Category: Ice Hockey

Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes has been nominated for the 2025 King Clancy Trophy. The annual award is presented “to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.” All 32 teams nominated a player, with the winner receiving not just the trophy but also a $25,000 donation to the charity of their choice.

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The Kind Clancy Trophy has been awarded to three Canucks in the past. Trevor Linden won in 1997, while Henrik Sedin took home the trophy in 2016. Henrik won the award a second time in 2018, but this time, alongside his brother, Daniel Sedin, as the NHL recognized all the work the twins had done in the community during their careers.

Hughes has developed into a leader on and off the ice. He started the Team 43 campaign, which donates tickets to local first responders in BC. Hughes has also developed into a superstar in the NHL and will finish this season as the team's leading scorer despite missing 14 games due to injury.

2024-25 King Clancy Memorial Trophy nominees:

Anaheim Ducks: Radko Gudas
Boston Bruins: Charlie McAvoy
Buffalo Sabres: Alex Tuch
Calgary Flames: Jonathan Huberdeau
Carolina Hurricanes: Jordan Staal
Chicago Blackhawks: Connor Murphy
Colorado Avalanche: Devon Toews
Columbus Blue Jackets: Zach Werenski
Dallas Stars: Matt Duchene
Detroit Red Wings: Jeff Petry
Edmonton Oilers: Darnell Nurse
Florida Panthers: Aleksander Barkov
Los Angeles Kings: Kevin Fiala
Minnesota Wild: Frederick Gaudreau
Montreal Canadiens: Nick Suzuki
Nashville Predators: Ryan O'Reilly
New Jersey Devils: Jack Hughes
New York Islanders: Matt Martin
New York Rangers: Adam Fox
Ottawa Senators: Brady Tkachuk
Philadelphia Flyers: Garnet Hathaway
Pittsburgh Penguins: Kevin Hayes
San Jose Sharks: Mario Ferraro
Seattle Kraken: Jaden Schwartz
St. Louis Blues: Colton Parayko
Tampa Bay Lightning: Victor Hedman
Toronto Maple Leafs: Mitch Marner
Utah Hockey Club: Alex Kerfoot
Vancouver Canucks: Quinn Hughes
Vegas Golden Knights: Jack Eichel
Washington Capitals: Tom Wilson
Winnipeg Jets: Adam Lowry

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, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

The Hockey News Big Show is back to discuss some of the biggest NHL and hockey topics

This Is Canada’s Best Chance At Ending The Stanley Cup Drought In Years by The Big Showundefined

Here’s what Katie Gaus, Michael Traikos and Ryan Kennedy discussed in this episode:

3:01: The Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars are locked in for a first-round matchup. Here’s what to expect and the series prediction.

7:48: The Winnipeg Jets clinched the Presidents' Trophy as the regular-season champions. Since 1986, only eight of the 37 Presidents' Trophy winners have won the Stanley Cup. Do you believe in the curse?

11:01: What has impressed you most about Winnipeg's season, and more importantly, can they continue it in the playoffs?

13:55: For the first time in NHL history, the Bruins, Penguins and Rangers have all missed the playoffs. Which team will make it back into the playoffs? What moves do they need to make to get there?

17:14: This year's Stanley Cup playoffs could likely feature five of the seven Canadian teams. It would be the first time five Canadian teams have made it since 2017. Is this the year since 1993 we see the Stanley Cup brought back to Canada?

21:08: Which team has a better chance of winning the Cup between Toronto and Winnipeg?

21:59: We've got a few new faces making it into the playoffs this year. Which player who has never been in the playoffs are you most excited to see get their first taste of playoff hockey?

24:12: Which player is a bigger loss for their team heading into the playoffs: Mattias Ekholm for the Oilers or Oliver Bjorkstrand for the Lightning?

28:07: Reports out of Boston indicate that no changes are expected in the Bruins’ front office, so it looks like Don Sweeney and Cam Neely are here to stay. Is this good or bad for Boston? Could we see any other team making changes at the top and firing a GM? 

32:19: Ivan Demidov had an impressive NHL debut, with one goal and one assist. Could he be the next Guy Lafleur?

34:52: Logan Couture is not expected to continue his NHL playing career. He played 15 years, all for the San Jose Sharks. Where does he rank among all-time Sharks greats?

36:37: The NHLPA Player Poll was released today – 630 players were asked to name the league's most complete player. Sidney Crosby finished slightly ahead of Aleksander Barkov. Agree or disagree?

39:29: What’s your favorite NHL Stanley Cup playoff tradition?

Watch the full episode here.   

Subscribe to The Hockey News Big Show on your preferred platform.

The Montreal Canadiens and their fans are big Philadelphia Flyers fans today, especially Matvei Michkov, you know, that other Russian star prospect. The Columbus Blue Jackets are rolling into Philadelphia tonight to play a team that wants to finish the season strong. On a high note and they have been playing better hockey.

The Flyers are 5-3-2 in their last 10 and the Jackets are 6-4. The difference here could be goaltending. The Flyers will likely go with Sam Ersson, who is good and played fine in their last overtime loss. Will he play his best game, I think so, but even his best games mean one or two goals you wonder if he could have played differently or better. 

The Jackets are going with the hot hand. Jet Greaves who has won three in a row. He was in the AHL and now he’s back in the NHL and he seems different. At 24, he’s only played 19 games in the NHL. 

I’ve seen the Flyers pull out some weird wins before. They’ve played strong games against the Capitals and Stars in losses. They could do it because they’re trying to finish strong and interim coach Brad Shaw has been a breath of fresh air for the players. Never think something is all sewn up. This is sports and this is why they play the games. 

I think the Blue Jackets will win and so does Brendan Gallagher

On the help the Philadelphia Flyers could provide, Brendan Gallagher says: “I won’t turn it down, but we’re expecting (the Blue Jackets) to win. That’s what they’ve been doing. They’ve been playing desperate hockey and playing their best hockey of the year. More likely than not,…

— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) April 15, 2025

It is a storyline that writes itself.

After being acquired by the New Jersey Devils from the Boston Bruins at the NHL Trade Deadline, Marc McLaughlin will make his Devils debut at TD Garden, where he made his NHL debut in 2022.

Per the team's morning skate, he will start the game with Nolan Foote and Nathan Bastian.

The former Bruins forward debuted at TD Garden against New Jersey on March 31, 2022, and scored his team's seventh goal in their 8-1 victory over the Devils.

McLaughlin is a native of North Billerica, Massachusetts, 35 minutes north of Boston. He played hockey for four seasons at Boston College before turning pro.

It is no surprise that when MSG Networks play-by-play announcer Bill Spaulding asked if McLaughlin would have family in attendance, the center smiled and said, "A lot of family and friends. Super excited to get out there."

The puck will drop between the Devils and Bruins at 7:00 pm. Fans can watch on MSGSN or listen on the Devils Hockey Network.

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

The Mental Side of the Game: Devils Players & Mental Skills Coach Andy Swärd Take You Behind the Scenes

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The NHL Players Association's annual player poll is back to show everyone what the athletes think.

The poll shines a light on players’ opinions on a bunch of topics, whether it’s about the top players by positions, the most stylish person, the best ice and more.

After this year’s player poll was released Tuesday, three observations in particular were surprising. Let’s look at those surprises more closely.

1. Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews, Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl Not Top Five Forwards

Toronto Maple Leafs center Matthews is having a down year – at least, for him – with 31 goals and 75 points in 65 games. 

That relative slump was reflected in player voting for the “best overall forward” category. 

Five other players – overwhelming first-place finisher Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, Tampa Bay right winger Nikita Kucherov, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and Minnesota Wild left winger Kirill Kaprizov – comprised the top vote-getters in this category.

Interestingly enough, Matthews did appear in the “most complete player” category, finishing fifth behind category-winner Crosby, Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov, MacKinnon and McDavid. So there is a respect NHL players still have for Matthews. But clearly, Matthews’ inability to stay healthy and his drop-off in goals from a career-high 69 goals last season contributed to missing out on the top five forwards category.

Hart Trophy front-runner Leon Draisaitl also finished out of the top five in the “best overall forward” category, even though he leads the NHL in goals with 52 and ranks third in points with 106. He also has a 54.4 faceoff win percentage but didn’t make it on the “best face-off taker” list. He earned 6.83 percent of the vote for the NHL’s best playmaker question, but that was it.

Is Oilers' Leon Draisaitl A Better Goal-Scorer Than Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews? Not QuiteAt the moment, there are only two active NHL players with three or more 50-plus-goal seasons: Washington’s Alexander Ovechkin and…wait, you were expecting us to say Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews, weren’t you?

2. Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby Finishes First In Three Categories

Crosby is now 37 years old, but he’s got 30 goals – the fourth-straight season he’s scored at least 32 – and 89 points in 79 games. The respect Crosby’s fellow NHLers have for him can be seen in his handful of top-five finishes in the player poll.

Crosby finished first as the most complete player, first as the smartest overall player, first as the best faceoff-taker, fifth as the best playmaker and tied for fourth as the best overall forward. 

Crosby’s overall dominance continues to resonate, and given that he’s showing no signs of slowing down, you should bank on him getting more love in next year’s NHL player poll. He’s still as incredible as they come.

3. Winnipeg Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck Ranks Third For Best Overall Goalie

Hellebuyck is the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, and all he’s done since then is put up career-best numbers in wins (46) and goals-against average (2.02) while matching his career high in save percentage (.924). 

It’s hard to think of what more the 31-year-old goalie could’ve done for the Jets, but somehow, NHL players picked him only third overall in the best overall goalie category. Lightning netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy finished first with 31.13 percent of the 636 votes, while New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin received 23.58 percent of the votes. Hellebuyck received 15.57 percent of the love.

NHL Playoffs: Five Veterans With A Lot To ProveEvery NHL player has a lot to prove in the playoffs, but a handful of experienced post-season players have even more at stake this time around.

In some regards, you can see why NHL players voted for Vasilevskiy, who has a 2.20 GAA and .921 SP this year on top of winning two Stanley Cups and a Vezina in his career. Shesterkin finishing second, however, was more surprising. He has had a subpar season by his standards on an underperforming Rangers squad, with a 2.91 GAA and .903 SP. It feels like Shesterkin got votes from players based more on his reputation than his performance this season. 

In any case, the 31-year-old Hellebuyck has been so outstanding, he’s a front-runner for the Hart Trophy – and with due respect to Vasilevskiy, Hellebuyck should’ve been the players’ pick as best overall netminder.

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Seattle Kraken defenseman Ville Ottavainen will make his NHL debut tonight as the Kraken host the Los Angeles Kings in their final game of the season, HC Dan Bylsma confirms.

The Kraken recalled the 22-year-old from the Coachella Valley Firebirds yesterday on an emergency basis. All six Kraken defensemen were with the team at their optional practice so it's unclear who will be out of the lineup tonight in place of Ottavainen. 

In 66 AHL games this season, Ottavainen has scored three goals and 14 points. His 6'5, 216 lbs frame should allow him to feel comfortable with the physicality in the NHL.

The Kraken will become the first team with five picks from the 2021 draft to play in the NHL, those being Matty Beniers, Ryker Evans, Ryan Winterton, Ottavainen and Jacob Melanson. 

The Kings are locked into second place in the Pacific Division, securing home-ice advantage against the Edmonton Oilers in the first round. The Kings also played last night against the Oilers, and it wouldn't be too surprising to see them rest multiple players tonight. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Kraken stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.

Kraken Recall Defenseman On Emergency BasisThe Seattle Kraken have recalled defenseman Ville Ottavainen from the Coachella Valley Firebirds on an emergency basis.  Kraken Place Cale Fleury and John Hayden On WaiversThe Seattle Kraken have placed Cale Fleury and John Hayden on waivers.

For the sixth consecutive season, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has earned a prestigious honor from his NHL peers.

The NHL Players Association's (NHLPA) Annual Players Poll was released on Tuesday, and Crosby was, once again, named the league's most complete player. He also got top marks as the league's smartest overall player and the one guy players would want taking a must-win faceoff.

Crosby also finished top-five in "Best Overall Forward" and "Best Playmaker."

These honors are nothing new to Crosby, who is well-known for having earned a high degree of respect among his peers. But, nonetheless, the captain is grateful for the distinguishment, which he wasn't even aware of when told by the Pittsburgh media this morning.

"It means a lot," Crosby said. "Those are the guys you compete against every night, and I think that's one of the best compliments you could have is from the people that you compete against every night. So that means a lot."

'When He Speaks, Everyone Listens': How Sidney Crosby's Mentorship Has Passed On To Multiple Generations Of TeammatesFollowing the team's regular practice on Dec. 16, Pittsburgh Penguins' captain Sidney Crosby took some extra time out of his day to do something pretty much everyone around him is accustomed to witnessing on a day-to-day basis.

Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan is certainly accustomed to seeing Crosby succeed, but he said that it's the captain's work ethic and dedication to details that give him the all-around skillset he possesses.

"He's the standard for what it means to be a Pittsburgh Penguin," Sullivan said. "When [younger guys] get an opportunity to be around him and see how he carries himself every day, there's no better mentor, there's no better example on how to be a pro than him. Everything from how he lives his life, to the choices he makes with his diet, to how hard he trains off the ice, to the detail and the work habits that he displays on the ice. He controls everything within his power to set himself up for success.

"That's a lot easier said than done. There aren't a lot of guys who are willing to go to that level of detail and that commitment to do that. And that's one of the things that separates him from any other athlete that I've been around."

Penguins' Crosby On Pace To Become Sixth Player To Score 90 Points At 37 Or OlderPittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is on the cusp of NHL history (again). With 87 points in 77 games, he's just three points shy of 90 for the season, possibly three consecutive seasons of reaching the plateau.

That work ethic was reflected in Crosby's words, too. Even though he happy to be recognized by his peers, he understands that along with that hard work is the motivation to do whatever it takes to help his team win.

And if that means becoming a little bit better at everything, he's ready and willing to do that.

"You're always trying to learn, and you're always trying to get better," Crosby said. "If that allows you to be in the conversation for [that distinguishment], then obviously, you're doing something right.

"But I don't think about that a whole lot. I'm like, minus-20-something. So, I look at that as I don't like being on for goals-against. So, you're always trying to get better and find different areas of your game that you can improve no matter how long you've played. Ultimately, those things, hopefully, translate to wins. So that's the motivation behind it, not necessarily individual things."

At the end of the day, the 20-year veteran seems to still be playing at the same level he was a decade ago, which is remarkable for a player at the age of 37. The fact that he's still in these conversations is remarkable in and of itself.

But that's just who Crosby is. And Sullivan knows his captain has earned every ounce of recognition and respect he has gotten.

"He controls what he can, and that's his own approach every day... his determination to be the best," Sullivan said. "You guys see that on display every night as well as I do. I think the fact that he's been recognized by his peers might be the highest compliment that any player could ever receive.

"When your peers think that highly of you, I think that just speaks volumes because these guys play with and mostly against him night-in and night-out. And he earns that respect that he's gotten from his peers year-in and year-out. That's not something that's handed to anyone. He earns that through his performance and how hard he competes out there."

Like Ovechkin's Capitals, Penguins Owe It To Crosby To Right The ShipOn Sunday, the hockey world got to witness Alexander Ovechkin - The Great “8” - surpass The Great “One” for the most goals in NHL history.

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The Buffalo Sabres will begin their final homestand of the regular season against the Toronto Maple Leafs at KeyBank Center on Tuesday, with milestones on the line for both sides. The Leafs have an opportunity to win the Atlantic Division for the first time and for winger Mitch Marner to reach the 100-point mark, while on the Sabres side they will have another chance to notch head coach Lindy Ruff’s 900th career victory. 

The Sabres held a brief morning skate on Tuesday without center Beck Malenstyn and defenseman Owen Power. Malenstyn took a shot up high against the Florida Panthers on Saturday, and his absence will require a call up from AHL Rochester to fill in on the fourth line. Power’s injury is feared to be more serious and could be long-term.

 

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"It looks to be (a serious injury),  so we don't really have a time frame yet. We'll have more information for a follow-up today or in the next couple days," Ruff said. "I don't know if I should say month to month, but he would be listed week to week, but that's just me kind of speculating. He'd be out for some period of time."

Power left Saturday’s 3-2 loss to the Panthers in the second period after defenseman Mattias Samuelsson knocked Florida’s Carter Verhaeghe into the Sabres blueliner, rolling up on his left leg. While Ruff did not indicate any specifics on the injury, there is a fear of it being long-term, which would mean that the former #1 overall pick would be spending most or all of the upcoming offseason rehabilitating it.  

"He's such a big piece of the team, and obviously, he's continuing to grow his game and develop," Sabres forward Tage Thompson said. "I guess the silver lining is it's an injury that's happened going into the summer, and he'll have time to rehab it and rest it, get ready for the upcoming season and come back stronger......It's obviously tough to see anyone get injured, and I definitely feel for him right now, but having gone through injuries myself, especially ones where you're out a little bit longer, it's sometimes gonna be a blessing. This could be something that really helps him."

Follow Michael on X, Instagram and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

The NHL announced every team’s King Clancy Trophy nominee for the 2024-25 season. 

This award goes “to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.” Each team nominated a player.

The King Clancy Trophy will be voted on by a committee made up of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman as well as previous King Clancy winners and those who received the historic NHL Foundation Player Award. The committee will consider how a nominee positively benefits his community with inspiration, involvement and impact.

The player with the most votes will earn $25,000 to donate to any charity or charities they wish. Also, the winner can choose to have their team get up to $20,000 from the NHL to support an event for their humanitarian cause.

Last year’s winner was left winger Anders Lee of the New York Islanders. Lee’s been a leader for the Islanders on the ice and has also been heavily involved with the Jam Kancer in the Kan foundation and other initiatives to help cancer patients and families affected by cancer. 

Since the award was introduced in 1988, an Islanders player has won the King Clancy Trophy three times. The Edmonton Oilers, Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks have also taken the award home on three occasions. The Calgary Flames have won the King Clancy four times, the most of any team in the league. Their last winner was captain Mikael Backlund in 2022-23.

Here are the nominees for this season.

Anaheim Ducks: Radko Gudas

Boston Bruins: Charlie McAvoy

Buffalo Sabres: Alex Tuch

Calgary Flames: Jonathan Huberdeau

Carolina Hurricanes: Jordan Staal

Chicago Blackhawks: Connor Murphy

Colorado Avalanche: Devon Toews

Columbus Blue Jackets: Zach Werenski

Dallas Stars: Matt Duchene

Detroit Red Wings: Jeff Petry

Edmonton Oilers: Darnell Nurse

Florida Panthers: Aleksander Barkov

Los Angeles Kings: Kevin Fiala

Minnesota Wild: Frederick Gaudreau

Montreal Canadiens: Nick Suzuki

Nashville Predators: Ryan O'Reilly

New Jersey Devils: Jack Hughes

New York Islanders: Matt Martin

New York Rangers: Adam Fox

Ottawa Senators: Brady Tkachuk

Philadelphia Flyers: Garnet Hathaway

Pittsburgh Penguins: Kevin Hayes

San Jose Sharks: Mario Ferraro

Seattle Kraken: Jaden Schwartz

St. Louis Blues: Colton Parayko

Tampa Bay Lightning: Victor Hedman

Toronto Maple Leafs: Mitch Marner

Utah Hockey Club: Alexander Kerfoot

Vancouver Canucks: Quinn Hughes

Vegas Golden Knights: Jack Eichel

Washington Capitals: Tom Wilson

Winnipeg Jets: Adam Lowry

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

BUFFALO — The Toronto Maple Leafs will reward Max Domi with a second look alongside John Tavares and William Nylander as the club visits the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Tuesday.

Domi picked up a pair of assists in the third period while skating on Toronto's second line in the Maple Leafs' 4-1 win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday and head coach Craig Berube hopes the forward's spring brings the right dynamic as they look to solidify their playoff roster.

45 for Will Ny The Scoring Guy 😎 pic.twitter.com/kgnHplhg6k

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) April 13, 2025

 "I wanted a little more speed in that line. They ended up getting a couple goals that line for us, but just the speed and his playmaking ability," Berube said of the change. (He) made some nice plays. Made two good plays. We scored two goals off it. I thought he did a good job.

"He's obviously a versatile player for us. (He) plays center, plays wing. He provides speed and ability to make plays."

The Maple Leafs need one point in their next two games to clinch first place in the Atlantic Division. With home-ice advantage for Round 1 of the post-season now secure, the Leafs are still looking for optimal lines through lines 2-4. 

In his first season with the Leafs, Domi primarily played center, but moved over to the wing regularly after an injury to Mitch Marner. Once Marner returned, Domi stayed on the wing alongside Auston Matthews and Tyler Bertuzzi for their 2024 first-round series against the Boston Bruins.

Maple Leafs Reveal Lower-Body Injury For Mitch Marner, Star Misses First Game Of 2024-25 NHL SeasonMarner hasn't been on the ice since scoring the game-winning goal in Toronto's previous game.

With players like Max Pacioretty possibly set to come be activated from long-term injured reserve, the next two games gives Berube a chance to see where things shake out.

Pontus Holmberg moved from wing to center to the third line with Bobby McMann and Nick Robertson. 

Toronto Maple Leafs Finally Find Their Upgrade On Max Domi With Scott LaughtonAs the market for centers slowly diminished throughout the week, Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving finally found their middle-six center in Scott Laughton.

If the Leafs get a point tonight, they will have won a division in a full 82-game season for the first time since the 1999-2000 season. They'll also secure a date with the Ottawa Senators in the opening round.

"I understand it's been a while,  we're looking forwardto the playoff push," Maple Leafs forward Steven Lorentz said. "We don't care who we see, we're just excited to get that going."

The Leafs wrap up their regular season at home against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday.

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NHL Central Scouting released its final rankings for the 2025 NHL draft.

Erie Otters defenseman Matthew Schaefer edged out Saginaw Spirit center Michael Misa for the No. 1 spot on the North American skaters list. On the international skaters list, Djurgarden teammates Anton Frondell and Victor Eklund lead the way. 

NHL Central Scouting lists are better viewed as a league-wide barometer rather than a distinctive ranking by an outlet. The NHL’s in-house bureau gives teams and fans rankings to serve as a guide.

Here are some initial reactions to the NHL draft skater lists.

North American Skaters

There is some notable movement on a few players on the North American skaters list, despite Schaefer remaining in first place.

OHL Brampton right winger Porter Martone dropped a couple of spots from fourth to sixth place. He may not be a top-five draft pick after being a virtual lock in that range previously.

WHL Brandon center Roger McQueen has spent much of the season on the sidelines with a back injury, and although he came back just before the playoffs, he missed the final two games of the team’s first-round series loss. His drop from fifth to eighth could be the start of teams becoming more concerned about his long-term health. 

Another interesting drop on the list was Haoxi ‘Simon’ Wang who fell from 23rd to 34th, signifying that teams likely see the tall but lanky Oshawa Generals’ defenseman as a possible second-round pick. He stepped into the OHL at the halfway point of the season after starting in the OJHL, where he generated a ton of buzz. 

On the flip side, Brantford Bulldogs center Jake O’Brien went from eighth to fourth after a great season, showcasing a blend of physical tools and size and some excellent playmaking ability. Radim Mrtka, the Seattle Thunderbirds' import defender, rounded out the top five, moving up a spot. Barrie Colts physical blueliner Kaswhawn Aitcheson finds himself in the top 10, moving up five spots. 

Mason West, a center playing Minnesota high school hockey, jumped from 50th to 27th. He’s worth watching as the NHL draft draws closer. 

West is a big forward who moves fairly well for his size and is finishing the season strong for the USHL’s Fargo Force. He has the package that so many NHL teams want, so it will take just one team falling in love and grabbing him in the late first or early second round.

2025 NHL Draft Rankings: Ferrari's Mid-Season Top 64It's 2025 NHL draft rankings time again as we're about to see the class playing some of its highest-level hockey.

International Skaters

The international list is always a bit more chaotic, and this iteration is no different. 

Although Frondell and Eklund simply flipped positions at the top, the mid-term No. 3 was Ivan Ryabkin, who moved to USHL Muskegon and saw his stock fall to 35th on the final North American list. Modo Jr. center Milton Gastrin moved from fourth to third, and Czech left winger Vojtech Cihar moved up a spot to fourth. 

One of the most interesting names on the final list is Russian right winger Alexander Zharovksy landing at No. 5 after not being on the mid-season list at all. 

Zharovsky has a very interesting package of tools, and he tore up Russian junior hockey with 50 points in 45 games for Ufa Jr. But after not being on the list all year, finding him in fifth place was a moderate surprise. 

Max Psenicka sat eighth in the midterm rankings, but he moved to the WHL to play for the Portland Winterhawks. With seven points in 24 games and four points in nine playoff games, he's only 40th on the North American skaters list. Maxim Agafonov (17th to 33rd), Dmitri Isayev (ninth to 21st), and Kirill Yemelyanov (15th to 31st) are among some of the names that fell notably. 

Swedish winger Arvid Drott went from 43rd to 25th, playing alongside Eric Nilson (No. 7) on many occasions for Djurgarden Jr. Max Westergard, a Finnish winger playing in Sweden, rose from 66th to 30th. 

You can find the full lists here.

Correction: Max Psenicka, who appeared on the international skaters midterm list, was on the North American skaters list for the final rankings.

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The Colorado Avalanche ended Gabriel Landeskog's conditioning loan early.

Their captain rejoins the NHL club on Tuesday after spending most of the past week with the AHL's Colorado Eagles, the Avalanche announced.

The 32-year-old hasn't played an NHL game since June 26, 2022, when his assist helped the Avalanche beat the Tampa Bay Lightning to win the Stanley Cup. He's had a right knee injury that involved cartilage transplant surgery in May 2023.

Landeskog has been on long-term injury reserve during his recovery. Under the collective bargaining agreement, the Avalanche could assign him on a conditioning loan to the AHL while he's on LTIR for up to the longer of six days and three games for the purpose of determining whether he's fit to play. Although it's been six days, Landeskog only participated in two games, while the Eagles have three regular-season games remaining.

Landeskog played his first professional games in almost three years on April 11 and 12 with the Eagles. While he was left off the scoreboard in his first game, he had a goal and assist in his second.

"Physically, I feel great," Landeskog told reporters after his first game. "Obviously, it's the first game in a long time, so I got plenty of things to work on and get better at, but it was a lot of fun."

Although the Stockholm, Sweden, native said he has a lot of things to improve on to get back into the flow, it was fun to be back.

"Obviously, there were times where I didn't know if it was ever going to happen, so it felt great being in the battle again and on the bench, in the room, on the ice, all of the nuances of a hockey game," he said.

Avalanche teammates Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Josh Manson, as well as former teammate Andrew Cogliano and Avs GM Chris MacFarland, attended the April 11 match to support Landeskog.

Landeskog could be back on the ice with his teammates for the first-round matchup against the Dallas Stars if his knee responded well to the game action. The Avalanche are currently using LTIR pool space to exceed the salary cap's upper limit by just over $6 million, according to PuckPedia. Landeskog carries a $7-million cap hit.

There's no salary cap in the playoffs, meaning the team wouldn't need to clear cap space to take him off LTIR.

In 738 career NHL games, Landeskog has 248 goals and 323 assists for 571 points.

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With only one game left in Lane Hutson’s historical rookie season, the Montreal Canadiens blueliner still leads all rookies in points, two ahead of San Jose Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini and five in front of Philadelphia Flyers’ Matvei Michkov. On Monday night against the Chicago Blackhawks, he finally beat Chris Chelios’s record and became the highest-scoring rookie defenseman in franchise history.

Three Takeaways As Demidov Took The Bell Center's Breath Away But The Hawks Took The Win
Canadiens: St-Louis On Ivan Demidov’s Linemates And Hughes On His Arrival
Jacob Fowler is Moving Up Laval’s Depth Chart

The 62nd overall pick at the 2022 draft has exceeded all expectations in his rookie season. While he dropped at the draft because of his small stature, he had taken to the NHL like a fish to water and is using his size to his advantage. The blueliner has so much speed and deceptive actions that other players struggle to hit such a tiny, fast-moving target.

With a single game left to play, it’s safe to say that Hutson will not break the league record that belongs to Larry Murphy, who put up 76 points with the Los Angeles Kings in 1980-81, but being the fifth-highest scoring defenseman in league history is no small feat. As things stand, only Murphy, Brian Leetch (71), Gary Suter (68), and Phil Housley (66) have scored more points in their rookie season. They all became fantastic offensive defensemen, playing significant roles in their team’s fate. Housley is the only one who didn’t win a Stanley Cup.

𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 · 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/qNi4DU5RKO

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 15, 2025

Among active blueliners, Quinn Hughes’s rookie season was the most productive, with 53 points (in 68 games), ranks 15th in league history. Moritz Seider and Cale Makar (in 57 games) had 50 points in their first seasons, giving them the 18th and 19th rank, respectively. Seider and Makar both won the Calder Trophy as the top rookie of the year, and Hughes probably would have done as well had he not played his rookie season the same year as Makar.

At this stage, the Canadiens’ standout should receive the honour and become the first Canadiens to win it since Ken Dryden in 1971-72. Only six Habs have won the coveted prize: Dryden, Jacques Laperriere, Bobby Rousseau, Ralph Backstrom, Bernie Geoffrion, and John Quilty.

Even if Hutson were to lose the rookie scoring race, considering how impressive and even historical his rookie season has been, he should still be crowned.

Super rookies 🦸‍♂️ #NHLAwards

Who do you think will take home the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year? 🏆

Read more from @NHLdotcom ➡️ https://t.co/s35qyF0CmDpic.twitter.com/Jipd9fdXn4

— NHL (@NHL) April 14, 2025

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The LA Kings shut out their playoff nemesis Edmonton Oilers 5-0 at Rogers Place on Monday night, clinching home ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs. Currently sitting at 103 points on the season with two games remaining, LA has a chance to eclipse the franchise record of 105 points, set by the 1974-1975 squad. That roster was filled with names like Butch Goring, Mike Murphy, and Rogie Vachon, so getting anywhere near the zip code of that team is a clear indicator that the 2024-25 Kings have had an outstanding regular season.

LA got the jump on the depleted Oilers (Draisaitl, Ekholm, and McDavid all out) at 2:55 of the first period with a goal from Warren Foegele, his 23rd of the year.

Warren Foegele (23) collects the bounce off the boards and scores on a wide-open net.

Assists:
Phillip Danault (34)
Trevor Moore (21)#GoKingsGo#LetsGoOilers#EDMvsLAKpic.twitter.com/79T9G9Ff78

— LA Royalty (@LARoyalty1967) April 15, 2025

Quinton Byfield would later make the Oilers pay on the power play with his 23rd goal of the year, adding to an already career season high for the 22-year-old centerman.  By the time defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov rippled the top corner twine at 18:45, the Kings would head into the intermission with a healthy three goal lead. Did you know that when scoring three or more goals this season, LA is an eye-popping 40-0-2?

Got a call coming in from Edmonton 🤙 pic.twitter.com/sJEKYk15MG

— x - LA Kings (@LAKings) April 15, 2025

Kevin Fiala joined in on the action with his team-high 35th of the season on the power play in the second period, and Adrian Kempe, not to be one-upped, tacked on his 34th goal of the year at 8:13 of the third period to close out the strangely officiated penalty fest. 

Loves a Kopi to Juice moment pic.twitter.com/m47LBPGxeG

— x - LA Kings (@LAKings) April 15, 2025

With his assist on Kempe's goal, captain Anze Kopitar is now just 29 points shy of franchise leader Marcel Dionne's 1,307 points, who managed to do that in just 921 games as a King.  Little Beaver's 1771 career points make him the highest scorer in NHL history to never win a Stanley Cup.

Normally a 5-0 victory against a hated division and playoff rival would be grounds for at least a mild euphoria but Darnell Nurse's cheap and dangerous cross-check to the back of Quinton Byfield's head surely led to tossing and turning from Kings' fans across the globe. The young star exited the game, and the team later announced that Byfield was suffering from an upper-body injury.

In a season that has seen the 2020 first round pick blossom as a talented two-way player capable of highlight reel goals on one end and solid defense on the other, losing Byfield for any length of time in the playoffs would be a huge blow for the Kings. 

Nurse, who has already been suspended three times in his career, is likely to receive a call from and perhaps an in-person meeting with the NHL's Department of Player Safety, and deservedly so. There is no place in the game for these types of hits, especially with all that we are learning about the devasting effects of CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) linked to repeated blows to the head. 

This year the Kings have shown the ability to overcome adversity, as they missed the services of Drew Doughty for well over half of the season. Now they may have to figure out how to vanquish the Oilers in the playoffs without Quinton Byfield.

At the 2025 NHL trade deadline, the Nashville Predators acquired forward Michael Bunting and a 2026 fourth-round pick from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman Luke Schenn and forward Tommy Novak. Schenn was then quickly flipped by the Penguins to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 fourth-round pick.

The Predators bringing in Bunting was a bit surprising, as they were already out of the playoff race at that point of the season. However, he will also be more than a rental for them, as he is signed until the end of the 2025-26 season, carrying a $4.5 million cap hit. Thus, the Predators are hoping that he can be a key part of their forward group as they aim to turn things around next season.

Bunting's start with the Predators was quiet, as he had just four points in his first 13 games with the Central Division club. However, the 2014 fourth-round pick is heating up with the regular season nearing its conclusion.

Bunting is currently sporting a four-game point streak, where he has two goals, five points, and a plus-5 rating over that span. This includes scoring a goal in the Predators' most recent matchup against the Utah Hockey Club on April 14. 

Bunting has shown throughout his career that he can be an impactful offensive contributor when playing at his best, and the Predators are starting to see that. It will be fascinating to see if he can finish the season on a strong note in the Predators' season finale against the Dallas Stars on April 16 from here. 

Recent Predators News 

Predators Call Up Promising Prospect DefensemanThe Nashville Predators have announced that they have recalled defenseman Ryan Ufko from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals. In addition, the team announced that Ufko will make his NHL debut during the Predators' April 14 contest against the Utah Hockey Club. Predators Top Prospect Is Heating Up In AHLNashville Predators prospect Joakim Kemell is considered one of the team's most promising youngsters. The 20-year-old forward is continuing to develop his game at the American Hockey League (AHL) level with the Milwaukee Admirals and is in the middle of a solid season that saw him play in the 2025 AHL All-Star Classic. Predators Sign Tough Guy To Contract ExtensionThe Nashville Predators have announced that they have signed forward Navrin Mutter to a one-year, two-way contract extension for the 2025-26 season. Former Predators Forward Done For The SeasonPittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan has announced that former Nashville Predators forward Tommy Novak will be out for the rest of the season.