Both Balinskis and Vilmanis appear poised to see plenty of ice time with Latvia.
During early practices, Balinskis was seen skating on the top Latvian defensive pairing with Kristians Rubins while Vilmanis was placed on the left side of the top forward line, along with winger Eduards Tralmaks and Girgensons at center.
Formace Lotyšska na dnešním tréninkovém zápasu proti Švýcarsku! 🇱🇻
Latvia opens their Olympic schedule on Thursday against the United States at 3:10 p.m. ET, followed by a matchup with Germany on Saturday at 6:10 a.m. ET and then a battle with Denmark on Sunday at 1:10 p.m. ET.
Photo caption: Jan 16, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Uvis Balinskis (26) celebrates his goal with left wing Sandis Vilmanis (95) against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period at Lenovo Center. (James Guillory-Imagn Images)
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Easton Cowan is set to receive some new bling on Wednesday from his junior club, the OHL's London Knights.
The 20-year-old, along with former London teammates Denver Barkey, Sam Dickinson, and Kasper Halttunen, will be given their 2025 Championship rings before the Knights' game against the OHL's Guelph Storm.
Welcoming back some London legends on Wednesday night 🌟
Prior to puck drop we'll present Denver, Easton, Kasper and Sam with their 2025 Championship rings! pic.twitter.com/8fQjS6nLOe
London won both the OHL Championship and the Memorial Cup last spring.
The Knights unveiled both rings on Jan. 15. One sported the Knights' logo surrounded by what looks to be diamonds, and the other was engraved with the player's number in the centre.
Cowan tallied three goals and seven points in five games at the Memorial Cup, earning the tournament's MVP honor.
Cowan played parts of four seasons with the Knights from 2022 to 2025. In 175 games with London, Cowan tallied 84 goals and 220 points. He holds the Knights' record for playoff points, tallying 32 goals and 64 assists for 96 points in 60 postseason games.
The Mount Brydges, Ontario, native also had a historic (unofficial) point streak in his final season with London, scoring points in 65 consecutive games. The OHL deemed the streak unofficial because it spanned across two seasons.
Now in the NHL with the Maple Leafs, Cowan's debut season has had its ups and downs.
The rookie has seven goals and 10 assists through 43 games this season, while averaging 13:31 of ice time. He's played on every forward line with the Maple Leafs and also gets power play time.
However, the forward was a healthy scratch in Toronto's final three games before the Olympic break.
"As we talked about, (Cowan) needed a little bit of a reset. I think the break will do him well. Nothing changes there," Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said ahead of Toronto's final game before the break against the Edmonton Oilers.
"There are young guys in the league who don't play all the time. There are times they do, but there are times when they don't, and they have little breaks here and there. They benefit from it."
Nevertheless, Wednesday will be a night Cowan will remember for a long time as he caps off a historic junior career with the Knights.
'Pens Rafa?l Harvey-Pinard passes the puck during the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins home opener on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025. (Photo by Jason Ardan/The Citizens' Voice via Getty Images)
For the second week in a row a member of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins was named the AHL’s player of the week. Avery Hayes claimed the honors this week by producing four goals in two games. Oh, and in between he found the time for a little dalliance in the NHL as well.
Fresh off his two-goal game in the NHL on Thursday, Hayes scored a hat trick against Hershey in a 4-3 OT win that culminated in Hayes scoring that game-winner while breaking his stick.
All in all, not a bad week for Hayes with six goals in three games combining time in Pittsburgh and WBS.
The same could be said for the Pens having a good week, winners of their three games. From Nick Hart at WBSPenguins.com:
Wednesday, Feb. 4 – PENGUINS 4 vs. Hershey 1 Sergei Murashov stonewalled the Bears in the first two periods, leading to a 0-0 score. The Penguins then uncorked four goals in the third period, including Tanner Howe’s first as a pro.
Friday, Feb. 6 – PENGUINS 6 at Lehigh Valley 5 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton survived a high-scoring affair down the PA Turnpike thanks to a four-point, hat trick night from d-man Matt Dumba. Ville Koivunen also logged four points (1G-3A). Melvin Fernström made his AHL debut and recorded two assists.
Saturday, Feb. 7 – PENGUINS 4 at Hershey 3 (OT) Avery Hayes came back from a dream NHL debut to give the Bears nightmares before the All-Star Break. Hayes scored a hat trick, capped off with the overtime winner. The Penguins’ other goal came from 19-year-old Fernström, his first in the AHL.
New faces and fresh blood were key, former second round pick and 20-year old Tanner Howe is back from his ACL rehab to get a belated start to his first pro season. Swedish import Melvin Fernstrom has taken to the AHL for his first taste of North American pro hockey and generated three points over the two games he’s played.
No change in the standings, the Penguins remain in second place in the Atlantic Division. WBS is on a five-game winning streak, which is nice but hardly anything compared to first-place Providence’s current 10-game heater. Both first and second place are pulling away big time at this point from the rest of the pack. Charlotte has four games in hand but are 13 points back of WBS. Fourth place Hershey has the four games in hand but are a whopping 20 back of WBS. Good news for getting a bye as a top-two seed in the division.
As a result of the heavy early schedule, things lighten up for WBS. They only have seven games remaining in February and just 10 scheduled in March (compared to the 17 that will be played by NHL Pittsburgh, though the NHL regular season is 10 games longer).
The AHL is currently celebrating their All-Star festivites, the skills challenge event was last night. Tristan Broz and Sergei Murashov are the Penguin representatives.
The overall AHL All-Star challenge is tonight in Rockford Illinois. The WBS Pens will be back at it this weekend with Saturday and Sunday home contests against Syracuse and Cleveland, respectively.
For the first time since 2014, the NHL allowed players from the top hockey league in the world to compete at the Olympics. The NHL is currently on break, with regular season games halted from Feb. 6 to Feb. 24.
That means NHL stars like Team USA captain Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs) and brothers Matthew Tkachuk (Florida Panthers) and Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa Senators), will be in action. Canada, the gold medal favorite, is also stacked with some of the top talent in the world, such as Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers), Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche) and the Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby, one of the greats of the past century.
Team USA's "Miracle on Ice" gold medal win in 1980 was with amateurs, as the NHL had yet to clear its players for the Olympics. That was also the last year Team USA won a gold medal in men's hockey at the Games.
Here's what to know about men's hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics, including why NHL players were briefly unable to play in the Olympics for a few cycles:
When's the last time NHL players were in the Winter Olympics?
NHL players last competed at the Winter Olympics in 2014, when the Games were held in Sochi, Russia. NHL players are returning in 2026 for the first time since, as they missed the 2018 and 2022 Olympics.
The NHL didn't allow participation in 2018 due to a multitude of disagreements by the NHL, the International Olympic Committee and the NHL Players Association, which wanted the chance for players to represent their countries. NHL owners also opposed briefly shutting down the season and didn't view South Korea, where the 2018 Games were held, as a site for growth for the league.
The NHL Players Association later got a clause into the newly negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2020 to allow players to participate in the 2022 and 2026 Olympics. However, the NHL and NHLPA agreed to withdraw from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics due to the 2021-22 NHL season being impacted by COVID-19, with over 50 games rescheduled.
When did NHL players start playing in the Winter Olympics?
NHL players have only competed in a handful of Olympics, starting with the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. NHL players also participated in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014.
The NHL, International Ice Hockey Federation, International Olympic Committee and the NHL Players' Association reached an agreement on allowing Olympic competition in 1995.
Olympic hockey, just the NHL, doesn't allow for ties.
A game will go to overtime if it is tied after 60 minutes and there also is the possibility of a shootout if the game remains tied once an overtime period ends.
But there are differences between NHL rules and Olympic rules on how overtimes and shootouts are conducted. The maximum length of a sudden death overtime depends on the round in which the game is being played. And the shootout format is totally different from the one used by the NHL.
Here's an explainer on how overtimes and shootouts work in Olympic hockey:
Olympic overtime rules
If the teams are tied after 60 minutes in the preliminary round, a five-minute sudden-death overtime will be played at 3-on-3. Unlike the NHL, teams don't change ends for overtime.
Overtime in a playoff game, along with the bronze medal game, lasts a maximum of 10 minutes. It's also 3-on-3, as opposed to 5-on-5 in NHL playoff games.
In the gold medal game, teams play 20-minute 3-on-3 overtime periods, separated by 15-minute intermissions, until someone scores. Teams don't change sides for the first overtime but do for subsequent overtimes.
Olympic shootout rules
If overtime doesn't settle a game outside of the gold medal game, there will be a shootout. The winner of a coin toss gets to choose whether their team shoots first or second.
The format differs from the NHL, with five shooters per team instead of three. If nothing is settled after five rounds, then each round is sudden death as in the NHL. But there's another difference. Olympic teams can use the same shooters multiple times during the sudden death rounds (think back to TJ Oshie in the 2014 Olympics). They also can change goaltenders.
In the sudden death round, the team that shot second in the first five rounds will shoot first. The rounds continue until one team finishes with one more goal than the other. That team is declared the winner.
EDMONTON, CANADA - JANUARY 22: Parker Wotherspoon #28 of the Pittsburgh Penguins in action during the game against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on January 22, 2026, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Leila Devlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are your Pens Points for this Wednesday morning…
Are you watching the Olympic hockey tournaments? Here’s a reminder that the rules at the Olympics will be a bit different than those seen during a normal NHL game. [PensBurgh]
Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas made several shrewd off-season transactions, including the signing of defenseman Parker Wotherspoon, who has seemingly flown under the radar alongside Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson, but remains a vital part of the top-six. [Trib Live]
Goaltender Stuart Skinner has revitalized his game since being traded from the Edmonton Oilers to Pittsburgh, and his teammates, including fellow goalie Arturs Silovs, have certainly taken notice. [Trib Live]
Updates from around the NHL…
The Canadian Hockey League has unveiled its top 50 players to commemorate its 50th anniversary. [Sportsnet]
Neck guards are now considered mandatory at all International Ice Hockey Federation games, including these Olympic Games, and veteran NHLers who came into the league not wearing such protection are still getting used to the new rule. [Sportsnet]
Italy’s men’s and women’s Olympic hockey teams at the Milan-Cortina Games include a mix of homegrown players and foreign-born athletes with Italian heritage, since the country chose not to recruit current NHL stars. The blend of backgrounds reflects both a “melting pot” pride in representing Italy and the nation’s effort to build its hockey program for the future. [Associated Press]
Toronto Maple Leafs right wing William Nylander (88) controls the puck against the Calgary Flames during the third period at Scotiabank Saddledome.
MILAN — Team Sweden is taking a cautionary approach with William Nylander.
The Maple Leafs forward was absent from Sweden’s practice at Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on Tuesday, which head coach Sam Hallam described as “a maintenance thing.”
“He’s done two full practices with us and felt after [Monday] a bit sore,” Hallam said after stepping off the ice. “Just give him an extra day and then we’ll see for [Wednesday night against Italy]. If he’s ready to go or it’s gonna be a pretty late situation.”
Maple Leafs right wing William Nylander controls the puck against the Flames during the third period at Scotiabank Saddledome. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
After missing seven straight games with a groin injury in January, Nylander competed in just three games for Toronto before the Olympic break.
The maintenance day is presumably to ensure Nylander doesn’t overdo it before the real competition begins after the round-robin format.
Without Nylander, Filip Forsberg skated in his place next to Adrian Kempe and Joel Eriksson Ek.
“Not overly concerned at all,” Hallam said. “He’s been looking pretty sharp and good on the ice for two days. Thought that we’d give him today. It’s short term, but we’re still in the beginning of it, and bigger games coming up. So let’s keep our priorities and focus there.”
Maple Leafs right wing William Nylander during the third period against the Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Sweden’s Rasmus Andersson joked that it was “boring” for the writers that he was traded from Calgary to Vegas before going to the Olympics.
It’s been a whirlwind few weeks for the defenseman, whose protracted trade saga ended just a few weeks ago when the Golden Knights dealt Zach Whitecloud, a first-round pick, a second-round pick and prospect Abram Wiebe to the Flames for his services.
“My family is still in Calgary and obviously I don’t get to see them for a little while,” Andersson said. “I’m fortunate enough that my wife is flying here in a couple of days. It sucks that I can’t see my kids for about six weeks. That part is tough.”
Hallam did not name his goaltender for Sweden’s opener on Wednesday against Italy.
“That question’s been up there pretty much all year, and I’ve said nevertheless which three goalies we’re going to pick to this group and to the Olympic squad, I’m confident playing either one of them,” he said. “That’s still the feeling, but of course we have made our decision. We’re not going to announce that until [Wednesday].
Team USA and Team Canada were both off Tuesday.
The Canadians were spotted attending short-track speed skating, where their country won silver in the mixed team relay.
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- All the talk surrounding the Men's Olympic Hockey revolves around the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland.
Sure, Czechia and Slovakia get some recognition but not nearly as much as what is considered the 'Big Four.' The four that represented the countries vying for the championship last year at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
But for St. Louis Blues forward Pius Suter, who will be among five Blues represented at the Milano-Cortina Olympics in Milan, Italy with the start of the men's portion of the tournament set to get underway with Dalibor Dvorsky and Slovakia vs. Finland at 9:40 a.m. on Wednesday, Suter had one simple message prior to departing for Italy: don't sleep on Switzerland.
"We've got a good team," Suter said. "It's obviously on paper, but those are good teams as you mentioned, but we've got a good team."
Switzerland hasn't medaled in men's hockey since 1948 when the Olympics were on its home soil in St. Moritz. The Swiss took home the bronze, one of two bronze medals Switzerland has ever won (also bronze in 1928 at St. Moritz).
But the Swiss go into these winter games brimming with confidence because they really have nothing to lose. They'll be the underdogs behind a slew of teams but coming off two major accomplishments at the past two IIHF World Championships.
"Guys won back-to-back silvers (in 2024 and 2025) so that's obviously not coming from nowhere," Suter said. "It's one game and we'll see how it goes and we'll be ready to battle, give it our all and see what happens."
The Swiss boast an NHL lineup with 10 currently in the league, including Suter. There's forwards Nico Hischier (New Jersey Devils), Timo Meier (Devils), Kevin Fiala (Los Angeles Kings), Nino Niederreiter (Winnipeg Jets) and Philipp Kurashev (San Jose Sharks); defensemen Roman Josi (Nashville Predators), Jonas Siegenthaler (Devils), J.J. Moser (Tampa Bay Lightning) and goalie Akira Schmid (Vegas Golden Knights). But there's another seven on the roster that were former NHL players, including goalie Reto Berra, who was a fourth round pick in the 2006 NHL Draft by the Blues; defensemen Dean Kukan and Tim Berni, and forwards Denis Malgin, Sven Andrighetto, Christoph Bertschy and Calvin Thurkauf.
"It'll be nice to play with all these great Swiss players. I haven't played with," Suter said. "There's quite a few guys actually because we always missed each other in the Worlds, then I was there and they weren't and vice versa. I'm looking forward to that too be on the same team as some of those guys."
The one guy that paved the way for Suter when he was younger was former NHL defenseman Mark Streit, who played in the NHL from 2005-18 for the Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins. Streit, who played in 786 NHL regular-season games, was part of the representation of Swiss players that opened doors for others to dream of making it to North America to the NHL.
"He was kind of that first guy that came along until Roman came along and Nino and all these guys obviously now," Suter said of Streit. "He made the breakthrough, played a lot of games.
"(Hockey) was always big. I think always behind soccer, the second team sport. Obviously there's skiing and all that stuff, but hockey was always very popular. It's always had a lot of fans. People care about it. It's always been played a lot in history. The Spengler Cup as well. I'm thinking people feel that way because now more (Swiss) guys play here (in the NHL). There more of a presence."
Suter, who represented Switzerland at the U-18 World Junior Championship in 2013, the U-20 WJC in 2015 and 2016 and World Championship in 2017 and 2022, also played in the Winter Games in 2018 when it was held in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
"It means a lot to represent your country," Suter said. "Best on best and it's going to be so close to home. It'll be nice to have family and friends coming down. I'm going to guess it's going to be a bit of home games for us there. It's a big honor and an awesome experience."
Based off initial experience, Suter said for the Swiss, who open their tournament Thursday at 5:10 a.m. (CT) against France, said for those experiencing it for the first time to just soak it all in.
"Honestly it's the overall experience," Suter said. "Just because as a kid, you would watch the Winter and Summer Olympics. You see everyone walking in the opening ceremony representing your country and all that stuff.
"Last time I was there, we really didn't have much success on the ice. It's hard to say, but hopefully we can change that."
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 Athletic released the fourth part of their matchmaker series, and this edition featured St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas.
Thomas’ name is beginning to build up a lot of steam in the trade market, although many reports have indicated that the price to acquire Thomas is high. Understandably, the Blues are expecting a large haul for Thomas given his age and contract.
Thomas is just 26 years old and under contract at $8.125 million until 2031. He has the experience and now the pedigree of a No.1 center. Most NHL teams would be interested in trading for Thomas, but the primary obstacle is matching the high price tag.
Johnston’s guess is the Los Angeles Kings, who have shown they aren’t afraid to make a big splash and believe they have a team capable of winning it all. They recently acquired Artemi Panarin at a fairly low price, which means they have the assets to acquire Thomas.
“He is a bona fide No. 1 center who is under contract into his early 30s,” said Johnston. “It’s not too often a player fitting that profile is available on the NHL’s trade market. This is a rare opportunity.
“One of the best parts of the Panarin trade for the Kings is that they didn’t have to surrender any premium assets to complete it. The Blues are going to need a haul to part with Thomas, but the Kings are in a position to make an aggressive bid with first-round picks in 2026 and 2027 still in the cupboard, plus other young players and prospects to deal.”
Mirtle went a different route, naming the Carolina Hurricanes as his prediction. The Hurricanes, more so than the Kings, have shown they have no fear of acquiring top talent on the trade market. Their only issue is retaining that player when their contract expires, but they wouldn’t have to worry about that with Thomas.
“The Hurricanes have missed on Artemi Panarin, Mitch Marner and (sort of) Mikko Rantanen and Jake Guentzel of late, but Thomas would be an even better fit as a center, given he’d allow Logan Stankoven to shift to the wing and give Carolina two higher-end scoring lines,” Mirtle began.
“Thomas has a full no-trade clause in his deal and five years remaining, so some of this would be contingent on where his head is at, but cap space and playing time won’t be an issue in Raleigh. His exceptional vision and two-way ability would fit in well under coach Rod Brind’Amour.
“Unlike most of the league’s contenders, the Hurricanes have a first-round pick this year, too: the one they received from the Stars for Rantanen at last year’s deadline. But it’ll take a bigger haul than that to coax the Blues to give up one of their biggest stars.”
Robert Thomas has scored 11 goals and 33 points in 42 games this season. (Jeff Curry-Imagn Images)
Both the Kings and the Hurricanes are logical destinations, but they aren’t the only two teams capable of making this move. Although the Minnesota Wild gave up a lot to acquire Quinn Hughes, they still have several enticing prospects, and reports say they could be open to trading goaltender Jesper Wallstedt to acquire a stud forward like Thomas.
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.
Vancouver's hockey scene has lost a legend, as former Canucks play-by-play broadcaster Jim Robson has died at the age of 91. Robson has been a staple in Canucks history, as he called the team's games from their NHL induction in 1970 and beyond (beginning in 1956) to his retirement in 1999.
Robson was behind the calls for many of the Canucks' most iconic moments in franchise history, most notably those from Vancouver's Stanley Cup run back in 1994. Even so, his list of accomplishments extends past the Canucks. Robson also called various Stanley Cup Finals (1975, 1980, 1982), NHL All-Star games, as well as lacrosse, football, and baseball.
Despite his retirement in 1999, Robson remained a fan of the Canucks and could occasionally be seen attending games. His contributions to the sport resulted in him being named to the BC Hockey Hall of Fame (1998), BC Sports Hall of Fame (2000), CAB Broadcast Hall of Fame (2002), and more.
Mar 2, 2013; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Sports broadcaster Jim Robson is honored during the first period as the Vancouver Canucks host the Los Angeles Kings at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-Imagn Images
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.
February 9 is a big date in Montreal Canadiens history, not only is it the date of Martin St-Louis’ hiring, but it’s also the date on which 31 years ago, then GM Serge Savard made one of the worst trades of his tenure.
On that date, Savard, keen to acquire some real star power, made a big trade with the Philadelphia Flyers. He traded Mark Recchi and a third-round pick in 1995 (who became Martin Hohenberger, an Austrian player who never made the NHL) for John LeClair, Eric Desjardins, and Gilbert Dionne.
At the time, Recchi was 27 years old, had won a Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and had registered three 100-plus-points seasons (one in Pittsburgh with Mario Lemieux and two in Philadelphia with Eric Lindros). He was already an established NHL star.
Meanwhile, John Leclair was 25 years old, had never scored more than 19 goals in a season, and his most productive season had yielded 44 points, but he did contribute 10 points in the Canadiens’ run to the 1993 Stanley Cup.
As for Eric Desjardins, the right-shot defenseman was also 25 years old, and a key element of the Canadiens’ blueline. He had registered 45 points in his most productive season. He contributed 14 points in 20 games during the 1993 Stanley Cup conquest, including a hat trick in game two of the final, the game that is now known as the turning point of that series because of the illegal stick penalty.
Finally, Dionne was 25 years old and had played only two and a half full seasons in Montreal, during which he had scored 21, 20, and 19 goals. He had also produced 12 points in 20 games during the 1993 playoffs, but he could be a frustrating player to watch at times.
Recchi went on to play parts of five seasons in Montreal, never putting up more than 80 points on a Canadiens’ team that didn’t feature a Lindros or a Lemieux. Vincent Damphousse, Brian Bellows, and Patrick Roy were Canadiens at the time, but not for much longer for the last two. Bellows left in June 1995, and Roy in December. Pierre Turgeon was also acquired later in 1995 but was traded in October 1996.
Recchi led the Canadiens in points in the shortened 1994-95 season with 43 points, three more than Damphousse. The following season, he was third with 78 points behind Turgeon (96) and Damphousse (94). In 1996-97, he was second with 80 points behind Damphousse, who had 81 points. In 1997-98, he was the team's highest scorer with 74 points; no one else cracked the 60-point mark, with Damphousse second at 59 points. Finally, in 1998-99, he had 47 points in 61 games before being traded back to the Flyers. The years that followed the Roy trade in Montreal were a very dark time. There were three seasons in which the Canadiens made the playoffs with Recchi, but they never got very far.
It’s not that Recchi didn’t play well for the Canadiens, but he wasn’t surrounded well enough to have the same kind of impact he had with his previous teams. Meanwhile, John LeClair became a three-time 50-goal scorer in Philadelphia, adding another two seasons with 40-plus goals. He was a third of the famous Legion of Doom line alongside Lindros and Mikael Renberg, a line that has marked the Flyers’ history and that took them to the Stanley Cup Final in 1997.
The power forward spent nine and a half seasons in Philadelphia and was one of their key players, just like Eric Desjardins. The blueliner spent 10 and a half seasons in Pennsylvania, finishing his career with the Flyers, reaching new heights in points production, including three 40-plus-point seasons and two 50-plus-point campaigns, and all the while remaining a stabilizing presence on the blueline, very rarely finishing the year with a negative differential (twice).
As for Dionne, he never managed to establish himself as an NHLer in Philadelphia and played only 27 NHL games after being traded from Montreal, the last five with the Florida Panthers.
In the end, that trade helped the Flyers become Cup contenders by giving them two of their key pieces while the Canadiens were on the verge of entering a very dark age with Roy’s departure. Recchi was an important piece of the Canadiens during his stay, but he didn’t make the kind of impact LeClair and Desjardins had in Philadelphia. For younger fans, he remains the Boston Bruins player who made questionable comments on the Max Pacioretty-Zdeno Chara incident.
Most of the U.S. players who competed in the 4 Nations Face-Off will once again don the red, white and blue as they look to capture the country’s first Olympic men’s hockey title since the 1980 Lake Placid Games.
So, who’s suiting up for Team USA at the Milan Cortina Olympics? Here’s a look at the roster, captains and coaches:
How many Olympic gold, total medals has USA men’s hockey won?
USA men’s hockey owns 11 Olympic medals: two gold, eight silver and one bronze. The Americans’ two Olympic titles were won at the 1960 Squaw Valley Games and 1980 Lake Placid Games.
The U.S. last reached the podium at the 2010 Vancouver Games, winning silver.
Most of the U.S. players who competed in the 4 Nations Face-Off will once again don the red, white and blue as they look to capture the country’s first Olympic men’s hockey title since the 1980 Lake Placid Games.
So, who’s suiting up for Team USA at the Milan Cortina Olympics? Here’s a look at the roster, captains and coaches:
How many Olympic gold, total medals has USA men’s hockey won?
USA men’s hockey owns 11 Olympic medals: two gold, eight silver and one bronze. The Americans’ two Olympic titles were won at the 1960 Squaw Valley Games and 1980 Lake Placid Games.
The U.S. last reached the podium at the 2010 Vancouver Games, winning silver.
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.
There arguably is nobody more important to his team than Macklin Celebrini is to the San Jose Sharks.
Celebrini has 42 more points than his teammate in second, Will Smith (39). To put that in perspective, that’s the largest canyon between the No. 1 and No. 2 scorer on a team, followed by MacKinnon’s 31-point gap over Martin Necas (62) on the Colorado Avalanche and Kucherov’s same differential over Jake Guentzel (60) on the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Safe to say, he’s the focus of any game plan against San Jose.
So, how have the Sharks and Macklin Celebrini adjusted to all the defensive attention this season?
First things first, Celebrini is simply better this year.
“Bigger, stronger, faster, more experienced,” Panthers head coach Paul Maurice summarized in November.
Celebrini and the Sharks coaching staff have also put the franchise center in positions to succeed.
“It’s about putting [him] in situations where we can kind of get away from that,” Warsofsky said of the defensive attention, “get to his skill-set of being able to play when playing in space. That’s usually when players are at their best, is when they have time and space.”
Warsofsky will typically use Celebrini to close periods, basically get him an extra shift at a key time in the game, and not necessarily with his line.
Celebrini (71) steals it from Granlund (64), Wennberg (21) sets up Celebrini at end of period (on 12/29/25) pic.twitter.com/ekNi7pmCM1
Off the Alex Wennberg (21) draw, Celebrini (71) is “disguised” at wing, surprising Mikael Granlund (64) from behind on the backcheck. That turnover puts the Ducks in scramble mode, and Celebrini exploits that with his speed.
This time, on the fly, Warsofsky puts his best player with third-line center Ty Dellandrea (10) and fourth-line winger Barclay Goodrow (23).
Dellandrea and Goodrow do the grunt work on the forecheck, Celebrini sets up for a scoring chance, and Goodrow cleans up the garbage.
“We try to do some different things that can get him away from [the defensive attention], whether it’s a matchup-based challenge or flow of the game, momentum in the game situations,” Warsofsky said.
Celebrini has also been given license, both at 5-on-5 and on the power play, to stay on the ice longer, if warranted.
Here’s an example, down 5-1 at the Vegas Golden Knights on Dec. 23, of Celebrini taking a double shift, Sharks lines scrambled after a penalty kill.
That was a 2:11 shift by Celebrini, a sensitive topic, because no player wants to be seen as hogging another player’s ice-time.
But Celebrini isn’t doing that, he’s been empowered to make decisions on the fly for the betterment of his team.
“He’s earned some rope. He has, by the way he’s played,” Warsofsky said. “I get it, we were down, 2, 3, 4-nothing. He’s taken some long shifts because he wants to fix the problem.”
He added: “There’s a balance to that, for sure, but that’s an extreme competitor that’s frustrated with what’s going on in the hockey game and he wants to make a difference. I’d much rather have that than a guy that’s out there for 15 seconds that doesn’t want to be on the ice because something bad is going to happen.”
“Some of it’s situational. I don’t really want to be out there for too long,” Celebrini said. “Sometimes, you just get caught out there, and it’s better just stay out there and take a [defensive] lane away, instead of screwing over your teammates and putting them in a bad spot.”
“Of course, we don’t want him out there two minutes, right?” Warsofsky said. “Mack and I talked about it. We had a conversation about that, and he understands that, but I also understand the flipside of it, of that competitiveness. That’s what we want around here.”
Trust me, this isn’t a normal conversation between a second-year player and a head coach (see Matvei Michkov and Rick Tocchet).
Celebrini staying on the ice a little longer often benefits the Sharks, creating mismatches and more offense.
Here’s an example against the Lightning on Jan. 3: Celebrini’s linemates, William Eklund (72) and Igor Chernyshov (92), change, but Celebrini stays on to provide defensive support.
Of course, a dynamic player like Celebrini is more than a defensive security blanket, beating pinching defenseman Erik Cernak (81) to the puck, then evading forechecker Yanni Gourde (37), to spring Pavol Regenda (84) and Jeff Skinner (53) for a 2-on-1.
At the end of Celebrini’s 1:21 shift, Regenda scores right as the superstar center reaches the bench to change.
Here’s another example at the Detroit Red Wings on Jan. 16, Celebrini staying on, as he should, as the first forechecker as Will Smith (2) and Collin Graf (51) change. It’s what Celebrini does from this point on, which is why you want him on the ice as much as possible.
F1 Celebrini harasses Ben Chiarot (8) into a turnover, staying on because the Sharks have full OZ possession. Then, Adam Gaudette (81) and Celebrini work a nifty give-and-go for a Grade-A scoring chance.
Celebrini is commonly double-shifted on the power play, too, playing most or all of the two minutes, and has been part of plenty of second-unit PP goals, Gaudette on Dec. 20 against the Seattle Kraken, Regenda on Jan. 3 against the Lightning, and Gaudette on Jan. 7 against the Los Angeles Kings, for example.
“That’s all you need. You need the trust of your teammates and your coaches,” Celebrini said. “That’s what’s important, is they trust you to do your job and get that result. As long as they trust me to do that, then that’s a good thing.”
But in the end, Celebrini’s adjustment to all the defensive attention is simply being a better player than he was as a rookie. He wouldn’t be double-shifted or relied upon late in the periods if not for his evolutionary leap.
It’s not just physical, it’s mental growth.
“He plays a more of a give-and-go game at times, reads gaps, reads who’s in front of him. That’s the most that I’ve seen him grow,” Warsofsky said.
Last season, Celebrini was more of a one-trick pony offensively, a speed demon always trying to push play “vertical”, often as fast as possible.
He’s still that, but he’s also slowed his game down, too, when it matters.
Celebrini (71) dumps it in for Smith (2), Klingberg (3) finds Graf (51) on 12/9/25 pic.twitter.com/RybzbMAhqD
Celebrini does something counterintuitive to his most obvious skill, his skating, dumping it in for Smith to claim. All the Flyers are watching Celebrini, which gives Smith a headstart to jump on the puck. Smith, an offensive prodigy in his own right, makes the most of it.
Celebrini (71) sees Chernyshov (92) and Graf (51) for down-low 2-on-1 strike on 12/18/25 pic.twitter.com/zTLNJmJ12S
Chernyshov pushes back the Stars’ defense, allowing Celebrini to get open high. But instead of attacking defenseman Esa Lindell (23) with his customary pace, Celebrini slows it down, seeing a developing 2-on-1 down-low, for Chernyshov and Graf, which his linemates execute flawlessly.
“It’s kind of part of learning, trying to add parts to my game,” Celebrini said.
The Sharks will also add around Celebrini.
Celebrini, with all the defensive attention that he gets, can become more dangerous when the Sharks put another puck transporter and protector with him. This allows Celebrini to play off the puck more and get open.
Chernyshov has done that for Celebrini when they’ve played together, as has Eklund.
Eklund is probably the Sharks’ second-most effective player, after Celebrini, carrying the puck from blueline to blueline.
William Eklund (72) attacks Flames defense & finds an open Macklin Celebrini (71), which leads to Adam Gaudette (81) chance on 11/13/25 pic.twitter.com/yZLxgULiQe
Eklund is also crafty with the puck along the wall, attracting Thomas Harley (55) and Colin Blackwell (15), before finding Celebrini and Chernyshov for a down-low 2-on-1.
There’s another way to think about Celebrini’s dominance this season.
As the Sharks surround him with better players, and the youngsters around him, such as Smith, Eklund, Chernyshov, Graf and Co. get better, Celebrini, carrying a little less of the load, should become even more dominant.
Imagine that.
Right now, defenses can key in against Celebrini, and he’s still beating them consistently. He’s going to overpower them even more, with the help that’s coming.
