NHL News

2:46 PM ET ESPN News Services ST. PAUL, Minn. — Stephen Johns played in his first game in almost 22 months when the Dallas Stars visited the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night. Forward Radek Faksa was placed on injured reserve to make room for Johns on the active roster. Johns had been out since late

11:00 AM ET New York Rangers coach David Quinn called Sunday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets perhaps their biggest of the season, as his team trailed the Blue Jackets by eight points for one of the Eastern Conference’s two wild-card playoff spots. After Oliver Bjorkstrand‘s tiebreaking goal with 26.5 seconds left in regulation, that

10:48 PM ET Chicago forward Patrick Kane became the 90th player in NHL history to reach 1,000 points with an assist Sunday in the Blackhawks’ 5-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets at United Center. Kane fed Ryan Carpenter from behind the net on a pass that eventually ended up on Brandon Saad‘s stick. Saad deposited

Jan 15, 2020 SAN JOSE — Pierre-Luc Dubois is the leading scorer for the Columbus Blue Jackets, a 21-year-old forward whose production has increased each season. He is approaching restricted free agency this summer and what should be a lucrative second NHL contract. He’s also someone who really likes images of Baby Yoda in streetwear.

5:13 PM ET ESPN News Services The Washington Capitals lead the NHL in wins, points and goals as they storm into their bye week. If there was a category for dramatic, come-from-behind, weekend, matinee victories in the NHL, the Capitals would probably lead that as well. 2 Related Alex Ovechkin scored three goals, continuing a

12:25 PM ET Associated Press SUNRISE, Fla. — Florida goalie Chris Driedger will miss several weeks with what’s believed to be a groin injury, the latest health issue at that position for the Panthers. The Panthers announced the diagnosis Saturday, calling it a lower-body injury. Driedger was hurt midway through the first period of the

3:56 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Nashville Predators forward Viktor Arvidsson has been fined $2,000 by the NHL under the league’s rules regarding diving and embellishment. NHL Rule 64 was designed to penalize players who repeatedly dive and embellish in an attempt to draw penalties. A player gets a warning for a first

10:30 AM ET When Nicklas Lidstrom skated his first strides on NHL ice, Victor Hedman and Erik Karlsson were not yet 2 years old. In the years since, they have grown into towering two-way defensemen and joined the Detroit Red Wings legend as fellow Swedish Norris Trophy winners. It’s no surprise, then, that Hedman and

11:13 PM ET ESPN News Services Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask was placed on injured reserve Thursday, two days after he suffered a concussion in a 3-0 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Rask left just 1 minute, 12 seconds into Tuesday night’s game after getting hit in the head by a passing Blue Jackets

6:33 AM ET According to the Chinese zodiac, the Year of the Rat begins on Jan. 25, although Matthew Tkachuk apparently wanted to celebrate early. One of the NHL’s most preeminent pests, the Calgary Flames forward threw two (legal, but predatory) checks into Edmonton Oilers ruffian Zack Kassian, and eventually Kassian popped off and started

1:30 PM ET The Vegas Golden Knights have fired Gerard Gallant and hired former San Jose coach Peter DeBoer, whom the San Jose Sharks fired last month. The Knights also fired assistant Mike Kelly. The move comes with the team in the mix for a playoff spot, but that factor did not prevent a midseason

12:30 PM ET Philadelphia Flyers goalie Carter Hart will be out two to three weeks with a right lower abdominal strain, the team announced Wednesday. In his second season with the Flyers, Hart has appeared in 32 games and has a 15-11-3 record, a 2.61 goals-against average and .905 save percentage. Hart had started five

10:04 PM ET ESPN News Services PITTSBURGH — Captain Sidney Crosby had a goal and three assists in his long-awaited return from core muscle surgery, and the Penguins cruised past the Minnesota Wild 7-3 on Tuesday night. Crosby, who has been participating in full-contact practice with the Penguins since Saturday, took 21 shifts in the

11:29 AM ET Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby will play Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild after missing two months while recovering from core muscle surgery. Crosby, 32, has been out since undergoing the surgery on Nov. 14. The star center had been dealing with a sports hernia since training camp and reportedly had hoped to

7:49 PM ET Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask is honored to have been chosen as an NHL All-Star this season. But family, and self-care, come first. “I have to be kind of selfish here, thinking about how much hockey we played last year, and a short summer and thinking about playing until June again,” said

11:18 AM ET Associated Press BUFFALO, N.Y. — The NHL’s top prospects will continue making their pre-draft stops in Buffalo for at least another three years. The league on Monday announced an extension of its agreement to hold its annual scouting combine in Buffalo at the Sabres’ downtown practice facility, LECOM Harborcenter, through 2022. The

11:24 PM ET There will be a new event at the NHL’s All-Star game: a three-on-three scrimmage between top American and Canadian women’s hockey players, sources tell ESPN. The defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues are hosting 2020 All Star weekend, which begins on Jan. 24. The NHL is expected to announce full details

7:49 PM ET ESPN News Services WASHINGTON — St. Louis Blues winger David Perron and former teammate T.J. Oshie were voted by fans as two of the final representatives for NHL All-Star Weekend in St. Louis. After helping the Blues win the Stanley Cup last spring in his third stint with them, Perron is having