NHL News

10:52 AM ET The Florida Panthers have secured their franchise center with a blockbuster contract. Aleksander Barkov has agreed to an eight-year, $80 million contract with the Panthers, a source told ESPN on Friday. The majority of the contract consists of signing-bonus money. It’s the largest contract in total dollars ever handed out by the

12:56 PM ET Associated Press The New York Rangers and top center Mika Zibanejad have agreed to an eight-year contract worth $68 million. Zibanejad, 28, will count $8.5 million against the salary cap beginning next season and through 2029-30. He was a point-per-game player last season with 24 goals and 26 assists in 50 games.

8:42 PM ET Associated Press WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin left the Washington Capitals‘ preseason finale against Philadelphia on Friday night with what the team called a lower-body injury and is set to be examined further Saturday. Ovechkin bumped into Flyers forward Travis Konecny midway through the first period and then went down to the ice.

1:17 PM ET Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby practiced Saturday for the first time since undergoing surgery on his left wrist in early September. The two-time Hart Trophy winner, who had been dealing with the wrist injury for years, opted for surgery after all minimally invasive options had been exhausted. At the time of the

8:43 PM ET Associated Press TORONTO — Ontario’s major indoor professional sports teams have been given the green light to host capacity crowds. The NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators and the NBA’s Toronto Raptors will be able to play in front of full arenas when their seasons start this month, Ontario Sports Minister

7:00 AM ET The 2021-22 NHL season is being called a return to normalcy. Last season was an unprecedented one for the NHL due to the COVID-19 pandemic: Four geographically realigned divisions, including one solely comprising Canadian teams; teams playing only opponents within those divisions; and a new playoff format that eschewed wild-card teams. But

8:50 PM ET Associated Press NEWARK, N.J. — The New Jersey Devils‘ preseason game against the New York Islanders was canceled Thursday night due to a power outage in part of Prudential Center. The lights in one area of the arena went out before the start of the game and could not be restored. After

7:00 AM ET As the 2021-22 NHL season arrives, so does the pressure of expectations. Every player, coach and general manager feels the heat to some degree. But some feel its intensity like a neglected hamburger under a fast food restaurant lamp, sizzling and spoiling and preparing to be tossed away. Here are my “hot

9:18 PM ET ESPN News Services LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Kings forward Quinton Byfield, a highly touted rookie already being mentioned as a candidate for the Calder Trophy, suffered a left ankle fracture in Wednesday’s preseason game against the Arizona Coyotes and is out indefinitely. Byfield, 19, the No. 2 overall pick in the

7:00 AM ET Alex Ovechkin would prefer not to talk about breaking Wayne Gretzky‘s NHL career goal-scoring record. He’ll gladly talk about his cars, like his G-wagons and his Bentley coupe. Or the best high-end sushi joints on the road. He’ll happily indulge you about fashion: “Dolce, Dolce, Dolce,” he said, cataloguing his shirt, pants

10:20 AM ET Eric GomezMexico writer Over the last three decades, the NHL’s expansion into the American Sun Belt has served to diversify the league’s geography and fan profile. Markets with high Latino populations such as Phoenix, Dallas-Fort Worth and Miami have reaped the benefits. Now, the league is poised to make its next ambitious

7:00 AM ET Normalcy is a relative term for NHL arenas this season. Of its 32 buildings, the league expects 31 of them to begin the season at full capacity, with the Vancouver Canucks the current outliers. (They’re restricted to 50% capacity by provincial health orders.) Just like “normal,” fans will be filling NHL arenas

8:12 PM ET Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Nashville assistant coach Todd Richards is recovering from a heart attack. The Predators announced Monday that Richards, a former Minnesota and Columbus head coach, had the attack Friday. Richards has been released from the hospital and is resting at home in Nashville. “He is expected to make

12:32 PM ET Philadelphia Flyers coach Alain Vigneault pushed back against accusations made by Vegas Golden Knights goalie Robin Lehner that appeared to implicate Vigneault and the Flyers in the medical malpractice of players. Lehner posted a series of tweets on Saturday about the treatment of players by NHL teams in an effort to bring

6:11 PM ET The Vancouver Canucks have signed young star center Elias Pettersson and defenseman Quinn Hughes, getting both restricted free agents in just under two weeks before the NHL season begins, a source told ESPN on Friday, confirming multiple reports. Pettersson, 22, agreed to a three-year deal with an average annual value of $7.35

1:45 AM ET Vegas Golden Knights goalie Robin Lehner accused NHL teams of medical malpractice, including offering benzodiazepines and Ambien to players without prescriptions. Lehner made the allegations on Twitter Saturday in an effort, he told ESPN, to call attention to the surgery stalemate between his former teammate Jack Eichel and the Buffalo Sabres. The

1:45 PM ET Associated Press ARLINGTON, Va. — Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom said Saturday he’s taking his hip injury rehab slowly and doesn’t know when he’ll be able to play. Backstrom has not skated during training camp and seems like a long shot to play in the season opener Oct. 13 against the New

10:02 PM ET Associated Press VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning said Friday that defenseman Travis Hamonic isn’t opting out of the NHL season, but has yet to join the team. Benning said in a statement on Twitter that the 31-year-old player “remains at home, dealing with some personal matters” and