TORONTO (AP) — Sidney Crosby is seen by his peers as the NHL player most likely to become a head coach, according to the National Hockey League Players’ Association’s annual player poll released Friday.

The 38-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins captain topped the category with 10.3% of the vote, followed by Minnesota’s Nick Foligno at 5% and Detroit’s David Perron, Toronto’s John Tavares and Calgary’s Ryan Strome at 2.6% or lower.

The 11th annual poll surveyed 348 players anonymously from all 32 teams during the first half of the season.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon was named the player with the most intense training regimen at 20.7%, followed by Edmonton’s Connor McDavid at 5.5% and Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang at 4%.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander led a pair of off-ice categories, ranking first as the most fashionable player at 32.9% and for the best social media presence at 17.4%.

Nylander also featured among the league’s best nicknames with “Willy Styles,” but trailed Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak, whose “Pasta” nickname topped the list at 13.5%. Other notable entries included Detroit’s Patrick Kane (“Showtime”) and Nashville’s Ryan O’Reilly (“Factor”).

Florida’s Aleksander Barkov topped forwards who could also excel as defensemen at 18%, while Colorado’s Cale Makar led defensemen who could also excel as forwards at 36.3%.

St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington was voted the league’s best puck handler at 22.4%, ahead of the New York Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin at 14%.

Utah Mammoth captain Clayton Keller was named the league’s best golfer at 15.9%, while Montreal’s Bell Centre was voted to have the league’s best ice at 46.8%. Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena topped the list for best visiting dressing room.

Players also pointed to Houston as the preferred expansion market at 34.3%, followed by Quebec City at 16.9%, while 68.1% opposed a switch to white jerseys at home.

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

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — The Vancouver Canucks fired general manager Patrik Allvin on Friday after missing the playoffs for a third time in four seasons with him in the position.

President of hockey operations Jim Rutherford is keeping his job. Rutherford acknowledged he has to shoulder some of the blame for how the Canucks tumbled to the bottom of the NHL standings.

Allvin made his own decisions as GM, Rutherford said.

“He was in charge of most of the things in hockey, making the trades, deciding who was getting called up and down and working with the coach and all those things,” Rutherford said. “I take full responsibility for the season. I head up the hockey department. But I don’t make decisions for other people. And Patrik had the opportunity to make his own decisions.”

Allvin’s dismissal came a day after Vancouver ended its season with a 6-1 loss to the Oilers in Edmonton. The result punctuated a season where the Canucks finished last overall with a 25-49-8 record.

“It’s unfortunate. He’s a friend of mine. I think Patrik’s a great hockey guy,” Rutherford said. “But we felt it was time to make a change and let someone else sit in that chair, that GM’s chair, and make the decisions going forward.”

The Canucks will conduct a wide search for Allvin’s replacement, he added, and already have a “very good” candidate in Ryan Johnson, currently general manager of the American Hockey League’s Abbotsford Canucks and an assistant GM with the NHL club.

Vancouver’s next general manager will have a lot of responsibility, Rutherford said, including making a decision on whether Adam Foote will stay on as the team’s coach.

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

The Florida Panthers have assigned Marek Alscher, Mikulas Hovorka, Ludvig Jansson, Mike Benning, Tobias Bjornfot, and Wilmer Skoog to the Charlotte Checkers.

Additionally, Noah Gregor and Nolan Foote have cleared waivers and will be assigned to the AHL. 

Alscher, Hovorka, Jansson, Bjornfot, and Skoog were called up in April to join the Panthers while they dealt with injuries.

Alscher recorded three assists in four games while averaging 20:22 of ice time. The 22-year-old made a strong first impression. 

Jansson was called up at the same time as Alscher, and he recorded one assist in four games, averaging 17:16.

Hovorka was called up in three different instances, notching one assist in four games, averaging 14:55 of ice time. Skoog also earned his first call-up to the NHL, and he posted two assists in three games.

Bjornfot played 19 total games in the NHL this season, scoring two goals and four points. Bjornfot left a positive mark on the franchise, as he was more than serviceable when the Panthers needed him.

Panthers Place Noah Gregor, Nolan Foote On Waivers Ahead Of AHL PlayoffsThe Florida Panthers are attempting to beef up their AHL roster, placing Noah Gregor and Nolan Foote on waivers for assignment to the Charlotte Checkers.

And finally, Benning looked like a real good player during his 18 NHL games. He was a strong puck mover, and as his minutes increased, Benning’s play only improved. He finished his first NHL stint with two goals and six points.

Each player will play a critical role for the Checkers as they look to avenge their Calder Cup finals loss last season. The Checkers are making their eighth consecutive playoff appearance and will begin their postseason run at Bojangles Coliseum on Wednesday, April 22, at 7 p.m. ET.

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.

While the Vancouver Canucks’ 2025–26 season has officially concluded, the AHL remains in action for another few days. To get these two prospects some playing time, the Canucks have re-assigned forward Ty Mueller and defenceman Kirill Kudryavtsev to the AHL. 

Mueller returns to the Abbotsford Canucks having spent the past six games with Vancouver, scoring his first career NHL goal in his team’s 6–1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night. The forward has primarily played in the AHL this season, putting up 16 goals and 19 assists in 59 games played at a top-six centre role for Abbotsford. For his efforts at the AHL-level, Mueller was named Abbotsford’s MVP for 2025–26. This season was not technically his first in the NHL, as Mueller made his NHL debut on April 12, 2025 against the Minnesota Wild. 

Like Mueller, Kudryavtsev also made his NHL debut the season prior, a game later on April 14, 2026 against the San Jose Sharks, but recorded his first NHL point this year. He played in three games with Vancouver this season and tallied his first point on Curtis Douglas’ first NHL goal against the Anaheim Ducks. Kudryavtsev also added an assist in Vancouver’s final home game of the 2025–26 season on April 14. 

Abbotsford will play out their final two games of the 2025–26 regular season on Saturday, April 18 against the Ontario Reign, and on Sunday, April 19 against the Coachella Valley Firebirds. The AHL Canucks currently sit at 30th-overall in the AHL standings ahead of the Hartford Wolf Pack and Calgary Wranglers. 

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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Well, that didn’t take long.

In just their second year in the NHL, Clayton Keller’s Utah Mammoth have advanced to the postseason.

After clinching the first Wild Card spot in the West, André Tourigny’s club will take on Jack Eichel’s Pacific Division winning Las Vegas Golden Knights (who also went to the Stanley Cup in their inaugural season) first-ever playoff series.

Games 3 and 4 — along with Game 6 if necessary — at Utah’s Delta Center are set for:

Game ThreeFriday, April 24
7:30 p.m.

Game FourMonday, April 27
TBA

Game SixFriday, May 1
TBA

If you’d like to be there, tickets are available for all three potential tilts in Salt Lake City as of today.

At the time of publication, the lowest price we could find on tickets for any one first-round showdown in Utah was $176 including fees on StubHub.

Prices start at $64 including fees for games at Sin City’s T-Mobile Arena.

Over the course of the regular season, the Mammoth and Golden Knights met three times. And, while Vegas arguably had a better season, Utah did win two of their three matchups.

Still, oddsmakers consider the Knights to be the favorites in this high-stakes series.

Eichel and co. finished the 2025-26 campaign strong on a 10-game point streak and haven’t suffered a defeat in regulation in what we’re calling the John Tortorella era (which began in late March).

Therefore, Keller, Dylan Guenther, Mikhail Sergachev, Karel Vejmelka and Logan Cooley will need all the help they can get at the Delta Center.

“They earned the right to play game 83,” Tourigny said. “We talked about it all season long. Proud of the guys for that and excited to get going.”

Tusks up, Mammoth fans- this is your moment.

For more information, our team has everything you need to know and more about the Utah Mammoth vs. Las Vegas Golden Knights 2026 First-Round NHL Playoff Series below.

Utah Mammoth playoff home game tickets

A complete calendar including all announced Mammoth home game dates at the Delta Center and the best prices on tickets can be found here:

Las Vegas Golden Knights playoff home game tickets

All Golden Knights playoff home game dates and the cheapest tickets available can be found below.

How to watch the Penguins and Flyers on TV

Fans hoping to catch high-stakes showdowns on the tube can watch all first-round playoff games on ABC, ESPN and TNT.

Just make sure to review your local listings before tuning in.

If you don’t have cable, your best bet may be DIRECTV.

2026 NHL playoff schedule

Want to keep tabs on how the postseason is shaking out?

Check out the NHL’s 2026 Playoff Bracket here.

Huge concerts at the Delta Center in 2026

Who else is heading to the Mammoth’s home these next few months?

We thought you’d never ask.

Here are just five of our favorites that are coming your way the next few months that you won’t want to miss live.

• Los Tigres Del Norte (April 25)

• Carin León (Oct. 2)

• Disney’s Worlds Collide (Oct. 14)

• Gorillaz (Oct. 20)

• Teddy Swims (Nov. 3)

Want to see who else is SLC-bound? Check out this list of all the upcoming events at the Delta Center to find the show for you.

Why you should trust ‘Post Wanted’ by the New York Post

This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.

The Colorado Avalanche enter the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs chasing something the NHL hasn’t seen in over a decade: a Presidents’ Trophy winner finishing the job with a Stanley Cup. The last team to pull it off was the Chicago Blackhawks—and that’s the kind of company this Colorado roster believes it belongs in.

Colorado didn’t just have a great year—they controlled the league. A 121-point campaign was the best in franchise history. That's really all that needs to be said there.

At the center of it all was Nathan MacKinnon, who delivered a defining season. His 53 goals not only led the NHL but earned him his first-ever Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy, adding another layer to an already elite résumé. Meanwhile, Cale Makar piled up 79 points while anchoring the blue line. It won't be good enough for a third Norris Trophy, but he's still one of the best players in the world. 

And then there’s the difference-maker Colorado hasn’t always had in recent postseasons: stability in net. Scott Wedgewood quietly put together one of the best goaltending seasons in the league, leading the NHL with a 2.02 goals-against average—exactly the kind of reliability that can swing a playoff series.

The First Test: Los Angeles

Standing in the way is the Los Angeles Kings, a team that made the playoffs without much margin for error. Their 90-point season was enough to sneak in, but it came with clear limitations—especially offensively.

Where L.A. hangs its hat is structure. They finished among the league’s better defensive teams, allowing the seventh-fewest goals. But scoring? That’s been the issue all year. Only one player, Adrian Kempe, cracked the 50-point mark.

The Kings will need to lean heavily on Darcy Kuemper, who brings playoff experience—including a Cup run with Colorado—to even the playing field.

If you’re looking for optimism from the Kings’ perspective, the regular-season matchups don’t offer much. Colorado swept all three meetings, outscoring L.A. 13–5 without allowing even an overtime point

Colorado has continuity with Jared Bednar, one of the league’s longest-tenured coaches, guiding a veteran core that knows how to win.

The Kings, meanwhile, are navigating the postseason with interim coach D.J. James, who did stabilize things late (11-6-6 finish), but this is still a team finding its identity under pressure.

Series Odds 

Every major sportsbook is leaning heavily in the same direction—but each one prices the series slightly differently.

Across DraftKings, the Avalanche are listed at -450, making them strong favorites, while the Kings sit at +340 as a long-shot underdog.

At FanDuel, Colorado is even more heavily favored at -530, with Los Angeles priced at +390, reflecting a similar expectation that the Avalanche should advance.

Caesars is the most aggressive on Colorado, listing them at -600, the steepest favorite number among the books, while the Kings come in at +450, signaling a major underdog status.

Meanwhile, BetMGM mirrors DraftKings closely, with the Avalanche at -450 and the Kings at +350.

Avalanche "Should" Win

There’s always temptation to chase the underdog in a playoff series—but this one feels different.

Colorado checks every box: elite scoring, suffocating defense, playoff experience, and now, dependable goaltending. The so-called “Presidents’ Trophy curse” lingers, but history suggests if it strikes, it usually doesn’t happen this early.

For Los Angeles to flip this series, they’d need to play near-perfect defensive hockey and get a vintage performance from Kuemper—while somehow manufacturing offense against one of the league’s best defensive teams.

That’s a tall task. 

It would seem that the Avalanche are destined to dominate their first round series, but we've seen upsets before. It's up to Colorado to find a way and get overthrow the monarchs.