blue line, which put the Islanders on the rush.
Pageau added his second of the night in the third period.
“When we roll lines and stack shifts together, we’re a very dangerous team,” Noah Cates said. “But it just seems like maybe we get away from it after wins or something like that.”
The Chicago Blackhawks are trying to get back to having steady line combinations. With every forward on the roster healthy for the first time in a long time, they might be able to do that for a while.
Teuvo Teravainen was waiting to be good enough to play, and he practiced with the group on Monday, wearing a regular contact sweater.
There was also a "fifth line" that included Colton Dach, Sam Lafferty, and Nick Lardis. With a road trip coming up, they need extra players, but not three forwards. It was clear that there would be an NHL transaction coming out of this.
On Monday afternoon, the Blackhawks announced that Nick Lardis would be the odd man out. This is not a totally performance-based decision.
Lardis had five goals and two assists for 7 points in 21 games played with Chicago. He was called up to provide an offensive boost to the lineup when Connor Bedard first went down. Frank Nazar's injury made him even more valuable.
Although he had plenty of good chances in addition to his points, there is room for more growth in the AHL. The top six is getting crowded again, with all of the injuries healing up. It is fair for Lardis to get more minutes in a much bigger role with Rockford.
In 24 games played for the IceHogs this season, Lardis has 26 points (13-13--26). This next stint should see him elevate his game even further now that he has some NHL experience under his belt.
While playing in the NHL, Lardis was named to be an AHL All-Star. Rockford happens to be hosting this event while the NHL is on its Olympic break, so this transaction is perfect for not only allowing Lardis to play bigger minutes in a larger role, but he will also be able to represent himself and the organization on one of the AHL's biggest stages.
Lardis has a great attitude about winning and doing what is needed to help his team win. Combine that with his skills, and you have a young player with a bright future. It won't be long, perhaps even before the end of the season, before Lardis is back up in the NHL.
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The Buffalo Sabres practiced at LECOM Harborcenter on Monday before traveling up to Toronto to take on the struggling Maple Leafs on Tuesday. The Sabres have rebounded from a pair of losses with three road victories, and the contest marks the end of their five-game road swing. Head coach Lindy Ruff provided an update on some of the Sabres injured players, with some troubling news regarding center Josh Norris and good news about defenseman Jacob Bryson.
Norris suffered a rib injury from a cross-check in the victory over Philadelphia on January 15 and previously has been listed as week-to-week. Ruff stated he is improving every day, but cast doubt whether the 26-year-old will play in the near future.
Sabres sign winger Josh Doan to a seven-year extension
"Josh is better, in the training room today and progressing,” Ruff said. "I doubt (that he's back by the end of the week), unless he gets on the ice here pretty quick, and then we're going to balance whether it's the right idea with all that time coming off. I think we'll make sure we do the right thing in his case."
The Sabres have six games remaining before the Olympic break, and it is possible that the club allows Norris to slowly ramp up and return late next month when the NHL schedule resumes. Ruff indicated that winger Justin Danforth, who has been out since mid-October, could return after the break, and had encouraging news about injured defenseman Jacob Bryson’s upper-body injury suffered in the win over Montreal last Thursday.
"Actually, we got good news on him. It'll just be sort of a pain management thing where he can get back on the ice." Ruff said. "Depends on how he feels. I would still put him in a category of getting back to practice like a day-to-day type of thing."
