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.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 7, 2026

by | Feb 7, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 7, 2026

Men’s Olympic hockey begins on Feb. 11, the league’s three stars of the week, the felony assault charge against prospect Gavin McKenna is withdrawn, Henrik Zetterberg talks about life after hockey, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Men’s Olympic hockey schedule begins on Feb. 11 with Slovakia facing off against Finland (10:40 AM ET), and Sweden taking on Italy (3:10 PM ET).

On Feb.12, Switzerland meets France at 6:10 AM ET. Czechia goes against Canada at 10:40 AM ET. Latvia plays the United States, and Germany faces Denmark, with both games at 3:10 PM ET.

The following day, Finland takes on Sweden, and Italy faces off against Slovakia (both games start at 6:10 AM ET), France squares off against Czechia (10:40 AM ET), and Canada meets Switzerland at 3:10 PM ET.

Minnesota Wild winger Matt Boldy (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow the link above for the full schedule. I will provide recaps following each day’s action throughout the Olympics.

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild winger Matt Boldy, New York Islanders center Bo Horvat, and Utah Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka are the league’s three stars for the week ending Feb. 5.

WJAC TV: Prosecutors in Centre County, Pennsylvania, have withdrawn the felony aggravated assault charge against NHL prospect Gavin McKenna. The 18-year-old Penn State forward was arraigned earlier this week following an incident outside of a pub in downtown State College.

McKenna is accused of punching another male in the face twice, resulting in the victim suffering multiple jaw fractures that required surgery. Upon further review of the evidence, prosecutors believed McKenna didn’t act with intent to cause serious bodily harm nor recklessly acted with extreme indifference to the value of human life.”

McKenna still faces a misdemeanor charge of simple assault, and summary offenses for harassment and disorderly conduct.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The felony assault charge was the most serious. Earlier reports indicated that it carried a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

RG.ORG: Andrew Knoll recently interviewed former Detroit Red Wings star Henrik Zetterberg, who discussed his life after the NHL, the 2026 Winter Olympics, and the current state of the modern game.

Zetterberg said he felt today’s NHL game is faster and less structured, with fewer deliberate plays. He believes elite players, such as Edmonton Oilers stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, stand out for their ability to slow down the pace of the game and control possession.

Zetterberg is impressed that former opponents such as Pittsburgh Penguins stars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang are still playing well. He credits the work they put in off the ice year-round for their ability to adapt to today’s faster-paced game.

HOCKEY 24/7: Frank Seravalli reports the 2026 first-round pick that the Florida Panthers sent to the Chicago Blackhawks in last year’s Seth Jones trade is top-10 protected.

If that pick ends up among the top 10 following the 2026 Draft Lottery, the Panthers will retain it, and the Blackhawks will receive the Panthers’ 2027 first-round pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If the regular season ended today, the Panthers would be 22nd in the standings, putting them one point outside the bottom-10 clubs. Assuming they finish at their current position in the standings, they could end up with a top-10 pick if the lottery balls bounce their way.

DAILY FACEOFF: Tampa Bay Lightning forward Curtis Douglas was fined $2,018.23 for “serving as the aggressor in an altercation” with Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 28, 2026

by | Jan 28, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 28, 2026

Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin nets his first career hat trick, Patrick Kane ties a league record, the Devils and Islanders make a trade, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin scored his first career NHL hat trick in a 7-4 drubbing of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Dahlin finished the game with five points, and Mattias Samuelsson collected three assists for the 30-17-5 Sabres, who’ve won four straight games. Auston Matthews and Max Domi each had a goal and two assists for the sagging Maple Leafs (24-20-9), who are winless in their last five games (0-4-1).

Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dahlin’s hat trick is the fifth by a defenseman this season. It’s also the 28th hat trick in the NHL this month, tying February 1981 for the second-most in a calendar month. The record is 29, set in December 1985.

Dahlin’s performance comes during a season when he and his fiancée, Carolina Matovac, have endured a difficult year following her near-death experience last summer when she underwent emergency heart-transplant surgery. On Monday, Matovac revealed on Instagram that Jan. 26 would’ve been the due date for the couple’s first child. It was her concern about the unborn baby last summer that played a vital role in the discovery of her heart failure.

Speaking of the Sabres, goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury.

Detroit Red Wings winger Patrick Kane collected an assist to tie Mike Modano for the most points by a U.S.-born player (1,374) in a 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. Anton Forsberg stopped 27 shots while Samuel Helenius, Andrei Kuzmenko, and Corey Perry scored for the Kings (22-16-13), who have won three straight games. Alex DeBrincat replied for the 32-17-5 Red Wings.

The San Jose Sharks got a four-point effort from Macklin Celebrini (one goal, three assists) to beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-2. Will Smith had a goal and two assists for the Sharks (27-21-3). Elias Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk each had two assists as the Canucks dropped to 17-31-5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks received more bad news as they announced that starting goaltender Thatcher Demko will soon undergo season-ending hip surgery.

Winnipeg Jets forwards Mark Scheifele and Gabriel Vilardi each had a goal and an assist in a 4-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Kyle Connor collected two assists for the 21-24-7 Jets. Jesper Bratt and Jack Hughes each had two points for the Devils (27-24-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils held winger Ondrej Palat from this game. They subsequently traded him and two draft picks (2026 third-round pick, 2027 sixth-rounder) to the New York Islanders for winger Maxim Tsyplakov.

Palat’s performance has declined in recent years, and he no longer fits into the Devils’ plans. They reportedly attempted to move him earlier this season to clear his $6 million average annual value through 2026-27 from their books. Bundling those two picks into the deal was what it took to convince the Islanders to take his full cap hit.

Tsyplakov needs a fresh start after the Islanders signed him from the KHL last season. He had a promising NHL debut with 35 points in 77 games, but the 27-year-old winger is struggling this season with two points in 27 games.

Seattle Kraken winger Jared McCann scored twice and set up two goals in a 5-1 victory over the Washington Capitals. Matty Beniers and Jordan Eberle each had a goal and an assist for the 24-19-9 Kraken. Alex Ovechkin scored for the Capitals (25-22-7), who are 1-5-1 in their last seven games.

The Boston Bruins got an overtime goal by David Pastrnak to nip the Nashville Predators 3-2. Pastrnak finished with two points to extend his points streak to eight games while Morgan Geekie tallied his 30th goal of the season for the Bruins (31-20-3), who are 9-1-1 in their last 11 contests. Roman Josi and Nick Blankenburg scored for the 24-23-5 Predators, who overcame a 2-0 deficit to force the extra frame.

Montreal Canadiens center Jake Evans’ overtime goal lifted his club to a 3-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. Cole Caufield scored his 30th of the season to extend his goal streak to six games for the Canadiens (29-17-7). Pavel Dorofeyev tallied both goals for the 25-14-3 Golden Knights, who are 1-3-1 in their last five games.

Utah Mammoth goaltender Vitek Vanecek made 25 saves to collect his first win since Oct. 26 as his club upset the Florida Panthers 4-3. Sean Durzi had a goal and an assist for the Mammoth (28-21-4), who are 9-1-1 in their last 11 games. Sandis Vilmanis, Cole Schwindt, and Carter Verhaeghe replied for the 28-21-3 Panthers, as their three-game win streak ended.

Dallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley scored with 1:07 remaining in the third period to give his team a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues. Matt Duchene scored two goals for the 30-14-9 Stars. Brayden Schenn tallied twice for the Blues, who are 0-4-1 in their last five games and dropped to 19-25-9.

The Minnesota Wild overcame a 3-0 deficit to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 on a shootout goal by Kirill Kaprizov. Joel Eriksson Ek had a goal and an assist, and Jesper Wallstedt made 29 saves in regulation and overtime for the Wild (30-14-10). Teuvo Teravainen, Ryan Donato, and Ilya Mikheyev scored for the 21-23-9 Blackhawks, who are winless in their last three games (0-1-2).

IN OTHER NEWS…

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins winger Bryan Rust received a three-game suspension from the NHL’s department of player safety for a hit to the head of Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser.

NHL.COM: Penguins defenseman Jack St. Ivany underwent successful surgery on his left hand. His expected recovery time is eight weeks.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche signed defenseman Sam Malinski to a four-year contract extension worth an AAV of $4.75 million.

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Johansson and Boston Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm have been added to Sweden’s Men’s Olympic hockey team. They will replace sidelined Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson and Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 27, 2026

by | Jan 27, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 27, 2026

Mattias Ekholm scored his first hat trick as the Oilers set a league record, the Rangers traded Carson Soucy, the three stars of the week, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF MONDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm tallied his first NHL hat trick in a 7-4 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Leon Draisaitl collected four assists while Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman each had a goal and an assist for the 27-19-8 Oilers. Ducks forward Mikael Granlund also netted a hat trick as his club dropped to 28-22-3, and their seven-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a record-setting performance for the Oilers, becoming the first team in league history to have defensemen score hat tricks in consecutive games, with Evan Bouchard scoring three goals in a six-point performance in the Oilers’ previous game.

Those three-goal performances by Ekholm and Granlund bring the number of hat tricks scored in January to 27, matching the third-most in a single month (December 1981) in league history. The record is 29, set in December 1985.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images)

The New York Rangers nipped the Boston Bruins 4-3 on an overtime goal by Matthew Robertson. Will Cuylle, J.T. Miller, and Will Borgen also scored for the 22-25-6 Rangers, snapping a three-game losing skid. David Pastrnak collected three assists to reach the 900-point plateau, and Elias Linholm netted two goals for the Bruins (30-20-3).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pastrnak is the sixth player in Bruins history to record 900 points, joining Raymond Bourque (1,506), Johnny Bucyk (1,339), Patrice Bergeron (1,040), Phil Esposito (1,012), and Brad Marchand (976).

Before this game, the Rangers held defenseman Carson Soucy out of the lineup. They subsequently announced they had traded Soucy to the New York Islanders in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick.

Soucy, 31, is in the final season of his three-year contract with an AAV of $3.25 million and is eligible for unrestricted free-agent status this summer. He’s a short-term fix for the Islanders’ blueline with Alexander Romanov on long-term injury reserve, and Ryan Pulock sidelined with an upper-body injury.

As for the Rangers, the Soucy trade is expected to be the first of what could be several moves this season by the retooling franchise before the March 6 trade deadline.

Speaking of the Islanders, they got a 21-save shutout from Ilya Sorokin to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-0. Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored twice, and Mathew Barzal had a goal and an assist for the Islanders, who improved to 28-19-5. Samuel Ersson turned aside 19 of 23 shots for the Flyers (24-18-9).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers activated defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who had been sidelined since Jan. 14 with an upper-body injury.

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy turned in a 28-shot shutout in a 2-0 victory over the Utah Mammoth. Darren Raddysh and Anthony Cirelli scored for the Lightning (33-14-4), who regained first place in the Eastern Conference with 70 points. Karel Vejmelka stopped 27 shots for the 27-21-4 Mammoth as their five-game win streak ended.

The game between the Los Angeles Kings and Columbus Blue Jackets at Columbus’ Nationwide Arena was postponed due to inclement weather. It has been rescheduled for March 9.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov, Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, and Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal are the league’s three stars for the week ending Jan. 25, 2026.

TSN: Marc-Andre Fleury said a couple of NHL teams have contacted him about coming out of retirement, but the 41-year-old goaltender and future Hall of Famer has no plans to return to action. He still hangs out with his former club, the Minnesota Wild, and has skated with them in several practices, but his next role could be working in their front office.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fleury has until the March 6 trade deadline to sign an NHL contract if he intends to unretire. Even then, it would likely take several weeks of intense training for him to return to game shape.

Fleury said there were several reasons why he’ll remain retired. One of them is probably the wear and tear of his 21 NHL seasons on his aging body. He alluded to a sore hip during his one-period appearance in a preseason game with the Pittsburgh Penguins in September as he brought his NHL career full circle.

RG.ORG: DJ Siddiqi reports Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito believes the health of the players his club is sending to the Olympics next month will be a factor in their attempt to win a third-straight Stanley Cup.

The defending champion Panthers have been battered by injuries, leaving them four points out of the final wildcard berth in the Eastern Conference as of Jan. 27. Managing fatigue, ice time, and emotional drain, as well as avoiding further injuries, will be crucial to their playoff hopes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers are sending eight players to the Olympics, including core players Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Brad Marchand, and Anton Lundell.

PUCKPEDIA: Speaking of the Olympics, the trade and assignment regulations for the NHL’s break period (Feb. 4-22) have been revealed. No trades will be permitted during that period.

TORONTO SUN: The league has fined Maple Leafs winger William Nylander $5,000.00 for flipping off a TSN camera during Sunday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. Nylander made the gesture while watching the game in the press box with several other sidelined teammates.

THE PROVINCE: The Canucks placed winger Brock Boeser and defenseman Zeev Buium on injured reserve.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins winger Bryan Rust faces a hearing on Tuesday with the league’s department of player safety regarding his high hit on Boeser during Sunday’s game between the two clubs.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson is out until the end of next month’s Olympic break with a lower-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 13, 2026

by | Jan 13, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 13, 2026

The Red Wings honor Sergei Fedorov, the Lightning extend their win streak to 10 games, while the Maple Leafs’ points streak hits double digits, Oilers captain Connor McDavid extends his points streak to 19 games, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF MONDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: On the night the Detroit Red Wings retired Sergei Fedorov’s number 91, they nipped the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 on an overtime goal by Andrew Copp. Alex DeBrincat had a goal and two assists as the Red Wings opened a 3-0 lead, but the Hurricanes forced overtime on goals by Jackson Blake, Seth Jarvis, and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Red Wings (28-15-4) hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 60 points. The Hurricanes (28-14-4) also have 60 points, but hold first place in the Eastern Conference with a game in hand over the Red Wings.

The Detroit Red Wings retire Sergei Fedorov’s No. 91 (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings retired Fedorov’s number in a classy pregame ceremony. He thanked the team and their fans, singling out the Illich family, former Red Wings head coach Scotty Bowman, former captain Steve Yzerman, and his “Russian Five” Red Wings teammates, including Vladimir Konstantinov, who attended the ceremony along with Yzerman.

Fedorov admitted he made “a huge mistake” for leaving Detroit as a free agent in 2003. However, he said that the decision also set him on the path toward meeting his wife, Karina, who attended the ceremony with their two children.

One of the greatest two-way players in NHL history, Fedorov was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015. This retirement of his number by the Red Wings was long overdue, reflecting the tension between the Illich family and Fedorov that led to his departure. Thankfully, time heals all wounds, and Fedorov received this well-deserved honor from the team with which he’d had his greatest success.

The Tampa Bay Lightning extended their win streak to 10 games with a 5-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Nikita Kucherov had a goal and an assist to push his multipoint streak to nine games for the 28-13-3 Lightning. Christian Dvorak replied for the Flyers (22-14-8), who are winless in their last three games (0-2-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning head coach Jon Cooper became the second-fastest coach in NHL history to reach the 600-win plateau. The only head coach to reach it faster was Hall of Famer Scotty Bowman. It was a costly win for Cooper and his team as center Brayden Point left the game with an apparent knee injury. There was no postgame update on his status.

An overtime goal by William Nylander lifted the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Colorado Avalanche by a score of 4-3, snapping the latter’s home win streak at 17 games. Nylander and Auston Matthews each had a goal and an assist for the Maple Leafs (23-15-7) as they extended their points streak to 10 games (8-0-2). Nathan MacKinnon had three assists for the Avalanche (33-4-8) as they remain in first place in the overall standings with 74 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs winger Nick Robertson left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid collected two assists to extend his points streak to a career-high 19 games in a 4-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Evan Bouchard scored twice and collected an assist for the 23-16-7 Oilers. Tyler Bertuzzi scored for the Blackhawks, who slipped to 19-20-7.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid became the fifth player in NHL history to record 10 straight 50-assist seasons, joining Wayne Gretzky, Paul Coffey, Dale Hawerchuk (all with 13 seasons), and Bernie Federko (10). Meanwhile, the Oilers signed forward Quinn Hutson to a two-year, $1.75 million contract extension.

Blackhawks center Connor Bedard missed this game with an illness, and winger Teuvo Teravainen left the game after the first period for undisclosed reasons.

The Dallas Stars defeated the Los Angeles Kings 3-1. Jason Robertson snapped a 1-1 tie while Sam Steel and Esa Lindell each had two assists for the Stars, who improved to 27-10-9. Quinton Byfield tallied for the 19-16-10 Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars captain Jamie Benn returned to action after missing three games with an injured nose.

Florida Panthers winger A.J. Greer scored two goals in a 4-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Verhaeghe had three assists for the 24-18-3 Panthers. Jacob Bryson, Zach Benson, and Alex Tuch scored for the Sabres. (24-16-4).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the 1,900th career game for Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff. Scotty Bowman is the all-time leader with 2,141, followed by Panthers bench boss Paul Maurice with 1,975. Speaking of the Sabres, they will host the 2026 NHL Draft on June 26 and 27.

The New Jersey Devils got two goals within 21 seconds by Jesper Bratt to beat the Minnesota Wild 5-2. Ondrej Palat also scored twice for the Devils (23-21-2), and Dougie Hamilton had two assists in his return to the lineup as their club snapped a four-game losing skid. Ryan Hartman and Marcus Foligno replied for the 26-12-9 Wild.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hamilton was a healthy scratch from Sunday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets, prompting trade rumors as his agent said his client was willing to expand his 10-team trade list to facilitate a deal that benefits both sides. I’ll have the latest Hamilton trade speculation in today’s Rumor Mill.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Alexandre Carrier scored twice within 20 seconds in a 6-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov each had three points for the 26-14-6 Canadiens. Canucks goaltender Nikita Tolopilo stopped 35 shots as his club is 0-5-2 in its last seven games.

The Seattle Kraken scored four straight goals to double up the New York Rangers 4-2. Berkly Catton snapped a 2-2 tie as the Kraken (21-15-8) are 9-1-2 in their last 12 games. Mika Zibanejad and Sam Carrick scored for the Rangers, who slipped to 20-21-6 and have one win in their last eight games (1-5-2).

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl, Detroit Red Wings goaltender John Gibson, and Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak are the league’s three stars for the week ending Jan. 11, 2026.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The Blue Jackets fired head coach Dean Evason and assistant coach Steve McCarthy. Veteran NHL coach Rick Bowness takes over as bench boss for the remainder of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets are struggling this season to build on their promising 2024-25 performance. Mired at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and seven points out of a wildcard berth, they’re hoping that the coaching change will vault them back into playoff contention.

Bowness is expected to be in this role for the remainder of the season, as management will search for a full-time replacement in the offseason.

DAILY FACEOFF: The NHL and NHL Players’ Association are “pleased” with the progress of rink construction for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. They expect the work necessary to address the remaining issues will be completed in time for the men’s hockey tournament.

DAILY FACEOFF: Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson could miss the remainder of this season with a lower-body injury. He’s been ruled out for the Winter Olympics, and it’s unlikely he’ll return when the league resumes play following the Olympic break.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators signed goaltender James Reimer to a one-year contract.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins signed forward Blake Lizotte to a three-year contract extension with an average annual value of $2.25 million.

RG.ORG: A heart condition has forced former NHL coach Gerard Gallant to step down from his role as head coach of the KHL’s Shanghai Dragons. He’s been away from the club since Dec. 30.