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It was a rough ending to Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final for the Florida Panthers.

As the first overtime session was winding down, Panthers forward Tomas Nosek was called for delay of game after shooting the puck over the glass from inside Florida’s defensive zone.

Now, there may have been contact with the stick of Oilers forward Vasily Podkolzin, who was trying to deflect the puck as Nosek shot it, but nevertheless, the penalty was called and Nosek was sent off.

A few moments later, Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl sent the Oilers faithful into a frenzy when he scored the game-winning overtime goal.

The situation is about as rough as you can get for an athlete, and nobody in the building probably felt worse than Nosek.

That’s where his teammates come into play.

Florida is known throughout the league as having one of the best, tightknit locker rooms, full of genuinely good men with exceptional work ethics.

“That stuff happens in the game of hockey, it’s a bad break,” said Panthers forward Brad Marchand. “He’s been a great player for us all year, all playoffs, so we have his back with that one.”

While the penalty proved to be costly for Florida, they full expect the Stanley Cup Final to be a long series.

As such, there will likely be situations where Nosek will have to show up and provide the kind of steady, reliable play that he’s been bringing all season.

After Game 1, Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice explained that at times like this, you don’t let your player wallow in sorrow or self-pity. You surround them with love and find ways to lift them up.

“You just remind him after the game of being down 0-2 to Toronto and that line came in and changed everything for us, and how we're not here without Thomas Nosek,” Maurice said. “It’s a tough break, so we just make sure he doesn't get eat alone tonight. He's got lots of people sitting at his table and reminding him how good he's been to us.”

Indeed, Nosek played in 59 regular season games for Florida, and in addition to adding nine points and a plus-four rating while primarily centering the fourth line and playing regular minutes on the penalty kill, he was also one of the best even strength defenders on the team.

That has remained true during the playoffs, where he’s added three assists and a plus-five rating in 11 postseason games so far.

Wednesday night was likely not the best for Nosek, but he’ll get plenty of positivity and reminders of all he’s done well for the team in the time they’re together before Game 2 arrives.

“It's going to be a tough one,” Maurice said. “He's going to eat that one for a day, but, from his penalty kill to, again, that line really changed the flow of that Toronto series, (so we’ll) just remind him about that a whole bunch of times before the puck drops.”

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Photo caption: Feb 25, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Tomas Nosek (92) awaits the face-off against the Nashville Predators during the second period at Bridgestone Arena. (Steve Roberts-Imagn Images)

It’s no secret that the Vancouver Canucks’ 2024-25 season was tumultuous and disappointing. Entering a new chapter after Rick Tocchet’s departure, stability and calm should be the team’s watchwords.

To that end, the Canucks elected to promote assistant coach Adam Foote to take Tocchet’s place. That sits well with right winger Conor Garland.

“I’m really excited about it,” Garland said last week, shortly after earning gold with Team USA at the 2025 World Championship. “I loved having him as an assistant. It's obviously going to be a little different now. I’m assuming as the head, we won’t be able to talk and hang out as much at the rink. But he was a lot of fun, and he's a very smart guy.”

When former Canucks bench boss Bruce Boudreau guested on The Hockey News’ Big Show earlier this week, he warned that the transition from fun-loving assistant to hard-nosed head man can be tough.

“The head coach is like the father, the disciplinarian,” Boudreau said. “The assistant coach is the guy that the players all come to and ask questions… Now, all of a sudden, you change the role. You’ve got to be the a------, and you’ve got to be the guy that comes down with the hammer.”

Boudreau was a head man for almost his entire coaching career, which spans more than three decades. While it’s not especially common to see assistants step into head jobs on the same NHL team, Foote is following three others who have recently made the same jump in the Pacific Division: Ryan Huska in Calgary, Jim Hiller in Los Angeles and Ryan Warsofsky in San Jose. 

While Garland is disappointed that Foote’s new position will cut into their 1-on-1 time, he is confident in his new coach’s abilities.

“When I get older, I’d love to coach,” Garland said. “A lot of the stuff he’d say, I’d make mental notes of – the techniques he talks about and how to win a playoff series, and what plays are important. I think he is one of the smarter guys when it comes to defensive hockey and winning games.”

The stats seem to bear that out.

During Boudreau’s 103 games in Vancouver, the Canucks logged an expected goals share of 47.83 percent at 5-on-5, according to naturalstattrick.com. In 200 games under Tocchet and Foote, they improved to 50.58 percent. 

Over the same time frames, Boudreau’s penalty kill ranked 31st with a success rate of 73.7 percent. Under Tocchet and Foote, the Canucks improved to 80.3 percent over the full 200 games and 82.6 percent in 2024-25 – third-best in the NHL.

One of the key cogs in that penalty-killing machine was veteran defenseman Derek Forbort. A new arrival last season on a one-year deal at a $1.5-million cap hit, the 33-year-old elected to bypass free agency and return to Vancouver. On Tuesday, he signed a new one-year contract worth $2 million.

As someone who has only known the Canucks through their challenging ’24-25 season, Forbort’s decision to return can be seen as a vote of confidence for Foote, who he worked with closely as part of the blueline.

It’s also one UFA back in the fold in Vancouver. It’s unclear whether forwards Pius Suter or Brock Boeser will follow suit or if they’ll test the open market on July 1. 

Of course, Canucks GM Patrik Allvin and hockey ops president Jim Rutherford must scrutinize each one of their roster decisions in terms of how it will impact Quinn Hughes’ desire to stay with the Canucks beyond the two-year term remaining on his contract.

“If you’re going to trade Quinn Hughes, you’d better get a whole team back,” Boudreau said. “He’s that good.”

Meanwhile, Foote filled out his coaching staff.

He replaced himself as Vancouver’s defensive assistant with Kevin Dean – another bruising defenseman in his playing days, who is of similar vintage.

As a player, Dean won the Stanley Cup as a rookie with the New Jersey Devils in 1995. Recently an assistant with the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks, he coached Forbort in Boston and just worked with Garland as part of Warsofsky’s U.S. staff at worlds.

Brett McLean and Scott Young also became assistant coaches. 

McLean coached AHL’s Iowa Wild for the past two seasons and was an assistant coach on Minnesota before that. He played 385 career NHL games and recorded 162 points.

Young was the Canucks’ director of player personnel for the past three seasons and was the Pittsburgh Penguins’ director of player development for five years beforehand. He won the Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 1991 and the Colorado Avalanche in 1996 during his 1,181-game career.

Canucks assistant Yogi Svejkovsky, who handled the special teams duties in Vancouver last season, joined Tocchet in Philadelphia. Defensive development coach Sergei Gonchar and video coach Dylan Crawford also won’t return to the Canucks next season, but Henrik and Daniel Sedin will remain player development coaches, with Marko Torenius keeping the goalie coach role.

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Swedish defenseman Gustav Lindström, 26, has signed a five-year contract with Djurgården, the Stockholm-based SHL club announced on Thursday.

“I’m so incredibly happy and proud to have signed for Djurgården,” said Lindström. “I remember when I was younger and watched hockey at Hovet (Djurgården’s home rink) with my friends. Every now and then, we would just look at each other and say, ‘Imagine playing here one day.’ Now that day is here.”

“Gustav is a very exciting player who has experience from international hockey at all levels,” said club sports director Niklas Wikegård. “At the same time, he’s still at an age where we feel that with him, we will have something to build around over time. We are very happy that Gustav has finally found his home in his beloved Djurgården.”

Lindström was picked in the second round, 38th overall, by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. He played the 2018-19 season in the SHL for Frölunda and then went overseas.

Between 2019 and 2024, Lindström played 174 NHL games for the Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and Anaheim Ducks, recording 35 points and 80 penalty minutes. He returned to the Montreal organization in 2024-25 but spent the entire season in the AHL with the Laval Rocket.

Lindström joins a Djurgården team that just earned a promotion from the HockeyAllsvenskan and is in the process of building a competitive SHL roster. The team will have the consensus top-two ranked European draft prospects in 18-year-olds Anton Frondell and Victor Eklund, as well as veteran center Marcus Krüger, who was a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Chicago Blackhawks, and Finnish right winger Jesse Ylönen, who like Lindström, is also returning from North America.

Photo © Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

Ex-Hab Signs Two-Year Deal In Sweden American-born Finnish right winger Jesse Ylönen, 25, has signed a two-year contract with Djurgården IF, the Stockholm-based SHL club announced on Tuesday.

Prior to the start of the Stanley Cup Final, longtime Winnipeg Jets head coach and current bench boss of the Florida Panthers, Paul Maurice opened up on his thoughts for his former club.

After making the bold statement to which he indicated his hopes that the Jets would win the 2025 Stanley Cup, Maurice doubled down on his claim, suggesting that the team is close to the top.

"Yeah, getting rid of your last coach was the right thing to do, won the Presidents' Trophy,” Maurice laughed when asked what he thought Winnipeg needed to do to get to the Stanley Cup.

“I cheer for three teams, basically,” he added. “I cheer for the Vancouver Canucks because of Jim Rutherford. I cheer for the Winnipeg Jets, because, well, because of Winnipeg. And I was cheering for the Dallas Stars for Pete DeBoer.”

Earlier, the NHL released footage from an interview between lifelong friends Maurice and DeBoer in advance of the third round, to which the video indicated their love for one another. 

But Maurice also continued in his answer to the question about the Jets, indicating his deeper connection to the people and the city of Winnipeg.

“If you’re good at it, you put everything into this and you’re not cheering for the other team, you’re cheering for your own team. But if you’re going to lose, I’d want to lose to one of those three groups. That’s kind of the idea. Now, my cheering for the team hasn’t really done them much good, it seems. But they’re just the right story in Winnipeg for the National Hockey League and what’s right about the game. 

"We saw it in the connection with what Mark Scheifele did to play in that game, the connection to his brothers, but that's not just a one-off, that starts at the top of that organization. And it fits very well with the fanbase there. They won the presidents’ trophy. I think the Florida Panthers did that a couple years before they got to the Final, so I think they’re right there.”

Maurice's Panthers trail the Edmonton Oilers 1-0 in the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final. Game 2 is set to be played on Friday.

The Philadelphia Flyers have officially announced the additions of two new assistant coaches as Rick Tocchet's first iteration of his Orange and Black coaching staff takes shape.

On Thursday, the Flyers officially announced the hiring of former Vancouver Canucks assistant coach and skills coach Yogi Svejkovsky, a former teammate of Tocchet's who once played for former Flyers interim head coach Brad Shaw.

During his playing days, Svejkovsky, 46, was teammates with Tocchet, former Flyers head coach Craig Berube, Flyers president Keith Jones, Nashville head coach Andrew Brunette, and New Jersey head coach Sheldon Keefe.

Svejkovsky, a former first-round pick of Washington in 1996, is expected to work with Tocchet in coaching the Flyers' power play, among other responsibilities.

Joining Tocchet and Svejkovsky in Philadelphia is former Detroit Red Wings assistant coach Jay Varady, who was one of Tocchet's assistant coaches in Arizona in the 2020-21 season.

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Prior to that, Varady, 47, was the head coach of the AHL Tucson Roadrunners, overseeing the development of players like Adin Hill, Calvin Pickard, Michael Bunting, Christian Dvorak, Ilya Lyubushkin, Barrett Hayton, Ivan Prosvetov, and Conor Garland.

According to Bill Meltzer of the Flyers' official website, the Flyers would like to make one more coaching hire this offseason. The exact roles for Svejkovsky and Varady have not been officially assigned by Tocchet at this time.

The National Hockey League has reached the Stanley Cup Final with five former Buffalo Sabres on the rosters of the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers and the two-time Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers. The opening game on Wednesday saw four of the five players in action, as the most recent ex-Sabre Jeff Skinner, was a healthy scratch with the return of Connor Brown to the lineup. 

Evander Kane was once again a pivotal performer in the Oilers 4-3 overtime win in Game 1, leading Edmonton with nine hits in the game and going +2 in the contest. The veteran winger also was able to keep his cool in the physical contest, which is a key for the Oilers, since the 33-year-old has a history of being a loose cannon and taking penalties at inopportune times. 

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Former second overall pick Sam Reinhart led all Panthers forwards with over 29 minutes of ice time, but the runner-up for the Selke Trophy was -1 on the night with three shots on goal and two hits. Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov led Florida with seven hits on the night.

Power play goal for Florida!

Scored by Brad Marchand with 07:30 remaining in the 1st period.

Assisted by Nate Schmidt and Evan Rodrigues.

Edmonton: 1
Florida: 2#FLAvsEDM#LetsGoOilers#TimeToHuntpic.twitter.com/w4BaAa4ziu

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) June 5, 2025

The only former Sabre to get on the scoreboard on Wednesday was center Evan Rodrigues, who assisted on Brad Marchand’s power-play goal in the first period. The Oilers rallied from a 3-1 deficit to tie the game and force overtime, where Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl scored a power play late in the first OT period due to a Tomas Nosek penalty for delay of game/puck over the glass.

Game 2 will take place at Rogers Arena on Friday. 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

Instead of revealing all the trophy winners in a single gala this season, the NHL has been doing surprise video reveals for specific trophies. On Monday, Aleksander Barkov was surprised with the Selke, and on Wednesday, it was Nikita Kucherov’s turn to be surprised with the Ted Lindsay Trophy. On Thursday, the league announced the winner of the Bill Masterton Trophy in a video that was both touching and memorable.

This year’s winner is Sean Monahan from the Columbus Blue Jackets, and it was Meredith Gaudreau, Johnny Gaudreau’s widow, who was tasked with delivering the trophy to him. One of Gaudreau’s best friends, Monahan, stood by his widow’s side through countless tributes during the season, adding that she brought him with her to cry on national TV.

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Presenting the trophy, she told him it was about recognizing his character and that he meant everything to John and that there was no doubt his friend was proud of him. Monahan is a very deserving winner of this award, not just for the way he helped his Blue Jackets navigate the tragedy that hit the team in August, but also because he has had to overcome numerous injury bouts over the years, and he persevered right through it all.

Traded away by the Calgary Flames to the Montreal Canadiens in August 2022 as a salary dump, Gaudreau performed admirably for the Habs in his first season in town, even though injuries once again plagued him. Still, he signed a one-year contract with the Canadiens, which paid him less than $2 million for the year, to prove to everyone that he could still play and earn himself a new contract at market value. That year, he skated in 83 games, proving his body could sustain the grind of an NHL season and putting up 59 points.

NHL (@NHL) on XJohnny Gaudreau’s wife, Meredith, surprised Sean Monahan with the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. 💙 Watch the #NHLAwards on June 12 at 6p ET on @NHL_On_TNT and @Sportsnet before Game 4 of the #StanleyCup Final.

After finishing his season with the Winnipeg Jets following a trade deadline deal, he signed a five-year pact with the Jackets, with a $5.5 million cap hit, happy to join his friend Gaudreau in Columbus.

Unfortunately, life has other plans, and Gaudreau tragically died, run over by an allegedly drunk driver with his brother in the off-season. When Monahan showed up for training camp, he didn’t get to play with his friend; instead, he had to sit by his empty stall, surrounded by memories, and deal with a lot of anger and emotions.

Monahan didn’t break through. Once more, he rolled up his sleeves and got to business, almost leading the Blue Jackets to a playoff berth in the toughest of circumstances. While he only played 54 games, he still managed to gather 57 points, the third most on the team, and played a pivotal role in the Ohio outfit’s pursuit of a playoff spot, a bid that fell just short, but was entertaining to watch nonetheless.

While it’s not always obvious who should win that trophy every year, this time around, there was very little doubt. Monahan has been the very picture of perseverance.

Photo credit:  Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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Vegas Golden Knights forward Ivan Barbashev, alongside defenseman Nicolas Hague, found his name on Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos' Offseason Trade Board. 

The Golden Knights acquired Barbashev in the 2022-23 season at the trade deadline from the St. Louis Blues. His addition proved to be a vital one, helping the Golden Knights win their first Stanley Cup. His price was high, but his seven goals and 18 points in 22 playoff games were worth every penny.

In the ensuing offseason, the Golden Knights and Barbashev agreed to a five-year, $25M contract extension. Fast forward to 2025, Barbashev is two years into his contract and could be on the move. General manager Kelly McCrimmon won't be eager to move the 29-year-old, but if the Golden Knights are serious about their pursuit of top pending free agent Mitch Marner, the Golden Knights will need to create some cap space. Moving Barbashev would do so, and he'd likely help the Golden Knights get a large return.

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"Losing in Round 2 to Edmonton this season after failing to get out of Round 1 in 2024 has the Golden Knights thinking of ways they can come back better. We know this is a team that can get very active on the trade market. They want to create cap space and perhaps chase some of the bigger free agents this summer, such as Mitch Marner.

So, Ivan Barbashev is considered one of their most movable pieces, a 23-goal, 51-point scorer this season who’s making $5 million against the salary cap for another three years. The 29-year-old would be an interesting target for teams that are looking to bolster their offence, such as Ottawa or Carolina. Barbashev does have an eight-team no-trade list," said Kypreos. 

The Russian winger has become incredibly valuable to the Golden Knights. He is an efficient goal scorer with a 6'0, 203 lbs frame, which allows him to play physically. He's trusted in his own end and can play in every scenario. His versatility is something HC Bruce Cassidy appreciates and exploits, moving him up and down the lineup when needed. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Golden Knights stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.

Golden Knights Reportedly Entertaining Calls On Nicolas HagueThe Vegas Golden Knights are pressed against the salary cap heading into the offseason and will likely need to make moves to remain under and improve their team. According to a report by David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period, the Golden Knights could do so by trading Nicolas Hague and are entertaining calls and engaging in trade discussions.  Golden Knights' Nicolas Hague Garnering Interest From FlyersIn order to free up cap space and shake up the roster, the most talked about option has been trading pending restricted free agent Nicolas Hague, and recently, trusted insider Elliotte Friedman shared a team that has shown plenty of interest in trading for Hague.

Top 2025 NHL Draft prospect Misa ‘thrilled' after meeting Sharks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BUFFALO — Michael Misa had steak and a sundae with the Sharks.

The possible No. 2 pick of the 2025 NHL Draft, if defenseman Matthew Schaefer goes to the New York Islanders as expected, had dinner with Sharks management at Buffalo Chophouse, a Draft Combine go-to restaurant for entertaining top prospects.

Misa shared that he also broke bread with the Islanders, Utah Mammoth, and Nashville Predators this week.

On Thursday, the star Saginaw Spirit center told San Jose Hockey Now about dinner with the Sharks, what playing with top San Jose prospect Igor Chernyshov in Saginaw was like, and what’s the most exciting thing about potentially going to the South Bay.

Sheng Peng: So how was dinner with the Sharks?

Misa: It was unbelievable. Very top-class organization. They’re all super-welcoming. Really, really nice people. I was thrilled with that.

It was more just casual. It didn’t feel like an interview at all. I think we talked about everything, movies, sports, school. It was great.

SP: What are some of your favorite movies and shows?

Misa: The other night I was watching “American Sniper”. Good movie. And then me and my roommate, we were watching “Full Swing” the night before, that golf show.

I love “Prison Break.” That’s my favorite show, for sure.

SP: One Sharks prospect that you know very well is Igor Chernyshov. How good is he, it was like instant chemistry between you guys in Saginaw.

Misa: Special player. It was just more of a matter of waiting for when he came to Saginaw, because he was supposed to come at the start of year, but he had shoulder surgery and everything.

When he did come, it was a huge addition to my line. And even though he couldn’t really speak great English, it was just like his hockey IQ was so good. We’d read off each other. It was really easy to find him. He was one of the best players I’ve ever played with.

SP: What can you say about Chernyshov’s personality?

Misa: He was super-funny. He’d always say these one-liners, and it would always make guys laugh. He was always smiling. I don’t think one guy or team disliked him.

When guys were in conversations, he’d pipe up and just say something silly.

SP: Do you know anybody else in the Sharks organization?

Misa: I know Braden Hache very well. He was my captain in Saginaw, the year we won the Memorial Cup. I know Sam Dickinson well, he’s in my agency. We have the same agent.

SP: Do you train with any Sharks or any NHL’ers out of Oakville, Ontario?

Misa: The main big one, Evan Bouchard, I train with him. He’s something else. He’s an animal in the gym. One heck of a player. I’m rooting for him. I hope they find a way to win the Cup.

SP: How well do you know John Tavares? He’s also from Oakville.

Misa: I’ve actually met him a couple times. Really nice guy, really open, giving me advice and stuff on down the road, what to expect. Great guy.

SP: You guys are both centers, is he someone that you try to emulate?

Misa: Definitely. Just try to follow in his footsteps, he was granted [OHL] exceptional status as well. Just trying to learn stuff off him. He’s obviously had a great NHL career.

SP: Who else do you model your game after?

Misa: Kirill Kaprizov and [Nikita] Kucherov. Those two guys are kind of the people I think I play a pretty similar game to. Their offensive ability, I think I can relate to them in ways.

SP: If the Sharks were to draft you, what’s the most exciting thing about joining that organization?

Misa: They have such a good young core. They do, obviously, have a lot of older players that are great as well. But I think their young core coming up is promising and exciting. If they were to draft me, I hope I could just help them, make an impact to their organization.

SP: Is Macklin Celebrini somebody who you actually look up to? He didn’t go the OHL exceptional status route, but like you, he’s someone who has had a lot of eyeballs on him for a long time.

Misa: Even though he is a year older than me, I definitely do look up to his game and everything he does on the ice, it’s pretty special watching him. What he’s accomplished already in one year in the NHL. If they do draft me, it’ll be a great opportunity for me to meet him, take advice from him.

SP: What stands out about Celebrini’s game?

Misa: Just like his all-around game, I think how confident he is, he looks like a 10-year vet in the NHL, and it was his first year. I think that’s something I’m going to have to bring as well, just that confidence in myself to play with all these grown men. He’s a special player

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