NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 12, 2025

by | Dec 12, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 12, 2025

A four-goal performance by Predators forward Steven Stamkos, Canadiens rookie goalie Jacob Fowler wins his NHL debut, four-point performances by the Bruins’ David Pastrnak and the Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov, and more in today’s Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Steven Stamkos had his second career four-goal NHL game as the Nashville Predators thumped the St. Louis Blues 7-2. Luke Evangelista collected three assists as the 12-14-4 Predators have won six of their last eight games. Winger Hugh McGing scored his first NHL goal as the Blues fell to 11-14-7.

Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stamkos is now six goals away from reaching 600 regular-season goals in his NHL career.

Montreal Canadiens rookie goaltender Jacob Fowler stopped 36 shots to win his first NHL game in a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Cole Caufield netted his 17th goal of the season while Lane Hutson and Juraj Slafkovsky each had two assists for the Canadiens (16-11-3). Bryan Rust and Erik Karlsson replied for the 14-8-7 Penguins, who are 0-1-2 in their last three games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fowler became the first Florida-born goaltender in NHL history. He’s also the fourth goaltender in Canadiens history to make his NHL debut against the Penguins, joining Ken Dryden, Patrick Roy, and Carey Price.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak tallied twice and collected two assists to defeat the Winnipeg Jets 6-3. Morgan Geekie had three assists for the Bruins, who extended their win streak to four games and improved to 19-13-0. Morgan Barron, Alex Iafallo, and Gabriel Vilardi scored for the struggling Jets (14-15-1) as they’ve lost three straight contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy collected an assist as he returned to action after missing 11 games due to a facial fracture.

The Tampa Bay Lightning pounded the New Jersey Devils 8-4. Nikita Kucherov had four assists while Jake Guentzel and Oliver Bjorkstrand each had three points for the Lightning (18-11-2), who reclaimed first place in the Atlantic Division with 38 points. Goalie Jacob Markstrom was replaced by Jake Allen after giving up three goals on seven shots as the Devils (17-13-1) have lost six of their last seven games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning captain Victor Hedman was placed on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury. Dave Randorf reports it’s the same injury that sidelined him for 12 games earlier this season. He will see a specialist for a second opinion, and it will be a couple of days before they know how long he’ll be sidelined.

Devils forward Timo Meier missed this game as he took a personal leave to attend to a family health matter.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi turned aside 22 shots to win his eighth straight start in a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals. Seth Jarvis scored the winning goal in the shootout, while Nikolaj Ehlers and Logan Stankoven each had a goal and an assist for the 19-9-2 Hurricanes, who moved past the Capitals into first place in the Metropolitan Division with 40 points. Connor McMichael and Rasmus Sandin each had two points for the Capitals (18-9-4).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bussi became the first goaltender in NHL history to win 10 of the first 11 games of his career. Meanwhile, the Capitals announced that sidelined rookie forward Ryan Leonard will miss three to four weeks with a shoulder injury.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist in a 6-2 win over the Florida Panthers. The league-leading Avalanche (22-2-7, 51 points) picked up its 10th straight home win. Noah Gregor and Mackie Samoskevich replied for the 15-13-2 Panthers as their three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon leads all scorers with 25 goals and 53 points. Avalanche rookie forward Gavin Brindley had a goal and an assist as he returned from a 10-game absence due to a lower-body injury.

The Vegas Golden Knights got an overtime goal from captain Mark Stone to nip the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2. Stone finished with two goals while linemate Jack Eichel had two assists for the 15-6-9 Golden Knights, who took over first place in the Pacific Division with 39 points. Trevor Zegras and Noah Juulsen scored for the Flyers (16-9-4).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights opted not to play Carter Hart against this former club, pointing out that he was coming off back-to-back starts.

New York Islanders captain Anders Lee had two goals and two assists to lead his club over the Anaheim Ducks by a score of 5-2. Simon Holmstrom had a goal and two assists for the Islanders, who have won five of their last six games and improved to 18-11-3. Troy Terry had a goal and an assist for the Ducks (19-11-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders center Bo Horvat is listed as day-to-day after leaving this game in the second period with an injured left leg.

The Minnesota Wild defeated the Dallas Stars 5-2, snapping the latter’s 11-game points streak. Matt Boldy had a goal and two assists, and Marcus Johansson tallied two goals for the 17-9-5 Wild. Miro Heiskanen had a goal and an assist for the Stars (21-6-5).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars center Roope Hintz left this game late in the third period with an injured foot. Earlier in the day, the Wild placed winger Mats Zuccarello and defenseman Jake Middleton on injured reserve.

Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman tallied a hat trick in a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Connor McDavid picked up four assists for the 14-11-6 Oilers. Simon Edvidsson replied for the Red Wings (17-12-3) as their six-game points streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Oilers placed forwards Jack Roslovic and Connor Clattenburg on injured reserve, and moved defenseman Jake Walman on long-term injury reserve.

Ottawa Senators center Tim Stutzle scored two goals in a 6-3 victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Drake Batherson, Michael Amadio, and Dylan Cozens each had three points for the Senators (14-12-4) as they ended a three-game losing skid. Jet Greaves replaced Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins after giving up three goals on five shots as his club slipped to 13-12-6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators center Lars Eller left this game with a lower-body injury. This was his second game back from an undisclosed injury.

An overtime goal by Alexander Wennberg lifted the San Jose Sharks over the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2. Wennberg finished with three points, and John Klingberg tied the game late in the third for the Sharks, who improved to 15-14-3. William Nylander had two assists for the Maple Leafs (14-11-5).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson left this game in the third period after injuring his left leg. He will be reevaluated on Friday. Before the game, the Leafs announced that sidelined blueliner Brandon Carlo (lower-body injury) underwent surgery and will be out for a month.

The Buffalo Sabres held off the Vancouver Canucks by a score of 3-2. Tage Thompson had a goal and an assist for the Sabres (13-14-4) as they picked up their first regulation road win since Apr. 1. Kiefer Sherwood and Max Sasson scored for the 11-17-3 Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Sabres placed goaltender Colten Ellis on injured reserve.

DAILY FACEOFF: Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley is expected to miss at least eight weeks with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s a significant blow for the struggling Mammoth. He leads them with 14 goals and is fourth in points with 23.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 9, 2025

by | Dec 9, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 9, 2025

Recaps of Monday’s action, the three stars of the week are revealed, injury updates, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING MONDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Detroit Red Wings goaltender John Gibson kicked out 39 shots to shut out the Vancouver Canucks 4-0. James van Riemsdyk scored to extend his goal streak to four games as the Red Wings vaulted into first place in the Atlantic Division with a record of 16-11-3 (35 points). The Canucks dropped to 11-16-3, losing five of their last six games.

Detroit Red Wings goaltender John Gibson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks winger Nils Hoglander made his season debut after missing 29 games with a lower-body injury.

Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Dennis Hildeby made 29 saves for his first NHL shutout in a 2-0 blanking of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Morgan Rielly and Auston Matthews were the goal scorers as the Maple Leafs (14-11-4) have won four of their last five contests. Jonas Johansson stopped 22 of 23 shots for the 16-11-2 Lightning, who’ve dropped four straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning forward Gage Goncalves was ejected early in the third period for kneeing Maple Leafs defenseman Dakota Mermis. Shortly afterward, Leafs winger Bobby McMann received a match penalty for slashing Lightning forward Oliver Bjorkstrand.

Lightning forwards Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point returned to action after being sidelined by injuries. Earlier in the day, the Lightning moved starting goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy to injured reserve.

Maple Leafs winger Nick Robertson was a healthy scratch for this contest. Head coach Craig Berube said his play had dropped off recently.

The Minnesota Wild defeated the Seattle Kraken 4-1. Joel Eriksson Ek had a goal and two assists, and Filip Gustavsson turned aside 23 shots for the Wild, who improved to 16-9-5. Jordan Eberle replied for the struggling Kraken (11-10-6) as their losing skid reached six games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Kraken announced that rookie forward Berkly Catton is week-to-week with an upper-body injury. He’s unlikely to be joining Canada for the 2026 World Junior Championship.

Los Angeles Kings winger Joel Armia tallied twice in a 4-2 victory over the Utah Mammoth. Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist for the 14-8-7 Kings. Clayton Keller had a goal and an assist for the Mammoth (14-14-3), who’ve dropped six of their last eight contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the struggling Mammoth announced that first-line center Logan Cooley is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury.

The Calgary Flames defeated the Buffalo Sabres 7-4. Nazem Kadri had a goal and two assists, and Yegor Sharangovich tallied twice and picked up an assist for the improving Flames (12-15-4), who’ve won three straight and are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games. Rasmus Dahlin had a goal and an assist for the 11-14-4 Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: After struggling through the opening weeks of this season, the Flames have been red-hot of late (pun intended), sitting only three points out of a wild-card berth in the Western Conference.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin, Dallas Stars goalie Jake Oettinger, and Florida Panthers winger Carter Verhaeghe are the league’s three stars for the week ending Dec. 7, 2025.

THE SCORE/SPORTSNET: The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) downplayed concerns over the smaller ice surfaces at the two arenas in Milan for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Both rinks will be 60 meters long by 26 meters wide, or approximately 196.85 feet by 85.3 feet. The standard NHL rink is 200 feet by 85 feet (60.96 by 25.908 meters).

The IIHF stated the dimensions of the two rinks are fully consistent with its regulations and the NHL’s requirements for its Global Series rink specifications, adding that the differences are “insignificant.”

Meanwhile, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly is optimistic that the main rink will be completed on time and to league standards. His main concern is with the quality of the ice surface.

Daly said that if the players felt the ice was unsafe, they wouldn’t play. Nevertheless, he doesn’t see anything insurmountable that would prevent the main rink from being completed in time for the Games.

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: The Blackhawks have sent forward Landon Slaggert and rookie defenseman Sam Rinzel to their AHL affiliate in Rockford.

NHL.COM: Center Craig Smith announced his retirement after 14 NHL seasons with the Nashville Predators, Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks, Washington Capitals, and Detroit Red Wings.

In 987 regular-season games from 2011-12 to 2024-25, Smith tallied 220 goals and 232 assists for 452 points. He also had 23 points in 83 playoff games.

OTTAWA CITIZEN: The Senators have hired a firm to lobby the provincial and federal governments to help pay for the team’s planned new arena at LeBreton Flats in Ottawa.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sports teams make enough money to pay for their own arenas, but most have convinced provincial and state governments to pick up a larger chunk of the tab. The Senators’ efforts will likely sway the Ontario government to pay part of the cost.

THE ATHLETIC: surveyed 120 NHL players, in which over 86 percent believe playing in a no-tax state matters. Many cited how teams in Florida convinced many of their best players to sign team-friendly contracts.

Some also suggested that teams in higher-tax states should have a higher salary cap, and those in lower or no-tax states should have a lower cap to balance things out. Some believe it is advantageous to sign in no-tax states because their dollars will go further.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Playing in a warm-weather state with no state tax on a good team is an obvious enticement for players. However, the state has to make money somehow, which means high property taxes, sales taxes, cost-of-living expenses, and fees that can offset some or most of those financial benefits.

Some pundits and fans believe that teams in no-tax states have an advantage over others when it comes to building and maintaining a Stanley Cup contender or champion, citing the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. However, it hasn’t worked so well for the Seattle Kraken and Nashville Predators.

Speaking of the Panthers, their no-tax advantage didn’t help them from 1997-98 to 2018-19, when they only made the playoffs three times and struggled to retain their best players. It wasn’t until they finally brought in good management and coaches that they turned themselves around.

That’s when being in a no-tax state made it possible for the Panthers to retain most of their key players. It’s easier to convince them to take team-friendly contracts when you’re a winner or a contender.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 7, 2025

by | Dec 7, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 7, 2025

Nathan MacKinnon ties the Avalanche goals record, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Nathan MacKinnon scored twice, including the winner in overtime, as the Colorado Avalanche nipped the New York Rangers 3-2. Martin Necas collected three assists as the league-leading Avalanche (46 points) became the first team to reach the 20-win plateau (20-2-6). Igor Shesterkin kicked out 39 shots while Conor Sheary and Artemi Panarin replied for the 15-13-3 Rangers.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon leads the league with 24 goals and 48 points. He also reached 391 career NHL regular-season goals, tying Joe Sakic for the most goals in Avalanche history. Sakic remains the overall franchise leader (Avalanche and Quebec Nordiques) with 625.

The Florida Panthers overcame 4-1 and 6-4 deficits to defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 7-6 on an overtime goal by Sam Bennett, who also collected three assists. Brad Marchand also had a goal and three assists, and Carter Verhaeghe tallied twice and picked up an assist for the Panthers, who snapped a four-game losing skid and improved to 13-12-2. Dmitri Voronkov, Miles Wood, Cole Sillinger, and Isac Lundestrom each had a goal and an assist for the 13-9-6 Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen returned to action after being sidelined since Nov. 15 from burns to his lower body suffered when his propane grill malfunctioned and exploded while he was cooking.

New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin turned in a 32-save shutout to blank the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0. Calum Ritchie and Casey Cizikas were the goal scorers for the 16-10-3 Islanders. Jonas Johansson stopped 17 of 18 shots for the Lightning (16-10-2), who have lost three straight but remain in first place in the Atlantic Division with 34 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning captain Victor Hedman returned to action after missing the last 12 games with an undisclosed injury. Starting goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy and winger Nikita Kucherov missed this game and are day-to-day with undisclosed injuries.

A shootout goal by Alexandre Texier lifted the Montreal Canadiens to a 2-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Cole Caufield scored to extend his points streak to 10 games for the Canadiens (15-9-3). Dennis Hildeby made 33 saves, and Scott Laughton scored for the 13-11-4 Maple Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Maple Leafs placed starting goalie Joseph Woll (lower body) on injured reserve.

St. Louis Blues netminder Joel Hofer turned aside 41 shots, and Jake Neighbours scored twice to beat the Ottawa Senators by a score of 2-1. Fabian Zetterlund replied for the Senators (13-11-4), who have dropped four of their last five games. The Blues now sit at 10-12-7.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues winger Jordan Kyrou left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, the Senators played without center Shane Pinto, who suffered a lower-body injury during Thursday’s 3-2 loss to the New York Rangers. Pinto will be sidelined for at least two weeks.

Vancouver Canucks center Aatu Raty had his first multipoint NHL game with two goals and an assist in a 4-2 upset of the Minnesota Wild. Rookie defenseman Tom Wallinder scored his first NHL goal, and goalie Nikita Tolopilo stopped 28 shots for the Canucks (11-15-3) as they ended a four-game losing skid. Matt Boldy and Mats Zuccarello each had a goal and an assist, and goalie Jesper Wallstedt suffered his first regulation loss of the season for the Wild (15-9-5), who’ve dropped three of their last four contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks center Elias Pettersson left the warmup for this game with an upper-body injury.

The Calgary Flames blanked the Utah Mammoth 2-0. Dustin Wolf made 27 saves for the shutout while Yegor Sharangovich and Connor Zary scored for the 11-15-4 Flames, who are 6-2-1 in their last nine games. Vitek Vanecek stopped 21 of 22 shots for the 14-13-3 Mammoth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mammoth center Logan Cooley was a late scratch from this game with a lower-body injury.

Carolina Hurricanes forwards Jackson Blake and Nikolaj Ehlers each had three points in a 6-3 victory over the Nashville Predators. Goalie Brandon Bussi made 19 saves for his sixth straight win for the 17-8-2 Hurricanes. Filip Forsberg had a goal and an assist for the Predators, who dropped to 10-14-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes center Jesperi Kotkaniemi returned to action after missing nine games with a lower-body injury.

Boston Bruins winger Morgan Geekie scored for the 10th time in nine games in a 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. Jeremy Swayman kicked out 29 shots as the Bruins improved to 17-13-0. Timo Meier replied for the Devils (16-12-1), who have lost five straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Geekie sits second among NHL skaters this season with 22 goals.

A four-goal first period carried the Edmonton Oilers over the Winnipeg Jets by a score of 6-2. Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard, and Connor McDavid each had two points for the 13-11-5 Oilers. Gabriel Vilardi and Cole Koepke replied for the Jets (14-13-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid has been rising in the points race lately, sitting second to the Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon with 42 points.

A late goal by Patrick Kane gave the Detroit Red Wings a 4-3 win over the Seattle Kraken. John Gibson made 24 saves for the win as the Red Wings improved to 15-11-3. Adam Larsson had a goal and an assist for the 11-9-6 Kraken, who have lost five straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane is closing in on the 500-goal milestone with 497.

The Los Angeles Kings thumped the Chicago Blackhawks 6-0. Darcy Kuemper turned in a 23-save shutout, and Brandt Clarke scored two goals for the 13-8-7 Kings. Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight made 26 saves as his club dropped to 12-10-6.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars placed forward Tyler Seguin (ACL) on long-term injury reserve and put defenseman Lian Bichsel on injured reserve following surgery on his left leg.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: For now, the Stars will get just over $3.8 million in cap relief by placing Seguin on LTIR. If it’s determined that he’ll miss the rest of the season (including the playoffs), he’ll be moved to season-ending LTIR, enabling them to exceed the salary cap by the remainder of his $9.8 million cap hit.

Meanwhile, Bichsel is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks.

ESPN.COM: Former Stars owner Tom Hicks died on Saturday at age 79. He owned the club from 1995 to 2011, during which they won the Stanley Cup in 1999 and reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2000.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Hicks’ family and the Stars organization.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 30, 2025

by | Nov 30, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 30, 2025

Nathan MacKinnon and Morgan Geekie are this season’s first 20-goal scorers, Macklin Celebrini reaches a scoring milestone, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

RECAPS OF SATURDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Nathan MacKinnon scored his 20th goal of the season and collected two assists as the Colorado Avalanche thumped the Montreal Canadiens 7-2. Brock Nelson scored twice and had two assists, and Gabriel Landeskog had a goal and two assists for the Avalanche (18-1-6), who hold first place in the overall standings with 42 points. Ivan Demidov and Lane Hutson replied for the 13-8-3 Canadiens, whose three-game win streak ended.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon becomes the first NHL player to score 20 goals this season, reaching that milestone for the 11th time in his career. He’s tied for the goal-scoring lead and sits atop the points race with 44.

Canadiens defenseman Jayden Struble missed this game with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. Meanwhile, player agent Philippe Lecavalier said his client, Mike Matheson, wouldn’t have signed the contract he did on Friday with any other NHL club. The 32-year-old Canadiens defenseman inked a five-year extension with an average annual value of $6 million.

Boston Bruins winger Morgan Geekie tallied two goals, and Casey Mittelstadt scored the winner in a shootout for a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Elias Lindholm collected two assists for the 15-12-0 Bruins. Lucas Raymond and Michael Rasmussen scored for the Red Wings, who are winless in four games (0-3-1) and dropped to 13-11-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Geekie is tied with MacKinnon with 20 goals on the season. Bruins center Pavel Zacha returned to action after missing the Bruins’ previous game with an upper-body injury, while teammate Henri Jokiharju was placed on injured reserve. Meanwhile, Red Wings forward Patrick Kane is struggling to score. He had three goals and 14 points in 17 games, with the last goal being scored on Nov. 15.

The Vegas Golden Knights got two goals from Tomas Hertl to hold off the San Jose Sharks by a score of 4-3. Carl Lindbom turned aside 18 shots for his first NHL win as the Golden Knights (11-6-8) snapped a four-game winless skid (0-2-2). Will Smith tallied twice for the 12-11-3 Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks center Macklin Celebrini collected an assist for his 100th career NHL point, becoming the second-fastest player in Sharks history to reach that milestone and the eighth youngest player in league history (19 years, 169 days) to do so.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel scored two goals to extend his goal streak to five games in a 4-1 victory over the New York Rangers. Nikita Kucherov picked up three assists for the Lightning (16-7-2), who won their seventh straight game and sit in first place in the Eastern Conference with 34 points. The Rangers (13-12-1) got a goal from J.T. Miller as their three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers defenseman Adam Fox left this game with an injured left arm. Head coach Mike Sullivan said he was being evaluated. His status remains unclear.

The Edmonton Oilers got a 26-save shutout from Stuart Skinner to blank the Seattle Kraken 4-0. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and an assist in his return to action after a nine-game absence with an undisclosed injury as the Oilers improved to 11-10-5. Joey Daccord allowed four goals on 25 shots for the Kraken, who are winless in three games (0-2-1) as they slipped to 11-7-6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers played without forwards Jack Roslovic and Kasperi Kapanen, who are expected to miss at least two weeks with injuries. On Friday, the Kraken announced that winger Jaden Schwartz will be sidelined for six weeks with a lower-body injury.

St. Louis Blues goalie Joel Hofer made 18 saves, and Dylan Holloway scored the only goal to shut out the Utah Mammoth 1-0. Mammoth netminder Karel Vejmelka stopped 18 shots as his club has lost three straight games and dropped to 12-11-3. The Blues improved to 9-10-7.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mammoth center Logan Cooley had to be helped off the ice in the third period after a knee-on-knee hit from Blues forward Alexey Toropchenko, who received a major penalty for kneeing and a game misconduct. There was no update on Cooley’s status.

The Philadelphia Flyers got two goals and an assist from Owen Tippett in a 5-3 upset of the New Jersey Devils. Matvei Michkov netted two goals, and Dan Vladar stopped 29 shots for the 14-7-3 Flyers, who picked up their third straight win. Dawson Mercer had a goal and an assist for the Devils (16-8-1), whose three-game win streak was snapped, but they remain in first place in the Metropolitan Division with 33 points.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews had a goal and an assist in a 7-2 drubbing of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Bobby McMann, and Nicolas Roy also each had a goal and an assist for the Maple Leafs, who improved to 11-11-3. Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist for the Penguins (12-7-5).

Winnipeg Jets winger Nino Niederreiter tallied twice as his club defeated the Nashville Predators 5-2, snapping a four-game losing skid. Dylan Samberg had three assists as the Jets improved to 13-11-0. Luke Evangelista had a goal and an assist for the 8-13-4 Predators.

A shootout goal by Noah Ostlund lifted the Buffalo Sabres to a 3-2 upset of the Minnesota Wild, ending the latter’s seven-game win streak. Beck Malenstyn and Josh Doan scored in regulation for the 10-11-4 Sabres. Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy tallied for the 14-7-4 Wild.

An overtime goal by Adrian Kempe lifted the Los Angeles Kings over the Vancouver Canucks 2-1. Anze Kopitar also scored for the 12-6-7 Kings. Evander Kane replied for the Canucks, who dropped to 10-13-3.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NEW YORK POST: Islanders forward Kyle Palmieri’s season is over after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee on Friday. He will undergo surgery and is expected to be sidelined for six to eight months.

CBS SPORTS: Ottawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot (upper body) was placed on injured reserve.

TSN: There is no backup plan if the main ice hockey arena for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics is not ready on time. Construction is behind schedule, and its completion is going down to the wire.

The women’s tournament begins on Feb. 5, while the men’s tournament starts on Feb. 11. The latter will feature NHL players for the first time since the 2014 Games.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 25, 2025

by | Nov 25, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 25, 2025

A career-best single-game performance by Mammoth center Logan Cooley, a lopsided victory by the Panthers over the Predators, the three stars of the week are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

NHL.COM: Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley had a career-best single-game performance with four goals and an assist in a 5-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Karel Vejmelka made 33 saves, and Dylan Guenther had a goal and an assist for the Mammoth, who improved to 12-8-3. Ivan Barbashev replied for the 10-5-7 Golden Knights.

Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley (NHL Images).

The Florida Panthers romped to an 8-3 drubbing of the Nashville Predators. A.J. Greer scored twice and collected an assist, while Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe each had a goal and two assists for the Panthers (12-9-1). Filip Forsberg, Fedor Svechkov, and Nick Blankenburg replied for the Predators, who’ve lost three straight and dropped to 6-12-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This loss came after Predators general manager Barry Trotz backed head coach Andrew Brunette while calling for his players to do more, especially on offense. However, the message fell on deaf ears.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Brandon Hagel had two goals and an assist, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 20 saves to shut out the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0. Nikita Kucherov collected three assists as the Lightning improved to 13-7-2, picking up their fourth straight win and moving into first place in the Atlantic Division with 28 points. Samuel Ersson stopped 15 of 17 shots for the Flyers, who dropped to 11-7-3 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: What a difference a month makes. On Oct. 23, the Lightning were off to the worst start in franchise history, sitting in last place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 1-4-2. Some observers suggested that they were past their prime and incapable of fending off the hungry younger teams in the conference. They’ve since won 12 of their last 15 games.

Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun tallied two goals as his club defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-1. Tom Wilson and John Carlson each had a goal and an assist for the Capitals (12-9-2), who’ve won four of their last five games. Denton Mateychuk scored for the 11-9-3 Blue Jackets as they dropped four of their last six contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski and winger Mathieu Olivier left this game with upper-body injuries. Winger Kirill Marchenko missed this game with an upper-body injury. Earlier in the day, the Jackets announced the signing of defenseman Brendan Smith to a one-year, two-way contract.

The Los Angeles Kings nipped the Ottawa Senators 2-1 on a third-period goal by Brandt Clarke. Warren Foegele also scored, and Darcy Kuemper made 27 saves for the 11-6-6 Kings, who ended a three-game winless skid (0-1-2). Fabian Zetterlund netted the only goal for the Senators (11-7-4).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot missed this game as he returned to the injury list with an upper-body ailment. He’s listed as day-to-day and could return to the lineup when the Senators face the St. Louis Blues on Friday.

New Jersey Devils forwards Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, and Connor Brown each had a goal and an assist in a 4-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings, extending their home points streak to nine games. Jacob Markstrom turned aside 32 shots for the 14-7-1 Devils, who snapped a three-game losing skid. Moritz Seider picked up two points for the Red Wings (13-9-1).

The New York Rangers snapped a four-game losing skid by dropping the St. Louis Blues 3-2. Igor Shesterkin stopped 19 shots for the win while defensemen Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov each had two assists for the Rangers, who improved to 11-11-2. Dylan Holloway and Brayden Schenn replied for the Blues, who dropped to 7-10-6.

NHL.COM: Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson, Columbus Blue Jackets blueliner Zach Werenski, and San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini are the league’s three stars for the week ending Nov. 23, 2025.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 30, 2025

by | Oct 30, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 30, 2025

Maple Leafs center John Tavares reaches a goal-scoring milestone, the Mammoth sign Logan Cooley to a lucrative extension, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares scored his 500th career NHL regular-season goal in a 6-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Charlie Coyle and Mathieu Olivier each had four, and Cole Sillinger scored twice and collected an assist for the 6-4-0 Blue Jackets, who’ve won three straight games. Sammy Blais and Nick Robertson each had a goal and an assist for the Maple Leafs, who dropped to 5-5-1.

Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tavares is the 49th player in NHL history to reach the 500-goal milestone. Teammate Steven Lorentz left this game in the second period with an upper-body injury.

THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE: Logan Cooley signed an eight-year, $80 million contract extension with the Utah Mammoth. The 21-year-old center will earn an average annual value of $10 million starting in 2026-27.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cooley has become one of the Mammoth’s invaluable core players in a short period of time. Chosen third overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, he’s had 44 points as a rookie in 2023-24 and 65 points in his sophomore campaign. He currently leads the Mammoth with eight goals and is second with 12 points in 11 games.

Cooley has played a significant role in the Mammoth’s strong start as they jockey with the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights for first place in the Western Conference. Locking him up for eight years ensures he’ll be with Utah throughout most of his playing prime.

A $10 million AAV is an expensive raise for a rising young star such as Cooley. However, it’ll be worthwhile over the long term if he continues to improve at the same pace as he has since 2023-24.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers winger Zach Hyman’s return to the lineup from offseason wrist surgery has been pushed back a week. The 33-year-old winger was supposed to come off the long-term injury reserve list on Nov. 1. He’s now considered week-to-week.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes and teammate Conor Garland didn’t travel with the team to St. Louis on Wednesday. Hughes is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, and Garland is out with an undisclosed injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The early-season injuries are mounting for the Canucks. Filip Chytil, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Nils Hoglander, Derek Forbort, Teddy Blueger, and Victor Mancini are also sidelined.

GLOBAL NEWS: Brad Marchand took a leave of absence from the Florida Panthers to return home to Halifax, Nova Scotia, as a guest coach in a tribute game honoring the life of his long-time friend and trainer’s daughter.

Selah Panacci-MacCallum, daughter of JP MacCallum, was 10 years old when she succumbed to cancer last Friday. MacCallum is the owner of the March & Mill Co. Hunters. Marchand was behind the bench with former Halifax Mooseheads’ teammate Andrew Bodnarchuk during Wednesday’s game against the Halifax McDonalds at the Halifax Forum.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Say what you will about Marchand’s on-ice antics against his opponents, but he’s a stand-up guy off the ice. My condolences to the MacCallum family.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Carolina Hurricanes forward William Carrier (lower body) was placed on injured reserve.

DAILY FACEOFF: Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

TSN: Calgary and Edmonton are among the cities bidding to host the 2028 World Cup of Hockey. Other bidders are believed to include Montreal, Vancouver, Las Vegas, Tampa Bay, and Dallas.

SPORTSNET: The NBA’s Dallas Mavericks have sued the Dallas Stars for breach of contract, alleging the NHL team is foiling attempts to improve American Airlines Center. The Stars have countersued, seeking to restore normal operations. The two teams have shared the arena since 2001.