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Sharks Send Big Forward Back Down To AHL

The San Jose Sharks have made a roster move ahead of their Jan. 10 matchup against the Dallas Stars.

The Sharks have announced that forward Patrick Giles has been assigned to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. 

Giles was called up to the Sharks earlier this week but did not get into any game action during his latest brief stay on their NHL roster. Now, with today's transaction, Giles is set to return to the Barracuda's roster. 

While Giles did not play for the Sharks during his latest call-up, he has made a few appearances for them this season. In three games this campaign with the Sharks, he has recorded zero goals, one assist, three hits, and a plus-1 rating. 

Giles has spent the majority of this season in the AHL with the Barracuda. In 28 games with the Barracuda so dar this campaign, the 6-foot-5 forward has posted five goals, four assists, nine points, eight penalty minutes, and a minus-10 rating. 

In 20 career NHL games over two seasons split between the Florida Panthers and Sharks, Giles has recorded one goal, one assist, two penalty minutes, 24 hits, and a minus-2 rating. 

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Blackhawks center Connor Bedard set to return from shoulder injury

CHICAGO — Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard is back after missing 12 games with a right shoulder injury.

Bedard has been cleared to play on Friday night against Washington. The 20-year-old center participated in the team’s morning skate ahead of the matchup with the Capitals.

“It’s obviously a huge boost,” assistant coach Mike Vellucci said. “He’s a big part of our team and he was playing really well before he got injured. We’re excited to have him back.”

While Bedard is set to return, the Blackhawks could be missing a couple key players against the Capitals because of an illness going around the team. Captain Nick Foligno, forward Ilya Mikheyev, backup goaltender Arvid Soderblom and coach Jeff Blashill missed the morning skate.

Bedard got hurt on a draw with 0.8 seconds left in a 3-2 loss at St. Louis on Dec. 12. He ranked among the NHL leaders with 19 goals and 25 assists in 31 games at the time of the injury.

“I feel good,” Bedard said. “Obviously it’s no fun kind of waiting and not being able to play. So it’s exciting.”

Bedard and fellow center Frank Nazar were shelved during a stretch of 10 losses in 12 games for Chicago. But the Blackhawks have flourished of late, winning a season-high four in a row going into the Washington game.

“It’s an exciting time and for us just to keep that rolling and obviously keep stacking wins because every game’s so important,” Bedard said.

Nazar, who turns 22 on Wednesday, is skating again, but there has been no word on when he might return to the lineup. He was hit in the face by a puck during a 6-4 loss at Ottawa on Dec. 20.

Bedard was selected by Chicago with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft. He missed part of his rookie season with a broken jaw, but he played in all 82 games last year.

“No one wants to have anything happen, but it’s part of the game,” Bedard said. “You just got to try to take that time to get better.”

Bedard’s fast start moved him into contention for a spot on Team Canada for the Winter Olympics. But he was left off the roster when it was announced last week.

Bedard still could make the trip to Italy if he is needed as an injury replacement.

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Free agent outfielder Max Kepler suspended 80 games by MLB following positive drug test

NEW YORK — Free agent outfielder Max Kepler was suspended for 80 games on Friday following a positive test for a banned performance-enhancing substance in violation of Major League Baseball’s drug program.

Kepler tested positive for Epitrenbolone, a substance that led to a suspension in 2018 for boxer Manuel Charr. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency announced the following year that a positive test for the substance caused it to disqualify 90-year-old cyclist Carl Grove from a world record he had set at the 2018 Masters Track National Championship.

Epitrenbolone is a metabolite of Trenbolone, which is contained in some products used in body-building stores and had been used in products to promote cattle growth. Kepler is the first player suspended by MLB for the substance since public announcements of the penalty details began in 2005.

There was no immediate comment from the players’ association or his agency.

Kepler accepted the suspension without contesting the discipline in a grievance, a person familiar with the process told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because that detail was not announced.

Kepler, who turns 33 next month, is an 11-year major league veteran who spent last season with the Philadelphia Phillies after playing his first 10 seasons with the Minnesota Twins. He became a free agent after the World Series.

Fourteen players were suspended last year for positive tests, including two under the major league program. Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar was banned for 80 games on March 31 and Philadelphia Phillies closer José Alvarado for 80 games on May 25.

Even if Kepler doesn’t have a contract by opening day in March, MLB and the union usually allow a suspended free agent to serve his penalty as long as he is attempting to reach a deal with teams.

Kepler hit .216 with 18 homers and 52 RBIs last year after agreeing to a one-year, $10 million contract. He was slowed in 2024 by left patellar tendinitis and had core surgery after the season to repair a sports hernia.

Kepler grew up in Germany and signed with the Twins at age 16 in 2009. He has a .235 average with 179 homers and 560 RBIs in his big league career.

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This Canadiens Smart Move Is Paying Off Big Time

The Montreal Canadiens picked up a big 6-2 win over the Florida Panthers on Jan. 8. With this victory, the Canadiens improved to a 25-13-6 record and are currently in first place in the Atlantic Division standings. 

Alexandre Texier was undoubtedly a massive reason for the Canadiens' win, as he put together a monster game. The 26-year-old forward recorded a hat trick for the Habs in their win. With this, there is no question that he stepped up in a major way for the Canadiens against the reigning two-time Stanley Cup champs. 

This hat trick performance against the Panthers came after Texier recorded one goal and two assists in the Canadiens' Jan. 7 contest against the Calgary Flames. With this, Texier now has six points over his last two games alone. 

With the way Texier is playing right now, it is absolutely clear that the Canadiens made the right move signing him. Texier has also found a great fit with the Canadiens after mutually terminating his previous contract with the St. Louis Blues earlier this season. With this, both the Habs and Texier are benefiting big time since Montreal signed him to a one-year, $1 million deal back in November. 

With his big hot streak, Texier now has seven goals, seven assists, 14 points, and a plus-6 rating in 22 games since joining the Canadiens. This is after he had one assist in eight games for the Blues before having his contract terminated. 

It will now be intriguing to see how Texier builds on his strong play with the Canadiens from here. 

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Red Wings Recall Forward Sheldon Dries From AHL Grand Rapids

The Detroit Red Wings have recalled forward Sheldon Dries from their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, giving the Macomb, Michigan, native an opportunity to skate for his home-state team for the first time in his NHL career.

Dries, 31, has been exceptional for the Griffins this season, recording 11 goals and 14 assists for 25 points in 26 games while posting a career-high plus-16 rating. His strong play earned him AHL Player of the Week honors in the third week of December after he notched two goals and four assists for six points, along with a plus-eight rating, in three games.

Dries will take the roster spot of John Leonard, who was recently sent down from Detroit after filling a depth forward role. The Red Wings plan to rotate Dries in and out of the lineup alongside depth forward Elmer Soderblom moving forward.

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Dries brings NHL experience, having played 122 games across five seasons with the Vancouver Canucks and Colorado Avalanche, totaling 16 goals and 10 assists for 26 points. His most recent NHL season was 2022-23 with Vancouver, when he recorded 17 points in a career-high 63 games.

In addition to his NHL experience, Dries has built a strong nine-year AHL career, compiling 269 points (149 goals, 120 assists), 259 penalty minutes, and a plus-43 rating in 365 games.

Dries’ recall not only provides Detroit with additional depth but also gives fans a local player making his long-awaited NHL debut for the team he grew up watching.

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Canucks’ ECHL-Affiliate Announce Specialty Jerseys In Celebration Of NHL Team

The Vancouver Canucks’ ECHL-affiliate, the Kalamazoo Wings, will be hosting a specialty ‘Canucks Night’ on Saturday, January 10, in celebration of their NHL team. In this particular matchup, the K-Wings will take on the Iowa Heartlanders, the ECHL-affiliate of the Minnesota Wild. 

Kalamazoo’s history as the Canucks’ ECHL-affiliate first began in 1985, lasting two seasons before Vancouver moved on to the Flint Spirits, Columbus Chill, and a variety of other teams. They returned to Kalamazoo from 2012 to 2015, but took a brief break to partner with the Alaska Aces from 2016–17. Since then, the K-Wings have been the Canucks’ sole ECHL-affiliate. 

A special part of Kalamazoo’s Canucks Night will be the introduction of specially-designed jerseys. Aligning with the Canucks theme, the jerseys follow the pattern of Vancouver’s black skate jerseys, featuring the word “Wings” beneath the skate blade instead of “Canucks.” Additionally, Vancouver’s regular orca logo, coloured yellow and red, has been added to players’ right-hand shoulder. These jerseys will then be auctioned off to help raise funds for the South County Firefighters Association.  

Two Canucks prospects currently play for the K-Wings — goaltenders Ty Young and Aku Koskenvuo. Both goaltenders have been called-up to play in AHL games for the Abbotsford Canucks this season, resulting in the two netminders only playing in a total of 10 ECHL games combined. Young currently sports a record of 3–1–0 and a GAA of 2.76, while Koskenvuo has won two and dropped four while putting up 3.56 GAA. 

Other Canucks-affiliated players on Kalamazoo’s roster include defencemen Robby Drazner, Derek Daschke, and Jayden Lee, all of whom have played games for the Abbotsford Canucks this season. 

Vancouver and Kalamazoo’s next games take place on the same day — Saturday, January 10. The Canucks will take on the Toronto Maple Leafs while the K-Wings face Iowa for Canucks Night. Vancouver’s puck drop is scheduled for 4:00 pm PT. 

Credit: @KalamazooWings on X

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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Kings no longer satisfied by ‘close' games after squandering chance vs. Warriors

Kings no longer satisfied by ‘close' games after squandering chance vs. Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Close but no cigar is no longer satisfactory for Kings coach Doug Christie.

After watching Sacramento put up a good fight Friday before being tripped up by a third-quarter scoring drought and ultimately coming up short to a quicker, more talented Warriors team, Christie made it clear his frustrations have reached their limit and there is no bittersweet feel to any of it.

“It’s been a theme [of] good enough to win but also good enough to hang in and get beat,” Christie said after the Kings’ suffered a seventh consecutive loss, a 137-103 beatdown at Chase Center. “For me, that’s all bitter. There’s nothing sweet about it, man. There’s absolutely zero sweetness to that. We’re not playing the game to hang in there. We’re not playing the game to play for 45 minutes. We’re playing the game to play for 48 minutes. 

“The mental toughness that it takes in that moment, we have to find that and it’s in there. You just have to go through it and find it.”

Part of the issue, according to Christie, is that the Kings aren’t doing a good enough job of separating their struggles on one end of the court from the other. Mistakes made on offense tend to bleed over to defense, and vice versa.

“That’s the mental toughness because one thing should not affect another. I get it in life, but in sports you got to be tough enough to say, ‘You know what, that’s OK. Hey everybody, let’s get together. Let’s lock down. We just need one stop.’ And then go down, get organized and get a bucket, take a deep breath and go at it again.”

To be fair, the Kings were outplayed by the Warriors at just about every turn, yet were in position late in the third quarter to swing momentum in their favor.

Instead it was Golden State that grabbed the reins and started to pull away, going on a 15-0 run over about four minutes to change the game from close to blowout status.

“The first half we felt really good,” Kings guard Zach LaVine said. “It was a two-minute, three-minute stretch in the third quarter … and we didn’t get anything going. That was the ballgame. We didn’t recover.”

Like his coach, LaVine isn’t content with what the Kings are putting out.

“You don’t get points for keeping things close in this league,” LaVine said. “You’re supposed to keep it competitive and when you get it down the stretch you figure out how to win. 

“We haven’t done anything but the opposite of that. We keep it close and we end up feeling the same way in the fourth quarter and coming back into the locker room.”

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More Reports Link Jets To Oilers' Andrew Mangiapane

After Thursday’s 11th consecutive loss, the Jets set an NHL record with 13 straight one-goal defeats, highlighting the team’s ongoing struggles. The streak has intensified frustration among players, management, and fans alike, as Winnipeg continues to struggle with holding leads, generating secondary scoring, and finding consistency on the ice.

Winnipeg has been reportedly exploring trade options, with Edmonton Oilers winger Andrew Mangiapane emerging as a top name linked to the team.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman confirmed the connection between the Jets and Mangiapane on Friday’s episode of his podcast 32 Thoughts. Friedman reported that Winnipeg has "kicked tires" on acquiring the Edmonton forward, who has reportedly been listed as available as the Oilers field calls on potential trades.

Mangiapane, a former 55-point winger, signed a two-year deal with Edmonton worth $3.6 million per season with the expectation of playing top-six minutes. However, as the season has progressed, he has gradually fallen out of favor, moving from the top six to the bottom six, and has been a healthy scratch in two of Edmonton’s last three games.

A trade for the Bolton native appears imminent, with the Jets considered one of the leading contenders. Winnipeg has struggled with scoring depth this season, relying heavily on its top forward line of stars. Adding a player like Mangiapane could help spread out the offense and potentially give him the top-six minutes he seeks, possibly alongside Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor.

The fit between Mangiapane and the Jets may require adjustment, but if GM Kevin Cheveldayoff sees the potential, a deal could be finalized soon.

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NHL Rumors: Sabres Should Target Blackhawks Big Defender

Due to their hot stretch of play, the Buffalo Sabres are right back into the playoff race. They are currently fourth in the Atlantic Division with a 23-15-4 record and 50 points.

With the Sabres moving up the standings and having a real shot of breaking their 14-year playoff drought, they should strongly consider adding to their roster. One of their biggest needs is another right-shot defenseman. 

When looking at trade candidates around the NHL, Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy stands out as a solid potential option for the Sabres to consider .

With the Blackhawks having plenty of young defensemen in their system and Murphy being a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), the veteran blueliner has been talked about often in the rumor mill as a trade candidate. When looking at Buffalo's roster, there is no question that he would be a nice addition to their group if acquired.

If the Sabres acquired Murphy, he would give them another much-needed right-shot defenseman who could play on their third pairing and penalty kill. However, due to his steady defensive play, he could also move up the lineup if needed for the Sabres.

At a minimum, Murphy would simply provide the Sabres' defensive group with a bit more stability and leadership if acquired. That would not be a bad thing for a Sabres club looking to take that next step. 

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Steph Curry drops harsh assessment of Warriors-Kings rivalry after blowout win

Steph Curry drops harsh assessment of Warriors-Kings rivalry after blowout win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors and Kings have met in the postseason twice over the last three seasons, helping to form a budding rivalry between Northern California’s two NBA teams.

But Golden State’s 137-103 win over Sacramento on Friday night at Chase Center looked anything but competitive, prompting Warriors star Steph Curry to deliver a harsh evaluation of that notion.

“Geographically, yeah,” Curry responded after the game when asked if he believes the Warriors and Kings remain rivals in 2026. “That’s about it.”

Curry dropped 27 points on the Kings in the Warriors’ win on Friday, which came just over two months after Golden State lost to Sacramento 121-116 on Nov. 5. All-time, the Warriors own the head-to-head record over the Kings, 220-198.

The Warriors and Kings most recently faced off in the postseason during the 2024 NBA play-in tournament, where Sacramento emerged victorious, 118-94, over Golden State to earn the Western Conference’s No. 7 seed and advance to the playoffs.

It was retribution for the Kings, who lost to the Warriors in seven games the year before in the opening round of the 2023 NBA playoffs.

With the Kings (8-30) currently experiencing their worst start to a season in the Sacramento era, it doesn’t look like they’ll be meeting the Warriors again in the postseason this year. But Golden State, at 21-18, is a play-in team at the moment — so only time will tell if they’re in the playoffs, either.

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