NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 27, 2026

by | Feb 27, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 27, 2026

Oilers captain Connor McDavid reaches another scoring milestone, Islanders rookie Matthew Schaefer sets a league record, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

NHL.COM: Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist to reach the 100-point plateau for the ninth time as his Edmonton Oilers ended a four-game losing skid by crushing the Los Angeles Kings 8-1. Leon Draisaitl had a goal and three assists, Zach Hyman had a goal and two assists, and Jake Walman tallied twice for the 29-23-8 Oilers. Warren Foegele replied for the Kings (23-21-14), who are winless in their last five games (0-4-1).

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid moved past Marcel Dionne into third place for the most 100-point seasons. Wayne Gretzky is the leader with 15, followed by Mario Lemieux with 10. He currently sits atop this season’s scoring race with 100 points, five points ahead of Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov and Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon.

Kings defenseman Drew Doughty suffered a lower-body injury, and winger Joel Armia suffered an upper-body injury in this game. Meanwhile, the Oilers were without forward Mattias Janmark, who is sidelined long-term with a chronic injury that requires rest.

New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer scored twice to set an NHL record for most goals by a rookie defenseman (18) as his club nipped the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 on an overtime goal by Jean-Gabriel Pageau. Noah Dobson scored twice, and Cole Caufield netted his 33rd goal of the season as the Canadiens (32-17-9) took 2-0 and 3-2 leads, but the Islanders (33-21-5) battled back with Anders Lee scoring late in the third period to force overtime.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens continue to struggle holding leads. It’s something they must improve as they try to clinch a playoff berth.

The Minnesota Wild collected their sixth straight win by defeating the Colorado Avalanche 5-2. Matt Boldy had two goals and two assists, Joel Eriksson Ek scored twice, and goaltender Filip Gustavsson kicked out 44 shots for the 35-14-10 Wild. Martin Necas tallied both goals for the Avalanche (38-10-9), who sit first overall with 85 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a gutty effort by Gustavsson, who is battling an illness. He left this game with a minute left in the third period after throwing up in his crease.

A power-play goal by Sebastian Aho gave the Carolina Hurricanes a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Logan Stankoven, Taylor Hall, and Seth Jarvis each had a goal and an assist for the Metropolitan Division-leading Hurricanes (37-15-6), who extended their points streak to 11 games. Jake Guentzel had three assists and Brayden Point collected a goal and an assist for the Eastern Conference-leading Lightning (38-15-4) as their six-game win streak ended.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin scored the tying goal and the overtime winner to lift his team over the Ottawa Senators by a score of 2-1. Lucas Raymond picked up two assists, and John Gibson stopped 26 shots for the Red Wings (34-19-6). Brady Tkachuk scored, and Tim Stutzle had an assist to extend his points streak to eight games for the 28-22-8 Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the NHL announced it had cleared Ottawa forward Arthur Kaliyev of gambling allegations. He was called up from the Senators’ AHL affiliate for precautionary reasons, as Tim Stutzle was a game-time decision to play against the Red Wings.

Boston Bruins goaltender Joonas Korpisalo made 37 saves to backstop his club to a 4-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, snapping the latter’s seven-game win streak. Viktor Arvidsson scored two goals for the Bruins (33-20-5) as they extended their points streak to eight games. Adam Fantilli and Mason Marchment each had two points for the 29-21-7 Blue Jackets.

First-period goals by Brad Marchand, Carter Verhaeghe, and Evan Rodrigues powered the Florida Panthers to a 5-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Marchand finished with two goals for the 30-25-3 Panthers. John Tavares replied for the 27-23-9 Maple Leafs, who sit last in the Atlantic Division with 63 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier this week, it was reported that Maple Leafs management would take three or four games to decide on their plans for the March 6 trade deadline. After watching their last two games, it’s obvious they should be sellers by next Friday.

The Pittsburgh Penguins got three unanswered third-period goals by Connor Clifton, Egor Chinakhov, and Blake Lizotte to down the New Jersey Devils 4-1. Evgeni Malkin collected two assists, and Arturs Silovs made 28 saves for the 30-15-12 Penguins. Paul Cotter scored for the Devils, who have lost five straight games and dropped to 28-29-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of potential sellers, the Devils could be joining that club as they continue to flounder in the standings.

Philadelphia Flyers winger Matvei Michkov scored twice, including the winner in overtime, to lift his club to a 3-2 win over the New York Rangers. Alexis Lafreniere and Sam Carrick replied for the Rangers. The Flyers improved to 26-21-11, while the Rangers (22-29-7) sit last in the Eastern Conference with 51 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers welcomed back goaltender Igor Shesterkin and defenseman Adam Fox. Both players had been sidelined since Jan. 5.

St. Louis Blues winger Dylan Holloway had a hat trick and picked up an assist to beat the Seattle Kraken 5-1. Pius Suter had a goal and two assists for the 21-28-9 Blues, who sit last in the Central Division with 51 points. Kaapo Kakko replied for the 27-22-9 Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, Blues forward Mathieu Joseph and Kraken forward Tye Kartye were placed on waivers.

Third-period goals by Matthew Wood, Ryan O’Reilly, and Steven Stamkos gave the Nashville Predators (27-24-7) a 4-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Connor Bedard and Tyler Bertuzzi scored for the 22-27-9 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators have 61 points, putting them two points behind the Kraken for the final Western wild-card spot.

The Calgary Flames defeated the San Jose Sharks 4-1. Dustin Wolf turned aside 34 shots, and Nazem Kadri tallied twice for the 24-27-6 Flames. Tyler Toffoli scored for the Sharks (27-25-4), who are 0-4-1 in their last five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks remain five points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 58 points.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 26, 2026

by | Feb 26, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 26, 2026

Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov reaches an assists milestone, Artemi Panarin collects his first points with the Kings, Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville gets his 1,000th win, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S ACTION

NHL.COM: Nikita Kucherov had a goal and two assists, including his 700th career regular-season assist, as the Tampa Bay Lightning doubled up the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2. Gage Goncalves also had a goal and two assists, and Brayden Point scored twice and picked up an assist for the Lightning (38-14-4), who have won six straight games and hold first place in the Eastern Conference with 80 points. John Tavares and Matthew Knies replied for the 27-22-9 Maple Leafs, who remain six points out of the final Eastern wild-card berth.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning head coach Jon Cooper missed this game due to the death of his father earlier this week. Kucherov also reached the 30-goal plateau for the ninth time in his NHL career and sits second in the scoring race with 94 points. Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews picked up an assist in this game.

Artemi Panarin collected his first points with the Los Angeles Kings, but his new club fell 6-4 to the Vegas Golden Knights. Pavel Dorofeyev scored two goals while Tanner Laczynski collected three assists for the Golden Knights (28-16-14), who hold first place in the Pacific Division with 70 points. Quinton Byfield netted two goals for the 23-20-14 Kings, who have lost three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights played without Olympians Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, Mark Stone, Noah Hanifin, and Shea Theodore. All five played in Sunday’s gold-medal game. Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy said they were left behind to give them a break. It’s expected they’ll rejoin the team for Friday’s game against the Washington Capitals.

Anaheim Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville got his 1,000th regular-season win as his club nipped the Edmonton Oilers 6-5. Leo Carlsson had a goal and two assists, and Cutter Gauthier potted the game-winner with 1:14 remaining in the third period for the Ducks (31-23-3). Matt Savoie had a goal and two assists while Connor McDavid had two assists for the 28-23-8 Oilers, who have lost four straight contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Quenneville is only the second coach in NHL history to win 1,000 games. Scotty Bowman is the leader with 1,244. Ducks forward Mikael Granlund missed this game with an upper-body injury.

The league-leading Colorado Avalanche improved to 38-9-9 (85 points) with a 4-2 victory over the Utah Mammoth. Martin Necas and Parker Kelly each had a goal and an assist while Brock Nelson tallied his 30th goal of the season for the Avalanche. Dylan Guenther tallied both goals for the Mammoth (30-24-4).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon missed this game because of maintenance, according to a team spokesman. MacKinnon appeared to be dealing with an injury during the Olympics. Mammoth center Logan Cooley picked up an assist as he returned to action for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury on Dec. 5.

An overtime goal by Cole Perfetti lifted the Winnipeg Jets over the Vancouver Canucks 3-2. Mark Scheifele had two assists, and Kyle Connor and Gabriel Vilardi also scored for the 23-26-8 Jets. Drew O’Connor and Evander Kane scored for the Canucks (18-33-7).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks held Tyler Myers out of this game for “roster management purposes”, which means the 36-year-old defenseman could be traded if he agrees to waive his no-movement clause. He’s signed through next season with an average annual value of $3 million.

Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston scored twice, including his 30th goal of the season, in a 4-1 win over the Seattle Kraken. Matt Duchene had a goal and an assist to extend his points streak to seven games for the Stars (35-14-9), who have won seven straight games. Ryker Evans replied for the 27-21-9 Kraken.

The Buffalo Sabres held off the New Jersey Devils by a score of 2-1. Tage Thompson and Peyton Kreb scored for the Sabres, who improved to 33-19-6. Timo Meier scored, and Jack Hughes collected an assist for the 28-28-2 Devils.

Third-period goals by Trevor van Riemsdyk and Aliaksei Protas lifted the Washington Capitals to a 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Protas also picked up an assist, and goaltender Logan Thompson made 23 saves for the 30-23-7 Capitals. Noah Cates replied for the 25-21-11 Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Capitals placed forward Sonny Milano on waivers as they activated Connor McMichael off injured reserve.

HEADLINES

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will be sidelined for at least four weeks with a lower-body injury suffered during the Olympics. He’s been placed on injured reserve.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This will be a significant test for the retooling Penguins, who have exceeded expectations this season to sit second in the Metropolitan Division. They’ll look to long-time star Evgeni Malkin to step up as he’s done in the past whenever Crosby has been injured. This will also be an opportunity for young Penguins such as Ben Kindel, Egor Chinakhov, Avery Hayes, and recently-acquired defenseman Samuel Girard to show what they can do.

NHL.COM: Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov remains upbeat and happy with the pace of his recovery from knee surgery last September. He was expected to miss the entire season, but he’s hoping to return for the playoffs.

Barkov’s recovery period also inspired him to make a donation exceeding $1 million to the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, which named its sports medicine program after him. Since 2019, the Panthers captain has regularly made annual donations totaling $420,000 to the hospital.

SPORTSNET: St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas has taken a leave of absence due to a personal matter. Out of respect for Thomas’ privacy, the club won’t provide any further comment at this time.

ESPN: Olympic gold medalist Hilary Knight said a widely circulated comment from President Donald Trump about the US Women’s Olympic hockey team was a “distasteful joke”, and she is more focused on celebrating the women’s accomplishments at the Milan Games.

During the US men’s post-game dressing room celebration of their gold-medal win over Canada, Trump invited them to Washington for the State of the Union address. “I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that,” Trump said, adding with a laugh that he could be impeached if he didn’t include the women’s team.

Several of the players laughed at Trump’s joke, generating criticism when the video went viral. Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils, and Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars subsequently insisted that they and their USA teammates respected the women’s team and had a great relationship with them.

Knight echoed that sentiment, saying she believed there was a genuine level of support and respect from the men’s team. “I think the guys were in a tough spot, so I think it’s a shame that this storyline and narrative has kind of blown up and overshadowing that connection and genuine interest in one another and cheering each other on.”

Boston Bruins goaltender and Team USA backup Jeremy Swayman said, “We should’ve reacted differently” to Trump’s joke. He added that he and his teammates were excited for the women’s team when they won gold. “We have so much respect for the women’s team.”

In a statement through a spokesperson, the women’s team declined the invitation to the State of the Union, citing logistics and scheduling concerns. The statement also said that they were honored to be included and grateful for the acknowledgement.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 25, 2026

by | Feb 25, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 25, 2026

The regular-season schedule resumes on Wednesday. Check out the latest on the Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck, the Oilers’ Connor McDavid, the Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

ESPN: Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck will be presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for backstopping the United States to its first gold medal in Olympic Men’s hockey since 1980.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (NHL Images).

Hellebuyck and several of his Team USA teammates, including Jack and Quinn Hughes, and Brady and Matthew Tkachuk, attended the annual State of the Union address to Congress in Washington on Tuesday at the request of President Donald Trump, who met with the players in the Oval Office earlier in the day.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hellebuyck is believed to be the first hockey player to receive this award.

THE ATHLETIC: Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews is expected to rejoin his teammates for Wednesday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He will fly from Washington to Tampa Bay following a visit to the White House and celebrations with Team USA. Matthews was the captain of the United States Olympic Men’s hockey team.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers captain Connor McDavid will be a game-day decision for Wednesday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks. McDavid is with the team as they begin their post-Olympic road trip. The club would like to rest him from this game as it is the first of a back-to-back with the second game being against the Los Angeles Kings, but the decision will be up to him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers want to ensure McDavid is well-rested and ready to return to action after the Olympics and the long journey from Italy to rejoin his teammates. They sit second in the Pacific Division with 64 points, but are only four points ahead of the Kings, who sit just outside the final Western Conference playoff berth.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars winger Mikko Rantanen is expected to miss the next two weeks due to the injury he suffered during the Olympics. He was placed on injured reserve on Monday.

The Stars also placed winger Radek Faksa on injured reserve. He suffered an upper-body injury during the Olympics.

THE WINNIPEG SUN: Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neil Pionk and winger Nino Niederreiter will be sidelined for roughly two weeks. Pionk suffered an undisclosed injury during practice, while Niederreiter aggravated an undisclosed injury that he was dealing with before the Olympics.

The Jets are also dealing with the absence of defenseman Josh Morrissey, who was injured playing for Canada in the Olympics.

They did get one piece of good news, as winger Kyle Connor skipped the invitation to the White House and the State of the Union to rejoin the injury-depleted Jets.

THE ATHLETIC: Speaking of the Jets, Jonathan Toews shot down any notion that he might be willing to move at the trade deadline.

“I wouldn’t consider going anywhere,” Toews said. “I want to keep playing for this team.” The 37-year-old winger has a full no-movement clause.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Given the Jets’ fading playoff hopes, some pundits floated Toews as a trade candidate. There was no indication that he would request to be moved to a contender, nor were there reports of serious inquiries about his availability.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW/PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Colorado Avalanche traded defenseman Samuel Girard and a 2028 second-round draft pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman Brett Kulak.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the first significant post-Olympic trade. It could set the ball rolling for more moves with the March 6 trade deadline fast approaching.

This is a tidy piece of work by Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas. He flipped Kulak, a 32-year-old shutdown defenseman who is UFA-eligible on July 1, for the speedy, puck-moving, 27-year-old Girard, who is signed through 2026-27.

This deal reflects Dubas’ ongoing efforts to make the Penguins competitive while building up for the future by adding younger players. It could also reflect the need to address the decline in Kris Letang’s performance.

The Avalanche is in “win-now” mode. Kulak’s physical defensive style and playoff experience should make him a good rental addition as they push for the Stanley Cup this spring.

This trade gives them over $10 million in projected trade-deadline cap space, so they’re not done making trades before next Friday’s deadline. Their next target could be an experienced third-line center.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The New York Islanders acquired forward Matt Luff from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for forward Julien Gauthier.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Seattle Kraken signed depth centers Ben Meyers and Ryan Winterton to two-year contract extensions.

NEW YORK POST: The family of former NHL star Ron Duguay announced he’s battling cancer. His daughters have launched an online fundraiser seeking $50,000 to deal with his rising treatment costs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow this link if you’d like to contribute.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 24, 2026

by | Feb 24, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 24, 2026

The regular-season schedule resumed on Feb. 25. Check out the latest on Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Mikko Rantanen, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

TRIBLIVE.COM: It remains to be seen if Sidney Crosby will be in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ lineup when they resume their post-Olympic schedule on Thursday against the New Jersey Devils.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

Crosby remains hobbled by a right-leg injury that he suffered playing for Canada in the Olympic Men’s hockey tournament. He was sidelined from the final two games of the tournament, which the United States won with a 2-1 victory over Canada in the gold-medal game.

The Penguins recalled winger Avery Hayes from their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. During Monday’s practice, Hayes skated at left wing alongside right winger Rickard Rakell, who was filling in for Crosby at center. Head coach Dan Muse said this was largely a contingency plan in case the Penguins’ captain can’t play.

Muse offered no update on Crosby’s status. The long-time Penguins superstar was still trekking back from Italy with several of his Team Canada teammates on Monday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby was considered day-to-day during those final days of the Olympic tournament. He was close to playing in the gold-medal game, but took himself out of the lineup because he felt he wasn’t sufficiently recovered to help his team.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers captain Connor McDavid isn’t expected to rejoin his teammates right away when they resume their regular-season schedule.

The Oilers return to action on Wednesday against the Ducks in Anaheim, followed by a game against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.

Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch felt that playing 23-24 minutes in back-to-back games after travelling back from Europe wouldn’t put McDavid in the right position to help the team.

McDavid was named the most valuable player of the Olympic Men’s hockey tournament, setting a single-tournament record with 13 points. He also took over the captaincy of Team Canada with Sidney Crosby sidelined for its final two games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Knoblauch didn’t say if McDavid would miss the first game of the back-to-back series or both. We’ll learn more about his status by Wednesday.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Star winger Mikko Rantanen was placed on injured reserve due to a lower-body injury suffered playing for Finland in the Olympics. That opens up a roster spot to activate defenseman Lian Bichsel (lower-body) from IR. Bichsel had been sidelined since Nov. 30.

Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger won’t play in Wednesday’s game against the Seattle Kraken due to travel logistics. Forward Radek Faksa’s status remains uncertain after he was injured playing for Czechia in the Olympics.

DAILY FACEOFF: Stars center Roope Hintz is a game-day decision as he recovers from an illness.

TSN: Darren Dreger reports Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey will reportedly miss “a good chunk of time” with an upper-body injury suffered playing for Canada in the Olympics.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Critics of NHLers skating in the Olympics will point to these injuries and travel delays as reasons why the players shouldn’t participate in these tournaments.

However, the players want to take part in the Olympics, and most NHL fans want to see them in international best-on-best tournaments. This will not prevent their participation in the 2030 Olympics or the 2028 World Cup of Hockey.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Philip Broberg’s performance for Sweden in the 2026 Winter Olympics demonstrated why he’s the St. Louis Blues’ top defenseman.

Skating alongside veteran blueliner Erik Karlsson. The 24-year-old Broberg played big minutes for Sweden in key matches. He played on the second pairing, but wound up seeing more playing time as the tournament went on, including 24:57 of ice time in their 2-1 loss to the United States.

Broberg finished the tournament with a plus/minus of plus-2 and wasn’t on the ice for any 5-on-5 goals against.

THE MERCURY NEWS: Veteran defenseman Nick Leddy was recalled from the San Jose Sharks’ AHL affiliate, but it remains to be seen when he’ll see NHL action.

Leddy, 34, was claimed off waivers by the Sharks from the Blues last July. He began the season among their top-four defenseman, but was sidelined for several weeks by an upper-body injury, and struggled to regain his place in the lineup. Leddy was placed on waivers on Jan. 18 but went unclaimed.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leddy’s been the subject of some trade speculation. He could end up being moved by the March 6 trade deadline.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Las Vegas Motor Speedway would like to host an outdoor NHL game. The Speedway’s vice president of sales, Aaron Crowley, said the track hosts a large number of events each year, including music festivals and large corporate events.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 23, 2026

by | Feb 23, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 23, 2026

Olympic Men’s Hockey wrap-up, and the latest news as the resumption of the regular-season schedule approaches in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

IIHF.COM: Canada’s Connor McDavid was named the most valuable player in the 2026 Olympic Men’s Hockey tournament. McDavid set a single tournament Olympic Men’s record with 13 points.

McDavid was also among the Tournament Directorate’s three best players, along with United States goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and defenseman Quinn Hughes.

Team USA wins gold in the 2026 Olympic Men’s Hockey tournament.

Those three players were also named to the Media All-Star Team, joining Canadian defenseman Cale Makar and forward Macklin Celebrini, and Slovakia forward Juraj Slafkovsky.

TSN: Hellebuyck was praised by his teammates for his outstanding performance in their 2-1 overtime victory over Canada in the gold-medal game.

Matthew Tkachuk considered Hellebuyck’s efforts to be “one of the best goaltending performances of all time.” US head coach Mike Sullivan called Hellebuyck’s efforts “heroic”.

According to Tage Thompson, Hellebuyck “stole the game for us.” Zach Werenski was amazed by the type of saves he made in crucial moments, while Charlie McAvoy compared him to Team USA hero Jim Craig in the 1980 Winter Olympics.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hellebucyk’s performance in the gold-medal game was comparable to Dominik Hasek backstopping Czechia to victory over Canada and Russia in the 1998 Olympics. He played the game of his life, reminding everyone why he’s the only active three-time Vezina Trophy winner.

DAILY FACEOFF: Quinn Hughes broke the record for the longest points streak by an American in the tournament during the NHL participation era. He finished with eight points in six games.

THE ATHLETIC: Quinn’s brother, Jack, scored the winning goal after having three teeth knocked out from a high stick by Canadian forward Sam Bennett in the third period. Bennett received a double-minor penalty, but Hughes later nullified the Americans’ man advantage by high-sticking Canada’s Bo Horvat.

The Hughes brothers praised team captain Auston Matthews’ performance and leadership in this tournament. The Toronto Maple Leafs star had been dogged by the perception that he cannot win big games when it matters.

“Doesn’t matter what anyone says now, Auston Matthews is a winner,” Jack said, while Quinn added, “That’s what the Toronto media should be talking about. Auston led us to a championship.”

SI.COM: Team USA center Brock Nelson continued his family’s legacy of winning gold in Olympic Men’s hockey. His grandfather, Bill Christian, won gold at the 1960 Squaw Valley Games alongside his great-uncle, Roger Christian. His uncle, Dave Christian, captured gold in the 1980 Lake Placid Games.

DAILY FACEOFF: The American players recognized the late Johnny Gaudreau following their gold-medal win. Matthews, Zach Werenski, and Matthew Tkachuk paraded Gaudreau’s No. 13 USA jersey around the ice. Tkachuk and Dylan Larkin brought Gaudreau’s young children, Noa and Johnny Jr, on the ice to pose with the players for the team photo.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That was the most touching moment of this tournament. They never forgot Gaudreau, who would’ve played with them had he and his brother not been killed by an alleged drunk driver in 2024.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby sat out the gold medal game with a lower-body injury. He felt that he would’ve been a detriment to Canada’s chances had he played.

“It was about what’s best for our group and what gives us the best chance to win,” he said following the game. “That becomes pretty clear at that point. If I’m not going to go, I’m not (going to) compromise our team, put myself ahead of that.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby wanted to play, but his injury was apparently severe enough to hamper his performance. Knowing he couldn’t play to the best of his ability, he made the unselfish decision to put his team and his country first.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Canadian coach Jon Cooper was no fan of the 3-on-3 overtime format in the tournament. “You take four players off the ice, now hockey’s not hockey anymore. There’s a reason overtime and shootouts are in play, it’s all TV-driven to end games, so it’s not a long time. There’s a reason why (3-on-3) is not in the Stanley Cup Final or playoffs.”

Cooper made it clear that he wasn’t using the 3-on-3 format as an excuse. He acknowledged everyone knew the rules going into their tournament, and noted his club’s own 3-on-3 overtime win over Czechia in the quarterfinal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Had Canada won in overtime, American head coach Mike Sullivan might’ve said the same thing. Cooper’s right that it’s TV-driven to finish games within a set period of time, but as he also noted, everyone knew what the format would be. Teams have to be prepared for it.

THE ATHLETIC: Arpon Basu believes Canada’s gold medal loss will linger, but the country’s hockey future is in good shape. He noted that McDavid, MacKinnon, Makar, and Celebrini will be back for the 2030 Olympics, and Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard and New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer could join them.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those players will also be part of Canada’s roster in the 2028 World Cup of Hockey. It wouldn’t be surprising if Beckett Sennecke of the Anaheim Ducks, Wyatt Johnston of the Dallas Stars, Noah Dobson of the Montreal Canadiens, and Evan Bouchard of the Edmonton Oilers could be part of Canada’s roster for that tournament.

NHL HEADLINES

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL’s regular-season schedule resumes on Wednesday, Feb. 25.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

ROTOWIRE: Buffalo Sabres forward Zach Benson is expected to miss Wednesday’s game against the New Jersey Devils with a lingering upper-body injury.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers winger Kasperi Kapanen will miss his club’s first two games of their upcoming road trip with an undisclosed minor injury. Center Adam Henrique will return to action after missing the Oilers’ last 15 games.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers goaltender Daniil Tarasov and defenseman Tobias Bjornfot returned to practice over the weekend and are expected to be ready when the Panthers’ schedule resumes later this week.

SPORTSNET: Former NHL superstar Jaromir Jagr’s storied hockey career may be coming to a close. The 54-year-old forward last played in the NHL in 2017, but he’s continued his career with his hometown club in Kladno since then. However, he has only appeared in six games this season, with his last game on Dec. 21.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: All good things must come to an end, and that includes Jagr’s remarkable playing career. If this is his final season as a player, he is assured of induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame following the mandatory three-year wait period.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 22, 2026

by | Feb 22, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 22, 2026

**UPDATE**

The United States defeated Canada 2-1 on an overtime goal by Jack Hughes to win gold in Olympic Men’s hockey. 

Matt Boldy opened the scoring in the first period for the United States. Canada tied the game in the second on a goal by Cale Makar. In the overtime frame, Zach Werenski stripped Canada’s Nathan MacKinnon of the puck and passed it to Hughes, who fired a wrister past Canadian goaltender Jordan Binnington.  USA goaltender Connor Hellebuyck stopped 41 shots for the win. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to Team USA on a hard-fought victory to claim Olympic gold for the first time since 1980. Canada had plenty of chances to win, but Hellebuyck stood tall between the pipes, including a couple of game-saving stops on Connor McDavid and Devon Toews. 

Canada and the United States face off for gold in Olympic Men’s hockey, Finland defeats Slovakia to take the bronze, and the latest NHL news in the Morning Coffee Headlines

NHL.COM: It’s the matchup that was inevitable as Canada and the United States will face off in the gold medal game in Olympic Men’s hockey. The puck drops at 8 am ET today.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I will update this post with the final score and a game recap later today.

SPORTSNET: Canadian captain Sidney Crosby skated with his teammates in practice on Saturday, but he remains a game-time decision whether he’ll play in this contest. Crosby suffered a lower-body injury in the quarterfinal game against Czechia and missed Friday’s semifinal win over Finland.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Crosby can’t play, Nick Suzuki will replace him at center while Connor McDavid takes over as team captain, as he did in the semifinal against Finland.

ESPN: USA winger Brady Tkachuk stirred the pot a bit on Saturday regarding the rivalry between the two hockey nations.

“There’s hatred there,” Tkachuk said. “I mean, they’ve been the top dog. They’ve been the best for the last bunch of years, and for us, we want to be in that position, be the best. So it’s going to be a game where I think a lot of guys could say, this is the biggest game that they’ve ever played in.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tkachuk’s comments reflect his teammates’ determination to win their country’s first Olympic gold in Men’s Hockey since 1980. However, his remarks also show the respect they have for their opponent.

Finland defeated Slovakia 6-1 in the bronze medal game on Saturday. Erik Haula scored two goals, and Joel Armia had a goal and two assists as the Finns pulled away from the Slovaks with four unanswered third-period goals, with the final two being empty-netters. Tomas Tatar replied for Slovakia.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A solid bounce-back performance by Finland after blowing a two-goal lead to Canada in the semifinal on Friday. The Finns had to do it without scoring winger Mikko Rantanen, who missed this game with a lower-body injury.

Speaking of the Finns, Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice dismissed a rumor that several of their players wanted him to coach their team in this tournament. “I got a bunch of texts. Silliness,” Maurice said, suggesting tongue-in-cheek that the source of the rumor got him mixed up with Panthers assistant coach Tuomo Ruutu.

Maurice reminded everyone that he was born in Canada and is a U.S. citizen. “I think I’ll just stay in Fort Lauderdale for these tournaments. It’s worked out just fine.”

As for the Slovaks, this wasn’t the result they were hoping for. However, for a team with only seven NHL players on their roster, it still exceeded expectations and silenced its critics. Young stars such as Juraj Slavkovsky of the Montreal Canadiens, Dalibor Dvorsky of the St. Louis Blues, and Simon Nemec of the New Jersey Devils played well against the world’s best, which should make them better NHL players. They’re also an inspiration for young Slovak hockey players.

FLAMES NATION: The Calgary Flames activated forwards Blake Coleman and John Beecher off injured reserve on Friday.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks prospect forward Jonathan Lekkerimaki requires season-ending shoulder surgery. He’s split this season between the Canucks and their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche will have a new ECHL affiliate. They will join forces with the New Mexico Goatheads in 2026-27.

NHL.COM: Former NHL forward and long-time minor-league star Guyle Fielder passed away on Saturday at the age of 95.

Fielder played only nine regular-season games and six playoff games in the NHL between 1950-51 and 1957-58 with the Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins, and Detroit Red Wings. However, he had a long and successful career at the minor-pro level, holding the record for most points (1,929) and games (1,487) in 22 minor-pro seasons from 1951-52 to 1972-73

In the old Western Hockey League, Fielder was a nine-time scoring champion and six-time league MVP. He also spent 15 seasons in Seattle with the Bombers, Americans, and Totems, leading them to three WHL championships.

The Seattle Kraken have an annual Guyle Fielder Award, honoring the Kraken player who best exhibits the qualities of perseverance, hustle, and dedication to hockey. Yanni Gourde was the first recipient, with Jaden Schwartz winning it in the last three seasons.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Fielder’s family, friends, and the Kraken organization.