NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 8, 2024

by | May 8, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 8, 2024

The Rangers take a 2-0 series lead over the Hurricanes, the Avalanche win their series opener with the Stars, the Sharks win the draft lottery, the Hart Trophy finalists are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The New York Rangers took a 2-0 lead over the Carolina Hurricanes in their best-of-seven second-round series with a 4-3 victory in Game 2.

Vincent Trocheck scored in double overtime, Igor Shesterkin kicked out 54 shots, Alexis Lafreniere scored twice and Artemi Panarin collected three assists for the Rangers. Jake Guentzel tallied two goals, Sebastian Aho had three assists and Frederik Andersen stopped 35 shots for the Hurricanes.

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (NHL Images).

The series moves to Carolina for the next two games with Game 3 on Thursday, May 9 at 7 pm EDT.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Another entertaining game between these Metropolitan Division rivals. It also got chippy at times with Shesterkin getting run over by Carolina’s Andrei Svechnkov and Guentzel punching Rangers defenseman Adam Fox during a scrum.

Special teams made the difference in this contest. The Rangers went 2-for-7 on the powerplay and held the Hurricanes scoreless in their five attempts with the man advantage.

Evgeny Kuznetsov was a healthy scratch as Max Comtois replaced him in the Hurricanes’ lineup. 

An overtime goal by Miles Wood capped a four-goal rally by the Colorado Avalanche to defeat the Dallas Stars 4-3 in Game 1 of their second-round series. Nathan MacKinnon and Valeri Nichuskin each had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche. Jamie Benn had a goal and an assist and Wyatt Johnston netted his team-leading fifth goal of this postseason for the Stars. Game 2 is on Thursday in Dallas at 9:30 pm EDT.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche showed the rust from their layoff in the first period but regained their legs throughout this game. Meanwhile, the Stars faded a bit as this game went on having come off eliminating the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday.

Colorado’s special teams were a factor, going 2-for-2 on the power play and killing off three of four penalties.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The San Jose Sharks won the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery, ensuring them the first-overall pick in this year’s draft, scheduled for June 28-29 at Sphere in Las Vegas. The Sharks had the best odds of winning the lottery after finishing last in the overall standings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks are expected to select Boston University center Macklin Celebrini. Winner of the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top NCAA men’s ice hockey player, Celebrini has family ties to San Jose. He played minor hockey in the Jr. Sharks program as a 13-year-old after his family moved from Vancouver to the Bay Area when his father took a job with the NBA’s Golden State Warriors.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, and Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon are this year’s finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded to the most valuable player to his team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the three finalists. McDavid is a three-time winner of the Hart (2016-17, 2020-21, 2022-23) while Kucherov took home the Hart in 2018-19. This is the fourth time MacKinnon has been named a finalist.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators officially named Travis Green their new head coach, signing him to a four-year contract. Green spent nearly five seasons as coach of the Vancouver Canucks and was named interim coach of the New Jersey Devils after they fired Lindy Ruff in early March.

STLTODAY.COM: The Blues announced they signed Drew Bannister to a two-year contract, officially removing the interim tag from his position as head coach. Bannister took over from Craig Berube after he was fired in December.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s no surprise that Blues general manager Doug Armstrong stuck with Bannister. Under his coaching, they went 30-19-5 over the rest of the season and narrowly missed a wildcard playoff berth in the Western Conference.

THE SCORE: cited Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reporting that Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko will be sidelined until Game 5 of their second-round series with the Edmonton Oilers. He’s been out with a knee injury since playing in Game 1 of the Canucks’ first-round series with the Nashville Predators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The solid play of Canucks’ first-round hero Arturs Silovs has bought Demko time to recover rather than rushing back into action.

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: The Blackhawks signed winger Lukas Reichel to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $1.2 million.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 7, 2024

by | May 7, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 7, 2024

The Bruins defeat the Panthers in Game 1 of their second-round series, the draft lottery will be held today, Jets coach Rick Bowness retires, the Senators are poised to hire a new coach, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Boston Bruins defeated the Florida Panthers 5-1 in Game 1 of their best-of-seven second-round series. Jeremy Swayman kicked out 38 shots while Mason Lohrei and Jonathan Brazeau each scored their first NHL playoff goals for the Bruins. Matthew Tkachuk replied for the Panthers. Game 2 is Wednesday, May 8 at 7:30 pm EDT.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers opened the scoring in the second period but the Bruins quickly seized contract soon afterward with goals by Morgan Geekie, Lohrei and Brandon Carlo. Brazeau’s goal in the third period put this out of reach.

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (NHL Images).

Swayman was once again the difference for the Bruins. He’s their MVP thus far in this postseason.

Carlo missed practice yesterday as his wife gave birth to their son at 3 am back in Boston. The club flew him to Florida on a private jet in time to suit up for this game.

The 2024 NHL Draft Lottery will be held today at 6:30 pm EDT at NHL Network studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. The San Jose Sharks have the best odds of winning (18.5 percent) after finishing last in the regular-season standings.

Boston University center Macklin Celebrini is the prize. Winner of the 2024 Hobey Baker Award, the 17-year-old is considered the top prospect in this year’s draft class.

WINNIPEG SUN: Jets head coach Rick Bowness announced his retirement on Monday. The 69-year-old spent 38 seasons in the NHL in various coaching roles.

Bowness’ 2,726 games behind the bench as a head coach or assistant coach are the most by anyone in league history. He served as a head coach for this incarnation of the Jets over the past two years and one season with the original club in 1988-89. Bowness was also the head coach of the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders, Arizona Coyotes and Dallas Stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bowness said he still loves the game and coaching but personal reasons were behind his decision. He took a month-long leave of absence earlier this season after his wife, Judy, was hospitalized by a seizure. Bowness also took some time away for a medical procedure. Here’s hoping he and his wife enjoy a happy and healthy retirement.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators are expected to announce Travis Green as their new head coach by as early as Wednesday. He served as the interim coach of the New Jersey Devils after Lindy Ruff was fired in early March. Green was considered a top candidate for the full-time position but Devils management appears to be waiting for better options, allowing Green to speak with other clubs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Green spent nearly five seasons with the Vancouver Canucks during a time of considerable upheaval in the front office as the club attempted to rebuild its roster. He faces the challenge of coaching a Senators club filled with good young players who have missed the playoffs over the past seven seasons.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe took full responsibility on Monday for his club’s first-round elimination by the Boston Bruins. In what many believe was his final press conference as Leafs coach, Keefe said he still believes in the team and in himself but admitted his fate was out of his control.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Keefe sounds like he knows he’s coached his last game with the Leafs. His fate could be decided later this week.

Leafs center Auston Matthews explained his absence from Games 5 and 6 of that series against Boston. He said he was “really, really sick” following Game 2 and tried to play through it during the next two games. “Then I took a weird hit and I couldn’t go any longer. That’s as detailed as I’m going to get into it.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That explains why Matthews appeared to be at half speed during Games 3 and 4. His illness contributed to the Leafs’ elimination by the Bruins.

Matthews’ teammate Mitch Marner said he wants to be part of the Leafs’ long-term plans. He has a year remaining on his contract.

“I’ve expressed my love for this place, this city,” said Marner. “I grew up here. We’ll start thinking about that now and trying to figure something out.” He said it means the world to him to play in Toronto.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marner also said he and his teammates are looked on as “kind of gods” in Toronto. That raised some hackles and criticism in Leafs Nation but he’s not wrong. The problem is that these “gods” keep coming up short after eight seasons of hype and expectation.

Marner’s teammates also came to his defense about the criticism of his play in recent years, expressing their hope that he’ll remain part of the team’s future. Whether management feels the same way remains to be seen. I’ll have more on Marner in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment CEO Keith Pelley, team president Brendan Shanahan and general manager Brad Treliving will meet with the media on Friday. The press conference was originally scheduled for Thursday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The fact Shanahan is part of this presser suggests he’ll be completing the final year of his contract. His future beyond that remains in doubt and will hinge on the club’s performance in 2024-25.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers forwards Evander Kane and Adam Henrique missed recent practices in favor of maintenance days to get healthy. Head coach Kris Knoblauch expects they’ll resume practicing on Tuesday and be ready for Game 1 of their second-round series against the Canucks on Wednesday.

Kane has been hampered by a sports hernia this season. Henrique suffered what appeared to be a leg injury during the Oilers’ first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings.

THE PROVINCE: Canucks center J.T. Miller is expected to be matched up against Oilers center Connor McDavid in the upcoming series between their two clubs. He admitted it will be challenging to contain the Oilers captain. “He’s different than anybody,” said Miller. “You can play what seems to be a perfect shift and all of a sudden he’s gone.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That matchup will be a crucial factor in determining the outcome of this series.

LOS ANGELES TIMES: Kings general manager Rob Blake shot down recent speculation suggesting his club should buy out Pierre-Luc Dubois. He said they have no intention of buying out the final seven seasons of his contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dubois had a disappointing first season with the Kings, ending up on their fourth line during the playoffs and finishing the regular season with only 40 points. The criticism of his play was justified but the notion of a buyout was absurd.

Whether at one-third or two-thirds of the remaining value depending on Dubois’ age during the buyout, it would count against the Kings’ cap for twice the remaining term. That means 14 years if they bought him out in June.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 6, 2024

by | May 6, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 6, 2024

The Stars eliminate the Golden Knights, the Rangers defeat the Hurricanes in Game 1 of their second-round series, the Selke Trophy finalists are announced, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: There will be a new Stanley Cup champion this year as the Dallas Stars eliminated the defending champion Vegas Golden Knights with a 2-1 victory in Game 7 of their first-round series. Radek Faksa snapped a 1-1 tie early in the third period, Jake Oettinger made 22 saves and Wyatt Johnston also scored for the Stars. Brett Howden tallied the only goal for the Golden Knights. The Stars will face the Colorado Avalanche in the second round with Game 1 starting on Tuesday, May 7 at 9:30 pm EDT.

Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars prevailed with solid goaltending from Oettinger, who gave up two goals or less in six of the seven games. He had help from his teammates as their improved defensive play smothered Vegas’ offense.

The Golden Knights opened this series with 4-3 and 3-1 victories but managed only nine goals over the following five games. Jack Eichel was held scoreless in three games. 2023 playoff MVP Jonathan Marchessault was held to two goals and never scored again after Game 2. Mark Stone only scored twice and those came on the power play. Trade deadline acquisition Tomas Hertl was held to one goal.

New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad scored twice and collected an assist as his club held off the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 in Game 1 of their best-of-seven second-round series. Vincent Trocheck and Chris Kreider each collected two points for the Rangers while Sebastian Aho had two assists for the Hurricanes. Game 2 is Tuesday, May 7 at 7 pm EDT.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was an entertaining contest as the Rangers and Hurricanes set the stage for what should be another thrilling series comparable to their 2022 second-round matchup. The Rangers struck first and opened a two-goal lead in the first period, forcing the Hurricanes to play catchup for the rest of this game.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The full schedule for the second round was released following the completion of the Stars-Golden Knights series.

Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov, Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, and Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal are the finalists for the Frank J. Selke Trophy, honoring this season’s top defensive forward.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the finalists. It’s the third time in four years Barkov has been up for this award, winning in 2020-21. It’s the second time for Staal since 2009-10 when he was with the Pittsburgh Penguins. It’s the first time for Matthews.

TSN: Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett will be unavailable for Game 1 of his club’s second-round series with the Boston Bruins. He’s been out with an upper-body injury since Game 2 of the Panthers first-round series with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports the Senators have narrowed their search for their new head coach to four candidates. They are former St. Louis Blues coach Craig Berube, former Los Angeles Kings coach Todd McLellan, former Minnesota Wild bench boss Dean Evason and New Jersey Devils interim coach Travis Green.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Garrioch reported his sources cannot confirm if the Senators have had formal discussions with Berube yet. He added Berube’s had serious discussions with New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 5, 2024

by | May 5, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 5, 2024

The Bruins eliminated the Maple Leafs from the first round again, the second round schedule for the Eastern Conference is released, the Lady Byng Trophy finalists are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Boston Bruins advanced to the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 2-1 overtime victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 of their first-round series. David Pastrnak scored in overtime to send his team into a second-round showdown with the Florida Panthers, who eliminated the Bruins from the first round of the 2023 playoffs. Hampus Lindholm tied the game for the Bruins after the Leafs’ William Nylander opened the scoring midway through the third period.

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (NHL Images).

Auston Matthews collected an assist as he returned to the Leafs lineup after missing two games with an undisclosed illness. Ilya Samsonov made 29 saves for the Leafs as he replaced Joseph Woll, who was injured in Game 6. Jeremy Swayman stopped 30 shots for the Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Swayman was the hero of this series for the Bruins. He played in six of the seven games, sporting a 1.49 goals-against average and a .950 save percentage, giving up two goals or less in five of those contests. Pastrnak was challenged to step up his game by Bruins coach Jim Montgomery following Game 6 and responded with what has to be the biggest goal of his NHL career.

The Leafs deserve kudos for overcoming a 3-1 series deficit but the final result remains the same. Since 2017, they’ve been eliminated from the first round in seven of eight postseason series. Five of those series went seven games, three against the Bruins, whom they haven’t beaten in a playoff series since 1959.

Leafs goalie Ilya Samsonov faced justified criticism over his shaky play earlier in this series but cannot be faulted for their Game 7 loss. He was steady throughout, giving the Leafs a chance to win. Samsonov is an unrestricted free agent this summer and won’t be re-signed but his final game as a Leaf gave him a bit of redemption.

The calls for change from Leafs Nations cannot be ignored. It started last year with the replacement of Kyle Dubas as general manager. There will be more significant moves to come. I’ll have more on this topic in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: The Bruins made NHL history with 16 Game 7 victories. They also appeared in a league-record 31 Game 7s’.

NHL.COM: The Eastern Conference second-round playoff schedule was announced following the Bruins-Leafs game. The Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers face off starting at 4 pm EDT on Sunday, May 5. The Bruins meet the Florida Panthers starting Monday, May 6, at 8 pm ET.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson and Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin are this year’s finalists for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the league’s most gentlemanly player.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the three finalists. This is the first time Pettersson has been a finalist. It’s the third in five years for Matthews and the third time in four years for Slavin.

SPORTSNET: Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce will miss the first two games of his team’s second-round series against the Rangers. He’s been sidelined by a lower-body injury since Game 2 of the Hurricanes’ first-round series against the New York Islanders.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 4, 2024

by | May 4, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 4, 2024

The Canucks advance to the second round, the Golden Knights force Game 7 with the Stars, the Jack Adams Award finalists are revealed, the Penguins make a change to their coaching staff, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs by eliminating the Nashville Predators with a 1-0 victory in Game 6 of their first-round series. Pius Suter scored the only goal with 1:39 remaining in the game and Arturs Silovs made 28 saves as the Canucks will face the Edmonton Oilers in the next round. Juuse Saros stopped 28 shots for the Predators.

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Arturs Silovs. (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the fourth straight game in this series that was decided by one goal with the Canucks winning three of those contests. They also got those victories with three different goaltenders. Thatcher Demko won Game 1, Casey DeSmith took Game 3 filling in for the injured Demko, and Silovs got their other two wins from Game 4 onward after DeSmith was sidelined.

The Predators’ popgun powerplay was their biggest weakness, scoring just twice with 22 man-advantage opportunities. They also blew the lead in Games 1 and 4 which proved costly in this series.

There will be a seventh and deciding game in the first-round series between the Dallas Stars and the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights. Noah Hanifin and Mark Stone scored in the third period and Adin Hill made 23 saves as the Golden Knights shut out the Stars 2-0. Jake Oettinger turned aside 28 shots for the Stars. Game 7 goes on Sunday, May 5 in Dallas at 7:30 pm EDT.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A solid defensive effort by Vegas made the difference in a goaltender’s duel between Hill and Oettinger. This was also a better-disciplined effort by the Golden Knights, avoiding the costly penalties that led to the Stars’ victories in Games 4 and 5.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Rick Bowness of the Winnipeg Jets, Andrew Brunette of the Nashville Predators, and Rick Tocchet of the Vancouver Canucks are the finalists for the Jack Adams Award as the league’s Coach of the Year for 2023-24.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to Bowness, Brunette and Tocchet. This is the first time Bowness and Tocchet have been named as finalists for this award. It’s the second time for Brunette as he was runner-up in 2021-22 with the Florida Panthers.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins fired associate coach Todd Reirden on Friday. He’d been with the club since 2020-21 and oversaw the club’s power play, which fell to 30th overall this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: General manager Kyle Dubas and head coach Mike Sullivan were rumored to be in a “power struggle” over the coaching staff. However, it was clear a change had to be made given the club’s woeful performance on the power play this season.

This could further stoke rumors that Sullivan might quit or get fired but I don’t see either scenario happening. If he were getting fired it would’ve happened by now, especially with notable former NHL coaches like Craig Berube, Todd McLellan, Dean Evason and Gerard Gallant available. Reirden’s firing shouldn’t be a deal-breaker for Sullivan.

TSN: Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews is progressing in his recovery from an undisclosed illness. However, there’s been no determination regarding his availability for Saturday’s Game 7 against the Boston Bruins. The Leafs scoring star was sidelined for Games 5 and 6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This will likely be a game-time decision by Matthews and the Leafs depending on how he feels following practice on Saturday.

NEW YORK POST: The Islanders confirmed general manager Lou Lamoriello and head coach Patrick Roy will return next season. Lamoriello sounded open to the possibility of roster changes during the offseason. Eight players are slated to become free agents, five of them unrestricted.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bolstering the offense should be Lamoriello’s priority. The Isles’ limited scoring punch nearly derailed their playoff hopes and proved costly in their elimination from the first round by the Carolina Hurricanes.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Washington Capitals winger Max Pacioretty isn’t sure what the future holds after this season. The 34-year-old staged a comeback from double Achilles surgery in 2022-23 and played in 47 games this season but admitted being “a shell of my former self” with four goals and 23 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pacioretty is on a one-year, $2 million contract. With the Capitals transitioning toward younger players, it seems unlikely he’ll be brought back.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 3, 2024

by | May 3, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 3, 2024

The Maple Leafs force Game 7 with the Bruins in their opening-round series. Get the details plus the latest playoff news and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAP

NHL.COM: The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Boston Bruins 2-1 in Game 6 of their best-of-seven opening-round series. William Nylander scored both goals and Joseph Woll made 22 saves for the Leafs, who overcame a 3-1 series deficit to force a seventh and deciding game in Boston on Saturday. Morgan Geekie scored for the Bruins with one second remaining in the third period and teammate Jeremy Swayman stopped 24 shots. The start time for Game 7 is 8 pm EDT.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Given up for dead after their listless loss in Game 4, the Leafs have flipped the script in this series. The pressure is now on the Bruins, who return home facing the prospect of blowing a 3-1 series lead and being eliminated from the opening round for the second straight year.

Like their win in Game 5, the Leafs played a solid defensive game to contain the Bruins’ offense. Woll has been solid between the pipes. His teammates are drawing strength and confidence from his steady performance.

Leafs star Auston Matthews remained sidelined by an illness for the second straight game but has returned to skating with his teammate in practice. Nylander, meanwhile, stepped up in this game to fill the void.

After the game, Bruins coach Jim Montgomery called out his club’s leading scorer David Pastrnak. “’Pasta’ needs to step up”, he said. “He needs to be a dominant player like he used to. He’s doing it in flurries, but not consistently.” Pastrnak has two goals and two assists in this series but was held scoreless in the last two games.

Don’t expect a goaltending change for the Bruins in Game 7. Swayman wasn’t to blame for his club’s two losses, giving up only two goals in Game 5 with a .939 save percentage and two in Game 6 (.923). That’s especially true in the first period of both games with the Leafs outshooting the Bruins 11-2 in the fifth game and 12-1 in the sixth.

PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK

NHL.COM: The second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs starts Sunday with Game 1 between the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We could learn the start times for other second-round series depending on the outcome of Friday night’s games. The Vancouver Canucks hold a 3-2 series lead as they face the Predators in Nashville while the Dallas Stars are up 3-2 over the Golden Knights as the two clubs face off in Las Vegas.

TSN’s Darren Dreger took to social media on Thursday reporting the Carolina Hurricanes aren’t interested in allowing head coach Rod Brind’Amour to test the open market this summer. He indicated the two sides have recently come together and it “looks encouraging an extension will get done.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Brind’Amour’s contract situation drew considerable buzz earlier this week following reports claiming he was uncertain about his future in Carolina after the club pulled their offer from the table.

Brind’Amour responded saying he wanted to stay in Carolina. Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon and general manager Don Waddell maintained their confidence that an agreement would be reached soon.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars are using the Golden Knights’ physical play against them by making them pay on the power play. Two undisciplined penalties by the Golden Knights in the last two games led to the Stars cashing in with the man advantage.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: The Golden Knights need a more disciplined game from top defenseman Alex Pietrangelo if they hope to stave off elimination in Friday’s game against the Stars. He was called out by head coach Bruce Cassidy after his penalty against Dallas winger Tyler Seguin in Game 5 led to the Stars’ game-winning goal.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks forward J.T. Miller brought some levity to his teammates by wearing teammate Arturs Silovs’ flashy pink and paisley dress shirt during practice on Thursday. Silovs took Miller’s prank in strike. “It looks good on him,” he laughed.

THE TENNESSEAN: Nashville Predators defenseman Luke Schenn hopes to return to the lineup for Game 6 after an illness sidelined him in Game 5.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers defenseman Adam Fox missed practice on Thursday for the second straight day for a maintenance day. That’s raised concern about the condition of his right knee following a collision with the Washington Capitals’ Nick Jensen on Sunday.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Goaltender Spencer Knight is back with the Panthers after spending the regular season with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Knight left the Panthers in February 2023 after being admitted into the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program seeking treatment for OCD.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen, Arizona Coyotes goaltender Connor Ingram, and Calgary Flames defenseman Oliver Kylington are this year’s finalists for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the three finalists for being recognized for their perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey this season.

TSN: Seattle Kraken general manager Ron Francis denied a report by ESPN’s Emily Kaplan claiming he received an ultimatum from several players demanding the replacement of Dave Hakstol as head coach. Hakstol was fired on Tuesday after three seasons behind the Kraken bench.

“Zero players issued any ultimatums of any kind regarding the coach – that I can assure you,” said Francis. Kraken winger Jordan Eberle also denied the report.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Hurricanes signed a three-year affiliate agreement with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves.

THE ATHLETIC: Former NHL player Cody Hodgson has retired for the second time. His original retirement was in 2017 after a condition known as malignant hypothermia ended his six-year NHL career.

The 34-year-old center staged a comeback this season, earning an AHL contract with the Milwaukee Admirals. In 13 games, he had six goals and eight points but soon found the symptoms of his condition had returned.

Hodgson said he was at peace with his decision to retire again. His comeback effort brought him a sense of closure that he could still perform at a professional level. “I answered the question that I could play again. Maybe someone else would look at it objectively and conclude something different, but I thought I could keep up with the kids,” he said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Hodgson in his future endeavours.