NHL News

11:00 AM ET When Washington Capitals winger Garnet Hathaway scored an empty-net goal on Saturday night, it clinched their win against the Columbus Blue Jackets. But it also extended one of the hottest betting trends in the NHL. Earlier in the period, the Jackets’ Eric Robinson scored, so Hathaway’s tally meant the total in the

7:00 AM ET ESPN staff The first game of the 2022 Winter Olympics men’s hockey tournament is scheduled for Feb. 9. It’s still not certain that NHL players will be competing in the Beijing Games. Here’s a look at the issues, concerns and challenges facing the NHL and the players just two months away from

2:00 AM ET Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner has told Sweden that he won’t accept their invitation to play in the 2022 Winter Olympics. Lehner is the first high-profile NHL player to announce he won’t participate in the Beijing Games, which will feature restrictive COVID-19 protocols and potentially lengthy quarantines for those who test

12:25 PM ET The Arizona Coyotes say they’re staying put. The team vehemently denied a Forbes report on Thursday citing an unnamed banking source that the Coyotes are up for sale “with the idea of [a] buyer eventually moving the team to a new arena in Houston.” Arizona quickly issued a statement in response. “This

12:55 PM ET Jack Hughes is returning to the New Jersey Devils lineup on Tuesday night — and will be with them much longer thanks to a rich, new contract extension. The Devils on Tuesday rewarded their 2019 No. 1 draft pick with an eight-year, $64 million deal, announcing the move hours before the young

3:41 PM ET Associated Press Justin Faulk was scratched minutes before the St. Louis Blues‘ game at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night, and the team confirmed the defenseman had entered the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol. Faulk’s absence came hours after goaltender Jordan Binnington went into protocol and put the Blues in a tough spot

2:09 PM ET Associated Press Chicago Blackhawks forward Tyler Johnson on Friday became the second NHL player to undergo an unusual neck surgery. Johnson’s operation was the same artificial disk replacement surgery that Jack Eichel underwent last month, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on

7:00 AM ET Here’s a bold prediction for the 2021-22 NHL Awards: an Edmonton Oilers player will be nominated for the Hart Trophy. Beyond that, the ultimate finalists for these awards are anyone’s guess. Here’s the NHL Awards Watch for December. This is informed speculation, taken from conversations around hockey and with voters, regarding the

5:02 PM ET Associated Press BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Sabres addressed their suddenly thin depth in goal by acquiring Malcolm Subban in a trade with the Blackhawks on Thursday. The move became necessary when goaltender Dustin Tokarski was placed in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was recalled from AHL Rochester to join the Sabres

8:30 AM ET The NHL’s 2021-22 season hit the quarter mark last weekend. While that means we have a long way to go, it also means we have some insight into which teams are thriving, which teams are spiraling and which teams have just left us baffled. Here are the Stanley Cup contender tiers —

7:21 PM ET Associated Press NOVI, Mich. — No criminal charges will be filed in the fireworks-related death of Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks at a Detroit-area home during a July 4 celebration, the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office said Wednesday. The death has officially been ruled accidental, and the case is now closed, the

7:00 AM ET December is upon us in the 2021-22 NHL season — and with it the annual tradition of predicting which teams will make the playoffs based on their spot in the standings after American Thanksgiving. There were some eye-opening performances over the past week that produced some notable changes in our Power Rankings.

10:57 PM ET ESPN News Services LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Kings forward Brendan Lemieux has been suspended for five games for biting Ottawa’s Brady Tkachuk last weekend. The NHL announced the discipline Tuesday night for Lemieux, who will forfeit $38,750 in salary while under suspension. The league posted video and a release on the

7:00 AM ET The 2021-22 NHL season is well underway, and the opportunity to win the Stanley Cup has players across hockey begging to see their rivals go belly up. While the action heats up in this dog-eat-dog league, it’s time for a different kind of ranking: a countdown of the best NHL team dogs.

5:43 PM ET Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand has been suspended three games for slew-footing Vancouver Canucks defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson on Sunday. Marchand will be eligible to return on Dec. 8, when the Bruins face the Canucks again. This marks the seventh suspension for Marchand in his 13-year NHL career. His most recent suspension came

7:00 AM ET The Montreal Canadiens‘ encore to their Stanley Cup Final appearance last season has been an abject disaster, as they have a 6-15-2 record. With general manager Marc Bergevin in the last year of his contract having not signed an extension, it felt like a regime change was coming. Did it ever arrive

4:30 PM ET The Montreal Canadiens made sweeping changes to their front office on Sunday, firing general manager and executive vice president Marc Bergevin and assistant general manager Trevor Timmins, as well as senior vice president of public affairs and communications Paul Wilson. Former New York Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton has been hired to

10:53 PM ET ESPN News Services MONTREAL — Scott Mellanby has resigned as the assistant general manager of the Montreal Canadiens. The club made the announcement in a release Saturday night without providing additional details. The team thanked Mellanby, while also indicating it would not comment further. Mellanby joined the Canadiens as director of player