Category: Ice Hockey

After an unexpected coaching change, a week of high-intensity practices and an unwelcome result elsewhere in the Eastern Conference on Tuesday night, the Islanders are ready to return to the ice — and fight for their postseason lives.

The Isles — following a 6-2 Senators thrashing over the Lightning — are three points off the second and final wild-card spot entering Thursday’s pivotal clash against the Maple Leafs.

And one of the team’s longest-tenured players knows exactly what’s required in that matchup against Toronto — the Isles’ first game since they lost to the Hurricanes on Saturday.

“It’s got to be all energy ahead,” defenseman Ryan Pulock told The Post. “I think as much as you make changes, it’s still just a game. And we need to bring that energy. We’re at home, there’s no excuses there. You need every guy on board, finding a little extra.”

On the third day of what new head coach Pete DeBoer has dubbed his “late-season training camp” — following his hiring over the weekend with just four regular-season games remaining — there was an urgency during the session at Northwell Health Ice Center.

Ilya Sorokin shone with some impressive glove work in net, DeBoer continued to feed his players instructions from a whiteboard and the coach was once again pleased with the buy-in from his new group.

“I feel like they’re optimistic,” DeBoer said of his players. “I feel a real good energy out there. The feedback’s been good, the conversations have been good. I think we all know the situation we’re in, but the mindset of the group is really good.

“I think they’re sick of my late-season training camp. I think they’re done with it. And I’ll be honest, I’ve never run a training camp in April. So I think we’re all ready to play some games.”

It was only Sunday that players were met with the news of Patrick Roy’s surprise firing.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NHL STANDINGS AND ISLANDERS STATS

But with their playoff predicament — Hockey Reference gives the Isles just a 22.1 percent chance of making the postseason after a poor 3-7 stretch — there was little time for them to brood.

“When you first find out, there is some sadness,” Pulock said. “I think you build relationships with people, and you work together for a while, and when you hear that, it sucks for a minute.

“And then you can sit on it for a minute, and you get ready, you look forward, and you get excited about what’s ahead.”

Roy’s successor has also been heartened by the response he’s seen from his new players.

“I think anytime a coach loses his job, if you’ve got good character like we have in that room, they feel bad about it,” DeBoer said. “And I think they’re looking to respond in the right way and handle this the right way.”

The Islanders may have to sweep their upcoming slate against the Leafs, Senators, Canadiens and Hurricanes — and get help elsewhere, too — to sneak into the postseason.

But following a late-season slump and this week’s rare mini-break, the first order of business is clear: Beat Toronto.

“It’s a little sprint here, where we know our backs [are] against the wall,” Pulock said, “and it’s [an] exciting time to just try to win one hockey game.”

TORONTO (AP) — Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz left Wednesday’s loss to the Washington Capitals early in the first period with a lower-body injury.

The Toronto starter was hurt after stretching out his left leg to get a pad on Cole Hutson’s shot from distance.

Stolarz immediately collapsed to the ice and pulled off his mask before one of the referees blew the play dead.

The 32-year-old was attended to by a trainer and had to be helped off the ice by teammates before heading down the tunnel to the locker room.

Coach Craig Berube announced after the 4-0 loss that Artur Akhtyamov will be recalled from the American Hockey League and make his first NHL appearance Thursday when the Maple Leafs visit the New York Islanders.

“I’ve really liked him right from camp,” Berube said of the 24-year-old Russian selected 106th overall at the 2020 NHL draft. “Great personality. He’s played well down there. He’s a competitor and he’s really got fast reflexes."

The Maple Leafs also lost forward Dakota Joshua (upper body) and defenseman Brandon Carlo (lower body) to injuries later in the game against Washington.

Berube said Luke Haymes and William Villeneuve will join Akhtyamov as AHL call-ups. Haymes is also slated to make his NHL debut Thursday for the Maple Leafs, who are set to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL

In a lacklustre game against the Vegas Golden Knights that saw the Vancouver Canucks put up only 11 shots on goal, only one line was able to find the back of the net: that of Max Sasson, Teddy Blueger, and Linus Karlsson. 

The trio has presented themselves well in the past few games, having found some offensive chemistry a little while after first being put together on March 4 against the Carolina Hurricanes. They were broken apart for a short period of time at the end of March but were reunited in Vancouver’s 8–6 rout of the Colorado Avalanche on April 1. It was a speedy dash by Sasson and Blueger that helped the Canucks break the ice during this game. Sasson’s Tuesday night goal reflected the same kind of speed and hard forecheck that this line has produced since then. 

But what has made this group so noticeable as of late? 

“They work together. They play the system, they forecheck as one. Really disciplined, and they’re able to generate a lot of more offensive zone time, and they play in heavy structure. They work well together. They’re a very predictable and dependable line,” Canucks Head Coach Adam Foote said of the Sasson – Blueger – Karlsson line after the team’s 2–1 loss to Vegas on Tuesday. 

Sasson’s goal on Tuesday night marked the sixth Canucks goal scored with this line factoring into the play, with five of these goals being scored directly from members of the line themselves. Four of these goals were produced with this trio breaking into the O-zone. 

According to Sasson, this has been a point of practice for this group. 

“We work on 3-on-2 rushes daily, so I know exactly how Teddy likes to move it and when,” he said, speaking on his goal after Tuesday’s loss to Vegas. 

There’s a reason why the recipe has been able to produce as of late, according to the players involved. For Blueger, that comes from his wingers’ abilities to forecheck hard and put some pressure on the opposition.   

“I’ve enjoyed playing with them a lot. They work extremely hard, they compete, they battle, so they’re easy to play with. I’ve enjoyed it a lot. They want to do well. They want to succeed. It’s honestly super enjoyable to play with guys like that, and we’re on the same page, as far as what we need to do to be successful, and they’re easy to talk to. Communication is good, so we’re learning from each other.” 

“He’s solid. He’s so good defensively, he plays a simple game. That’s what I like — where the puck goes and you can read after that, and [he’s] a great leader. I really enjoy playing with him. He’s a great guy, and I just love to play with him for sure,” Karlsson added of having Blueger as a centre.  

Pair two no-quit wingers with a defensively responsible centre in Blueger, and just like that, you’ve got a line that has earned not only their coach’s trust, but also the highest minutes as a line on their team. While Tuesday against Vegas was technically a ‘down’ night for them, Sasson, Blueger, and Karlsson still played 8:28 minutes together. This was the first time since their reunion on April 1 that the trio did not lead Vancouver in 5-on-5 minutes played by a line, as they held the team leads in their games against the Utah Mammoth (9:37), Minnesota Wild (10:51), and Avalanche (11:01).    

With this trio, like Foote says, you know what you’re going to get. Hard workers, solid defence, and energetic forechecking. The recent push in offence doesn’t hurt, either. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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What we learned as Sharks' playoff hopes take hit with costly loss to Oilers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• BOX SCORE

SAN JOSE – Time is running out for the Sharks to make a big run to end their long Stanley Cup playoff drought following their 5-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday at SAP Center.

It was a costly defeat for the Sharks, as they entered the night with a shot at narrowing the gap between themselves and the Nashville Predators, who currently hold the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

With five games to go, there is no more margin for error. San Jose has 81 points, two behind the Los Angeles Kings and three behind the Predators.

The Sharks basically need to run the table against the likes of the Anaheim Ducks, Vancouver Canucks, Nashville, Chicago Blackhawks and Winnipeg Jets. Three of those five – the Ducks, Blackhawks and Jets – are all games that San Jose should be favored in.

It won’t matter much who they play unless the Sharks clean up some of the ugliness from Wednesday, like penalties, missed opportunities and an inability to get much going offensively – San Jose attempted only 14 shots compared to 26 for Edmonton.

Unlike their spirited win over the Blackhawks on Monday, the Sharks were overwhelmed and outplayed at nearly every corner.

Celebrini gave the Sharks an early lead with his power-play goal at 4:05 into the first period.

The Oilers returned the favor two minutes later when Connor McDavid’s power-play goal – earning him his NHL-leading 129^th point – tied the game at 1-1.

After Edmonton got goals from Jack Roslovic and Vasily Podkolzin to take a 3-1 advantage, Kiefer Sherwood’s tip-in goal cut the lead in half.

McDavid, a seven-time NHL All-Star, put the icing on the cake for Edmonton with his third goal of the night that put the Oilers in front 5-2.

Here are the takeaways from Wednesday’s loss:

Rough One For Nedeljkovic

Alex Nedeljkovic had been playing fairly steady defense over the past week before the Oilers got to the Sharks goalie for a pair of power-play goals in the first period.

There wasn’t much Ned could do about McDavid’s wrist shot that got the Oilers their first goal. He has been doing that to the rest of the NHL all season.

Edmonton’s second goal, though, was a heartbreaker. Edmonton forward Podkolzin got between two defenders in front of the crease, then poked the puck between Nedeljkovic’s legs for the score.

McDavid had a similar goal in the second period that got between Nedeljkovic’s legs and into the net.

Their Own Worst Enemy

The Sharks faced a stiff challenge as it was, but San Jose made the task much more difficult due to the rash of penalties it racked up.

Edmonton took full advantage of it all, scoring its first three goals on power plays.

Even when they didn’t score, the Oilers – playing on consecutive nights – kept pushing the pace and pressure in the man-advantage situations. The Sharks’ defense just couldn’t keep up.

It’s Good To Be The Mack

The Sharks have had some great and memorable players in their history. When it’s all said and done, Celebrini might end up at the top of that illustrious list.

Still just 19 years old, Celebrini got SAP Center rocking early with his team-leading 42^nd goal of the 2025-26 NHL season that capped a solid surge by the Sharks.

San Jose was in Edmonton’s zone for several moments and took a few shots before Celebrini found an opening from the left circle and scored.

Within a few seconds of Celebrini’s goal, the crowd broke into MVP chants. It’s not the first time this season that the teenager has heard chorus from the home crowd. It won’t be the last, either.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins held their final practice before Thursday's game against the New Jersey Devils.

This will be the first chance for the Penguins to clinch their spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which are set to begin on Apr. 18. Any type of win gets the Penguins in the playoffs for the first time since the 2021-22 season. 

All healthy players were present and accounted for at practice, including Anthony Mantha and Stuart Skinner. Mantha missed Tuesday's optional practice due to illness. Skinner looked good during Wednesday's session after a puck hit near his eye during Saturday's game against the Florida Panthers. The injury forced him to miss Sunday's second half of the back-to-back against Florida. 

Sergei Murashov was also present at practice after he was officially recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Tuesday. He got some work, but Skinner and Arturs Silovs took most of the reps during drills. 

Head coach Dan Muse told reporters after practice that all three goaltenders will travel to Newark for Thursday's game. 

Here's what the full lines looked like:

Forwards

Chinakhov-Crosby-Rust

Novak-Rakell-Malkin

Mantha-Kindel-Brazeau

Soderblom-Dewar-Acciari

Defensive pairs

Wotherspoon-Karlsson

Girard-Letang

Shea-Clifton

Ryan Shea, who has enjoyed a career season this year, knows that the Penguins have the opportunity to clinch a playoff spot on Thursday and is super fired up about it. 

"I think we've had jump in every game since the East playoffs standings have been so tight. You have to have jump at this time of year," Shea said after practice. "You're fighting to get into probably the best playoffs in all of sports, and obviously, I haven't been in the playoffs yet, but just watching growing up as a little kid, and then now you're here, you're so close that I think it's just everyone's giving it their all."

"The motivation is at an all-time high, but also the confidence is at a high. We're not playing with, I guess you can call it, stupid motivation. We're playing with confidence, and we're playing in our structure. I think everything will take care of itself. Obviously, we know that another two points will clinch it, and we're going into a building that's tough to play in. They (the Devils) obviously have high-end skill, but if we play like we've been playing, then I think our work ethic will overcome their skill."

Avery Hayes, who's been up and down between the Penguins and WBS for the last couple of months, is also excited about the opportunity. 

"Yeah, it's amazing," Hayes said. "That's the goal, right? You want to play playoff hockey, every team, you gotta get there just to get into the dance, and you never know what's going to happen. To be that close and kinda taste it, it's a great feeling."

Penguins Make Flurry Of Affiliate TransactionsThe Pittsburgh Penguins'AHL affiliate made some moves Wednesday to bolster its roster for the Calder Cup Playoffs

The Penguins will face a Devils team that was eliminated from playoff contention on Tuesday night following their 5-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. It came one day after the Devils parted ways with general manager Tom Fitzgerald. 

Even though the Devils aren't playing for anything on Thursday, this is still a team that can hurt the Penguins. Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt have been fantastic as of late and can impact the game each time they're on the ice. The Penguins have also really struggled in Newark over the years. 

A win and a regulation loss by the Flyers on Thursday would also clinch home ice for the Penguins in the first round. They'd have second place in the Metropolitan Division all locked up.

Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh.

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The Buffalo Sabres, who are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2011, also have a chance to win the Atlantic Division title.

They can take a step toward that on Wednesday, April 8. If the Sabres (102 points) pick up at least a point against the New York Rangers, they will break their three-way tie with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens.

But if they lose in regulation, they will drop to third place in the division based on points percentage.

The same thing applies in the Pacific Division. The Edmonton Oilers are tied with the Vegas Golden Knights at 88 points and hold the tiebreaker edge. They can lead outright by gaining at least a point against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday. If they lose in regulation, they will fall to second in the division.

The Sharks need the win because they trail the Nashville Predators by three points in the race for the second wild-card spot in the West. Wednesday will be one of their two games in hand.

Here's what to know about the NHL standings, including the latest playoff bracket and the tiebreaker procedures for the 2025-26 season:

NHL playoff tiebreakers: How they will affect the postseason races

After a short stint in Providence where he got to show what he could do against professionals, the Bruins announced on Wednesday afternoon that they’ve signed James Hagens to his entry-level contract (ELC).

The three-year ELC begins with the current (2025-2026) season and carries a cap hit of $975,000 at the NHL level.

With his amateur tryout now over and his ELC signed, Hagens is free to join the B’s at the NHL level, should they determine there’s a spot for him on the NHL roster.

That part is likely a formality, as the Bruins probably wouldn’t bother having him sign a contract if they didn’t intend to get him some game time at the NHL level.

It’s worth remembering that the 23-man roster limit is lifted after the trade deadline, so the Bruins don’t technically have to send anyone down to make space for Hagens.

However, they do still need to be cap compliant, so it’s possible that there’s a corresponding move coming. That will likely come down to the extremely detailed, daily salary cap number crunching that I won’t pretend to understand.

Hagens ended up playing six games with the Providence Bruins, recording a goal and three assists for four points.

The stretch beginning today always seemed like the most likely time for the B’s to pull the trigger on this move, as Hagens would (in theory) have two full days of practice with the NHL team prior to Saturday’s game against the Lightning.

In addition, while a playoff spot isn’t officially locked up, the B’s do have a little margin for error in the standings that might make them more willing to throw a rookie into the mix.

With the offense stagnating in recent games (though things went OK in Carolina last night), it makes sense to see if Hagens can provide a bit of a spark, whether it’s with playmaking abilities, skating, or whatever else.

The Bruins will practice at Warrior Arena at 11 AM on Thursday morning; presumably, Hagens will be there.

Marco Sturm will address the media after practice, so we’ll likely get some more details on the team’s immediate plans for Hagens at that time.

HAGENSMANIA BEGINS!

Ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline, the Chicago Blackhawks traded Colton Dach and Jason Dickinson to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Andrew Mangiapane and a 2027 conditional first-round pick.

While Dickinson was the main piece in this trade for the Oilers, Dach has the potential to be a solid player for them. He undoubtedly demonstrated that during the Oilers' most recent contest against the Utah Mammoth. 

After missing a month of action due to injury, Dach had a strong return to the lineup for the Oilers against Utah. At the 2:09 mark of the third period, Dach scored his first goal as an Oiler, and it was a nice one. After having his one-timer stopped by Karel Vejmelka, Dach picked up the rebound and beat the Utah goaltender with a great snapshot. 

This goal gave the Oilers a 5-4 lead over the Mammoth, but Utah ended up winning the contest in overtime. While the Oilers lost, this was certainly a good moment for Dach. This is especially so when noting that he is looking to cement himself as a regular in Edmonton's lineup. 

In four games with the Oilers since the trade, Dach now has one goal, one assist, and 11 hits. This is after the former Blackhawks forward has three goals, nine points, and 189 hits in 53 games this season with Chicago before the trade.

Colton Dach

432nd player in Oilers history to score an NHL goal pic.twitter.com/YR2LS6M1wY

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) April 8, 2026

It will be interesting to see how Dach continues to grow his game with the Oilers, but he is off to a solid start with his new club. 

The NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs are not far away, with the first series set to begin on Saturday, April 18.

The league is on track for the biggest postseason turnover in history, with the potential for half the field — eight of the 16 spots — to be teams that did not qualify a year ago. There will be a new champion and no three-peat after the Florida Panthers were derailed by injuries following three consecutive trips to the final.

The regular season runs through Thursday, April 16, a day after Eastern Conference teams wrap up.

Who's in the playoffs

WEST: Central Division rivals Colorado, Dallas and Minnesota are in, with the top-seeded Avalanche on track to win the Presidents' Trophy and ensure home ice throughout the playoffs. Five spots remain open.

EAST: Carolina, the Metropolitan Division champion, is in along with Buffalo, Tampa Bay and Montreal in the Atlantic Division. The Sabres ended their NHL record 14-year postseason drought. Five spots remain open.

The matchups

The top three teams in each of the four divisions division make the playoffs. The other four spots go to the next two highest-placed teams in each conference, regardless of division.

The teams with the best record in each conference open against the wild-card team with the worst record; the other wild-card plays the other division winner. Teams that finish second and third in their division play each other in the bracket headed by their respective division winner. The second round thus carries a higher prospect of division foes matching up ahead of the conference finals.

All four rounds of the playoffs are best-of-seven; the first team to 16 victories wins the Stanley Cup.

The first-round matchups so far:

— Dallas vs. Minnesota.

The favorites

Colorado is the 3-1 favorite to win the Stanley Cup, followed by Tampa Bay at 9-2, Carolina at 5-1 and Dallas at 10-1, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

How to watch

Every playoff game will be nationally televised in the U.S on an ESPN or Turner network. The NHL schedule is here and a streaming guide is here. Much of TNT’s coverage, which includes the Stanley Cup Final, will be simulcast on truTV and available on Max’s B/R Sports Add-On. In Canada, games will be showcased on Sportsnet and CBC.

After three rounds of seven-game series, the final starts in early June. If the final goes the distance, Game 7 could go as late as June 21.

Who to watch

— Colorado, with MVP candidate Nathan MacKinnon and star defenseman Cale Makar, has been hockey's best team since October.

— Connor McDavid and Edmonton lost in the Cup Final the past two years but are playing better defense and should have Leon Draisaitl for the playoffs.

— Tage Thompson was a big part of the U.S. winning Olympic gold and the Sabres' leading scorer finally gets to the postseason.

— Nikita Kucherov is right there with MacKinnon and McDavid in the NHL scoring race and has steadied the Lightning through months of injuries.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Game. Set. Baby!

A woman went into labor and gave birth inside Rogers Place in Alberta, Canada, last week during the Las Vegas, Knights’ victory over the Edmonton Oilers.

“Breaking news: We have word that someone has gone into labor here tonight,” play-by-play announcer Jack Michaels said during the second period on the Sportsnet broadcast. “There’s a baby being born on the seventh floor at Rogers Place as we speak.”

“So someone’s going to have a great story to tell,” Michaels added, before joking, “It would be nice to have the mother join us on After Hours to describe what’s happened, but that could be asking a bit much.”

The mother, who has yet to be publicly identified, did not appear on the sports network’s post-game show.

Details about the mother and newborn have not been released, and it remains unclear whether medical personnel assisted with the delivery.

The Independent has contacted Rogers Place for comment.

While details on the birth itself are slim, fans on social media had big reactions to the once-in-a-lifetime event.

“At least someone is delivering, [Connor] McDavid sure ain't,” one X user wrote, referring to the Oilers’ center and captain.

“They better get season tickets for life,” another person suggested.

Others offered up their baby name ideas.

“Did she make it back for the 3rd period? And what's the kid's name? Rogers, Connor, or Seven (any Seinfeld fans?)?” one person asked.

“I think they name the baby Roger. Roger’s Place,” another said.

The Golden Knights defeated the Oilers 5-1, ending Edmonton’s five-game winning streak in a game that also saw a fan struck by a puck and a late on-ice fight, just weeks before the NHL regular season wraps April 16 and the playoffs begin.

As we get closer to the NHL Awards season, Colorado’s nominee for the Bill Masterson Memorial Trophy has been revealed, and the captain, Gabe Landeskog, has been nominated by the PHWA Colorado chapter for the 2026 award.

The Bill Masterson Memorial Trophy is one that’s given to an NHL player “best exemplified perserverence, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey”. Landeskog was also the Colorado chapter’s nominee in 2025.

Landeskog’s journey back to the NHL since lifting the Stanley Cup in June of the 2022 season has been well-documented. Initially, he missed time in the 2022-23 season due to a knee injury, but it wasn’t until the playoffs in 2025 that he finally returned to NHL hockey, then resumed regular-season play in 2025-26. Despite the ups and downs of his journey, Landeskog’s resiliency and determination to get back to playing hockey are incredibly impressive, and it’s awesome to see him get recognized for those attributes. Hopefully, he wins the award this year.

With junior seasons, the NCAA season, and the NHL and AHL regular seasons all wrapping up, probable and locked in playoff teams are beginning to shore up organizational depth in hopes of bolstering rosters for playoff runs. 

And the Pittsburgh Penguins' organization made a few moves on Wednesday to do just that. 

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins - Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate - got their hands on an intriguing reinforcement when forward Mikhail Ilyin was re-assigned from the KHL's Severstal Cherepovets to WBS. In addition, WBS signed forward Ryan Miller and defenseman Quinn Beauchesne - both from the 2025 draft class - to amateur tryout agreements (ATOs).

Ilyin, 21, has been one of the better Under-22 forwards in the KHL for the last few years. In 68 games this season, he registered 14 goals and 44 points, largely playing top-line minutes. The 6-foot-3, 191-pound forward - drafted in the 5th round (142nd overall) in 2023 - signed a three-year entry-level contract (ELC) with the Penguins ahead of the 2025-26 season, but he opted to go back to the KHL and was loaned to Severstal for its entirety.

Despite his loan to the KHL, he is still in the first season of his ELC. Ilyin has already joined the WBS Penguins, as he debuted at practice on Wednesday.

Привет, Михаил!

Mikhail Ilyin joins WBS! pic.twitter.com/aBBXg72YCv

— x - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) April 8, 2026

Beauchesne, 19, was selected in the fifth round (148th overall) in 2025, and the young blueliner has continued to build on what is already a relatively impressive profile for a player selected in the fifth round. He registered seven goals and 35 points in 56 games for the Guelph Storm of the OHL this season, and he is an excellent skater with good offensive instincts.

He was issued a late-season two-game suspension for a slash to the head of London Knights forward Ryan Brown during a March game between the two squads.

The Penguins have signed 2025 draft picks, forward Ryan Miller and defenseman Quinn Beauchesne, to amateur tryout agreements.https://t.co/nNZCZ57yXEpic.twitter.com/sHgIJJfJ00

— x - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) April 8, 2026

Miller, 18, was also selected in the fifth round (130th overall) in 2025 and put together an impressive season for the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL with 30 goals and 75 points in 65 games. He also had a 19-game scoring streak earlier this season, and he committed to the University of Denver for the 2026-27 season.

Beauchesne, a right defenseman, and Miller, a center, will fight for spots on a crowded WBS roster that has already clinched a Calder Cup Playoff berth. WBS's right side features Phil Kemp, Finn Harding, Chase Pietila, and Harrison Brunicke, who joined WBS after the Kamloops Blazers were eliminated from the WHL playoffs. 

Penguins Defensive Prospect Assigned To Wilkes-Barre/ScrantonHarrison Brunicke will finish the 2025-26 season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

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Wilson, who paid it forward to Flyers' prospects, becomes a Masterton nominee originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Garrett Wilson didn’t give up on the NHL as he went nearly seven straight years playing in the minors.

And he certainly didn’t give up on his teammates, most of them prospects and vying for the next level.

Wilson looked after them.

“I just wanted to take care of the younger guys,” he said three and a half weeks ago, “because I got taken care of when I was younger.”

The 35-year-old winger was rewarded last month with an NHL contract and his first game since the 2018-19 season. His blend of selflessness and stick-to-itiveness has made him the Flyers’ nominee for the 2025-26 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

The nomination was voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association’s Philadelphia chapter. The Masterton Trophy is an NHL award given annually to “the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to ice hockey.”

“I am very proud to see Garrett recognized as a nominee for the NHL Masterton Trophy,” general manager Danny Briere said in a statement released by the team Wednesday. “Garrett’s commitment to the Flyers organization and journey in hockey is a true testament to his dedication and pure love of the game. He helped establish a level of professionalism and has made a profound impact with the young players in our system for the last six years. His return to the NHL this season speaks volumes about his character and he has earned everything that’s come his way.”

Wilson has been a part of AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley’s leadership group over the last six seasons. The Flyers have seen a lot of their key young pieces come through the Phantoms. Wilson has been teammates with guys like Tyson Foerster, Cam York, Emil Andrae, Alex Bump, Denver Barkey and Nikita Grebenkin, among others.

“I knew my role, I’ve been there six years,” Wilson said. “The rebuild and the new prospects coming in, I really wanted to make sure to take care of them. Because when I was a young guy, I had lot of good leaders taking care of me. So kind of pass down that to them. Just teach the guys how to be pro every day, how to act around the rink, how to take care of the trainers and the staff. I just try to lead by example.”

Wilson has done so as a tough, hard-nosed player who stands up for his teammates. He’s now with the Flyers for their playoff push and has appeared in two games. Prior to this season, Wilson’s last NHL game was April 16, 2019, in the playoffs with the Penguins.

As time went on in the minors, he wasn’t sure if he’d ever play in the NHL again.

“There was definitely a bit of doubts,” Wilson said last Thursday. “Once you sign the AHL deal, you’re kind of restricted to just playing in the AHL. I got the chance to come to training camp, had [professional tryout offers] and that. I just tried to stay positive, go down there, I liked the role I had down there of taking care of the younger guys and showing them the pro game. A lot of the guys, they’ve graduated to here.”

And now Wilson has had the chance to be their teammate again.

Oskar Lindblom won the Masterton Trophy in 2020-21, becoming the fourth Flyer to ever take home the award. He joined Bob Clarke (1971-72), Tim Kerr (1988-89) and Ian Laperriere (2010-11) as the Flyers’ recipients. Kevin Hayes was a finalist in 2021-22 and Ivan Fedotov was the Flyers’ nominee last season.

Following a vote by the PHWA, the winner of the honor will be announced among the NHL awards.

The Central Division and Metropolitan Division title races have been settled but the other two NHL division races are tight.

After games on Tuesday, April 7, the Tampa Bay Lightning, Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens are tied atop the Atlantic Division with 102 points each. In the Pacific Division race, the Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights are tied with 88 points and the Anaheim Ducks are one point back at 87.

So which team has the edge for the division title and which would finish second and have home-ice advantage in the second round?

That comes down to tiebreakers.

Here's an explanation of NHL tiebreakers and how they will affect the 2026 playoff races: