NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 8, 2025

by | Jun 8, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 8, 2025

Capitals coach Spencer Carbery wins the Jack Adams Award, the winner of the Hart Trophy and Vezina Trophy may have been inadvertently revealed, the latest on the Oilers and Panthers, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Spencer Carbery of the Washington Capitals is the 2024-25 winner of the Jack Adams Award as NHL Coach of the Year. Carbery was surprised with the award by his wife and children in-studio during what he thought was an interview with Capitals play-by-play announcer Joe Beninati.

Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery (NHL Images).

Carbery guided the Capitals to a 51-22-9 record and a first-overall finish in the Eastern Conference.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Carter Brooks reports a slightly out-of-focus photograph circulated on social media Saturday, appearing to show Connor Hellebuyck posing in his backyard with the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Vezina Trophy. The 32-year-old Winnipeg Jets goaltender is a finalist for both awards.

Brooks pointed out that an NHL Media release indicated the winners of those trophies would be officially revealed during its Awards show on June 12.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It won’t be surprising if Hellebuyck won both awards. He had an outstanding regular season and was the most valuable player for his team. He would become the first goaltender to win the Hart and Vezina Trophies since Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens in 2014-15.

NHL.COM: The coaching staff and a cohesive dressing-room environment have contributed to the solid performance of the Florida Panthers’ defense corps. Nate Schmidt, Gustav Forsling and Dmitry Kulikov are among the blueliners who have thrived in Florida.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: David Staples observes that Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse is struggling against the Florida Panthers again. Despite what may be his best regular season, he is having difficulty moving the puck, making unforced icings and turnovers in the first two games of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.

Staples noted that Nurse played his best hockey when paired with Troy Stecher, suggesting reuniting the pair. The return of Mattias Ekholm relegated Stecher to the press box, with Nurse paired with Brett Kulak.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Hannah Kirkell cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas recently discussing the health of Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. They observed he skipped the 4 Nations Face Off in February to prioritize getting his body in the best possible shape for the playoffs.

The pair discussed whether Pietrangelo would be available to play for Canada in the 2026 Winter Olympics. They don’t know the extent or the nature of the blueliner’s injury, but they wondered if he’d be ready for the start of next season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pietrangelo appeared to be playing with a lower-body injury this season. He had 33 points with a plus-minus of plus-11 in 71 games this season and had six points in 10 playoff games. However, the 17-year NHL veteran is 35 years old, and the physical toll of his long career could be catching up with him.

Pietrangelo is signed through 2026-27 with an average annual value of $8.8 million and a full no-movement clause.

NEW YORK POST: Matthew Schaefer endured a season-ending injury and the recent deaths of his mother and billet mother. Nevertheless, how the 17-year-old Erie Otters defenseman handled the injury and his grief displayed a maturity and character that contributed to his rise to the top of the 2025 NHL Draft rankings.

TVA SPORTS: Radim Mrtka said the Montreal Canadiens are the team that has shown the most interest in him. However, the 17-year-old Seattle Thunderbirds defenseman isn’t expected to be available when the Canadiens make the first of their two first-round picks (16th and 17th overall).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mrtka is a big (6’6”), smooth-skating blueliner who emulates Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Moritz Seider of the Detroit Red Wings. The report noted he was taken to dinner by the Pittsburgh Penguins last week.

I have the Seattle Kraken taking Mrtka with the eighth overall pick in my mock draft, with the Canadiens choosing defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson of the OHL’s Barrie Colts at No. 16.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins forward Vasily Ponomarev is expected to return to the KHL with Omsk for 2025-26. The 23-year-old restricted free agent was part of the return the Penguins received from the Carolina Hurricanes in last year’s Jake Guentzel trade. He has no points in seven games with the Penguins this season and received no guarantees that he’d be in their lineup for 2025-26.

NEW YORK POST: The longest scoring review in NHL history reached its conclusion with former Hartford Whalers goaltender John Garrett receiving an assist on Gordie Howe’s final NHL goal on Apr. 9, 1980.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Trois-Rivieres Lions are the winners of the ECHL’s Kelly Cup for the first time. They are the secondary affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens and the first Canadian-based team to win the Kelly Cup in six years.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 25, 2023

by | Mar 25, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 25, 2023

The Sabres keep their playoff hopes alive, the Avalanche move up in the Central Division, Coyotes minority owner is suspended after arrest for strangulation charge, US President Joe Biden makes a playful dig at the Maple Leafs, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Buffalo Sabres kept their playoff hopes alive with a 5-4 upset of the New Jersey Devils. Alex Tuch scored two goals and collected an assist for the 34-31-6 Sabres (74 points), who sit six points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Jack Hughes also had two goals and an assist for the Devils (45-19-8) as remain two points behind the Metropolitan Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes with 98 points.

Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch (NHL Images).

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Cale Makar each had a goal and two assists to defeat the Arizona Coyotes 3-1. The Avalanche improved to 42-23-6 (90 points) and sit one point behind the second-place Minnesota Wild in the Central Division. Clayton Keller scored his 35th goal of the season for the 27-34-12 Coyotes, who were officially eliminated from playoff contentions.

An overtime goal by Boone Jenner lifted the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 5-4 upset win over the New York Islanders. Johnny Gaudreau had a goal and an assist while Kent Johnson scored a lacrosse-style “Michigan” goal for the 23-41-7 Blue Jackets. Brock Nelson tallied twice for the Islanders 37-27-9, who hold the first Eastern wild-card spot with 83 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Blue Jackets announced winger Patrik Laine will be sidelined for two to four weeks with a triceps strain suffered during practice on Thursday.

HEADLINES

ARIZONA SPORTS: Coyotes minority owner Andrew Barroway has been suspended indefinitely by the NHL following his arrest on Thursday night in Aspen, Colorado, on a felony strangulation charge. He also faces a misdemeanor third-degree assault charge.

Barroway posted bond on Friday and is under a court order not to have any contact with his wife unless it involves their children.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Barroway was the Coyotes’ majority owner from 2014 to 2019 before selling 95 percent of the team to current owner Alex Meruelo. The club issued a statement on Friday indicating they were aware of the allegations against Barroway and are working with the league to gather more information before issuing an appropriate response.

SPORTSNET: US president Joe Biden took a playful dig at the Toronto Maple Leafs during his address in the Canadian House of Commons on Friday.

“I have to say, I like your teams except the Leafs,” said Biden, drawing a standing ovation from many House of Commons members.

“I’ll tell you why. They beat the Flyers back in January, that’s why. I married a Philly girl (Jill Biden). If I didn’t say that, I’d be sleeping alone and fellas, I like you but not that much,” he said, drawing laughter from the parliamentarians and their guests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I thought it was a good-natured, funny remark by Biden. Unlike previous presidents, he’s a hockey fan and has been following the Flyers for years. I was a little surprised by how many parliamentarians stood and cheered. It just goes to show how many House members are fans of the other six Canadian clubs.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Logan Thompson, Reilly Smith and Alec Martinez will be unavailable for the final game of the Golden Knights’ Western Canada road trip. Thompson and Smith returned to Las Vegas for injury maintenance while Martinez is away for personal reasons.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins forward A.J. Greer received a one-game suspension by the NHL department of player safety for cross-checking Montreal Canadiens winger Mike Hoffman in the face on Thursday night.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hoffman’s face was carved up by Greer’s stick. The Canadiens winger wasn’t pleased about the Bruins forward getting only one game for his actions.

Hoffman noted he received a two-game suspension earlier in his career for cross-checking an opponent in the back of the head. However, Greer only got one game for an intentional cross-check to the face.

Hoffman deserved his two-game suspension because hits to the head are dangerous and the league is supposedly trying to eliminate that from the game. He’s right, however, to be upset with the inconsistency over the way the league hands down its punishments.

Greer’s hit was more egregious and deliberate, striking an opponent in the face. The last time I checked, the face was part of the head. And yet, he gets the equivalent of a slap on the wrist.

The department of player safety has received increasing criticism from fans on social media and from pundits over its puzzling rulings. However, the league’s brain trust continues to defend and support it. Hoffman’s comments won’t change things.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: With goaltender Ville Husso listed as day-to-day, the Red Wings recalled netminder Alex Nedeljkovic from their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Canucks re-signed defenseman Christian Wolanin to a two-year, two-way contract.

THE PROVINCE: Speaking of the Canucks, their long-time TV color commentator John Garrett will be retiring from their regional broadcasts at the end of this season. He’s been in the role since 2002. A former NHL goaltender in the late-1970s and early-1980s, he began his broadcasting career in 1986 on Hockey Night in Canada and moved to Sportsnet in 1998.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s the end of an era for Canucks broadcasting. Love him or hate him, Garrett was always entertaining. Best wishes for an enjoyable retirement.