The NHL officially announced the Los Angeles Kings’ official schedule for the 2025-26 season about a month ago, and now the season tickets are also available to purchase. 

We already know the Kings will be playing the Colorado Avalanche on Opening Night, and in their first 11 games of the season, eight will be on the road. 

But, now that all the dates and promotional games were also announced a few weeks ago, here’s a look at five games Kings fans should be most excited about for in the 2025-26 season. 

TICKETS 𝘣𝘺 𝘓𝘈 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴

Available now: https://t.co/PiUcpHOvMppic.twitter.com/f03sKwJBpX

— Bailey LA Kings (@BaileyLAKings) August 15, 2025

Kings vs. Colorado Avalanche, October 7

Opening Night is like no other. The Kings will host their 2025-26 home opener against one of the top teams in the NHL, the Colorado Avalanche. 

The opening faceoff will be a playoff-like atmosphere, featuring special pregame ceremonies and fan giveaways. Guests Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar make this an instant early-season test for L.A.

Kings vs. Vegas Golden Knights, January 14

Two of the L.A.'s beloved teams clash — at least in a metaphoric way — on Dodgers Night as the Kings host the Vegas Golden Knights. The fans have in store for unusual Dodgers-themed Kings gear, giveaways, and playoff-like passion on the ice. 

The Kings and the Knights have developed one of the most bitter rivalries in the Pacific Division, and adding an extra special theme night has made this game all the more special.

Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers, April 11

Connor McDavid in town is must-see hockey. The Oilers have been the Kings' playoff roadblocks in the last four seasons, and this is the last time they will meet in the regular season, which could have mammoth postseason ramifications. 

It’s also a promotional game and theme night,  with Fan & Season Ticket Member Appreciation Night, presented by True Classic. Puck drop is set for 1:00 PM, and the first 10,000 fans through the doors will receive a commemorative felt pennant. 

Kings vs. Philadelphia Flyers, March 19

Celebrate hockey, community, and culture as the Kings host Armenian Heritage Night at Crypto.com Arena. The unique night will feature exclusive in-arena programming in celebration of Armenian culture, plus a ticket package including a hockey jersey for a Philadelphia Flyers vs. Kings game that features an Armenian Heritage Kings jersey. With the 7:30 PM faceoff, the game is set to be both meaningful and memorable to fans.

Kings vs. Florida Panthers, November 6

The Kings will host the Panthers, who are the two-time defending champs, winning the last two Stanley Cups against the Oilers. It will also be a theme night where both teams will be honoring and celebrating heroes in our community. 

This special evening will feature tributes throughout the game as the Kings face the Florida Panthers, one of the league’s toughest teams. Puck drops at 7:30 PM, making it a perfect midweek night to support a great cause and enjoy top-tier hockey.

Former Henderson Silver Knights players Jake Bischoff and Gage Quinney have signed one-year contracts with the KHL's Shanghai Dragons for the 2025-26 season, the team announced Friday. 

Bischoff recorded three goals and 21 points in 59 games while captaining the Knights last season. 

The 31-year-old defenseman has racked up 27 goals and 110 points in 367 career AHL games with the Silver Knights, Bridgeport Sound Tigers, and Chicago Wolves.  

A seventh round pick of the New York Islanders in 2012, Bischoff is pointless in four career NHL games with the Vegas Golden Knights. 

Quinney had nine goals and 36 points in 50 games with the Silver Knights last season.

The 30-year-old is Henderson's all-time franchise leader in goals (64) and points (168) in 212 games. 

The Las Vegas, NV., native has 114 goals and 280 points in 383 career AHL games with Henderson, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, and Chicago Wolves. He has one assists in three career NHL games with Vegas. 

Patrik Rybar, Jake Bischoff, Alexander Bryntsev, Pavel Akolzin, and Gage Quinney Join Shanghai Dragonshttps://t.co/eYSwEckyP5

— Shanghai Dragons (@shadragons) August 15, 2025

The Dragons recently hired former NHL coach Gerard Gallant to lead the team behind the bench.

With these signings more than 30 players who played in the AHL last season have now signed in the KHL.

Check out our AHL Free Agency signing tracker here.      

Winnipeg Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey has been named to the NHL Network's annual Top-20 list. 

Each offseason, amid the dog days of summer's slowest period through mid-August, the NHL Network slowly releases its list of the league's Top-20 players at each position. 

Released systemically and over a lengthy period of time, NHL Network compiles 20 wingers, 20 centres, 20 defencemen and 20 goaltenders in advance of training camp, sparking debate amongst NHL fans throughout North America. 

This time around, Winnipeg's top blueliner, Josh Morrissey, earned the honour of being NHL Networks' No. 6 defenceman in the league, earning a bump up the rankings from last year's No. 12 placement. 

Morrissey helped his Jets to a league-best record and a second-consecutive Jennings Trophy for the team allowing the fewest goals against. Personally, the 30-year-old blueliner racked up 14 goals, 62 points and 22 penalty minutes in 80 games for the Jets last year. He earned his second Top-5 Norris Trophy voting finish, while leading the Jets with 24:23 ice time per game last year. He was a plus-22 and had 22 power play points on the season. 

Morrissey, who is Winnipeg's heart and soul on the back-end, is up to 80 goals, 373 points and 321 penalty minutes in his 662-game career over nine seasons with the Jets. 

NHL Network's full Top-20 Defencemen list:

• Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
• Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks
• Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets
• Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars
• Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
• Josh Morrissey, Winnipeg Jets
• Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres
• Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes
• Roman Josi, Nashville Predators
• Evan Bouchard, Edmonton Oilers
• Charlie McAvoy, Boston Bruins
• Gustav Forsling, Florida Panthers
• Jake Sanderson, Ottawa Senators
• Thomas Harley, Dallas Stars
• Shea Theodore, Vegas Golden Knights
• Adam Fox, New York Rangers
• Devon Toews, Colorado Avalanche
• Mikhail Sergachev, Utah Mammoth
• Lane Hutson, Montreal Canadiens
• Brock Faber, Minnesota Wild

The Hockey Show returned this week and dove into some of the offseason fun had around the NHL over the past couple months.

Hosts Roy Bellamy and David Dwork were joined by NHL writer for The Athletic Dom Luszczyszyn.

They Dom’s recent story that ranked each NHL club’s efficiency with spending money and the metrics that go into determining his rankings.

Luszczyszyn was also asked about which teams he felt were the most improved this offseason, and why Nikolaj Ehlers could be a perfect fit with the Carolina Hurricanes.

This week’s wins and losses of the week included a hockey playing Barbie, a referee forcing a player to apologize to a goalie, Seattle’s mascot Buoy nearly being mauled by a bear while fly fishing, and, of course, Taylor Swift.

There was also video of former Florida Panthers star David Booth, who is currently tearing up the Australian Ice Hockey League, scoring a spinning beauty of a goal on the other side of the world.

You can check out the full episode in the video below:

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The NHL prospect pool overview series is our annual summer series breaking down every team's prospect pipeline.

Tony Ferrari looks at the top prospects every team has in its pipeline, reviews every pick from the 2025 NHL draft, analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of every prospect pool and so much more.

We’ve assembled the entire series here with links to each NHL team’s prospect pool deep dive below.

Anaheim Ducks

The Ducks have a loaded prospect pool, and they keep adding top-end talent.

They are poised to take a step forward as Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier and Pavel Mintyukov improve while prospects like Beckett Sennecke and the newly drafted Roger McQueen are on their way. The Ducks are on the rise, and their top-tier prospect pool will only bolster their young, promising lineup moving forward.

Read More: Anaheim Ducks Have No Glaring Weakness

Boston Bruins

The Bruins have been a contender for over a decade, but the years of trading their picks and prospects have caught up to them.

They have committed to restocking their pipeline, and 2025 first-round pick James Hagens will be the face of the next generation. The Bruins might not be down long. 

Read More: Boston Bruins Start To Stock The Cupboard

Buffalo Sabres

It’s almost impossible for the Sabres not to begin taking steps forward at this point. They have a roster with plenty of young players, and they have more on the way.

They’ve drafted high and often over the last decade. Although some of those players have moved on, the Sabres have a boatload of young talent who can help usher in a more successful era. 

Read More: Buffalo Sabres Continue to Build Strong Young Core In Hopes of Playoff Return

Calgary Flames

The Flames have been one of the most intriguing teams at the draft over the last few years under this management team, which has helped them bolster their pipeline at just about every position.

Zayne Parekh is poised to make a mark this upcoming season, but he’s far from the only high-end prospect the Flames have on the way. 

Read More: Calgary Flames Turned A Weakness Into A Strength

Carolina Hurricanes

There may not be a team in hockey that finds a way to get more bang for their buck at the NHL draft than the Carolina Hurricanes.

They don’t shy away from drafting Europeans, particularly Russians, looking just to select the best players available. They take high-upside swings late in the draft and pick players who play typical Hurricanes hockey early in the draft. They have found a way to build a strong prospect pool while competing for a Cup year in and year out.

Read More: Carolina Hurricanes Take Excellent Swings On Talent

Chicago Blackhawks

Not much went right for the Hawks last year, but the future is bright.

Connor Bedard will lead the way, but Frank Nazar and Kevin Korchinski will be effective pieces as soon as this season. Prospects like Sam Rinzel and Oliver Moore are potentially important pieces as Chicago fills out its roster. The depth and talent across the Hawks' prospect pool will make them a tough team to handle in a few years. 

Read More: Chicago Blackhawks Brought In A Stellar Draft Haul

Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche are in win-now mode, which means they have been more than happy to ship out draft picks and prospects. They did so at the trade deadline last year, sending Calum Ritchie to the New York Islanders, which has left them without a prospect with any sort of guarantee of making the NHL. When they need another player, the Avalanche are unlikely to look to their pipeline. 

Read More: Yes, The Colorado Avalanche Actually Have A Prospect Pool 

Columbus Blue Jackets

There is buzz around a lot of prospect pools in the NHL, but the Blue Jackets have built up one of the most intriguing of the bunch, so they deserve more attention.

Adam Fantilli and Cayden Lindstrom could be one of the most difficult center duos to deal with in the NHL, and the addition of Jackson Smith helps fill a need on the blueline. The Jackets have a sneaky good pipeline. 

Read More: Columbus Blue Jackets’ New Generation Takes Shape

Dallas Stars

Some teams just seem to know what they are doing on draft day, and the Stars have proven to be one of the best.

Even though the Stars did not have a full cabinet of picks, they grabbed a potential top-20 player in the draft in the third round, Cameron Schmidt. The Stars may not have the deepest pipeline, but they have some really intriguing prospects who should help them continue to compete in the NHL. 

Read More: The Dallas Stars’ Masterclass Continues On Defense

Detroit Red Wings

Although they may not have a truly elite prospect, the Red Wings have one of the deepest prospect pools of any team.

They have a plethora of prospects at every level who could be legitimate NHL players. They have two of arguably the top five goalie prospects in the world right now, Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine. The Wings have some intriguing defenders who could play a depth role, and the forward corps is diversely skilled as well. 

Read More: Detroit Red Wings’ Top Tier Goalies Highlight A Deep Pipeline

Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers' top two prospects, Matthew Savoie and Isaac Howard, were acquired in trades over the past two summers. They could play in the NHL this upcoming season as the Oilers look to bolster their skill and depth up front.

Beyond those two, the Oilers must figure out how to inject more talent into the pipeline because it falls off pretty hard. 

Read More: Edmonton Oilers Made Shrewd Moves To Get Top Prospects

Florida Panthers

Despite winning back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, the Panthers have a few sneaky good prospects in their pipeline. The team certainly isn’t loaded when it comes to prospects, but it does have a few intriguing names in its system that could eventually help bolster the lineup. 

Read More: Florida Panthers’ Pipeline Isn’t Completely Barren

Los Angeles Kings

The Kings are the going example of what happens when an absolutely loaded prospect pool doesn’t quite work out.

They have certainly had a few players make the NHL, and they’ve used a few as trade pieces, but the Kings’ once-promising prospect pipeline isn’t as impressive anymore. They have some great players still, but they’ll need to bolster the prospect pool over the next couple of years. 

Read More: Los Angeles Kings Are Loaded In Net, But The Pipeline’s Weakened

Minnesota Wild

It feels like the Wild are about to break through into contender status, and their high-end prospects – Zeev Buium, Liam Ohgren and Jesper Wallstedt – will all be a big reason for it.

Minnesota has always looked to take the best players regardless of position and build its pipeline with high-end talent. That’s set them up for a window where they’ll be competitive and welcoming in young talent. 

Read More: Minnesota Wild Have Quality Talent Nearly Everywhere

Montreal Canadiens

The rest of the NHL needs to be on the lookout because the Canadiens will be a problem moving forward.

Ivan Demidov is set to join Lane Hutson and Co. in Montreal this season, giving the squad some of the most dynamic young offensive talent in the league. The Habs have an incredibly bright future with the talent that is set to join the NHL club in the next few years. 

Read More: Montreal Canadiens’ Newest Era Is Here

Nashville Predators

The Predators had a rough season after loading up in the summer a year ago, but they have managed to build a solid prospect pool while all of that was going on.

They had a big draft this year, and while Brady Martin may have been taken a bit earlier than some would have liked, he plays Smashville hockey. The Preds know what they want to be, and they are leaning in with their prospect pool. 

Read More: Nashville Predators Build Back Up

New Jersey Devils

New Jersey's on the rise with a young NHL core featuring players in their mid-20s and a few intriguing youngsters making the jump. Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec will bolster the Devils' blueline over the next few years. The big question is whether the young talent in the pipeline is enough to bolster that young core to build toward a title.

Read More: New Jersey Devils Have Talent, But What About Depth?

New York Islanders

With three first-round picks in the 2025 NHL draft, the Islanders hit it out of the park.

Matthew Schaefer was a fantastic addition at first overall, but the selections of Victor Eklund and Kashawn Aitcheson in the middle of Round 1 built a foundation for the future of the Islanders. Add in Ritchie, who was acquired at the deadline last year, and this prospect pool vastly improved over the past year. 

Read More: New York Islanders, Get Ready For Schaefer And Ritchie

New York Rangers

The New York Rangers must figure out their direction. Are they rebuilding, retooling or competing? Was last year a blip?

One thing they do know is they have a few prospects who could impact the NHL lineup if they're given the opportunity. It’s just going to take the trust of the coach to allow them to do so. 

Read More: New York Rangers Are Strong On One Wing, Weak On The Other

Ottawa Senators

It’s wild that the Senators haven’t built up a better prospect pool over the past decade. They’ve consistently picked high, but whether they’ve traded picks or had a few flops on draft day, the Sens don't have much in the system. They took a big step and made the playoffs last year, but they’ll need some young players to help push them over the hump once again. 

Read More: Ottawa Senators Have At Least One NHL-Ready Prospect

Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers' wave of talent is a ton of fun to watch. They have added skill and size with recent draft picks, and we could start to see some of the prospects push for NHL time.

Matvei Michkov will continue to be the focal point of the new era after a solid rookie year, but incoming players, such as Oliver Bonk or Jett Luchanko, should excite fans. 

Read More: Philadelphia Flyers’ New Wave Is On The Way

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh is in a tough spot.

The Penguins still want to compete with one of the best players of all-time, Sidney Crosby, who’s still producing at an elite level, but they need to build toward the future and acquire prospects whenever they can.

The Pens have made massive strides in rebuilding their pipeline, but they aren’t a team that will likely be competing for the playoffs this year. The future is bright, but how will fans feel about watching a legend fade into obscurity at the end of his career? 

Read More: Pittsburgh Penguins Rebuild The Pipeline In Big Way

San Jose Sharks

There aren’t many teams with a future as bright as the Sharks.

Celebrini is obviously a stud, having been the best rookie forward in the NHL last year, but the selection of Michael Misa in the draft could give the Sharks the best one-two punch down the middle in a few years.

With incredible talent all over the prospect pool, San Jose fans should be smiling ear to ear when thinking about their potential juggernaut a few years down the line. 

Read More: San Jose Sharks Are Fully Loaded

Seattle Kraken

Seattle has only been in the NHL for a few years now, but the way it’s chosen to build down the middle has been impressive. The addition of Jake O’Brien to the center group, which already features NHLers Matty Beniers and Shane Wright and high-end prospect Berkly Catton, gives the Kraken some incredible depth down the middle. Converting that to success in the NHL is the next step. 

Read More: Seattle Kraken Deep Down The Middle Of The Ice

St. Louis Blues

St. Louis is the team people look to when they talk about squads retooling on the fly. This now seems like the second or third time they’ve tried it and found success.

Players like Dalibor Dvorsky, Jimmy Snuggerud and Otto Stenberg haven’t made true NHL impacts yet, and this team was back in the playoffs last season. Once some of their prospects truly start to make their marks, this team could be scary to deal with. 

Read More: St. Louis Blues Building Their Pool Through Depth 

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning’s championship window isn’t as strong as it used to be, and the prospect pool certainly won’t help them in that regard. They will need to rely on strong development and a patient approach to finding some NHLers in their system, but there are no obvious standouts who could be high-impact players.

Read More: Tampa Bay Lightning Putting Faith In Their Development Staff 

Toronto Maple Leafs

There may not be many stars in the Maple Leafs' system, but they have targeted players with fairly safe floors in the draft recently.

Easton Cowan will get a shot to compete for an NHL spot in training camp, which could help make up for some of the skill they lost this off-season, but it won’t make up for all of it. They’ve drafted with a focus on size and tools recently, which gives them plenty of intriguing development projects over the next couple of years. 

Read More: Toronto Maple Leafs Have Intriguing Depth Pieces Without Any Stars

Utah Mammoth

Calling Utah’s team the Mammoth will look all the more accurate as their prospects make the NHL. They have been building a pipeline full of massive players at forward and defense, with Dmitri Simashev, Daniil But and Maveric Lamoureux leading the way. The Mammoth are building toward a window of contention, and people may be surprised when they open it up a bit this season. 

Read More: Utah Mammoth Continue To Add Size To Their Pool 

Vancouver Canucks

For a team that has only made the playoffs twice in the past decade, the Canucks don’t have much of a prospect pool. They have a few notable players, such as Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Tom Willander, but the depth falls off pretty hard. Who the Canucks can rely on to make a big jump this season in their pipeline will be the question many of their fans ask this season. 

Read More: Vancouver Canucks’ Pipeline Is Perplexing

Vegas Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights have shown throughout their existence they do not care much for prospects or draft picks. They have Trevor Connelly, who is a super-skilled winger, and he could be their first drafted-and-developed first-rounder to make an impact on this team ever – unless they trade him, too. 

Read More: Vegas Golden Knights Have One Top-Tier Prospect

Washington Capitals

The Capitals are seamlessly blending their past core and the greatness of Alexander Ovechkin with the future of the franchise for when he inevitably retires. With Ryan Leonard and Andrew Cristall coming, the Capitals have pieces to build around, which is what other contenders dream of but simply don’t have. It’s hard to be relevant while building your future, but Washington has done a good job of that. 

Read More: Washington Capitals Prepare For New Era

Winnipeg Jets

The Jets have taken some swings on talent, such as Brad Lambert and Nikita Chibrikov, and those bets could be paying off soon.

The Jets also made something out of a bad situation when former first-round pick Rutger McGroarty didn’t want to sign with them, trading him for Brayden Yager.

Winnipeg’s pipeline isn’t barren, but it’s certainly not deep. They’ll need their top prospect to hit if they want to keep building and maintain an open contending window. 

Read More: Winnipeg Jets Take Swings On Talent

For a deeper dive into the prospect pool with player rankings, check out the Yearbook and Future Watch editions of The Hockey News in print.  

After spending the 2024-25 season with the Chicago Blackhawks, former St. Louis Blues forward Pat Maroon announced his retirement from professional hockey. This marked the end of a solid 14-year NHL career for Maroon. 

However, while Maroon's playing days are over, he will not be completely away from the ice. This is because the former Blues forward has been hired as an assistant coach by the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the United States Hockey League (USHL). 

The Muskegon Lumberjacks are thrilled to announce the addition of 3x Stanley Cup Champion, Pat Maroon, to the Coaching Staff!

For more information https://t.co/xCD2PnciPnpic.twitter.com/7vlocrTarK

— Muskegon Lumberjacks (@MuskegonJacks) August 15, 2025

When noting that Maroon had a long NHL career and was known for his strong leadership skills, he certainly has the potential to have success as a coach. Now, he will get his first opportunity behind the bench with the Lumberjacks. 

In 74 games with the Blues during the 2018-19 season, Maroon recorded 10 goals, 18 assists, 28 points, and 135 hits. In 848 career NHL games split between the Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, Minnesota Wild, Boston Bruins, and Blackhawks, the three-time Stanley Cup champion had 126 goals, 197 assists, and 323 points.

Blues Surging Forward Named Top Breakout CandidateIn a recent article for The Hockey News' main site, Jared Clinton took a look at one breakout candidate from each Central Division team. For the St. Louis Blues, Clinton went with forward Jake Neighbours. 

The Muskegon Lumberjacks of the United States Hockey League (USHL) announced on Friday the hiring of former Minnesota Wild forward Pat Maroon as assistant coach.

Maroon, 37, just announced his retirement from the NHL after the 2024-25 season which he spent with the Chicago Blackhawks. He has won three Stanley Cups in his career and recorded 1,590 hits in 848 career games.

The 6-foot-3 forward spent one year in Minnesota during the 2023-24 season. He recorded four goals, 12 assists, 16 points, 60 penalty minutes and 71 hits in 49 games played.

Minnesota eventually traded Maroon to the Boston Bruins at the deadline for Luke Toporowski and a conditional pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Toporowski was in the AHL last year and now signed with the Hersey Bears.

They also traded the sixth round pick back to Boston in the Justin Brazeau deal. Brazeau just signed a two-year deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Recent Minnesota Wild Stories

Where Minnesota Wild's Brock Faber Ranks Among NHL DefensemenWe saw where the NHL ranked Minnesota Wild forwards Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov. The NHL Network has now put together a list of the top-20 defensemen.

- Wild Sign Jack Johnson To A PTO.

- Why The Minnesota Wild Signed Jack Johnson To A PTO.

- Wild's Marco Rossi Having A Big Offseason, Up 14 Pounds.

- Wild's Kirill Kaprizov Doing Offseason Training With Pittsburgh Penguins' Evgeni Malkin.