NHL News

2:42 PM ET Vancouver Canucks forward Jake Virtanen has been placed on leave after allegations of sexual misconduct were made against him. “We have become aware of the concerning allegations made about Jake Virtanen,” the team said in a statement Saturday. “Our organization does not accept sexual misconduct of any kind and the claims as

7:54 AM ET Tim KavanaghESPN.com Close Tim Kavanagh is a senior NHL editor for ESPN. He’s a native of upstate New York. With the end of the season approaching, the NHL has offered us a treat: Saturday’s schedule includes 15 games — everyone but the Winnipeg Jets will be in action — including a number

7:02 AM ET Tim KavanaghESPN.com Close Tim Kavanagh is a senior NHL editor for ESPN. He’s a native of upstate New York. The all-Canadian North Division has been a fun one to watch during the 2021 NHL season, featuring some of the NHL’s most ancient rivalries that have been rejuvenated with a new collection of

7:00 AM ET NHL Insiders The end of the 2021 NHL season is fast approaching. While COVID-19 postponements have resulted in games extending until May 19, many of the playoff positions will have been solidified before then. As we begin predicting what the 2021 playoffs will look like — and who will ultimately win the

7:00 AM ET Tim KavanaghESPN.com Close Tim Kavanagh is a senior NHL editor for ESPN. He’s a native of upstate New York. On Wednesday in this space, we pondered whether any of the West Division teams would spoil a matchup between the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche in the second round of the playoffs

9:00 AM ET Connor McDavid is going to win the Hart Trophy this season. They literally should just list his name three times as the winner and the finalists. No one else should even be in the conversation. As an example, Matt Larkin of The Hockey News noted that through April 26, the Edmonton Oilers

6:48 AM ET Tim KavanaghESPN.com Close Tim Kavanagh is a senior NHL editor for ESPN. He’s a native of upstate New York. There have been many surprises during the 2021 NHL season, a campaign that has been quite different than usual thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, one reality on April 28 that shocks

7:00 AM ET With the 2021 NHL season winding down, some playoff races have yet to be determined — but each team’s identity has been clarified. For this week’s ESPN NHL Power Rankings, we identified the breakthrough player for all 31 teams. How we rank: The ESPN hockey editorial staff submits selections ranking teams 1

7:10 AM ET Tim KavanaghESPN.com Close Tim Kavanagh is a senior NHL editor for ESPN. He’s a native of upstate New York. The Dallas Stars‘ 2021 season got off to a delayed start due to COVID-19 postponements, and through the season they’ve had some extra games remaining compared to their competition — a welcome sight

9:50 AM ET ELMONT, N.Y. — New York Islanders coach Barry Trotz surveyed the skeletal confines of UBS Arena, scheduled to open in November as his team’s new home. He could tell the sight lines around the rink would be good. His suggestions on how to make the arena more player-friendly had been implemented. But

6:57 AM ET Tim KavanaghESPN.com Close Tim Kavanagh is a senior NHL editor for ESPN. He’s a native of upstate New York. The West Division has given us the first three teams to clinch playoff spots in 2021: the Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild. Meanwhile, the Arizona Coyotes, St. Louis Blues, Los

7:00 AM ET The NHL is a league of time-tested traditions, and one of the players’ favorites is the rookie solo lap. Last week, before Florida Panthers goalie Spencer Knight made his NHL debut, it was his turn. “Usually guys are excited, pumped up, going full speed,” said former NHL goaltender Roberto Luongo, who now

11:19 AM ET Associated Press CHICAGO — The Blackhawks have agreed to a three-year contract extension with defenseman Riley Stillman. The team announced the deal Sunday. The contract runs through the 2023-24 season and carries an annual cap hit of $1.35 million. The 23-year-old Stillman was acquired in a multiplayer trade with Florida on April

7:53 AM ET Tim KavanaghESPN.com Close Tim Kavanagh is a senior NHL editor for ESPN. He’s a native of upstate New York. Saturday’s action around the NHL resulted in another team clinching a playoff berth — the Minnesota Wild, who are postseason-bound for the eighth time in nine seasons — and Sunday’s slate could result

4:48 PM ET Associated Press DETROIT — Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin will be out for the rest of the season with an upper-body injury. Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill made the announcement Friday. Like many of his teammates, Larkin struggled this season. The 24-year-old center had nine goals and 14 assists in 44 games.

7:50 AM ET Tim KavanaghESPN.com Close Tim Kavanagh is a senior NHL editor for ESPN. He’s a native of upstate New York. It’s a full day of action around the NHL on Saturday, with 11 games on the schedule. The drama begins at 12:30 p.m. ET with the Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the New Jersey Devils,

7:05 AM ET Tim KavanaghESPN.com Close Tim Kavanagh is a senior NHL editor for ESPN. He’s a native of upstate New York. As the end of April nears, many teams around the NHL are down to a single-digit number of games remaining on the schedule. In other words, time is running out for clubs currently

7:00 AM ET At this point, the international soccer Super League might go down as one of the biggest public relations fiascos in the history of sports. When fans, politicians, the media and FIFA all find themselves on the same side of an issue, something has gone terribly wrong. For the uninitiated: 12 of Europe’s