Category: NHL

The Philadelphia Flyers may have just gotten a major boost in their pursuit of a No. 1 center, and they won't have to look very far.

Two of the Flyers' biggest weaknesses are center depth and speed, and those go hand in hand when superimposed.

Top center prospect Jett Luchanko may be able to help in that aspect, but he's just 19 years old, needs to develop his offensive game, and has yet to play a full pro season.

To bridge the gap, the Flyers will need to explore the NHL trade market, as offer sheets for the top RFAs this year are just plain unrealistic at this point in time.

Fortunately, the Flyers just got a clear new No. 1 trade target to address the center position and lack of speed, and that's none other than New York Islanders star Mat Barzal, who is, perhaps surprisingly, a candidate to be traded this summer.

As reported by Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen, "A league executive told The Citizen that the New York Islanders are exploring the market for forward Mathew Barzal. The club would like to clear some cap space, but it’s a big financial commitment with four years left at $9.15 million through 2030-31."

Barzal's $9.15 million cap hit is chump change to the Flyers, who are now free of the cap charges left behind by Kevin Hayes, Scott Laughton, and Cam Atkinson.

Even after they inevitably re-sign Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale, the Flyers will have plenty of cap space to fit in a No. 1 center, and they can give themselves further breathing room by moving on from Rasmus Ristolainen and his $5.1 million cap hit, as they are widely expected to.

NHL Insider's Latest Gives Flyers-John Carlson Dream New LifeThe Philadelphia Flyers' chances of signing John Carlson in NHL free agency just got a major boost.

Barzal, 29, does have a 22-team no-trade list that presents as a roadblock for the Flyers, but other than that, there's no reason a deal can't work between the two sides.

For the Flyers, Barzal has played center on and off throughout his 10-year NHL career, though he's been more of a winger in recent seasons.

To that end, though, Barzal is a two-time 80-point scorer with a respectable 42% career faceoff percentage, and he's a right-shot center that the Flyers would covet for matchup purposes.

In the 2023-24 season, when Barzal scored 22 goals and 80 points in 80 games, he ranked in the 97th percentile in max skating speed and in the 98th percentile in miles skated per game, according to NHL EDGE.

That's a player who can help the Flyers with their woeful transition and zone entry game on both the power play and even strength, and someone whose playmaking skills and speed would be big helps for someone like Matvei Michkov.

Given that the Islanders reportedly want to clear cap space, they're likely seeking a strictly future-oriented package for their best forward.

The Flyers could make a bid involving center prospects like Luchanko and Jack Nesbitt, and they have three first-round picks in the next two drafts, including the 21st overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

Some combination of these assets should be a good starting point to entice the Islanders to make an in-division deal with the Flyers, whom it would behoove to strike while this iron is hot.

Former New York Rangers forward Manny Malhotra has been named head coach of the Vancouver Canucks. 

The Canucks finished last in the NHL standings with 58 points, and after sweeping front-office changes that included bringing in Ryan Johnson as general manager and Henrik and Daniel Sedin as co-presidents, the previous head coach, Adam Foote, was fired.

Malhotra most recently served as the head coach of the American Hockey League’s Abbotsford Canucks, while he also has experience in an assistant coaching role with both the Canucks and the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

“Manny and I have been in the battle together before, so I know firsthand what a good teacher, leader, and quality person he is,” Johnson said. 

“Connection, consistency and putting in place the proper foundation will be key for our group moving forward. Manny is a great coach who has the right skillset and mentality to help players develop and get better each day. We both believe that pressure is a privilege, and learning to become a good pro takes patience, dedication, and a ‘be better than yesterday’ mindset. He loves the game and getting to know what makes his players tick and I am very confident Manny will help us ice a competitive and hard-working team that our fans will be proud of moving forward.”

The Mississauga native started his NHL career with the Rangers, being drafted by the Blueshirts in 1998 with the seventh overall pick in the first round. 

Over four seasons and 206 games playing for the Rangers, Malhotra recorded 19 goals, 22 assists, and 41 points. 

Malhotra also went on to play for the Dallas Stars, Columbus Blue Jackets, San Jose Sharks, Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes, and Montreal Canadiens before officially retiring in 2016.

Buffalo Sabres team captain Rasmus Dahlin was one of three finalists for the Norris Trophy after leading his club to their first playoff appearance in 15 years, but on Tuesday it was announced that Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski won the annual award for the league’s best blueliner, finishing ahead of two-time winner Cale Makar for his first Norris Trophy. 

Werenski who led or was near the top of several categories for NHL defensemen in 2025-26 and tied the single-season Blue Jackets franchise records for assists, finished with 113 first-place votes and 1,589 points. Makar had 47 first place votes and 1,191 points. Dahlin had 13 first-place votes and 657 points, 104 points ahead of Edmonton’s Evan Bouchard, and 297 points ahead of Detroit’s Moritz Seider. 

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Dahlin was also named one of the three finalists for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, “to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey” along with Colorado’s Gabriel Landeskog and Winnipeg’s Jonathan Toews. The winner will be announced at some point during the Stanley Cup Final. 

While the Carolina Hurricanes host the Vegas Golden Knights in Raleigh for the first two games on Tuesday and Thursday, the rest of the hockey world is descending on Buffalo for the annual NHL Scouting Combine at the LECOM Harborcenter. Most team representatives are already here, interviewing perspective draftees and talking with other clubs about possible trades ahead of or during the NHL Draft later this month.

The Sabres have the 27th pick in the first round, but it would be surprising if GM Jarmo Kekalainen dealt the pick with Buffalo hosting the draft this year. Buffalo does not have a second-round pick, which was traded to Ottawa in the Dylan Cozens / Josh Norris deal in March 2025, and their third round pick was sent to the NY Rangers in the Sam Carrick deal.  

With just under $13 million in cap space, Kekalainen has limited flexibility unless he sheds some salary on the roster, which is likely the reason why the chances of re-signing winger Alex Tuch are slim. The Sabres have RFA’s Michael Kesselring, Peyton Krebs, and Zach Benson to re-sign, as well as UFA Beck Malenstyn, which could mean some significant changes to the Buffalo roster next season. 

Tuch reportedly is looking for more than $10 million per season on a new deal, and with a very thin unrestricted free agent class and the NHL salary cap increasing to $104 million, it appears to be a perfect storm for the Sabres winger to hit the jackpot on July 1. The same goes for Malenstyn, who was extremely effective as a fourth-line crash-and-bang winger, and will look for a raise from his $1.35 million salary. 

Kesselring, who was injured on multiple occasions last season, is unlikely to crack the Sabres top-four blueline group, and with one year until qualifying for unrestricted free agency, the 26-year-old may be looking to go somewhere where he can get more playing time. 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

NEW YORK (AP) — Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman, the league announced Tuesday.

Werenski was second in points at the position with 81 on 22 goals and 59 assists. It’s the first time he has won the award in his career.

The 28-year-old was first on 113 ballots in voting by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Colorado’s Cale Makar was second, Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin third and Edmonton’s Evan Bouchard fourth.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

A new lead as emerged in the Nashville Predators' general manager search as the Colorado Avalanche have given GM Chris MacFarland permission to speak to the Predators. 

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported on Tuesday that MacFarland met face-to-face with Predators owner Bill Haslam and the goal is for the Predators to close the deal quickly. 

Rumors about MacFarland's interest in Nashville have swirled for weeks, some suggesting that he is being interviewed for the President of Hockey Operations position and not the GM job. 

He joined the Avalanche organization back in 2015 as an assistant general manager after serving in the same role with the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2007 to 2015. From 2013 to 2015 he also served as the general manager of the Springfield Falcons, Columbus's AHL affiliate. 

MacFarland took over the general manager role in July 2022, following the Avalanche's Stanley Cup championship and Joe Sakic's move to become President of Hockey Operations. 

Since taking over the role, Colorado has placed in the top three in the Central Division for the last four seasons, winning the division twice. This season, Colorado posted a 55-16-11 record to win their second President's Trophy in the six seasons. 

It was stunned by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Finals, getting swept. 

The Avalanche have put together a talent squad that's included the likes of Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Brock Nelson, Martin Necas, and former Predators Nick Blankenburg and Scott Wedgewood. 

In February, GM Barry Trotz announced that he'd be retiring as soon as a replacement had been found, with the search commencing immediately.

Trotz has remained the GM through the rest of the 2025-26 season and nearing the start of the NHL Draft at the end of this month. 

The Nashville Predators own the 10th overall pick in the upcoming draft, which will be held in Buffalo on June 26. 

And so it begins….

Game day has finally arrived and the Las Vegas Golden Knights are in town to take on the Carolina Hurricanes for game one of the Stanley Cup Final.

After an expansive “Media Day” yesterday, there are tons of interviews and articles to go through. I won’t even try to list them all but you can check with your normal sources.

There is one narrative I would like to discuss here though. “The Hurricanes had an easier path to the Final than Las Vegas did”.

First of all, when you have the best regular season record in the East, you should have an easier path. You have done it the old fashioned way, “you’ve earned it!“ But let’s take a look at each team’s opponents.

Carolina beat the Ottawa Senators, the Philadelphia Flyers, and the Montreal Canadiens.

The Sens finished with 99 points, the Flyers 98, and the Habs with 106 for a total of 303 regular season points earned.

Vegas defeated Utah, 92 points, Anaheim, 92 points, and the Avs 121 points, (though the Avs were without the 100% use of some of their best players). The total of these regular season points is 305 points.

There does not seem to be much difference in these totals, so that narrative should be put aside.

Bottom line, things will be settled on the ice.

The Hurricanes are on one of their best runs ever. Not only are they 12-1 in the playoffs, they had a 7-1-1 record at the end of the season giving them a 19-2-1 record in their last 22 games.

The Canes have not changed their lines throughout the postseason, (except for a few midgame tweaks). Most recently, they once again skated:

Jarvis – Aho- Svechnikov

Hall – Stankoven – Blake

Martinook – Staal- Ehlers

Carrier – Jankowski – Robinson

Miller – Walker

Slavin – Chatfield

Nikishin – Gostisbehere

Andersen

The knock that many experts put on the Hurricanes is that they do not have a true “superstar”. They have several good players though!

The Knights are not lacking for superstars.

Mitch Marner and Jack Eichel are bonafide with Mark Stone not far behind. They also have some dangerous complimentary players such as Ivan Barbeshev, Pavel Dorofeyev, and William Karlsson.

According to the Daily Faceoff, their lines should look like the following:

Barbeshev, Eichel – Dorofeyev

Howden – Karlsson – Marner

Hertl – Sissons – Stone

Smith – Dowd – Kolesar

McNabb – Theodore

Andersson – Hanifin

Coughlin – Korczak

Hart

https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/vegas-golden-knights/line-combinations

There are some tough matchups here, no arguing about that. It will be an interesting series.

A lot will come down to Carolina goalie, Frederik Andersen.

The Hurricanes have announced that they will have watch parties outside the arena for those unable to get tickets as well as watch parties inside the arena for away games.

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‘CANES TO HOST STANLEY CUP FINAL WATCH PARTIES

Tickets to attend road game watch parties at Lenovo Center are $10

RALEIGH, NC – Brian Fork, Chief Executive Officer of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team will host Hurricanes Watch Parties at Lenovo Center for Games 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 during the Stanley Cup Final.

For home games, the team will set up screens on the South Plaza of Lenovo Center for fans who don’t have tickets to the game. The Watch Party for Game 1 will feature a pregame concert from Brothers Osborne at 5:30 p.m. Food and beverage options will be available for purchase on-site and restrooms will be present. Outside food and beverages, chairs, weapons and illegal substances are not permitted. No ticket is required for the Hurricanes Watch party, but fans wishing to park on-site must pay to do so at this link. In addition to the Lenovo Center event, the Downtown Raleigh Alliance and the City of Raleigh are hosting Official Carolina Hurricanes Watch Parties at Moore Square.

Hurricanes Watch Parties for away games will allow fans to watch Games 3, 4 and 6 on the videoboard inside Lenovo Center. Selected discounted concession items will be available for purchase. Tickets to the away game Hurricanes Watch Parties are $10, with all proceeds benefiting the Carolina Hurricanes Foundation. Tickets can be purchased by the general public starting at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, and Season Ticket Members are eligible for a presale at 1:00 p.m. Parking for Hurricanes Watch Parties will be free for away games. The Game 3 watch party is presented by Moxie Pest Control.

———

Game Time: 8 P.M.

Television: ABC; SN, CBC, TVAS

Radio: 99.9 The Fan with Mike Maniscalco and Tripp Tracy

Game odds according to FanDuel: Canes -154, Knights +128

(series odds also – Canes -154 Knights +128)

It will be a quiet opening night at the NHL Draft for the Detroit Red Wings, sitting without a first-round selection after shipping that pick to San Jose as part of the trade deadline deal that brought offensive defenseman Justin Faulk to Detroit.

Their first selection now comes at 47th overall, and in recent weeks several interesting names have emerged as potential targets in that range, from Victor Plante, brother of current Red Wings prospect Max, to Adam Nemec, younger sibling of New Jersey Devils defenseman Simon Nemec. Today, the focus turns to one of the most offensively gifted blueliners available anywhere near that pick in Calgary native Ben Macbeath.

The 18-year-old defender spent the 2025-26 season with his hometown Calgary Hitmen of the WHL and put together an impressive campaign, posting seven goals and 44 assists for 51 points with a plus-five rating across 67 games. 

Scouts consistently point to his skating as his defining attribute, calling him one of the best movers in the entire draft class. At six feet two and 181 pounds, he already carries a frame that projects well at the next level.

Next season, Macbeath will take his game to the NCAA with a commitment to the University of Denver, one of the premier programs in all of college hockey. Denver has won three national championships over the last five years, and the program recruits with the same scrutiny an NHL team applies to its draft board. 

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

The selection speaks for itself as a testament to how highly regarded Macbeath is across the hockey world, and Denver gives him the ideal stage to sharpen his game before making the jump to the professional ranks. His draft rankings reflect that same range of opinion, sitting as high as 29th overall on TSN's Craig Button's board and as low as 65th on Elite Prospects. 

The number that matters most for Detroit, though, is the consolidated Elite Prospects ranking of 46th, which lands almost exactly on their pick at 47th overall. Should Macbeath slip even slightly on draft night, the Red Wings could be perfectly positioned to add him.

Macbeath would enter a pipeline that already includes Axel Sandin-Pellikka, a player with a similarly skilled and mobile profile and would also give him an opportunity to learn from NHL offensive defenseman in Justin Faulk directly, who has shown what top end production from the blueline looks like over his 16 NHL seasons.

Adding another offensively gifted blueliner of Macbeath's caliber at 47th overall would go a long way toward making that trade feel even more worthwhile in the long run.

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The Athletic's Corey Pronman released his latest NHL 2026 mock draft, where he predicted the entire first round.

When it came to the Buffalo Sabres, Pronman predicted that the Atlantic Division club would select right winger Casey Mutryn with the 25th overall pick of the draft. 

Mutryn would certainly be an interesting prospect for the Sabres to add to their system. The Norwell, Massachusetts native has the potential to become an impactful power forward at the NHL level, so it would be understandable if Buffalo had him on their radar at this year's draft. 

Mutryn appeared in 62 games this season with the U.S. National Team Development Program, where he posted 18 goals, 28 assists, 46 points, and 89 penalty minutes. With numbers like these, the 6-foot-3 winger has shown promise. 

If the Sabres selected Mutryn, he would likely need a few years of development before making the jump to the NHL. While this is the case, he would still be a nice addition to the Sabres' prospect pool as they enter their Stanley Cup window. 

It will be interesting to see if the Sabres end up taking Mutryn with their first-round pick, but the fit looks good on paper. 

It is shaping up to be a busy summer for Kevin Cheveldayoff and the Winnipeg Jets management team as the organization looks to rebound from a disappointing campaign that saw the club miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

After making several high-profile moves last offseason, including the additions of veteran forwards Gustav Nyquist and Jonathan Toews, Winnipeg failed to achieve the level of success the organization had envisioned. The underwhelming results have prompted the Jets to take a different approach heading into the summer, with changes potentially coming not only to the roster but also within the front office.

According to Winnipeg Free Press reporter Mike McIntyre, the Jets may already be working on their first significant move of the offseason. McIntyre recently reported that discussions are underway with former NHL captain Shane Doan regarding a potential management role with the organization.

Doan, one of the most respected figures in hockey circles, enjoyed a legendary 21-year NHL career, spending the vast majority of it with the Arizona Coyotes franchise. Following his retirement, he successfully transitioned into executive work, joining the Coyotes in 2020 as Director of Hockey Administration and Chief Hockey Development Officer.

The longtime NHL veteran remained with Arizona until 2023 before accepting a position with the Toronto Maple Leafs as a special assistant to the general manager. However, that chapter recently came to an end as Doan and the Maple Leafs mutually agreed to part ways following the organization's recent front-office restructuring.

Beyond his NHL executive experience, Doan has also maintained strong ties to the game through ownership of the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League. He became part-owner of the franchise in 2007 and continues to be involved with the organization today.

For the Jets, adding a respected hockey mind such as Doan could provide a fresh perspective at a critical time for the franchise. Winnipeg has consistently fielded competitive teams in recent years but has struggled to take the next step toward becoming a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

Should a deal come together, Doan would bring decades of playing experience, leadership, and a growing executive résumé to a Jets organization searching for answers after a frustrating season.

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What was previously just a report is now confirmed: the Colorado Avalanche have given the Nashville Predators permission to talk to Chris MacFarland, per multiple NHL insiders.

Sources: Predators granted permission to speak to MacFarland https://t.co/qeGrSJcqmN

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 2, 2026

The biggest what-if in this scenario is: what do the Nashville Predators plan to talk to MacFarland about? The easiest answer, and the one many have linked to the recent reporting, is that they want MacFarland to fill their new GM position and potentially the President of Hockey Operations role. 

Jonah Sigel, a writer for the Toronto Star, put out the initial report. He heard that MacFarland, the Predators' VP of hockey operations, was a done deal. 

REPORT: Predators Eyeing Avalanche Chris MacFarland For President of Hockey OperationsAs Nashville seeks a successor for Barry Trotz, rumors link the Avalanche's current General Manager, Chris MacFarland, to their new upcoming President of Hockey Operations role.

The Avalanche currently have that position filled by Joe Sakic, so if the Avalanche really want MacFarland to stay, the only hope they have is for him to stay on his own accord and not take the Predators' offer for any reason. There is no other position they can upgrade him to, like they did when they initially gave him the GM role and promoted Sakic.

Teams are allowed to talk to other management and staff, and in most cases, this signals that a change in scenery is on the way, but nothing is confirmed until an initial report is sent out. It would be a massive upgrade for MacFarland and give credit to the work he has done with the Avalanche, but will he take the position?

What if he doesn’t like/agree with some of the topics presented to him by the Predators? He would be jumping from a team with Stanley Cup aspirations to a team that is currently in a shake-up of its entire management staff and is trying to find direction.

The question is whether he wants to continue with the Avalanche and try to win another Stanley Cup, or take on the pressure and challenge of helping the Predators rebuild or retool into a Stanley Cup contender.

Avalanche Prospect Christian Humphreys And The Kitchener Rangers Win The 2026 Memorial CupAvalanche prospect Christian Humphreys has won the 2026 Memorial Cup with the OHL Kitchener Rangers

The Chicago Blackhawks came in 31st place this season. They had the 2nd best odds of winning the draft lottery and fell to fourth. It wasn't an ideal year for those reasons, but there was some significant development that took place for certain players on the team. 

Now, the team is focused on what they need to do in order to start coming out of their current rebuild, which began as we know it in 2022. 

In the meantime, there are a couple of former Blackhawks who will be competing in the Stanley Cup Final starting on Tuesday night. Last week, the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes clinched their berths in the Final as the Western Conference and Eastern Conference champions, respectively. 

There is one former Blackhawk who will play in every game unless he gets seriously hurt, and one who may or may not draw in depending on how things shake out for his team. 

Taylor Hall - Carolina Hurricanes

The Chicago Blackhawks had Taylor Hall on their team for parts of two seasons. The idea behind acquiring the former Hart Trophy winner was that he'd be a great wingman for Connor Bedard. After all, Hall had lots of experience helping first overall picks get their feet wet in the NHL.

Hall's first season in Chicago was mostly missed due to injury. He only played in 10 games during 2023-24. In 2024-25, he played 46 games with Chicago before being traded to the Hurricanes. It was clear that he wanted a chance to win during the late stages of his career. 

Now, he's in the Stanley Cup Final, and he's been one of the key pieces for a Carolina team that's been looking to get over the hump for years. 

With his 16 points in 13 playoff games, he is tied for third in postseason scoring and leading the Hurricanes. The two NHL players he's tied with have already been eliminated: Nick Suzuki and Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens. 

If the Hurricanes win the Cup, he has a legitimate chance to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the Playoffs. 

Hall's line with Jackson Blake and Logan Stankoven has been Carolina's most dominant, scoring roughly half of their even-strength goals since the playoffs began, and that is something to watch out for heading into the series. 

Against the Golden Knights, there will be more chess-style matchups for the Hurricanes to deal with, and that is where Hall's line can make them even more dangerous if they stay as dominant as they've been since mid-April. 

Brandon Saad - Vegas Golden Knights

Everyone in Chicago remembers Brandon Saad. He was a major part of the Blackhawks winning their second and third of three Stanley Cups in the 2010s. 

Now, in the later years of his career, Saad has a mixed role with the Golden Knights. He still has a high-end motor, but their roster is so deep that they don't need him every night. 

During the regular season, he played in 49 games for Vegas while scoring 3 goals and 6 assists for 9 points. When they have injuries or inconsistencies amongst their forwards, he's a great veteran to plug and play. 

Saad didn't play against the Utah Mammoth in the first round, but he suited up for three games against the Anaheim Ducks in the second round. In the Western Conference Finals, he played in two of their four games as they swept the Colorado Avalanche. 

Four of Saad's five playoff appearances have come on the road, which could play into Vegas' matchup strategy, or it could just be a coincidence. 

If Vegas wins the Cup, Saad's name will go on it for the third time no matter how much he plays in this series because he played in over half of their regular season games. 

Other Notes

Jaycob Megna also played 44 games for the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2023-24 season. He played only four games with the Vegas Golden Knights this season and is a black ace in the playoffs for them this year. 

If the Knights win, that would mean that Megna was a black ace on the Stanley Cup champion for the second year in a row, as he was a part of the Florida Panthers organization in 2024-25. 

Hall and Saad's team can be seen fighting for the Stanley Cup in Game One on Tuesday night. On ABC, the festivities will kick off at 7 PM CT. 

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On Sunday night, the Kitchener Rangers left Kelowna with the Memorial Cup after beating the Everett Silvertips 6-2 in the final. Amongst the winners was a Montreal Canadiens prospect, right-shot defenseman Andrew MacNiel. The soon-to-be 19-year-old is a defensive defenseman who was drafted in the sixth round by Montreal at the 2025 draft.

Through 10 playoff games, the 6-foot-2 and 170-pound blueliner put up two points, both goals, including one game-winner. He finished the postseason with a plus-two rating and four penalty minutes. At the Memorial Cup tournament, he made the headlines with a no-holds-barred fight against Silvertips’ Jaxsin Vaughan on May 25, a spirited tilt which ended in a draw.

Canadiens’ Caufield Took The Blame
Canadiens' Gallagher Ripped Off The Band-Aid
Canadiens Have Big Question Marks On Defense, Starting With Xhekaj

In the regular season, the blueliner put up seven points in 48 games and was assessed 47 penalty minutes. MacNiel plays a rugged game and needs to learn to land his hits on the right side of legality.

The tough guy has a heart of gold, though. During the playoffs, he set up a fundraiser called Andrew’s Ambition for cancer research, through which he pledged to donate $2 for every blocked shot. On May 25th, the initiative had raised over $50,000 dollars, obliterating its $10,000 goal.

Of course, MacNiel still has a long way to go before he can skate in the NHL, but he has an interesting mix of skill and brings a lot of physicality to his game, something the Canadiens are rather light on, especially if Arber Xhekaj isn’t there in the long term.

Jaxsin Vaughan and Andrew MacNiel gave the Mem Cup fans a SHOW 🍿💥 pic.twitter.com/GQ09qzcqIN

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) May 26, 2026

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