9:30 AM ET The conversation I’ve been having inside my head this week: Hockey Brain: “Hooray, hockey’s comin’ back!” Cynical Brain: “This 24-team tournament and elaborate draft lottery are merely the framework for a possible return to finish the 2019-20 NHL season. It’s candy for the sugar-starved. It’s a shiny object for those seeking willful
NHL News
7:00 AM ET Over the past two decades, there have been only two seasons in which USA Hockey reported dips in participation: 2004-05 and 2012-13. Both seasons corresponded with the NHL season being disrupted by a lockout. The NHL is desperate to return to the ice this summer to complete the 2019-20 season, award a
7:25 AM ET We finally have a little more clarity on the 2020 NHL draft thanks to the recent announcement from commissioner Gary Bettman. While we had been preparing for a potential early-June draft, there’s going to be some more time to sort this class out. But if you’re rooting for one of the seven
6:54 PM ET NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced a new format for the 2020 NHL draft lottery as part of the league’s “return to play” plans for completing the 2019-20 season this summer. This version will retain some aspects of previous lotteries, with important updates to account for the unprecedented nature of this season. It
5:01 PM ET Associated Press The NHL announced Tuesday it will abandon the rest of the regular season and go straight into the playoffs with 24 teams instead of 16 if it is able to resume play. Commissioner Gary Bettman said the decision is not a guarantee that games are coming back. The NHL and
7:00 AM ET It has been 75 days since the NHL hit the pause button on the 2019-20 season because of the coronavirus pandemic. As the cancellations and postponements around the world of sports continue, there have also been continuous nuggets of new information regarding the potential resumption of the season, the draft, the playoffs
10:33 AM ET The NHL is ready to move to Phase 2 of its plan to return to play, and it will soon allow players to train in small groups at team facilities, according to a memo circulated to teams over the weekend. The NHL didn’t put an exact date on when Phase 2 will
May 18, 2020 The NHL has narrowed its list of potential venues to eight or nine sites that can accommodate “a dozen or so teams in one location” if the league resumes play this summer after pausing because of the coronavirus pandemic, commissioner Gary Bettman said on Monday. According to sources, roughly 15 markets submitted
12:46 PM ET Associated Press New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says teams in his state can return to their facilities for training after a pause of more than two months. “Starting today, all the New York professional sports leagues will be able to begin training camps,” the Democratic governor said during a news conference Sunday.
10:33 PM ET The National Hockey League Players’ Association executive board voted to approve a 24-team, conference-based playoff format for a potential restart of the 2019-20 NHL season this summer. “The Executive Board of the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) has authorized further negotiations with the NHL on a 24-team return to play format
5:43 PM ET Associated Press Canada’s NHL teams have offered season-ticket holders rebate or refund options in acknowledgment that no more 2019-20 regular-season games will be played in front of fans in their respective buildings. In a four-day span May 13-16, all seven teams contacted their season-ticket bases with options and, in some cases, deadlines
7:00 AM ET With the 2019-20 NHL season on pause due to the coronavirus pandemic (here’s the latest update on where things stand), we’ve started the NHL Viewers Club, highlighting some of the most rewatchable games from this season — such as when EBUG David Ayres beat the Maple Leafs — along with some cool
7:40 AM ET For a goalie who had just faced 102 shots on goal, Cory Schneider of the New Jersey Devils was looking curiously rested in his postgame interview. In fact, he hadn’t even broken a sweat during the game. “There are games where you just have to give a lot of credit to your
9:00 AM ET There’s this perception about the hockey media: that we’re all bitterly jealous of the players we cover, because we secretly want their careers. Nothing could be further from the truth: Most of us are bitterly jealous of the executives who sign those players, because secretly we want their careers. We create trades.
7:30 AM ET Yaroslav Askarov is special. Any goaltender who can be comfortably projected to go in the top half of the first round anymore is. But 2020 NHL draft prospect Askarov stands out even among those few for so many reasons. The Omsk, Russia native has been described by some as the best goalie
10:08 PM ET The NHL and the NHLPA are discussing a 24-team, conference-based playoff format for a potential restart to the 2019-20 season this summer, sources confirmed to ESPN. The proposed format was first reported by Sportsnet. The NHL season has been on pause since March 12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The playoffs would
5:05 PM ET Arizona Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet says he’s confident his team will be among the finalists for pending free-agent star Taylor Hall. “I’m not saying he is going to sign here, but I definitely think we’re a team he’s very interested in staying with,” Tocchet told the ESPN On Ice podcast this week.
5:18 PM ET Associated Press Veteran New Jersey Devils goaltender Cory Schneider said Monday that a growing number of players are concerned the NHL will announce a “drop-dead” deadline for returning to play as the coronavirus pandemic lingers with summer coming up fast. The 34-year-old Schneider said some Devils are apprehensive because the NHL has