It appears yet another top prospect grew up as a fan of the Vancouver Canucks. In a recent clip released on the NHL "X" account, Landon DuPont, who is the projected first overall pick in the 2027 NHL Entry Draft, stated that his favourite team as a kid was the Canucks. DuPont is currently playing with the Everett Silvertips and was the first defenceman ever to receive "Exceptional Status" from the WHL. 

As mentioned, DuPont is not the first top prospect to say Vancouver is his favourite team. Among the other notable names were 2023 first-overall pick Connor Bedard and 2024 first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini. While Bedard and Celebrini are both from British Columbia, DuPont was born in Alberta and spent his time before joining the WHL playing for Edge School in Calgary. 

Get to know the projected first overall pick in the 2027 #NHLDraft, Landon DuPont! 👋 #NHLYoungStarsWeekpic.twitter.com/hmWD5JlWIU

— NHL (@NHL) July 20, 2025

Despite only recently turning 16, DuPont has become one of the WHL's top defensemen. He posted 60 points in 64 games last season and was named CHL Rookie of the Year. DuPont has also been invited to Canada's National Men's Summer Under-18 Team Selection Camp, which will determine the roster for the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:

Canucks Prospect Camp 2025: Photo Edition

Vancouver Canucks 2024–25 Report Card: Aatu Räty

Vancouver Canucks Coaches’ Playing Careers: Adam Foote

Ultimately, the odds that the Canucks will be in a position to draft DuPont in 2027 are slim. They would either need to have a disastrous 2026-27 campaign or trade for the pick that will eventually become first overall. That being said, it will not stop fans in Vancouver from picturing DuPont in a Canucks jersey, and creating trade packages both before and after he is drafted in the NHL. 

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 from The Hockey News. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

Montreal Canadiens forward Jake Evans had a strong year in 2024-25. In 82 games with the Original Six club, he scored 13 goals and set new career highs with 23 assists, 36 points, and 124 hits. With numbers like these, he provided the Canadiens with solid depth offensive production to go along with a nice amount of grit. 

Due to Evans being a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) and having such a strong season, he was a very popular trade target around the NHL leading up to this year's deadline. However, the Canadiens officially made him a long-term part of their future when they signed him to a four-year contract extension with an average annual value of $2.85 million on March 4. 

When noting that Evans has been such a nice part of the Canadiens' forward group for so long, it is clear that they made the right call signing him to a contract extension. This is especially so with this year's UFA center market being worse than in past years. Thus, if the Canadiens ended up not keeping Evans around, it would not have been an easy task for them to find a proper replacement for him. 

Furthermore, had the Canadiens waited until the summer to re-sign him, it very well could have cost them more per season to keep him due to the center market being weaker this year. Thus, in the end, the Canadiens were wise to get him locked up back in March. 

Now, with the Canadiens signing Evans to this four-year extension, he will continue to be a very important part of the Canadiens' bottom six and penalty kill. This is very good news for a Canadiens team that is continuing to improve, and it will be fascinating to see how Evans builds off his career year from here. 

Interesting Canadiens Forward Is Clear Bounce-Back CandidateThe 2024-25 season was a bit of a rough one for Montreal Canadiens forward Alex Newhook. His pace of production was noticeably lower, as he posted 15 goals, 11 assists, 26 points, and a minus-21 rating in 82 games. 

Photo Credit:  © David Kirouac-Imagn Images

St. Louis Blues forward Jake Neighbours broke out in a big way for the Central Division club during the 2023-24 season. In 77 games with the Blues that season, he scored a career-high 27 goals and recorded 38 points. This was undoubtedly a nice breakout year for the 2020 first-round pick, as he proved that he could make an impact at the NHL level. 

Neighbours followed up his strong 2023-24 season was another good one in 2024-25. In 82 games last season for the Blues, he scored 22 goals and set new career highs with 24 assists, 46 points, and 173 hits. He also provided solid offense for the Blues during the post-season, recording six points in their seven-game first-round series against the Winnipeg Jets.

Overall, Neighbours is continuing to head in the right direction with his development and is starting to emerge as a key part of the Blues' roster in the process. However, when noting that he is still only 23 years old and still in the earlier stages of his career, there is clear reason to believe that he can still hit another new level next season. 

When looking at what Neighbours has done early on in his career, it is fair to argue that he has the potential to emerge as a legitimate top-six forward at the NHL level. If he gets his offense up a bit more and continues to make an impact with his physicality, he could be a big piece of the Blues' core moving forward. It will be fascinating to see what kind of year the Calgary, Alberta native puts together for the Blues next season from here. 

NHL News: Former Blues Goalie Officially RetiresAfter not playing for two consecutive seasons, former St. Louis Blues goaltender Jaroslav Halak confirmed to Tomas Prokop of Dennik Sport that he is officially retired. 

Photo Credit:  © James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images

The Buffalo Sabres have completed most of their off-season moves this summer. We've examined the most-likely trade partners for Buffalo, and in this file, we're continuing our new THN.com series "Know Your Enemy, Sabres Edition". In this series, we're breaking down the Sabres' seven Atlantic Division rivals, focusing on what changes those seven teams have made, Buffalo's record against them last season, their games against each other this coming year, and our opinion of whether the team is one the Sabres should be beating next year.

We began this process by looking at Buffalo against the Boston Bruins Saturday. In today's file, we're moving on to the Detroit Red Wings:

BUFFALO SABRES VS. DETROIT RED WINGS

NEW RED WINGS PLAYERS: Mason Appleton, RW; James van Riemsdyk, LW; Jacob Bernard-Docker, D; John Gibson, G

2024-25 SERIES: Sabres 1-2-1, Red Wings 3-1-0

2025-26 GAMES AGAINST EACH OTHER:  October 22, at Buffalo; November 15 at Detroit; March 27 at Buffalo

CAN THE SABRES BEAT THIS TEAM?  The Sabres need many things to go their way if they're going to make the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in 15 years. Not only do they need at least one established playoff team to fall down the Atlantic standings, the Sabres also need to ensure no other up-and-coming team -- and/or every other desperate team that missed the playoffs last season -- to once again fall short of their goal. And that applies directly to the Red Wings, who haven't played playoff hockey since 2016.

Frustratingly for Red Wings fans, Detroit hasn't made many changes to the lineup that finished sixth in the division last season. Their biggest move was acquiring goalie Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks, and far beyond that, Wings GM Steve Yzerman has made only supplemental additions, including third-pair blueliner and former Sabre Bernard-Docker, and bottom-six wingers van Riemsdyk and Appleton.

You can see why Wings fans aren't blown away by those moves.

Know Your Enemy, Sabres Edition: How Will Buffalo Do Against The Boston Bruins?The Buffalo Sabres have made most, if. not all of their off-season moves. And before we get around to making our pre-season predictions as is custom at THN.com, we're going to take a different approach to our picks this time around. Instead of just giving you all the picks at once, we're going to break things down for the Sabres by looking into who their divisional opponents will be next season -- and why that contributes to them either making, or missing, the Stanley Cup playoffs.

From Buffalo's perspective, the Red Wings are chief among the teams they need to beat in their three head-to-head games next year. Two of those games will be home games for the Sabres, and given that Buffalo had a 23-15-3 home record this past season, that has to be seen as a good thing. But the Wings' puny offense hasn't improved, and if the Sabres can jump on Gibson and his Detroit teammates early in games, the Red Wings don't really have the offense-minded talent needed to power back into games.

The Red Wings still have $12 million in salary cap space, so by the time the two teams square off in their final regular-season matchup at the end of March, Detroit's lineup could be significantly different. But as it stands, the Sabres have the more dynamic group when we're judging them versus the Red Wings. And while the Wings did have the clear edge over Buffalo in their four regular-season games last year, the challenge for the Sabres is to turn the page in this rivalry and help push Detroit back down in the standings once again.

When the 2025-26 season is finished, the difference between a team making and missing the playoffs could be only one or two standings points -- basically, one regulation win or a couple of overtime and/or shootout losses. That means the margin for error will be extremely tight for Buffalo. And that's why it's so crucial for the Sabres to handle their business with their Atlantic rivals.

Let's Be Optimistic -- Maybe Sabres' Best-Laid Plans Will Work Out Next SeasonHaving made most, if not all of their off-season moves. the Buffalo Sabres now sit and wait for the 2025-26 regular-season to begin. The next five-to-six weeks are almost assuredly going to be rather quiet when it comes to Sabres news, but you can never be completely sure nothing will take place in terms of Buffalo's roster composition.

It's true there are only three games between the Red Wings and Sabres this coming year, but that should make each game more of an attraction. Detroit and Buffalo both are determined to end their respective playoff droughts, but it's probable that only one of the two actually get the job done in that regard.

And if it's the Wings that do make the playoffs while the Sabres miss out on the post-season, Buffalo's record against Detroit next year could wind up being perceived as the reason why the Sabres once again have a letdown season.

The 2024-25 season was a complete nightmare for forward Philipp Kurashev. In 51 games with the Chicago Blackhawks on the year, he posted just seven goals, seven assists, and a minus-28 rating. When noting that he just had 18 goals, 34 assists, and 54 points in 75 games with the Blackhawks in 2024-25, this past campaign was a notable step in the wrong direction for the 25-year-old forward.

After struggling this past season, Kurashev did not receive a qualifying offer from the Blackhawks this summer and became an unrestricted free agent (UFA) on July 1. From there, he signed a one-year, $1.2 million contract with the San Jose Sharks. 

Now that Kurashev has landed an opportunity with this one-year, prove-it deal from San Jose, he undoubtedly needs to take advantage of it and put together a bounce-back season. 

When noting that Kurashev just had a 54-point campaign in 2023-24 with the Blackhawks, there is a chance that he could get his offense back up a bit more. If he could hit, say, 35 points next season with the Sharks, he would end up being a nice depth pickup for them.

When looking at the Sharks' depth chart, Kurashev could be put in a position to succeed, too. He should see time in their middle six and also could very well get some chances on their power play. This could help Kurashev, as he should get more consistent chances with the Sharks than he did last season with the Blackhawks.

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if the change of scenery benefits Kurashev next season. It was clear that he was no longer a fit on the Blackhawks' roster, so a fresh start in San Jose could very well help him. 

Blackhawks Made Great Move Acquiring Ex-Canucks ForwardDuring this past off-season, the Chicago Blackhawks acquired Ilya Mikheyev and Sam Lafferty's signing rights from the Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks also sent a 2027 second-round pick to the Blackhawks for taking on Mikheyev's salary, while Chicago only sent over a 2027 fourth-round pick to the Canucks in the trade.

Photo Credit:  © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

As the NHL’s off-season unfolds, THN.com is analyzing the state of every team in the league in a special “Summer Splash” team-by-team series. Did they get better? Did they get worse? Or did they stay the same? That’s what we’re answering in these columns. 

In every Summer Splash file, we’ll be going in reverse order in terms of improvement. And we’ll be breaking down the major and minor moves each team has made, focusing on trade and free-agent acquisitions, departures, and in certain cases, on hirings and firings. 

To decide on the team rankings, the writers and editors at THN.com debated and decided what teams have improved, what teams stayed the same, and what teams got worse. On occasion, there’ll be exceptions to the rules, for instance, there are teams out there that aren’t notably worse than they were last year, but that made fewer moves of note than they should’ve or could’ve made. But otherwise, this is a simple analysis process. 

We began the Summer Splash series late last week and focused on team No. 32, the Buffalo Sabres. We then turned to team No. 31, the Chicago Blackhawks, and on Saturday, we focused on the Winnipeg Jets. Today, the Los Angeles Kings are next under the microscope.

Additions

Joel Armia (RW), Corey Perry (RW), Cody Ceci (D), Brian Dumoulin (D), Anton Forsberg (G)

The Breakdown: The Kings were one of the most active teams this off-season, bringing in experienced hands at forward in Armia and Perry, radically remaking their blueline with the signings of D-men Ceci and Dumoulin, and finally, adding a backup goalie in Forsberg. Even a Kings team that finished second in the Pacific Division last season has felt the need to effect notable change, and with these additions, they have it.

New L.A. GM Ken Holland has never been shy about changing things up, and in his first off-season running things in Los Angeles, Holland once again has drastically altered the team he’s responsible for. Perry and Armia add grit and know-how, Ceci and Dumoulin provide depth on the back end, and Forsberg provides a capable understudy for Darcy Kuemper. You can’t say Holland hasn’t tried to improve his team. But as we’ll explain below, we don’t believe Holland has succeeded at that goal.

Departures

Vladislav Gavrikov (D), Jordan Spence (D)

The Breakdown: Let’s be real here – Gavrikov’s departure to the New York Rangers in free agency is a huge loss for the Kings. The veteran defenseman averaged 23:05 of ice time last season, second only to star Drew Doughty (24:08) – and Gavrikov’s penalty-kill average of 3:17 shorthanded minutes per game also demonstrates what a fixture Gavrikov was defensively for this Kings squad.

Trading Spence to the Ottawa Senators didn’t move the needle for the Kings, and replacing Gavrikov with Ceci, who is now on his seventh NHL team in the past nine years for good reason, is not anywhere close to an upgrade. Nor is Dumoulin going to make the Kings genuinely better, if better at all. L.A. may be slightly more experienced up front, but the poor trade-off of losing Gavrikov and replacing him with Ceci and Dumoulin is chiefly why the Kings are ranked here on our Summer Splash list.

Hirings

Ken Holland (GM)

Firings

Rob Blake (GM)

The Breakdown: After being unable to build a team that gets out of the first round, Blake and the Kings mutually agreed to part ways. And coming in is Holland, a fearless GM who helped craft the Edmonton Oilers team that has been a Stanley Cup finalist for the past two seasons – and a team that’s had the Kings’ number for years now. Blake always had his established group of core players to turn to, and he did so until the end. And while Holland has made many moves, he hasn’t really touched that core group.

However, Holland’s sledgehammer approach to the Kings’ peripheral players is no guarantee of greater success this coming season. Holland knows this team has veterans in Doughty and Anze Kopitar who may not have many shots left at a long Cup run, so he’s trading with a sense of urgency. There’s no denying he’s done that – we just don’t feel like he’s made the right moves.

The Bottom Line

We’re not here to tell you the Kings aren’t going to be a playoff team next season. They’ve got some solid depth in the right places – mostly at forward, with a small nod to the improved goalie tandem – and Los Angeles is still better than many, if not most, teams in their division.

With that out of the way, we also have to be dispassionate and consider all outcomes for this Kings team. And there’s no question the players Holland brought in are all question marks to one degree or another. 

How much gas does Perry have left? Can Forsberg keep his save percentage above .900? Will the new-look defense corps be better equipped to handle another playoff showdown with the Oilers? Those are only a few of the questions regarding the Kings.

Thus, we can’t say we’re especially optimistic about this Los Angeles group after their many changes. The Kings weren’t a top team in goals-for last season, as they were 14th overall in that department, averaging 3.04 goals-for per game. And their power play was abysmal, as it ranked 27th in the league at 17.9 percent efficiency. Every other team below them in power-play effectiveness were non-playoff teams, and that tells you something about the offensive issues the Kings had last year.

There’s no great solution in that regard among the Kings’ new players, as Perry is well past his prime and Armia isn’t known for his offense. And the worry with the general state of the defense corps is justifiable. So until we see this team play the way Holland envisions they can play at their best, we’re going to be skeptical that the Kings did anything other than take a step back, however slight that step may be.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

The Ottawa Senators have re-signed forward Xavier Bourgault to a one-year, two-way contract, the team announced Saturday. 

The contract will pay him $775,000 at the NHL level and $90,000 at the AHL level.

Bourgault had 12 goals and 26 points in 61 games with the AHL's Belleville Senators last season. 

The 22-year-old was acquired by the Senators along with Jake Chiasson in exchange for Roby Jarventie and a fourth round pick from the Edmonton Oilers in July 2024. 

The 22nd overall selection by the Oilers in the 2021 draft, Bourgault's offensive talent has not yet translated from the QMJHL, he has 33 goals and 80 points in 178 career AHL games with the Senators and Bakersfield Condors. 

The #Sens have signed Xavier Bourgault to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2025-26 NHL season.

📰 Read more: https://t.co/7ud8V8zsZdpic.twitter.com/9IvitggOCe

— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) July 19, 2025

The L'Islet, Que., native was instrumental in the Shawinigan Cataractes' 2022 QMJHL Championship after posting 22 points in 16 playoff games. He finished his junior career with 206 points in 197 games.

The Senators have made several signings to improve their AHL squad and hope Bourgault is part of the improvement next season. 

Check out our AHL Free Agency signing tracker here.         

Photo Credit: © Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

Summer’s here, and what better time to flex your Senators knowledge than during the off-season lull? Whether you're poolside, at the cottage, or just killing time, now’s the perfect moment to test your memory on everything from expansion days to playoff heartbreaks. These 10 questions dig deep into Sens history.

So grab your favourite summer drink, share with your fellow fans, and uncover the real Sens trivia MVP.

Ottawa Senators Trivia Questions

1. Only two Ottawa Senators defensemen have ever led the team (all positions) in scoring. Erik Karlsson is one. Who’s the other?
2. In the 2001–02 season, which Ottawa Senators forward, remarkably, played 70 games without scoring a single goal?
3. Besides Nick Paul, name the two players acquired from the Dallas Stars in the trade for Jason Spezza.
4. When the Senators fired head coach Rick Bowness early in the 1995–96 season, his replacement posted a 2–22–1 record and didn’t finish the season. Name that coach.
5. When Ottawa acquired Dany Heatley from the Atlanta Thrashers, they gave up Marian Hossa and which Cup-winning defenseman?
6. What classic rock song did the Senators use as the anthem for their NHL expansion campaign?
7. What player leads all active Senators in career NHL assists?
8. Who finished second behind Brady Tkachuk in hits for the Senators this past season?
9. Chris Neil is the Senators’ all-time penalty minutes leader, but three other former Sens tough guys racked up more PIMs in a single season than Neil ever did. Name two of them.
10. In Game 7 of the 2017 Eastern Conference Final, Chris Kunitz scored the double-overtime winner for Pittsburgh, but who tied the game for Ottawa with just over five minutes left in regulation? In the moment, it was one of the biggest goals in team history, but because of Kunitz, it rarely gets talked about.

---

Answers 

1. Norm MacIver MacIver led the team in points during its inaugural season in 1992–93, finishing with 63 points. He remains the only other defenseman besides Erik Karlsson to accomplish that feat. We'll give you a half point if you guessed Thomas Chabot. He finished the 2018-19 season as the highest Sens scorer left standing (55) after Mark Stone (62) and Matt Duchene (58) were both traded.
2. Bill Muckalt Acquired in the Alexei Yashin trade, Muckalt didn’t score a single goal in 70 games during the 2001–02 season. He recorded just 8 assists, despite once being a scoring star at the University of Michigan.
3. Alex Chiasson and Alex Guptill Both were included in the 2014 trade that sent Jason Spezza to Dallas. Chiasson had a solid NHL career and retired in January of this year. Guptill never played an NHL game, eventually finishing his pro career in the ECHL in 2020. We'd also accept Gabriel Gagne, who was drafted with the 2nd round pick that was included in the deal.
4. Dave Allison Allison took over for Rick Bowness during the 1995–96 season and posted a 2–22–1 record. He was replaced by Jacques Martin midseason, and while Allison had many stops at lower levels, he never returned to the NHL as a head coach.
5. Greg DeVries DeVries, a Stanley Cup champion with the Avalanche, was included with Marian Hossa in the deal for Dany Heatley in 2005. He played just 13 games for Ottawa before being moved.
6. "I Won’t Back Down" by Tom Petty And against all odds, they didn't.
7. Thomas Chabot Chabot leads all active Senators in assists with 233, placing him seventh all-time in franchise history. He ranks ahead of Brady Tkachuk (213) and Tim Stützle (211).
8. Drake Batherson Batherson finished second on the team in hits (and points) last season, showing a physical edge alongside his 68-point campaign.
9. Mike Peluso (318), Denny Lambert (276), Dennis Vial (250) While Chris Neil leads the franchise in total penalty minutes, his highest single-season total was 231. These three racked up even more in individual seasons during the 1990s.
10. Ryan Dzingel With Ottawa trailing 2–1 late in Game 7 of the 2017 Eastern Conference Final, Dzingel scored the tying goal after a shot by Karlsson hit the post. It was one of the most dramatic moments in Sens history, though the team ultimately lost in double overtime.

0–3 Correct: Rookie – Everyone starts somewhere. 

4-5 Correct: Middle of the Pack – A solid effort. Room to grow.

6-8 Correct: Diehard Fan – You know your stuff.

9-10 Correct: Legend. Raise a glass. You’ve earned it.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News-Ottawa

More Sens Headlines:
Why Mason McTavish Isn’t Coming Home To The Ottawa Senators
NHL Announces Ottawa Senators 2025–26 Regular Season Schedule
Can The Senators Count On Dylan Cozens To Consistently Produce?
Expectations For The Senators' Mount Rushmore Of Old GuysSens Development Coach Sam Gagner Says Hockey IQ Is Teachable
Creating The Sens Opening Night Roster Based On Salary

Former Bridgeport Islanders forward Cole Bardreau has signed a one-year deal in Italy with HC Pustertal, it was reported earlier this week. 

Having finished his sixth season in the New York Islanders organization in 2024-25, Bardreau spent the entire year in Bridgeport, scoring four goals and adding 14 assists for 18 points in 65 regular season games. 

Having turned pro at the end of the 2014-15 season, Bardreau has appeared in 11 career NHL games, all with the Islanders, putting up a goal and an assist. Over his 10-plus seasons of pro hockey, Bardreau has gotten into 535 AHL regular season games with Bridgeport and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, collecting 97 goals and 216 points. 

With Bardreau heading off to the ICEHL, this will be his first venture overseas. While his numbers have taken a dip in over the past few AHL seasons, Bardreau is still very much capable of making an offensive impact and will be a force for HC Pustertal. 

Jun 3, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban (76) during the third period in game three of the 2017 Stanley Cup Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

The Hockey News has released its archive to all THN subscribers: over 2,000 issues of history, stories, and features.

Subscribe now to view the full THN Archives here

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Jul 17, 2017/vol. 71, issue 01

GAME 3

BRIDGESTONE ARENA JUNE 3, 2017

THE FLOODGATES OPENED for the Penguins 10 seconds into the third period of Game 2 when Bryan Rust put a shot off Pekka Rinne’s pad, with the rebound coming out to Jake Guentzel, who scored to put Pittsburgh ahead for good.

After the game, the Penguins almost bragged about it being a set play, one they work on all the time.

Fast-forward three long, agonizing days for Rinne, with his team ahead 2-1 and the Pens pressing in Game 3. This time it was Phil Kessel who directed one off Rinne’s pad right to Chris Kunitz, but Rinne was ready for the rebound and robbed Kunitz, prompting P.K. Subban to get really excited and say a very bad word.

Neither Rinne nor Subban would reveal exactly what was said. At least Subban didn’t get close enough for Rinne to smell his breath.

According to Subban, Sidney Crosby pointed out that it was offensive.

“When guys chirp after the game or during the game, it’s usually about your game or something personal, but he went on to tell me that my breath smelled bad,” Subban said. “I really don’t understand why, because I used Listerine before the game, so I thought my breath smelled great.”

Rinne stepped up for his teammate’s sense of oral hygiene.

“He’s a classy guy,” Rinne said. “He flosses every day.”

For the third straight game, the Preds were indisputably the superior team on the ice. The differences in Game 3 were that Rinne was much, much better, they had some bounces go their way, and coach Peter Laviolette’s lineup changes had the desired effect.

Of more importance to the Penguins was the fact their three best offensive players – Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kessel – were rendered impotent. Crosby and Malkin didn’t have a shot between them.

When you're born and raised in Hockeytown, your first NHL game at Little Caesars Arena should be a cherished memory. But by the time Frank Nazar checked that box in January 2025 with a 5-3 Chicago Blackhawks loss to the Detroit Red Wings, he was already a grizzled vet at that barn. “I played a pre-season game, a few college games – actually scored my first college goal at Little Caesars,” he said. “Every time I play there, it’s a blast. I always have, like, 100 family members, so that makes it a lot of fun. It’s great.”

Until he turned pro with the Blackhawks in April of 2024, Nazar had always stuck to his home state. He played with Detroit’s famed Honeybaked youth program, then developed in Plymouth with USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program before shifting to Ann Arbor for two seasons at NCAA Michigan.

But it was a positional shift that may have had the biggest impact on Nazar’s development. Young players often move from center to the wing as they reach higher levels. Naturally speedy and somewhat undersized, Nazar went the other way – pining to play in the middle before finally getting his chance in his age-17 season. “I had asked my coaches my whole life, ‘Put me at center,’ and they always told me ‘No, you’re wing,” he said. “Finally, my first year at the NTDP, I started off as a wing, and I was not doing well at all. Actually, I was pretty horrible, I’m not going to lie. Then we had a bunch of guys get sick with COVID, and we needed a center. I told the coach, ‘Hey, put me at center.’ I was joking with him, and he’s like, ‘All right, we’ll see.’ He put me at center, and I had an amazing game and never looked back from there.”

"I think it was really, really good for my development."

- Frank Nazar on his AHL time with coach Anders Sorensen

It’s not how you start; it’s how you finish. By the end of 2020-21, Nazar was the leading scorer on a U-17 squad that also included talents such as Logan Cooley, Cutter Gauthier and Lane Hutson. He finished third on the U-18 squad in 2021-22, and that June, the Blackhawks picked him 13th overall.

Though Nazar missed the first four months of his freshman NCAA season due to injury, his Wolverines reached the Frozen Four in both of his college years. He, along with many of his NTDP mates, won his first international gold medal at the 2024 world juniors. Then, in April, he scored his first NHL goal in his pro debut against the Carolina Hurricanes.

This was no ordinary Stanley Cup run, this was a Rat Race! 🐀

Introducing the brand new 2025 CHAMPIONS Issue @FlaPanthers

Now available at: https://t.co/smKk3NQdgQpic.twitter.com/xHu9pde38l

— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) June 27, 2025

Last fall, Nazar was assigned to AHL Rockford to learn the pro game. Playing big minutes in a first-line center role, he thrived under longtime IceHogs coach Anders Sorensen. “He allowed me to just go out there and play my game, playing all types of situations,” Nazar said. “He let me be free, as well, in creating plays and making plays and having fun out there. He let me be free in that regard, and I think it was really, really good for my development.”

When Sorensen was summoned to Chicago to replace Luke Richardson Dec. 5, Nazar followed a week later, and he never looked back. “I texted him congratulations, and he texted me right after: ‘It was a great time in Rockford’ – stuff like that – and ‘we’ll see you soon,’” Nazar said. “It was really cool to see him say something like that, and I know that he knows what I bring to the table.”

Though he managed just one point in his first 10 games after his call-up, Nazar picked up the pace from there. From Jan. 5 to the end of the season, he logged 25 points in 43 games, including five goals and nine points in Chicago’s last nine games, while playing second-line center behind Connor Bedard.

"I had an amazing game and never looked back from there."

- Frank Nazar on getting a chance to play center

Brimming with confidence and looking to play more hockey, he accepted the invitation to play at the men’s worlds for the first time, and he shone. He was named one of the United States’ top three players and tied his NTDP running mate Cooley for the team lead with 12 points in 10 games as the Americans snapped a gold-medal drought that stretched all the way back to 1933.

And while the Blackhawks may have struggled to put wins together last season, Nazar is a glass-half-full guy. He appreciates the historic moments that were part of his rookie season: the Winter Classic at Wrigley Field, Alex Ovechkin’s record-tying goal against the Blackhawks in April and the final NHL games for newly retired teammates Pat Maroon and Alec Martinez.

With Jeff Blashill now installed behind the Chicago bench, next season is a clean slate for the team. “I know that every player,” Nazar said, “is going into the summer with a point to prove.”

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This article appeared in our 2025 Champions issue. Our cover story focuses on the 2025 Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, specifically the elite play of defenseman Seth Jones, along with a recap of each game of the Cup final. We also include features on Sharks center Will Smith and Kraken defenseman Ryker Evans. In addition, we give our list of the top 10 moments from the 2024-25 NHL season.

You can get it in print for free when you subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/Free today. All subscriptions include complete access to more than 76 years of articles at The Hockey News Archive.

The final moments of this year’s Stanley Cup Final were quite different than the previous year.

In 2024, the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers were fighting tooth and nail in the third period of a one-goal game in Game 7, so the intensity level on the Cats’ bench was likely at an all-time high.

It wasn’t until literally the final seconds ticked off the clock that the Panthers could begin celebrating.

For a reminder of how Game 7 ended last June, check out the video below: 

This year, while the teams remained the same, the ending to the Final was quite different.

While the Panthers were back on home ice, this time it was Game 6.

The series that had started out with a pair of overtime thrillers had shifted in Florida’s favor.

After leaving Edmonton with a two-game split to open the Final, the Panthers went on to win their next three games by a combined score of 16-4. Their only defeat, a 5-4 overtime loss in Game 4, saw the Oilers mount a furious comeback after Florida went up 3-0 early.

As it turned out, Game 6 was the most Panther-dominated night of the Final.

Florida was up 2-0 after one, 3-0 after two and held a four-goal lead with five minutes to go.

There was no last-minute drama this time. No nail biting, no hand wringing. Just a countdown to when the party would start.

Earlier this week, the Panthers continued their streak of putting out some extremely cool championship content by posting footage showing Florida’s bench as the final minute ticked away during Game 6.

With the game long decided, it shows the players, seemingly in their own time, allowing themselves to come to grips with winning the Stanley Cup.

You can check out the video below:

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Photo caption: Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; The Florida Panthers celebrate in the final seconds of game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

The roster that the Czechs have brought to a four-team summer tournament in Vierumäki, Finland includes 10 players who have been drafted by NHL teams, including defenseman Radim Mrtka, who as taken ninth overall by the Buffalo Sabres this summer.

The roster also includes defenseman Vladimír Dravecký and winger Adam Novotný, both late-2007-born players who will be eligible to be drafted for the first time in 2026. It does not include any 2008-born players, such as winger Šimon Katolický, who are still eligible to play U-18 hockey and are preparing for this year’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

The Czechs lost their opening game on Sunday, 3-2 in overtime to Finland A. They play Finland B on Monday. Then, after the Finns depart overseas for the World Junior Summer Showcase, the Czechs and Swiss will play two more head-to-head games in Finland before heading home.

Helenius & Hemming Highlight Finnish U-20 Roster In Home Tournament Ahead of next week’s World Junior Summer Challenge in Minnesota, a series of games involving four U-20 teams is taking place in Vierumäki, Finland on Sunday and Monday. Two teams from Finland – essentially an A-team and a B-team – will host the Czech and Swiss national junior teams once each.

Goaltenders: Adam Ebenstreit (Slavia Praha), Jakub Milota (Cape Breton, QMJHL – Nashville Predators), Ondřej Štěbeták (Portland, WHL).

Defensemen: Tomáš Galvas (Liberec), Martin Švec (Pardubice), Pavel Průšek (Třinec), Jan Skok (Škoda Plzeň), Marek Chaloupka, Matyáš Man (both Vítkovice), Jakub Fibigr (Brampton, OHL – Seattle Kraken), Max Pšenička (Portland, WHL – Utah Mammoth), Vladimír Dravecký (Rögle, SWE), Radim Mrtka (Seattle, WHL – Buffalo Sabres). 

Forwards: Štěpán Hoch (České Budějovice – Utah Mammoth), Vojtěch Čihař (Karlovy Vary – Los Angeles Kings), Petr Sikora (Třinec – Washington Capitals), Matěj Kubiesa (Třinec), Adam Novotný (Peterborough, OHL), Oskar Lisler (Kladno), Adam Jecho (Edmonton, WHL – St. Louis Blues), Ondřej Kos (Ilves Tampere, FIN – St. Louis Blues), Vít Záhejský (Kamloops, WHL), Tomáš Poletín (Pelicans Lahti, FIN – New York Islanders), Václav Nestrašil (Muskegon, USHL – Chicago Blackhawks), Richard Žemlička (SaiPa Lappeenranta, FIN), Jiří Klíma (Shawinigan, QMJHL), Adam Titlbach (Vancouver, WHL), Samuel Drančák (Red Deer, WHL).

Team Staff:

Manager: Otakar Černý. Head Coach: Patrik Augusta. Assistant Coaches: Robert Reichel, Pavel Trnka. Goaltending coach: Martin Láska.

Photo by Martin Voltr.

Kings 2nd-Round Draft Pick Contemplates Staying In Czechia Or Moving Overseas Czech left winger Vojtěch Čihař, who turned 18 in March, was drafted in the second round, 59th overall, by the Los Angeles Kings at this year’s NHL Entry Draft, which happened to be in Los Angeles. Czech Petr Sikora: “It’s A Charley Horse – I Got Hit In The Thigh” By BeaudoinWhile Canadian hockey fans suffered through a near-existential crisis on Thursday during Canada’s 4-3 loss to Czechia in the IIHF World Junior Championship quarterfinals, one of the outlets for their anger and frustration – in addition to referees, coaches and Hockey Canada itself – was Czech center Petr Sikora. Czech Club Disappointed By Adam Novotný’s Decision To Go To OHL Czech winger Adam Novotný, who turns 17 in November, is currently projected by most sources to be a top-15 pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. Slovaks react to Vladimír Dravecký Jr playing for CzechiaWhen Czechia announced its 24-man roster for this summer’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup on Thursday, the player that received the most attention was 16-year-old Vladimír Dravecký Jr – a dual Czech-American citizen with Slovak parents who will be eligible for the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.

Star rookie Matvei Michkov took flight for the Philadelphia Flyers last season, but he wasn't able to adapt and do it all on his own.

Some of that responsibility was left up to Flyers European player development and scouting consultant Oleg Znarok, a four-time KHL coach of the year and Olympic Gold medalist as the head coach of the Olympic Athletes of Russia.

Znarok, 62, has worked with many of the NHL's Russian stars before Michkov and the Flyers, including Ilya Kovalchuk, Igor Shesterkin, Ilya Sorokin, Kirill Kaprizov, and Pavel Datsyuk, who all featured on that 2017-18 Olympic Gold team.

In a recent interview with ЛЁД (Translated: Ice) Special, Michkov took a moment to praise Znarok and his work with him thus far, and offered a little insight into what Znarok contributes to the Flyers.

"Oleg Valerievich is a separate story. He is a very legendary person, a great one. And you should always listen to him, because he is a person with a lot of experience," Michkov said of Znarok.

Flyers' Matvei Michkov Dishes on Rookie Season: 'There Is No Limit to Perfection'Budding Philadelphia Flyers star Matvei Michkov had quite the strong rookie season in the NHL last year, but he's already looking ahead to bigger and better things in the future.

"He has been through a lot and, of course, helps the players a lot and gives advice in different moments. And we are talking not only about hockey now, but also in life. He works with European players, including Russian ones."

At the time of this writing, the three-time KHL Gagarin Cup winner is still listed in his consultative role on the Flyers' staff directory, which would indicate that the veteran bench boss will reprise his role overseeing Michkov and the other foreign players for at least another season.

"He is in the locker room, constantly in this kitchen, and knows everything about everyone," added Michkov.

Znarok, like Michkov, will be dealing with some change in the locker room this year, too, at least as it relates to the people he'll have to work with every day.

New head coach Rick Tocchet will be the third head coach the two have dealt with at the NHL level, at least if ex-interim head coach Brad Shaw is included in that equation.

Flyers Coach Rick Tocchet Has Exciting, Simple Plan for Matvei MichkovNew Philadelphia Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet has revealed his simple, preliminary plan to get the most out of star rookie Matvei Michkov going forward. It's not rocket science.

But that's partly why Znarok is here, right? To be around the group and provide stability and mentorship to Michkov, Egor Zamula, Ivan Fedotov, and other European players.

And, according to Michkov, Znarok's appointment has been a big positive so far.

After being acquired by the Pittsburgh Penguins from the Winnipeg Jets last off-season, Rutger McGroarty signed his entry-level contract with the Metropolitan Division club. The 2022 first-round pick appeared in his first eight NHL games last season with Pittsburgh, where he had one goal, three points, and 12 hits. All three of his points came across his final four NHL appearances with the Penguins in April, so he ended the year on a high note. 

However, McGroarty spent the majority of the 2024-25 season down in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Overall, the 21-year-old forward showed promise with the AHL squad, recording 14 goals, 25 assists, and 36 points in 60 games.

McGroarty had a nice start to his professional career, and there is no question that he is a clear breakout candidate heading into next season. The 6-foot-1 winger has all the tools to emerge as a legitimate top-six forward, and it would not be surprising in the slightest if we see his offense improve at the NHL level with Pittsburgh next season because of it. 

McGroarty should also be put into a position to succeed. When looking at the Penguins' current roster, there is a real chance that he could get a chance in their top six and on their power play. Yet, even if he has a top-nine role with the Penguins, the prospect of him giving them some much-needed secondary offensive production should not be ruled out.

It will be fascinating to see what kind of season McGroarty can put together in 2025-26 from here, but it is hard not to feel excited about the youngster's future.  

Penguins Still Have Big Roster Need To AddressThe Pittsburgh Penguins have made multiple additions to their roster this off-season. Some of the players they brought in this summer include Anthony Mantha, Matt Dumba, Justin Brazeau, Arturs Silovs, Connor Clifton, and Parker Wotherspoon. Overall, the Penguins have added to their depth so far this summer. 

Photo Credit: © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images