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Andre Tourigny isn’t going anywhere—and this time, Utah made sure of it in a much more meaningful way than initially understood.

What was first reported by The Fourth Period and Daily Faceoff insider Dave Pagnotta as a one-year extension has since been clarified: the Utah Mammoth have instead signed Tourigny to a multi-year contract extension, securing their head coach well into the next phase of the franchise’s growth.

The move removes any ambiguity around his future and signals clear organizational belief in the coach who has guided the Mammoth from early-stage rebuild to a legitimate playoff team.

Tourigny was entering the final year of his previous contract in 2026-27, a situation that often creates noise around a coaching staff heading into an important stretch. Utah instead opted to eliminate that uncertainty entirely, locking in continuity behind the bench as the roster continues to mature.

Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

The extension comes on the heels of the most successful season in the franchise’s brief Utah era. The Mammoth finished 43-33-6, earning fourth place in the Central Division and a Western Conference Wild Card berth—marking the organization’s first playoff appearance since relocating.

Their postseason run was short but revealing. Utah grabbed a 2-1 series lead over the eventual Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights before ultimately falling in six games. While the exit stung, it also underscored a growing internal reality: this team is no longer solely projecting future competitiveness—it is already beginning to test it.

Across five seasons behind the bench dating back to the Arizona Coyotes era, Tourigny has compiled a 170-195-45 record. The raw numbers don’t tell a simple success story, but they do reflect something the organization values more—steady progression through a prolonged rebuild and the development of a young core that has finally started to deliver results.

Few coaches have lasted longer in today’s NHL landscape. Only Jon Cooper, Jared Bednar, and Rod Brind’Amour have had longer continuous tenures. And while the NHL officially treats Utah as a separate expansion-era franchise, meaning Tourigny’s “Utah tenure” is technically just two seasons, his influence spans the entire organizational transition.

What matters most inside the building is trajectory.

“André and Blaine have both been instrumental in building the foundation for our organization and will be critical in our continued success and leadership moving forward,” general manager Bill Armstrong said. “André is an excellent leader, communicator, and person, who is extremely well respected by our players and our staff.”

Utah also confirmed multi-year extensions for assistant coach Blaine Forsythe while adding Adam Foote to the coaching staff.

Forsythe remains a key part of the structure despite a down year for the power play. Over his tenure, Utah’s man advantage has generally ranked in the top half of the league, including a top-10 finish during the 2024-25 season, and continues to be viewed internally as a stabilizing strength.

“Blaine’s an experienced, knowledgeable, and Stanley Cup-winning coach who has a strong body of work running the power play,” Armstrong said.

Foote, a two-time Stanley Cup champion and 2002 Olympic gold medalist, joins the staff following a brief head coaching stint with the Vancouver Canucks. His arrival is expected to bring a different voice and added experience to the room.

“We are also thrilled to have Adam, a two-time Stanley Cup champion and 2002 Olympic gold medalist right here in Salt Lake, join the organization and bring a fresh perspective to our room backed by years of experience as both a player and coach,” Armstrong added. “This is another exciting day for the organization.”

The foundation isn’t being reconsidered—it’s being reinforced. And at the center of it remains the same coach who helped build it from the ground up.

The Columbus Blue Jackets own the 14th pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Let's take a look at the history of that draft position for the CBJ.  

Some notable picks around the league at #14 are Charlie McAvoy, Brent Seabrook, Jake DeBrusk, and Devan Dubnyk. 

Alexander Wennberg - 14th in the 2013 Draft - Wennberg was drafted in the 1st round of the 2013 NHL Draft as the 14th overall draft pick.

Wennberg came to North America and made his NHL Debut in 2014. After having three decent seasons, including a 59-point year in 2016-17, Wennberg was signed to a six-year deal on September 1st, 2017. 

Tom Wilson would seemingly derail Wennberg's career in the 2018 playoffs when he laid a devastating check on him. The next two seasons, Wennberg would only total 47 points. In October of 2020, the CBJ would buy Wennberg out, making him a free agent. 

In addition to playing with the Florida Panthers since leaving Columbus, He's played for the Seattle Kraken, New York Rangers, and San Jose Sharks. After the 59-point season he had in 2016-17, Wennberg failed to score more than 38 points in a single season. That streak was stopped last season, when he scored 18 goals and had 55 points for San Jose. 

Jackson Smith - 14th in the 2025 NHL Draft - Smith was announced as the 14th pick by Johnny Gaudreau's widow, Meredith, at the 2025 NHL Draft and instantly became a fan favorite.

Jackson Smith is an elite freshman defenseman for the Penn State men’s ice hockey team. A native of Calgary, Alberta, he made program history as the first-ever first-round selection for the Nittany Lions, having been drafted 14th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2025 NHL Draft.

The youngster paced all Big Ten blueliners in points and broke the Penn State program record for the most single-season goals by a defenseman. He totaled 54 points and had 43 assists. 

The Blue Jackets seem to be open to trading the 14th pick this year, much like they were last year as well. But that's easier said than done in today's NHL. 

Can Waddell get a deal done involving the 14th pick? We won't know for a few days, but if they don't, they're sure to get a pretty good draft pick as well. 

Next Up For Columbus: The NHL Draft is on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo, where the CBJ will own pick #14.   

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Officially, Philadelphia Flyers hockey returns in less than three months with the team announcing its 2026 preseason schedule on Monday morning.

Now, the special new novelty with this year's preseason slate, for all NHL teams, is that it is two games shorter, with the NHL instead opting for two more regular season games.

The 2026-27 regular season will now be 84 games long.

As a result, the Flyers only play two teams in the preseason this year: the Washington Capitals and the Boston Bruins.

Here's the full schedule, as announced by the Flyers:

Monday, Sept. 21 at Washington Capitals at 7 p.m.

Note: This Sept. 21 game at Washington will be played at the GIANT Center in Hershey, PA.

Tuesday, Sept. 22 at Boston Bruins at 7 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 24 vs. Boston Bruins at 7 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 26 vs. Washington Capitals at 5 p.m.

Exclusive Q&A: Flyers GM Danny Briere on Matthew Schaefer's Calder, Top Prospects, and Free AgencyIn an interview with The Hockey News, Philadelphia Flyers general manager Danny Briere discusses his top prospects, former players, free agency, and more.

The 2026 preseason will represent the first opportunity for Flyers fans to see new trade additions Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit in action for Philadelphia, as well as any other exciting players the team adds in free agency, the 2026 NHL Draft, or another trade.

Officially, the offseason will get underway on Friday, when the Flyers pick 21st overall in the draft.

On July 1, free agency opens, and then the Flyers are off to the races towards their preseason dates.

On June 22, 2021, Montreal Canadiens rookie Cole Caufield had the first of many milestone nights. In a third-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights, the winger became the first rookie since P.K. Subban in 2010 to score at least eight points with the Habs in a single playoff tournament.

The Canadiens would go on to eliminate the Golden Knights three days later, on St-Jean-Baptiste, to book their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Caufield would finish the tourney with 12 points in 20 games, a very successful first taste of playoff action, but like the rest of the Habs, he would then go four years before seeing any postseason action.

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Still, it’s been all about progress for the sniper since then, and this last season, the NHL had to acknowledge just how important a role he is playing with the Habs as he gave Nathan MacKinnon a run for his money for the Rocket Richard Trophy, awarded annually to the league’s best goal scorer. The diminutive winger pocketed 51 lamplighters this year, and it feels like we’ve yet to see his ceiling.

While his size has so far prevented him from finding his way on Team USA, it’s hard to imagine that he will never get his opportunity, especially since he forced the other markets to take notice this season, as evidenced by his Lady Bing Trophy win.

Caufield is under contract with the Canadiens for the next five seasons, and if the Habs are to finally be successful in the quest for their 25th Stanley Cup, they will need him to be at the top of his game. It will be interesting to see what he comes up with next season after establishing career-best numbers in both goals and points and tying his career-best numbers in assists.

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.  

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Real conversations are happening regarding defenseman Morgan Rielly and his future with the Toronto Maple Leafs. After 13 seasons in Toronto, and the longest active tenured player for the team, it could be the end of the line for Rielly and the Maple Leafs this off-season.

However, a breakup between both parties isn't as simple as it may seem, and that's because of Rielly's contract. The 32-year-old  is entering the fifth year of an eight-year contract and earns $7.5 million against the salary cap. In addition, he has a no-move clause in his deal, which allows the player to dictate where he goes next if he were to get traded.

With all that in mind, the complications of Rielly's situation and contract would factor into a potential trade and could hinder what the Maple Leafs receive, depending on the trade partner and what that other team may be interested in.

To anticipate what Toronto should expect in return if they dealt Rielly this summer, let's go through some previous examples of notable defensemen on unpopular contracts that were traded, or players who had trade protection and got moved anyway in recent memory.

Could Morgan Rielly And Matthew Knies Be Next Out The Door For Maple Leafs?Toronto Maple Leafs GM John Chayka has made his imprint on the roster with a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers. If he plans on making another big move this off-season, Morgan Rielly and Matthew Knies are likely next in line.

It doesn't take a deep search to find a recent example of when a player with a no-move clause was traded. In fact, it happened before last year's Olympic break when the New York Rangers traded Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings.

Because Panarin had a say in where he wanted to end up, the Rangers were practically forced into a deal in which they probably could've garnered more assets elsewhere if Panarin had no trade protection.

In the end, New York received a solid prospect in Liam Greentree, as well as a 2026 third-round pick and a 2028 fourth-round pick.

Jim Hiller Must Believe In Maple Leafs Youngsters More Than He Did With KingsJim Hiller's track record in developing young players isn't the best. That's going to have to change with players such as Easton Cowan, Matthew Knies, Emil Andrae and the 2026 first overall pick potentially in the lineup next year. Here's how Hiller fared with the Los Angeles Kings in that aspect.

It's worth noting that Panarin's situation is very different, considering he was on an expiring deal and is a top-five scorer in the NHL over the course of the past decade. Nonetheless, that's how a no-move clause can affect the return in a trade.

There are multiple other ways to go about trading a player with a no-move clause or with an unpopular contract. Salary retention can certainly help with that.

The Florida Panthers acquired defenseman Seth Jones from the Chicago Blackhawks in 2024-25. Jones' game was really dropping in the latter stages of his tenure in Chicago, and at his $9.5-million cap hit.

However, the Panthers found a way to get Jones with the Blackhawks retaining $2.5 million of his contract. In the process, Florida sent goaltender Spencer Knight and a 2026 first-round pick. That's quite the return for Jones, who was coming off some of the worst campaigns of his NHL career in Chicago.

And though many teams would be hesitant to retain any salary on a long-term contract like Jones' (expires after 2029-30), it doesn't mean something can't be worked out. Like Jones, Rielly's contract also expires through the 2029-30 season with a no-movement clause attached.

Report: Maple Leafs' John Chayka, Mats Sundin Talking With Morgan Rielly's Representative About Off-Season PlansFor what seems like a possible end for Morgan Rielly's career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, conversations between the defenseman and GM John Chayka and senior executive advisor Mats Sundin are reportedly "ongoing."

Another defenseman who was once in a similar situation to Rielly is Jacob Trouba of the Anaheim Ducks. Although this deal comes without salary retention.

Ahead of the 2019-20 season, Trouba inked a seven-year contract with the Rangers at $8 million per season. Not long after, it would be seen that Trouba did not play up to his dollar value, and when a highly-paid player can't perform to expectations, questions come to the surface.

Eventually, Trouba was traded to the Ducks through his 15-team no-trade list at the time, and New York didn't receive much in return. The Rangers received defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 draft.

There is a wide range of what can go down when a player needs a change of scenery. Sometimes, both parties in a trade walk away happy, or the team parting with the big-name player is handicapped by a bad contract or a trade-protection clause.

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.

Bruins legend Patrice Bergeron elected to 2026 Hockey Hall of Fame class originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

One of the best players in Boston Bruins history is headed to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

Former Bruins center and captain Patrice Bergeron, who played 19 years for the franchise from 2003-04 through 2022-23, has been elected to the Hall of Fame’s 2026 class.

The Hall of Fame announced Monday its new class that includes Bergeron, Pekka Rinne, Carey Price and Keith Tkachuk. The induction ceremony is in November.

Longtime Bruins captain and star defenseman Zdeno Chara was inducted into the Hall of Fame last year.

Bergeron is arguably the best two-way forward in NHL history. He won the Frank J. Selke Trophy — given annually to the league’s top defensive forward — a record six times. He also scored 20-plus goals 14 times and finished with 1,040 points (427 goals, 613 assists) in 1,294 career games.

Bergeron helped the Bruins make the playoffs 15 times in his 19 seasons, including three trips to the Stanley Cup Final and the team’s only championship (2011) since 1972. He scored two goals in Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final against the Vancouver Canucks. The B’s won 4-0 on the road to secure their sixth title.

In addition to his accolades with the Bruins, Bergeron also enjoyed a lot of success for Team Canada in international competition.

He won two Olympic gold medals (2010 and 2014) and a World Championship (2004). He is one of 30 players in the Triple Gold Club — at least one Stanley Cup title, Olympic gold medal and World Championship gold medal.

The Bruins announced last week that Bergeron’s No. 37 will be retired to the TD Garden rafters next season.