The Nashville Predators had issues weathering the storm that was the Carolina Hurricanes from puck drop. The Predators' struggle to get anything going saw them fall to Carolina, 4-1, on Wednesday at Bridgestone Arena. 

Filip Forsberg spoiled Pyotr Kochetkov's shutout bid in the third period, scoring his ninth point in six games and his fourth goal in two games. On the assists, it was Ryan O'Reilly's 14th point in 10 games and Steven Stamkos' sixth point in four games. 

The Predators had a little bit of a push in the third period, but it wasn't enough. 

Despite the loss, Saros made 33 saves on 36 shots and allowed three goals. It was his ninth 30+ save performance of the season. Nashville was outshot, 37-26, on the night. 

Here are three takeaways from Predators' loss to the Hurricanes. 

Stalled offense 

Saros did all the heavy work in the first period as the Predators' offense struggled immensely. Despite being down just 1-0, Nashville was outshot, 19-5, in the first period and saw Jackson Blake score his ninth of the season off a rebound in front of the net.

Carolina is the top puck possession team in the league, spending 46.2% of their total possession time this season in the offensive zone. On the flip side, they are not in their own zone for long, with just 35.6% of their total possession time spent in the defensive zone. 

Nashville struggled to not only get their offense going, but get the puck off Hurricanes sticks. 

"They're fast, and I thought we played slow for the first part of the game," Predators head coach Andrew Brunette said. "It took a little while to kind of get into the game for us and then a little bit of the game plan wasn't executed. 
We turned over pucks at the blue line and credit to them, they got great sticks and back pressure." 

Following the 5-2 win over the St. Louis Blues on Monday, Filip Forsberg credited the teams breakout effort and was one of the reasons why the Predators had been playing so well as of late. 

On Wednesday, the Predators' breakout struggled consistently, whether it was making a pass to get it going or turning the puck over. Nashville gave away the puck 18 times on the night. 

"It's a little bit of both. 
We need our D back faster and our forwards need to come back and support better," Forsberg said. "Whether it's getting puck battles higher up on the walls, trying to get the pucks out that way or coming lower, try to create some separation."

Penalties sting Preds again 

While Nashville was able to keep its PIM below 10 minutes, penalties were still an issue in the final result.

It was a one-goal game for the majority until Nick Perbix took a delay of game penalty in the third period. On the power play, Sebastian Aho scored off a one-time feed into the slot by Jackson Blake to put the Hurricanes up by two. 

Less than two minutes later, Seth Jarvis scored off a one-timer on Saros' glove side to bump the lead to three goals. One penalty derailed any chance that Nashville had to get back into the game. 

"We knew it was gonna be a muddy game. One goal game, and then we'd take a kind of a senseless penalty, and two goals is gonna be really hard against this team (Carolina), especially the way they're playing right now," Brunette said. 

Penalties have been a continuous issue for the Predators all season. In their last meeting against the Hurricanes, Nashville put Carolina on the power play six times and they'd score twice. On Wednesday, the Hurricanes had four opportunities, scoring on one. 

Carolina also has one of the worst power plays in the league, sitting at 15.5%. 

Saros keeps Nashville in it 

This could've been a 10-0 game if Saros had not been in net. 

In addition to making nearly 20 saves in the first period alone, Saros recorded his ninth 30+ save performance of the season, making 33 saves on 36 shots. He continues to prove that he is crucial to the Predators' nightly success. 

Even after the loss, Saros is still flirting with a .900 save percentage, now a .897 and is now below 3.00 goals against average at 2.95. On the month, his save percentage is sitting at .920. 

"Juice (Saros) kept us in the game for the first period, then we actually started taking over," Forsberg said. "We keep working through the whole thing, and didn't get the result that we wanted in a third, but we certainly created enough chances for it." 

Up next: Toronto Maple Leafs (15-12-5, 6th Atlantic) at Nashville Predators (13-16-4, 8th Central) on Saturday, Dec. 20 at 6 p.m. CST at Bridgestone Arena

The Los Angeles Kings (14-10-9) showed flashes of urgency and physicality in the final period. Still, familiar issues resurfaced as they dropped their fourth consecutive game, falling 3-2 to the Florida Panthers (18-13-2) on  Wednesday afternoon.

Despite a late third-period push to trim the lead down to one, the Kings were once again undone by costly turnovers, missed chances, and an inability to sustain momentum when it mattered most. 

Not only is it their fourth straight loss, but the Kings have also dropped in the Pacific Division to fourth place behind the Edmonton Oilers, slowly falling apart, especially in December, going 2-6 in their eight games so far this month. Changes might be on the way soon, even if they find a slim way to turn it around. 

Final from Sunrise. #GoKingsGopic.twitter.com/HwTdZbdaZR

— LA Kings (@LAKings) December 18, 2025

Kings Strike First, But Can't Build Momentum

LA struck first again early, midway through the first period, capitalizing on several shots blocked by Florida's defense. Brandt Clarke and Alex Laferriere did a good job of rewarding Joel Armia for scoring the goal and giving the Kings a 1-0 lead after one. 

It was a good sign for the Kings that they had a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes because the Panthers were (0-9-0) when trailing after 20 minutes. So, Los Angeles already had the advantage just by scoring the first goal of the game, which they've done plenty of times this season. 

The Kings controlled large stretches early in the game, matching Florida shot-for-shot and winning key faceoffs, but the Panthers didn't quit as the game progressed. Anton Forsberg kept Los Angeles in front with a great night, finishing with 25 saves, including timely stops on Bard Marchand and Carter Verhaeghe during Florida's run. 

Florida's Pressure Turns the Tide

But that pressure from Forsberg didn't last long, as Anton Lundell tied the game 1-1 early in the second period, finishing a quick sequence off a Panthers faceoff win. Florida wasn't finished there, though. Just five minutes later, after scoring their first goal, Verhaeghe gave the Panthers a 2-1 lead, burying the tough shot through traffic after a breakdown from the Kings. 

The dagger came just five seconds into the third period when Sam Bennett extended Florida's lead to 3-1 after Brandt Clarke turned the puck over and converted quickly before Los Angeles could recover defensively. 

To their credit, Los Angeles didn't give up when Kevin Fiala pulled Los Angeles within one, with a circus shot that wasn’t supposed to go in, but deflected off Florida and found its way in the net to make it 3-2. It looked like that goal would give the Kings some sort of momentum or urgency to get back into the game, but that didn't happen. 

Missed chances tell the story. Several of King's attempts sailed just wide right or were blocked in the slot. Give credit to Florida's defense in the clutch, making it challenging for Los Angeles to find clean shooting lanes during its final push. 

Kings once again struggled on the power play, going 1-4 tonight and failing to capitalize on key opportunities to swing momentum. Meanwhile, turnovers were also another issue, particularly late in periods, and continued to haunt them. 

Four straight losses later, the Kings are still searching for answers, collapsing right in front of our eyes every game.  You could point to several issues, including effort, turnovers, blown leads, and execution to close out games. Until Los Angeles can learn how to close games and protect leads, this slide will continue. 

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The Florida Panthers were back on home ice Wednesday night, looking to build on the momentum they gained during their recent road trip.

Florida hosted the Los Angeles Kings for their second and final meeting of the season and completed the two-game sweep, defeating LA by a final of 3-2.

The Kings opened the scoring while on the power play after Sam Bennett was called for a high sticking double minor.

Joel Armia got his stick on a point shot by Brandt Clark, deflecting the puck past Daniil Tarasov to give Los Angeles a 1-0 lead with 6:21 left in the opening period.

Florida tied things up in similar fashion, with a power play goal early in the second period.

Parked in front of the net, Anton Lundell got his stick on a point shot by Aaron Ekblad, deflecting the puck perfectly past the glove of Anton Forsberg to knot the score at one 2:14 into the middle frame.

Less than five minutes later, the Panthers took their first lead of the night.

The red-hot Sam Bennett line struck again, as Carter Verhaeghe scored his ninth goal over his past 11 games to give Florida a 2-1 lead at the 7:04 mark of the second period off assists from Jeff Petry and Brad Marchand.

Carrying a one-goal lead into the final 20 minutes, the Panthers quickly added some insurane to their scoring total.

Directly off the third period’s opening faceoff, Marchand made a perfect pass to a cutting Bennett, who deflected the puck right under the crossbar to double the Cats’ lead just 10 seconds into the period.

That goal came in handy after Florida was victimized by a crazy bounce that ended up in the back of their net.

Directly off a faceoff win in the Panthers’ zone, a Gus Forsling pass attempt that was intended for Marchand on a set ‘face-off win’ play went off skate of Kevin Fiala and somehow bounced back toward the net and past Tarasov.

The fluky goal cut Florida’s lead to 3-2 with 15:12 on the clock.

That’s as close as the Kings would get, thanks to some strong defensive hockey and a key penalty kill in the final minutes.

On to the Hurricanes.

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Photo caption: Dec 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) celebrates after a goal by center Carter Verhaeghe (not pictured) against the Los Angeles Kings during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

Former Edmonton Oilers forward Milan Lucic has officially found his new team.

The Fife Flyers of the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) have announced that they have signed Lucic for the remainder of the 2025-26 season. With this, the former Oilers winger is officially taking his talent overseas. 

Lucic signing with Fife comes after the veteran forward failed to secure a contract from his professional tryout (PTO) with the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL last month. He also had a PTO with the St. Louis Blues during training camp, but was injured during the preseason. Now, with this latest news, Lucic is set to play for an overseas club for the first time in his professional career.

Lucic played in five games this season with the Thunderbirds during his PTO, where he recorded zero goals, one assist, and a minus-7 rating. 

Lucic spent three seasons with the Oilers from 2016-17 to 2018-19, where he posted 39 goals, 65 assists, 104 points, and 715 hits in 243 games. His time with the Oilers ended during the 2019 NHL off-season when he was traded with a third-round pick to the Calgary Flames for James Neal. 

The Golden Knights be without star center Jack Eichel and defenseman Shea Theodore in Wednesday’s home game against the New Jersey Devils, per coach Bruce Cassidy.

Eichel is out with an illness that forced him out of the second half of Tuesday's practice. Theodore. who missed the entire practice, is nursing an upper-body injury.

Cassidy wouldn't speculate if either injury is short- or long-term, only that both are considered day to day.

The Knights are back for just one game after a successful five-game trip that saw them earn a point in each game. They'll depart after Wednesday's game to play a back-to-back set over the weekend against the Calgary Flames on Saturday and Edmonton Oilers on Sunday.

Cassidy will throw his lines in the proverbial hockey blender, as Ivan Barbashev will skate with Tomas Hertl and Pavel Dorofeyev, while Braeden Bowman will skate with Brandon Saad and Reilly Smith.

Smith will shift to center, as Saad will returns to the lineup after being healthy scratched in Columbus on Saturday.

It marks the first time Eichel will miss a game this season. The first-line center leads the Knights with 41 points in 31 games.

Theodore, who will also miss his first game this season, leads Vegas' defensemen with 20 points.

PHOTO CAPTION: Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Yegor Chinakhov (59) skates for the puck against Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (9) in the third period at Nationwide Arena. 

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The Pittsburgh Penguins are mired in their worst stretch of the 2024-25 season, having lost six consecutive games. There doesn't seem to be much going their way. 

But that could change relatively soon.

Prior to the Penguins' full team practice, injured forwards Evgeni Malkin, Blake Lizotte, and Filip Hallander all skated together on the main rink at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, Pa. They didn't join the team practice, but it is still a sight for sore eyes and signals that they are at least progressing toward a return. 

Head coach Dan Muse said that there was no status update on Malkin or Lizotte and that this represented just another day in their recovery process.

"No change of status," Muse said. "They've been out there. This isn't the first day. They've had some opportunities where they can skate a little bit, but no change of status."

Regardless, the Penguins could sure use at least one of these guys back as soon as possible. 

Since Malkin went on injured reserve (IR), the Penguins are 0-2-4, and they are 0-2-3 without Lizotte. Both centers headed to IR on Dec. 9, and the Penguins have been forced to deploy a rotating cast of characters at the center position.

Report: Penguins Sold To New Ownership GroupAccording to a report, the Pittsburgh Penguins are set to be sold.

At the time of his injury, Malkin was the team's leading scorer with eight goals and 29 points in 26 games. They are also missing him on the power play, which is now limited on shooting options from the right side of the ice.

They are also missing Lizotte, who is putting together a really solid season for the Penguins. Beyond his three goals and five points, he has been arguably their best defensive forward, logging important minutes in defensive zone starts, on the penalty kill, and in six-on-five situations. 

Hallander - also a center - was placed on long-term injured reserve on Nov. 7 when he was diagnosed with a blood clot, and he was expected to miss approximately three months. He left the lineup with a goal and four points in 13 games on the season. 

Takeaways: Penguins Drop Sixth Straight On Milestone Night For Oilers' DraisaitlThe biggest story going into the Tuesday matchup between the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> and <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/">Edmonton Oilers</a> was the goaltending battle, which featured two netminders in Tristan Jarry and Stuart Skinner who were <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/we-re-ripping-off-the-band-aid-right-away-skinner-jarry-to-square-off-against-former-teams">swapped in a trade between the teams on Friday</a>.&nbsp;

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Macklin Celebrini has officially pushed his way into a Wayne Gretzky–adjacent conversation, at least in one remarkable category. 

Celebrini became the third-fastest teenager in NHL history to reach the 50-point mark on Tuesday night, hitting the milestone in just 34 games. Only Sidney Crosby, who accomplished the feat in 28 games, and Wayne Gretzky, who did it in 32 games twice at ages 18 and 19, reached the threshold more quickly. 

MACKLIN CELEBRINI SPIN-O-RAMA!! 😱 pic.twitter.com/zZa1PBb2eI

— NHL (@NHL) December 17, 2025

Celebrini Joins the Greats

The milestone came as part of another dominant showing. Celebrini delivered a four-point performance with two goals and two assists as the San Jose Sharks extended their winning streak to three games with a 6–3 victory over the Calgary Flames at SAP Center. He built on a goal-and-two-assist effort in a 6–5 overtime win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday and has now amassed 11 points (four goals, seven assists) over his past five games, sustaining a blistering offensive pace. 

The 2024 first overall pick now ranks third in the NHL with 51 points, sitting four ahead of Leon Draisaitl and just five behind Connor McDavid. Nathan MacKinnon currently leads the league, holding a two-point advantage over McDavid. Celebrini is no longer simply compiling impressive totals for his age; he is entrenched in the heart of the NHL’s elite scoring race alongside the game’s most established stars. 

Most points through 9 games in a season from a teenager, NHL history:

18 — Bryan Trottier (1976)
16 — Wayne Gretzky (1981)
15 — Sidney Crosby (2007)
15 — Macklin Celebrini (this season)

Generational talent. pic.twitter.com/EadpJdtnxQ

— Big Head Hockey (@bigheadhockey) October 27, 2025

Olympics Are a Lock 

There is no intrigue surrounding Celebrini’s place on Team Canada’s Olympic roster. That discussion has already been resolved by his performance. The real question is whether Canada can fully leverage a talent of this magnitude in its pursuit of gold. 

Too often, generic questions from the media frame Olympic selection as a possibility rather than a certainty. In Celebrini’s case, that framing borders on absurd.

When a player is mentioned in the same breath as a young Wayne Gretzky, even in a narrow statistical context, the conversation shifts immediately. Celebrini’s blend of skill, competitiveness, and two-way responsibility places him firmly among the world’s elite athletes, regardless of age.

Let’s not forget that a young Gretzky absolutely waxed some of the greatest athletes of his time in a 100m sprint, including Pelé, Bjorn Borg, and Sugar Ray Leonard in a 100m sprint. Sugar Ray was one of the greatest fighters of his generation and was known for his blistering speed, yet even he was blown away by just how much faster Gretzky was than all of them. All he could do was smile and congratulate “The Great One.”

But for the Sharks, they have their generational talent right in front of him. The challenge now lies in what comes next: assembling a team around him that can lead them into Stanley Cup contender territory. Right now, it’s hit or miss, but when Celebrini is lighting up the scoreboard, the Sharks are almost unstoppable.  

The New Jersey Devils (18-14-1) take on the Vegas Golden Knights (16-9-6) today at the T-Mobile Arena.​

Lineup and Injuries

​Devils projected lineupper NHL.com

Jesper Bratt -- Nico Hischier -- Dawson Mercer

Ondrej Palat -- Cody Glass -- Connor Brown

Paul Cotter -- Juho Lammikko -- Stefan Noesen

Angus Crookshank -- Luke Glendening -- Xavier Parent

Jonas Siegenthaler -- Dougie Hamilton

Luke Hughes – Brett Pesce

Brenden Dillon -- Colton White

Jake Allen

Jacob Markstrom

Scratched: Calen Addison, Dennis Chowlowski, Timo Meier

Injured: Jack Hughes (finger), Zack MacEwen (lower body), Jonathan Kovacevic (knee), Evgenii Dadonov (wrist), Arseny Gritsyuk (upper body), Simon Nemec (lower body)

Golden Knights projected lineupper NHL.com

Mitch Marner -- Brett Howden -- Mark Stone

Ivan Barbashev -- Tomas Hertl – Pavel Dorofeyev

Cole Reinhardt -- Colton Sissons -- Keegan Kolesar

Brandon Saad -- Reilly Smith – Branden Bowman

Brayden McNabb -- Zach Whitecloud

Noah Hanifin -- Kaedan Korczak

Jeremy Lauzon -- Ben Hutton

Carter Hart

Akira Schmid

Scratched: Alexander Holtz

Injured: Jack Eichel (illness), Adin Hill (lower body), William Karlsson (lower body), Shea Theodore (upper body)

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Player to Watch​

The Player to watch is Brett Pesce, who is likely returning after missing 24 games with a hand injury suffered on October 26. Although there was no morning skate, Pesce is expected to play tonight. ​

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Storyline to Watch

​There are several streaks the teams are looking to continue tonight. ​The Golden Knights are on a seven-game point streak. The team has gone 6-0-1 in its last seven games. ​

Jesper Bratt is also on a streak. Bratt is on a three-game point streak (1g-2a).​

The puck will drop at 10 PM. 

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The Detroit Red Wings are riding a wave of optimism, and rookie defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka has played a starring role in recent successes. The former 17th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft turned heads Tuesday night with his best goal of the season, a highlight-reel tally that helped the Red Wings defeat the New York Islanders.

Sandin-Pellikka fired a sharp-angle shot over the shoulder of Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin, showcasing his poise and shooting ability. The goal was the latest sign of a player hitting his stride, as he has tallied two goals and five assists for seven points over his last seven games. This surge has contributed to secondary scoring for Detroit, which is enjoying a 6-1-2 run over its last nine games.

While Sandin-Pellikka’s resurgence is a story on its own, there is a subtle subplot running throughout the season is his unofficial duel with New York rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer. The 2025 top pick in Schaefer is widely regarded as the favorite for the Calder Trophy as he leads all rookie blueliners in points.

Sandin-Pellikka trails by ten points and is still looking to make his case for being in the conversation. This matchup Tuesday added another chapter, with both young defenders showing glimpses of their high-end potential. 

AXE-MAN! #LGRWpic.twitter.com/jaVzQoCh4p

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) December 17, 2025

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This season, Sandin-Pellikka has amassed 13 points in 34 games, ranking fourth among rookie defensemen. For Red Wings fans, his recent surge is particularly encouraging. Early in the season, concerns were raised that his game was trending toward that of Shayne Gostisbehere, a comparison Detroit supporters were not excited about. Sandin-Pellikka’s combination of offensive instincts and defensive reliability has begun to show the top-end upside Detroit hoped for when they drafted him.

If he can keep building on this stretch, it could be a huge boost for the team. The Red Wings have been waiting for him to show his full potential, and he is starting to do that. As the Red Wings push toward the postseason, keeping Sandin-Pellikka’s momentum is going to be key as he could be a much needed secondary source of scoring that some team's may not expected with Sandin-Pellikka hopefully establishing the young defender as one of the league’s rising stars.

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The injury to Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane, who is considered day-to-day, necessitated a call-up from the American Hockey League's Grand Rapids Griffins. 

Forward John Leonard, who is playing in his first campaign with the Red Wings organization after agreeing to a one-year contract during the offseason, leads the AHL with 19 goals in 20 games and was the natural choice. 

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

He was summoned to the Red Wings and made his Detroit debut as part of their 3-2 victory over the New York Islanders while skating in Kane's spot on the second line with Andrew Copp and Alex DeBrincat. 

Leonard helped generate a prime offensive opportunity midway through the first period when he sent a cross-ice feed to a waiting and wide open Copp, who was stoned by Sorokin.

He then had a partial breakaway opportunity in the second period after taking a heads-up pass from Copp; his initial chance was stopped by Sorokin, and he nearly scored on the rebound attempt. 

In all, Leonard skated in 13:02 of ice time and registered a pair of shots on goal while dishing out one hit. 

Following the contest, head coach Todd McLellan voiced his approval of Leonard's performance in his debut. 

"I liked his game, you could see his speed and creativity," McLellan said afterward. "That line was a factor in the game. Patty Kane, of course we'd like to have him, but when we didn't, I thought John went in and did a really good job. The pace of the play on that line stayed up, and the chances they created were probably on the positive side of the ledger at the end of the night." 

Leonard will remain in the Red Wings lineup for the second consecutive game as they host the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday evening. 

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The Buffalo Sabres are set to face off against the Philadelphia Flyers on Dec. 18. The Sabres will be looking to stay hot, as they are entering the matchup against the Flyers with a three-game winning streak. 

Now, the Sabres have gotten some very good news ahead of their contest against the Flyers.

According to head coach Lindy Ruff, Sabres defenseman Michael Kesselring will be returning to the team's lineup for their game against the Flyers. 

Hearing that Kesselring is getting back into the lineup against the Flyers is undoubtedly good news for the Sabres. Kesselring is expected to be an important part of the Sabres' blueline this season, and he should provide them with a nice boost because of it.

Kesselring's most recent appearance for the Sabres was on Nov. 15 against the Detroit Red Wings, so he has been sidelined for awhile. This was also after he missed the beginning portion of the season due to injury. Now, with Kesselring returning to the lineup, he will be aiming to stay healthy from here for the Atlantic Division. 

In nine games so far this season with the Sabres, Kesselring has recorded zero points, seven hits, and nine blocks. This is after he set career highs with seven goals, 22 assists, and 29 points in 82 games for Utah this past season. 

As the Ottawa Senators get set to host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night at Canadian Tire Centre, Wednesday morning’s practice delivered a mix of interesting injury news.

On the positive side, defenseman Thomas Chabot was back on the ice with his teammates. Chabot was injured on November 11 in a game against the Dallas Stars, attempted a return 11 days later, and re-injured himself against the San Jose Sharks.

He hasn’t played since the Sharks game, but his return to full practice is an encouraging sign. Chabot was paired with Belleville call-up Dennis Gilbert during drills, suggesting the Senators are still preparing to play without him for now. But simply being back on the ice is a step toward getting the blue line back to full strength and players slotted into their natural roles.

"I mean, it's been a long road," Chabot admitted. "But no, it's good to be back practicing with the guys. Helps the mental side of things and the morale a little bit to be back on the same schedule as the team. It was a fun day, it was a great practice. I went through the pace of a normal NHL practice, the contact, and competing a little bit. So it felt nice to be out there.

While Chabot said he didn't know if he'd be playing on Thursday, head coach Travis Green confirmed that he will not.

Green provided some more details on Lars Eller, revealing that he has a broken foot from blocking a shot and is expected to be sidelined for about three weeks. So that probably means that centre Stephen Halliday will remain with the club into the new year.

There was also a brief scare in practice at the goaltender position. Linus Ullmark left practice early after speaking with the Senators’ athletic therapist, Dom Nicoletta, near the bench. Jake Sanderson also exited early, although Green (as he does) downplayed any concern, saying he isn’t worried about either Ullmark or Sanderson.

Since Chabot was injured, Green has been working Sanderson like a rented mule, so it wouldn't be a surprise if the Sens' top defenseman has carte blanche to bail on any practice if he isn't feeling it that day.

Senators Fire Their American Hockey League Head Coach On Wednesday

Senators Fire Their American Hockey League Head CoachThe slumping Belleville Senators have fired their head coach, promoting assistant Andrew Campbell to the interim role.

Ullmark has started in three-quarters of the club's games so far, but hasn't been injured or overworked in a back-to-back. At the moment, he stands 41st in the NHL in goals against average (3.00) and 49th in save percentage (.879). If he's suddenly not feeling his best, that doesn't bode well for an imminent turnaround.

Finally, there has apparently been some progress on Shane Pinto’s recovery from a lower-body injury. Pinto has been out since December 4th after taking a body check from former Ottawa Senator Mika Zibanejad. Green says Pinto has now resumed skating, another encouraging development as the Senators work through their injury picture.

Following their Wednesday skate, the Senators held their annual 'Melnyk Skate for Kids' hosted by team co-owners Anna and Olivia Melnyk, carrying on a tradition started 20 years ago by their late father, former Sens owner Eugene Melnyk.

The Senators will host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night at the CTC.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News

This article was originally published at The Hockey News Ottawa. Read more:

Top Prospect Carter Yakemchuk Injured In Collision During AHL Game
Senators' First Step Toward Stanley Cup Playoff Return Is Better Goaltending
30 Games Into The Season, What Is The Ottawa Senators' Identity?
Speculating On Yakemchuk's NHL Arrival Time
Popular Former Senator Forward Attempting Comeback At Age 38
Four Ottawa Senators Make Annual List Of Most Punchable NHL Players

ST. LOUIS – Perhaps an infusion of new blood can spur the St. Louis Blues in the right direction.

That’s what they’re hoping for when the Blues (12-15-7) entertain the Winnipeg Jets (15-15-2) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. (FDSNMW, ESPN 101.1-FM).

It’s because Otto Stenberg and Jonatan Berggren will each make his Blues debut in the game.

For Stenberg, it will be his first NHL game and the second of three first-round picks from the 2023 NHL Draft to play in the NHL along with Dalibor Dvorsky, who was the No. 10 pick; Stenberg was No. 25, and defenseman Theo Lindstein, who is in Springfield of the American Hockey League, was No. 29.

Stenberg was called up from Springfield on Thursday, the latest of Thunderbirds recalls with the rash of forward injuries the Blues are dealing with.

On Tuesday, he was skating on a line with Jake Neighbours and Dvorsky.

“Of course, I’m excited,” Stenberg said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun. It’s something special. Just try to act like a normal game, soak it all in and enjoy, but I’ll just try to prepare like a normal game, I guess.

“Just play my game and do what got me here in Springfield before I get here. Be myself I guess. I’ll try to do my best to give the team energy. Try to play as good as I can and help the team any way I can.”

Berggren, claimed off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday, will also be in the lineup.

The 25-year-old, a second-round pick in the 2018 draft, had an inkling that something might happen, and was hopeful of it, too. He last played for the Red Wings on Dec. 11 and prior to that, Nov. 24.

“It’s a business and when you don’t play many games in a row in Detroit to kind of know (something was going to happen),” Berggren said. “Maybe it was something I was hoping for too to get a fresh start. I’m really happy that the Blues took me.

“It’s been a lot for sure. I’m just so excited to come to St. Louis and meet the guys and meet the coaches and just play hockey. It’s been a lot, but I’m also excited.”

Blues coach Jim Montgomery said the infusion of new players could be just what the team needs.

“Every time you get new blood, it’s like the first game of the year, everybody’s hopes and desires are all positive and a positive attitude usually permeates in the group so it’s going to bring us good energy,” Montgomery said.

Stenberg will have his parents, David and Cecilia and girlfriend on attendance after some scurrying of getting plane tickets from Sweden.

“My mom and dad are actually coming here. And my girlfriend is here; she came here from Springfield,” Stenberg said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun. I think they got tickets yesterday.”

Berggren, who had two goals and four assists in 15 games with the Red Wings this season after 12 goals and 12 assists in 75 games last season, hopes to add some offensive prowess into the lineup for the Blues, and the fact he’s played with a couple of the guys and that there are fellow Swedes, should make for an easy transition.

“I’m a skillful forward that likes to play with the puck and likes to create offense,” he said. “I feel like this team has skillful players and like to play offensive style of hockey. That’s kind of what I want to do too. I’m excited.

“It’s a lot of Swedes and guys I played with in Detroit too and Grand Rapids. It makes it a lot easier to adapt to the team when you know people from before.”

Montgomery said the Blues took a flier on Berggren because, “the speed and skill is something we believe with our current situation that he could add to our group, and that’s what we’re expecting him to fit in. We have a lot of Swedes so the language barrier won’t be so hard.

“You have a technical package ready to show your players that this is what we want to do in all three zones with the puck and with the schedule this year, I watched the Florida-Tampa game and I don’t recognize some of the names that are on the ice and that’s happening to everybody this year.”

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Tuesday’s game is the first between the Blues and Jets since that epic first-round seven-game series from last year’s playoffs.

“I think for our group it means a lot, and not because of the outcome of the series,” Montgomery said. “Obviously we felt we would have liked to win Game 7, but more importantly, I think it’s we were playing a really good brand of hockey and for a lot of players, I think that brings excitement to get back to that brand of hockey that we were playing.

“It brings back more of what a great series it was. I saw some things like they ranked the best series of the playoffs, it was ranked No. 2 behind the Final, which was epic with a lot of great comebacks in that series. It was old-school hockey. It was mean, it was hard, it was vicious and in the end, you had two teams that really I think were competed and emptied the tank so much that the handshake line was what you want in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.”

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Blues Projected Lineup:

Pavel Buchnevich-Robert Thomas-Robbi Fabbri

Otto Stenberg-Dalibor Dvorsky-Jake Neighbours

Brayden Schenn-Pius Suter-Jonatan Berggren

Alexey Toropchenko-Oskar Sundqvist-Mathieu Joseph

Philip Broberg-Colton Parayko

Matthew Kessel-Justin Faulk

Cam Fowler-Logan Mailloux

Joel Hofer will start in goal; Jordan Binnington will be the backup.

Healthy scratches could include Tyler Tucker and Matt Luff. Dylan Holloway (high ankle sprain), Jordan Kyrou (lower body), Jimmy Snuggerud (wrist), Nathan Walker (upper body) and Nick Bjugstad (upper body) are all out.

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Jets Projected Lineup:

Kyle Connor-Mark Scheifele-Gabriel Vilardi

Nino Niederreiter-Vladislav Namestnikov-Cole Perfetti

Morgan Barron-Adam Lowry-Alex Iafallo

Cole Koepke-Jonathan Toews-Gustav Nyquist

Josh Morrissey-Dylan DeMelo

Dylan Samberg-Neal Pionk

Logan Stanley-Luke Schenn

Connor Hellebuyck will start in goal; Eric Comrie will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Colin Miller, Tanner Pearson and Haydn Fleury. The Jets have no injuries.

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The St. Louis Blues have assigned winger Hugh McGing to the AHL's Springfield Thunderbirds. 

McGing was called up from the AHL on Dec. 9, playing in three games, scoring once and adding an assist. He played in a limited role, averaging 10:52 of ice time, but garnered positive results with his ice time and notched his first career NHL goal and point. 

Since his call-up, the Blues have seen additional injuries, most notably to Dylan Holloway, but have also made moves in response. They recalled 2023 first-round pick Otto Stenberg and claimed winger Jonatan Berggren off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings. Both Swedish wingers are confirmed to be in the lineup tonight against the Winnipeg Jets. 

McGing's success during this NHL stint came as a bit of a surprise, but a pleasant one at that. In 18 AHL games this season, the 27-year-old has scored just four goals and six points. Last season, he finished with a modest 14 goals and 34 points in 68 games.

Drafted in the fifth round (138th overall) in the 2018 NHL draft, McGing was always expected to be a long shot to make the NHL, but getting into the lineup and making a difference allows us to recognize his hard work and the development of the Blues staff. 

McGing showed several positive traits during his call-up and should be high up in the pecking order the next time the Blues need to make a corresponding move due to an injury. 

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The Vancouver Canucks are two games through their mid-December road trip, having already won 2–1 against the New Jersey Devils and 3–0 against the New York Rangers. Already, they’ve faced four of their former players, and could easily take on five more by the end of this trip. With at least one former Canuck faced during each stop in this trip, let’s take a look at these former players’ connections to Vancouver. 

After Devils goaltender Jake Allen was given the start on Saturday for his team, it was former Canuck Jacob Markström who took on the team that he played for over six seasons. Vancouver and Markström parted ways during the 2020 off-season, in which the goaltender signed a six-year contract with the Calgary Flames in free-agency. The Flames traded Markström to the Devils back in June of 2024. 

Another former Canuck who suited up against Vancouver on Sunday was Juho Lammikko, who spent a total of 75 games with the team. Lammikko was acquired by the Canucks back in October of 2021 alongside Noah Juulsen (who appears later on this list) in exchange for former fifth-overall draft pick Olli Juolevi. Lammikko went on to spend three seasons in Switzerland before making his NHL return with the Devils this year. 

As well as Markström and Lammikko, another former Canuck who is now with the Devils is Zack MacEwen, who began his NHL career with Vancouver but was ultimately claimed off waivers by the Philadelphia Flyers and proceeded to bounce around the league. He did not play against the Canucks when they stopped in New Jersey on Sunday. 

J.T. Miller made his presence known in Vancouver throughout the near-six years he spent with the team. Now the captain of the Rangers, Miller played in his second game against his former team on Tuesday. Vancouver traded Miller to New York, the team that drafted him 15th overall back in 2011, at the end of January. 

Only a couple of months after Vancouver moved on from Miller, Carson Soucy found himself packing his bags as well. Soucy was traded to the Rangers only one day before the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, with Vancouver receiving a third-round pick (which later became center Kieren Dervin) in exchange. Soucy signed with the Canucks back in July of 2023 and amassed five goals and 11 assists in 99 games played with Vancouver during his time there. 

While he isn’t a current player, Rangers Head Coach Mike Sullivan did spend some time as a member of the Canucks. Serving as an assistant coach during the 2013–14 season, Sullivan was part of John Tortorella’s staff in a season that saw the Canucks finish fifth in the Pacific Division with 83 points. 

Vancouver’s game against the New York Islanders may or may not feature two former Canucks. The reason for this is the fact that Bo Horvat, former Canucks captain and 2013 ninth-overall pick, is currently injured after sustaining a lower-body injury last week. The forward spent nine years as a member of the Canucks, four as captain, and was regarded as an important piece in the team’s core prior to being traded in January of 2023. Horvat is currently day-to-day and could return to his team’s lineup within the next week or so. 

While Horvat’s potential — but likely — absence means Vancouver will face one less former player, this doesn’t mean that their match against the Islanders will be without a former Canuck. Marc Gatcomb, who has played in the Islanders’ past two games, did not end up playing for Vancouver but spent some time with their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks. Gatcomb’s time with Abbotsford spanned 112 games, during which he scored 12 goals and 16 assists. 

The next stop on Vancouver’s road trip is Boston, where they’ll take on two former Canucks (and Flames) who both signed with the Boston Bruins back in 2024. Traded to Vancouver in a blockbuster in January of 2024, Elias Lindholm only played in 26 regular season games with the Canucks but scored six goals and six assists. He has since moved on to the Bruins, where he has put up 22 goals and 45 assists in 105 games. 

Also traded to Vancouver from Calgary during the 2023–24 season, Nikita Zadorov joined former Flames and Canucks teammate Lindholm in Boston after signing with the team during the 2024 off-season. Vancouver initially acquired Zadorov in exchange for a 2024 fifth-round and 2026 third-round pick. Zadorov quickly became a fan-favourite in Vancouver due to his sharp personality and intense style of play. 

Vancouver’s final stop in this east coast road trip is Philadelphia. The Flyers currently have one former Canucks player and a former Canucks Head Coach. The player, who’d been with the Canucks for four years before signing with the Flyers in free-agency this off-season, is none-other than Juulsen. He was sent from the Florida Panthers to Vancouver via trade alongside Lammikko back in 2021 and skated in 109 games with the Canucks. 

Now Head Coach of the Flyers, Rick Tocchet spent nearly three years as the Canucks’ Head Coach. During this time, he helped coach Vancouver to Game 7 of the second-round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He finished his time in Vancouver with a record of 108–65–27, good for a points-percentage of .608. As the Flyers’ Head Coach, Tocchet has established a current record of 17–9–6. 

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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