Category: Ice Hockey

A former Florida Panthers head coach is back in the NHL.

Joel Quenneville was hired by the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday, the team announced.

The Stanley Cup winning bench boss now joins his fifth NHL franchise as a head coach.

"This is the organization I wanted to restart my career with and am truly grateful for this opportunity," Quenneville said in a statement released by the team. "The Ducks have incredible ownership, management and passionate fans. In nearly four years away from the game, I have learned from my prior mistakes and realized it will be actions over words that demonstrate my commitment to being a better leader."

Quenneville coached Florida from 2019 until seven games into the 2021-22, when he resigned from the Panthers following the fallout of the investigation into the Chicago Blackhawks treatment of Kyle Beach.

An independent report that was completed in October of 2021 outlined the failures by the Blackhawks organization in addressing allegations made by Beach regarding sexual assault at the hands of Chicago's then-video coach, Brad Aldrich.

The allegations were made as Chicago was embarking on their Stanley Cup run in 2010.

Eventually, the NHL ruled that three members of the Blackhawks, former GM Stan Bowman, former executive Al MacIsaac, and Quenneville, were essentially banned from working for any teams in the league.

The Blackhawks organization was also fined $2 million.

Less than three years later, in July of 2024, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman lifted the ban, with the league saying in a statement:

“While it is clear that, at the time, their responses were unacceptable, each of these three individuals has acknowledged that and used his time away from the game to engage in activities which, not only demonstrate sincere remorse for what happened, but also evidence greater awareness of the responsibilities that all NHL personnel have, particularly personnel who are in positions of leadership. Moreover, each has made significant strides in personal improvement by participating in myriad programs, many of which focused on the imperative of responding in effective and meaningful ways to address alleged acts of abuse."

That same month, Bowman was hired to be the next general manager of the Edmonton Oilers.

Quenneville had been overseeing the start of the Panthers ultimate turnaround, as he and Florida General Manager Bill Zito had begun reshaping the team with veteran additions like Patric Hornqvist and Radko Gudas to surround their core of Sasha Barkov, Aaron Ekblad, Jonathan Huberdeau and Sergei Bobrovsky.

Following Quenneville's resignation, Florida briefly handed the keys to one of Quenneville's assistants, Andrew Brunette, and the Panthers went on to win the Presidents' Trophy that season.

That offseason, however, Zito and his staff decided to take their gritty, skilled team and shift ideologies, hiring a defensive-minded head coach who had been in the league for three decades in Paul Maurice.

It's worked out nicely for the Panthers, who have reached the second round of the playoffs in four straight seasons and won the Stanley Cup in their second of back-to-back trips to the final in each of the past two postseasons.

We'll see how things work out for Quenneville, now 66 years old, with his new team out west.

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During the golden era of Chicago Blackhawks hockey from 2009 to 2017, they were one of the best teams in the NHL. They had a handful of trips to the Western Conference Finals and won the Stanley Cup three times. 

Head coach Joel Quenneville led the way on the ice during those runs. He was a master at getting the most out of a group committed to team defense. 

After being let go during the 2018-19 season, Quenneville took a job as the bench boss of the Florida Panthers ahead of the following season. His time in Sunrise came to an unexpected end due to off-ice reasons. 

Quenneville resigned due to his role in the Bradley Aldrich sexual assault scandal against former player Kyle Beach. The NHL cleared Quenneville to return to the NHL in July of 2024. 

Former Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman was cleared to return to the NHL at the same time as Quenneville but it didn’t take him as long to find work. He became the GM of the Edmonton Oilers quickly thereafter. 

The Anaheim Ducks conducted a massive search of Quenneville during the hiring process. They found that he was doing the proper things to work in hockey again. 

Ducks GM Pat Verbeek feels that his findings from the background check on Joel Quenneville suggest that he has learned from his mistakes and is ready for a second chance. 

TSN’s Darren Dreger and ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported on his background check and the Ducks speaking to Kyle Beach before making this decision, ahead of the Ducks making it official. 

Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) on XAnnouncement coming shortly. Sources say the Ducks did an extensive background check specific to the Kyle Beach case, including the work Quenneville has done to reform from mistakes made during that time. He was the first candidate Anaheim spoke with after firing Cronin.Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) on XThe Ducks are hiring Joel Quenneville as head coach, as @DarrenDreger first reported. David Carle had a two day interview before extending with DU. Jay Woodcroft & Rick Tocchet were other final candidates. Anaheim did an extensive search into Quenneville’s role in Blackhawks

Kaplan also mentioned that other head coaching candidates, including Jay Woodcroft and David Carle, were in consideration. After weeks of rumors, their decision to go with Quenneville became official on Thursday. 

On the ice, Quenneville’s teams have had great success, which is what makes him appealing to the Ducks. After making a large (21-point) improvement in 2024-25, they feel that this is a necessary step toward becoming a playoff team once again. 

He enters this job as the NHL’s second-place leader in all-time wins. He only trails Scotty Bowman for the top spot, whom he will attempt to eclipse in the coming years with this young Ducks team looking to advance their development. 

Can he get the most out of young stars like Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Mason McTavish, and Trevor Zegras, as he did with Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Duncan Keith? Only time will tell. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

EDMONTON – Well, what have we here?

Nearly 10 months after the Edmonton Oilers hired Stan Bowman to be their GM, another individual who did not respond adequately to sexual assault allegations will be given an NHL job.

Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more. 

Several reports indicate that the Anaheim Ducks will name Joel Quenneville as the successor to Greg Cronin in the head coach position. 

This move raises a significant volume of eyebrows – but it shouldn’t surprise anyone. The writing was on the wall once the Oilers offered the GM job to Bowman.

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The NHL is a league predominately ruled by executives who want a return on their investment. This leads to “safe” business choices. 

In the eyes of an executive, hiring a head coach with a Stanley Cup-winning pedigree is a safe business decision. Does it make it right? On the surface, it doesn’t.

Does that stop them from making the decision? No.

That is part of the issue involving the hockey world. Innovation is often interpreted as risky, something penny-pinching executives typically avoid. However, innovation is how the game can expand, reaching new audiences and allowing new voices to be heard in hockey's inner circles.

See how the day unfolds, but indications are Joel Quenneville is going to be the next head coach in Anaheim. Suggestion of an announcement today.

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) May 8, 2025

If an organization is going to hire someone who failed to respond to serious allegations, it’s imperative to ask that individual what they have done to avoid similar future scenarios. How will they avoid putting other players into challenging scenarios due to their inaction? 

When Bowman was hired by the Oilers, he referenced his work with Sheldon Kennedy and the organizations with which he is involved. Kennedy was present at the press conference when Bowman’s hiring was announced, showing his support for the new GM.

While it's unfortunate to see an organization recycle the same people for the same positions instead of injecting new thought into the NHL, hopefully Quennville has done the work and has a higher regard for the safety of players in vulnerable situations.

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Joel Quenneville is returning to the NHL as the 12th coach of the Anaheim Ducks.

Quenneville is an NHL coach for the first time in more than three years as he replaces Greg Cronin, who was fired by the Ducks on April 19.

Before the hire became official, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that the Ducks conducted an extensive background check on Quenneville, including his work to reform from mistakes he made in the handling of a player’s sexual assault allegations toward a video coach. ESPN’s Emily Kaplan added the team spoke with the player, Kyle Beach, too.

Quenneville resigned as coach of the Florida Panthers on Oct. 29, 2021, in the wake of a sexual assault investigation from an incident with the Chicago Blackhawks.

It was determined that Quenneville, along with GM Stan Bowman and VP of hockey operations Al MacIsaac, had an inadequate response to allegations that the team's video coach, Brad Aldrich, sexually assaulted left winger Kyle Beach during the team's 2010 Stanley Cup run.

As of July 10, 2024, all three of them were reinstated and were allowed to pursue NHL positions again.

“Over the last two weeks, we conducted interviews with many outstanding coaching candidates, while simultaneously conducting a comprehensive review of what took place while Joel was head coach of the Blackhawks in 2010,” Ducks GM Pat Verbeek said in a news release Thursday. “We spoke with dozens of individuals, including advocates for positive change in hockey and leadership of the NHL, which last July officially cleared Joel to seek employment in the league.”

In July 2021, Quenneville initially said in a statement he was not aware of the allegations at the time. The report released by law firm Jenner & Block in October 2021 reported that Quenneville did learn of the allegations during the 2010 playoff run but said they could not deal with the allegations at the moment.

“Our findings are consistent with Joel’s account that he was not fully aware of the severity of what transpired in 2010,” Verbeek said. “It is clear that Joel deeply regrets not following up with more questions at the time, has demonstrated meaningful personal growth and accountability and has earned the opportunity to return to coaching."

The Ducks made big steps this season, finishing with a 35-37-10 record for 80 points. That’s a 21-point improvement from the 2023-24 campaign, when they had a 27-50-5 record for 59 points to finish seventh in the Pacific Division.

Anaheim is the fifth-youngest team in the NHL with an average age of 26.65, according to eliteprospects.com. Verbeek said hiring Quenneville could be the next step in helping the team grow into a playoff contender.

“Joel is a proven winner and one of the top coaches in NHL history,” Verbeek said. “We believe this is a major step forward in our process of being a perennial playoff contender.”

Dreger reported that Quenneville was the first candidate that Anaheim pursued. Kaplan added that Jay Woodcroft and Rick Tocchet were among the final candidates to be the Ducks’ coach.

Kaplan also mentioned David Carle had a two-day interview before he committed to the University of Denver, signing a multi-year extension with the NCAA program.

Quenneville has been a coach in the NHL for more than two decades, dating back to his first bench boss role in the 1997-98 season with the St. Louis Blues. He went on to coach the Colorado Avalanche, the Blackhawks and the Panthers.

With Chicago, he won three Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013, and 2015. He won the Jack Adams Award in the 1999-2000 season with St. Louis, as well as in 2012-13 with Chicago and 2020-21 with Florida.

The 66-year-old is the second-winningest coach in NHL history, with a 969-572-150 record, along with 77 ties. He is 276 wins from overtaking Scotty Bowman, who has 1,244 victories in the NHL.

Panthers coach Paul Maurice is just below Quenneville with 916 wins in 1,930 regular-season games behind the bench.

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The Hockey News Big Show is here to look around the NHL playoffs and beyond, with help from a special guest.

Second-Round Storylines In The NHL Playoffs, Ft. Drew Shore by The Big Showundefined

Here’s what Michael Traikos, Ryan Kennedy and ex-NHL player Drew Shore discussed in this episode:

0:55: Does Sunrise, Fla., get enough credit for how good of a city and Florida Panthers home crowd it is to play?  

1:31: How important are line matchups between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Panthers going to be now that the series is headed to Florida, where Paul Maurice will have the last change? 

3:06: Which line should Florida match up against Auston Matthews or William Nylander's line, as the top line?

6:05: Will the Florida Panthers try to slow play down and win with low-scoring games?

7:06 The Mikko Rantanen Show was on full display again. Have we ever seen one player take over like this before?

9:42: How will the Winnipeg Jets stop Rantanen?  

10:26: Is Jim Nill the best GM in the Modern Era? 

14:28: The Carolina Hurricanes is up 1-0 against the Washington Capitals, but can you see this series going to six or seven games? 

16:14: What is it like being coached by Rod Brind'Amour?

17:30: Is there something about Carolina's style of hockey that doesn’t translate into the playoffs? 

18:36: Sebastian Aho has the type of slight build that shouldn't work in the playoffs. What makes him so effective as a competitor?

20:46: Will goaltending be Edmonton's Achilles heel, or is it good enough? 

24:15: Alex Pietrangelo and Pavel Dorofeyev of Vegas were absent from practice. How big would these losses be?

27:56: World Championship: which players have the most to gain/lose?

32:27: Why has James Hagens dropped so far in the rankings heading into the NHL draft?

34:47: Joel Quenneville is reportedly joining the Anaheim Ducks. Is he the right coach for this team?

36:55: Kraken/Golden Knights/Mammoth: which recent new team has the best name?

37:35: Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel: Regular seasons aside, who has been the better playoff performer?

39:12: Home teams aren’t performing very well in the second round of the playoffs, so is home-ice advantage real? 

40:25: Who is your early Conn Smythe pick? Anyone else besides Rantanen?

41:02: Would the Avalanche have been better off with Rantanen or depth?

42:30: What's your current pump-up song? 

  Watch the full episode here.

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

Laperriere offers Flyers solid internal candidate for head coaching job originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

As the Flyers search for a new head coach, we’re looking at potential candidates to fill the vacancy.

“Communication and teaching are probably two things that will be at the forefront of our next coach,” general manager Danny Briere said April 19 at his end-of-the-season press conference. “When you have a young team in place, I really think those two attributes are extremely important.”

We’ve profiled Mike Sullivan (hired by the Rangers), Rick Tocchet, Pat Ferschweiler, Brad Shaw and Jay Woodcroft. Next up in our series is Ian Laperriere, the head coach of the Flyers’ AHL affiliate Phantoms.

Why Laperriere would be a fit

There’s plenty of familiarity with the roster and organization.

Laperriere has coached Sean Couturier, Travis Konecny and Travis Sanheim from his time as an assistant with the big club. As Lehigh Valley’s head coach, he has worked with a ton of the younger players and prospects.

He played alongside Briere on the 2009-10 Flyers team that went to the Stanley Cup Final. Going back to his playing days, Laperriere has spent over 15 years with the Flyers, so he knows well about the expectations of the organization and its fans.

The 51-year-old is enjoying his best season as a head coach. The Phantoms have won four playoff games, their most under Laperriere, and they have the back-to-back Calder Cup champions on the brink of elimination in the Atlantic Division semifinals. Lehigh Valley holds a 2-1 lead in its best-of-five series against Hershey heading into Friday night’s Game 4 at PPL Center.

The Phantoms have been to the playoffs in three of Laperriere’s four seasons. Having a job in which players are suddenly taken from or added to his roster, Laperriere has shown a promising ability to roll with the punches. He also has a good blend of relating to his players but also demanding a lot from them.

Why Laperriere would not be a fit

Finding the new head coach of their rebuild is a huge decision for Briere and president of hockey operations Keith Jones. It’s possible they’d want a candidate with more experience at the NHL level, a deeper résumé of turning teams into contenders.

Laperriere has not been an NHL head coach. He was at times the subject of criticism when he oversaw the Flyers’ penalty kill as an assistant coach. In 2019-20, he moved into a pre-scout role.

It’s also possible the Flyers might want an outside voice. A fresh perspective can often be what’s best for a team. Laperriere, to no fault of his own, can only do so much there. He has been in the organization and has tried to operate in cohesion with the big club.

If the Flyers talk to Laperriere about the job, he has earned that consideration. If they ultimately want to see him continue his work with Lehigh Valley, that would make sense, too.

Most people argue that recycling is a positive thing.

Those people typically talk about pop cans and cardboard boxes, not old-school NHL head coaches.

Several reports on Thursday morning indicate that former Colorado Avalanche coach Joel Quenneville will be announced as the new head coach of the Anaheim Ducks.

Bookmark The Hockey News Colorado Avalanche team site so you never miss the latest news, game day coverage, and information on the Avalanche players.

Last week, a report was released detailing how Quenneville had been interviewed for the vacant Ducks’ position, and the “ball was in his court.”

Fast-forward to Thursday, and he has accepted this position. According to Pierre LeBrun, this announcement will be made at 1:00 PM (Pacific Time) on Thursday.

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This report reveals that the Ducks have done “an extensive review over the past two weeks of the Kyle Beach case.” They will report their findings at the announcement later on Thursday.

Quennville hasn’t coached in the NHL since the 2019-20 season. He resigned after a law firm revealed that the Chicago Blackhawks organization did not “properly address the allegations” back in 2010. 

See how the day unfolds, but indications are Joel Quenneville is going to be the next head coach in Anaheim. Suggestion of an announcement today.

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) May 8, 2025

Back on July 1st, the NHL reinstated Al MacIsaac, Stan Bowman, and Quennville. Bowman was named the GM of the Edmonton Oilers shortly after that.

Quennville is a winning coach—there is no mistaking that. Hopefully, he has done the work to adequately address serious future allegations. Winning is great, but not at the expense of players’ safety.

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Edmonton Oilers aim for commanding 2-0 series lead over Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday

The Golden Knights were stunned in their first game versus the Oilers as Leon Draisaitl and company came back from a two-goal deficit with four unanswered goals for a shocking 4-2 victory. 

Vegas will look to come back and even up the series while Edmonton looks to take a commanding 2-0 series lead before heading back home.

For bettors, this matchup provides a chance to capitalize on some of our recent strong trends, like our 31-21 record on our last 51 picks, including perfect records during Game 1 and 4 of the Maple Leafs-Senators series. 

All betting lines are from FanDuel Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.

More NHL: Edmonton Oilers vs Vegas Golden Knights Betting Guide: Best Bets, Strategies and Future Options

Edmonton Oilers vs Vegas Golden Knights Best Bets:

• Golden Knights ML (-134)
• Golden Knights Over 3.5 goals (+104)
• Golden Knights Score First (-125)
• Tomas Hertl Over 0.5 points (-156)
• Ivan Barbashev Over 0.5 points (+142)

It would be very surprising to see the Golden Knights drop both of their home games to start the series as they've done this just once in their last 19 home playoff games.

We can expect a much harder effort in this spot and there's a pair of forwards that should snap point droughts in Tomas Hertl and Ivan Barbashev, who both have gone three games without finding the scoresheet. 

Barbashev dominated during the Golden Knights series versus Edmonton in 2023 with three goals and three assists for six points through as many games.

More NHL: Toronto Maple Leafs vs Florida Panthers Betting Guide: Best Bets, Strategies and Future Options

The 29-year-old Russian winger is listed on Vegas' top line and will most definitely continue seeing chances while playing with a superstar centre in Jack Eichel and the Golden Knights top playoff performer in recent years with captain Mark Stone. 

Hertl hasn't found the same success in this matchup with one point over his last six games versus Edmonton but that could mean he is due for a big game. 

The former San Jose Shark has been red hot to end the season and into the first round with four goals and three assists for seven points over a five-game stretch before his recent cold streak. He also plays meaningful minutes as he's slated on the team's second line and mans the top power play unit. 

The two should give the Golden Knights a massive push on offence while the Oilers continue to have defensive woes with three or more goals allowed in five of their seven playoff games so far.

More NHL: Utah Hockey Club Announces New Team Name

Most of the focus for Minnesota Wild followers will be on the club's efforts to re-sign left winger Kirill Kaprizov. 

The 28-year-old superstar is eligible for UFA status next summer, and the earliest the Wild can sign him to a contract extension is July 1. 

While Wild management works on retaining their franchise player, they must also decide the fate of Marco Rossi. 

The 23-year-old center is completing his entry-level contract and finished this season sitting second among Wild scorers with 60 points in 82 games. That's a 20-point improvement over his performance last season over the same number of games. 

However, the Athletic's Michael Russo and Joe Smith pointed out Rossi was buried on the Wild's fourth line following a difficult period down the stretch and into the opening game of their first-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Rossi was the subject of trade rumors earlier this season until GM Bill Guerin dismissed that speculation in December. He lacks arbitration rights, prompting Russo and Smith to suggest he could receive an offer sheet from a rival club this summer.

Meanwhile, in Montreal, Canadiens GM Kent Hughes came to the defense of Patrik Laine during the club's end-of-season press conference on Monday. 

Laine, 27, drew criticism from some local pundits for his defensive play and declining production down the stretch, prompting speculation the Canadiens could trade the left winger or buy out the final season of his contract. 

Hughes was having none of it. Speaking in French, he told reporters the Canadiens wouldn't have reached the playoffs this season without Laine. 

In Ottawa, a Postmedia report claimed Drake Batherson's name surfaced in the rumor mill before the March trade deadline. The Senators opted instead to trade Josh Norris, shipping him to the Buffalo Sabres for Dylan Cozens. 

The report said several teams wonder if Senators GM Steve Staios would be open to offers for Batherson this summer. His affordability is one reason, as the 27-year-old right winger has two years left on his contract with an average annual value of $4.975 million. 

It would take a significant offer to pry Batherson away from the low-scoring Senators. He's exceeded the 60-point plateau in three straight seasons, including a career-high 68 points in 2024-25.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have won just two playoff rounds in 21 years; needless to say, Auston Matthews and co. have never made it past the second round. On Wednesday night, the Leafs had the opportunity to go up 2-0 against the Florida Panthers, and it was a chance they wouldn’t let slip away.

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Thanks to a 4-3 win over the Cats, Toronto now has a serious option in the series, but to get there, they needed big input from two former Montreal Canadiens: Max Pacioretty and Max Domi.

Former Habs captain Pacioretty put the Leafs on the board on the power play after falling behind 1-0 on an Alexander Barkov goal midway through the first frame. The man advantage marker was scored with less than two minutes left in the period and came with assists from Morgan Rielly and Domi.

The Panthers regained the lead 15 seconds into the second frame, but Pacioretty notched the primary assist on William Nylander's game-tying goal a little over four minutes later. Domi then gave Toronto a one-goal lead less than three minutes before the end of the period.

Tie Domi - 98 career Playoff games, 7 goals, 19 points (238 PIM)

Max Domi - 58 career Playoff games, 9 goals, 30 points (76 PIM)#LeafsForeverpic.twitter.com/QctLiDodMp

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) May 8, 2025

The Leafs again allowed the Panthers to come back when Anton Lundell scored five minutes into the final frame, but Mitch Marner called the game with a big goal just 17 seconds later.

Pacioretty and Domi were named the first two stars of the game with a pair of points each, while Marner grabbed the third. Domi’s stay in Montreal was short-lived. After being acquired from the now-defunct Arizona Coyotes in return for Alex Galchenyuk, the second-generation NHLer had a great first season in town, picking up 70 points. His second year with the Habs didn’t go as planned, however, and his production dipped to 44 points in 71 games.

By the time the “bubble playoffs” turned up, he had lost coach Claude Julien’s confidence and found himself skating on the fourth line, a sign of things to come. In return for Josh Anderson, he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the next off-season.

Since then, Tie Domi’s son has played for five teams but seems to have found a home in Toronto. This is his second season with the Leafs, and he is delivering for them in the playoffs, just like he did last year when they were dispatched in seven games by the Boston Bruins. His performance led the Toronto front office to sign him to a four-year deal with a $3,375,000 cap hit.

It's a shame it didn’t work out for Domi in Montreal since he can play with a bit of sandpaper when needed, but ultimately, so can Anderson, who has been a more than suitable replacement.

---

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Mike Sullivan, a two-time Stanley Cup champion, was officially introduced as the 38^th head coach in Rangers history on Thursday morning.

“It’s an incredible honor to be the head coach of such a storied franchise, an Original Six team, a team that has such deep history and such a passionate fan base,” Sullivan said. “It’s hard not to get excited about being the head coach of an organization like this.”

“Having been on an opposing team’s bench and playing against the Rangers inside the division for all these years, I’ve grown a ton of respect for the players that are in that room and the talent that they have,” the 57-year-old added. “The opportunity to work with a group like that certainly excites me.”

As the head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Sullivan hoisted back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017, leading Pittsburgh to the playoffs in each of his first seven seasons at the helm.

After missing the playoffs in each of the last three seasons, though, Sullivan and the Penguins parted ways.

That’s where Rangers GM Chris Drury pounced on the opportunity to bring Sullivan to New York.

“I truly believe Mike is a premier coach in the National Hockey League. His resume, both in the NHL and in international play, speaks for itself,” Drury said. “The second Mike was available, we quickly and aggressively pursued him, and we’re certainly thrilled that that pursuit led us to this moment today. There’s a lot of work to be done, and I’m very excited to be partnered with Mike as we collectively try to achieve our goals here in New York.”

Sullivan earned his first NHL head coaching job in 2003 with Boston, and he’d coach the Bruins for two seasons. He then spent some time as an assistant coach for a handful of NHL teams, including the Rangers, with whom he worked as an assistant with John Tortorella until landing the Penguins’ top job.

And while he has experience coaching and playing in Madison Square Garden, standing behind the bench as the Rangers head coach is something he certainly doesn’t take for granted.

“I had the privilege of coaching here as an assistant coach, as you guys know, 15 years ago, and I’ve had the privilege of coaching here as an opposing team here at Madison Square Garden,” Sullivan said. “We played these guys in the playoffs a few years ago. I don’t know that there’s a more electric building in the league than Madison Square Garden. It really is a privilege to play in that building, regardless of which bench you’re on. But I can only anticipate what it would be like to be behind the Rangers bench as the head coach. It’s an incredible honor. This is one of the more passionate fanbases in the league, and I look forward to that moment.”

Former Carolina Hurricanes forward Mikko Rantanen was the main reason why the Dallas Stars defeated the Colorado Avalanche in the first round. With the Stars down 2-0 in Game 7, Rantanen scored a hat trick and recorded an assist in the third period to secure them a 4-2 win over the Avalanche.

With his four-point Game 7, Rantanen recorded five goals and 11 points in his final three games against the Avalanche in the first round. Now, he is only continuing to stay red-hot in the Stars' second-round series against the Winnipeg Jets.

In Game 1 against the Jets, Rantanen once again led the Stars to a victory. The former Hurricanes winger scored three goals in the second period, and the Stars won the contest by a 3-2 final score. With this, Rantanen now has recorded hat tricks in back-to-back games and has eight goals and 14 points in his last four contests.

Rantanen is a big-time star when playing at his best, and it is exactly why the Hurricanes acquired him back in January. However, they were forced to trade him at the deadline to the Stars, as the 2015 tenth-overall pick made it clear that he was not open to signing a contract extension with the Canes. However, after being acquired by the Stars, he signed an eight-year, $96 million contract extension with Dallas.

In 13 games with the Hurricanes before being traded to the Stars, Rantanen had two goals, six points, and a minus-3 rating. Overall, he had a tough time adjusting to the Hurricanes' system, but he certainly has found a fit with the Stars.

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Mikko Rantanen picked up right where he left off after the first round when the Dallas Stars took on the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday.

Dallas prevailed in a 3-2 win at the Canada Life Centre on Wednesday to take a 1-0 second-round lead over Winnipeg.

Rantanen put up a natural hat trick in the contest. This was Rantanen’s second straight playoff hat trick after the team’s Game 7 win against the Colorado Avalanche.

This was a historic game for Rantanen. Not only did he record back-to-back hat tricks in the Stanley Cup playoffs, but both hat tricks happened within one period. He is the first player in NHL history to record multiple three-goal periods in the same post-season, let alone in consecutive games.

Rantanen also became the third player in history to record back-to-back hat tricks in the playoffs. The other two were Jari Kurri for the Edmonton Oilers in 1985 and Doug Bentley for the Chicago Blackhawks in 1944.

In his last four playoff games, Rantanen scored eight goals and six assists, and he now leads the NHL with 15 points. The 28-year-old has contributed to each of his team’s last 12 goals. He’s also been involved in 62.5 percent of Dallas’ 24 goals in these playoffs.

While the spotlight was on Rantanen after his hat trick and the Stars’ first win of the series, left winger Jason Robertson returned to the lineup for the first time since their last regular-season game. He played 13:44 of ice time and recorded one shot on goal in his return from injury.

Jets center Mark Scheifele also returned to the lineup. 

This was Scheifele’s first game back since leaving during Game 5 against the St. Louis Blues in the first round with an undisclosed injury.

The 32-year-old had an immediate impact for Winnipeg, scoring late in the second period to make it a one-goal game. He took seven shots and played 22:36 of ice time. 

Winnipeg made a strong push late in the contest during the 6-on-5 scenario and was hoping for another episode of Manitoba Magic, much like in Game 7 against the Blues when they tied the game with 1.6 seconds left to force overtime and eventually win the series.

Despite the team’s late scramble to equalize, Jets coach Scott Arniel was not impressed with his team’s overall performance.

“There was a lot of sloppiness to that game,” Arniel told reporters. "That did not feel like a playoff game in Game 1 in Round 2. That felt like Game 45 in the middle of December.”

Arniel added that he didn’t like his team’s execution, specifically after winning draws and their passing. He highlighted there was more time and space on the ice than when they faced St. Louis, but his players didn’t take advantage of that.

Winnipeg will host Game 2 on Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET, before the series shifts to Dallas for Games 3 and 4.

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One year ago today, the Vancouver Canucks were in a much different spot from where they are now. While they are nearly a month into the off-season this year, last year, they had just completed one of the most impressive postseason comebacks in franchise history. May 8, 2025, marks one year since the Canucks stole Game 1 against the Edmonton Oilers after climbing back from a 4–1 deficit. 

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The game started poorly for the Canucks, who found themselves down 2–0 early on thanks to first-period goals from Zach Hyman and Mattias Ekholm. While Dakota Joshua cut the Edmonton lead by one less than a minute into the second period, another tally by Hyman and one from Cody Ceci gave the Oilers a 4–1 lead with a little less than half of the game over. 

From a Canucks standpoint, things looked bleak. However, something about the energy in the building made it feel like Vancouver wasn’t quite down and out. When Elias Lindholm scored to shorten Edmonton’s lead to 4–2, the team could have easily rolled over and called it a night. However, halfway through the third period, J.T. Miller found the back of the net, bringing the deficit to 4–3. 

With every goal that Vancouver scored, the crowd grew louder and the towels waved faster. By the time Nikita Zadorov’s blast from the blueline flew past Stuart Skinner, Rogers Arena was so loud that you could barely hear yourself think. All of a sudden, Edmonton’s 4–1 lead had been whittled down to a 4–4 tie. 

Fans didn’t have to wait long for Vancouver to seize the lead for the first time in the series. Less than a minute after Zadorov’s tying goal, Conor Garland advanced on the Oilers’ net and faked a shot before sliding the puck into the net. Just like that, the Canucks were the team in control of the series. 

Even though the series didn’t end the way the team or the fans would have wanted it to, the Canucks should still be proud of the effort they exhibited this time last year. Who knows — maybe they’ll be in the same place they were in 2024 come 2026. 

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.