NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 3, 2026

by | Jan 3, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 3, 2026

Mika Zibanejad had a record-setting performance at the 2026 Winter Classic. The Winter Olympics men’s hockey rosters for the United States, Sweden, and Finland were also announced, along with other notable developments, in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF FRIDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: New York Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad had a hat trick and collected two assists in a 5-1 victory over the host Florida Panthers at the 2026 NHL Winter Classic before a sellout crowd of 36,153 fans at loanDepot Park in Miami.

New York Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad (NHL Images).

Artemi Panarin tallied twice and had an assist, Alexis Lafreniere picked up three assists, and Igor Shesterkin made 36 saves for the Rangers (20-18-5), who ended a three-game winless skid. Sam Reinhart replied for the 21-16-3 Panthers, who have one win in their last four games (1-2-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a record-setting game for Zibanejad. He netted the first hat trick and the most points (five) in an outdoor NHL game. He also tied the Rangers’ record for the most power-play goals with 116.

Panarin is in a four-way tie for the most points (seven) in outdoor NHL games. The Rangers are 6-0-0 in outdoor NHL games, and 3-0-0 in the Winter Classic.

Panthers defenseman Seth Jones left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury.

St. Louis Blues captain Brayden Schenn snapped a 3-3 tie late in the third period to lift his club over the Vegas Golden Knights by a score of 4-3. Alexey Toropchenko and Oskar Sundqvist each had a goal and an assist as the Blues held a 3-1 lead before the Golden Knights rallied on goals by Mark Stone and Pavel Dorofeyev. The Blues improved to 16-18-8 while the 17-11-4 Golden Knights have one win in their last seven games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights center Jack Eichel returned to action after missing seven games with a lower-body injury. However, teammate Brayden McNabb is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes tied his career high of four assists as his club rolled to a 5-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Danila Yurov scored two goals for the 25-10-7 Wild, who extended their points streak to five games (3-0-2). Beckett Sennecke and Troy Terry scored for the Ducks (21-17-3), who have dropped five straight games and have two wins in their last 11 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: On Dec. 9, the Ducks led the Pacific Division (19-10-1, 39 points) and had the third-best record in the Pacific Division. They had avoided the struggles that plagued other rising young clubs such as the Montreal Canadiens, Utah Mammoth, and Chicago Blackhawks through the opening two months of this season. However, it appears they were not as immune to growing pains after all.

A shootout goal by Matty Beniers lifted the Seattle Kraken over the Vancouver Canucks 4-3. Jake DeBrusk had a goal and two assists for the Canucks, who are 16-20-4. The Kraken improved to 18-4-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Canucks placed center Marco Rossi (lower body) on injured reserve, and signed forward Linus Karlsson to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $2.25 million.

HEADLINES

The United States, Sweden, and Finland officially unveiled their men’s rosters for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina in February.

TEAM USA

Forwards

Matt Boldy (Minnesota Wild)
Kyle Connor (Winnipeg Jets)
Jack Eichel (Vegas Golden Knights)
Jake Guentzel (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Jack Hughes (New Jersey Devils)
Clayton Keller (Utah Mammoth)
Dylan Larkin (Detroit Red Wings)
Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs)
J.T. Miller (New York Rangers)
Brock Nelson (Colorado Avalanche)
Tage Thompson (Buffalo Sabres)
Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa Senators)
Matthew Tkachuk (Florida Panthers)
Vincent Trocheck (New York Rangers)

Defensemen

Brock Faber (Minnesota Wild)
Noah Hanifin (Vegas Golden Knights)
Quinn Hughes (Minnesota Wild)
Seth Jones (Florida Panthers)
Charlie McAvoy (Boston Bruins)
Jake Sanderson (Ottawa Senators)
Jaccob Slavin (Carolina Hurricanes)
Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Goaltenders

Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets)
Jake Oettinger (Dallas Stars)
Jeremy Swayman (Boston Bruins)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Four notable players who weren’t chosen were Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson, Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield, New York Rangers defenseman Alex Fox, and Toronto Maple Leafs winger Matthew Knies.

By the way, I’ve noticed that the players who weren’t selected are considered “snubbed”. The dictionary defines a snub as an act of showing disdain or a lack of cordiality by rebuffing or ignoring someone or something.

That’s not what happened here. There were only so many roster spots, and the management and coaching staffs made difficult choices after careful consideration. It’s fine to disagree with their decisions or try to make the case why the players who didn’t make the cut should be there, but they weren’t snubbed.

TEAM SWEDEN

Forwards

Jesper Bratt (New Jersey Devils)

Leo Carlsson (Anaheim Ducks)

Joel Eriksson Ek (Minnesota Wild)

Filip Forsberg (Nashville Predators)

Pontus Holmberg (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Adrian Kempe (Los Angeles Kings)

Gabriel Landeskog (Colorado Avalanche)

Elias Lindholm (Boston Bruins)

William Nylander (Toronto Maple Leafs)

Elias Pettersson (Vancouver Canucks)

Rickard Rakell (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Lucas Raymond (Detroit Red Wings)

Alexander Wennberg (San Jose Sharks)

Mika Zibanejad (New York Rangers)

Defensemen

Rasmus Andersson (Calgary Flames)

Philip Broberg (St. Louis Blues)

Jonas Brodin (Minnesota Wild)

Rasmus Dahlin (Buffalo Sabres)

Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Toronto Maple Leafs)

Gustav Forsling (Florida Panthers)

Victor Hedman (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Erik Karlsson (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Goaltenders

Filip Gustavsson (Minnesota Wild)

Jacob Markström (New Jersey Devils)

Jesper Wallstedt (Minnesota Wild)

TEAM FINLAND

Forwards

Joel Armia (Los Angeles Kings)
Sebastian Aho (Carolina Hurricanes)
Mikael Granlund (Anaheim Ducks)
Erik Haula (Nashville Predators)
Roope Hintz (Dallas Stars)
Kaapo Kakko (Seattle Kraken)
Oliver Kapanen (Montreal Canadiens)
Joel Kiviranta (Colorado Avalanche)
Artturi Lehkonen (Colorado Avalanche)
Anton Lundell (Florida Panthers)
Eetu Luostarinen (Florida Panthers)
Mikko Rantanen (Dallas Stars)
Teuvo Teravainen (Chicago Blackhawks)
Eeli Tolvanen (Seattle Kraken)

Defensemen

Miro Heiskanen (Dallas Stars)
Henri Jokiharju (Boston Bruins)
Mikko Lehtonen (ZSC Lions, Switzerland)
Esa Lindell (Dallas Stars)
Olli Maatta (Utah Mammoth)
Nikolas Matinpalo (Ottawa Senators)
Niko Mikkola (Florida Panthers)
Rasmus Ristolainen (Philadelphia Flyers)

Goaltenders

Kevin Lankinen (Vancouver Canucks)
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Buffalo Sabres)
Juuse Saros (Nashville Predators)

SPORTSNET: New York Islanders center Bo Horvat is out for at least a week with a lower-body injury.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche placed goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood on injured reserve.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Columbus Blue Jackets activated defenseman Zach Werenski from injured reserve.

CBS SPORTS: San Jose Sharks blueliner John Klingberg is doubtful for Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 2, 2026

by | Jan 2, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 2, 2026

Recapping the New Year’s Day games, injury updates, and the three stars and Rookie of the Month for December are revealed in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Auston Matthews tallied his 14th career NHL regular-season hat trick to rally the Toronto Maple Leafs from a 4-1 deficit to a 6-5 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Matthews’ third goal snapped a 5-5 tie in the third period, and he also collected an assist for the 19-15-6 Maple Leafs, who’ve won four of their last five games. Mark Scheifele scored two goals and picked up an assist for the Jets (15-20-4) as their winless skid reached eight games (0-5-3).

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 419 NHL career regular-season goals, Matthews needs one more to tie Mats Sundin for the franchise goals record. The Maple Leafs replaced goaltender Joseph Woll with Dennis Hildeby after Woll gave up 4 goals on 17 shots. Since Nov. 11, the Jets have won only six times in their last 24 games.

Utah Mammoth winger Dylan Guenther collected his first NHL hat trick and picked up an assist as his club thumped the New York Islanders 7-2. Nick Schmaltz, Clayton Keller, and Mikhail Sergachev each had three-point performances as the Mammoth improved to 19-19-3. Calum Ritchie and Matthew Schaefer replied for the 22-15-4 Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders center Bo Horvat left this game in the third period with a lower-body injury. He will see a doctor on Friday. Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka stopped 20 shots for the win as he returned to action after missing the last two games with an upper-body injury.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang celebrated his 1,200th career NHL regular-season game by scoring in overtime in a 4-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Sidney Crosby scored twice and collected an assist for the 18-12-9 Penguins, who have won three straight games. James van Riemsdyk, Andrew Copp, and Alex DeBrincat scored for the Red Wings (24-14-4), who hold first place in the Eastern Conference with 52 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson had two assists to reach 900 career NHL regular-season points. The last time the Red Wings were in first place in the Eastern Conference at this stage or later in the season was Feb. 7, 2015.

The Montreal Canadiens picked up their first win in Carolina since 2016 by defeating the Hurricanes 7-5. Juraj Slafkovsky, Lane Hutson, and Sammy Blais each had a goal and an assist, and Cole Caufield sniped his 20th goal of the season for the Canadiens (22-12-6) as they extended their points streak to seven games (5-0-2). Sebastian Aho had two goals and three assists for the 24-13-3 Hurricanes, who slipped out of first place in the Eastern Conference but hold first place in the Metropolitan Division with 51 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Montreal defenseman Mike Matheson missed this game with an upper-body injury, while winger Josh Anderson left in the second period with an undisclosed injury. Canadiens rookie Ivan Demidov collected two assists to become the first rookie to reach 35 points this season.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Anthony Cirelli, Gage Goncalves, and Nikita Kucherov lifted the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 5-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Kucherov finished with three points, and Brandon Hagel scored twice for the 24-13-3 Lightning, who extended their win streak to six games. Corey Perry picked up three assists for the Kings (16-14-9), who have only two wins in their last 10 contests.

The Ottawa Senators overcame a 2-0 deficit to nip the Washington Capitals 4-3. Fabian Zetterlund snapped a 3-3 tie late in the third period while Tim Stutzle collected an assist to extend his points streak to 11 games for the 19-15-1 Senators, ending their three-game winless skid. Tom Wilson had a goal and an assist for the Capitals (21-15-5), who have only two wins in their last seven games (2-4-1).

Chicago Blackhawks forward Ilya Mikheyev tallied twice in a 4-3 win over the Dallas Stars. Spencer Knight stopped 22 shots while Ryan Donato and Andre Burakovsky each had two assists for the 15-18-7 Blackhawks. Mikko Rantanen, Jason Robertson, and Matt Duchene each had a goal and an assist for the slumping Stars (25-9-7), who are winless in their last four games (0-2-2).

Seattle Kraken center Matty Beniers scored two goals in a 4-1 victory against the Nashville Predators. Philipp Grubauer made 24 saves for the Kraken (17-14-7), who are 5-0-1 in their last six contests. Roman Josi replied for the 18-18-4 Predators.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, and San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini are the league’s three stars for December 2025. Montreal Canadiens winger Ivan Demidov was the Rookie of the Month.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks forwards Conor Garland and Marco Rossi have been sidelined for at least a week due to injuries.

DAILY FACEOFF: Edmonton Oilers goaltender Tristan Jarry is out until at least mid-January with a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, Columbus Blue Jackets forward Miles Wood is week-to-week with a lower-body injury and was placed on injured reserve.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche forward Joel Kiviranta and Gavin Brindley are day-to-day with injuries.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 1, 2026

by | Jan 1, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 1, 2026

The Predators’ Steven Stamkos and the Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon reach scoring milestones, the Sabres tie their franchise wins record, Canada’s Men’s Olympic hockey roster is announced, and more in the first NHL Morning Coffee Headlines of the New Year.

RECAPPING WEDNESDAY’S NHL GAMES

NHL.COM: Steven Stamkos tallied his 600th career NHL regular-season goal as the Nashville Predators overcame a 2-0 deficit to double up the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2. Luke Evangelista collected two assists for the 18-17-4 Predators, who’ve won five of their last six games. Mark Stone and Ben Hutton scored for the Golden Knights (17-10-11), who have one win in their last seven contests (1-4-2).

Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stamkos is the 22nd player in NHL history to reach the 600-goal plateau. He can overtake Jarri Kurri (601), Dino Ciccarelli (608), and Bobby Hull (610) to move into 19th place before the end of this season. Stamkos also has a chance to surpass Jarome Iginla and Joe Sakic (625 each), but at his current rate of production, he might have to wait until next season to do so.

Nathan MacKinnon scored twice, including his 400th career NHL regular-season goal, and Valeri Nichushkin netted a hat trick in a 6-1 drubbing of the St. Louis Blues. MacKinnon also collected two assists as the league-leading Avalanche (67 points) won their ninth straight game, becoming the first time this season to reach 30 wins. Dalibor Dvorsky replied for the 15-18-8 Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon is tied with Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid for the points lead (70), but he’s running away with the goal-scoring lead with 34, sitting nine ahead of Minnesota Wild winger Matt Boldy and Boston Bruins winger Morgan Geekie.

The Buffalo Sabres tied a franchise record with their 10th straight win by upsetting the Dallas Stars 4-1. Tage Thompson scored twice and picked up an assist for the 21-14-4 Sabres. Mavrik Bourque netted the only goal for the Stars (25-8-7), who are winless in their last three games (0-1-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With the win, the Sabres finished 2025 holding the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference with 46 points. When they began the month, they were only one point out of last place in the Conference. Before this game, the Sabres announced that goalie Alex Lyon had returned to Buffalo for further evaluation for a lower-body injury and activated goalie Colten Ellis from injured reserve.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak had two goals and an assist as his club ended a six-game losing skid with a 6-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Elias and Hampus Lindholm each had a goal and an assist while Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves for the 21-18-2 Bruins. Zach Hyman and Jack Roslovic scored for the Oilers (20-15-6).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers captain Connor McDavid picked up an assist to extend his points streak to 14 games.

An overtime goal by Darren Raddysh lifted the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Anaheim Ducks by a score of 4-3. Raddysh and Nikita Kucherov each had a goal and an assist, while Brandon Hagel collected three assists for the 23-13-3 Lightning, who have won five straight games. Jansen Harkins, Beckett Sennecke, and Mason McTavish tallied for the Ducks (21-16-3), who are winless in their last four games (0-3-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the 1,000th career NHL regular-season game for Lightning head coach Jon Cooper, making him the 32nd bench boss in league history to achieve that milestone. Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak returned to action after missing 17 games with an injured hand.

Before this game, the Ducks announced that forward Frank Vatrano suffered a shoulder fracture during their Dec. 27 game against the Los Angeles Kings and is out for six weeks.

Washington Capitals winger Tom Wilson scored twice and picked up an assist in a 6-3 win over the New York Rangers. Justin Sourdif also had two goals for the Capitals, who improved to 20-14-5. Adam Fox had a goal and an assist in his first game since Nov. 29 as his Rangers (19-18-5) have one win in their last five games (1-3-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers forwards Conor Sheary and Noah Laba left this game with injuries.

The Detroit Red Wings held off the Winnipeg Jets 2-1. Dylan Larkin and Mason Appleton scored for the 24-14-3 Red Wings, who hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 51 points. Logan Stanley replied for the 15-19-4 Jets, who remain without a win in their last seven games (0-4-3).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the first time that former Chicago Blackhawks teammates Patrick Kane (now with the Red Wings) and Jonathan Toews (Jets) faced each other in an NHL game. The duo was the nucleus of the Blackhawks’ three Stanley Cups from 2010 to 2015.

Toews stepped away from the game at the end of the 2022-23 campaign for health reasons before staging a comeback this season. Kane was shipped to the New York Rangers before the 2023 trade deadline.

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini had a goal and an assist, and also netted the winning goal in a shootout to give his club a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild. Igor Chernyshov also had a goal and an assist for the Sharks (20-17-3) as they picked up their third straight victory. Vladimir Tarasenko, Marcus Foligno, and Mats Zuccarello replied for the 24-10-7 Wild.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Celebrini has points in nine straight games.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Nico Hischier, Arseny Gritsyuk, and Luke Hughes lifted the New Jersey Devils over the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2. Hughes finished with two points for the 21-17-2 Devils, ending a four-game winless skid. Mason Marchment and Charlie Coyle tallied for the Blue Jackets (17-16-6).

Calgary Flames captain Mikael Backlund scored to extend his point streak to six games in a 5-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Dustin Wolf stopped 26 shots, and Connor Zary had a goal and an assist for the Flames, who picked up their third straight win and improved to 18-18-4. Travis Konecny replied for the 20-12-7 Flyers.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Team Canada officially named its roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina.

Forwards:

Macklin Celebrini (San Jose Sharks)
Anthony Cirelli (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Brandon Hagel (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Bo Horvat (New York Islanders)
Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche)
Brad Marchand (Florida Panthers)
Mitch Marner (Vegas Golden Knights)
Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers)
Brayden Point (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Sam Reinhart (Florida Panthers)
Mark Stone (Vegas Golden Knights)
Nick Suzuki (Montreal Canadiens)
Tom Wilson (Washington Capitals)

Defensemen:

Drew Doughty (Los Angeles Kings)
Thomas Harley (Dallas Stars)
Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche)
Josh Morrissey (Winnipeg Jets)
Colton Parayko (St. Louis Blues)
Travis Sanheim (Philadelphia Flyers)
Shea Theodore (Vegas Golden Knights)
Devon Toews (Colorado Avalanche)

Goaltenders:

Jordan Binnington (St. Louis Blues)
Darcy Kuemper (Los Angeles Kings)
Logan Thompson (Washington Capitals)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This roster mostly consists of players who skated for Canada in February’s 4 Nations Face-Off.

The biggest change is in net, as Kuemper and Thompson replaced the sidelined Adin Hill and the struggling Sam Montembeault. Nevertheless, the goaltending remains a question mark for Canada, especially given Binnington’s difficulties in goal this season.

Notable players passed over by Canada’s selection committee include Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard, New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer, Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston, Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele, Boston Bruins winger Morgan Geekie, and Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett.

The exclusion of Bennett was the biggest surprise. He played well for Canada in the 4 Nations tournament and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in June as the Panthers won their second straight Stanley Cup.

ESPN.COM: Emily Kaplan reports Utah Mammoth winger Clayton Keller, Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson, and Florida Panthers defenseman Seth Jones will be named to Team USA’s Men’s Olympic roster. New York Rangers blueliner Adam Fox did not make the cut.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Team USA’s roster will be officially announced on Jan. 2. Fox’s absence is a surprise, as he was part of their 4 Nations’ roster last February. Kaplan indicated that Rangers personnel involved with Team USA, including Rangers general manager Chris Drury, pushed hard for Fox but understood the decision due to Team USA’s depth at the blueline.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev is expected to miss significant time with a groin injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s been a difficult season for the 36-year-old Tanev. Injuries have already limited him to 11 games this season.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW/PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins traded winger Philip Tomasino to the Flyers in exchange for defenseman Yegor Zamula.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is a swap of players who weren’t working out with their now-former clubs.

NHL.COM: Former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Lowell MacDonald died on Dec. 28 at the age of 84. He spent seven of his 13-season NHL career with the Penguins, and also skated for the Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings. He had 180 goals and 210 assists for 390 points in 506 regular-season games between 1961-62 and 1977-78, and 22 points in 31 playoff contests.

Injuries hampered MacDonald during his playing career. His best seasons were with the Penguins. He was named to the All-Star Game twice and was the first Penguins player to win an NHL award, taking home the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 1972-73.

Following his playing career, MacDonald spent two decades at the University School of Milwaukee as a teacher, Athletic Director, and coach. A native of Thorburn, Nova Scotia, he was inducted into the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame in 1982.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Growing up in Nova Scotia during the 1970s, there weren’t many “Bluenoser” NHL players for me to cheer for back then. I didn’t get to see MacDonald play often unless the Penguins were playing the Montreal Canadiens or Toronto Maple Leafs on Hockey Night in Canada. Nevertheless, I followed his career closely in The Hockey News and other sports publications.

MacDonald was a trailblazer for Nova Scotia-born hockey players—my condolences to his family, friends, and former teammates.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 31, 2025

by | Dec 31, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 31, 2025

Recapping Tuesday’s games, Sharks sophomore Macklin Celebrini could make Canada’s Men’s Olympic hockey team, Flames re-sign Devin Cooley, and more in the final NHL Morning Coffee Headlines for 2025.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S ACTION

NHL.COM: The injury-depleted Toronto Maple Leafs got a 33-save shutout from Joseph Woll to blank the New Jersey Devils 4-0. Bobby McMann and Nicolas Roy each had a goal and an assist for the Maple Leafs, who extended their points streak to four games (3-0-1) and improved their record to 18-15-6. Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom allowed three goals on 29 shots for the slumping Devils (20-17-2), who are winless in their last four contests (0-3-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Maple Leafs played without Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Chris Tanev, and Dakota Joshua, who are currently sidelined by injuries. Following the game, Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe called out his players’ “lack of balls” after team captain Nico Hischier lost a lopsided scrap to Leafs power forward Matthew Knies in the third period.

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki (NHL Images).

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki scored the tying and winning goals to lead his club to a 3-2 overtime victory over the Florida Panthers. Cole Caufield also scored for the Canadiens (21-12-6), who overcame a 2-0 deficit to extend their points streak to six games (4-0-2). Brad Marchand and Sam Reinhart tallied for the 21-15-3 Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers honored Marchand for his 1,000th career NHL regular-season game in a pregame ceremony. He also took a roughing penalty in overtime that led to Suzuki’s game-winning goal.

A shootout goal by Bo Horvat lifted the New York Islanders over the Chicago Blackhawks by a score of 3-2. Horvat also scored in regulation, and rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer collected an assist for the 22-14-4 Islanders. Oliver Moore collected two assists for the Blackhawks, who slipped to 14-18-7.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Shaefer’s assist made him the youngest defenseman in NHL history to reach 25 career regular-season points.

Goalie Stuart Skinner made 27 saves for his first win with the Pittsburgh Penguins as his club downed the Carolina Hurricanes 5-1. Anthony Mantha tallied two goals while Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust, and Justin Brazeau each had two points for the Penguins (17-12-9). Mark Jankowski netted the only goal for the Hurricanes (24-12-3), who remain in first place in the Eastern Conference with 51 points.

The Philadelphia Flyers got two-point performances from Noah Cates, Bobby Brink, Trevor Zegras, and Travis Konecny in a 6-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. David Kampf and Drew O’Connor each had a goal and an assist for the Canucks, who dropped to 16-20-3. The Flyers (20-11-7) have won three of their last four games.

HEADLINES

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: According to a report by ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, Sharks sophomore center Macklin Celebrini had made Canada’s Men’s Olympic hockey team. The formal announcement of Canada’s roster will be made on Dec. 31.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It will be a well-deserved honor for Celebrini. The 19-year-old Sharks center is having an outstanding season, sitting third among NHL scorers with 60 points in 39 games. He’s on pace to eclipse Joe Thornton’s single-season franchise record of 114 points in 2006-07.

TSN: Darren Dreger reports that sidelined Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson will not be available for Sweden’s Men’s Olympic hockey team. He has been absent since Nov. 8 with a lower-body injury.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames signed goaltender Devin Cooley to a two-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $1.35 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cooley’s been a solid backup for Dustin Wolf in the Flames’ crease this season. He has a record of 4-4-2 with a 2.40 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers could get Adam Fox back in the lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Washington Capitals. The 27-year-old defenseman has been sidelined since Nov. 29 with a shoulder injury.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Golden Knights center Jack Eichel could return to action against the Nashville Predators on Dec. 31. He’s missed six games with an illness and a lower-body injury.

SPORTSNET: The Los Angeles Kings activated goaltender Darcy Kuemper from injured reserve.

BUFFALO HOCKEY BEAT: Sabres goalie Alex Lyon is being evaluated for a lower-body injury suffered on Monday against the St. Louis Blues.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 30, 2025

by | Dec 30, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 30, 2025

A milestone win for Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, Predators forward Steven Stamkos poised to reach 600 goals, Islanders forward Mathew Barzal fined, the Blue Jackets trade Yegor Chinakhov to the Penguins, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING MONDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 22 saves for his 446th career NHL regular-season win as he backstopped his club over the Washington Capitals by a score of 5-3. Sam Reinhart scored two goals (including his 20th of the season), and Brad Marchand had a goal and an assist to extend his points streak to eight games for the 21-15-2 Panthers. Tom Wilson tallied twice for the Capitals (20-14-5), who have three wins in their last 11 contests.

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bobrovsky moved ahead of Terry Sawchuk into eighth place on the all-time goaltender wins list. He needs nine more victories to surpass Curtis Joseph, who is seventh with 454 wins, and 14 more to vault over Henrik Lundqvist (459) into sixth place.

Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos scored two goals and picked up an assist in a 4-3 win over the Utah Mammoth. Luke Evangelista had a goal and an assist for the Predators, who’ve won four of their last five games and improved to 17-17-4. Dylan Guenther had a goal and an assist for the 18-19-3 Mammoth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: After a slow start to this season, Stamkos has 17 goals and 25 points in 38 games. He’s also one goal away from becoming the 22nd player in league history to reach 600 career regular-season goals, and only the third active player to do so.

Before this game, the Mammoth placed starting goaltender Karel Vejmelka (upper body) on injured reserve.

The Buffalo Sabres picked up their ninth straight victory by doubling up the St. Louis Blues 4-2. Zach Benson scored the winning goal for the Sabres, who improved to 20-14-4 on the season. Brayden Schenn and Jimmy Snuggerud replied for the Blues, who dropped to 15-17-8.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres are one win away from tying the franchise record of 10 straight victories. Team captain Rasmus Dahlin returned to the lineup after spending time with his fiancée in Europe as she continues her recovery from a heart transplant earlier this year.

Before the game, the Blues announced forward Pius Suter will miss approximately four weeks with an ankle injury.

An overtime goal by Jackson Blake lifted the Carolina Hurricanes to a 3-2 win over the New York Rangers. Sebastian Aho had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes (24-11-3) as they hold first place in the Eastern Conference with 51 points. Igor Shesterkin made 31 saves for the 19-17-5 Rangers, who are 1-2-1 in their last four contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Hurricanes announced goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov underwent surgery for a nagging lower-body injury that could sideline him for the remainder of the season. They also claimed center Noah Philp off waivers from the Edmonton Oilers.

The Columbus Blue Jackets got a 27-save performance from goalie Jet Greaves to defeat the Ottawa Senators 4-1. Kirill Marchenko scored to collect his 30th point of the season while Charlie Coyle and Cole Sillinger each picked up two assists for the 17-15-6 Blue Jackets, who have won three straight games. Jake Sanderson replied for the Senators (18-15-3), who are 0-2-1 in their last three contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The start of this game was pushed back to 7:30 PM ET as mechanical issues with the Blue Jackets’ jet delayed their arrival into Ottawa. They played without forward Isac Lundestrom, who is week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Before the game began, the Blue Jackets traded forward Yegor Chinakhov to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Details and analysis below in the Headlines section.

Senators center Shane Pinto and defenseman Tyler Kleven returned to action after being sidelined by injuries.

Edmonton Oilers netminder Calvin Pickard kicked out 41 shots in a 3-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Connor McDavid collected an assist to extend his points streak to 13 games as the Oilers (20-14-6) took over first place in the Pacific Division with 46 points. Adam Lowry scored for the struggling Jets (15-18-4), who are winless in their last six games (0-3-3).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers winger Andrew Mangiapane was a healthy scratch as trade rumors are swirling. I’ll have more about his situation in today’s Rumor Mill.

Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Johansson had a goal and three assists to lead his club over the Vegas Golden Knights 5-2. Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Jared Spurgeon each had a goal and an assist for the 24-10-6 Wild. Vegas goalie Carter Hart gave up five goals on 12 shots before being replaced by Akira Schmid. The Golden Knights (17-9-11) have one win in their last six games (1-3-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights forward Tomas Hertl was ejected in the first period for boarding Wild winger Ryan Hartman.

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini extended his points streak to eight games with a goal and two assists as his club held off the Anaheim Ducks 5-4. Yaroslav Askarov made 38 saves for the 19-17-3 Sharks. Troy Terry tallied twice and collected an assist for the Ducks (21-16-2), who have lost three straight and have two wins in their last nine contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks forward Frank Vatrano (upper-body injury) and defenseman Radko Gudas (illness) missed this game, while forward Ryan Strome was a healthy scratch for the third straight game.

Colorado Avalanche forwards Nathan MacKinnon and Brock Nelson each had a goal and an assist in a 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings, extending their winning streak to eight games. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 23 shots for the 29-2-7 Avalanche, who lead the league with 65 points. Corey Perry and Joel Armia replied for the Kings (16-13-9).

An overtime power-play goal by Connor Zary lifted the Calgary Flames over the Boston Bruins 2-1. Dustin Wolf stopped 24 shots, and Blake Coleman also scored for the 17-18-4 Flames. Andrew Peeke scored for the Bruins (20-18-2), who are winless in their last six (0-4-2).

The Vancouver Canucks got 37 saves from Kevin Lankinen in a 3-2 shootout win over the Seattle Kraken. Liam Ohgren tallied the winning goal while Linus Karlsson and Elias Pettersson scored in regulation for the 16-19-3 Canucks. Jaren McCann and Ryan Winterton replied for the 16-14-7 Kraken as their four-game win streak ended.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Tampa Bay Lightning right winger Nikita Kucherov, Seattle Kraken right wing Eeli Tolvanen, and Montreal Canadiens right winger Juraj Slafkovsky were the league’s three stars for the week ending Dec. 28.

NEW YORK POST: Islanders forward Mathew Barzal was fined $5,000.00 by the league’s department of player safety for slashing Columbus Blue Jackets winger Mason Marchment on Sunday.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW/THE ATHLETIC: The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired forward Yegor Chinakhov from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for forward Danton Heinen, a 2026 second-round draft pick, and a 2027 third-rounder.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A 2020 first-round pick by the Blue Jackets, Chinakhov was projected to become a top-six forward. However, he struggled with injury and inconsistency over the past two seasons. During the summer, his agent requested a trade for his client, citing “misunderstandings” with head coach Dean Evason. He bounced around the Jackets’ forward lines this season.

It will be interesting to see if Chinakhov can get his NHL career back on track in Pittsburgh. Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas acknowledged Chinakhov’s issues, but indicated that his club conducted its due diligence before making this move. He stated that they liked the winger’s size, speed, and two-way skills.

SPORTSNET: Speaking of the Penguins, they placed defenseman Ryan Graves on waivers.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: The Canadiens have tapped Sam Montembeault as their starting goalie for Tuesday’s game against the Florida Panthers. Montembeault was recently recalled from a conditioning stint with their AHL affiliate in Laval.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 29, 2025

by | Dec 29, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 29, 2025

Recapping Sunday’s action, plus the latest on Senators goalie Linus Ullmark, Blues winger Jordan Kyrou, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF SUNDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins forward Justin Brazeau tallied his first career NHL hat trick in a 7-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Bryan Rust scored two goals, and Ryan Shea collected three assists for the Penguins, who improved to 16-12-9. Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno scored in his first game since being sidelined for 19 games with an injured hand, but his club (14-18-6) has dropped seven of its last eight contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks were struggling before centers Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar were sidelined by injuries, but their absence accelerated their slide in the standings. Speaking of Nazar, he was placed on injured reserve with a facial injury and is expected to be out for another three weeks.

An overtime goal by Simon Edvinsson lifted the Detroit Red Wings to a 3-2 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Moritz Seider and Mason Appleton also scored, and Cam Talbot stopped 25 shots for the Red Wings (23-14-3), who sit in first place in the Atlantic Division with 49 points. Matthew Knies and Nick Robertson replied for the Leafs (17-15-6), who got a 33-save performance from Dennis Hildeby.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Edvinsson earned praise from his teammates when he “rose from the dead” after being injured by a John Tavares shot while killing a penalty in the second period. He and Seider are among the best defense pairings in the league this season.

The Maple Leafs played without winger William Nylander, who is day-to-day with a lower-body injury and questionable for Tuesday’s game against the New Jersey Devils.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov tallied twice in regulation, and Gage Goncalves scored the shootout winner to nip the Montreal Canadiens 5-4. It was the Lightning’s fourth straight win, improving their record to 22-13-3. The Canadiens (20-12-6) overcame a 4-1 deficit in the third period as Juraj Slafkovsky scored twice.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tampa Bay forward Brandon Hagel returned to action after missing four games with an upper-body injury. Earlier in the day, the Lightning made a minor trade, shipping forward Boris Katchouk to the Minnesota Wild for forward Michael Milne.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Ivan Provorov, Kirill Marchenko, and Cole Sillinger gave the Columbus Blue Jackets a 4-2 win over the New York Islanders. Marchenko finished the game with two goals while Sean Monahan and Denton Mateychuk each had two assists for the 16-15-6 Blue Jackets. Max Shabonov and Bo Horvat scored for the Islanders (21-14-4).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Things got ugly early in the second period when Blue Jackets winger Mason Marchment clipped Islanders rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer by sticking out his right leg, prompting Isles forward Mathew Barzal to slash Marchment’s right foot with his stick. That earned Barzal a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct, and he could face supplemental discipline by the league’s department of player safety. Marchment received two minutes for tripping Schaefer, who was uninjured on the play.

Before this game, the Blue Jackets placed defenseman Zach Werenski (lower body) on injured reserve and activated forward Mathieu Olivier off the IR list.

The Seattle Kraken defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1. Eeli Tolvanen scored two goals and picked up an assist while Philipp Grubauer made 31 saves for the 16-14-6 Kraken, who extended their win streak to four games. Carl Grundstrom replied for the Flyers (19-11-7).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kraken activated winger Jared McCann off injured reserve for this game. Defenseman Vince Dunn also returned to action after missing their previous game with an upper-body injury. Both were held scoreless in this contest.

IN OTHER NEWS…

OTTAWA SUN: Senators starting goaltender Linus Ullmark is taking a leave of absence for personal reasons. There is no timetable for his return.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sun’s Bruce Garrioch observed that this season has been a difficult one for Ullmark, with a 2.95 goals-against average and a save percentage of .881. He noted that Ullmark was pulled from Saturday’s 7-5 loss to the Maple Leafs after giving up four goals on 14 shots.

STLTODAY.COM: Blues winger Jordan Kyrou has been activated off IR after missing nine games with a lower-body injury. They also activated winger Jimmy Snuggerud, who underwent wrist surgery earlier in the month.

SPORTSNET: The NHL’s department of player safety fined Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell $5,000.00 for high-sticking Lightning winger Jake Guentzel, and fined Lightning forward Scott Sabourin $2,081.23 for slashing Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola. Both incidents occurred during Saturday’s game between the two clubs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s been a tough weekend for Sabourin. In addition to his fine, he was knocked to the ice by a punch from Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj during a fight between the two on Sunday. Sabourin left that game and didn’t return.

TSN: Penguins forward Danton Heinen and Edmonton Oilers forward Noah Philp are among six players placed on waivers on Sunday.

PUCKPEDIA: Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Yegor Zamula has changed agents. He’s in the final season of a two-year contract with a cap hit of $1.7 million, but he could be willing to terminate that deal to sign with another NHL club for less money.

RDS: Former NHL forward Guy Chouinard passed away on Sunday at age 69.

Chouinard spent 10 seasons in the NHL from 1974-75 to 1983-84, beginning with the Atlanta Flames and following them to Calgary in 1980. He spent nine of his 10 seasons with the Flames organization, with his best season being his 50-goal, 107-point performance in the 1978-79 season. In 578 regular-season games, Chouinard had 205 goals and 370 assists for 575 points, along with 37 points in 46 playoff contests.

Following his playing days, Chouinard became a coach in the QMJHL, finishing third all-time in wins among that league’s coaches with 569. He was inducted into the QMJHL Hall of Fame in 2005.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Chouinard’s family, friends, teammates, and his former QMJHL players.