The festivities, which kicked off Thursday, Oct. 1, included special pregame entertainment, improved in-arena presentation elements and several fan activations throughout SAP Center
The Sharks recorded their first win of the season against the Florida Panthers in thrilling 4-3 overtime victory. Luca Cagnoni scored his first NHL goal to give the Sharks the overtime win.
Next, San Jose will host the Los Angeles Kings for its second matchup of the season.
Fans will be able to purchase the new souvenir vessel at the SAP center. KNBRLuca Cagnoni #42 and Will Smith #2 of the San Jose Sharks celebrates after Cagnoni scored the winning goal in overtime against the Florida Panthers at SAP Center. Getty Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs' season opener on Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens was also Gavin McKenna's NHL debut. The first overall pick from this past draft had his rookie lap ahead of warmups, but his lap was a little different than a traditional one.
Usually, the player getting on the ice for their first NHL game will go out by themselves and shoot a couple of pucks on net before the rest of the team joins them. But in this instance, goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was out on the ice before McKenna, which sparked a reaction in the hockey community.
Some thought that might've been Bobrovsky being superstitious or it being a part of his routine. Others maybe believed it was just an accident.
Bobrovsky himself broke his silence on that, explaining that it was the latter of the possibilities.
"I just, I completely forgot," Bobrovsky said. "I didn't think about. I completely forgot. Yeah, I came to him, and I also told him."
There have been instances in previous years with Bobrovsky where he did allow a rookie to go out for their individual lap. In 2021-22, Florida Panthers right winger Cole Schwindt took his rookie lap, and we walked right by Bobrovsky in the tunnel and skated his rookie lap alone.
But in McKenna's situation, Bobrovsky led him out and remained on the ice, albeit away from the rookie's spotlight.
Looking back, it was a funny mistake in the eyes of the veteran goaltender, who was able to make a joke out of it.
"So I pretend that it's my first game too," Bobrovsky joked and laughed. "But no, I yeah, I didn't mean to do that. So it just happened by accident."
See more of The Hockey News on Google — Save us as Preferred Source
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
On Friday, the Winnipeg Jets square off with the Boston Bruins in their season opener, and a newcomer in the lineup is drawing nearly all of the attention. Viggo Björck, the eighth overall pick in this year's draft, has accomplished the rare feat of making his NHL club's opening night roster just months after being selected.
It is a feat usually reserved for the very top picks, but Björck is not only set to make his NHL debut, he is expected to do so as a top-six forward, centering Winnipeg's second line between Gabe Vilardi, who came close to 70 points a season ago, and Isak Rosen, the 14th overall pick in 2021.
The unit will be one of the most interesting looks of the night, as the Jets have opted to break up the lethal top line that carried much of their offense last season. Vilardi will move away from Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele, who will instead play with Cole Perfetti in the opener, while Björck gets a steady, battle-tested presence in Vilardi who can hopefully help him adjust to the pro level quickly.
It is an extremely bold move for Winnipeg to throw an 18-year-old, five-foot-nine center into the fire of the NHL right away, especially against a physical team like the Bruins, and it should make for one of the most compelling games in recent Jets history. Many are already touting Björck as one of the best prospects the franchise has ever had, and his journey begins far sooner than almost anyone expected.
Björck comes off a season in the Swedish Hockey League, a defensive, low-scoring circuit where he faced older competition and still finished with 15 points in 42 games. He will now look to translate his offensive skill set from the bigger international ice surface to an NHL-sized rink against real NHL pros.
Björck will not be the only Jet making his debut Friday as defenseman Tyrel Bauer will also play his first NHL game, bringing a physical, defense-first style that produced 100 or more penalty minutes in three of his four pro seasons with the Manitoba Moose. With two new faces taking the ice for the first time, Friday's showdown has the makings of must-see television.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
As
much as the St. Louis Blues, who open their 2026-27 season on Friday
against the Dallas Stars (8 p.m.; TNT, ESPN 101.1-FM) to begin a
three-game, Central Division road trip, it’s not going to be easy
out of the chute.
Not
only do the Blues open against one divisional favorite but then pack
up and head to Denver where they’ll take on the Colorado Avalanche,
who just dusted the Los Angeles Kings 8-4 on Wednesday, on Saturday
before returning home, then jetting off for a quick one-game trip up
to face the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday.
Daunting
start to a season? Yes. But imagine taking four of six points or five
or all six, or even taking three of six. Taking anything away from a
challenging start would exude good vibes for a team that will come
into this season with 11 new faces on its opening night roster from
last season, including Mason McTavish, Connor McMichael, Brandon
Carlo and
Ross Johnston as
the three acquisitions.
“I
look at that as an opportunity,” Blues
coach Jim Montgomery said.
“Opportunity to go into Dallas, show them what we have, how hard
we’re going to play against and then fly to Colorado and show the
Avalanche. It’s an opportunity to make your mark right away.”
So
easy to say, so difficult to accomplish, but the Blues feel with the
abbreviated camp – despite going just 1-3-0 in four preseason games
– they were able to get the maximum effort and competitiveness out
of it to head into the season with a focused mind and clear
objective.
With
camp battles for job at a premium, tough decisions were made and
those that stuck around earned their keep. As a result, guys like
Oskar Sundqvist, Nathan Walker and Jack Finley are in Springfield of
the American Hockey League as a result.
“The
depth that we’ve had in this organization and in this camp is
really good, probably amongst some of the best in the league,”
Blues forward Jake Neighbours said. “I think it’s hard to say.
All those guys have fought their fights and given coaches and
management a tough decision on who’s going to be sticking around.
Unfortunately for us as players, it’s the hard part of the
business. I think if we can take all five of those guys fighting for
those last couple spots, we would, but that’s obviously not the
rules. That’s the hard part of the business. There’s going to be
some guys that won’t be around. That’s a credit to the guys that
stick around, they played well.”
Guys
like Dillon Dube, who earned a one-year, one-way contract as a result
of his strong play with the Thunderbirds last season and winning out
a job, and Zach Dean, who has had his share of trials and
tribulations with personal challenges and injuries to make his first
NHL opening night roster.
“He's
missed some hockey over the past couple of years and even watching
him last year, it felt like he grew and he grew,” Blues
general manager Alex Steen said of Dean.
“We've always known the things that stick out in his game, that
make you excited about the player ... I think going into the playoffs
(in
Springfield),
he played a big role for them down there last year and he came into
camp ready, there's no question. His skating ability, he's on the
inside, he doesn't shy away from inside ice. He's a centerman.
“I
thought an impressive thing is when you're moved around between
different linemates and some are veterans and some are younger
players, but he seemed to just bring his own game and contribute what
his strengths are. I'm excited that he's got the opportunity now to
keep building off that.”
As
for Dube?
“Very
similar to ‘Deaner,’” Steen said. “I thought he came in and
he was very prepared, very ready to go, skating ability, inside ice.
He's a tenacious, dog-on-a-bone type player. What he did last year,
the second half going into the playoffs, the contributions he was
making for that team, he was one of the guys I thought in practice,
with how short the camp is, we feel that the process is the biggest
part of what we're doing right now and his intensity and urgency in
everyday work was getting infectious. He's had a very good camp.”
Neither
is projected to be in the lineup on Friday, but Montgomery said he
expects to see them at some point on the trip.
“I
expect to see every forward play a game on this road trip, but that
again, it’s good to say in your mind, but then we win Friday night
and everybody plays well, how do you make a change, right,”
Montgomery
said. “Welcome
to my world.”
-
- -
Defenseman
Adam Jiricek will make his debut Friday after initially being sent
down, then recalled from Springfield due to injuries and subsequent
surgeries to Tyler Tucker (knee) and Logan Mailloux (hand) that will
keep those defensemen out a minimum of six and eight weeks,
respectively.
But
Montgomery said he won’t make the mistake of putting two young
defensemen together like he did last season with Tucker and Mailloux,
which means don’t expect to see Jiricek and Theo Lindstein on the ice
together.
“We
switched it going into game three in Vancouver (last
season),” Montgomery said.
“Unfortunately, it was part, the whole thing. Switching, the
starting, the pairs contributed to our poor start last year.”
Look
for Jiricek to play lots with Philip Broberg and if need be, Carlo
too, someone with veteran experience.
“He’s
a very good player, very good with the puck, good shot, good mobility
with his skates out there,” Broberg
said of Jiricek.
“He makes plays. He’s a good player. If I play with him, I think
I will try and help him out and we’ll try to help each other out
too.”
But
Broberg is prepared to play with whoever since his partner to end
last season (Mailloux) will miss some extended time.
“Yeah,
obviously you have to,” Broberg said. “You just try to help the
team any way you can.”
-
- -
Blues
Projected Lineup:
Dylan
Holloway-Robert Thomas-Jimmy Snuggerud
Pavel
Buchnevich-Mason McTavish-Connor McMichael
Jake
Neighbours-Dalibor Dvorsky-Jonatan Berggren
Alexey
Toropchenko-Pius Suter-Ross Johnston
Philip
Broberg-Adam Jiricek
Theo
Lindstein-Colton Parayko
Cam
Fowler-Brandon Carlo
Joel
Hofer will start in goal; Jordan Binnington will be the backup.
Healthy
scratches include Dillon Dube, Zach Dean and Justin Barron. Tyler
Tucker (knee) will be re-evaluated in six weeks, and Logan Mailloux
(hand) will be re-evaluated in eight weeks; each is on
injured-reserve.
-
- -
Stars
Projected Lineup:
Justin
Hryckowian-Wyatt
Johnston-Mikko
Rantanen
Jason
Robertson-Roope
Hintz-Tyler
Seguin
Sam
Steel-Artu
Hyry-Jamie
Benn
Oskar
Back-Radek
Faksa-Joel
Kiviranta
Thomas
Harley-Miro
Heiskanen
Esa
Lindell-Nils
Lundkvist
Lian
Bichsel-Tyler
Myers
Jake
Oettinger
will
start in goal; Casey DeSmith
will
be the backup.
Healthy
scratches include Colin Blackwell
and
Kyle Capobianco.
Matt
Duchene (lower body) is out on long-term injured reserve.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
The Detroit Red Wings officially open the 2026-27 NHL season on Friday evening against the visiting New York Rangers at Little Caesars Arena, and continue to face more questions than answers.
Former captain Dylan Larkin hasn't rescinded his trade request (at least, not publicly) and defenseman Simon Edvinsson returned to Sweden while his representation tries to hammer out a deal with interim GM Shawn Horcoff.
Additionally, the Red Wings lost a key source of offense during the summer with the departure of Patrick Kane, and also remain in a holding pattern with regard to who will permanently fill the role vacated by Steve Yzerman in mid-July.
In this piece, we answer the questions submitted over the last few weeks, looking ahead to the club's 101st NHL season.
Q: When will the DRW announce who the new GM is?
A: Right now, that's still completely up in the air. The role currently belongs to Shawn Horcoff on an interim basis, and the organization indicated that he'll have a chance to essentially audition for the full-time role.
Right now, I don't realistically see a permanent GM being hired by the club until after the 2026-27 campaign, and I'd expect Horcoff to carry the interim tag for the duration of the campaign.
Q: Will this year be another close but no cigar year? Or will they be the worst team in the East?
A: It goes without saying that the Red Wings play in hockey's toughest division. The Atlantic is a gauntlet. The Canadiens are on the rise, the Maple Leafs made significant upgrades during the summer, the Panthers are far healthier than last season, and the Lightning still have no shortage of star power.
Right now, it remains to be seen whether clubs like the Bruins, Sabres and Senators can remain consistent enough to make a return trip to the postseason.
For the Red Wings to have a realistic shot at ending their playoff drought, a lot is going to have to go right.
They can't afford another slow start from goaltender John Gibson. Viktor Arvidsson will need to provide an offensive boost to help offset the loss of Kane, while the defense will have to tighten up.
Not having Larkin for the first two games or Edvinsson due to his contract stalemate are both considerable setbacks. However, seven of Detroit's first eight games are at home. If the Red Wings can get off to a strong start, the club—which didn't experience any major roster turnover over the summer—could potentially resemble the team that held a playoff spot for most of last season.
Naturally, it will all come down to how they perform when the going gets tough in the spring.
Q: Will Larkin be a DRW all season long, or a trade candidate at the deadline?
A: This remains to be seen. During his press conference in September on the opening day of Training Camp, Larkin declined to answer whether his trade request was still in effect.
He also suffered an off-ice training injury before Camp, limiting his availability; he's already confirmed as being unavailable for at least the first two games of the season.
Larkin will not be paid by the club if he refuses to practice or play, the situation that Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck finds himself in.
The Red Wings won't trade Larkin for pennies on the dollar, or simply just for the sake of moving on from him. He could very well be with the club for the entire season, but it's also conceivable that he could be on the block at the Trade Deadline, especially if reports that he's expanded his trade list prove true.
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
There’s no denying the blockbuster that rocked the NHL on the eve of the season start has impacted both the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Columbus Blue Jackets. On Tuesday, Kirill Marchenko seemed to be everywhere against the Montreal Canadiens, and he got an assist. On Thursday night, in his first game as a Blue Jacket, Matthew Knies scored two goals, added an assist, and was named the first star of the game.
Unsurprisingly, the blockbuster was discussed at length on the latest episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast by Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas. The NHL insider confirmed that Habs GM Kent Hughes tried everything to land Marchenko:
I tried to figure out what Montreal did at the end; I heard that Montreal was trying to be really creative. I think they were trying to involve other teams. I’m not 100% sure whether they were trying to get other teams to get one of these extra Columbus guys, or whether they were trying to take a player from another team and put them in Columbus. Because I just always heard that Columbus wasn’t crazy about what Montreal offered. There were some good players in there, some futures; Columbus didn’t really want futures, and they just never had anything close to Knies. Like, I heard there was another player they were trying to get to Columbus from another team. I thought I knew who that guy was, but the other team has denied it, so I’m still working, Kyle, on who that guy was or who the guys were.
At this stage, this shouldn’t surprise anyone. Hughes said he was very active this summer but didn't manage to close the deal on his main target. Of course, the Canadiens’ GM didn’t confirm who his target was, but with multiple reports identifying Marchenko as the target, it makes sense.
As we mentioned in the hours following the trade, Hughes didn’t come away with the big prize despite trying; Friedman confirmed it came down to the Jackets not wanting what they had to offer. What’s new, however, is that they tried hard to involve other teams to get the Jackets what they wanted, even if it wasn’t from the Habs themselves, but it didn’t work. Still, the insider also confirms that Montreal was one of the most active teams this summer:
Montreal, no question, had been the most serious pursuer all summer. From the moment that Marchenko was potentially available. He’d let the Blue Jackets know he wasn’t going to re-sign there. They were the team that chased the hardest. And word behind the scenes was that he was more than happy to go there. I think that’s one of the most interesting storylines about this whole thing, Kyle: is that word early in July was that he was willing to go to Montreal, but he wasn’t so crazy about Toronto. Somewhere over the summer, that changed.
- Friedman on Marchenko wanting to come to Montreal
That might be a consolation for Habs fans; it's further proof, after Noah Dobson and Chris Kreider, that players want to come to Montreal now. If Marchenko had been free to choose his destination, the Canadiens would likely have been his choice. However, the Blue Jackets were in the driver’s seat, and they handled a difficult situation very well.
Hughes’s back to the drawing board if he wants an impact player, but that may have to wait until the offseason; who knows. With the salary cap rising, though, if a star player becomes an unrestricted free agent, it wouldn’t be a shock if they chose Montreal as a landing spot. The Canadiens have the money, the cap space, and a coach the players love. Until then, the players must do their part: keep winning, because at the end of the day, that’s what will make players chasing a Stanley Cup choose this team. Jason Robertson from the Dallas Stars will be a UFA this summer, and the summer after that, it will be Connor McDavid. The Edmonton Oilers have allowed 13 goals through two games; their goaltending still isn’t sorted out, and neither is their defense. Whether they want it or not, they are slowly but surely pushing McDavid toward the exit.
Just over 24 hours before the most eventful and surprising offseason in the history of the Anaheim Ducks/Mighty Ducks of Anaheim was, at long last, scheduled to conclude, general manager Pat Verbeek had one more trick up his sleeve as the team announced on Thursday, the day before the puck was set to drop on their 2026-27 campaign, that they’d signed young defenseman Tristan Luneau (22) to a six-year, $7.2 million AAV contract extension. The contract will go into effect at the start of the 2027-28 season.
Upon the news breaking, the majority of the hockey world understandably questioned Luneau’s merit to earn such a significant payday and Verbeek’s methodology in handing out a contract to someone with Luneau’s experience (or lack thereof).
So, who is Tristan Luneau and why did the Ducks sign him to such a large contract?
“It’s great. I get to play hockey for six more years,” Luneau stated moments after putting pen to paper. “It’s a great moment for me and my family. It’s a group I want to be a part of for a long time, and I believe in what we’re all working for.”
Luneau (53rd in 2022) is four years removed from his draft, when he was selected by the Ducks in the second round. He was a first overall pick in the QMJHL Draft in 2020, selected by Gatineau Olympiques, but a nagging knee injury, repaired following his 2020-21 season, hindered his production in his draft year, where he scored 43 points (12-31=43) in 63 games, causing the talented right-shot defenseman to fall to the second round of the NHL Draft.
The season following his draft (2022-23), he bounced back significantly and scored 83 points (20-63=83) in 65 games and added 17 (2-15=17) in 13 playoff games, earning him QMJHL Defenseman of the Year honors.
The Ducks’ plan for Luneau as it pertained to the next season, 2023-24, was to start him in the NHL and send him to the AHL on a conditioning loan before he was to represent Canada at the 2024 World Junior Championships. He sustained an infection in his leg en route to the tournament and was sidelined for the rest of the season while he recovered, and only ended up playing 13 games between the NHL and AHL.
He mostly spent the next two seasons (2024-25 and 2025-26) developing and playing substantial minutes for the San Diego Gulls in the AHL with two brief stints in the NHL for the Ducks.
Luneau finished his AHL career with 95 points (19-76=95) in 135 games, and prior to signing his contract, he had just four points (2-2=4) in 14 NHL games. So, given his resume, it’s justified for the hockey world to have their collective eyebrows raised when a former second-round pick with 14 games of NHL experience signs a deal like the one he did on Thursday.
Luneau possesses an NHL frame (6-foot-1, 211 pounds) and every on-ice tool to become a No. 1 defenseman. With the puck, he’s strong, elusive, and dynamic. He fends off forecheckers, makes smart, decisive outlets, and can join or lead rushes up ice. In the offensive zone, he fiercely patrols the blueline, activates downhill at will, and smartly gets his heavy shot through traffic with consistency.
On the defensive side of the puck, he’s just as aggressive, displaying tight gaps, knowledge of angles, and an influential, active stick. He’s difficult to gain ice against in the tight areas, and he’s tenacious in front of his net.
Over the past four years, he’s developed and translated his offensive game to every level below the NHL and has put in the work to iron out his defensive game. He’s gained the necessary size, skill, and strength to succeed against the world’s top hockey players. He’s as NHL-ready as a defense prospect has ever been.
Why?
"Signing Tristan to a long-term contract was a priority as we see him as a top-four defenseman for years to come,” Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek stated in the Ducks’ press release that followed the signing. “Getting the deal done before the season started was a key part of our planning for now and the future."
The Ducks can easily be considered the main character of the 2026 NHL offseason. Following a year where they seemingly put their rebuild in the rearview mirror, an offer sheet to their franchise player, Leo Carlsson, sent shockwaves through the organization and the NHL as a whole.
When all was said and done, the Ducks signed their three highest-profile RFAs coming off ELCs (Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Pavel Mintyukov) to larger contracts than they were anticipating. As a result, they saw a mass exodus of roster players who found new homes over the summer, including Mason McTavish, Chris Kreider, Jacob Trouba, John Carlsson, Radko Gudas, and Olen Zellweger.
Given the volume of defensive contributors who are now off the roster, only subsidized by the addition of Nick Jensen (36), Luneau, someone whom the front office greatly believes will step in and immediately flourish in a top-four role, now has a clear path toward a breakout season. He’s slated to start the year on the top pair alongside Jackson LaCombe, run the point on the Ducks’ second power play unit, and may even kill penalties.
Since he accepted the job as the Ducks general manager in Feb. 2022, Verbeek has established a reputation as a shrewd negotiator with his team’s RFAs, especially those coming off their ELCs. Past talks with Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale, and Mason McTavish, players once considered part of the Ducks’ future core, extended well into training camp, arguably leading to injuries and/or underwhelming following seasons.
Verbeek seemed to be heading toward similar negotiation timelines with Carlsson, Gauthier, and Mintyukov in 2026, but Carlsson and his representation found a way to quickly end talks when the Philadelphia Flyers signed Carlsson to an earth-shattering five-year offer sheet that carried an AAV of $18 million. Days later, the Ducks signed Mintyukov to a five-year, $7.2 million AAV extension, presumably to avoid a second OS. They matched the offer sheet for Carlsson, but the landscape of their cap sheet and the NHL would continue to feel the ripple effects. One of those ripple effects was signing Gauthier to a six-year, $13.5 million AAV extension just before 2026 training camp.
In his training camp-opening press conference, Verbeek pledged to be more aggressive in signing his RFAs to better avoid another scenario like the one he faced this summer. “I think that we're going to attack, you know, some of our players coming off of their ELCs, be more aggressive in that, start communicating and having more talks sooner,” he said.
“I think when you look at things, just being a little more agile, getting more adaptive, and probably just react a little quicker to situations or just see them,” Verbeek continued.
“There's going to be a lot of different scenarios to manage, and you're going to have to be proactive in all of this stuff. So certainly the variables have changed, and you're going to have to really start taking into account all the different variables that can happen and plan for it.”
Verbeek began to make good on his statement over the course of training camp/preseason when he signed depth center Tim Washe to a four-year, $2.25 million AAV contract extension that will begin at the start of the 2027-28 season.
Luneau’s new contract is further proof of the implementation of Verbeek’s new approach, but to an even more extreme level. Verbeek and the Ducks clearly believe in Luneau’s talent and projection. If he were to head into the 2026-27 season without a contract extension and make the most of the opportunities he’s being given, he’d be due a significantly larger AAV than the $7.2 million per year that he’ll earn between 2027-28 and 2032-33.
It’s a gamble, like every NHL contract that’s signed, and it can be considered an “overcorrection” to a degree, but the price for Luneau was likely never decreasing, and he’s now signed until he’s 29 years old, the majority (or entirety) of his prime. This is the type of gamble on young talent that has traditionally aged well in the modern NHL.
Luneau is now on the radar of those unfamiliar with him and his game, and these are the kind of deals, especially given where the salary cap is projected to be heading, that fans and media crave from NHL front offices: betting on young talent.
DENVER — For T.J. Hughes, Wednesday night was about more than the Colorado Avalanche opening their season at Ball Arena.
It was the night he finally made his NHL debut.
The former University of Michigan standout showed flashes of why Colorado believes he belongs at hockey's highest level, while also looking like a player experiencing his first NHL game. Hughes was good at times and less so at others — an understandable combination for someone taking his first steps in the league.
Not every rookie walks into the NHL and immediately looks like Wayne Gretzky. Even Auston Matthews, now the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, set an almost impossible standard when he scored four goals in his NHL debut.
Nathan MacKinnon following a two-goal performance and a two-piece combination on Brandt Clarke.
Hughes didn't find the back of the net Wednesday.
But he came close — several times.
The opportunities started early. In the opening period, Hughes nearly converted on a rebound that narrowly missed the net.
A short time later, he found himself with another chance at his first career NHL goal, jamming away at a loose puck in front of Los Angeles Kings goaltender and former Avalanche netminder Darcy Kuemper as he tried to poke it across the goal line.
Hughes kept battling for the puck before taking a hard cross-check from Kings captain Drew Doughty. The hit ultimately helped turn a 5-on-4 power play into a 5-on-3, and Nathan MacKinnon made Los Angeles pay, finding the back of the net for Colorado's second power-play goal of the night.
The Avalanche scored four times with the man advantage, but Hughes' first goal would have to wait.
MacKinnon wasn't concerned.
“He played well,” MacKinnon said. “He had a couple good looks. It’s really hard to play your first game, especially sometimes getting a hat trick early. There’s a lot of pressure, a lot of hype, so I think he’ll continue to settle in.”
MacKinnon also pointed to Hughes' maturity and commitment away from the ice.
“He’s a mature guy and a great guy, and such a committed player on and off the ice,” MacKinnon said. “So, you know, chemistry hopefully will develop here.”
That chemistry will come with time, as will Hughes' adjustment to the speed of the NHL.
You could see that adjustment taking place early Wednesday.
At times, Hughes looked just a fraction behind the play. In the first period, he found himself in position for a one-timer but was a step too slow getting his body fully into the shot, resulting in an awkward deflection.
At Michigan and later with the Colorado Eagles, Hughes routinely stood out as one of the more dynamic players on the ice. He produced 14 points in 17 games during the Eagles' Calder Cup playoff run last season.
The NHL, though, is another level. The time and space Hughes was accustomed to finding simply aren't there as often.
That's the biggest adjustment Bednar expects him to make.
“What he’s going to work on is getting used to the pace of play and the size and the strength of guys,” Bednar said. “That was a whole different level of intensity tonight.”
Bednar isn't asking Hughes to reinvent his game. Instead, he expects the young forward to learn how to make the same decisions he has always made, only faster.
“I like the habits he plays with,” Bednar said. “But just getting used to the pace, the intensity, the size and strength of the guys, how quickly time and space disappears. So the decision-making and thinking, yeah, it’s going to be that.”
Hughes also got an immediate lesson in what can happen when those decisions don't come quickly enough.
Colorado scored four power-play goals Wednesday, but the Avalanche also surrendered two shorthanded markers. One came after Hughes had his stick lifted by Joel Armia while trying to exit the defensive zone.
Armia turned the turnover into a break the other way and beat Mackenzie Blackwood, giving Los Angeles a free score and Hughes a costly lesson about the consequences of a mistake at this level.
Still, Bednar saw plenty to like.
“He’s a really intelligent player,” Bednar said. “I have full confidence he can do that. I thought his game was good. It was good. You could tell he’s learning and thinking, and it’ll become more instinctual for him as it goes on.”
That was perhaps the best way to describe Hughes' debut.
There were mistakes, and there were moments when the game appeared to move a little faster than he wanted it to. But there were also plenty of flashes — the scoring chances around the net, the willingness to battle for loose pucks and the offensive instincts that repeatedly put him in position to make something happen.
“He makes a poor play tonight,” Bednar said, “and it’s just a matter of time before we get that out of his game.”
The first NHL goal will have to wait.
For Hughes, though, the more important milestone was already accomplished.
He made it to the NHL.
Now comes the process of figuring out how to stay there.
Editor’s note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.
The Sharks played the way the Florida Panthers wanted to play; they played the way that they wanted to play, and then they beat the Stanley Cup contenders.
Physically, they stood up to the big, bad Panthers, be it Will Smith hanging tough with Eetu Luostarinen in the corners to help set up Mason Marchment’s goal, Darnell Nurse cross-checking Matthew Tkachuk, Jacob Trouba getting in a fight for Macklin Celebrini or Collin Graf getting in a fight for Ivar Stenberg.
Nurse got a penalty, but there were plenty of examples on Thursday of the ex-Edmonton Oilers defenseman imposing his will on the Panthers, reminiscent of their 2024 and 2025 Stanley Cup Final matchups.
Welcome to this edition of the Vancouver Canucks “3 Standouts From The Game.” In this recurring series, The Hockey News’ Canucks team will do a deep dive into three standouts from Vancouver’s last game. This article will focus on the Canucks’ most recent 9–7 loss to the Edmonton Oilers.
Paul Cotter
Paul Cotter has been the Canucks’ best forward, offensively speaking, since the start of the 2026–27 season. Following his two-goal performance on Tuesday, Cotter scored yet another goal in Thursday’s 9–7 loss to the Oilers and also added an assist on a goal by Brock Boeser in his effort.
Cotter’s strong play earned him a promotion onto Vancouver’s second-line alongside Boeser and Liam Öhgren, with the trio playing a team-high 7:28 minutes together. Individually, Cotter also had five hits and recorded a faceoff win percentage of 64.3%.
Elias Pettersson
Is Elias Pettersson back? That’s the question everyone seems to be asking after the forward’s performance on Thursday night following his three-point, eight-hit night. The most notable part of Pettersson’s night was his slap shot on the power-play to give Vancouver their sixth goal of the game, with the play resembling a vintage shot by the forward. This was his 202nd-career goal, which gave him sole-possession of ninth all-time in Canucks history.
After Vancouver blended their lines up to start the second period, Pettersson and his wingers — Jake DeBrusk and Linus Karlsson — were given the difficult task of matching up against Connor McDavid’s line. Through a little over six minutes played together, the trio produced three scoring chances-for and surrendered one against.
Oct 1, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson (40) shoots during warm up prior to a game against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Arshdeep Bains
Dating back to training camp, Arshdeep Bains has been praised for his no-quit hustle even when not in game situations. The forward brought that same performance to Thursday night’s game alongside new linemates Marco Rossi and Jonathan Lekkerimäki, spearheading what would ultimately become a shocking consecutive four-goal output for Vancouver in both the second and third periods.
With less than a second left on the clock in the second period, Bains drove to the net to snap a rebound past Oilers goaltender Devon Levi, scoring Vancouver’s third of the game. He didn’t stop there, however, as it was his line that scored two goals for the Canucks five minutes into the third period to bring their total up to five goals on the night. An assist on the second goal made Thursday Bains’s first multi-point NHL game.
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.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 01: Igor Shesterkin #31 of the New York Rangers scores the first goalie goal in Rangers history against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Madison Square Garden on October 01, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy Friday, TSFers! This extra-long international break won’t wind up until Tuesday, but it’s time to start re-focusing on Arsenal. Unfortunately, we’ve got an injury update coming later today for a couple guys who picked up issues on international duty. I don’t like international breaks. I really don’t like extended international breaks.
This morning, we’ll talk about something fun. The NHL season started this week — go Caps — and with the season just a few days old, we’ve got something that only happens every couple of seasons. A goalie goal!
There weren’t any goalie goals last season. Oddly enough, there were three the season before — Ilya Sorokin, Alex Nedeljkovic, and Filip Gustavsson. According to Wikipedia, that was the first time there had ever been more than one in an NHL season. To give a sense of how uncommon they are, there have only been 21 goalie goals in the history of the NHL. There have been multiple 5+ season stretches without one being scored. Martin Brodeur scored three in his career. Ron Hextall scored two.
With all that in mind, what other sporting feats are as rare and unlikely as the NHL goalie goal? The first thing that came to mind is a no-hitter in baseball. It’s not quite there in terms of rarity — there have been 327 recorded in MLB history — but the combination of difficulty and rarity feels about right. What say y’all?
Easton Cowan has been on fire to start the 2026-27 NHL season with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In the first game of the season, the 21-year-old left winger recorded an assist on William Nylander's second goal of the game in Toronto's 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
In the second outing against the New York Islanders, Cowan outdid himself with a pair of points. He got an assist on Colton Sisson's first goal as a Maple Leaf and scored the second on the power play, which turned out to be the game-winning goal.
To this point in the season, Cowan leads the team in scoring with three points, contributing on all of Toronto's goals but one.
Regarding Cowan's performance so far this season, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman has noted that his stock has been rising within the organization, and that might've nixed the franchise's desire to trade the youngster.
"I think there were a couple of things in the off-season that (the Leafs) were considering that could potentially have Cowan involved," Friedman reported on Thursday's episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast. "And I did hear this week that even before the puck dropped, that Cowan's stock in the organization was way up. And that it was like Toronto's desire to move Cowan has really decreased."
It's early, but Cowan has truly morphed not only into a solid NHL player but also into a difference-maker on the Maple Leafs.
"They're like, ' this guy is a player,' and then in the first two games of the season, the loss to Montreal and the victory over the Islanders, he was one of their best players, I thought."
Toronto's head coach Jim Hiller was early to spot Cowan and his positive trajectory in development during training camp. It was after the first day of training camp that he singled out Cowan as the player who stood out to him the most at practice.
He called him a puck hound, and he's certainly brought that playing style to the regular season. Cowan is fast on the forecheck and eager to strip the opposition of the puck, and has been contributing to the team's penalty kill.
"There definitely is a feeling that Cowan's stock is up even before they started playing, and I think in the first two games we all saw why," Friedman said.
See more of The Hockey News on Google — Save us as Preferred Source
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
After a day off on Wednesday, the Montreal Canadiens returned to the ice Thursday afternoon, getting ready for their tilt with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night. The Habs flew right to Pittsburgh after their win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night and spent their day off doing team-building activities. Asked why it was important to do that, Martin St-Louis explained:
Because it’s an opportunity when there’s a break in a schedule like that, especially early on and when we didn’t have the opportunity to do it during training camp. It’s to…I know we have a very tight-knit group, but it’s to have opportunities to get even tighter. It doesn’t guarantee it, but if you don’t do it, you don’t even have the opportunity. So we’ve got some activities here where we can have some fun, and we’re working at the same time.
As for practice itself, the coach explained that it wasn’t so much about teaching as it was about working, putting in effort, and raising the heart rate. After missing the first game of the season, centerman Oliver Kapanen was back on the ice, wearing a normal jersey and fully participating in the session. Will he be back in the lineup this weekend? That remains to be seen, as the coach said he didn’t know yet.
At practice, the lines and pairings were as follows:
Alex Newhook played well in Kapanen's spot on Tuesday, but the line he formed with Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov failed to put points on the board. Still, the Newfoundlander spent over 16 minutes on the ice, including 2:31 on the penalty kill and 1:24 on the power play. He had three shot attempts, only one of which got to the net, and he landed three hits; more importantly, he won seven of his nine draws for a 77.8% success rate.
If the Finn does return to the lineup, one can wonder whether he will land back on the second line. That’s where he started training camp, but he didn’t have a very productive preseason; still, the coach seemed to want to give him another chance after he scored 22 goals in his rookie season. It would therefore be surprising if he wasn’t even given a look in a single regular-season game before being unseated.
As for who would come out of the lineup, it would likely be between Kirby Dach and Alexandre Texier. While Dach had a good game on Tuesday, Texier does play on the power play, so that could be the deciding factor; time will tell.
The Canadiens will practice at 11:00 AM on Friday and face the Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday at 7:00 PM. The Pens will hope to build on the momentum from their first game, when they beat the Philadelphia Flyers 7-0 on the road.
MARYLAND
HEIGHTS, Mo. -- After
another underwhelming start to a season that had coach Jim Montgomery
talking about being ready when the puck drops in October by having a
very focused training camp, the time has arrived for the St. Louis
Blues to see if they can put their money where their mouth is.
When
the puck finally drops on the 2026-27 season starting with a
three-game road trip beginning Friday against the Dallas Stars (8
p.m.; TNT, ESPN 101.1.FM), the Blues are putting an emphasis of
getting off to a much better October than in recent years’ past.
Not
since 2021 when they came out of the gate hot at 6-1-0 have the Blues
had the kind of success needed to start a season that is essential to
a good season. They finished that season 49-22-11 and reached the
second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs before falling to eventual
Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in the Jordan Binnington gets taken
out by Nazem Kadri series.
In
the ensuing month of October’s, the Blues have gone 3-5-0, 3-3-1,
5-6-0 and last season, 3-6-2. The only time they reached the playoffs
was in 2025 when they were 5-6-0 by getting hot towards the end of
the season and needing a win in the regular season finale against the
Utah Mammoth to guarantee a spot.
Having
to chase the standings just isn’t feasible in the well-balanced,
plenty-of-parity NHL and the Blues, who face the Avalanche on
Saturday before closing the trip Tuesday against the Chicago
Blackhawks, know it. That’s why the emphasis began the moment
training camp, which was abbreviated with the 84-game regular-season
schedule and fewer preseason games, started.
“Yeah
we tried to establish competing first on pucks,” Montgomery said.
“There’s been competition in every day of practice of some form
to try and get our mindsets that we’re going to win. Every
competition matters, so that we have natural, competitive spirit to
try and start and be hard to play against. They go hand-in-hand.
That’s been something that I haven’t instituted very much because
I think if you’re a naturally competitive spirited person, I don’t
care if you’re working on 2-on-1s or 5-on-0s, you want to put the
puck through the back of the net. That just hasn’t transpired here.
That’s what we’ve clearly tried to institute is that when we get
on the ice, it’s an opportunity to compete and be grateful for it
and go out and compete.”
Among
the players, there has been some chatter on it, but not much. They
understand after finishing last season strong but falling short going
37-33-11.
“I
think it’s important,” Blues
defenseman Philip Broberg said.
“You don’t want to chase, you want to get off to a good start and
everybody feeling good about their game and being confident. I think
a good start is important and just keep building from that.
“I
think every team talks about a good start. I think in the past we
haven’t really had really good starts, so I think we want to put an
emphasis on making sure we prepare for the first game.”
The
players can talk about it all they want, but it’s the action that
will speak louder than the words. That’s why players feel like the
results will be the determining factors.
“I
think it’ll take care of itself,” Blues forward Jake Neighbours
said. “Obviously it’s a focus for us to get off to a good start.
It’s the same with any team. We’ve been chasing the 8-Ball the
last couple years and that’s something we don’t want to be in the
position to be doing this year. I don’t think it needs to be said a
ton by the leadership group or anyone else. It’s known. ‘Monty’
made an emphasis at the start of camp how important this camp is and
how we don’t have much time and it’s going to be the regular
season right away and now you’re feeling that. I like the way the
group’s progressed in camp. It seems that guys are bringing the
intensity and the habits that we’re going to need when the regular
season starts.”
Blues
defenseman Cam Fowler said, “I think there has to be (an emphasis).
We saw last year what happens when you get off to a start that is not
where you want to be and you just feel like you’re kind of chasing
things right from the beginning. … Talking with the players and the
coaches, there’s nobody that is very happy with the season that we
had last year. By the looks of it, it seems like everyone had a great
summer to refresh. The guys physically look really good out there.”
When
the puck drops Friday, the Blues will have 11 new players on their
opening night roster, the most they’ve had since 2023 (also 11).
Mason McTavish, one of their top pickups on the season when they
acquired the center at the 2026 NHL Draft for two 2026 first-round
picks, feels the Blues can make some noise in the Western Conference.
“Oh
for sure, just being on the ice with them, there's so much skill, so
much speed,” McTavish said when asked if the Blues can be a playoff
team. “I think guys are really hungry and we have a really
competitive group, as far as I can tell. That's something that is
never to be overlooked, how bad you want it and that compete level.”
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - OCTOBER 1: Jack Hughes #86 of the New Jersey Devils scores the game winning goal during the overtime period of the game against the Philadelphia Flyers on October 1, 2026, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
A delightful start to the campaign! Jack Hughes finished off an overtime win as the Devils took Thursday’s season opener 3-2. [Devils NHL]
Here we go!
The #NJDevils with Luke Hughes on the ice tonight (5v5):
– 29-6 advantage in shot attempts – 13-3 scoring chances – 4-0 high-danger chances – 81.68% of the expected goals – Game-tying goal in the 3rd
“This is a big season for the Devils. It’s more or less playoffs or bust. The talent is there for them to return to postseason play, especially with a murky Metropolitan Division, but they need to prove it. Can the Devils finally live up to expectations and deliver the goods?” [Devils on the Rush ($)]
“NHL commissioner Gary Bettman believes that no-trade clauses are no longer being used as ‘originally intended,’ and instead, players are using them to force moves to specific teams after requesting a trade.” [ESPN]
On the Quinn Hughes question in Minnesota: “This year is really important,” Guerin said. “Every year is really important, but the steps we’ve taken over the last five or six years to get where we are now — it’s been a lot of work from everybody involved. Put it like this: We can’t waste years. You can’t waste years.” [The Athletic ($)]
We’re just throwing around money these days:
Anaheim is extending young D Tristan Luneau 6 x $7.2M AAV
Largest contract in NHL history for player with 14 games played.
Ducks believe in the player…kept him in AHL all last year after some previous injuries. Think he will be a top 4 D.
