Welcome back to Screen Shots, an ongoing THN.com series in which we break down a number of hockey topics into shorter sequences.

Let’s get right to it.

When hockey players finish up with their daily on-ice routines – be they in games or practices – there are certain things they do to wind down.

After a recent Toronto Maple Leafs practice, THN.com spoke to a couple of Maple Leafs players about how they decompress and maintain a healthy life away from the game.

But thinking that any one player does the same thing day in and day out between playing is a mistake. Some hockey players are creatures of habit, but having a good variety of activities makes it easier for NHLers to decompress.

Leafs left winger Steven Lorentz is one such player.

“There’s nothing I really do that’s set in stone,” Lorentz said. “I’m pretty high-strung, so I don’t really decompress. It’s kind of more of a slow, kind of gradual thing over the course of the day. Once I get back home, I usually go with my wife for a walk. We like to stay active. So it’s just kind of winding things down, and after dinner, it’s probably watching a movie.”

Asked what his favorite movie is, Lorentz counts himself as a major fan of war movies and shows.

“Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, The Pacific – anything like that is something I’ll watch,” Lorentz said. “I like all the (war) shows and documentaries. I even watch them in other languages and turn the subtitles on.”

For his part, Lorentz’s teammate Bobby McMann does a number of different things to decompress. 

“I try and read – probably should try a little more,” McMann said. “But I’m more of a show guy, shows and movies. And I like thrillers, thriller movies.”

The recent release of a new thriller on Netflix also caught McMann’s attention, but he leans on a tried-and-true TV staple as a regular show to tune into.

“The Girlfriend is a new thriller show I watched lately,” McMann said, referring to the Robin Wright thriller series. “But it’s not the easiest thing to decompress. Usually I’ll throw on Friends or something after a game to try and settle down. But when I’m home, after dinner, I’ll probably usually watch a thriller movie.”

The Utah Mammothunveiled their new mascot this week – Tusky, a 6-foot-5 Mammoth character that looks like it has emerged right out of the snowy tundra. 

Tusky is going to be challenged to be as successful as Philadelphia Flyers icon mascot Gritty – but given how popular the Mammoth organization has been since relocating from Phoenix in 2024, the team needed to quickly move on a mascot that was family friendly and true to the team name.

In fact, they might have created a new mascot rivalry that would be fun for the league to buy into.

"A baby blue prehistoric animal... how orignal," Nashville Predators mascot Gnash posted on X Wednesday. 

Gritty became a cultural phenomenon, and that’s a hard bar for every other mascot to clear. Nobody is reinventing the wheel here with Tusky, but it’s nice that Salt Lake City and the Utah hockey community get the full NHL experience – and that includes having your own mascot. 

Finally, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman spoke out in the strongest terms yet regarding growing the league beyond North America. 

"We're focused on what we can be doing more outside of North America to continue to grow the game on a worldwide basis," Bettman told NHL.com following the league's board of governors meeting on Wednesday. "That's becoming an increasing focus and priority for us because we believe we're the most international, certainly with our player composition, of the four major sports in North America, and we think there's a great opportunity. But even more than the opportunity, we'd like to see the game continue to grow."

If You Ever Get A Chance To See A Hockey Game In Prague, Take ItWhen you walk into the O2 Arena in Prague to cover a hockey game, one of the first things they give you is a ticket, which allows you to redeem it for a sausage and a beer.

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly had previously given a strong indication the NHL is aiming to expand its footprint deeper into Europe and beyond and grow its product in a slew of big-city, big-money markets overseas. The latest announcement in that regard is a media deal that will broadcast 21 NHL games in Australia.

That said, Europe is the more significant area the league can extend its product into. While we won’t see NHL European teams anytime soon, you will see more games being staged there and more progress in growing the game where there’s a promising hunger for it.

"We're not talking about starting a league," Bettman said. "It's more about playing games, media, grassroots programs, providing content – the things we do in North America on a regular basis and we've been doing to some extent in Europe. But this is about investing more of ourselves in building."

That makes a lot of sense for the league. We’ve been a longtime proponent of any movement that grows hockey in Scandinavia and beyond – places where there are established markets for the sport – and these moves mark the first step toward eventually growing the NHL game to previously unthinkable heights.

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 first two weeks of the NHL season have been quite different for the Florida Panthers.

After picking up three wins in their first three games, all on home ice, the Panthers hit the road this week and the results have not been great.

Playing three games in four nights, Florida scored a total of four goals while dropping all three by a combined score of 12-4.

To the Panthers’ credit, the games were all much closer than the final scores would indicate, as Florida was either tied or within one goal of each until the late stages of the third period.

We also learned that defenseman Dmitry Kulikov, who was injured during the second game of the season, would be out for around five months after having surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder.

It wasn’t all bad for the Cats though, as several players stood out for some good reasons, including youngster Mackie Samoskevich and new goaltender Daniil Tarasov.

Every week, The Hockey Show co-hosts Roy Bellamy and David Dwork pay a visit to the Panthers Den, where they discuss the week that was and go over all the Panthers news and happenings that occurred.

This week’s edition of the Panthers Den can be seen below. Let us know in the comments what you think!

LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA

Three takeaways: Panthers looked like a tired road team in New Jersey, struggling to get shots through

Panthers fall flat in New Jersey, lose third straight on road trip

Challenging road trip continues as Panthers visit New Jersey looking to avoid third straight loss

Panthers lose second straight, come up short against Red Wings in Detroit

Panthers Claim Senators Defenseman Off Waivers

Isaac Howard and Matt Savoie are generating buzz in Edmonton, and with good reason. The Oilers need them to contribute this season. But let's be realistic about what "contribute" actually means for two 21-year-olds making the jump to full-time NHL duty.

The hype around both players is understandable. Howard won the Hobey Baker Award last season with 52 points in 37 games at Michigan State. Savoie had 54 points in 66 AHL games with Bakersfield and appeared in four games with Edmonton. Those are impressive numbers at their respective levels. But there's a massive difference between dominating college hockey or the AHL and being a consistent contributor in the NHL.

Start with the reality: these are rookies or near-rookies on a team trying to win a Stanley Cup. The pressure's real, the competition's better, and the margin for error is thin. Expecting either one to come in and immediately produce like established NHL players is setting them up for unfair scrutiny when they hit inevitable rookie walls.

A reasonable expectation for both Howard and Savoie is somewhere in the 15-goal, 35-40 point range. That's solid production for rookies playing bottom-six or middle-six minutes. If either one exceeds that, great. But penciling them in for 20 goals and 60 points because they dominated at lower levels is asking for disappointment.

Savoie developed into an effective penalty killer with Bakersfield, which matters more than people realize. The Oilers need depth that can contribute in all situations, not just guys who rack up points when playing with McDavid or Draisaitl. If Savoie can be a reliable penalty killer who chips in offensively, that's valuable. That's the kind of contribution that helps teams win games in April, even if it doesn't make highlight reels in October.

Howard's situation is trickier. He's never played professional hockey before. The jump from college to the NHL is massive—longer season, better competition, faster pace, more physical play. Early observations suggest Howard looked "a little behind the play" in his first NHL game, which isn't surprising for someone making that transition. That doesn't mean he won't figure it out, but it does mean patience is required.

Bouchard’s Brutal Night Amplifies Oilers’ Self-Inflicted 4-2 Loss to IslandersEvan Bouchard had what will likely be the worst game of his 2025-26 season as the Oilers lost to the New York Islanders.

The concern with Howard isn't talent—it's readiness. College hockey doesn't prepare you for an 82-game grind against NHL competition. There will be stretches where he looks overwhelmed. There will be games where he's a healthy scratch. That's normal for rookies, especially ones jumping straight from college. If Howard ends up spending time in the AHL getting professional seasoning, that's not a failure. That's smart development.

Savoie has the advantage of professional experience. He knows what the AHL grind feels like. He's had a taste of the NHL. He's already shown he can make "nice moves and nice plays" at the NHL level. The question is whether he can do it consistently over a full season while handling increased responsibilities.

The realistic expectation for both players is inconsistency. There will be games where they look like they belong. There will be games where they look overmatched. There will be stretches where the puck goes in, and stretches where nothing seems to work. That's rookie hockey. The key is whether they can contribute enough during the good stretches to help the team while not hurting them too badly during the rough patches.

Did The Oilers Dodge A Bullet With Carter Hart?Carter Hart signed a professional tryout with the Vegas Golden Knights today, and the timing couldn't be more telling. He won't be eligible to suit up until December 1st due to disciplinary measures from the league. And yet, Vegas is betting on a goaltender who hasn't played meaningful hockey in nearly two years to potentially solve their crease issues.

Here's what reasonable success looks like: Savoie plays 70+ games, kills penalties effectively, chips in 15-20 goals and 35-40 points while playing responsible defensive hockey. Howard plays 50-60 games between the NHL and AHL, shows flashes of his college scoring ability, and ends the season looking more comfortable than he did at the start. Both players finish the year having proven they belong in the organization's plans moving forward.

What's not reasonable is expecting either one to be impact players right away. The Oilers have Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and other veterans to carry the load. Howard and Savoie should be complementary pieces, not foundational ones. If they exceed expectations and become more than that, fantastic. But the baseline should be "solid depth contributors who show promise," not "immediate top-six impact players."

The other reality is roster competition. With Zach Hyman eventually returning from injury and the Oilers carrying experienced depth, there might not be consistent top-six minutes available for rookies. Both Howard and Savoie might find themselves playing 12-14 minutes a night on the third line rather than 18 minutes with prime offensive opportunities. That affects production expectations significantly.

Did Oilers Get An Official Trade Offer For Connor McDavid?Before Connor McDavid signed his extension in Edmonton, teams were eager to see what he'd do. Did the Oilers ever get an official trade offer?

The temptation in Edmonton is always to rush prospects because the championship window is urgent. McDavid's two-year extension creates pressure to win now. But forcing Howard and Savoie into roles they're not ready for doesn't help anyone. Better to bring them along properly, even if that means some growing pains and inconsistent ice time, than to ruin their development by expecting too much too soon.

Reasonable expectations: 15 goals, 35-40 points, reliable penalty killing from Savoie. Inconsistent but promising play from Howard with potential AHL time. Both players showing they belong in the organization's future plans without being asked to carry significant responsibility on a championship-contending team.

That's not exciting. That's not what fans want to hear when they're hyped about top prospects finally getting their shot. But it's realistic. And if Howard and Savoie can meet those reasonable expectations while helping the Oilers win games in smaller ways, that's a successful rookie season. Anything beyond that is a bonus.

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The Los Angeles Kings announced on Friday that captain Anze Kopitar will be out week-to-week with a foot injury.

Kopitar suffered this injury during the team's contest against the Minnesota Wild on Monday, as he took a puck to the foot.

On Thursday night, the Kings played against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Kopitar was a game-time decision for that contest. However, he didn’t come out for warmups and decided not to suit up for LA.

The @LAKings have announced Anze Kopitar is listed as week-to-week with a foot injury.

— LA Kings PR (@LAKingsPR) October 17, 2025

Los Angeles went on to lose that game 4-2 in disappointing fashion as they had a 2-0 lead earlier in the outing, and the Penguins scored a shorthanded goal, which turned out to be the game-winning marker.

After the game, head coach Jim Hiller provided a brief update on Kopitar.

Kings Coach Hiller Points To Penguins' Goaltending And Special Teams As The Difference In 4-2 LossLos Angeles Kings head coach Jim Hiller points to what he thinks went wrong against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The opposition's goaltending is at the top of the list for him.

“We’re going to take a closer look at it still probably in the morning and then maybe we might have a better update for you tomorrow,” Hiller told reporters after their 4-2 defeat. “We’re still kind of evaluating where it’s at.”

Kopitar hasn’t missed many games recently for the Kings. In the last eight seasons ahead of this 2025-26 campaign, LA’s captain has only missed four games across the regular season and post-season.

Not to mention, this is Kopitar’s final NHL season before retirement, as he mentioned going into this campaign.

The Kings have five games in the next nine days, and with Kopitar listed as week-to-week, chances are he could miss all those contests.

Two big matchups include LA’s tilt against the undefeated Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, and the Dallas Stars next Thursday, who have visited the Western Conference final three times in a row.

This will be a big loss for the Kings, both on the ice and in the dressing room, as the team’s leader.

Nonetheless, it opens up an opportunity down the middle of the ice for players such as Quinton Byfield and Alex Turcotte to grow and mature into consistent centermen in the NHL.

Turcotte and Byfield. It’s time to shine.

Put all those underlying numbers (especially with Turcotte) to good use with better line mates.

— Connor Doyle (@LordsOfTheRinks) October 17, 2025

The Kings have lost four out of the first five games of this season and are dropping down the standings early. A loss like this could only drag the team further down unless Hiller’s team can find solutions from within.

They’ve spent years embracing their "Golden Misfits" moniker by skirting the salary cap and poaching big-name talent all in the name of winning. But if you didn’t dislike the Vegas Golden Knights before, you probably do now after the team signed Carter Hart to a professional tryout on Thursday.

Hart, who was one of five players acquitted of sexual assault allegations stemming from a 2018 Hockey Canada gala, was cleared by the league to resume his NHL career as early as Dec. 1. The presiding judge found nothing criminal in the allegations, but the NHL called the overall events disturbing.

Of course, so far he’s the only player who has actually signed.

That it was Vegas that reached out when others wouldn’t — Philadelphia, Carolina and Edmonton were just some of the teams that reportedly passed on the former No. 1 goalie — was hardly surprising.

This is, after all, a team that drafted Trevor Connelly in the first round in 2024. He underwent diversity training and volunteer work after posting an image on Snapchat depicting a friend posing in front of building blocks in the shape of a swastika. They also signed Kai Uchacz after he was passed up in the draft for racist actions directed toward a teammate in junior hockey, requiring education and training on anti-racism, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

In other words, they don’t call Vegas “Sin City” for nothing — a label that Golden Knights fans are certainly embracing with the Hart signing.

Golden Knights Season Ticket Holders, Both Mothers Of Daughters, Scoff At Online Vitriol For Signing Of Carter Hart"He was acquitted, so he should be able to live his life without all the noise," Golden Knights season-ticket holder and mother of three daughters, Ronnie H.

"We are a second-chance team," one season-ticket holder told The Hockey News’ W.G. Ramirez. "We started with throwaway players that no one thought would go far, and yet here we are … Everyone hates Vegas, so it’s one more thing to hate, I guess."

Expect more hate, now that Hart has signed.

A petition urging the Golden Knights not to sign Hart received 2,181 signatures (a similar petition may have prevented the Hurricanes from signing him). On social media, the reaction was mostly negative, with @chefbrier tweeting: "feels like a real slap in the face to women." 

Chances are, the Golden Knights knew this was coming. Based on their history, they probably aren't paying too much attention.

Even before this controversial move, Vegas was a team that was unafraid of public perception.

Are Online Petitions Really Preventing NHL Teams From Signing Carter Hart?The earliest NHL teams can sign one of the five players acquitted in the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial is Oct. 15. But that hasn’t stopped fans from organizing online petitions and threatening to cancel their season tickets in hopes of pressuring ownership to pass on them.

In three seasons, the Golden Knights placed Mark Stone on LTIR until the playoffs — a move that allowed the team to exceed the salary cap and pick up big-name reinforcements at the trade deadline. While he was injured, the cap-circumventing moves won't happen as much now that the playoffs will have a salary cap system. But in some ways, this signing is another example of Vegas doing whatever it takes to gain an advantage.

"What I love about the Knights is they don’t care about the scandal as much as they care about building a competitive roster," another season-ticket holder told The Hockey News' Ramirez.

Indeed, the decision to sign Hart was based on winning: nothing more, nothing less.

"I'm beyond grateful, excited and honored to be part of the Golden Knights," Hart told reporters. "It's been a long road to get back to this point, getting back to playing the game of hockey, the game that I love. I've been out of the game for a year and a half now. I've learned a lot. I've grown a lot. Just excited to move forward."

Like trading for Mitch Marner in the summer, this should help the Golden Knights win a championship. Say what you want about Hart, who has not played in almost two years. But he makes Vegas better.

How much better will be determined by how quickly he can get back to his earlier form. And whether he can unseat Adin Hill and Akira Schmid as the starting goalie. And, of course, if he can block out the negativity that surrounds his controversial signing or prove that he's grown and learned.

If he can, then Vegas might win another championship.

Until then, they gained another misfit.

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.

MARYLAND NEIGHTS, Mo. -- When St. Louis Blues practice ended on Friday, there were three guys left on the ice.

And once Dylan Holloway and Jimmy Snuggerud left, only one remained. At the opposite end of the ice, by himself, head down, working with the puck.

It was defenseman Logan Mailloux.

Last guy on the ice today: Logan Mailloux. #stlbluespic.twitter.com/gdrwUvy7Zj

— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) October 17, 2025

The 22-year-old will be a healthy scratch on Saturday when the Blues (2-2-0) host the Dallas Stars (3-1-0) on Saturday.

It’s probably the expected outcome after Mailloux, playing in his fourth game with the Blues this season and just his 12th in the NHL, was a minus-4 playing 15:49 on Wednesday in an 8-3 loss against the Chicago Blackhawks. He is a minus-7 in four games this season with no points.

Matthew Kessel will replace Mailloux and play alongside Tyler Tucker, but the Blues, who were hoping Mailloux would be shot out of a cannon and be an immediate impact, has shown signs of good play, but it’s obvious that the long-term vision has come into focus again and something that has never been cast aside.

“When you think about players’ development in the league, it’s always goaltenders take the longest,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “That’s why they play to the oldest average age. Defensemen are second. Forwards finish the youngest, especially in the modern era. Forwards usually at the age of 32, they’re starting to decline. For a defenseman, it’s more like 34-35 and goaltenders, it’s more like 37. It’s just the way it seems like it’s been.

“And that being said, have you guys heard of Fabian Brunnstrom? A 2008 free agent signing. Everybody wanted to sign him. First game in the league, scored three goals. Everybody was like, ‘Here’s the new Jari Kurri or Mats Sundin in the National Hockey League.’ You guys haven’t heard of him. There’s a reason, right? And then there’s other guys … this is a hard league to break into, especially at that position. We’re thinking the long game with Logan Mailloux. Sometimes you need a reset. You go up in the press box, watch a game, you see how much time you have, you see how to take away time and we’re going to work with him. We have a plan and when he gets back in the lineup, I don’t ever expect him to come back out.”

Fans have already voiced displeasure at the trade that brought Mailloux from the Montreal Canadiens for Zack Bolduc, who scored in his first three games with the Canadiens and had an assist, becoming the seventh Canadiens player in their history to score in his first three games with the club.

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That’s why not only will the club make sure to nurture Mailloux on the ice but off it as well.

“As a coach, you have to look after everybody mentally. It’s part of the job,” Montgomery said. “To be able to support these guys, sometimes you’ve got to kick them in the rear end. You need to build them up so that they understand that you believe in them, but ice time, I love the line from Bobby Knight: there’s nothing that teaches people better than ass meet bench, bench meet ass. That’s the only tool a coach has always had to get a player’s attention when they’re not playing to the team standard, and that’s not the case with Logan Mailloux, but it’s often been the case at times in the past. Not with him, but with other players.”

The Blues won’t allow the outside noise to disrupt their overall vision for Mailloux, who has the backing of his teammates.

“He’s going to be a great player,” Blues defenseman Colton Parayko said. “You watch him skate, you watch him shoot, he’s steady, he’s strong back there. There’s no doubt about that. I’m looking forward to watching that guy grow and become a dominant force back there. I have full faith in him. He’s a great player. We’re just all looking forward to watching him grow, but at the end of the day, it’s a group effort no matter what. That’s the bottom line. We’re all wearing the Bluenote together.

“It’s got to be difficult obviously going to a new team and you want to play well and things like that. He’s a great player. I have full confidence in him. I’m just looking forward to watching him continue to grow and just keep building.”

Captain Brayden Schenn said, “He's played 11 games or 12 games,” Schenn said. “There's a lot of pressure on him coming from outside. I believe in Logan Mailloux, we believe in Logan Mailloux, and the organization does. I think people are always going to look at this one-for-one. It's not a one-for-one. It's a long-term plan, and he's a great player.

“Like I said, he's played four games for us and it's a new organization ... new coaching, new system, there's a lot of stuff that goes into it. Honestly, I think he's getting ... there's no reason to put pressure on the kid. He's young, and he's getting his feet wet, and he's going to be a good player for a long time, and I firmly believe that.”

There will come a time, whether it be the next game on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings or even further along the line when Mailloux returns and has that game where he figures out he belongs in the league. The Blues know it will come tomorrow, the day after, next month, maybe next year, whenever it happens, it will come.

“Everybody’s different when they have that ah-hah moment,” Montgomery said. “His ah-hah moment hasn’t happened yet, and there’s always a moment for every player where it’s like, ‘not only can I survive in this league, but I can thrive in this league,’ and it’s going to happen for him. He’s too talented, he’s too good. When I meet with him, I always leave excited about how future’s going to be.”

Blues Making Changes Throughout Lineup For Game Saturday Against StarsBlues coach Jim Montgomery puts forward lines through blender at practice on Friday.

Kessel To Debut For Blues Saturday Against StarsDefenseman has been a healthy scratch for four games, will replace Mailloux

Before its game against the Washington Capitals tonight, the Minnesota Wild announced a trade. The Wild have acquired former top prospect Oskar Olausson.

The San Jose Sharks got defenseman Kyle Masters in return for Olausson.

Masters, 22, was the Wild's 118th pick from the 2021 NHL Draft and had spent the last two years in the Wild's organization. He had one goal and five assists in 35 AHL games the last two years for the Iowa Wild.

Olausson, 22, was the Colorado Avalanche's 28th overall pick from the 2021 NHL Draft. He was once considered a top prospect for the Avalanche but only skated in four NHL games in his career since.

Last season the 6-foot-1 forward recorded 11 goals and 26 points in 62 games for the Colorado Eagles. He has 33 goals, 33 assists and 66 points in 163 career AHL games across four seasons.

It is a pretty low risk move for the Wild. If Olausson can get back to what he was projected to become, that would be great for Minnesota. If not, it's still good to have some young depth in the American League.

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.

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'All The People That Have Doubted Me, This Felt Really Good': Jesper Wallstedt Opens The Season Proving Haters Wrong<b>ST. PAUL, Minn -</b> It has been one heck of a journey for goaltender Jesper Wallstedt. It is just one game, but there is no doubt Wallstedt is riding high after the win on Monday.

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With the New York Rangers dealing with a couple of injuries on the back end, the team called up Scott Morrow from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League. 

While his services on the ice haven’t been needed just yet, Morrow is back in an NHL environment, which he’s ecstatic about. 

“It’s always good to stay ready,” Morrow said. “I'm happy to be back, and it's fun being out here with these guys.”

The Rangers acquired Morrow from the Carolina Hurricanes over the summer in a sign-and-trade deal that included K’Andre Miller.

During training camp, Morrow was given an opportunity to thrive, as he was put in a role quarterbacking the power play and had the opportunity to suit up in multiple preseason games. 

The 22-year-old showed some impressive flashes over the course of training camp, but he was ultimately sent down to the AHL. 

When addressing his training-camp performance, Morrow emphasized that he was pleased with some aspects of his game. 

However, he knows there’s still a different gear he could hit. 

“My performance I would say was pretty solid. I think I have a higher level of offense I could bring maybe than what I showed in training camp, although I thought I did a solid job on a power play when I got those opportunities,” Morrow said. 

“I think I could push myself to create a little bit more. As a younger defenseman in the NHL, your first responsibility is to defend, so that's what's going to get me here, so I need to focus on that just as much, if not more. I would say I had a pretty solid training camp. I think I showed well and showed my skill set, but I have a higher level to reach.”

Mike Sullivan and the Rangers’ coaching staff left Morrow with a positive message upon sending him down to Hartford, as they made it clear that he wasn’t far off from making the opening-night roster.

The Rangers' Scoring Woes Are Beginning To Be Hard To Ignore The theme of the 2025-26 season for the New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/">Rangers</a> thus far has been their inability to score, despite generating numerous scoring opportunities.&nbsp;

“As far as feedback from the coaching staff, they just said I'm close and just got to keep working on a couple little things, being more physical, and just try and knock the door down and force them to play me,” Morrow said.

This call-up for Morrow is an opportunity regardless of whether he plays in a game or not. It’s important for him to show the coaching staff his level of professionalism and maturity. 

Everything happens for a reason, and now it’s on Morrow to seize this opportunity, whatever may come of it.

“You always have something to prove,” Morrow said. “Even guys who are making a lot of money, who played 500,000 games in the NHL. They always have something to prove, and your job is on the line every day, so I would say my mentality hasn't changed.”

Curtis Douglas started his NHL career with a bang last week, dropping the gloves nine seconds into his first shift. 

His opponent was no lightweight, the Ottawa Senators' Kurtis MacDermid, a veteran and known bruiser with over 40 fights in his NHL career.

The Tampa Bay Lightning claimed Douglas, an Oakville, Ont., native, off waivers from the Utah Mammoth on Oct. 6. He is one of only three 6-foot-9 players to ever play in the NHL.

His message was clear from the very first puck drop: he's not looking to blend in.

The fight was brief but a testament to what is to come. In an era where the enforcer role has seemed to cycle out of most lineups, Douglas' debut seemed like a throwback to what hockey used to be. But what does his debut say about the modern NHL?

Curtis Douglas in his FIRST NHL SHIFT EVER dropped the gloves with Kurtis MacDermid.🥊🥊🥊 pic.twitter.com/GI0ujJl5xr

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 9, 2025

Before reaching The Show, Douglas carved out a steady AHL career using his size and presence on the ice. Over 261 games in the AHL, he spent most of his time with the Tucson Roadrunners, skating in 170 games along with brief stints in Toronto and Belleville. Last season, Douglas played in 63 games and recorded 10 goals, 23 points and 117 penalty minutes.

But Douglas’ penalty minutes only tell part of the story. He recorded nine fights last season and 32 in his AHL career, according to hockeyfights.com. Those numbers place him firmly among the league’s more active enforcers.

And Douglas is not alone in this approach.

In the 2023-24 season, New York Rangers left winger Matt Rempe similarly burst onto the scene, dropping the gloves nine times in his first two NHL seasons, including a memorable one during his NHL debut against Matt Martin in a 6-5 overtime win at MetLife Stadium in February 2024.

In three NHL games for Douglas so far, he has six hits, two shots and seven penalty minutes while averaging 5:39 of ice time. Rempe, meanwhile, has 22 hits, six shots and a goal in six games this season with 11:29 of ice time per game.

For years, fighting seemed to be fizzling out of the NHL. In the 2009-10 regular season, there were 714 fights in 1,230 games, according to hockeyfights.com. That comes out to about 0.58 fights per game.

By the 2019-20 season, cut short due to COVID-19, that number had fallen to 195 fights in 1,082 games for a rate of 0.18 fisticuffs per contest, a roughly 69-percent decrease from a decade prior.

But it seems the tide could be shifting. The 2024-25 season saw 297 fights in 1,312 games for 0.23 fights per match, a roughly 26 percent increase from five years earlier.

The rise suggests that the role of the enforcer may be evolving, not dying – and Curtis Douglas could be part of its next chapter.

Jacob Carabetta is an intern at The Hockey News.