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Former New Jersey Devils stars Zach Parise and Scott Gomez have been selected to the United States Hockey Hall of Fame. 

Joining Parise and Gomez in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame's class of 2025 are Joe Pavelski, Tara Mounsey, and Bruce Bennett. 

Parise spent 19 seasons in the NHL split between the Devils, Minnesota Wild, New York Islanders, and Colorado Avalanche, where he posted 434 goals, 455 assists, 889 points, and a plus-76 rating. In seven seasons as a member of the Devils, the 2003 first-round pick posted 194 goals, 216 assists, and 410 points in 502 games. 

Gomez played in 16 NHL seasons in his career, where he posted 181 goals, 575 assists, and 756 points in 1,079 games. In eight seasons over two stints as a member of the Devils, he had 121 goals, 361 assists, and 484 points. He also won the Stanley Cup with New Jersey twice and the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2000. 

Ex-Devils Forward Looking To Bounce Back With New TeamEarlier this off-season, the New Jersey Devils traded forward Erik Haula to the Nashville Predators. The move was understandable, as the Devils needed to free up cap space, and Haula had a rough 2024-25 season. Furthermore, Haula is a player the Predators are already familiar with, as he played for them in 2020-21.

The Wichita Thunder, ECHL affiliate of the NHL's San Jose Sharks and AHL's San Jose Barracuda, have announced that they have extended their affiliation agreement with the Sharks and Barracuda for the 2025-26 season.

Under the affiliation agreement, the Sharks will be able to designate players within their development system for assignment with the Thunder. The club will also be composed of players who are signed to two-way AHL contracts in addition to those on ECHL contracts (under agreement with the Thunder).

“We're happy to keep our partnership with San Jose going," stated Thunder GM Joel T. Lomurno. "We saw some solid talent come through Wichita last season. I'm looking forward to seeing those guys take the next step and excited to see what new players we can develop this season.”

The 2025-26 season will be the fourth year that the Thunder will partner with San Jose. Last year, Wichita had 10 players spend time in the Air Capital that were either on AHL or NHL contracts.

Goaltender Gabriel Carriere impressed during his time with the Thunder and then earned his first NHL contract with the Sharks this past March. Defenseman Braden Hache appeared in 33 games with the Thunder. He was recalled and earned a consistent role in the lineup for the Barracuda.

Defensemen Jeremie Bucheler, forwards Mitchell Russell and Luke Grainger and netminder Aaron Dell all played for both the Thunder and the Barracuda.

"Wichita is a premier franchise in the ECHL with a proven track record of developing NHL prospects well," Sharks Assistant General Manager and San Jose Barracuda General Manager Joe Will noted. "The staff, facilities and city are all first class."

San Jose joined the NHL in 1991. The Sharks have advanced to the Western Conference Final six times, which included them capturing the Presidents’ Trophy in 2009. San Jose has also earned five Pacific Division titles and made a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2016.

San Jose has one of the most exciting young players in the league in Macklin Celebrini as well as Will Smith and William Eklund.

“I'm excited to be back with San Jose for another season,” Thunder Head Coach Bruce Ramsay stated. “Last year, I was able to work with some talented players that lived out their dreams as they continue to pursue a chance to play in the NHL. It was a pleasure to help develop guys like Gabriel Carriere and Braden Hache, who both signed second contracts with the organization. I'm proud of Gabe, who really improved his game and earned an NHL contract with the Sharks and equally as proud with Braden, who is back with the Barracuda.

“I'm happy with the progress of several other players who spent a significant amount of time here. We look forward to growing our partnership and working together to ensure success at each level for all three teams.”

San Jose has several ties to the ECHL. Sharks Head Coach Ryan Warsofsky served two seasons as a head coach for the South Carolina Stingrays. NHL Goaltending Coach Thomas Speer played in three league contests as a member of the Idaho Steelheads and Las Vegas Wranglers in the 2011-12 season and went on to serve as Goaltending Coach with the Allen Americans, then the Sharks’ ECHL affiliate, from 2014-15 through 2016-17.

USA Hockey announced its 2025 Hall of Fame class Wednesday, including longtime NHL veterans Joe Pavelski, Zach Parise and Scott Gomez. The class also includes Olympic gold medalist Tara Mounsey and photographer Bruce Bennett.

The five will be enshrined at a ceremony in St. Paul, Minn., on Dec. 10.

Pavelski’s 1,068 points over 18 NHL seasons are the sixth-most ever by an American-born player. He added 143 more points in his 201 playoff appearances. He is one of the best players in San Jose Sharks history, having helped the club reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2016 and retiring with the second-most goals in franchise history. Internationally, Pavelski won a silver medal with the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.

Parise scored 889 points in the NHL — 17th all-time amongst Americans — and captained the New Jersey Devils to the 2012 Cup Final. He also won a silver medal with Pavelski at the 2010 Olympics, and served as the U.S. captain in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Gomez finished with 181 goals and 575 assists in his 16 years in the NHL. He won two Stanley Cups with the Devils in 2000 and 2003, and played for the U.S. in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.

Mounsey helped the U.S. win Olympic gold in 1998 and silver as the hosts in 2002. She was considered one of the best offensive defensemen in women’s hockey during her career.

Bennett is one of the most prolific hockey photographers of all time. He has taken photos at more than 5,300 NHL games, 45 different Stanley Cup Finals and six Winter Olympics.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, but the organization’s developmental model has not yielded enough results. 

Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. All are 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 40 NHL games. 

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#10 - Scott Ratzlaff - Goaltender (Seattle - WHL)

Ratzlaff was the Sabres fifth-round pick at the 2023 NHL Draft in Nashville. The young netminder was a tandem goalie in his second season with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds, posting an impressive 25-8-1 record, 2.15 GAA, .918 save percentage and played for Canada in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in his draft year.

The Irma, Alberta native became the primary starter for a rebuilding Thunderbirds squad last season and put up more pedestrian numbers (21-26-2, 3.33 GAA, .905 save percentage) and was the third goalie for Team Canada at the 2024 World Junior Championships in Sweden, but did not see action. Ratzlaff attended Canada’s summer camp for the 2025 World Junior and will likely be in the mix to see game action this December.

After putting up a 25-8-1 record with a loaded Seattle Thunderbirds squad two years ago, the 20-year-old numbers were more pedestrian last season (21-26-2, 3.33 GAA, .905 save percentage) for the rebuilding WHL club, but after impressing at training camp, the Sabres signed Ratzlaff to a three-year, entry-level contract.

In his final season in junior,  Ratzlaff finished 23-19-4, with a 3.16 GAA and .910 save%. The 20-year-old is slated to share duties with Devon Levi next season in Rochester, and could get more of a workload depending on whether the Sabres choose to carry three goalies on their roster.  

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A former ECHL player is now a U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer.

Scott Gomez played one season in the ECHL. On Wednesday, he was announced as one of five members of the 2025 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Class.

Gomez joins Bruce Bennett, Tara Mounsey, Zach Parise and Joe Pavelski as members of this year’s class.

The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Celebration, which will include the formal enshrinement of the Class of 2025 along with the presentation of the NHL’s Lester Patrick Trophy, will be held Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Gomez made history as the first Latino player to earn the NHL's Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie. He went on to an outstanding 16-year professional career, won two Stanley Cups and earned recognition as one of the game's elite playmakers.

The Anchorage, Alaska, native began his NHL career with the New Jersey Devils after being drafted 27th overall in the 1998 NHL Draft. He’s perhaps best known for helping the Devils to the 2000 Stanley Cup, recording 70 points in the regular season in his first year with the club.

During the 2004-05 NHL lockout, Gomez returned home to play for the ECHL’s Alaska Aces. His skill was on display for his hometown fans, as he collected 86 points in 61 games and earned honors as the league’s most valuable player.

Gomez continued to be a reliable contributor for the Devils through the 2006-07 season, collecting another Stanley Cup with the franchise in 2003.

After joining the New York Rangers for the 2007-08 season, Gomez made an immediate impact, earning a trip to the 2008 NHL All-Star Game. He went on to have stints with the Montreal Canadiens, San Jose Sharks and Florida Panthers before returning to New Jersey in 2014-15.

Gomez played for both St. Louis and Ottawa during his final NHL campaign in 2015-16.

All told, Gomez played in 1,079 regular-season NHL games with 181 goals and 575 assists, good for 756 points. In addition, he competed in 149 playoff games with 101 points (29 goals, 72 assists), with his teams making the playoffs in 11 of his 16 seasons.

Internationally, Gomez was a member of the 2006 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team. He also was part of Team USA for the IIHF World Junior Championship in both 1998 and 1999 and at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.

Gomez, a member of the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame, is currently in his first season as the head coach of the USHL's Chicago Steel.

U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame inductees are chosen on the basis of extraordinary contribution to the sport of hockey in the United States. The Hall was incorporated in 1969 and inducted its first class in 1973. The Class of 2025 will be the 53rd installed.

This off-season, the Vancouver Canucks signed winger Vitali Kravtsov to a one-year contract. The 25-year-old has spent the last two seasons in the KHL with Traktor Chelyabinsk, where he posted 92 points in 121 games. While his contract is a two-way deal, the Canucks, as well as Kravtsov, are hoping he can secure a roster spot and play a role in the NHL next season. 

Recently, former assistant coach Sergei Gonchar spoke with Russian media outlet Match.tv about Kravtsov's return. While Gonchar was only a part-time coach with Vancouver, his and Kravtsov's paths would have passed during the 2022-23 season. As Gonchar explained in the interview, which has been translated from Russian to English using Google Translate, Kravtsov has the skills to compete in the NHL but needs to work on some areas if he wants to play full-time with the Canucks.

"You can tell from Kravtsov that he has everything — good skating, technique, everything else. He needs to be more persistent, get on the goal more often, adapt his game more to the North American style. A little more shooting, fighting. These components need to be developed to fit into the Canucks team. Then it will be easier for him."

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This season may very well be Kravtsov's final chance at a career in North America. As Gonchar pointed out, he is a talented player, but needs to continue working on certain aspects of his game. With training camp just a few weeks away, all eyes will be on Kravtsov as he attempts to make a comeback to the NHL. 

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.

The Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers are set for what could be their fifth consecutive playoff meeting, according to a recent projection from JFreshHockey. 

This recurring matchup has quickly become one of the most intense rivalries in the NHL playoffs, with both teams battling it out every year, and fans getting in on the action. 

small tweak to the projection based on updated depth charts. will answer any question on these projections (which i'll post updated the day before the season and hope, as every year, will be among the least incorrect ones) pic.twitter.com/1s1qwMKIc7

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) August 27, 2025

Who has the Edge?

When it comes to which team has the star power, the edge goes to the Oilers. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl continue to be a problem for the Kings' defense to find any way of containing both stars.

Those two alone make the Oilers so tough to beat in any series and always have the edge because of that, which is the reason why they’ve been in the last two Stanley Cup Finals. 

On the other hand, the Kings lack a big star name or a superstar like the Oilers. LA has solid veterans and young stars on the rise, including Anze Kopitar, Brandt Clarke, Quinton Byfield, and Darcy Kuemper. 

Kings may have the edge in depth and defense because they have more players that could attack and defend on the ice, but when it comes down to significant moments in the series, the Oilers own LA. 

But, still, each time these two teams have met in the playoffs, they’ve been tightly contested games that have come down to the last few possessions.

Each playoff meeting does add more familiarity between the squads, making adjustments and execution even more critical. Many Kings fans argue that the series' last seasons would’ve been there’s.

But if head coach Jim Hiller hadn’t made the obvious coaches' challenge that wasn’t going to go their way, or failed to make any in-game coaching adjustments, maybe LA wouldn’t have blown the 2-0 series lead and three straight game collapses in the second and third periods.

Final Thoughts

If these projections hold, fans can expect another highly contested and intense series complete with high-speed action and scoring.

The Kings will look to finally overcome their postseason hurdle against Edmonton, while the Oilers will aim to continue their dominance, looking at the top of their throne as they dispatch LA.