NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 22, 2026
Senators fans give former captain Brady Tkachuk a heated welcome in his return to Ottawa, the Flyers win their third straight after a nine-game winless skid, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S GAMES
NHL.COM: The Ottawa Senators defeated the Florida Panthers 5-1 in a game largely overshadowed by Senators fans booing and jeering former captain Brady Tkachuk throughout this contest.
Ottawa Senators center Tim Stutzle (NHL Images).
Tkachuk opened the scoring for the Panthers (5-3-2), but it was all Senators after that, with Tim Stutzle, Jake Sanderson, and Stephen Halliday each collecting two points in a dominant performance that improved their record to 7-3-0.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators fans didn’t hold back expressing their disdain for Tkachuk, whom they feel betrayed them by forcing a trade to the Panthers in June. He knew what to expect and handled the situation well.
As for his former teammates, they were obviously ready for this contest. The Senators were the better team and didn’t allow the emotions of the moment to get away from them.
The only downside for the Senators was the departure of starting goalie Linus Ullmark with a lower-body injury. He will be reevaluated on Thursday. Ullmark has played a big role in the injury-riddled Senators’ strong performance this season. Losing him for a significant period could be a major blow.
The Philadelphia Flyers collected their third straight win by downing the Buffalo Sabres 3-1. Rookie forward Cole Knuble scored his first two NHL goals, defenseman Oliver Bonk collected two assists, and Dan Vladar stopped 27 shots for the Flyers as they improved to 3-6-3 after going winless in their first nine games. Jason Zucker scored for the Sabres (4-4-2) in his season debut for the Sabres after missing the first nine games recovering from sports hernia surgery.
HEADLINES
RATINGS: Marco D’Amico reports former Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron is finding it “a little hard to process” that he will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame next month.
“I think I’ll realize it when I’m there, or after I receive the plaque that will commemorate the moment,” Bergeron said.
Bergeron praised former teammate Zdeno Chara for his mentorship and friendship during their years with the Bruins. “It was a really nice evolution,” he said. “He was a big influence for me in my career, and I’m really glad to call him my friend today.”
Former Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price will be inducted with Bergeron in the Class of 2026. The former Bruins star reflected on their roles in the long-standing rivalry between the two clubs, praising Price’s poise and “flawless technique.”
PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins head coach Dan Muse said forward Ben Kindel is improving and could travel back to Pittsburgh soon. The 19-year-old Kindel suffered a medical emergency shortly after the Penguins’ charter flight left Salt Lake City on Tuesday. The plane returned to Salt Lake City, and Kindel was taken by ambulance to hospital for evaluation.
SPORTSNET: The Carolina Hurricanes activated forward Seth Jarvis off injured reserve. He hasn’t played this season as he recovers from offseason shoulder surgery.
BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins announced they signed forward Murat Khusnutdinov to a three-year, $11.85 million contract extension. Khusnutdinov, 24, will earn an average annual value of $3.95 million starting in 2027-28.
THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: The Canadiens returned defenseman David Reinbacher and forward Owen Beck to their AHL affiliate in Laval. This could mean that Mike Matheson and Florian Xhekaj are returning from injuries.
DAILY FACEOFF: The Vegas Golden Knights placed defenseman Lukas Cormier on waivers.
Well, my thinking that any “adverse greetings” for Brady Tkachuk wouldn’t be that bad were slightly off-centre. Woof. And when he popped the first goal of the game, I also had the fleeting thought that it could be a long, dismal night for the more rabid anti-Tkachuk fans. Boy, was I wrong again. Of course, there had to be a damper.
When Ullmark either pulled a groin muscle or suffered a hamstring (we’ll know more today), at the 4-minute mark of the 3rd and Ottawa up by just 3-1, I also figured the Panthers would mount a sustained attack on Ersson, after having only managed 18 shots on Ullmark to that point in the game. I was wrong again – Ersson faced … and stopped … all of ONE shot on net.
What a weird night. LOL.
I agree with the fans to a certain extent in Ottawa although the swearing was a little overboard with young folks in the attendance. I’d be pretty ticked off if Pasta wanted out of Boston and got his wish while under contract
They are going to have to make adjustments to the no trade clause soon. Players keep seeing and pretty soon everybody will be doing it. Not fair to owners and especially the fans. On a another topic what do you think it will take to land Edvinsson for the bruins?
NMC is a bargained for privilege. Not up for debate as far as the PA is concerned.
GeorgeO,your Sens are reeling from all their injuries. Credit to Green and the organization for staying afloat. Your luck has to turn around sometime!JA the Edvinsson deal has to start with Lohrei and other players and picks going the other way. Boston has surprised me with their early season success going with a younger roster.I would prefer Edvisson over Larkin,sticking with the youth movement!