Ahead of Game 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced new details for the 2027 All-Star Game at UBS Arena, home of the New York Islanders.
Following the success of the league's return to best-on-best international hockey, the marquee event will build on that momentum with a three-on-three tournament.
The event will feature five teams of nations, including the United States, Canada, Sweden, and Finland. The fifth team will be comprised of players from the rest of the world. This comes after the league's return to the Olympics this past February and the Four Nations Faceoff last season.
The format of the event will remain similar to previous years. The weekend begins on Friday, Feb. 5, with the return of NHL All-Star Skills, which will highlight the league's young stars. Ten players aged 25-or-under will compete in events including fastest skater, hardest shot, stick handling, one-timers, passing and accuracy shooting.
Players will earn points on placement in each event, with the top four advancing into a shootout against one of four goalies participating in the event. The top two players in the shootout will advance to a final obstacle course to decide the winner.
The game itself will take place on Saturday, Feb. 6, with 11-player rosters that will be mostly decided by fan vote. The NHL Players' Association will pick one forward, defenseman and goalie for each team after fan voting concludes. After a round robin tournament, the top two teams will advance to a 10-minute championship game.
Next season marks the second time the Islanders will host the All-Star Game and first time since 1983. Fans can sign up for more information on the event at the league's website.
The Vancouver Canucks have their new head coach. On Monday, the organization announced that Manny Malhotra would be promoted from the AHL and become the 23rd head coach in franchise history. The move was not unexpected, as Malhotra's name was the only one being reported since the Canucks parted with Adam Foote on May 19.
With Malhotra hired, one of the questions that Johnson faced in his media availability revolved around using the third overall pick to select Manny's son Caleb. The 18-year-old is considered one of, if not the top center available in the 2026 NHL Draft, with some mock drafts linking him to Vancouver. When asked about a potential conflict, Johnson made it clear that he has already spoken to Malhotra about the club potentially drafting his son.
"In the initial discussion with Manny on this position, it was just very clear that each component and decisions and hirings or drafting, none would impact the other based on any certain type scenario," said Johnson. "I mean that in the sense of I had to be very honest and clear with Manny that I want him as the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks. The Vancouver Canucks also sit in a position that his son is possible in where he sits and where the evaluating has gone on through the year with our group that there is a possibility. At what percent I can't tell you, but that the Vancouver Canucks select Caleb. I wanted to make sure that we weren't sitting there on June 20 and Manny was in a spot where he said, hey, RJ, I really wish I would have known that was a scenario, or I really wish there was just a little bit more clarity when we had the initial discussions that this might be a possibility. So I wanted to make sure that he had time to talk with his wife and with his family, understanding that that would be a possible scenario, and that there was no hesitation on him moving forward and taking this position. I felt I owed him that to have that conversation."
Johnson, along with members of the Canucks organization, is currently in Buffalo for the NHL Scouting Combine. The annual event is an opportunity for teams to not only talk with prospects but also see how they measure up in a variety of physical tests. Johnson is using this week to evaluate all prospects, which will help the organization make the best decision once Vancouver is on the clock.
"In regard to the draft, we're going through the process, and obviously decisions still being made. We're at the combine here, going through interviews. We'll have more meetings with our amateur staff that's done an outstanding job getting to know these players, and we'll make our decisions based off of who the best player available is when we pick. There's not going to be an outside influence changing who that might be."
The 2026 NHL Entry Draft is scheduled for June 26 and 27 in Buffalo. The Canucks have 10 picks, including two in the first round. The last time Vancouver selected third, they picked Henrik Sedin, who would go on to a Hall of Fame career before becoming the organization's Co-President of Hockey Operations alongside his brother Daniel.
Caleb Malhotra at the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge (Photo Credit: Jenn Pierce/CHL)
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 20: Logan Stankoven #22 of the Carolina Hurricanes faces off against William Karlsson #71 of the Vegas Golden Knights during the second period at T-Mobile Arena on October 20, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
It wasn’t the finals as predicted but here we are with the Vegas Golden Knights set to take on the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. This sets up as a very evenly matched series which should go the distance.
Oddly enough Vegas and Carolina haven’t played each other since October with the Golden Knights taking the victory both of those meetings which took place at the very beginning of the season. Now both are set to face-off for the ultimate prize battle-tested and relatively healthy as they have the bulk of their rosters available for this series.
Vegas Golden Knights
It’s a star studded group for Western Conference victors Vegas as Mitch Marner leads the NHL with 21 points and Jack Eichel is next with 18 points. Both young sniper Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden lead the NHL with 10 goals a piece.
Projected Lineup
Ivan Barbashev — Jack Eichel — Pavel Dorofeyev
Brett Howden — William Karlsson — Mitch Marner
Tomas Hertl — Colton Sissons — Mark Stone
Cole Smith — Nic Dowd — Keegan Kolesar
Brayden McNabb — Shea Theodore
Noah Hanifin — Rasmus Andersson
Kaedan Korczak — Dylan Coghlan
Carter Hart
Adin Hill
Carolina Hurricanes
The representatives from the Eastern Conference, Carolina are also getting contributions from all over their lineup as Taylor Hall leads with 16 points and Logan Stankoven has nine goals to his name. Carolina is attempting to make history with the fewest games needed to win the Stanley Cup (18) as they only have lost one game thus far through three rounds.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 30: Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on from the dugout prior to the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on May 30, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 7: Mitchell Robinson #23 of the New York Knicks grabs a rebound over Clint Capela #15 of the Atlanta Hawks during the second half at Madison Square Garden on December 7, 2022 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Before Tuesday afternoon’s media day kicked off, one name was glaringly omitted from the media availability list. As some had suspected, Mitchell Robinson wasn’t going to be fielding questions from reporters. That isn’t necessarily indicative of anything, and shouldn’t be categorized as good, or bad news. But Robinson, and the Knicks, knowing just how many eyes, and questions would be on his recently injured pinky, made the call to keep him away from the media. Still, Knicks fans couldn’t have felt particularly great about seeing the longest tenured player on the team-one that should be a major factor this series-be absent from the sheet.
Shams Charania of ESPN also reported the latest on the injury, saying that he’d need to wear a pretty sizable brace in order to play. He also added, “I’m told that Mitchell Robinson fully plans, is resolute, on playing Game 1 on Wednesday night against the Spurs. The Knicks still must clear him for that game. What he has is a broken pinky, but even more specifically, damage to his fifth metacarpal.”
The latest on status of key Knicks center Mitchell Robinson for Game 1 of the Finals in San Antonio for NBA Today: pic.twitter.com/bNLKaFP1Ut
Charania also spoke about the mysterious nature of the injury. “How did this all happen during the next off week? That is the question,” Charania said. “The details are murky. What I can say, what I do know, is that Mitchell Robinson hurt himself at his own home, and so it’s an ill-opportune time for an injury, of course.”
Mitchell Robinson with protection on his hand looks real comfortable with the ball. pic.twitter.com/sk4zsz05cX
Some concerns were eased though when videos of Robinson on the court started to circulate. As seen in the video clips above, Robinson is seen with a relatively minimal tape job, and is seen dribbling the ball, and even giving out firm handshakes with his right hand.
That being said, Robinson doesn’t seem to really be dunking the ball above, which is and of itself, doesn’t mean much, because why would he do it, even if he could. But as Charania mentioned, he still isn’t even cleared technically. And while Knicks fans likely expect him to play, Mike Brown also noted that he still isn’t certain of how Robinson will be listed on the injury report prior to tomorrow night’s game.
Mike Brown said he’s not sure how NYK will list Mitchell Robinson on injury report for Game 1. Brown said he’s going to talk to NYK medical staff to find out what Robinson can do in practice today. Robinson has done individual work in practice since hand injury. No contact yet.
In what has turned into a puzzling injury with all kinds of unexpected twist, and turns, the only things we truly know, are that he did injure it at home, will need a brace, and wants to play.
But if he plays, how much he plays, and how effective he will be can only be left up to speculation for the time being.
Tomas Hertl took a backhand pass from Colton Sisson and beat Frederik Anderson from the slot with 3:24 left in the third period, lifting the Vegas Golden Knights past the Carolina Hurricanes 5-4 in Tuesday night’s opener of the Stanley Cup Final.
Hertl’s finish off Sisson’s feed from the right faceoff circle broke a 4-4 tie and pushed the Golden Knights ahead in an entertaining back-and-forth start on the sport’s biggest stage. It marked Vegas’ seventh straight win of the playoffs, starting with the last two games of the six-game second-round series against Anaheim and then the shocking four-game sweep of the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche.
That series included Vegas erasing a 3-0 deficit to take Game 3, and now the Golden Knights have followed by rallying from another multigoal deficit — this time 2-0 in the opening period — against the team that finished second only to the Avs in the regular season.
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Thursday in Raleigh, with Vegas already having taken home-ice away from the Hurricanes as it chases a second Cup title in four seasons.
Shea Theodore, Ivan Barbashev, William Karlsson and Brett Howden also scored for Vegas, with Howden’s postseason-leading 11th score giving the Golden Knights a 4-3 lead just 1:21 into the third period. Carter Hart finished with 23 saves.
Nikolaj Ehlers scored twice for the Hurricanes, the first coming 25 seconds into the game when he got loose and a rush and blasted one past Hart from the left side on the game’s first shot. He followed with a breakaway that gave Carolina a 2-0 lead and sent a charged home crowd into an eruption in the team’s first Stanley Cup Final game in two decades.
Jordan Staal and Shayne Gostisbehere each scored tying goals after Vegas had pushed to a lead, with Gostisbehere skating in clean on the left side to blast one past Hart at 11:19 of the third period and tie it once more at 4.
Fast bowler Nathan Ellis took a career best four-wicket haul as an understrength Australia shocked Pakistan by 41 runs in the second one-day international in Lahore on Tuesday, levelling the three-match series 1-1.
Aaron Judge has a bone bruise near his right shoulder, New York manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday before the Yankees game against the Cleveland Guardians. This will be the first game Judge has been out of the Yankees lineup this season.
The team later clarified that the imaging revealed a bone bruise to Judge's rib, not his shoulder. He feels the discomfort in the shoulder. It's not the first time he has had an issue with his right ribs.
The two-time reigning American League MVP underwent imaging Monday. Boone called the injury a nagging issue and said Judge could be back in a few days. A firm timeline will not be set until Judge meets with team doctors later Tuesday.
Yankees depth thin in the outfield
With Jasson Dominguez and Giancarlo Stanton on the injured list, the Yankees are actually very thin in the outfield right now. Tuesday night, Boone will have utility infielder Jose Caballero in right field for Judge. Spencer Jones, who had been called up last month, was optioned back to Triple-A Scranton on May 22 after struggling at the plate.
Aaron Judge's 2026 season
Judge, 34, is hitting .248 with 17 home runs and 38 RBI through the Yankees' first 59 games. He's slugging .533 with an .907 OPS.
Aaron Boone on Aaron Judge's injury
“Hopefully, we’ve avoided something serious. But we’ll have an idea more when he meets with the doctor and then as the next couple of days unfold," Boone said to reporters in the Bronx.
Aaron Judge's rib injury history
The Yankees captain played through a partially collapsed lung and a stress fracture of his first right rib during the 2019 postseason. He suffered the injury on a diving catch attempt on an Albert Pujols fly ball on Sept. 18 and received pain injections to get through the playoffs. The fracture was not diagnosed until March 2020, when Judge complained of shoulder soreness during spring training. He missed all of the first part of the COVID-19 interrupted spring training in 2020 with the issue.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 31: A detailed view of the #21 Roberto Clemente Award patch on the back of his cap and the major league baseball gold logo man patch on the jersey is seen worn by Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees has he looks on against the Athletics while wearing Oakley sunglasses at Sutter Health Park on May 31, 2026 in Sacramento, California. As a special privilege, all past recipients of the Clemente Award are permitted to wear a commemorative “21” patch on the back of their caps for the remainder of their careers in honor of Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente's legendary humanitarian legacy. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, that explains a lot about the stuff that needed explaining. Aaron Judge was sitting out tonight’s game against Cleveland for the first time all year, and manager Aaron Boone let us know why: a bone bruise.
I share Boonie’s hope that this is a day to day concern, though it does raise more questions. Yankee players playing through pain only for the injury to linger or worsen has been a hallmark of Boone’s time as manager, and that it now involves the team’s most important player is only going to increase that scrutiny. We also have to reckon with how much that injury may have tamped down Judge’s usual MVP-level performance. It’s worth noting that Hoch later told us that it was the Captain’s right shoulder, or top hand, which typically helps drive more power into your swing than the bottom hand.
Aaron Judge has been “dealing with some shoulder soreness” for weeks, Aaron Boone said. It became “more than that” during the Sacramento series. Imaging shows a bone bruise. He will meet with a team doctor. Could be a day to day situation, Boone said.
In particular, the way this shoulder soreness has lingered also makes me skeptical about recovery. I don’t want to have both Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge on the IL at the same time, but if a shorter, immediate stint is the best path to getting 100 percent Judge back, I’ll take that over a strained day-to-day process where they try to wait something out.
Whatever path the Yankees end up taking, any game without No. 99 in the lineup, even if he’s a .950 OPS instead of a 1.050 OPS, is going to be felt. Someone else further down the line will have to step things up, starting against the Guardians in a couple hours. In the meantime, they’ll line up Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, and José Caballero from left to right in the outfield, with Paul Goldschmidt sliding into the No. 2 spot in the lineup against the lefty Joey Cantillo.
BOSTON, MA - MARCH 16: The sneakers worn by Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics before the game against the Phoenix Suns on March 16, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Nashville Predators have found their new general manager.
As my colleague Jack Williams alluded to in an earlier report, the Predators had permission to speak with Colorado Avalanche general manager Chris McFarland. However, since that report, they have officially announced that he has been hired to lead the organization.
The Predators needed a fresh voice to help guide them into the next era of Predators hockey. With Barry Trotz leaving the organization, they landed one of the top candidates available, which should help them navigate what could be a pivotal stretch for the franchise.
For McFarland, this is a step up from his previous role with the Avalanche. At the same time, it comes with a different set of challenges. He now has the opportunity to oversee an entire organization and, assuming ownership is on board, will have the freedom to make the moves he believes are necessary.
It is safe to say he is excited about the opportunity. In the press release, he had this to say:
"My wife Chandra and I, together with our children, are grateful to Bill and Crissy Haslam and the entire Nashville Predators family for this opportunity," MacFarland said. "We also thank everyone at the Avalanche, including Joe Sakic and the Kroenke family, for their support in pursuing this position with the Predators. I believe Nashville will be a great fit for me. "I know this is a proud organization with a solid track record of putting together teams that the fans of Smashville support wholeheartedly. My goal here is to build a winner, working with (owner) Bill Haslam, Sean Henry and our hockey operations staff and players to put a team on the ice that will compete for the Stanley Cup. I am excited about our future."
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McFarland took over as general manager of the Avalanche in 2022 and enjoyed plenty of success during his tenure. That included the 2025-26 season, which ultimately ended in a surprising sweep at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final. Now, his focus shifts to Nashville, where he will look to address several areas of need and could explore moving some contracts this summer.
It should be an interesting offseason in Nashville, especially with McFarland now at the helm. Throughout his career, he has shown that he is willing to make bold moves when he believes they will improve his team.
The Montreal Canadiens had a successful 2025-26 season and should be looking to boost their roster this summer because of it. One of their biggest needs is another right-shot defenseman who can play top-four minutes.
The trade market is one way that the Canadiens could look to improve their blueline. When looking at trade candidates around the NHL right now, Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen stands out as an interesting potential option for the Habs.
Leading up to the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman mentioned that he believed the Canadiens had interest in Ristolainen. With this, it would not necessarily be surprising if the Habs kicked tires on the big Flyers defenseman this summer.
If the Canadiens acquired Ristolainen, he could work on their second pairing with Lane Hutson. He would also give the Canadiens a clear option for their penalty kill due to his shutdown ability and improved defensive play.
Ristolainen has a $5.1 million cap hit until the end of next season. Overall, this is a reasonable cap hit for what he provides, and he would have the potential to be a nice addition to Montreal's roster.
In 44 games this season with the Flyers, Ristolainen recorded one goal, 14 points, 48 hits, 63 blocks, and a plus-10 rating.
As you well know, Jordan Wicks’ two starts as a Cub this year were.. uh… less than successful.
With Edward Cabrera and Matthew Boyd due back soon and Javier Assad available, it’s likely someone else will take the next rotation turn that would have been Wicks’.
As a result, Wicks was optioned back to Triple-A Iowa today to make room for what will likely be an extra reliever for a few days until that starter is needed.
That reliever is right-hander Tyler Ferguson, who the Cubs acquired from the A’s last month, so he’ll be facing his old team if he gets into a game before Friday. With the A’s this year, Ferguson pitched in just one game, throwing 1.1 innings and allowing four runs. Last year he posted a 4.66 ERA and 1.328 WHIP in 56 relief outings for the A’s, and at Iowa this year he’s appeared in six games, throwing 7.2 innings with a 3.52 ERA and 1.174 WHIP.
As noted, this is probably only for a few days until the Cubs next need a starter for the spot Wicks was occupying. As always, we await developments.
It was a surprise not to see Aaron Judge’s name in the Yankees’ lineup against the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday night.
Manager Aaron Boone met with reporters later in the afternoon and gave his explanation, and it’s not what Yankees fans want to hear.
Per Boone, Judge is dealing with a bone bruise in his upper right rib, and feeling it through his right shoulder. The good news, though, is that Judge is currently day-to-day.
“He’s been, kind of the last couple of weeks, dealing with some shoulder soreness, just kind of nagging,” Boone said. “And then over the weekend, the last couple of games in Sacramento, I think it became a little more than that, where I noticed on some swings and stuff.
“So, we got some imaging last night. We think overall good news, showing a bone bruise. He’s going to meet with the doctor tonight, so hopefully, a day-to-day situation. Could be a few days, could be longer. I don’t know for sure.”
Boone said that there’s not one exact moment when Judge suffered an injury, but it’s fair to say it’s “probably something that’s been affecting him a little bit here recently.”
Over his last 18 games, Judge is hitting an uncharacteristic .206 with a .309 slugging percentage, hitting just one home run during that span.
Time will tell whether or not Judge ultimately needs a stint on the IL, but for now, the hope is that a few days of rest will do the job.
"Hopefully, this is something that we get calmed down here and put it behind us," Boone said.
