Worldwide Sports News

The Winnipeg Jets return home after a quick two-game road stint in which they won both games against the Flyers and Islanders with their matchup against the Nashville Predators on Saturday setting them up for their first four-game winning streak of the season. 

Since dropping their season opener against the Stars, the Jets have outscored their next three opponents 13 to six with consecutive five-goal performances heading into their matchup with Nashville. They will do their best to hold off a Predators team that is desperately looking for a win after dropping two straight with ten goals allowed. 

The Jets will look to respond with their deadly top line duo of Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor, who have a combined eight goals through four games.  The Predators will look to respond with their own top line duo of snipers in Steven Stamkos and Filip Forsberg, who are both searching for their second goal of the season. 

Scheifele Ties Franchise Points Record as Jets Power Past Flyers 5–2Scheifele etched his name in history, netting two goals to match the franchise points record and spearhead the Jets' decisive 5-2 win over the Flyers.

Lineup Storylines

The ace up the sleeve of the Jets as of late has been fourth line center Morgan Barron, who's having the best start to a season of his career with goals in all but one of Winnipeg's four games. Barron's also added a pair of assists to bring his season point total to five through four games, ranking him ahead of any Predators players and in line with superstars like Adrian Kempe, Sidney Crosby and Patrick Kane among others as of today. Morgan will play against his brother in the contest as Justin Barron is on Nashville's third defense pairing. 

They would like the same level of production out of their big ticket free agent signing with Jonathan Toews, who has just one assist that came on the power play, a -1 rating and six penalty minutes with over 17 minutes of average ice-time per game. The team would like to see more out of the three-time Stanley Cup champion and he'll face a tough matchup against one of the league's best goaltenders in Nashville's Juuse Saros. 

For the Predators, their youth movement has been flying under everyone's radar. While hockey fans like to talk about the Montreal Canadiens or the Detroit Red Wings, Nashville has one of the youngest teams in the NHL. Their forward group features several players aged 24 or younger, including second-line forwards Fedor Svechkov and Luke Evangelista, as well as fourth-line winger Ozzy Wiesblatt while on defense, Adam Wilsby joins star blueliner Roman Josi on the top pairing. 

This young core doesn’t even account for injured prospect Matthew Wood or 18-year-old Brady Martin, the fifth overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, who has already logged NHL minutes just months after being selected. The kids will have something to prove and Winnipeg will need to stay on their toes for a very different looking Nashville team. 

Moose Head East for First Road Trip of the Season to Face Griffins in Three-Game SetMoose embark on their inaugural road trip facing the Griffins. Key prospects and a strong team dynamic aim for a winning start against a formidable opponent.

Player & Betting Trends (Presented By BetMGM)

WPG ML (-182) | NSH ML (+150)

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O/U 5.5 Goals

These two clubs have split their last eight matchups with four wins a piece but the outlier trend in the series of games was the amount that were low-scoring and this goes back further into the history of their rivalry. In 12 of their last 19 matchups, they've totaled five or fewer goals and this is largely because of the outstanding netminders and defense cores both teams have. Winnipeg has the back-to-back Vezina trophy winner and reigning league MVP in net with Connor Hellebuyck but Nashville also has one of the most elite goaltenders in the league with Juuse Saros. 

Not to mention both sides top defense with the Jets rolling out notable names like Josh Morrissey and Neal Pionk while the Predators respond with Roman Josi and Brady Skjei. Because of this, it's very difficult to find almost any one on either team that excels in this matchup with the only answer being Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele. 

Winnipeg's dynamic duo have been boom or bust in this matchup with Connor and Scheifele recording 27 and 26 points respectively over their last 25 games versus Nashville but this has come in large chunks. Connor for example, has gone without a point in 11 of those 25 games with his numbers being pushed up thanks to eight multi-point performances. If the duo find the scoresheet, it'll likely be more than once if at all. 

Goalie Matchup

Winnipeg: Connor Hellebuyck Expected (VS NSH: 17-9-2 record, 2.42 GAA, .927 SV% in 29 Games)

Nashville: Juuse Saros Expected (VS WPG: 8-8-4 record, 2.50 GAA, .921 SV% in 20 Games) 

Swedish defenseman Oliver Kylington, 28, has signed a one-year contract with Djurgården IF, the Stockholm-based SHL team announced on Saturday.

Born and raised in Stockholm, Kylington returns to Djurgården after a 13-year absense and 10 seasons in the NHL.

“I’m looking forward to playing in front of the fans here at Hovet - it’s something I've thought about for a long time,” Kylington said, referring to Djurgården’s long-time home rink. “I’ve only seen it from the stands, so now it’ll be fun to get a feel for it and be able to give back.”

“Oliver is a Stockholm guy who has played ten seasons in North America and who is coming back home to Stockholm to play where he belongs,” said Djurgården sports director Niklas Wikegård. “He is a fundamentally skilled, experienced and very talented player with great international credentials.”

After a 31-point season in 2021-22, Kylington was rewarded with a new contract but missed then missed the entire 2022-23 season despite no apparent physical ailments. In August 2023, he finally spoke out about his mental health troubles.

Oliver Kylington on mental health and signing with Colorado: “I don’t need any more distractions in my life”After nine seasons of highs and lows in the organization of the Calgary Flames – the team that drafted him – Swedish defenseman Oliver&nbsp;Kylington, an unrestricted free agent, signed&nbsp;a one-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche on Monday. In <a href="https://hockeynews.se/nyheter/har-brutit-med-sin-familj-ingen-relation">a recent interview with Swedish media outlet HockeyNews.se</a>, he spoke about his decision, his history of struggles with mental health and his family, and where he is now.

An unrestricted free agent in 2024, Kylington signed a one-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche. After being limited to just 13 games due to injuries, he was traded in March 2025 to the Anaheim Ducks, where he finished the season.

All told, Kylington recorded 60 points and 60 penalty minutes in 220 NHL regular-season games. He also recorded three points in 12 games for Calgary in the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Kylington went to the Carolina Hurricanes training camp on a PTO this year, but was cut near the end of the preseason. He then returned to Stockholm, where he was reportedly skating with Djurgården’s junior team, while rumors swirled of his imminent signing with the SHL team.

Blackhawks’ Anton Frondell Reflects on Red-Hot Start<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks">Chicago Blackhawks</a>&nbsp;prospect Anton Frondell is off to an impressive start in the SHL. He has taken the league by storm with his blend of skill and imposing size. In his first 10 games, he has recorded six goals and eight points. Frondell spoke with Swedish outlet TV4 about his strong start ahead of last weekend’s matchup with Leksand.

“He will contribute and be an important piece for us,” Wikegård continued. “Then, just like with all other players who come from North American hockey, it’s about patience. Even though Oliver is Swedish, it will be an adjustment for him. But he is a very exciting player that we welcome here to Djurgården as part of our common journey.”

Kylington joins a Djurgården team that has seven wins and five losses in its first 12 SHL games of the season, good for 21 points and fifth place in the 14-team circuit.

The team’s roster includes goaltender Magnus Hellberg, defenseman Gustav Lindström, and forwards Marcus Krüger, Jacob Josefson, Charles Hudon, Jesse Ylönen and Joe Snively. It also includes top NHL prospects Anton Frondell and Victor Eklund – first-round draft picks of the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Islanders, respectively – top 2025 draft prospects Viggo Björk and Marcus Nordmark, and former prospect Emilio Pettersen.

Charles Hudon Signs In Sweden, Joins Frondell & EklundCanadian forward Charles Hudon, 31, has signed a two-year contract with Djurgården IF, the Stockholm-based SHL club announced on Wednesday.

The Chicago Blackhawks came into Friday night’s game against the Vancouver Canucks on a bad streak against them. Chicago hasn’t beaten Vancouver since November 2021. They also haven’t beaten them at the United Center since November of 2019. 

That streak will live on for the Blackhawks. They were defeated in a shootout 3-2. Vancouver’s Brock Boeser scored the winner in the fourth frame, as all seven shooters before him missed. 

Spencer Knight, once again, was the star in this one. He made 30 saves on 32 shots in regulation and saved three out of four shots in the shootout. It’s not like the offense was terrible; Kevin Lankinen was good in Vancouver’s net as well, but they weren’t able to get Knight just one more goal. 

Although the Blackhawks have clearly been a better team so far this season, things would feel a lot more bleak without Spencer Knight. He made some marvelous saves on Friday night. 

Chicago allowed Vancouver to erase a 2-0 lead that they had built up with goals scored by Ryan Donato and Tyler Bertuzzi. The 2-2 tie went all the way through the second intermission. 

This game was not without controversy. With 5:12 remaining in the third period, Tyler Bertuzzi appeared to score again, but the goal was waved off due to goalie interference. It is hard to pinpoint what was seen on that review because it didn’t appear that the goaltender was kept from making a save. Going on to drop the game is a shootout is a tough result after this unlucky break.

 "I won't comment because I'll probably get fined," Tyler Bertuzzi said on the call after the game. "I think it was not that great of a call."

Although it seemed to stick with them for the rest of the game, Jeff Blashill must get his guys to move on from the bad call. They were unable to beat Vancouver, but there will be more opportunities.

At 2-2-2, the Blackhawks are having a respectable start. The right skaters are playing well, the defense is taking steps forward, and they have a star in the net right now. 

Another home game awaits. Joel Quenneville and the Ahaneim Ducks will return to the United Center on Sunday for some evening hockey to end the weekend. Both teams could see this as a measuring stick. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

Martin St-Louis and the Montreal Canadiens will be aiming for a fifth win in a row when they host the struggling New York Rangers at the Bell Centre on Saturday night. The Blueshirts have had a tough time this season; they’ve got a 2-3-1 record, and they were shut out in their first three home games. They’re coming to town with a four-game losing streak and will be hoping that, just like last season, the Habs can be just what the doctor ordered.

Last November, they were on a five-game losing streak when the Canadiens visited Madison Square Garden, and they were able to bounce back with a 5-4 win, scoring the game-winning goal with less than 30 seconds left on the clock. The Tricolore really struggled against the Rangers last season. In October, it was them who made them hit rock bottom when they lost 7-2 at the Bell Centre, in front of the 1970s team that was being honoured that night, which would have been Ken Dryden’s last appearance in a Canadiens’ ceremony.

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Canadiens: St-Louis’ Big Dilemma

The Habs’ sole win over the Rags last season came in January when they beat them 5-4 in an overtime thriller. Given the Canadiens’ flair for the spectacular this season, that kind of outcome is not out of the realm of possibilities.

The starters have yet to be confirmed for the game, but it would be a shock if Samuel Montembeault weren’t back in net for the home team. The number one is not having a great start to the season and currently has a 0.870 save percentage and a 2.98 goals-against average, but it’s Saturday night, and logic dictates that the coach will give his number one a chance to bounce back. The Becancour native has faced them eight times in his career and has a 4-3-1 record with a 4.04 GAA and a .880 SV. As for Dobes, he only faced them once, in that 5-4 overtime win last season, which gives him a 3.79 GAA and a .857 SV.

As for the Rangers, their ace, Igor Shesterkin, has faced Montreal six times and has a 5-1-0 record, with a 1.99 GAA and a .931 SV%. As for backup Jonathan Quick, he has a 9-4-2 record against Montreal with a 2.51 GAA and a .914 SV. It’s fair to say that whoever’s in net for New York will present an interesting challenge.

The visitors made some moves this offseason, which included the trade of a player that has been hated in Montreal since that collision with Carey Price in 2014, Chris Kreider. Promising young defenseman K’Andre Miller was also sent packing for two draft picks and Scott Morrow. Coach Mike Sullivan was hired, Vladislav Gavrikov was signed to a seven-year, $49 million contract, and J.T. Miller was named captain. Artemi Panarin is still with the team, but he’s entering the last year of his contract, and it’s far from certain he’ll want to extend. The 32-year-old is playing the seventh year of the $81.5 million contract he was signed to by Jeff Gorton, back in his Rangers days.

Considering they have Matt Rempe in the lineup, it will be interesting to see what St. St-Louis decides to put Arber Xhekaj back in the lineup. From one standpoint, it would make sense, but on the other hand, Jayden Struble had a great game on Thursday night and doesn’t deserve to be taken out of the lineup. If Kaiden Guhle is unable to play, the bench boss may not have to make such a tough choice.

In the last 10 duels between the two teams, the Canadiens have been able to grab four wins, but they’ve only won one of the previous five. The Habs will need to keep a close eye on Panarin, who has seven goals and 22 assists for 29 points in 23 career games when skating against Montreal. As for newly minted captain Miller, he has 28 points in 36 duels, while blueliner Adam Fox has 17 points in 14 games. Mika Zibanejad has also always been a threat against the Habs with 28 points in 38 games.

As for the Canadiens, Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield lead the team in scoring this season with seven points each, and they’ve always been productive against the Blueshirts. The Former has 11 points in 15 duels, while the latter has nine points in 10 meetings. Noah Dobson, who has faced the Rangers 23 times, has 13 assists against them but has never been able to find the back of the net. As for veteran Brendan Gallagher, he has 15 points in 29 games.

The Habs will be holding a morning skate at 10:30 which is when we'll get an indication of what the lineup will look like and if Guhle will be able to play, he left the last game and looked like he was in real pain on the bench.  Edit: The decisions were made for St-Louis, Guhle is out (4 to 6 weeks lower bidy) allowing Xhekaj to come back in and both Patrik Laine and Kirby Dach are out (evaluated daily) and will be replaced by Joe Veleno and  Owen Beck.

Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM, and this will be the Canadiens' second-to-last home game before heading out west for a four-game road trip. Before hitting the road, they’ll take on the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night.

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New York Islanders top prospect Calum Ritchie skated in his first AHL game of his career on Friday night when the Bridgeport Islanders hosted the Providence Bruins.

The game didn't go the way Bridgeport planned, falling 5-2 after starting the season 2-0-1-0 but Ritchie did find the back of the net after a nifty toe-drag following a net-crash play before the halfway mark of the first period to get his team on the board:

Let's watch Ritchie's first goal of the season again...🤩 pic.twitter.com/oUBnD0qQj8

— Bridgeport Islanders (@AHLIslanders) October 17, 2025

Ritchie is likely to be the first call-up by the Islanders this season given how well he showed in training camp. The only reason why Ritchie didn't make the Islanders is because he needs to develop as a top-six center, not as a bottom-six, extra person on what's a much deeper NHL squad than Long Island has been used to, when it comes to talent. 

While Ritchie will learn a lot under Bridgeport head coach Rocky Thompson, he should dominate the AHL. And he's off to a good start with a goal in game one.

Prospect Matthew Maggio, a grinder with a strong set of hands and offensive instincts, is currently skating on the fourth line for Thompson but saw minutes on the second power-play unit. 

That's where he scored his first goal of the season on Friday night, making it 5-2:

After a strong camp with the @NYIslanders Matthew Maggio gets er goin’ on the PP for his 1st of the season for @AHLIslanders
pic.twitter.com/LNP5H0YeH4

— The Elmonters (@TheElmonters) October 18, 2025

Like many prospects in 2024-25, Maggio's development stalled due to coaching failure and attention to the AHL team by the man in charge. 

He's one of a handful of prospects who are trying to showcase to GM Mathieu Darche that he can be someone who is part of the big squad at some point down the line.

Bridgeport returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 18, as they host the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Penguins at 7 PM ET.