NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 13, 2026

by | Feb 13, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 13, 2026

Recapping Thursday’s Olympic Men’s hockey action and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Jordan Binnington turned in a 26-save shutout as Canada defeated Czechia 5-0 in the second day of the Men’s Hockey tournament at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy.

Team Canada goaltender Jordan Binnington (TSN).

Connor McDavid had three assists, Sidney Crosby had two helpers, and Macklin Celebrini scored what proved to be the winning goal. Mark Stone, Bo Horvat, Nathan MacKinnon, and Nick Suzuki also scored for Canada. Lukas Dostal stopped 31 shots for Czechia.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadian defenseman Josh Morrissey left this game in the second period with an undisclosed injury. There was no postgame update regarding his status.

Brock Nelson tallied twice for the United States in a 5-1 victory over Latvia. Brothers Quinn and Jack Hughes each had two assists, Matthew Tkachuk also had two assists, and his brother Brady was among the goal scorers for the USA. Auston Matthews and Tage Thompson also scored for the Americans.

Elvis Merzlikins made 28 saves, and Renars Krastenbergs scored for Latvia.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Latvians successfully challenged two American goals during the first period. A Quinn Hughes tally was called back as Nelson was offside, while a goal by Nelson was overturned due to goaltender interference by J.T. Miller. The latter would’ve been considered a goal by NHL standards, but the IIHF has a zero-tolerance policy for contact in the goal crease.

A two-goal performance by Tim Stutzle gave Germany a 3-1 win over Denmark. Leon Draisaitl had a goal and an assist, and Philipp Grubauer kicked out 37 shots for the Germans. Frederik Andersen made 23 saves, and Seattle Kraken prospect Oscar Fisker Molgaard replied for Denmark.

Timo Meier had two goals as Switzerland blanked France 4-0. JJ Moser and Damien Riat also scored, and Leonardo Geroni had a 27-save shutout. Washington Capitals prospect Antoine Keller made 39 saves for France.

IN OTHER NEWS…

SPORTSNET: NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said his league will follow the lead of the IIHF regarding the potential participation of Russia and Belarus in the 2028 World Cup of Hockey.

Russia has been formally banned from IIHF competition since 2022 in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine.

RG.ORG: Montreal Canadiens prospect Alexander Zharovsky is having a strong rookie season with Salavat Yulaev Ufa in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), leading the team with 36 points in 44 games.

Zharovsky is under contract with Salavat Yulaev through 2026-27. Club general manager Rinat Bashirov said he wouldn’t oppose the young forward heading to Montreal at the end of his contract if he feels he’s ready. Zharovsky said that the topic hasn’t been discussed with his agents.

DAILY FACEOFF: Italian law enforcement arrested a man planning to attend Slovakia’s opening 4-1 win over Finland on a warrant issued 16 years ago.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 12, 2026

by | Feb 12, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 12, 2026

Juraj Slafkovsky leads Slovakia to an upset over Finland, Italy throws a scare into Sweden, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky scored two goals and collected an assist as Slovakia upset Finland 4-1 in the opening game of the 2026 Olympic Men’s hockey tournament. St. Louis Blues rookie center Dalibor Dvorsky also scored, and Minnesota Wild goalie prospect Samuel Hlavaj stopped 39 shots for Slovakia. Eeli Tolvanen scored, and Juuse Saros made 21 saves for Finland.

Slovakia winger Juraj Slafkovsky (AP.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Slafkovsky picked up from where he left off four years ago when he was named tournament MVP after leading Slovakia to a bronze medal, the country’s first in Olympic Men’s ice hockey. He silenced the critics who felt he would struggle against deeper clubs in these Olympics, as they overlooked the fact that Slafkovsky has four NHL seasons under his belt and is becoming a scoring star with the Canadiens.

Hlavaj was outstanding for Slovakia between the pipes. He tended to slide around a bit in his crease, but his acrobatic style and quick glove hand made the difference, making him the star of this game.

The questions that dogged Finnish goalie Juuse Saros since last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off persist. He looked shaky at times in this contest and could be replaced in the next game by Vancouver Canucks netminder Kevin Lankinen. However, Saros didn’t get much help from his teammates, who managed to get only one shot past Hlavaj.

IIHF.COM: Third-period goals by Mika Zibanejad and Victor Hedman lifted Sweden over Italy 5-2. Rasmus Dahlin collected three assists while Zibanejad and Gustav Forsling each had a goal and an assist for Sweden, who outshot Italy 60-22 in this contest.

Italian goalie and Anaheim Ducks prospect Damien Clara was outstanding for Italy, making 46 saves before leaving with an injury with 14 minutes remaining in the third period. Luca Frigo and former Canadiens prospect Matt Bradley scored for the Italians.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Thanks to Clara’s heroics, the gritty Italians threw a scare into the heavily favored Swedes in this game. They opened the scoring, tied the game at 2 in the second period, and hung tough in this one until Zibanejad made it 4-2.

Boston Bruins center Elias Lindholm came off injured reserve, enabling him to play for Sweden in this game.

NHL.COM: Switzerland officially named Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi as their team captain for this tournament. New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier, Los Angeles Kings winger Kevin Fiala, and Winnipeg Jets winger Nino Niederreiter were named alternate captains.

THE ATHLETIC: Arpon Basu believes the Olympic neck guard mandate is a major opportunity for NHL adoption. He interviewed several NHL players in this tournament who had different opinions on the subject, but it could be a matter of time before they’re worn more frequently.

CHL.CA: The Canadian Hockey League announced its top-50 players of the past 50 years. Fans can vote from Feb. 10 to March 10 to determine the final ranking of these players.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The list includes current NHL stars such as Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Connor Bedard, and Hall of Famers like Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Patrick Roy. Follow the link above for the full list and details on how you can vote to determine the final ranking.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The postponed Jan. 26 game between the Los Angeles Kings and the Blue Jackets is scheduled for Monday, March 9, at 4 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That start time isn’t sitting well with some Blue Jackets fans, who pointed out they’ll be at work when that game begins.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 11, 2026

by | Feb 11, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 11, 2026

The latest on Alex Ovechkin, Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Martin Necas, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Men’s Olympic hockey schedule begins on Wednesday with Slovakia playing Finland (10:30 AM ET) and Sweden taking on Italy (3 PM ET).

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Sammi Silber reports KHL president Alexei Morozov intends to touch base with Alex Ovechkin this summer regarding the Washington Capitals captain’s plans.

Ovechkin’s contract with the Capitals expires at the end of this season. However, the 40-year-old left winger hasn’t made any decisions regarding his future.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin has indicated that he’d like to finish his playing career back home in Russia with Moscow Dynamo. The NHL’s all-time goal-scoring leader, his production is down from last season’s 44-goal pace, but he’s second among Capitals scorers with 22 goals and 48 points in 59 games.

TORONTO SUN: Steve Simmons wonders if Auston Matthews can lead the United States to Olympic gold in the 2026 Olympics despite a lack of big-game history. The 28-year-old Toronto Maple Leafs center was named captain of Team USA.

Team USA captain Auston Matthews (NHL.com).

Since Matthews made his NHL debut in 2016-17, he has led all scorers with 427 regular-season goals, but his production dries up in the playoffs. Simmons also noted he had the opportunity to win last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off for Team USA, but failed to score in overtime.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leading the Americans to Olympic gold won’t fully silence Matthews’ critics, but it would turn down the volume.

TSN: William Nylander missed Sweden’s practice on Tuesday and is questionable for their game against Italy on Wednesday. Head coach Sam Hallam said it was a “maintenance thing,” adding that Nylander already participated in two practices with the team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nylander missed some time last month with a groin injury before returning to the Maple Leafs on Jan. 31.

THE DENVER POST: Colorado Avalanche winger Martin Necas hopes he can be part of a new golden era for Czechia. The country has medaled in each of the last four World Junior Championships and won gold at the 2024 World Championships.

THE ATHLETIC: Mark Lazerus reports that the 2026 Olympics are an opportunity for some former NHL players to earn one more chance to return to the big league.

Those former NHLers include Dominik Kahun (Germany), Dominik Kubalik and Ondrej Kase (Czechia), Tomas Tatar (Slovakia), and Rudolfs Balcers (Latvia).

DAILY FACEOFF: Steven Ellis reports sources indicating that 2026 NHL prospect Gavin McKenna is expected to play for Penn State when they face off against the University of Michigan on Saturday.

McKenna, 18, was allegedly involved in an off-ice incident in State College on Jan. 31. He was charged with felony aggravated assault, misdemeanor simple assault, harassment, and disorderly conduct. However, the felony assault charge was withdrawn by prosecutors.

THE ATHLETIC: Fluto Shinzawa believes James Hagens could be the best Boston Bruins prospect since Tyler Seguin. The 19-year-old center was named tournament MVP as he led Boston College to victory in the 2026 Beanpot Tournament. The Bruins chose Hagens seventh overall in the 2025 NHL Draft. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Seguin won a Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 2011, but they traded him to Dallas two years later as he was poised to become a scoring star. Hopefully, the current management will handle Hagens differently. 

THE PROVINCE: Long-time Vancouver Canucks broadcaster Jim Robson passed away on Monday at age 91. Robson was the Canucks first play-by-play man from their first game in 1970 until his retirement in 1999.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Robson was the voice of the Canucks through the 1970s, 80s, and 90s on radio and television. He belongs among the greatest hockey broadcasters of all time. My condolences to Robson’s family, friends, and the Canucks organization.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 10, 2026

by | Feb 10, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 10, 2026

Canadian goalies hope to silence critics in the men’s Olympic hockey tournament, Leon Draisaitl is named captain of Team Germany, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Team Canada head coach Jon Cooper defended his goaltenders against criticism that they are the team’s Achilles heel in the upcoming Men’s Olympic hockey tournament.

Team Canada head coach Jon Cooper (NHL.com)

“We have all the faith in the world in them,” Cooper said. “To me, it’s not a story. I don’t know where it comes from.”

Cooper pointed out that Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues and Darcy Kuemper of the Los Angeles Kings are Stanley Cup winners. He also noted Logan Thompson’s rise as a starting goalie with the Washington Capitals.

Meanwhile, the three netminders said they’re looking forward to silencing the doubters. “Excited to go out there and prove everyone wrong,” Thompson said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Binnington was considered Canada’s weakest link in last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off, but rose to the occasion in the gold-medal game against the United States with an MVP-worthy performance in a 3-2 overtime victory.

Kuemper is no stranger to winning international gold, backstopping Canada to victory in the 2021 World Championship.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (VIA THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS): Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets, Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars, and Jeremy Swayman of the Boston Bruins give Team USA one of the best goaltending trios in the upcoming men’s hockey tournament.

USA head coach Mike Sullivan has full confidence in his netminders. “Regardless of which guy we put in, we have three elite goaltenders, all of which will give us an opportunity to win,” Sullivan said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hellebuyck backstopped Team USA to the gold-medal game in last year’s 4 Nations tournament. Swayman was the starting goalie for their gold-medal team in last year’s World Championships, sporting a 7-0 record.

SPORTSNET: Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl was officially named captain of Team Germany. The alternate captains are Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider and Ottawa Senators center Tim Stutzle. Draisaitl was also Germany’s flag bearer during last Friday’s opening ceremonies.

TSN: Former NHL forward Tomas Tatar was named captain of Team Slovakia. Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak and Washington Capitals blueliner Martin Fehervary are the alternate captains.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tatar spent 14 seasons in the NHL from 2010-11 to 2024-25 with the Detroit Red Wings, Vegas Golden Knights, Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, Colorado Avalanche, and Seattle Kraken.

TVA SPORTS: Montreal Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky was on the same line as Tatar and former NHL center Adam Ruzicka during Slovakia’s practice on Monday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Slafkovsky was tournament MVP in the 2022 Winter Olympics, leading all players with seven goals as Slovakia won its first medal in men’s hockey.

Ruzicka spent four seasons in the NHL from 2020-21 to 2023-24 with the Calgary Flames and Arizona Coyotes. Since 2024-25, he’s played for KHL club Moscow Spartak.

NCAA: The Boston College Eagles defeated the Boston University Terriers 6-2 to win the Beanpot tournament for the first time since 2016.

Boston Bruins prospect center James Hagens had two goals and three assists and was named tournament MVP. The Bruins chose Hagens with the seventh overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

TSN: The preliminary hearing for top NHL prospect Gavin McKenna in an alleged assault case in Pennsylvania has been postponed until March 11.

McKenna, 18, faces charges of misdemeanor simple assault, harassment, and disorderly conduct following an alleged incident on Jan. 31 in State College, PA.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 9, 2026

by | Feb 9, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 9, 2026

The captains of Canada, Czechia, Finland, Sweden, and the United States for the 2026 Winter Olympics have been officially announced, a look at the initial practice line combinations for Canada and the USA, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins center Sidney Crosby was officially named captain of Canada’s Men’s hockey team at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy. Crosby previously served as captain of Canada’s 2014 gold medal-winning team.

Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby (NHL.com).

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid and Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar will serve as Crosby’s alternate captains.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No surprise there. Crosby was the obvious choice, having also captained Canada in the 2015 World Championship, the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, and the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off.

DAILY FACEOFF: Former NHL center Roman Cervenka was named captain of Czechia’s men’s Olympic hockey team. Cervenka, 40, spent most of his career in Europe, playing for the Calgary Flames in 2012-13. He’s making his fifth straight appearance in the Winter Olympics.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak and Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas will serve as Cervenka’s alternates.

TSN: Finland named Anaheim Ducks forward Mikael Granlund as their team captain. Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho and Dallas Stars winger Mikko Rantanen are Granlund’s alternate captains.

Avalanche winger Gabriel Landeskog will captain Sweden’s team, with defensemen Victor Hedman and Erik Karlsson serving as his alternate captains.

SPORTSNET: Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews was named captain of the United States’ men’s team. Defenseman Charlie McAvoy and Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk will be Matthews’ alternates.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby, Landeskog, and Matthews serve as captains of their respective NHL clubs, as do McDavid, Hedman, and Gudas. Karlsson was captain of the Ottawa Senators from 2014-15 to 2017-18.

THE ATHLETIC: Arpon Basu reports Washington Capitals winger Tom Wilson skated alongside Connor McDavid and San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini on Canada’s first line during the team’s initial practice on Sunday.

Crosby centered Vegas Golden Knights wingers Mitch Marner and Mark Stone on the second line. The third line consisted of Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon between Panthers winger Brad Marchand and Montreal Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki, while New York Islanders center Bo Horvat was between Lightning winger Brandon Hagel and Panthers winger Sam Reinhart. Panthers center Sam Bennett and Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis were the spares.

Makar and Avalanche linemate Devon Toews were on the first pairing. The second pairing consisted of Josh Morrissey of the Winnipeg Jets and Colton Parayko of the St. Louis Blues. Travis Sanheim of the Philadelphia Flyers and Shea Theodore of the Golden Knights were on the third pairing, with the Stars’ Thomas Harley and the Los Angeles Kings’ Drew Doughty on the fourth pairing.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wilson skating on the top pairing raised some eyebrows. It’ll be interesting to see how well he meshes with McDavid and Celebrini. He will certainly bring a physical edge to that line.

THE ATHLETIC: Michael Russo reported Matthews centered Team USA’s top line with Lightning winger Jake Guentzel and Minnesota Wild winger Matt Boldy. Jack Eichel of the Golden Knights centered Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk and his brother, Senators winger Brady Tkachuk.

Russo indicated that USA head coach Mike Sullivan mixed and matched the bottom two forward lines with each rush. They included Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils, Tage Thompson of the Buffalo Sabres, J.T. Miller of the New York Rangers, Brock Nelson of the Avalanche, Clayton Keller of the Utah Mammoth, Kyle Connor of the Jets, and Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings.

The defense saw McAvoy pairing with the Minnesota Wild’s Quinn Hughes, the Hurricanes’ Jaccob Slavin with the Wild’s Brock Faber, Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets alongside Noah Hanifin of the Golden Knights, and the Senators’ Jake Sanderson with the Ducks’ Jackson Lacombe.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some of these line combinations for Canada and the United States might not be what we see throughout this tournament. They could adjust in the coming days depending on performance.

TSN: In recent non-Olympic news, former NHL defenseman Travis Dermott joined the AHL’s Hartford Wolfpack on a professional tryout offer on Saturday. The Wolfpack is the affiliate of the New York Rangers.

Dermott, 29, spent eight seasons in the NHL (2017-18 to 2024-25), spending five of them with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He also played with the Vancouver Canucks, Arizona Coyotes, Edmonton Oilers, and Minnesota Wild. Dermott has 62 points in 348 NHL games.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 8, 2026

by | Feb 8, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 8, 2026

The latest on Oilers center Leon Draisaitl and Bruins forward Pavel Zacha, an update on the Predators’ search for a new general manager, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

TSN: Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl clarified the critical comments he made about his club’s performance following its 4-3 loss to the Calgary Flames on Wednesday.

Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

At the time, Draisaitl said the NHL is too hard for the Oilers to be lollygagging through games, adding that the team’s improvement begins with the coaching staff. He felt the club wasn’t defending well enough, and that there were many things it wasn’t doing well enough to win.

On Saturday, Draisaitl told TSN’s Ryan Rishaug that he spoke out of frustration and was trying to send the message that the team has to play better.

“I said in that interview, I said our leadership had to be better, and talking about the leadership group – I’m part of that, so I can be a lot better,” Draisaitl said. “That goes for our coaches, that goes for everybody in our organization. We all have to step up.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some observers believe Draisaitl should have left those remarks in the dressing room for his teammates, rather than publicly airing them before the press. Regardless, he’s not wrong in his assessment of the Oilers’ recent performance. Their sloppy play (especially defensively) cost them games against teams they should’ve defeated.

The Oilers went into the Olympic break sitting second in the Pacific Division with 64 points, but only four up on the Los Angeles Kings, who sit ninth overall in the Western Conference standings.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins forward Pavel Zacha will not play for Team Czechia in the upcoming men’s Olympic hockey tournament. Zacha, 28, suffered an upper-body injury on Jan. 29 and has not returned to action since.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s a tough blow for Zacha, who was obviously looking forward to playing for his country in the Olympics.

Injuries also sidelined Canada’s Anthony Cirelli and Brayden Point (Tampa Bay Lightning), Finland’s Aleksander Barkov (Florida Panthers) and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Buffalo Sabres), Latvia’s Rodrigo Abols (Philadelphia Flyers), Sweden’s Leo Carlsson (Anaheim Ducks) and Jonas Brodin (Minnesota Wild), and the United States’ Seth Jones (Florida Panthers).

THE TENNESSEAN: Creative Artists Agency (CAA), hired by the Nashville Predators to help the club find a new general manager, informed the team on Feb. 6 that it will no longer be involved.

CAA withdrew after the NHL Players’ Association expressed concern about a potential conflict of interest involving certified agents. Several Predators players, including forwards Filip Forsberg and Jonathan Marchessault, are represented by CAA agents.

The Predators’ search for a new general manager began last week after GM Barry Trotz announced he would be stepping down for family reasons as soon as a suitable replacement could be found.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers face a daunting challenge to clinch a playoff berth this season.

Entering the Olympic break, the Panthers are eight points out of a wildcard berth in the Eastern Conference. They must win at least 18 of their remaining 25 games and collect some “loser points” along the way.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Injuries have walloped the Panthers this season, with several core players (including Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk) sidelined for lengthy periods. Three straight Stanley Cup Final appearances resulted in shortened offseasons, which have also likely taken a toll.

NHL.COM: The league’s department of player safety fined Nashville Predators forward Michael McCarron $2,343.75 on Friday for slashing Washington Capitals defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk on Thursday.

DAILY FACEOFF: The St. Louis Blues claimed forward Jack Finley off waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. Due to the Olympic roster freeze (Feb. 4 to 22), Finley doesn’t have to report to the Blues until Feb. 17.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Players can be sent down to the AHL if they are waiver exempt, except for players who appeared in 16 of the team’s 20 NHL games before the freeze, or have been on the roster for 80 league days before Jan. 21.